Fune wo Amu

As a reviewer, there have been numerous occasions when I struggle to find the right words to convey my thoughts. This isn't to say that I didn't know what I wanted to express to others, but rather, I wanted my message to be as clear and concise as possible. The right words can often make all the difference in how a reader interprets what you have to say. Words are capable of setting the mood, giving off tone, and in some cases, changing the very temperament of those on the receiving end. They're vehicles used to communicate feelings, painting a picture for the reader, and naturally, when the right word, the right expression, is used, a connection between the writer and the reader can be formed.

Having constantly tested my hand at writing think-pieces and reviews, I've slowly developed a knack for conveying my thoughts to others. Of course, there are still ideas that are hard to make tangible, but through constant diction retooling and communication with others, I've made strides in closing that gap. And for many, the dictionary has been an asset in aiding in this process. Well, that's what I would have said 15-years ago. Today, the dictionary—and by extension, a great deal of printed media—has almost been made obsolete by the internet and advancements in technology. Every possible definition, both contemporary and antiquated, is just a click away. But like anything that had a home in humanity's cultural development and upbringing, there are still those that cherish the ways of yesteryear.

As convenient as it is to have hundreds of books stored on a tablet, nothing beats the feeling of pages between your fingers as you flip through a good book. Any MP3 nowadays can house thousands of songs on the go, but there are still those that champion the personal touch of vinyl. Saving a moment is only one phone pic away, yet the Polaroid camera still has millions of hipsters and enthusiasts alike shaking images to life. But those are just the popular examples, ones that most outsiders looking in could still comprehend the sentimentality behind it. But what about content that doesn't register with most? Appeals, that, at first glance, feels very obtuse?

Fune wo Amu, The Great Passage, basically explores one facet of that kind of unique appeal, but instead of limiting it to the object of affection alone, in this case, the dictionary, it instead dials back to the core reason for why someone might cherish it, in the first place. An understandable position once you peer into the headspace of the main character Mitsuya Majime; a man who can barely mutter his thoughts out loud without clamming up, despite his devoted fascination for semantics.

A bashful man with an obsession for wording and their meaning, yet unable to utilize this talent verbally. A unique passion that runs contradictory to his very closed-off nature. I know what you're thinking, awesome setup for a story, right? Well, almost. You see, as fascinating of an idea that this may have been, when it boils down to it, the subject matter was about as exciting as the subject itself. There's a passion for dictionaries that are clearly there, but like the actual object itself, this passion was sterile and lacking in emotional range. And for a story about words and the various expressions it can convey, that's a crying shame.

But before we go any further, let's make this clear, Fune wo Amu is by no means a "bad" show, it's just a very lackluster one. In fact, it contained some of the more realistic character depictions in 2016's anime lineup, deciding to leave behind erratic personalities and commonplace archetypes for a more grounded performance in a world that's pretty much aligned with our own. Where portrayal of emotions in anime are usually capped off with exaggerated interpretations, this title instead chooses to substitute that with nuances in both their mannerism and body language, effectively defining the individuals on screen without degrading who they are. Even the changes in vocal inflections are accounted for, a detail that most shows neglect altogether. And as if that wasn't enough, to further sell these characters as proper representations of adults, the show adopted body models that are more anatomically accurate than what's usually given by the medium, recruiting the talented Haruko Kumota, the artist responsible for the look of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu's cast, as the original character designer.

For all intents and purposes, given this dedication to craft Fune as an adult-orientated slice-of-life drama, the final product should have been something I adore. It checks off all the boxes for things I seek out in works of this nature. Shouwa Rakugo was one of my favorite anime entries of 2016 for that very reason. So when I give Fune the cold shoulder, know that I'm doing so out of genuine concern for its lack of vision. For everything that Fune could have aspired for, it ultimately veers off into ho-hum territory.

Following the footsteps of an unimpressive, mild-mannered klutz named Mitsuya Majime, Fune gives us an insider perspective, as Majime makes his way through a crowd of disinterested faces. Each one of these people in the ever-shifting collective makes up the busy prefecture that hosts as the stomping grounds for Majime's unsuccessful business venture as a salesman under Genbu Shobo's publishing firm; a job he seems to be all at once perfect for, given his skill-set, but terrible at due to his personality. Passive to a fault and cumbersome in every verbal exchange he has with others, Majime is far from the ideal image of Japan's working class. With nothing to draw back on but his love for words, there are very few applicable situations where he's needed. What good is it to be a word-smith when trying to hold a conversation results in awkward jibber-jabber? Trapped with a burning desire to express himself but not gifted with enough gusto or social tact to do so, Majime makes no reservations about his limited usefulness, as he willingly keeps his head down to avoid any further degradation. So when he's approached by Kouhei Araki to fulfill a soon-to-be-vacant editorial job for constructing a new dictionary, the stars couldn't have been more aligned.

