Final Impressions / First Impressions / Tamako Market

「今年もまた暮れてった」 (Kotoshi mo Mata Kure Tetta)
“Another Year Ends”

Another KyoAni slice of life comes to a close. Tears were shed and conclusions were had – or not, as was the case. There were some though, and some smiles as well, which is probably fitting for this show.

Best Friend Dera

Dera is many things. He’s ridiculous. Gentlemanly. Too fat to be recognized by his osana najimi. But of everything that Dera is, he’s a really good friend. That thought struck me when he asked what Tamako felt about this whole prince-coming-to-marry-her situation; did you notice that no one else had really asked her that yet? Of everyone she’s known for nearly her whole life, the one who was looking out for her the most was the silly bird she met only a year ago. I don’t hold that against the others, but I hold it in favour of Dera. Silly he may be, but he’s a true friend as well.

Definite Conclusions…Or Not

Here’s a point that I know may annoy many. In the area of definite conclusions, we got one. Thanks to Dera barging in an declaring Tamako unfit to be the prince’s bride by way of loving her current life too much, and after Tamako came in and politely declined, it appears that–what, it was the scent of those flowers all along!? Gah! That’s a very Tamako Market thing to happen though, so I’ll let it go. At least that’s taken care of.

But, almost nothing else was. There was Midori and Mochizou’s love for Tamako, Choi’s love for her prince….hell, even Dera actually leaving the market isn’t a sure thing! On those, the best was Choi possibly getting her prince, by way of the pointed close up on her neck, where the mole that would qualify her is bound to be (if you want to believe it’s there, that is). Dera staying for at least a little bit longer…well, I’ll admit that I smiled at that, but I wish he would have decided to stay forever! For a second there I thought this was a story not of how Tamako leaves the market, but how Dera stays. If so, the punch was pulled. That’s realistic, of course – deciding to move to a new country permanently is not a choice to make lightly…you can ask Enzo on that – but that doesn’t mean it’s not disappointing. It just goes to show you what I’ve always said – reality in fiction is overrated. There’ll be a Stilts Out Loud on that one of these days, sports fans.

As for Midori and Mochizou’s love…well, okay. Here’s the thing – this is slice of life, and it has never tried to be anything else. But it was set up like it was more. It was set up with all these things that just begged for resolution, and we got almost none of them. To me, slice of life shows are the best when they’re low-calorie and easy to enjoy vessels of pure, concentrated relaxation – you just sit back, enjoy the fun antics, and end up refreshed by the time the credits roll. On that count – and I can’t wait for the flames this comment is just begging for – GJ-bu was the superior slice of life this season. While, as I said with Sakurasou’s finale, leaving some things open for us to imagine can be wonderful, leaving plot points that were broached during the season unanswered feels dissatisfying.

The Best Birthday Present

While I disagree with Dera’s stance on leaving without a word – tears of love don’t count, and letting Tamako get it out would have been the kinder route! – it was a poignant moment when he disappeared, and she ran off to find him. Fortunately, Mochizou gets major points for not only finally “remembering” her birthday, but giving her the best present of all. Awwww!

Looking–Oh. This is it.

As with all KyoAni shows, Tamako Market has been an interesting one. I guess the only thing I can say now is…erh, I’ll finish this in the final impressions below!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – One thing is resolved, while everything else is left as is. Fuwa-fuwa to the end~ #tamakomarket

Random thoughts:

  • I just realized…I still have no idea why Ono Daisuke was voicing Kaoru. I just got used to it. What is wrong with me!? …eh, I’m okay with it.
  • Tsundere papa unilaterally changes the prince’s name to Mochiumai. I will miss tsundere papa!
  • On a similar note, I will miss Kanna so, so, so, soooo much! And Tamako is going into evil mode now too? Woohoo! That’s character development I can believe in.
  • Is dat some more chu2koi right there? That’ll do…though I would have preferred more Full Metal Panic. It’s so long overdue!

Full-length images: 20.

 

Teaser

Final Impressions

KyoAni are known as the unrivaled masters of slice of life, and that’s not a title I will dispute. When it comes to the subtle nuances that are required for the form, they really are unrivaled. For slice of life, the devil really is in the details, and nobody does details like KyoAni. This held true throughout Tamako Market’s run – a hand obscuring Midori’s face, a look from Tamako to Mochizou, and pretty much everything that Kanna did were all examples to that effect.

