Tamayura

While trolling around on Sankaku Complex, a place I'm beginning to despise as time goes on, I was looking at the "Top 10 AT-X Anime of 2010". Whilst being completely unimpressed by the horrible anime choices, I found one I was unfamiliar with, and that was Tamayura.

So, to my curiosity, I looked it up. First impression was, "this looks like crap", "moe-trash", "stupid ova filled with cute girls making stupid faces with cute noises". Then I watched...

The opening scene in *anything* is the most important. Sets the tone, ignites the story, etc. etc. I was expecting the good ol' lazy-girl-wakes-up-late-and-runs-out-the-door opening. To your surprise you're ... given a monologue about a mundane thing we all look at in our lives, and set in a peaceful tone, that explains photography in a beautiful way. Now I know that it's common knowledge about the beauty of photography, but being a person, I like to hear those kinds of things over and over, worded differently, or said in a different matter from a different perspective.

Looking at the score, it's pretty apparent that I like this OVA.

The characters are right where they should be. Nothing is "hyper-charged" about character traits, they're all pretty average. Which isn't a bad thing, sometimes. But their development all comes from one person, Sawatari Fu. All the girls are in a similar place in their lives that we've all been at.

By watching Fu go through life, develop her interests in photography, you learn something that's kind of beautiful. I also think that there's a good message for anyone that's thinking "What should I do in my life?" or "Where will I be in ten years?", or if those questions are forced upon and are causing stress in one's life. Some might say that I'm looking to deeply into this anime, and it's pretty easy to do with the central idea of the OVA.

The art is what you'd expect. Cute, gentle, and pretty, it has those moe elements. Music is "you know". It's there, it enhances scenes. Voice Actors sound as they should at the correct times.

There is one animation mistake. But it's easily forgiven.

As for story, don't be expected to have your mind blown. The story revolves around photography, and a photo and a drawing ignite a laid-back adventure in the last episodes. A adventure that has meaning, at least, and it means a lot to the characters that we're given. There's also a nice emotional connection to actually care for the story. Well, to the amount of a four episode OVA.

The show feels sort of nostalgic. It makes you want to look back on all the photo albums you might have. Or look around on your "photo albums" on Facebook.

If you're thinking about watching this show, or if you're at a similar point in your life. I'd really recommend this short and relaxing OVA. Good shows don't need to be over elaborate or something that makes your blood pressure rise. Just an emotional connection and some reassurance.

The most of what your going to hear about this anime is its Relaxing calm and Temperant. It is soo relaxing it made me get in a better mood. Tamayura Is one in a kind anime with many diverse characters. I felt the need to write a review Regardless of many situations, Yes I do have high expectations of this series. If you love slice of Life animes this is a Huge Must watch.(no looking Back)

Fu likes taking Pictures and is way obsessed taking pics. she has many weird attributes, I really like her nervous acts of courage XD

One other Character that I really enjoy, ... well its not really a character but it’s a Cat THING, and its Momo-neko,momo is a very cute cat that has a short scene...

First of all this is a OVA so there are only four episodes, By the way theres going to be some whistling...

This adorable anime has caught my heart, for guys this might feel a little girlish but still you will enjoy it.

The story Is Building really good Fu tries to make friends and has dreams. There is a good amount of potential and I am looking forward the ongoing Irregularity angle and aspect, I feel like the artists has new ideas and methods that make this a great series. Everything is really authentic, sincere and honest, the pursuit of this is very pleasant.More or less this is a review and I will be Bravado about this.

A four-episode OVA series that should soothe any weary heart.

As always, my reviews are spoiler free.

Tamayura is a slice of life that consists of only four episodes, telling the story of Fuu Sawatari and her life as an aspiring photographer. Tamayura is directed by Junichi Satou of Aria, one of the most acclaimed SOL series of all time. It is called a "healing story", and this description is quite apt considering the atmosphere presented in this too-often overlooked series. This series was created before Tamayura: Hitotose, but actually takes place inside of Hitotose's timeline. I would advise watching these ... OVAs first, however.

