WRITING (8/10)
* Characters
We're once again introduced to Potte (Fuu), Kaoru, Maon and Norie as they spend their school days in the quiet, somewhat old-fashioned town of Takehara. Their characters have been kept intact and are consistent with the first series. Kaoru remains and tsukkomi and Norie plays the role of the boke, with Maon and Potte usually reacting their their antics. A new character is introduced, Kanae, a third year photography enthusiast like Potte. She's portrayed as insecure, timid and indecisive but over the course of the show she founds the Photography Club together with Potte and by joining her group of friends she manages to grow and become "More Aggressive". I think the character development can be inconsistent, since focus is often on Potte and Kanae, the rest acting as character that are there to react and entertain. What character development there is is very solid, especially Potte as the show explores more of her feelings about the town, herself, her friends and her family.
* Writing
Being a slice-of-life, story is something that takes the sidelines in favor of episodic content that gives the viewers portion-sized bits of plot and events around Takehara. You can expect Potte and her group of friends to go on trips around the area of the town, spend random time together and holds their own events. I can see a common complaint being, "It's too slow. Nothing is happening!" I'll agree, this show is extremely show, and sometimes so much that it becomes a chore to watch. Even if you enjoyed Aria you're stepping into a totally different realm with this one. When something does happen, it's on a small scale, and its significance is more personal than anything. It's usually Potte learning a relatable life lesson, as well as learning more about her late father. More prevalent than in Hitotose, Potte's father is often brought up and used as a means to show Potte something of personal value. She slowly learns how much her dad really loved her, and the lengths he would go to for her, which makes the moments bittersweet; a mix of feeling love and acceptance as well as loss and grief.
Towards the end, Potte tries to deal with the gradual changes to her beloved town, and learns to nothing stays the same forever; no matter how much you wish for it. Tamayura: More Aggressive wants to present the viewer with a subtle, slow and human story about regular people doing regular things, but highlight the immense value of the lessons learned and their feelings of the characters. I found it to be near-tearjerking at times, because over the episodes I've gotten to know the characters and study them, as well as relate to what they're feeling. This excellent show is however marred by the sometimes slow and even dull progression.
AUDIO (9/10)
*Voice Acting
I do expect anime to have a high standard when it comes to voice acting because that's been the case ever since I started watching, so this basically boils down to personal preference. I don't like Norie's voice when she's excited. That's... pretty much it.
*Music
Music is one of Tamayura's strong points, everything from the soundtrack to the insert songs are made with a clear purpose: to calm and to ease. You'll either hear playful tracks that play during the downtime or random chatter, or beautiful piano pieces complementing one of the more profound moments. Towards the end of each episode is an insert track, calm and sung by a female vocalist. Personally, I love those type of tracks so I'll try to find the soundtrack now that the show is over. The show's opening and ending themes follow a similar pattern of having an inviting feel. By listening to the opening you'll actually get a good feel of what the show aims to achieve, being beautiful yet carefree.
ART (7/10)
Art remains largely the same, which is no minus. The town of Takehara is drawn to appeal to us who like a rural touch to our scenery. Filled with Japanese buildings of an older variety, the entire town feels warm and welcoming, filled with friendly people and simple values. When venturing outside the town, the landscapes are all soothing and pretty to look at. The art does what it's supposed to do, but there's not much else to it. It works.
YURI RATING (3/10)
There's very little that can be scavanged here. Potte and Kanae have some great interaction and are very close. With goggles set to medium you'll get some good readings. Tomo, the owner of the local Okonomiyaki restaurant and professional photographer Shihomi Riho are seem plenty of times being close together and spending a lot of time which each other. Settling the goggles on low will enable you to interpret that the yuri way.
OVERALL (8/10)
Tamayura: More Aggressive is a show that truly sticks to what it knows. It'll be a calm, predictable ride through Takehara, exploring further and revealing more about the main characters. It'll leave a Tamayura fan very satisfied and teary-eyed at times. While it's not for everyone, it certainly shows that anime can be ridicuously over-the-top as well as the most down-to-earth form of entertainment possible today.