The main problem I had was that while the story was told like it was slice of life, it was built like it was a light-hearted romance/drama. From Midori and Mochizou’s loves to the whole will-she-marry-the-prince plot, the ingredients for something deeper were there, but they were never utilized. It seemed to have a fetish for the status quo, deliberately resetting any progress between episodes. Changes took place, but they were all inside the characters, and they never manifested externally in anything but the smallest of ways. That’s fine for a slice of life story – but when they built such obvious areas where resolutions were desired, it began to grate.

In the end, it’s hard to know how much of this series will stay with me. Some moments – in particular the crux of episode 9 – were good enough that I do believe I’ll remember them for some time to come. Almost everything else I will be surprised if I remember, though…with the exclusion of Dera. Of anything, Dera was the one part of this show that consistently made me laugh, consistently moved the story forward, and is the only element that felt fresh and unique. A talking bird, in a slice of life show? And it worked! Dera was great, and his seiyuu Yamazaki Takumi was the best of everyone. Though I also think I’ll remember Kanna, simply because she is fantastic.

But I think I’ll bring this back to my old stand-by question – was this entertaining? Yes, it was. Any disappointment stems from potential squandered, and a setup that made me hope for more than they ever intended to give. What we got though was entertaining, as I consistently laughed and/or felt all warm and fuzzy each and every week. In my book, that means a lot.

Let’s end with a (slightly modified) quote from Dera himself:

“The season may end, but some things never do. You may not see them with your eyes, but when you look with your heart, you can.”

Thank you for reading my silly little posts for another season. Until next time, my friends!

82 Comments

    1. I know what you mean. I’ve got easily half a dozen (if not more) shows ending this week, and only three or four from the Spring season to replace them. Here’s hoping the quality makes up for the quantity.

      DarkMorford
      Reply

      1. I was hoping for either Midori or Mochizou to win over Tamako in the end. Of course, this is a slice of life anime, though it looks like a second season is inevitable (hopefully), and we may see a victor there. Speaking of second season, Chuunibyou is going to return for one.

        Tamako Market may not be the best SoL anime around but it is fun and heartwarming. Lovable characters and setting. The MidoTamaMochi OT3 teasing sure in enjoyable.

        JohnHayabusa
        Reply

    3. Try it when you’re watching 20+. Though fortunately, I’m behind enough on so many series that I still have plenty to watch! \o/

      And the preview will be out soon. You might even append a “very” to that.

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. I’m in a similar boat, my backlog is very painful.

        The Spring preview has me excited.When manga I read get greenlit for an anime adaptation it’s a great feeling :3 and this upcoming season will definitely be the best so far.

        Magoiichi
        Reply

  7. Rather than passion, this is a work wrapped in a great amount of affection. — Yamada

    I really can’t put my finger on it exactly, but there was definitely something missing in the way this series ended.
    I think the story went from a whimsical tone to a capricious tone and it was a little jarring.

    …but I agree with you that I also think I’ll remember Kanna, simply because she is fantastic.

    mac65
    Reply

  8. I will simply imagine that Tamako, Midori and Mochizou shared an apartment when they all went off to the same college and fun times were had. Giggity.

    But seriously, Mochizou got mad points at the end.

    And I just realized that Midori’s socks and hair clip are green to go with her name. Derp.

    It was fun, but I do wish it had been more conclusive.

    And I will miss Dera for sure.

    EmD
    Reply

  9. https://randomc.net/image/Tamako%20Market/Tamako%20Market%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2031.jpg

    AHA! So it WAS a conspiracy for Tamako to stuff Dera as fat as possible. XD Dera would be cursing himself why he decided not to escape with his prince when he had the chance. lol

    Sales for Tamako Market BD/DVD is only so-so compared to Hyouka and ChuniKoi (still enough to break-even compared to other non Kyo-Ani works that don’t sell well, such is the strength of Kyo-Ani’s brand), which is a pity as it was enjoyable to watch overall.

    Excited at the ChuniKoi teaser. I cannot think of it being anything else besides a second season announcement, even then we will not be seeing it till this Fall soonest, as six months is usually the norm between an announcement and first airing of a new title.