Story - 7/10

Sawatari Fuu is an amateur photographer, trying to capture the moments of happiness around her with a camera left to her by her father. These moments of happiness, called "tamayura", appear as light orbs when the subjects of a picture are especially content. She is surrounded by her friends and family as she goes about her daily life and photography.

As a SOL series, the story is very basic. However, as anyone who has watched Aria knows, Junichi Satou is able to create a remarkably peaceful world that the viewer can fall into and relax. The story is more extensively explained in Hitotose, which has a more definite beginning; keep this in mind as you are dropped into the middle of the story already taking place. If this is something that bothers you, go ahead and watch Hitotose first.

Animation - 8/10

The style is somewhat reminiscent of Kyoto Animation titles. The character designs are very soft and cute, but still have a fair amount of detail. The backgrounds are well done, and especially diverse for a series of this type. Generally, a SOL is restricted to just a few areas like club rooms and bedrooms, limiting the amount of work that has to be done. However, Tamayura explores a much wider array of areas, and rather than the usual small town city scape Tamayura presents a traditional Japanese town with beautiful architecture. I understand that many of the locations visited in the series have real life counterparts that they are designed from.

One interesting thing the entire franchise does is show still "photographs" that have been taken, and while these are technically not animated at all, I enjoyed looking at them being interested in photography myself.

My main complaint with the animation is the character detail when not close up. This is a very common animation issue even in otherwise beautiful shows (check out the background characters in the TV and Blu-ray releases of Madoka). It's pretty easy to overlook though.

Sound - 6/10

While Tamayura has a peaceful backing soundtrack, that is all it has aside from a slightly above average OP. The tracks are commonly repeated if you listen closely. The voice acting is done well, but there is nothing of particular note to set this series apart. The soundtrack might be nice to play while going to sleep or studying, perhaps.

Character - 7/10

Like dozens of other SOL series, the main cast consists of four girls with several reoccurring side characters. What sets Tamayura apart is the focus on Fuu and her life. While the other characters are explored more in Hitotose, the theme remains that they revolve around Fuu. This is actually a refreshing change, as it sets a more defined theme for the story than others of the same kind.

The cast consists of Fuu, who is kind, softspoken, and a bit airheaded. She can occasionally get herself into a bit of trouble with her enthusiasm for photography, ending up in some compromising positions and locations. Her friends are all likable, with the very quiet Maon, the boisterous Norie (who reminds me of Usagi from Sailor Moon), and the level headed Kaoru. They don't have much time for development in these 4 short episodes, but they are better explored in Hitotose if you find this series and the characters agreeable.

Enjoyment - 8/10

This series is able to set a beautiful atmosphere and setting, just as Aria did before it. It has a theme, photography, that keeps the story flowing to some degree. This combined with an easy to love cast makes for a lovely series when just trying to relax and escape life for awhile.

Other Thoughts

Tamayura is succeeded by Tamayura: Hitotose and the currently airing Tamayura More Aggressive. They follow the same tone, but are 13 episode series that give more time to the side cast as well as explaining Fuu's life in more detail. I would strongly recommend them if you enjoyed these short OVAs.

I must say I'm a fan of slice-of-life series, since I can appreciate the slow pacing of the show and simply enjoy of atmosphere created by the series. I loved Hidamari Sketch and Aria. I even liked series like Sketchbook and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, though they was never my favourites. But I cannot seem to enjoy what Tamayura has to offer.

First of all, the setting never really got to me. I have a bit of interest in photography, but I've never got the least interested while the cast is on the subject. Secondly, the cast is really, really boring. Fu and Kou are the only ... names I recall. I can only remember the rest of the cast as the whistling girl, the twin-tail who's always on high, and the nondescript ponytail. They do not seem to have any other traits I can remember.

So in the end, I can hardly remember anything about the series, even though I've only just finished watching it. I could hardly pay attention to what little the series has to offer. I had expected more from Hal Films...

