First Impressions / Tamako Market

「あの子がお嫁に行っちゃった」 (Anoko ga Oyome ni Itsu Chatta)
“She Went to Be a Bride”

At first it was just happy tsuntsun fun with Choi-chan, when suddenly her story with her prince is colliding with that of Sayuri and Afro-kun. And Tamako is–!?

Scary-Kawaii Choi-sama

There hasn’t been a character in this show that I haven’t liked so far, but Choi (Yamaoka Yuri) rocketed to the top with her cute tsuntsun antics. I think it’s enough to just say that I found her adorable, though I’m going to keep going with this sentence for long enough to get a few more pictures in…honey mustard. So cuuuute!

The thing I didn’t like wasn’t about Choi, but Dera lying to her about why he got fat. I’m not quite willing to say that was out of character, but it was close – for an honorable bird like Dera, I found it hard to believe that he would lie about the kindness of his hosts. Sure, Choi clearly scares the bejesus out of him, but where went the gentleman bird?! Chock that up as the one thing I didn’t like about this episode, even if it did bring about some fun interactions.

Love That Is Not To Be

And then suddenly, something deeper was going on. Choi’s feelings for her prince were made clear via flashback, and Afro-kun’s (Kawahara Yoshihisa) were obvious long ago, but I didn’t expect them to intersect. When Sayuri (Iwao Junko) revealed that she was planning on getting married, my heart nearly broke for Afro-kun, and Choi as well. The cruelty of these loves that are not to be, made even more so by Choi’s fortune-telling. While Afro-kun should have stepped up to plate and swung for the fences, Choi has known that she never had a chance from the beginning. She’s so certain of that, and I can see that it tears her apart.

Tamako’s Fate

But what is this about Tamako’s scent!? It sounds like the girl that Dera and Choi were looking for, the girl who is fit to be their prince’s bride, is probably Tamako after all. Probably. I wouldn’t put it past KyoAni to throw a curveball at us again, but I know if I were telling this story, that’s where I’d take it. But is that where it will end?

For my money, I’m not counting Choi-chan out as her prince’s future bride quite yet. Perhaps it’s just my aversion to the idea of fate, but having Tamako, this girl who loves her quiet little shopping district and her family’s mochi shop sooo much, be shipped off to marry some prince just doesn’t seem right. That may be her “fate”, but I don’t see her submitting to it, nor do I see anyone better for Choi and Dera’s prince than Choi herself. At least, that’s what I hope, for her sake.

Looking Ahead – Dera’s Training Montage!

Next time, it looks like Dera is going to be doing some training to get himself back into to flying (and fortune-telling) shape. Just remember Dera, if you can dodge a baton, you can dodge a ball! Or more importantly, an angry Choi-sama. Get to work!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Tsuntsun-kawaii fun gives way to the gentle tragedy of unfulfilled love. But wait, Tamako is the…!? #tamakomarket

Random thoughts:

  • Dera has a fried circuit? Just what the hell is he…
  • Mmmm, peaches. Erh–it’s not what you think!!
  • With fathers like Tamako’s and Sayuri’s (Tsukui Kyousei), this show is full of truly caring parents. Drink up, Sayuri-papa. I know you’re sad to see her go, but I know you’ll let her. It’s time for her to move on.

Full-length images: 06, 14, 28, 34.

 

Preview

76 Comments

  1. Choi is ADORABLE.

    Fall is coming. …I saw by now that this show covers the events of an entire year, which is risky for a one-cour show. It makes sense considering it may begin and end on New Years, which is a popular time to eat mochi.

    Wow that mochi must be powerful crack stuff. Now I wanna eat some for real.

    starss
    Reply

  2. Oh and I predict that by the end of the show, Choi will become the prince’s bride. Tamako’s got too much of a permanent life where she is, and she’s never MET the prince, while Choi’s spent a good amount of time around him to even form feelings for him! She’s not really royalty, but it makes sense within the story.

    starss
    Reply

  3. Heh, heh, heh…. Dera, your nemesis has arrived. Not only is she over the top cute, but she’s the bird’s master. Now Choi has to the one that the prince winds up with. I will not countenance Tamako being taken away from her beloved neighborhood (besides it would break at least two character’s hearts). Now if Choi doesn’t drown in the bath…

    Bear
    Reply

      2. Don’t worry I just found out why, but my new question after watching is that if she drowned, why did Choi’s “peach” float but not her face or body?(Probably going to need to look into that…metaphorically speaking of course…)

        Dualash
        Reply

    2. I’m sure once it gets around that Tamako might be a bride candidate for the prince we’ll start seeing more of Midori and Mochizou, most likely in panic or teaming up in order to sabotage the whole thing. Either way, it’ll probably be hilarious.

      Watt
      Reply

  6. Remember that, if Tamako and the foreign prince end up together, I called it first (comments section 2 eps ago). Then Mochizou and her lesbo friend can get together (provided the lesbo goes straight), and hopefully we’ll see less of Tamako (but more Dera, please).

