Tari Tari 02 – 03
Badminton … Wien style.
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Hey everyone, as you can see I will be blogging Tari Tari this season alongside KoiChoco and the last few episodes of AKB0048. Those posts should be out within the next couple days. Anyway, I hope you’ve been enjoying Tari Tari as much as I have, it’s been very entertaining so far!~ So, onto another week of music, drama, and of course, SAWA! |
Konatsu’s Dream, Sawa’s Assistance, and Wakana’s Reluctance
I wager Konatsu’s debt will be 12 cakes by the end of the series.
This week Sakai loosened up a bit, and I’ve gotten a completely different impression of her compared to episode one. Whereas last week she had a very cold and unapproachable demeanor about her at school, she’s now shown us a much more sociable and friendly side. All it took was a bit of a push by Sawa, who was impressive in her own right for very forwardly assisting Konatsu with getting another member and also bringing Wakana into their friendship. I have to wonder, what makes Sawa tick? I mean, she has many talents like archery, horse riding, and singing, and is dependable in all possible ways, not to mention she’s a diligent worker, participates in multiple clubs, and has one of the most unique and stylish fashion senses I’ve ever seen in an anime! There has to be something wrong, right!? (BREAK THE SAWA.) Without Sawa I fear very little would have ever been accomplished, it’s as if she’s the foundation to Konatsu be it keeping her together with a slap to the rear, or driving her forward with words of confidence.
Bonus points for riding a bike like a Vox.
Back to Wakana and Konatsu, last week the latter attempted to convince the former to join the choir club, which ended in defeat, but all it took this week was mentioning that Wakana would be joining in name only and no singing would be required. This further enforces the fact that something in the Wakana’s past, probably related to her mother’s passing, stopped her from ever singing again. It’s something I both hope and predict will be overcome by her new membership into the club and the friends that now surround her. I don’t expect it to happen anytime soon, but the smile on her face while playing the piano is enough to hold me over until that fateful moment! Wakana might not be the most likable character in the group so far, but I don’t think we’ve seen the “true Wakana” yet, and it might take an Apollon-esque moment for her to awaken and find meaning in her singing, so to speak, somewhat like Kaoru “awakening” when he finally captured the swing of jazz.
Konatsu was more impressive than anyone these last two weeks, both in her relentless determination and in her beautiful singing voice. It’s quite the opposite to her performance in the choir, and I feel like a terrible person saying this, but I’m with Sawa, that choir-disaster was hilarious! Her only obstacle at this point in the Vice Principal, who seems hellbent on putting an end to the club. I have to say, with the cold and structured style of the choir seen in episode one it’s no wonder Konatsu felt so uncomfortable, maybe the VP should take some notes? There’s definitely a story there though, which I’m sure we’ll get to soon enough.
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Nein, Wien, and Badminton Boy
ACTION SHOTS YEAAAA.
One thing I’ve loved so far about Tari Tari are the opening clips each week before the OP. I’m mentioning it here because Taichi’s was the latest. They’re short and sweet, but give a lot of great insight into the characters. For instance with Taichi’s clip we learn more about the relationship between his sister and him, small tidbits of character background that might otherwise not be established. (Konatsu’s told us more about the origin of her love for music, and Wakana’s a couple weeks back shined some light on her relationship with her mother.) Back to Taichi, I remember reading on a first impressions post over at Cafe Daifuuku that Taichi was “a typical serious and hardworking guy” and ” a bit stiff”, and I had to agree. He stood out the least, partially due to his lack of screentime. He’s become much more likable lately though, and his straightforward and serious personality plays well with Wien’s, for lack of a better word, airhead-edness. Male-Male friendships don’t seem to be explored too often in anime and are usually established from the start, so I’ve had fun watching these two weirdly different personalities mesh.
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The “Choir and Sometimes Badminton Club”
Which means more of this!
With the club now officially assembled the future of Tari Tari looks increasingly bright! If the opening scene of episode 2 was any indication, these five diverse personalities will offer more than enough laughs, and eventually drama, to entertain us this summer. I replayed that scene over at least five times the first time I watched, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, with conversations overlapping, Wien comically rambling, Wakana trying to escape, and Konatsu playing along with it all. I doubt it was intended as something elaborate or anything, but I fell in love with it for some strange reason.
That’s why I’m very eager to see more of this troupe in the coming weeks, be it performing, playing badminton, or just enjoying conversation like that scene. If you didn’t notice, the ED clip changed in episode 3 with the group now together. Konatsu and Sawa are still close, and Wien and Taichi are now present. Wakana was previously on the outside of the group, for obvious reasons, but now sits much closer albeit still clearly separated.
The only thing I notice are Sawa’s shoes.
I read on many places that people are expecting Wien to influence Wakana in some way, and episode 3 gave them some more interaction that wasn’t present before despite attending the same class. Sadly, Wakana still seems to have a habit of pushing people away which will take someone as outgoing and forward as Wien to break. There’s still no indication on whether or not romance will even be involved in Tari Tari, but this is a coming of age story in a school setting … romance is inevitable, right!?
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THIS GUY.