With a task that's tailor-made for his dilemma, Majime was finally given an outlet to unload his passion constructively. And in the process of doing so, was also given a chance to warm up to people in a manner he thought was previously impossible for the likes of him.

With a setup that could carry with it the same potency as 2010s The King's Speech, while allowing for a more grounded backdrop due to its quaint, smaller-scale setting, Fune had all the makings of a humbling journey with promises of catharsis scattered along the way. It's the kind of screenplay that would go on to become Oscar-bait material in the hands of any veteran director, and for anime, another testament to its strength in crafting maturely handled stories. And in some ways, Fune does count as another entry in that category, just one that wouldn't register high on my list of exceptional examples.

The story of this dictionary taking form was ultimately just a container to help examine the cast of characters in various stages of growth in their lives. Because of the daunting 10-year production cycle needed to create a dictionary, this time allowed the viewers the opportunity to pick apart the things that made the individual characters tick, as well as a chance to examine the small pockets of interactions that occurred among themselves, including how they all chose to deal with certain situations along the way. So in essence, Fune wo Amu, The Great Passage, was quite literally "the great passage" of these regular peoples' lives.
Instead of following the accomplishments of someone destined for a space in the annals of history, Fune shifts its focus to an industry that gets no standing ovation from anyone. The unsung "heroes" in their publishing field. But despite that angle, it's never really about applauding their efforts, as it's more about showing unison of the ways of old with the changing times of new. And with a dictionary used as the vehicle to express that idea—with a young, soft-spoken protagonist who's out of touch with the rest of the world being used as a conduit to deliver it—the initial message became far more significant than any single person involved by the time we reached the final resting stop.

Now, if the show had translated this idea as well as it sounded on paper, I would have been here today singing its praises, but as I've expressed before, that's not how it worked out.

If I wanted a maturely handled cast of adult characters who expressed various emotions and understood their situation with sobering clarity, while at the same time being genuinely engaged with what was being displayed on screen, there are animated movies like Only Yesterday or TV series like the aforementioned Shouwa Rakugo around to fulfill that need. Both of which operated within a familiar playing field like Fune but done so in a way that any person of intended age could take seriously. Fune doesn't share in that quality in the way that you'd expect it to, coming off more milk-toast in a miscalculated attempt to be adult in quality. So despite its ability to demonstrate restraint to allow for natural human behavior in its cast, the actual content itself felt unrealistically lopsided—an issue that's easily identifiable once you key in on the kind of agenda it's trying to push forward.

Fune wants its content to remain within a limited operating capacity of expression, as if it's afraid of being too playful as to lose the audience's respect. There are attempts to alleviate this problem, with characters such as Masashi Nishioka, who's the "life of the party," constantly prattling to entertain the group while also using it as a defense mechanism to keep from having to express his concerns truly. Or even with the tack-on middle sequences in every episode, that saw the seris use chibi dictionary caricatures as cut-scenes to help alleviate the monotony of the constant unassertive tone. Personally, I found it distracting but the intent behind it was still understandable. When the show was at danger of being too dull, this became its defense tactic, but when it came time to demonstrate any other kinds of real emotion, it diverted from having to do so in ways too apparent to truly ignore.

For example, when our main character found himself infatuated with a woman, instead of using it to explore facets of himself—as what usually occurs when we find ourselves attracted to others—it chose to take the easy route by having a romance predicated on one word of cluttered dialogue exchange and a letter chalk-full of convoluted word passages. This robbed the chances for any genuine relationship to blossom over a period of time. Yes, he took the initiative to get to that point, but for a show dealing with adults in a somewhat realistic setting, the conclusion was only viable in something pumped out by a sappy Disney/Pixar production. The show has the humanistic aspect nailed down but skittishly avoids the endeavors that truly make us humans, human. The essence was missing. The struggle was removed by diverting the content away from it or by skipping any natural rough-stage altogether. Would The King's Speech win the Oscar for Best Picture by avoiding the uphill endeavor of the main character to express himself out loud? Probably not. Where other titles would display the gradual growth that molds the main character, in Fune, that struggle, that humanity, was quite literally time-skipped away.