The art quality is average and the music is forgettable. I feel that the seiyuus, even Kana Asumi, isn't doing a very good job with the characters even though she's more familiar with the genre.

I really cannot recommend this to anyone since I cannot seem to find any parts of the series interesting enough to talk about.

Plot/Concept: Fair
Story Style: Meh
Audio/Visual: Unimpressive
Value: 3

Tamayura is a very great slice of life anime. Its calming. There's something magical about it. The pictures,and the moments the friends have with each other are breath taking.

I'll keep this short, just like the show itself.

My expectations when adding this anime to my planning-to-watch list were rather low, yet I wanted to know what was to get a TV sequel. The description did not say much about the show, other than it is a supposed "feel-good"-anime.
Tonight I felt so-so and looked for something short to take off my list, and I remembered Tamayura.

The feel-good promise was no lie at all. Even during the first few minutes, Tamayura managed to make me smile. It introduced likeable, simple characters that complimented each other in ways that made their interactions pleasant and heartwarming to watch.

This ... is no anime to watch if you desire action, non-stop die-hard comedy or show-off characters.
There is character development in Tamayura, despite its short runtime, with Fu at the story's center. Her photographs are what connects all the characters in the show, and just as magically as the Tamayura appear on her pictures, smiles will appear on the audience's faces.

I did not expect the clumsy, photo-loving "Potte" to actually fill me with positive energy, yet her pictures had exact that refilling effect. Tamayura achieved exactly what it set out to do. It delivers a warm and fuzzy story you can easily connect with, giving you more than enough opportunity to relax.

"Time cannot be stopped. Change is inevitable. However, so long as we never forget. The past will never be forgotten."

Tamayura : An Anime All Highschoolers Must Watch

[NOTE] This is an overall review of Tamayura including all of its ovas and movies. No spoilers will be given.

Tamayura is the true meaning of Slice of life. Setting aside the excess of jokes and teases the show displayed which aren't funny at all. Tamayura is the most spectacular anime about highschool I've ever seen in my entire life. It really hits home for me, a person who is currently studying IB. The anime shows the ... aspects of hardship; happiness, sadness and sorrow of being a highschooler up until graduation.

I really love this anime. It is the biggest hidden gem I've ever found. A hidden gem that could even be compared to my favorite show, Violet Evergarden. This show represents highschool life really well. So well that there are no other words to describe it other than "masterpiece".

Makers of Tamayura, I sincerely thank you for producing such a masterpiece. A masterpiece that I will never forget so long as I continue living. Truly, Arigato Gozaimasu.

4 episodes, 15 minutes each. Jyunichi Sato at the helm. Original healing anime. What can go wrong?

Nothing much, actually. I was itching for something to bring back the ARIA fervor after it ended, and this did the job perfectly.

I'll get the "bad" stuff out of the way first. There is no story. Every character ends up with basically the same character traits as they had from the beginning of the show to the end. If you are looking for some sort of journey ending in a closure, then this show is not for you.

If you put its weaknesses in story and length aside, what you ... have left is 60 minutes of pure healing by the master of healing anime himself, Jyunichi Sato. No explosions, no gratuitous nudity, no battle arcs, no giant swords, no teenage angst, and especially no tsunderes. What you have here is a girl, her friends, her love for her Rollei 35S, and delicious snacks.

I loved every loving aspect Jyunichi Sato put into the characters and the setting, from the excellent chibi faces and the delicious snacks and sweets. The animation quality is quite nice and a joy to watch in HD. My favorite character is the whistling lady because you don't see many whistling ladies in anime nowadays and she is funny.

Before writing this review I read a few comments in the Comments section of this show and I cannot believe the pompous vitriol coming from a few of the users on this site. Of course the girls are cute. Of course they make >.< and =.= faces. That's what they're supposed to do. Don't expect anything else. To those complaining that this is an Aria clone, of course it's an Aria clone. The director, screenplay writer, and animation company are all the same. To those complaining that this show is too boring, screw you.