I don’t really have anything to say about him, but please enjoy frantic Wakana.
“I DON’T MONEY.”
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Final Thoughts
Did I mention there were also cute animals?
I don’t have much else to add, but I can say Tari Tari has met my annoyingly high expectations that I somehow have for any PA Works show ever. The cast is easily one of the most likable all-around and diverse to come around in a long time, and I’m enjoying the hell out of every minute they spend together singing, interacting, and forming those lasting bonds despite their differences. The upcoming World Music event should provide some more music for people invested in the series for that aspect, and I’m looking forward to it! That’s about all I wanted to touch on this week, so what did you think of the last couple episodes, has it passed your 3-episode test? Do you have a favorite character? Anyway, until next time folks!~
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Preview
I’m sure there’s a good explanation for this.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Usually where PA Works’s shows start faltering is when they insert melodrama. I’ve been happy that there has been none so far. There’s certainly drama, but it’s all toned down and believable. I’m falling for Konatsu; she’s a bit bland for a main character at times, but her focus on singing and the drive she has to create and keep her club even in the face of an enemy in the faculty is sweet.
The cold open is an art form unto itself, and I’ve noticed more shows using it these days than before (it used to be a small minority, but now it feels like the majority). I really do love it when shows transition perfectly into the OP or if they play with it, such as by putting the OP 7 minutes into the episode as Shaft has done before.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
Konatsu really is the heart of the whole group, with all that determination it’s no wonder she was able to get the new choir formed so quickly. As for being bland, I agree that she hasn’t stood out the most in terms of characterization, but in time I think she’ll shine from just her singing alone.
So it has a name, huh? I’ll have to make mental note of that! It’s funny you should mention Shaft because after writing that paragraph initially I started thinking more about how some recent shows I’ve seen used introduction scenes/OPs in creative ways, and Nise came to mind. (I think I remember them skipping the OP entirely sometimes.) Shaft, from recent memory, has had some really catchy OPs, Denpa Onna also comes to mind even though I never finished that series …
I think the first few minutes, or even seconds, should grab the viewers attention and so far Tari Tari has done an awesome job doing so.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It’s certainly met my test so far, and will likely forever live in my heart for the closing song to episode 2 (a great singer – Seto Asami – and a world-class tremendous singer -Hayami Saori – in a very lovely song).
I really liked the decision to get that initial recital out of the way fast. It felt a *bit* contrived with the principal’s accident (the overall feeling wasn’t as annoying as that one in Sakamichi, tho) but having everyone run around was pretty good. Now they can, as we saw, ditch the rest of that group, and get to the main cast grouping. And at this point, Wakana is my favorite character, even though she’s quite an enigma. I like that she hasn’t stayed as the super aloof ice queen (people are comparing her to Minko from HanaIro frequently, but she’s far warmer, even with the issues we’re sure to find out about). And Konatsu’s ‘wait a minute!’ moment when Sawa and Wakana are throwing around familiar names was pretty funny.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Wakana certainly looks just like Minko, but she seems to be a much more complex character. She’s got a lot of personas and layers to get through in order to get a real sense of who she is.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
That was definitely an ED I’ll remember for a long time as well, very beautifully sang. (I’m pretty sure Sawa’s VA voiced the blonde girl from Star Driver and now I have this vague memory of an insert song from that anime that was also very beautiful. ><) Despite the chaos I love how they got right to it and didn't stretch it out through a couple episodes or something. Like you, I'm also really looking forward to the main group getting together. I was getting Minko vibes from Wakana in episode one, especially in the scene where she was walking with Konatsu, but that all blew over in the next two episodes. Apart from appearances like lvlln mentioned, I just don't see the similarities anymore. heh so lvlln's favorite is Konatsu, you like Wakana, and I Sawa. I guess that's a small sign of a likable cast? 😀
POWUH: iLurker with 5 comments
To be fair, I don’t think it’s soley PA’s problem, but a problem in the anime industry in general. In fact, it extends to Asian TV in general, which tend to use a lot of melodrama to more often than not evoke an “artificial” emotion out of the audience.
But going back to anime specifically, I see the same problems with “Key” adaptations and most recently in the apparently critically acclaimed AnoHana. Some buy the melodrama, others like yourself and me do not.
Melodrama does grab a lot of attention (both positive and negative), whilst the more reserved “genuine” dramas don’t get much attention. Try to gouge out how many people watched Watanabe’s Baby Blue (Genius Party Episode 6) for example. Not very many. And out of those people ask how many thought it was bloody amazing. Just about everyone.
Tari Tari isn’t anything amazing, but it is very pleasant to watch. Unlike the highly compared Hanasaku Iroha, it is not carried by one character (Ohana) and does not possess spineless or joke male characters. I’m actually liking all the characters so far, including the bitchy music teacher who obviously has reasons for being that harsh. It’s hard to name a favourite (unlike Iroha, whereby Ohana is the obvious and default choice) though I would say it’s Wakana as she seems to be the silent, unsung heroine at the moment despite Konatsu taking all the spotlight. In contrast, Minko was a bitch because… she was an angsty teenager lol.
