First Impressions / TARI TARI

「空回ったり 見失ったり」 (Kuukai ttari Miushinatta ri)
“Spinning in Circles and Losing Sight”

Following the conclusion of Wakana’s arc, Sawa gets her time in the spotlight this time around. But, even with this spotlight, Sawa wasn’t actually what the episode was about. Rather, the actual focus is on the developing plans and changing outlooks our main characters have regarding the future. Topping it off with some great character development all around, TARI TARI distinguishes itself by being able to put the focus on one character while ensuring that the other characters don’t get lost in the process.

For example, we get to see the culmination of Wakana’s development over the last few episodes. We see her finally embracing the music she’s been intentionally avoiding for years and we see her being undecided for the future as a result. We see her opening up to the other members of the club, a side of her we haven’t really been able to see until now. And it just shows how far she’s come as a result of the events of the last few episodes.

And then there’s Taichi, who is showing how despite the fact he has earned an athletic scholarship, he knows he still can’t afford to slack off regarding the entrance examination. He knows if he fails it, he could still lose the scholarship… and it’s just a refreshing attitude that not only provides a nice contrast to other people who would take this chance for granted and not put as much effort into it, but shows how determined he is to succeed in the future.

Speaking of contrast, one of the more notable aspects for this episode (at least for me), revolves around the obvious contrast between Wakana’s parents and Sawa’s. Wakana’s parents were more easy going and in ways, a kind of ideal arrangement where they wanted their child to find what she wanted to do, and would support her all the way. Sawa’s parents on the other hand though, are a complete opposite… being more down to earth in many ways, and showing obvious dislike of her desire to ride horses as a career despite her love for it. Really, the quote from her father pretty much summarizes their view in a nutshell: “Some obstacles cannot be overcome by hard work alone”. And well, it’s just a really big contrast… so big that it makes me wonder if it wasn’t intentional that Wakana and Sawa’s arcs were placed back-to-back, which would be quite clever of them indeed. Also, I have to say, that whole exchange between Wakana and her dad, just highlights further how awesome he is.

  • “Why didn’t you wake me up? You mean thanks for making me breakfast?“
  • “Did you feed Dora? Please feed her, father dearest, you mean?”
  • The whole exchange about tickets was also priceless, as was the “special” lunch.

    • Going back to development for a bit… I feel like I also have to mention the bits we get about Wien and Konatsu as well, as we find out about Wien’s insecurities about the future and the brave face he puts on as a front, and about Konatsu having to continuously deal with old friends from the original Choir Club questioning her resolve. I reckon though, by the end of the coming White Festival, that Konatsu will get her revenge, which will be sweet indeed. Wien on the other hand… it’s something that’ll probably take a bit of a few episodes to get through, but I’ll definitely look forward to that.

    Moving on… everything above just shows how much development everyone gets, despite the focus on Sawa. But still, the main focus character wise is still Sawa’s and well, it’s just sad the lengths she ends up going through in an attempt to pursue her dreams because of her dad’s rigidness regarding the endeavor… something that leads to her falling off Sabure and getting injured at the end of this episode. In the end though, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying either parenting method is necessarily better than another. What I do believe though, is there should be at least semblance of flexibility given if possible, unless the family absolutely cannot afford it and is in dire financial straits or something. Regardless, while I can’t really see where Sawa goes from here, I just can’t help but want her to continuing pursuing her dream. I would think the signs point to her eventually going back to horse riding, but for some reason… I just can’t shake the feeling there’s that chance that Sawa also goes the opposite route and tries pursuing something else.

    And well, that’s about it. Just another solid, enjoyable episode to say the least… though I personally found it great due to the fact I’m about to graduate soon too (from college) and my future’s up in the air to a point that I can really identify with the characters. You’ll find a few full lengths below, as well as interesting facts regarding the series name.

    Full-length images: 22, 30.