    Anonymous
    Reply

  10. I actually agree with you that GJ-BU is probably the best Slice of Life series of the season (the later episodes anyway, the first few kind of felt flat).

    Tamako Market started off strong for the first 10 episodes or so, but I felt it was a bit weak with the climax. As you mentioned, many of the love ties were left untouched. Midori vs Mochi for Tamako’s affection, Choi’s for the prince, and so on. This is me hoping, but maybe these ties were left untouched for a second season? If so, I can live with that!

    Kanna and Rika from Haganai for the best female characters of the year thus far!

    taiakun
    Reply

    1. This is a pet peeve of mine. They leave us disappointed and dissatisfied so they can give us another season? No. Resolve things. Give us a great story now. Either more good ideas will come to the writers (they always do, if you don’t allow yourself to lean on the old ones), or they’ll think of a new story to tell us. Give us the best you have now, and hold nothing back!

      Stilts
      Reply

  12. I was right about the flowers, but wrong about the florist! (Well, back then I was joking, but still…) I seriously almost thought the prince was going to choose the florist for a second.

    One particular poignant scene in this episode that hit me like a brick wall: Tamako running to her house to check on her family because the last time the shops were all closed was when her mom died. They didn’t have to spell it out or throw it in our faces, but seeing Tamako’s moment of vulnerability and her friends’ reactions to it made me tear up. I appreciated this kind of subtlety throughout the show and it obviously continued to the very end.

    A suitable conclusion to an overall excellent series that made me feel things when I least expected it. It doesn’t conclude very much of anything, but I like to think this leaves room for a sequel or spinoff of sorts. I would’ve much preferred a season two announcement for this over Chu2koi.

    My Wednesdays will be so empty without Tamako Market. I’ll miss it dearly.

    R
    Reply

  13. GJ-bu was the far superior slice-of-life show this season. I completely agree on that point. Its characters were crafted better, the emotions felt less forced, and most of all it was much funnier.

    Tamako Market was an okay watch by all standards, though, especially for good ol’ KyoAni animation quality.

    Jimhawk
    Reply

  15. Do note that I like how it ended, with Dela stuffed with a bunch of flowers (again), and flying out in front of Tamako once more…

    …I don’t hold that against the others, but I hold it in favour of Dera. Silly he may be, but he’s a true friend as well.

    Indeed, he might as well be drawn a human (but then we’d call him a pedobear) given that he was given a (literal) running sequence, along with all those scenes throughout the past 12 weeks, where we have that parrot/sudo-chicken displaying the antics of an oujii-san…

    info600
    Reply

  17. One thing I don’t like about slice of life anime is that I don’t want them to end T-T.Nice open ending KyoAni, nice way of ducking resolutions!

    I didn’t think to take the title of Tamako Market literally when the show first started, but that’s exactly what it was about lol.

    Chu2koi wrapped up things better, but I still love Tamako Market.So many good characters in only 12 episodes and I loved all of them.

    Speaking Chu2koi, I didn’t see that teaser, the video I was watching Tamako Market on stopped after Tamako asked Dera something about going to the Shrine.

    Chu2koi sequel?! Don’t taze me Bro!

    Magoiichi
    Reply

  19. Surprised to see that chu2koi teaser.
    Regarding FMP, it had how many, 3 anime series? It would be a shame if they never produced a final one.
    Maybe a 6 part OVA series with 45 mins each. One can dream, but that would probay cost a lot more than another “safe” slice of life

    yeahair
    Reply

  21. Good series, but I wish the ending felt a lot more conclusive. The subtle romance themes left a lot of unanswered questions and I feel that Tamako Market really needed another episode to address these points.

    – Battle between Mochizou vs. Midori could’ve maybe been decided better, though I’m guessing Tamako’s answer would’ve been “I love you both, I can’t choose either of you” or something to that extent.
    – Ono Daisuke voicing Kaoru, easily the weirdest (though oddly fitting) voice casting, didn’t go anywhere.
    – Choi with the Prince, though this could be an OVA.
    – Kinda wish shopping district and possibly a few of the students received a bit more attention.
    – MOAR Kanna-chan!!! (And Shiori could’ve received a bit more screen time, but mostly moar Kanna-chan)

    Nevertheless, it’s a slice of life by KyoAni. I sort of came in expecting a massive moeblob and definitely got more out of it than that, so I can’t complain too much.