Haters gonna hate.

Tamayura is a short OVA series by Studio Hal Film Maker. The studio adapted the manga into four 18-minute long episodes in 2010. HFM does not receive a lot of attention lately, but Tamayura is mainly a Slice of Life and since this studio blessed the SoL fans of this world with the famous Aria series, I thought I look into Tamayura as well and see what´s going on.

The Anime is about a clumsy and shy girl named Fuu Sawatori who recently moved to her late father´s hometown where she makes new friends and memories together with her new friends and her little brother. As ... she is into photography like her dad who passed away five years ago, she captures the memories she makes with her camera and tries to get closer to her father through this hobby.

Now this anime does not keep you in the dark of what it´s all about for very long. Right from the start, director Satou Junichi makes clear he wanted to produce a little feel good anime. Indeed, it is a perfect show to watch after a stressy day. It´s calm, slightly melancholic and cute…a little too cute to be honest. While overreacting to whatever is going on is very common in anime, Tamayura goes a bit over the top in this regard, turning the girls into annoying human beings at times (Beware of the Cake eating scenes!) Anyway, I did not mind once the story developed. This takes a while I have to say as nothing is going on at all in the first episode. Things get more enjoyable as the series progresses though.

As for the characters, I wished the other girls would get more important roles, but they are treated as supporting cast only and their only job is to help out and accompany Fuu. This is a shame as at first sight they seem to be at least as interesting as our main girl.

Better parts of this anime are definitely the beautiful sceneries. While the animation itself is average, a lot of love for details can be found in the nature and the places the group goes. Those are always accompanied by the most laid back and quiet music playing in the background, creating a very relaxing atmosphere all the way through.

But the best part of Tamayura is that there are many sequels with full length episodes! The whole series consists of much more material then just those four OVAs. They basically just serve as a teaser while still managing to conclude the story of these OVAs at the same time, giving you a chance to spend an hour to see if Tamayura is for you or not.

While it is not the greatest Slice of Life ever, it has its highlights and it is definitely not bad. Just go watch it and then decide if you want or need more!

Tamayura short and an overflowing with emotions anime full of dreams and warmth i call it super cozy anime because when i watch it i feel very nostalgic and alot of memories comes back.

Loving art and photography i really got into this anime and shed quite a few tears watching it because my heart was trembling in seeing on how a person can seek out his dreams...

Story: is very very warm and nostalgic its about a group of girls with different dreams and a girl who loves photography more than anything in this world. Seeking for her father Sawatari, Fu sees alot of beautiful ... things and gets one step closer to her dreams.

Art: Warm , beautiful and nostalgic.

Sound: Nature i guess ... silent and beautiful sounds...

Characters: Dreamers with all kinds of dreams and different characteristics.

Enjoyment: I cried few times and really made my heart tremble.

Overall: An overwhelming anime with alot of emotions flowing in the air Enjoyable till hearts content!.

(Notice: This is a review for the whole series)

How do I start...

What do we want to do in life? Is a question that we all ask ourselves at some point, trying to seek aspiration as we go on living. Well, Tamayura is the ideal Anime to get you pensive about it, "what do I want to do in life?". The Anime predominantly focuses on a girl named "Fuu" who relishes on taking photos of anything she finds engrossing to her while desiring to make people smile upon seeing her Photos. Photography is a hobby that she adores ever since she was a child, using the ... camera of her father, a "Rollei 35 S", later to ponder whether she wants to take up photography in college at another city and make it a lifetime profession. She faces hindering thoughts to doubt the idea, worrying and agonizing throughout her high school years, facing emotional obstacles until the final school months. Join her inspiring journey to fulfill her dream and maybe we can learn a thing or two.

