Tsuritama

Saving the world... by fishing?

Yuki Sanada has always felt like a fish out of water. Socially awkward and anxious, he struggles to fit in with his surroundings and moves from town to town with his grandma. As he and his grandma settle into the charming seaside town of Enoshima, Yuki hopes for a fresh start. However, his reputation at school is jeopardized by the arrival of fellow transfer student Haru. The eccentric Haru immediately makes a splash, wildly claiming to be an alien and declaring that Yuki is his friend. Pairing the reluctant Yuki with their classmate and fishing talent, Natsuki Usami, he tasks both of them with the absurd mission of saving the world from a mysterious threat in the ocean. Mischief and hijinks ensue, as these three embark on a whimsical adventure filled with laughs, heart, and self-discovery!

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Haru Main

Irino, Miyu Japanese

Sanada, Yuki Main

Oosaka, Ryouta Japanese

Yamada, Akira Agarkar Main

Sugita, Tomokazu Japanese

Usami, Natsuki Main

Uchiyama, Kouki Japanese

Tapioca Supporting

Sugita, Tomokazu Japanese

Urara Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Coco Supporting

Katou, Emiri Japanese

Joushi Supporting

Nakaya, Kazuhiro Japanese

Sanada, Keito Supporting

Hirano, Fumi Japanese

Heihachi Supporting

Furukawa, Toshio Japanese

Kimura, Makoto Producer

Katsumata, Hideo Producer

Oomatsu, Yutaka Producer

Minami, Masae Producer

Reviews

Nov 18, 2025

Joe_Devaney

Recommended

Overview:
"Aliens" and "fishing" are two words that I strongly doubt you ever expected to hear in the same sentence, yet with the existence of the anime "Tsruritama", such a thing doesn't sound so implausible. First released back in 2012, "Tsuritama" is an original anime (as in, one that isn't based off a manga, light novel or anything else) that blends science-fiction elements with slice-of-life elements to create a series that's original, sweet, light-hearted and bizarre, even if not everything about it clicks into place so easily, with some parts being better than others.

Story (7.5/10):
The primary setting of "Tsuritama" is the Japanese (and real) island Enoshima, ... where the anxious and socially-awkward Yuki Sanada has just moved to with his French grandmother Keito. After initially failing to make any friends at his new school, Yuki unexpectedly piques the interest of another transfer student named Haru, who as it turns out is an alien from an unknown world who is on a secret mission on Earth, which apparently involves teaching Yuki how to fish. While reluctant at first, not helped by the less-than-ideal first impression Haru made, Yuki ultimately decides to give fishing a try, and he and Haru seek out the perfect person to teach them- Natsuki Usami, also known as the "Fishing Prince" due to being Enoshima's leading expert on fishing despite his young age and a native of Enoshima unlike the other two boys. And while the trio of boys bond over fishing, they get observed from afar by half-Indian man Akira Agarkar Yamada, a member of a top-secret organization called D.U.C.K., who are spying on Haru for unknown reasons.

While not fast-paced per se, the series does get straight to the point by introducing us to all four central characters in the first episode as well as giving us a good idea of their personalities right off the bat, which is practically a must for a series that's only 12 episodes long. Sure, Yuki has no interest in fishing at first and it takes a while before we learn exactly why Haru and Coco came to Earth, but that's where plot and character development come in, and soon enough we begin to see the boys bond both with each other and the various people around them, particularly as Yuki and Haru get the hang of fishing. And speaking of which, as someone who can't even remember the last time he went fishing, I certainly appreciate how the series explains all the ins and outs of how fishing works and that it's not nearly as simple as it seems; the only reason Natsuki is as good at fishing as he is is because he's been doing it ever since he was a kid, and Yuki and Haru both take a while to really get the hang of fishing even with his guidance.

Unfortunately, I certainly can't say that everything about the series fell into place so easily. For example, I felt that the whole "saving the world" plotline and the organization Akira belongs to kind of dragged down the series, since I didn't really really feel like they were necessary to the story other than to add some additional drama. The story is at its best when the characters are allowed to be just normal people doing normal things, especially considering a large portion of Haru's character development is him learning about humans and their behaviour while also becoming more human himself. As such, when the story ends up taking an unexpected turn in the second half of the series, I can't really say that it's one that's for the better. That's not to say the second half is bad in any way, but the parts where the characters are just hanging out and fishing are so enjoyable that I couldn't help but wish that those alone were the series, and overall the ending to the show felt pretty rushed, with multiple things just happening to work out to everyone's benefit.