    YourIdeas
    Reply

  22. Love Rivals, they are, and love rivals they’ll be~

    The series properly ended in a fashion that I expected base on the last episodes of no real resolution between our love triangle, mostly due to the fact that Tamako Market isn’t a romcom. But wouldn’t it be nice if Tamako did ended up with someone? We can’t have it all. But we can come close. And I’m not referring to Dojins. While episode 2 set a strong stage for any Midori x Tamako shippers (myself included) I was honestly intrigue because I wanted Kyoani to go there; to actually push the envelop and be that bold. It would be an amazing feat if it had, but it also showed a lot of heart warming moments with Mochizou, if anything Mochizou and Tamako seem like a more realistic deal than Midori with her, since they had share many cute moments together that are just heartwarming. I like both ships, so I have no qualms on my end. However I do wished TM had more cute moments with Midori besides that hugging scene when she was under the weather, just for the sake of leveling out the playing field. The amount of scenes of Mochizou with Tamako are crazy high by comparison that it really makes the Midori and Tamako ship at a clear disadvantage of ‘unfairness’.

    But nevertheless, I’m okay with the ending. And it was the type of ending that many could have guess, so it didn’t blew anyone away in the shock factor. It was cute, like the entire series. It was enjoyable. I’ll miss that damn bird.

    Solara
    Reply

  23. I thought the series was cute but im a bit disappointed that it ended too soon. I hope in the near future they make a second season I want to see more time with Tamako and Midori… I mean Tamako and Mochizou. 😛

    MM
    Reply

  24. Despite Tamako rejecting the engagement to the prince, this episode was COMPLETELY unpredictable! Who here was it who guessed that the smell that the prince and Choi caught wind of came from the flowers Dera came in with the packaging on his way to the market instead of Tamako!? 😀 KyoAni totally went there, and then brushed the whole conflict off as it is was nothing! I would normally call lazy writing on that, but they managed to make it work, with the great characters and pacing of the episode. In the end, no relationships progressed between the main characters, and we never got that mochi-baking lesson, but it was a great effort on KyoAni’s part as their first original anime, and I hope we revisit Bunny Mountain in some other form soon!

    starss
    Reply

    1. Two things:

      Credit where credit is due, someone called it. And the “twist” didn’t seem lazy to me, just a little dumb.

      Also, this wasn’t their first original. Discounting chu2koi, which was about 85% original material, there was also Munto. KyoAni is developing a fairly average-to-mediocre record with original series…

      Stilts
      Reply

  25. A fairly satisfying ending with Tamako’s problem being the closure.

    If there’s anything I didn’t like about the show it’s how they neglected Mochizou and that’s about that. He’s almost in the line as the other background characters(e.g. Meatshop seller/florist/etc.)

    Seriously though, Dera came off pretty cool here. The way he was about to leave was just ;_;
    So +1 ability for Dera? He can be invisible to people?

    Anyway another highlight of the episode for me is none other than Kanna’s antics. Troll with your hammer? Bye bye hammer! It was really amusing to see how she was dumbfounded in a way.

    So far I liked the whole series in general. Nothing great nothing worth rewatching but it was an amusing ride. On the next KyoAni show… I’m left speachless that it was Chuunibyou to get the next season that fast. I was expecting this would be the next project as some people are predicting. Whether they announce stuff for next season or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s a candidate for this next project for sure.

    megalith
    Reply

    1. Kanna being horrified that Choi didn’t realize the hammer gift was a joke was both hilarious and sad (she loved that hammer).

      Damn, I actually started liking Dera by the end. His dismay at the prince not recognizing him and trying to “suck it in” was pretty funny.

      Hmmm, grilled Dera for Christmas!

      Bear
      Reply

  26. When the prince started going on about the scent of the flowers and how it came from Kaoru (flower shop keeper), I really thought he was going to pick him/her as his bride! Would have made an awesome final twist!