Tamayura is a Slice-of-Life and we all know that SOL genres don't entirely focus on the main plot and may stray off focusing on different subplots the show has. Tamayura, as like any other SOL anime, is an episodic series, developing the secondary characters through challenges & adventures while partially progressing on the main storyline which is Fuu's life and her ambition. This is the main splendid aspect of Tamayura, the character progression and development in the Anime made it all the better, it being a long-running series making all the more room for an emotional build up on the characters.

What I love about the story is how they present the main character, Fuu, (who's quite sentimental) that has migrated to a rural town, her hometown and continues to do what she loves despite the mishaps in the past. Going through hurdles in life, be it anxiety, worrisome, fear and many more in what we go through today in wanting to reach our aspiration, all the while having the support of her friends and family along the way. The Main character may get too emotional, or "dramatic" but I see that as the personality of the main character, as just like real people, it portrays what humans generally are: sentimental beings.

As much I would I like to say about the story, there is not much, Tamayura is an episodic series about a daily life of a girl facing challenges in life experiencing the saddest to the best of moments, as like any slice of life you come across where they progress the MC to reach their certain goal. What makes Tamayura original and distinct from the rest of the SOL titles out there -- and this is a fact -- it portrays life realistically as possible, sure it may be perceived as a "cute-girls-doing-cute-things' themed show (and it basically is one) but 'generically' isn't? In what we experience mentally in life as of today, again from the challenges that we go through to reach a certain goal, accepting that things that eventually change and having to move on, to the “whether I should or not chase after what I really want to do in life and the many more”, is how it is portrayed in this Anime and without a doubt that is something to notice and praise as a slice of life fan; an Anime that actually portrays the common difficulties in LIFE in which the majority of the viewers can definitely relate to.

You'll certainly get the feel of the calming vibe the Anime gives off with its spectacular scenes and art-style. The setting of the Anime is based on a real place in Japan, Takehara, Hiroshima. A place full of greenery and mountainous terrain, clearly being a rural area. The Anime actually started as only 4 OVAs to promote the location, showcasing a lot of tourist hot-spots and the overall eye-catching areas in Takehara, honestly, it's one amazing place to check out. Aside from the simplistic yet beautiful art-style, the music indeed adds more calmness and emotion to the show, being one of the "essence" (if I may so) in what completes the calming-emotional aura around the Anime.

Tamayura is an amazing Anime that any fan of the genre would dearly love. As a fan who consistently watches Slice of Life Animes, I still consider Tamayura as one of the greater "deep" ones that I've come across, therefore I highly recommend this Anime that deserves the recognition. ​

These short OVA episodes came out before the sequel - Tamayura: Hitotose. But for those who have never seen these OVA episodes and went straight into the main series, you won't miss too much, but you might miss a few things though, which were revealed in the OVA episodes only. So watch the OVA episodes first, then go to the main series. Tamayura and Tamayura: Hitotose were the first slice of life anime I've ever seen, since I mostly focus on action genre. But surprisingly, even though the pace of every short episodes in this anime were very slow and nothing seemed to be happening, ... I somehow watched all of them without getting bored, I actually found this anime quite interesting. Not everyone are going to agree with me since a lot of people will find this OVA (and it's sequel) boring and too slow, if they are mostly into fast-paced anime. I only found out about this anime when I was checking on random anime videos on some video sites. I was only into anime in 2011, so I didn't know that slice of life genre actually existed for anime until I watched this OVA (plus the sequel).

----Story----
I have a different approach when it comes to rating the storyline for anime. Unlike some people, who mostly judge an anime based on how interesting the plot is and whether there is a story or not. For me, I rate the plot not only on the two things I mentioned, but also based on the level of focus on the plot, and how complex the storyline is. I hate overcomplex storylines in anime, where it leaves you with lots of question marks above your head. For a slice of life anime, I like storylines where it can be explained with only one or two lines, and this anime is perfect for it. But for action anime, I expect a fair amount of plot but not too complex. In this case, I gave 10/10, as the story is simple, not complex, interesting and well-focused. Fu Sawatari, a shy girl who likes to take photos with her late father's camera. She likes to hang out with her friends and she likes to talk about the meaning behind each photo. Fu and her friends later seeks the place that her little brother had drawn few years ago, when her father was still alive. The themes of friendship and memory are well shown in this anime and it's quite emotional near the end of the OVA.