Art & Animation (8/10):
"Tsuritama" is a reasonably good-looking anime, being drawn in a bright, vibrant art style that definitely fits the lighthearted yet wacky tone of the show, along with some good character designs and well-drawn environments. However, there are a fair few parts where things look really strange, with the standout example being whenever Yuki makes a demonic face whenever he gets nervous, which is supposed to be disturbing, yet just made me laugh due to how utterly ridiculous he looks. Overall, the visuals are good, but definitely by no means the best we've seen from A-1 Pictures.

Sound & Dialogue (8/10):
"Tsuritama"'s soundtrack isn't anything to write home about. It fits the series, but there isn't really any tracks that I felt like looking up when I heard them. The only tracks I can remember are the opening "Tsurezure Monochrome" and the ending theme "Sora mo Toberu Hazu", both of which fit the tone of the series very well. The voice acting is generally very good, with each of the major dub cast members' voices fitting their characters and them generally giving adequate performances, though Clint Bickham's Haru is easily the highlight. Ultimately, the sound design doesn't stand out in any way, but it does fit the tone of the series very well.

Characters (7.5/10):
Due to his grandmother's work as a horticulturist (someone who works in garden cultivation and management), Yuki has moved from one place to another for a good portion of his life, and as such has transferred schools many times. Naturally, this means that by the time he moves to Enoshima he's become extremely introverted, to the point that he struggles to even introduce himself, and he often feels like he's drowning, which is a very accurate representation of how anxiety feels in real life. Over the first few episodes, however, Yuki becomes more and more willing to speak his mind, particularly when calling out Haru on his more questionable actions, and gradually bonds with the people around him, who become the first real friends he's ever had. Furthermore, while he's initially forced into fishing by Haru and Coco, he soon starts to regard it as something he genuinely enjoys, particularly once he gets the hang of it under Natsuki's guidance. Unfortunately, aside from his crippling anxiety (which become less and less prominent as the series progresses), Yuki doesn't have many notable personality traits, and overall he isn't an especially interesting character on his own, with the main draw of him being how he plays off the people around him, particularly Haru. It's also never explained exactly why Haru chose Yuki to help him with his mission, since there isn't any reason as to why it had to be him specifically. Overall, Yuki is a very likeable main character, but not a particularly memorable one.

Then there's Haru, who serves as Yuki's foil in many ways. While both of them are socially inept and recent arrivals in Enoshima, Haru's social ineptness goes in the exact opposite direction from Yuki's. While Yuki has great trouble speaking his mind, at least in the beginning, Haru is a little TOO eager to speak his mind, often saying things with no idea as to how they make him sound, and Yuki even outright describes him as someone who's always saying things that he shouldn't. To give just one example, when Yuki's grandmother is getting a check-up in the hospital, Haru tries to cheer Yuki up by pointing out that everyone dies eventually, not getting that humans know that fact very well, but that doesn't make it any less painful for them. He also has a habit early on of spraying Yuki with a mind-controlling water pistol (yes, really) to get him to cooperate, even though he could have simply asked him. To Haru's credit, however, he knows that his understanding of humans is very lacking, and makes it his personal mission to understand them better. It takes some effort, but he does succeed eventually, and overtime he cuts out his more questionable behaviour when he realises that it's not only wrong, but also unnecessary. In the process, he also becomes more human himself, even experiencing sorrow for the first time in his life, with him dealing with it about as well as you'd expect from anyone who's experiencing a new emotion for the first time. Overall, while Haru does do some pretty questionable things even late in the series and can be somewhat annoying at times, as far as characters in the series go, he ultimately stood out as my favourite.