    Sinking Ships
    Reply

  27. And so ends Kanna’s Carpentry- I mean, Tamako Market ^^;

    The show was really enjoyable, though I must agree the ending felt a little off. I mean, the prince says “It was the flowers” and poof! Crisis over, ending approaches… and no romantic resolves?

    I demand a second season, if only we can have more Kanna. Heck, just give us a whole series with Kanna X3
    “Make sure you do a good job with your life’s blueprints” – nice one

    One scene that annoyed me though was when Tamako was depressed and flashbacking to that other bleak day, Midori reaches out- and Dera pops in.
    The Yuri in me agrees with Kanna: ”

    Overall, it was fun, and I must truthfully admit I’ll miss this more then Chou2koi (even though looking forward to seeing the next instalment of that ^^ ) though the one character I’ll miss the most is Kanna… ma’ waifu! T_T

    Digid
    Reply

  28. How can I like a show as much as I did this, but, at the same time, be disappointed? It boils down to spreading themselves too thin by having the whole prince looking for his bride plot grafted on to a slice of life story and just too many good characters. If they had focused on the slice of life we could have seen more of Mochizou vs. Midori, more Shiori (soooo underutilized) and Kanna (definitely more Kanna). The only drawback might have been the loss of Choi, but they could have made her a transfer student or something. But, with all the characters in the Market, we get to see so little of them and their lives. It seems as if the only reasons they had for adding the bride plot was to be able to insert a talking bird and to emphasize how much Tamako loved the market. Dera could have just been a non talking bird that only provided commentary to the audience that was Tamako’s pet, or even have him show up by being blown there because of a typhoon without all of the “prince” business.

    Bear
    Reply

    1. Was for this reason I believed that a 2-cour would’ve worked for this series. I think if it was a 13 episode series, and they traded out the Midori-in-distress episode for more of the prince-plot, it would have worked fine as a single cour. Even then however, Shiori and many of the market characters could have had more interesting development, though even then, I think 2 cour might have been a bit much without some filler.

      YourIdeas
      Reply

    2. Maybe they can do more eps with OVA or something, kinda like kokoro connect and a lot of weird length 17 ep shows like bakemontagari etc have. Where the series ends on 13 but they have 2-6 more eps trickle in.I think appollan last seasons really needed this as well where it might not be a 2 cour show it definitely needed just a bit extra room.

      but yeah having witness 4 awesome endings this season so far tamako market is definitely a little disappoint for an end. Like the blogger said though It was nice but might not be a as memorable experience.

      Sherylfan
      Reply

  29. Wholeheartedly agree about GJ-bu being the better SoL. Though I liked Tamako Market, it can’t even compare with the amount of fun I had with GJ-bu.
    Even the romance was better (imho) in GJ-bu, lol.

    Hmm.. about the chuu2 teaser, isn’t it for an unaired ep or an ova that is coming in june with the 7th bd or something? I’d be extra happy if I’m wrong, though 🙂

    Patsuan
    Reply

  30. I’m gonna miss Tamako Market but I believe this was fairly well done for it’s finale (though some points were lacking, others were perfect. I liked when Tamako got flustered that the stores were all closed like the day her Mom died. But Midori lost the hug to Dera! Ah so close!)

    PS. I agree that GJ-bu was the best slice-of-life this season! I miss it so much!!

    Kiria
    Reply

    1. And here I thought I was going to get flack for that.

      IT IS DECIDED…GJ-bu triumphs over Tamako Market. I believe that gives it the right to steal whatever character they want to enhance itself. I suggest Kanna.

      Stilts
      Reply

  31. The show wasn’t spectacular in any way, but it was very enjoyable for what it was — a lighthearted slice-of-life show. One thing’s for sure, though, I’ll really miss Kanna, she was one of the funniest, cutest and most unique characters I’ve seen in a long time. I’d love to see her get her own show. Make it happen, KyoAni!

    HenDarou
    Reply

  32. This show was really slice-of-life to its core, and is rather enjoyable watching the activities of the residents in the market. However, the story was slightly lacking. I do hope there is a second season to do justice to the nice premise of the show.

    Thanks, Stilts, for your entertaining short pieces of writing every week for this show!

    Polashi
    Reply

  33. wow a #chuu2 teaser at the end…

    well no problemo…. more chuu2 IS ALWAYS GOOD but i think this is just the teaser for that special episode but if this is a new season HELL YEAH!!!