    Interesting Trivia: The funky episode names all use verbs in the -tari -tari conjugation (used for “indicating actions amongst other actions” or “I’m doing things such as…”). Hence, the origins of the series’ name! Thanks to one of my friends for catching this!

    Author’s Note: Took a bit to fix up, but blog’s back up! Take a peek if you have the chance and stay tuned for some previews of graphic novels and hopefully The Last Story artbook in the comings days!

     

    ED1.07 Sequence

    Preview

    51 Comments

    4. Also forgot to add but I don’t know if it’s me or not but all the large versions of images from ED1.07 Sequence is not loading for me. The rest are loading fine. If I attempt to load the image directly, I get the 404 error so it seems that it’s not uploaded.

      Silver
      Reply

    5. As mush as I like Sawa, I have to say she is a bit stupid in this episode and agree with her parents. She need to tell the difference between a dream and reality, some dream cannot be overcome with hardwork alone, you need talent, luck, and most of all money, is like highschool altheles that wanna go pro as a career, one in ten-thousand chances that someone will live their dream, can anyone really bet their whole future in this .001 chance of achieveing your dream. If your family is rich then you can afford the time you spend on a bad career choice but if you just an average family then not anyone can spend wasting yrs of their lives on a bad career choice. Like her father say she can still ride horse as a hobby but she need to face reality that she need a better career choice than thinking she can survive by being not sure what u call it jockey maybe but someone who ride horse as a living. Someone will need to tell Sawa to GROW UP.

      Andy
      Reply

      1. That’s why they’re still high school students. It’s at a stage where they need to decide what they want to do with their life and whether it’s realistic or not. You tell her to grow up but look at all her friends. All of them are in similar situations as well. Some don’t even know what they want to do with their future. Some have clear goals but have potential problems getting there. It’s all part of being young. They can’t grow up overnight. Also you can’t just easily toss your dream aside either. Otherwise it will be something like:

        “I want to work in the sciences when I grow up!” -> “Wow… I’m kind of struggling with math.” -> “Naww… my dream is unrealistic. Let’s throw it away.”

        There’s no effort at all to achieving the dream so what’s the point of a dream? If everyone drops their dreams just because it seems “unrealistic,” “childish,” “stupid,” then the world might never be where they are. Of course there’s a limit to how much you can pursue a dream before you really need to analyze whether it’s reasonable or not but there’s nothing wrong with still trying to go for it.

        Silver
        Reply

        1. But all these ppl who won’t give up their dream and manage to success in the end has some sort of means to keep themselves survive financially, but one cannot hope to achieve a dream if they don’t even have money to keep themselves alive. That why what his dad say is the best about riding horse as a hobby and get something stable so you can at least feed yourself. What is a dream to anyone if you have no money to keep a roof over your head, food on the table. What she is trying to do is gambling her whole future on an all or nothing kind of chance. Unless someone is rich and can afford yrs of not working to survive then not many ppl can place their future on a bet like that.

          Andy
          Reply

      2. I don’t mean any offense when I say this, but if everyone thought the way you just wrote about, then we wouldn’t have progressed anywhere to where we are today as human beings. Complacency isn’t exactly a virtuous trait. Heck, at her age I would’ve loved to have something to work toward, but I didn’t have that.

        Who’s to say Sawa won’t be lucky in the future? Maybe she needs a bit of tough love to show her that maybe this isn’t a good idea and she oughta have a backup plan. I don’t think she’ll be without options if she manages to fail at her dream and I doubt she didn’t consider the idea of failure. You know, this might the point of the next episode.

        Sol
        Reply

      3. There’s also another aspect that I’m starting to think as well. As I’m starting to get older (I just graduate from college), there are times when I talk to younger people and I have this bad thinking in the back of my head that I know what’s best for them because I’m older and have went through stuff more than they did. But the truth is I DON’T know what’s best for them. Perhaps what’s stupid to me may actually work for them. You never know. Perhaps it’s better that perhaps the older people should just be supportive of the younger people’s dream and guide them. If their choices do turn out to be bad, they they can then try to help. If the younger people’s choices do turn out to be good, the older people can just be happy for their successes.