Next up is Natsuki, Enoshima's leading expert at fishing despite his age who works at the local fishing store and becomes a mentor to Yuki and Haru, albeit not entirely voluntarily. While Natsuki is certainly more socially adept than Yuki and Haru (granted, that's a very low bar to clear), he's nevertheless not the easiest person to get along with, being friendly to his sister, but ice-cold to those he doesn't know well and his father, whom he resents for moving on from his deceased mother less than 2 years after her death. He's also not especially fond of his moniker, the "Fishing Prince", even warning Yuki and Haru not to call him that at school. Overtime, however, Natsuki does begin to open up to both Haru and Yuki, and soon becomes good friends with both of them, though he's still not above cruel or selfish behaviour, even if he is quick to regret it. Finally, there's Akira, who despite his youthful appearance is actually in his mid-twenties, and who also happens to be an experienced fisherman like Natsuki. While he initially wiggles into Yuki's group of friends for his own reasons, he eventually grows to truly care about them, even if he takes a long time to admit it. Unfortunately, Akira's stoic, mysterious nature makes him rather bland compared to the rest of the cast, and of the four main boys, it's his backstory that's easily the least developed, to the point that we never even learn when, how or why he joined D.U.C.K., and it doesn't help that the scenes involving them are my least favourite parts of the series.

Besides the main quartet, "Tsuritama" features a fairly sizeable supporting cast. For starters, there's the various family members of the main cast, like Yuki's grandmother Keito, a kind and wise woman who's always there whenever Yuki needs someone to talk to, Haru's sister Coco, who is more practical and down-to-earth than her happy-go-lucky brother, and often questions Haru's fixation on Yuki, and Natsuki's sister Sakura and father Tamotsu, who bring out the best and worst in Natsuki respectively, which makes for some pretty decent family drama. However, there's also a number of other supporting characters such as Misaki, the owner of the fishing store Hemingway where Natsuki works part-time, and Erika Usami, a classmate of the boys and relative of Natsuki who works as a shrine maiden, though sadly the two of them don't get much focus or development. There are also definitely some characters I didn't like much at all; for example, I found Akira's co-workers in D.U.C.K. to be more annoying than funny or interesting, since they spend a good portion of the series escalating various problems due to their paranoia, and I ultimately couldn't understand why they were even in the series at all, since they didn't feel necessary to Akira's character, let alone the story as a whole. Overall, the cast of characters is quite good, but there isn't anyone I'd consider especially memorable.

Enjoyment (8/10):
For all of its many flaws, "Tsuritama" still manages to be very fun and entertaining, with plenty of funny moments to go around and a very lighthearted and uplifting atmosphere, especially when you consider that one of the main plot points is an anxious, lonely boy making friends for the first time in his life. Sure, things get a lot more dramatic as the show goes on, but overall the series remains fun and wholesome almost from beginning to end.

Overall:
With its unique, quirky premise, "Tsuritama" is a series that pretty easy to get into, and it remains a sweet, highly enjoyable series for most of its run, with a good story, serviceable visuals, good voice acting, great comedy, and very likeable characters that develop in a way that feels both nuanced and believable. Sure, not everything about the series fits well together and the second half is a bit of a mess, especially the ending, but if you just want to watch something fun, lighthearted and undemanding, "Tsuritama" should definitely suffice. Just be warned that you will be in for a very, VERY weird ride.

Score:
7.5+8+8+7.5+8=39/50=7.8/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Joe_Devaney (139)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Oct 16, 2019

mouthpiece

Mixed Feelings

Tsuritama feels like something studio SHAFT would make, as it has weird artsy animation and characters that are or act like they are aliens.
- And yet it is not made by SHAFT but rather by A-1 Works, which translates to good production values.
- It is also part of the NoitanimA timeslot, so it is bound to have lots of artistic makeup and josei overtones.
- And it’s by Nakamura Kenji, the director of Mononoke, Kuuchu Buranko, and C, so expect some really crazy stuff in it.

STORY

My impressions about the plot were just one big MEH as there was literally no real hook in the story. It ... is supposed to be about making friends and fishing being the key to the salvation of the Earth but it is not motivational or educational or exciting or whatever. It is easy going right away and doesn’t try to have peaks of tension just to flavour the whole thing. Even the finale that is supposed to be one big major event is presented in a most easy going way. Just imagine that instead of panicking because of a major catastrophe, the people are dancing happily in the middle of the street.