    FMP can wait because it will take like two 24 episode series to cover everything in the novel.

    MagnusEX
    Reply

    1. 再放送の告知だけで新しい映像と新しい六花のイラストは作らないよ！？つまり…契約更新ってことです！詳細は待っててくださいね！—– this came from chuu2 official twitter account… if you guys translated it, they say, “they will not make new animation if they will just announce a rebroadcast”… if this is to follow, there are two (or three)candidates for possible answer… its either a SEASON 2, or a movie (or, an ala haruhi suzumiya renewal where they inserted episodes in between to make it longer)

      MagnusEX
      Reply

  36. I liked this show, and loved the characters, expecially Kanna and Anko, but everyone was able to make me feel good, so, thumbs up. Still, I’m not sure how I should consider Dera, in this kind of show. He fitted perfectly in the cast, but also was the unique unexplainable element in a slice-of-life show, it’s at least unusual, and I don’t recall anything like that in recent KyoAni productions. Aside from having a human level intellect, the ability to talk and actually saying the most profound statements, he can even act as a projector and long distance communication device, and that was set up just like “it’s like that, deal with it”. And so I did, like everyone else in the show, they met this talking bird with the strangest features, and not a single f@%k was given that day.

    In the end, I liked Dera, he’s a wonderful character and it wouldn’t have been the same if he wasn’t a talking bird. Still, I’m a bit confused, or better, surprised to find something like that in this kind of show, where there is no magic, no aliens, no cyborgs or travellers from the future.

    Or maybe that’s more common than I think it is, and I should watch more anime 🙂

    Voyager
    Reply

  38. What a let down this Season 1 Tamako Market where we knew Tamako is a princess who didn’t reciprocate her love for Prince, Dera a palace attendant and Choi’s unrequited love. Midori and Mochizou return where they remember to celebrate Tamako’s birthday 31 December happy days.

    Lim Lynn
    Reply

  39. As far as leaving things underdeveloped and unfinished goes- one thing that annoys me is how Shiori basically became non-existant after her introduction, being more or less just a background character.

    Now- if she were a background character, like the other shop owners from the market- that’d be fine. But not when she’s part of the main cast, part of the main group, including special dedicated sequences in the op. And when some background characters end up in prominence (most notably the record shopkeeper).

    And then there are the aspects mentioned already. The other plot points and other little nuggets with great story potential; plenty hinted at, none built upon.

    Structurally, this show was a mess. Enjoyable- but aimless and redundant.

    Stranger
    Reply

  40. Somethings that I would like to point out:

    The prince seems like a good guy,
    Choi reads fortunes when Dera’s flying away from her,
    Dera was flying facing away from the prince when Tamako sneezed,
    afterwards Tamako’s sneeze, the prince had a twinkle in his eye,
    Choi mentions that she never read Tamako’s fortune,
    the prince then stops Choi from reading Tamako’s fortune.

    My interpretation: Tamako is the bride that Dera was supposed to find, but the prince decided not to reveal that.

    Dae
    Reply

    1. I agree with you that’s a good analysis, but it can also be understood differently. Choi-chan is the one to be with the prince and that’s what he wants, in a way. Even though, I think that Dera deliberately run there for her to sneeze on him and the prince to know that Tamako is not the one for him because she is Dera’s love. That’s the other coin. Cheers,M.

      Mi-Chan
      Reply

      1. Gunna have to go with Mi-chan on this one. That’s far more likely, especially since I’m 95% sure Dera was trying to get Tamako to sneeze on him just so the prince would be dissuaded from trying to make her his bride.

        Stilts
        Reply

  41. I liked this anime 🙂 was calm and light-hearted, I always thought Midori’s love for Tamako was that of not wanting her to leave her, and Mochizu’s love is something else, but even though we didn’t get a conclusion, if you a Mochizu fan you could consider Tamako’s love for Usagi Market is connected to Mochizu’s, she’ll never leave it, and he is there :p It is left a wide open conclusion, that we don’t really need to know about it. Tamako herself even says “why is everyone thinking about that?” – yes why are we? xD

    Thanks for your reviews, fun to read. Cheers, M.

    Mi-Chan
    Reply

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