        Silver
        Reply

        1. Yeah, I see what you mean.

          If people just gave up stuff, whether it be dreams, goals, or whatever in the future just because of it being “childish”, “unrealistic”, “uncertain”, and so on, then we definitely wouldn’t have progressed as far as we have today. A lot of things we have now, from simple comforts up to weapons and other big things would probably still be behind by 30+ years if we simply gave up on a lot of it at the possibility of such things.

          Like if the Wright Brothers gave up on trying to fly just because everyone else saw it as foolish, unrealistic, and so on, then how far would aviation be today?

          While it IS true that you won’t always succeed at what you (initially) dream of doing, to just try to crush it out like Sawa’s father tried…I get he’s doing so because he cares, but I do feel he could’ve gone about it slightly differently. I mean, it’s not like Sawa already tried and failed several times over while ignoring him each and every time.

          HalfDemonInuyasha
          Reply

      4. Well, you don’t need to be financially rich to pursue your dream. Financial difficulty may just be the price you pay for doing what you want and not everyone measure success or happiness based on money. On the other hand, money (not wealth) do important. And there is hardly a parent who want to see their child drive him/herself to poverty especially after they work so much to pay for their children food, education, etc. I’m on Sawa’s side, but I can sympathized with her father and understand where he is coming from.

        Related to human progress (a bit too far but still), we love, admire, and glorify dream pursuers. But lets not forgot the other side: Those who failed (how many people died in experimental flight?), and the feeling of people love and worried over them. Pursuing your dream of recklessly while ignoring others can just be as bad as letting it drop easily or crushing the dream of others.

        Salbazier
        Reply

    6. Though I could understand her parents’ view, the fact is Sawa is still at that “I could achieve anything I put my heart into” stage; you can call it childish, determined or just hopeful. But as much as I agree with you, I also agree with what Silver said; some people do accomplish their dreams – you just never know and it’s difficult to know for how long you should keep pursuing it.
      I don’t think Sawa’s parents is all that strict though. Compared to many other parents, i’d consider them pretty laid-back. Not many parents would tell they’re kids they could take up any job they like as long as it’s stable. And it’s not like they’re forcing her to give up riding altogether.
      But I did find Sawa’s actions this episode stupid. You should know what happens when you starve yourself.

      And poor Wein. He actually thinks there’s a white rhino under the school.

      Watt
      Reply

    8. I can’t help but feel that they just repeated the Wakana arc again. Sawa has a problem, gets depressed, DOESN’T TELL HER FRIENDS WHAT’S WRONG. Problem is Sawa’s hopes and dreams and no where near as compelling as Wakana’s dead mom. Not to mention Sawa is suddenly handed the Idiot Ball, why would you starve yourself when you’re gunning for an ATHLETIC Career? Meanwhike Taichi (the other athlete in the club) gets reamed for trying to give advice to Sawa when he’s probably the only one who would understand what Sawa is trying to acheive. What the hell?

      I like Sawa, but everything she did here was uncharacteristically stupid. She’s lucky she didn’t get trampled by her own horse.

      fragb85
      Reply

      1. She starved herself because it lets her save money in the long run (so she thinks). Remember, she did that only after her dad mentioned all that stuff about money, about paying for your own clothing and food. She already tried to strip and give back the clothing, so this is merely the next step.

        I do find it meh that she’s going into the whole quiet, not telling anyone anything aspect… but it’s also somewhat understandable because she never has really had any problems with them, or shown any issues. Wanting to keep those stuff to yourself in the end is a natural reaction for someone of their age, regardless of previous scenarios, and especially when you know you have such great friends who would go overboard for you. Sometimes you just want to get things done yourself, or it ain’t the same. Also, when you’re also pulling some semblance of intentional bulimia, that’s not something you want people finding out.