CHARACTERS

I didn’t find the characters to be very funny or inspiring. The “earth people” felt and acted like they were bored half the time and kept their distance from you like they were afraid of something. There wasn’t any specific reason for not wanting to open up, they were just bored or anti-social. And this is where the “alien people” come up and motivate them to learn fishing, as means to make friends, be more social … and save the world in some ludicrous way. They are supposed to be a complete antithesis with the earthlings but because of the easy going nature of the show they didn’t manage to polarize their attitudes that much. Everybody’s personality was quite basic and simple and the whole “I’m an alien” thing that was supposed to keep things interesting, got old years ago.

A notice must be given to Yuki, the protagonist, who is anti-social and gets these panic attacks when pressed to do something. He is supposed to be your average blunt closet teenager we are to identify with. Although it is kinda funny to see him acting like he is drowning or about to blow up, I eventually disliked how everything seems to revolve around him, and happening just for him. The aliens are constantly pressing him to learn fishing because he is the chosen one or something, and he catches fish with no real talent. It gets quickly annoying if you don’t like anti-social people and convenient events.

Another notice must be given to the alien Haru’s water pistol. Yes, his pistol, not him, whom I want to strangle for acting like a coo-coo all the time . It brainwashes people to do anything he tells them to. This alone trashes all sense of free will and the whole bonding and friendship part turns to nothing but puppets controlled by Haru’s strings. So much for motivation.

As for the rest of the characters, they don’t matter much to the main plot. I mean there is this Hindu dude and his duck partner, and they are supposed to be part of a shady organization but the whole thing is there just for kicks. There is also Haru’s sister who is there just for fan service; she otherwise behaves exactly like him. And some other denizens of the island, like relatives and other schoolmates who are there to flesh out the setting and give it a fluffy atmosphere between slice of life and romantic comedy. The show focuses on them nicely, so they are not cardboards.

ART

I fancied the artwork for its uncommon and stylish looks. A weird blend of paperwork and water paints, with simplistic caricatures and vivid colours to make everything look like you are high on drugs. It keeps the eye occupied all the time with all the trippy things in it.

I disliked the animation. Not only there wasn’t much motion, but also because everything felt dumb. The way they keep shaking their hands and head felt half-dead compared to how extreme they are supposed to behave. It doesn’t feel exaggerated enough and that tends to make it dull to keep looking after awhile. And seriously, when one guy is talking or thinking, everybody else just freezes and waits for him to finish instead of doing anything else. It made it look very staged and artificial. Especially when the lead male is looking at his Pokedex … I’m sorry, I mean his amazing cell phone that has a whole wikipedia in it. Every time a new fishing-related word is spoken, he picks up his phone and looks for the explanation. This is quite a dull way of explaining things since all we see is letters and an internal monologue. Where is the interest in a still image where he reads and thinks about it, while every other character present patiently awaits for him to finish as if they await the approval of the king in order to move to the next scene. BOOORING!

MUSIC

Voice acting and dialogues were fine but because of the lack of proper bodily motions, they too weren’t as passionate as they could have been. Other than that, everybody talks in a comical way and especially Haru is so cheerful you just want to shoot him.

The background music was crap. They just threw a soft tune in the background and left the characters talking however they liked. There was very little effort given to make the music be in tune with whatever is going on in the foreground.

The music themes were soft lullabies full of flute tunes. Although fitting to the show’s mood they are not something memorable or good enough to not skip when they appear.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So what do I think of this show as a whole?
- It’s TOO DAMN TAMED! Completely easy going compared to what the same director has produced in the past. With such a bizarre premise and quirky artwork, you would expect it to be far more exciting that this lukewarm slice of life. It’s one of those shows you watch to ease your mind by not thinking much, instead of sleeping, watching commercials on television, or looking at the cars crossing the road outside your house. BOOORING! I don’t watch anime to fall asleep but to get my blood pumping and my brain working. Tsuritama felt to me like a dull variant of Sayonara Zetsubo or FLCL.
- Even the whole premise of making friends through fishing is not working out. FISHING IS A BORING HOBBY! All you do is shake a rod, keep quiet, and hope for a dumb fish to bite the lure. Even Bayblade felt more interesting to this and it was just about spinning tops.
- And even if it was trying to be about opening up and making friends, it is still boring compared to NHK, Princess Jellyfish, or even Boku wa Tomodachi. And brainwashing people to do your biding on top of everything else? Well thanks for trashing your own premise just like that.