    Sol
    Reply

  9. There are so many tiny love stories in this series I don’t even know which one I like best! Of couse Midori, Tamako and Mochizou are the glaring issue, but the ones they throw in like Choi and her princes, Sayuri’s and Afro-kun’s and even Dera and Shiori’s… it’s a little sad but still KyoAni does such a great job with it ;~;

    PS. Mochizou trying to talk to Tamako about marriage. I was grinning like a moron the entire time.

    Kiria
    Reply

  10. Choi adds a new level of cuteness to this show, and watching her put Dera in his place only makes it better. Can I keep her? Please?

    We don’t know the culture of the island that Choi, Dera, and the prince are from. In some cultures a seer/fortune-teller/what-have-you could be forbidden to marry, as the nature of their duties and/or their powers could be seen as too important to let anything interfere with them. It could be that the prince is only permitted to marry specific people (which in fact seems to be the case, given Dera’s hunt for a bride), and again Choi does not qualify. In almost all cases that I can think of, it would be practically unthinkable for a prince to marry the royal seer, which seems to essentially be Choi’s position in the household.

    Poor Choi seems to know it, too. Not only that she probably doesn’t stand a chance, but that, according to tradition, she probably wasn’t even in the running. And it hurts. It looks like she’s tried to bury it and satisfy herself with just being close to the prince the way her duty allows, but it’s obvious that this is getting to her.

    Wanderer
    Reply

    1. All these are true…from a “logical” point of view (at least, as logical as funky cultural traditions allow). I just keep thinking of how I would tell this story if I were in charge though, and it wouldn’t end with a Tamako x Prince ending, lemme tell ya.

      Stilts
      Reply

    2. Seems Tamako and Anko was cool, calm, collective, polite and hospitable to strangers compared to panic stricken Americans depend on how the parents train their children to treat strangers.

      Lim Lynn
      Reply

  13. Oh snap. THE PLOT THICKENS. Although I find it highly unlikely for Tamako to become the prince’s bride. It’s a pretty light show filled with happiness and fluffy moments. And for our main character to leave her whole family and friends behind to marry would just be too crushing for our characters. (my heart is too fragile to be able to handle seeing Midori and Mochizou’s heartbroken faces, or anyone’s really) Still, if it goes that route (or any route for the matter), i’ll be be willing to see it through. I’m sure i’ll enjoy the ride either way.

    (Side note: Dat peach totally THREW ME OFF GUARD. XD Also, this show seems to never fail at depicting the cute in each and every single character (HHHNNGGs everywhere))

    The Amateur Alchemist
    Reply

  14. Choi was so damn adorable. And it’s amazing how much of a hold she has over Dera! Lots of laughs this episode, some at Dera’s expense, but quite a bit with just Choi in general. Her butt floating in the bath cracked me up. She brings another layer to the show that I didn’t think was necessary, but is a very welcome addition.

    I thought it was obvious Tamako would be the lead candidate, if only because her name is in the show’s title and everything revolves around her. However, I think KyoAni is going to subvert it and that Choi will end up with the prince somehow. In the event Choi decides to pursue making Tamako the prince’s bride and Tamako finds out about her feelings, she’d likely push Choi to be honest with herself, right? Plus, there are two candidates for Tamako’s romantic interest who I don’t see giving up without a fight…

    Afro-kun (´；ω；`)ｳｯ…

    R
    Reply

  16. Let’s look at it in reverse. Show Spoiler ▼

    SmithCB
    Reply

  17. …I….I want to take Choi home….and hug her non stop. The little sister I could hope to have right there ladies and gentlemen.

    One thing that I learned from this episode? Caution: Do not let Choi bathe by herself, and when you are bathing together, keep an eye on her, or else she will drown….

    And I really hate how any time someone like Mochizou summons the guts to talk about something that could benefits their relationship, they always either don’t listen, or used instant transmission before they could even hear him/her.

    I hope Mochizou can confess at some point. I hate when anime lead me on thinking they’ll confess, and they don’t until like the series finale on season 4 or something.

    swordhack4
    Reply

  18. Dera is lucky that his mistress is a cute girl. Yeah he’s cared of Choi but at least she looks adorable when she’s mad.

    Its obvious that Dera is “broken” because of his weight. In hindsight its his fault that munching all the mochi like it was crack. Mochi is delicious but eating it everyday will pile on the calories. Its good that Choi is around to finally get him to shape.

    fragb85
    Reply

    2. Did you realize Dera didn’t become responsible by telling the truth instead lied to Choi. Dera can’t stop his appetite for Mochi and he had a bit indigestion with leaves. Poor Choi didn’t get the time to get to know the future bride candidate.

      Lim Lynn
      Reply

  22. Another great and quirky episode. Looks like Choi will be staying for awhile. The house is getting crowded. How many more cute girls can this show fit in? I still think Kanna is the best girl.

    bertman4
    Reply

  23. I still trying understand why did Kyoto Anime trying help Tamako Market fans visualize how Tamako had a vision seeing Dera’s Chi/Aura superpower similar to Choi’s ability recognize smell before she met Tamako and after she saw Tamako walk past her. Something special about Tamako’s power going to be resolved plus Prince get to know future bride candidate after he come to get his Seer [Choi] and bird [Dera].