        I do admit that I was slightly disappointed at the similarity to Wakana’s arc in some aspects… but meh, it was still a solid episode imo.

        Zephyr
        Reply

        1. The saving money thing makes no sense. She’s still eating (and vomiting) her food at home (food she didn’t pay for).

          Sawa only started dieting when she read the equestrian book. She probably was concerned about the height and weight requirements to qualify. Add too her recent defiance to her dad and it lead her to incredibly dumb decisions that caused her accident.

          I really think that Taichi is the only one who can help her. He’s an athlete like her and he’s the only one who knows about her dreams. It really made me mad when he gets treated badly for being concerned for Sawa.

          fragb85
          Reply

      2. In much simpler terms: People do irrational things. And they are especially prone to do so during their teenage years.

        It’s easy to deride others for making stupid decisions, but do we not recognise stupid decisions through our own?

        Stranger
        Reply

    9. It wasn’t too clear, but did Sawa vomit her food out after dinner?

      And apparently there is a specific advantage to losing weight for equestrianism. I wonder if that’s actually true?

      Tre
      Reply

      1. Yes she did. She’s binge dieting and apparently Taichi could easily tell she was.

        Aspiring Jockeys are required to be short and light to even qualify as one. I’ve actually seen some discussion topics that Sawa might be too tall to qualify.

        fragb85
        Reply

      2. There is. Being lighter allows the horses to move faster pretty much, amongst other things like increased aerodynamics as the go down the track. Also, I believe she was vomiting out her food also so she could save money and spend less money on food.

        Zephyr
        Reply

    10. Wakana’s dad have a better vision of “bread-in-microwave-is-called-breakfast”… His have egg on it… Why is the audition held on a road and not in a field? In a field it would protect a less hard impact if the rider felt off the horse… And Sawa’s dad is stupid… A equestrianism rider is not a jockey… One do stunt and trick that demand good control over your horse; the other just run around in circles and hope to be first… There is a difference, old fool!!

      Tingster013
      Reply

      1. A jockey does not ride a horse with a bow, a jockey just rides the horse and goes in a circle and race to the finish as first… She don’t want to be a jockey. She just got offered to be a jockey. Google mounted archery, different from jockey and horse racing.

        Tingster013
        Reply

        1. She actually wants to be a jockey. She confessed it to Taichi after the badminton tournament. Please rewatch episode 5, there is even a mental image of Sawa in a jockey vest. The mounted archery competition is just something she is doing for the town’s fair.

          Son Gohan
          Reply

    14. I don’t think SAWA vomit in the bathroom instead she drinks water to serve her hunger for
      food instead. Like classic Japanese girl diet style by take water but no food.

      May be Sawa’s dreams of becoming horse rider is coming from what we saw in the beginning of
      episode 4 about her “first impression” riding horse or may be something more wither her
      Sabure.

      Feels bad if someone especially her own farther tells her to stop dreaming may be reasonable for her to get this angry

      black
      Reply

      1. It is highly inferred that she did vomit. When Sawa is in the bathroom, she is looking down at the toilet. Then when she comes out, she is wiping her mouth with a disgusted look on her face.

        nero9112
        Reply

    15. If anyone’s interested, I recommend heading to Guardian Enzo’s blog where he has an engaging editorial piece: “Are Guys Treated Badly by Anime – And If So, Is It a Problem?”
      You guys should go check it out, because no matter what Zephyr says, the guys in TT are clearly getting the shaft in terms of development compared to the girls.

      plushkin
      Reply

      1. Compared to HanaIro, PA Works previous title featuring female protagonists, I’d say the guys in Tari Tari didn’t fare too badly.

        Most of the guys seen in HanaIro range from the infuriatingly indecisive (Kou) or dense (Tohru), to the comedic (Ren), and downright pathetic (Enishi) or shamelessly lewd (Jiroumaru).