----Art----
Excellent art, nice style.

----Sound----
Sound is good as well. Opening and ending themes are really good and suited for a slice of life anime. The voices of characters are really good also, suited to their age.

----Character----
I gave 8/10, even though I gave 10/10 in my review of the sequel. The reason I lowered the score a little bit is because there is little room for character development (only Fu has a bit of character development). Unlike the sequel, where there is plenty of room for character development. After all, it's only an OVA with 4 short episodes. But I like the personalities of the main characters, though I do find Norie a bit annoying, as she goes hyper very easily.

----Enjoyment----
I really enjoyed this series overall (also the sequel). For those who are extremely into action and fast-paced anime, then better avoid this anime. But for those who like slow-paced and relaxing type of anime, then this and the sequel are both great to watch. If anybody watched the Aria series, then the atmosphere in this one is similar, except there are no elements of fantasy or anything futuristic.

There's a general consensus, that photographs are just fragments of frozen time and moments, nothing more. We take them on a whim, hoping to save a split second of amazement or amusement, and in a world where social media and smartphones rule societies, it seems that the significance of photographs are becoming less…intimate.

In reality, there exists an almost…interdimensional relationship between a photo, its subject and the photographer: there's a REASON WHY a photo was taken and WHY this particular subject was chosen, framed and shot. These actions acuminate from personal emotions and attachments between the documenter and the documented. Photographs that are…truly wonderful are ... those that had managed to capture a fragment of heartfelt fervour when the shutter button was pushed…or where a moment of preciousness fluttering through the air was captured permanently onto a single, perfect image.

As a 4 episode 'healing (Iyashikei)' OVA, created by the same creator who had envisioned Aria the Animation, Tamayura's story is a simple tale of finding one's passion, the journeys one must undertake in order to find their purpose, and of course…the mysterious wanders of the 150 year old art form that we call photography. As an inspiring and self-proclaimed amateur photographer myself, this OVA struck home on multiple occasions regarding my hobby and offers a multitude of inspiringly beautiful moments and messages that not everyone will be able to truly appreciate and understand. There are shows that rely on deep-reaching plotlines and blood pumping action, others that rely on non-stop comedy and plot twists. Tamayura is a show that invites you to slow down, and smile as your heartbeat slows to match the tempo the show offers you, in addition to a wonderfully simple and colourful story that proceeds to relax every single muscle in your body, whilst also offering you messages of artistic inspiration.

Escapism is a common initiator for interest in visual mediums such as anime, and as are most things in this world: escapism comes in many forms. The human imagination forces individuals to seek and experience the new and to find that unique spark that proves their individuality in ways that's beyond the chemical, atomic and the biologic. Amongst the fantastical adventures of space operas, demonic realms where gods and devils do battle, most; if not all; endearing stories always find their roots in the intimacy of human relationships and the purity of unspoiled human compassion. So, when the impurities of conflict were kept out of the thematic experience, Tamayura's setting on a realistic platform is left with a grounded atmosphere that feels ironically surreal: the definition of escapism from conflict altogether.

The true enjoyment of the Slice of Life genre is appreciating the magic and adventures that normal lives can offer: passions that allows individuals to find inspiration and beauty in the mundane and the typical.

Tamayura's thematic foundations very much constructs itself upon an almost overwhelming sense of childish bliss and precious intimacy, and every element of the experience is tailored to reflect that: from Fu (our main female lead)'s simply worded monologues and her almost tooth-achingly sweet optimism, to the endearing tone of the first episode's title: 'The town with a lot of things that I love.' Every element of Tamayura's introduction (and the entire OVA, in fact) is premeditated to maintain this sense of beauty in simplicity, whilst also signalling a journey, in response to passion's callings.