    Lim Lynn
    Reply

  25. Grrr, Choi is SO CUTE! She’s so cute, that I want to jump into my screen and give her a big hug!

    But if I did that, my laptop would break, and I’ll cry like a sad panda. BUT SHE’S TOO CUTE!! HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGHDJSAFKDVCODFEKMFOEFMEOFMEXD

    KentaMisaka
    Reply

  27. The Tropical Tsunamidere arrives!

    Alas, such small thinking from Kanna. Gold? Treasure? Bah, Choi’s brought something more wonderful – Extra Moe! X3

    Dera has a fried circuit? Nah, he probably just has a screw loose, as anyone can tell ^^

    The fortune telling bits were nice, though a bit sad for some (hang in there, Sayuri’s Papa!) but when it comes to matters of the heart, sadness and happiness go hand in hand, something Choi knows well, with her silent love of her prince.
    I’m sure she and Midori are going to get on well ^^

    Speaking of silent loves – poor, poor Mochizou, swung and miss again, eh?

    I’m glad to see Choi’ll be staying for a bit longer, and can’t wait for next week, especially if it means we can see Kanna and Choi meet >w<

    A toast to the new character! Bottoms up! https://randomc.net/image/Tamako%20Market/Tamako%20Market%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2021.jpg

    Digid
    Reply

  28. チョイちゃん可愛いすぎ！Choi-chan is so cute!

    Seeing the sorrow of Shimizu Tofu’s Afro-kun’s unrequited love for Sayuri must surely remind poor Choi-chan or her own secret admiration of the Prince.

    And despite all this, she still decided to embark on her mission to “fix” Dera and find a bride for her Prince, and it’s all beginning to take its toll on her despite only just arriving to the neighbourhood.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  29. I’m trying to decide if this show is more Helen of Troy (launching 1000 ships) or the Spanish Armada (sinking all those ships). Right now I’m leaning towards Spanish Armada, after seeing how ineffective Mochizou and Midori are at getting through to Tamako, and also seeing Tomizo and Choi’s pining for people they wish they could be with.

    I just can’t see Tamako leaving Usagiyama. Her self is so intertwined with the spirit of that shopping district and with her mochi that packing up and heading to some tropical island is just not happening. If only Choi could work up the guts to confess to the prince (although you can say that about a dozen characters in this show).

    Highway
    Reply

  31. You leave my damn love triangle of TamakoxMochixMidori alone Choi. D<

    I got enough with those 2 characters who don't even man up enough to confess. Granted, they're shy and scare and they're after an airhead. Oh the horror. She may never notice. But I do agree with Choi ending up with the prince. And Afro-kun must step it to set an example to those 2. I felt utterly bad for him for what Sayuri's decision, but then I got piss at him for giving up. Sure in RL many do that, but this is anime! Actually, even in RL people don't give up. But since this is anime, more reason for it to happen.

    I just hope that Choi's arrival and picking out Tamako to be the bride to be a plot device to just make Mochi and Midori panic and step it up. Even by speaking of it out-loud would panic either. I would love to see Midori and Mochi battle it out. Even if the last episodes were just about that love triangle and Dera getting fatter by the minute pissing Choi off. I would watch the fuck out of that. That's great animation damnit.

    Solara
    Reply

  32. LOL Dera practically kills me every episode but this time the undertaker actually showed up at my door. I was laughing so hard seeing him with Choi. Kudos to his VA, what a job! If this gets dubbed in English (god forbid), I want John Pinette to voice Dera.

    Seeing Tamako with such a somber expression was quite a surprise. Yes I would expect her to look worried but that face was different from what I was expecting. I looked thoughtfull, deep, as if she were looking back into her own memories. Her mother comes to mind again, especially since the adults said they would take care of the chores while she took care of Choi. Thought provoking.

    Contrary to most people here it seems, I prefer melons over peaches 😉

    In referene to Dera lying to cover himself up, yes it was a bit out of character, and yes I was a bit disappointed, but to be fair we’ve all done something out of character that we aren’t proud of. Also would a gentleman be peaking on girls bathing?

    Roguespirit
    Reply

  34. Haha, I keep falling for the “bottoms up” and “peaches” posts.
    Anyway, I think that ultimately, Choi will end up living happily with her prince. Though for some reason, this anime gives me the “innocent” vibe, so I can’t say for sure if it’s going to be a “romantic ending”. Maybe. I hope so.

    But for the Midori/Tamako/Mochizou “triangle”, I’d have to say that in the end, they’ll probably just live happily ever after together(like how they were before the show started). Even though I have my yuri goggles out when watching this show, I’m not sure if KyoAni will be so bold as to actually do anything that will render my goggles useless. (Take that which ever way you want.)

    Can’t wait for the next ep!
    https://randomc.net/image/Tamako%20Market/Tamako%20Market%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    Let’s not deny ourselves 😀

    Nyko
    Reply

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