        So far, only Taiichi has suffered abuse from the girls, and Wakana’s dad even gets to shine as the “awesome dad” by not throwing her mom’s piano and giving Wakana enough room to deal with her own grief in her own way.

        Kinny Riddle
        Reply

        1. One could argue that male characters in HanaIro only ever held the positions of side characters, whereas in TT, Taichi and Wien were front and center in all various forms of promotions, opening song, ending song, flashback cold opens etc. They should have been part of the ensenble cast, but so far have not had much involvment in the actual stories.

          plushkin
          Reply

    17. Sawa, You. IDIOT!. *twitch twitch* Pursuing your dream is fine, but your methods for losing weight would have me pull a Sakurako of yryr and stuff a freaking Onigiri down your throat so you don’t bloody pass out!

      You yelled at Konatsu when her concept of pursuing her dream got lost, why isn’t there someone to yell at you >_<!?!

      Watching this ep was hard, mostly for the above reasons, but also because I've hit that crossroads: pursuing a dream vs reality.

      Blast and Dangit Sawa! A Dream is fine to pursue but if it makes you so weak that you fall off of Sabure and critically injure yourself… you're going to have more than chasing your dream to worry about! baka baka OOBaka!

      *sigh* to end on a happy note it was nice to see Wakana with the whole group in the ED animation ^^!

      kumakaori
      Reply

    18. This had not stopped to impress me. To see wakana being cheerful and the whole choir club doing activities together, inculding those ending shots. Oh, man its just so heartwarming. On the other hand, the last is just so… ugh.

      And I love that ‘father & daughter trolling each other” antics XD How often you see a father make a love bento for her daughter XD

      Salbazier
      Reply

    19. I have to say, Sawa is my least favorite of the cast. Not because I don’t like her at all (I do like her, to clarify), but because she’s not as likable (for me) compared to the others. I’m honestly a lot more interested in what’s going on with everyone else than seeing Sawa act like this (it irritated me a little bit, in honesty), but Wakana highlighted on an important point that I hold very dear to me, and seeing Sawa brush it off was personally frustrating. “What if something happens, and that fight was the last thing you said to him?”
      Sawa may be a teenager, but that’s not exactly an excuse for ignorance. What sticks out to me, more than the money issue, is how does Sawa plan to be a jockey with her body type? Jockeys have to be incredibly small, and Sawa’s natural build has given her larger breasts, wider hips, and more height than someone like Konatsu. It’s admirable that she’s so passionate, but it doesn’t seem realistically possible, even if she were lucky.

      Otherwise, I want to see more Wien and Wakana interaction! They keep hinting at it, but never giving us anything concrete! It breaks my heart to see Wien so lonely… they’re building him up for something, and I feel like his story will be the best of them all.

      staticphrase
      Reply

    20. Hmmm everyone is concerned with the cast but no one has menitoned the new old guy introduced in the principal office. Mean aura all over the place, will he sell or destroy the school for a “special” project? Our “evil” vice principal wasn’t placed… fighto!

      Parenting… I hate it. I like Wakana’s dad, is a bit too soft for my taste but he’s doing good. Also I like Sawa’s dad. He express his point a bit rough but I’m a clam strict way. If you compare his demeanor with Sawa strip and parting insult, Who is the hot head here? Also Sawa’s mom got in and support the point in the same manner soft spoken but to the point. Tough love ain’t easy. Is not like he is trying to force her to do his will and totaly destroy her dream. He is trying to “secure” her future fom his point of view. I had a rebelios off spring and she is Sawa image. Couldn’t keep a converstaion against her point of view without starting yelling and figthing at us. I’m glad to say that life did teach her and now she is more humble and willing to hear different points of views before commiting to a desicion.

      Sadly no one likes to learn by other people advise; they need to feel it in the flesh and bones no mater how much it will hurt. And we just have to sit back and see them fall and help them scrape their knees, band aid them and help them stand up.

      Yes!@
      Reply

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