To briefly analyse every goddamn detail from the first 5 minutes of the first episode, let's start with the opening footage. Tamayura's artistic canvas very much draws inspirations from the blurriness of early childhood memories, starting with its rough, hand-painted visual elements serving as its background artwork. The first 30 seconds consists of Fu's opening monologues, innocently citing the mysterious nature of photographs, with footage panning across bamboo-framed photographs of various landscapes, above vintage camera models. Interestingly, the opening footage also features the focal point of the entire OVA: a vertical portrait of Fu's father, and the illuminated spots (common imperfection in analogue photographic films) that surrounded him when the camera captured the shot. Finding perfection in imperfection was perhaps an unintended analogy when Fu revealed her belief, that these 'tamayuras' only appear, when the moment captured is truly perfect, but it successfully resonates with the OVA's identity as a Slice of Life title, with Iyashikei as its subgenre.

The OP sequence of Tamayura takes the liberty of adapting the Ghibli icon Kiki's Delivery Service's ED song, performed here by Sakamoto Maaya, which accompanies a calmly composited set of imagery that finds inspirations from the real life town of Takehara. Rather fitting, considering the similarity in themes of self-discovery, which both titles share. Also rather fitting: the OP's flavour is dusted with creative choices of photograph frames and portraits featuring Fu's family and friends, not long after showcasing Fu's trademark camera, the Rolei 35S. There exists an abundance of nostalgia in the OP sequence, simulating the long-past memories of years gone by, resurfaced by the collection of rediscovered images and the intimate personality of the featured location. Such viewer responses are amplified by the inclusion of the bicycle: taking a few pages from the similarly toned show, Honey and Clover, the bicycle's brief appearance in the OP and the first few minutes of the episode very much adds to the subtle symbolism that the OVA utilises in showcasing its themes of self-discovery: the human endurance-powered transport and its motivational prominence in Honey and Clover; and by extension, here; very much offers the observation, that riding a bike non-stop without looking back, and without knowing the definite destination, is very much an adventure in itself.

Then there's the inspirational message to enjoy the unintended tangents from the planned path, and enjoying the journey before reaching the destination, but we will discuss that with more thematic stimuli featured in the OVA.

Our first true introduction to Fu was seeing her chasing a floating dandelion seed, pretend-framing it with her fingers. This extended scene achieves a multitude of cinematic developments, by presenting Fu as a creatively active (and absent-minded) girl, and a sense of sentimental empathy in the emotional impact of seeing dandelion seeds in cinematic mediums: they are fondly part of childhood's bliss, whilst also possessing the storytelling associations of freedom and flight.

Accompanying the images onscreen, is an intimate ensemble of instruments which combine their tones and personalities, to create a suite of background musical pieces which heightens the relaxed emotional ambience, which the show has placed the audience under the spell of. The opening sequence is guided by a stream of simple piano melodies, with each verse transcending nostalgia. The ending note to each verse is a lone and echoing high-pitched call to eventual silence: almost suggesting a longing voice to be set free.

The track after the OP also retains the intimate personality of the OST, but adding in a sense of optimistic energy with a multitude of instruments joining the ensemble: the combination of a clarinet solo, acoustic guitar, chamber strings section and piano, the resulting melody simply oozes with a sense of joyful homeliness, whilst also adding to the slightly melodramatic tone, which the show introduces in tiny sips throughout the episodes. Also throughout the OVA, the musical score remains a relative forefront in the soundscape, welcomingly extending its thematic significance in the emotional climate inhabited by the viewers.

Perhaps the single most important element of cinematic perfection of which Tamayura achieves, is what I consider to be its incidental messages of artistic inspiration, successfully planting seeds without most of us noticing. Amongst the episodes, while Fu and her friends banter and goof around various sites and locations (including visiting a photograph gallery of a photographer that Fu admired), innocently enjoying their lives, tiny incidents of a seemingly frustrating nature briefly hamper the otherwise perfect experiences: them getting continuously lost whilst on road trips, and Fu accidently rolling her ankle, having to be carried by an adult.