Though a derivative show (ironic since it’s the only anime original of the Summer Season), the sum of its parts are quite well-executed. For now anyway. Moe is a significant element of course, but it does have the “moeblob” label that a lot of series in the same genre possess. Though quite different in material, the result is that it’s giving me same “feel good” vibes that Usagi Drop a couple of seasons back, though of course Tari Tari is incomparable in quality to that.
We are also absent of Mari Okada who tends to come up with the bizzare plot twists, weirdest ideas of fanservice and has a tendency to drown the audience with melodrama that makes even Jun Maeda pale in comparsion, I’m quite optimistic that Tari Tari won’t have the same problems that plagued parts of Hanasaku Iroha or the “CRY DAMMIT!” attitude that was in Anohana (Okada also wrote this, but for A-1 Pictures).
I don’t think both her and PA will reach the zenex that was True Tears, but Tari Tari is the closest we are gonna get for a while, assuming it doesn’t derail.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Certainly there’s plenty of blame to go around when it comes to melodrama in anime, but no studio whose works I’ve watched has so consistently ruined a good premise with melodrama. Whether it be action like Canaan, fantasy mystery like Angel Beats (for which Key deserves much the blame, for sure) or coming of age like Hanasaku Iroha, PA Works has kept on dropping the ball by inserting the same brand of difficult-to-watch artificially constructed drama into the show.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
I feel as though the word “melodrama” lately has become synonymous with “terrible” for all the wrong reasons! Every genre caters to a certain audience in some way, right? The exaggeration in melodrama I believe is for viewers looking for that heightened, probably unrealistic emotion that really isn’t something you see every day in real life. Why else are people glued to the TVs when their favorite soap operas come on? That shit is entertaining, even though it makes absolutely no sense. Call me shallow, but I’ve been more entertained (and emotionally invested) watching the melodramatic elements of shows like AnoHana or HanaIro more than some of the crazy, exaggerated action shows or exaggerated moeblob shows that some fans swear by. Doesn’t it all just come down to partiality and what you as the viewer want from the experience? In the case of melodrama, I’m assuming, very fictional and imposed emotion. For the same reasons you two disliked, say Angel Beats or HanaIro, I actually enjoyed those shows.
Or maybe, it’s the execution you didn’t like and I misunderstood? I haven’t seen Canaan, so I can’t really speak for that show. >< Tari Tari has been relatively subtle so far in terms of drama, no? Sawa's raised hand could have easily been a big ol' slap across the face. 😀
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I find if I like the show overall, then I’m pretty tolerant of whatever specific things they do, even if from a different cast or setting it would annoy me. Basically, I want to see the people I’m interested in do interesting things in interesting situations. Now, I think all of us have times where we think the characters are acting stupid (“JUST TELL HIM!!! JUST SAY IT!!!”) and times where shows will use plot turns that we don’t agree with (my most recent go-to example is Sentarou’s accident in Sakamichi no Apollon). But then there’s also to be taken into account how they get out of those situations, and how it affects the story. I try to keep in mind that the reason I’m watching these shows is because these people’s lives are interesting in some way. Therefore, it’s not likely that they’d be like me, whose life is ordinary.
I mentioned elsewhere that I just finished watching HanaIro, and my opinion of it is that it was fun to watch. Not the best show, but throughout it made me want to watch the people in it, even if it was mostly Ohana. And yeah, Ohana was prone to overreaction in some situations. But she’s a 16-17 year old girl. If being a teen isn’t about melodrama, then what is it about? 🙂
POWUH: iLurker with 5 comments
I’m not implying melodrama is associated with terrible, but it does more often than not come of as cheap manipulation of an audience’s emotions because they couldn’t be bothered developing it in other ways.
Take the melodrama in the “omlette rice” arc in HanaIro for example. I accidently found that unintentionally funny on how they took something so trivial and mundane and made it serious business. Or the fact Anohana had someone breaking down in tears every single episode. Or the fact we are “meant” to feel sad for one of many many sad girls in the snow (often with supernatural elements) in “Key” adaptations.
Timed melodrama is one thing but constantly hammer the point or do it in inappropriate cases, and you can end up with a desensisted audience or one that can’t take it seriously. And by timed melodrama I mean scenes like the famous flowerfield scene in Clannad After Story 18 or Homura’s backstory in Madoka Magica. Do it too often or do it at the wrong moments and you may get the an unintended effect.
But I do admit that I do have bias for genuine storytelling to evoke drama. I mentioned Mari Okada in my above posts and that she has a tendency to drown her writing with melodrama. I’ll give you a counterexample where she I thought she did an excellent job and that was in the adaptation of Wandering Son, with Fate/Zero director Aoki. Recent example of how to do a teen drama without resorting to ‘cheap’ drama tactics. Or for even better recent examples, Colorful (film) and Usagi Drop.
Tari Tari has been leaning towards the later category which is why I am appreciating it a lot and although it is a series that undoubtely has “moe” as a significant element, refrains from having the “moeblob” label that the majority of series of the genre possess. At least for now anyway and I’m hoping it stays that way.