SUGGESTION LIST
Aliens: Arakawa under the Bridge, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, Level E
Anti-socials: NHK, Princess Jellyfish, Boku wa Tomodachi

And now for some excused scorings.
ART SECTION: 8/10
General Artwork 2/2 (artsy)
Character Figures 1/2 (generic)
Backgrounds 2/2 (artsy)
Animation 1/2 (basic)
Visual Effects 2/2 (artsy)

SOUND SECTION: 7/10
Voice Acting 2/3 (corny but fitting with the feeling of the series)
Music Themes 3/4 (not great but fitting with the feeling of the series)
Sound Effects 2/3 (ok I guess)

STORY SECTION: 3/10
Premise 0/2 (stupid)
Pacing 1/2 (slow)
Complexity 1/2 (not much)
Plausibility 0/2 (none)
Conclusion 1/2 (cheesy)

CHARACTER SECTION: 7/10
Presence 2/2 (funny)
Personality 2/2 (silly but well founded)
Backdrop 1/2 (generic and simplistic but it’s there)
Development 1/2 (overblown but it’s there)
Catharsis 1/2 (overblown but it’s there)

VALUE SECTION: 4/10
Historical Value 0/3 (none)
Rewatchability 1/3 (low because of too little plot)
Memorability 3/4 (weird enough to bother remembering it)

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 3/10
Art 1/1 (looks artsy)
Sound 0/2 (sounds boring)
Story 0/3 (feels stupid)
Characters 2/4 (cute but nothing much)

VERDICT: 5.5/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by mouthpiece (188)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Mar 3, 2021

xBuck

Not Recommended

I just have to say that this has to be the most boring anime I have ever watched, and trust me, I've seen my fair bit.

This anime made me sleep worse than watching a 60 year old play Cabela's fishing 2009. It was horrendous because it starts slow, try's to add some excitement, then disappoints you to the fullest when you realize it's just the same thing but with a twist.

I would highly advise steering away from this show if you don't ultra enjoy slice of life shows, this show is LITERALLY about fishing and that is all

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by xBuck (1)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Best One Cour Originals

by Shy7161

50 Entries · 187 Restacks

One Night, One Anime

by murideshou

45 Entries · 171 Restacks

duck duck... duck 🦆

by CamomiIe

22 Entries · 18 Restacks

Q4 2014 Anime Licenses [Update 12/25]

Sentai Filmworks (North America): Grisaia no Kajitsu (Le Fruit de la Grisaia) Log Horizon 2nd Season Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo (CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel a...read more

Sep 27, 2014 6:09 PM by Dunois | Discuss (58 comments)

	Poll: Tsuritama Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 ) tsubasalover - Jun 21, 2012	60 replies	by dio9_by »» Nov 5, 7:25 AM
	Poll: Tsuritama Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) tsubasalover - Jun 28, 2012	203 replies	by yveltalkyogre »» Jul 5, 3:12 AM
	Poll: Tsuritama Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) tsubasalover - Apr 19, 2012	124 replies	by nhkam »» Oct 1, 2024 9:23 PM
	Poll: Tsuritama Episode 8 Discussion ( 1 2 ) tsubasalover - May 31, 2012	87 replies	by moorland »» Jun 9, 2024 11:22 PM
	Tsuritama is a perfect depiction of Dissociative Identity Disorder txrxgxu - Jan 26, 2023	1 replies	by Lavi_kun »» Jun 26, 2023 7:34 AM

In Numbers: The Best Anime of the Decade

What's the #1 anime of the 2010s? Which year was the best? What studio had the most hits? We have the answers to all these questions and more!

by Shymander

683,137 views

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga Dub to Stream Exclusively On Hulu

Fans were left wondering for nearly 5 years if Blue Exorcist would ever get a second season. Rin Okumura is back.. and his dubbed antics will be streamed exclusively on Hulu.

by MisterD98

29,636 views