But something tells me, that the older sister in charge of their expeditions was intentionally not following the map, just to give her group a sense of living outside schedules and plans. Luck and fate did the rest, as Fu made her miraculous discovery (or a sudden flooding back of memories) whilst holding onto the shoulder of the photography store owner, with her leg bound in a makeshift cast. These tiny moments of emotional payoff successfully offset the contrived nature of many stories, by hiding them behind tiny moments of incidental events, and delivering the blow with a sense of naturally felt grace and goodwill. The emotional power behind the seemingly mundane events of a truly great Slice of Life show, is achieving memorability with heartfelt sincerity, and without exaggerated drama, conflict nor sudden fireworks-aided epiphanies.

And yet after all that, the one true centre of Tamayura's story, resides in what Fu keeps strapped to her prized camera: a ticket with no specified destination. The significance behind this memento from Fu's photographer friend and idol, are the oh-so-obvious messages which visual storytelling would usually also associate with the depiction of trains and train lines: the journey's passing sceneries beyond that window, will always be eternally more beautiful and interesting than lusting for the arrival. Of course, Tamayura also presents this symbolic object as an allegory to finding one's own unique destinations in life, a message which retains its own unique beauty.

So, how should one see Tamayura? Well, for me, it's a quietly passionate love letter to flowering artists. One of my favourite sayings and beliefs is that when it comes to love and passion, stating the obvious is a beautiful thing. The painfully idealistic nature of Tamayura doesn't even come CLOSE to achieving realism in an objectively thematic sense, but in a creatively empowering sense, it's idealism that help propel the collective human race forward, whether it be socially, creatively, scientifically or politically. Thus, I shall conclude by presenting the OVA with one final praise: it is a truly heartfelt ode to all photographers, artists and storytellers everywhere.

Maybe I just didn't need any healing but this "healing story" came off as a bland and boring time-waste.

It tried to be wise and nonchalant but ended up just being boring.
Neither the art or sound is anything special either.

It is just your average very Japanese like show trying to put some pseudo-wise lines in an anime where nothing happens.

And finally - photography. I've yet to see any medium show it in interesting light. Maybe that's just me but photography is an uninteresting subplot.

The work is primarily focused on establishing the main character Fuu's relation with the setting, as it ties into her role as an aspiring camerawoman, which ties in directly to a loose plot intrigue surrounding her father and a memory of a picture that was taken of him and the question of that picture's location. This means that Tamayura does not function much as a slice of like work in these OVAs, but more a series of stories, each with clear beginning, middle, and end, which have tangible takeaways and punchline style resolutions to themes pondered throughout the episode. The characters have enough strong characterization, ... particularly visually, throughout the episodes to make the journey with them through the loose plot driven episodes satisfying, even if it leaves little time for each character to receive too much attention.

Tamayura is beautifully relaxed, and with just 4 episodes, its not a long commitment. I found this anime when looking up underrated ones, and im somewhat disappointed that not more people know about it. i dont consider it unknown, but i have personally never heard someone mention it.

which is a shame. this anime is very laid back and takes itself at a slow pace, such might be a detriment to some, but to me its a good break from the fast paced "something is always going on" of some of the slice of life genre (and anime in general).

something i love is just how damn ... simple this anime is, its about a girl who loves taking pictures and what goes along like that. from the synopsis of it when i first read it, i never thought id like this anime. or i would watch it, rate it a 5 or 6, then forget that i even took the time to watch it.

but it took me by surprise, i got surprisingly invested in the main character. shes all around just as simple as the anime she comes from, but thats what i like the most about her.

i find myself coming back to the episodes sometimes when i just need to put something on to relax. id recommend this to just about everyone who likes the genres it follows, or even if people like the opposite. its such a cute, short, relaxing anime that i have learned to adore.

ill keep this review just as simple as tamayura, and cut it a bit short. but i feel like ive said everything i want to say about it.