And as a result, we get content that's more suited to pacify the audience than something that you could fully take seriously. The investment was gone. All emotional range removed. A bad mixture of realistic characters given escapist solutions, making all conflict rendered pointless, no matter how much it tried to dissuade the audience from taking notice. It being so maturely handled wasn't to its benefit, it became the problem, because, at the end of the day, it wasn't realistically portrayed in all facets of adult growth. Instead of presenting the full-color spectrum of life, it chose broad monochromatic brushstrokes of melancholy and tender passages of satisfaction to box all of its content within.

The only time the show doesn't suppress itself was at the very end, where it had scenes that loosen the vice grip on the characters' feelings to freely exhaust that pent-up emotion that should have been there all along. And even then, these moments of cathartic release are still registered with halfhearted resolve since the momentum to them was practically nonexistent.

And again, Fune is not a bad show. It's all of its strengths that makes the weaknesses too hard to look away from. You really want the best for it. You really want to put it on the pedestal as the exception to the rule. But with content that only half commits, it's frustrating to have to give it a back-handed compliment instead.

From using the Ferris wheel as a motif to express the connectivity of life in a slow cyclical motion, to the very earnest appeal of its cast, Fune was a show that I wanted to fully get behind. Clocking in at 11-episodes, it's something you could finish in just one sitting. With Amazon Prime's abysmal marketing of this series, it has mostly gone unnoticed by many. And despite all of my qualms, I would still like it to receive a far bigger viewer base than it currently has. It didn't accomplish as much as I wanted it to, but the show was still able to muster up all of its efforts in the end. This all culminated towards an uplifting conclusion that sees life going on with words bringing connection from one generation to the next. This may not be much of an endorsement given how much I've put the title down, but I still think Fune has something that shouldn't be so quickly discarded. And if only for that reason alone, Fune wo Amu gets a light pass from me.

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Fune wo Amu is without a doubt a hidden gem. I'm the first person to say that when I first decided to watch this show I wasn't very excited about it and I thought I would eventually stop watching it, little did I know how amazing this was. Definitely one of the best animes of this season.

First of all, there aren't any anime similar to this one, at least not that I know off and according to what I hear about it from other people. The greatest thing about the whole show is the reality behind it. The whole story and plot makes sense and so does the characters. You can find in Fune wo Amu the environment you would find in a small group working for the same department.
The characters all have their qualities and flaws which, once again, relates to the real life. The group working for 'The Great Passage is full of amazing co-workers and people who you slowly start to love and get attached to them, and of course you eventually relate to one of them. The only problem I found was that some characters didn't get the deserved time and development, but if we think about it, making a dictionary takes a long time and the focus of the anime was how to make one.

I like animes that inspire me to do something or animes that have a deep meaning behind it and Fune wo Amu is exactly it. While watching this amazing show I felt their passion about their job and made me curious about it. We don't see people that love what they are doing everyday, but to see Majime and his team to be so passionate about their jobs, makes you want to have the same passion about what you will do in your future.

It's truly an inspiring anime. Normal people, working together to make their best and have good results; people who don't give up no matter how hard the job gets and how long it will take to get it done; people that can combine their private lives, like we saw with Majime and Nishioka, with their jobs and still be happy and not stressed... A show that represents what everyone wants for their future life, without anything extraordinary, but passion and dedication.

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When someone opens a dictionary, what does usually come to mind first? Depending on who you ask, the answer varies from looking for definitions on unfamiliar words to just simply enjoy seeing how words are given meaning in so many unique ways. Words are very powerful, they can dictate how the world moves. They are needed by leaders, innovators, educators, and even by ordinary people in their daily activities. Without it, humanity can’t progress and evolve. Forming and stringing words are basic human skills but we often find times when we can’t clearly express our thoughts, making us seek a solution to that problem. Dictionaries serve that purpose. Even as I am writing this review, I constantly try to formulate sentences and choose words carefully. I ask myself questions, do these words clearly reflect what I’m trying to say? Will my point get through the reader despite my limited vocabulary? Words can be a double-edged sword, they can also detach people out of misunderstanding. Down to its core, words are ultimately building blocks for a person’s capacity to share ideas.

It’s such a delight that a show like Fune wo Amu tries to show an enthusiasm for dictionaries and words in general that most people usually take for granted. I like how it presents a metaphor of a sea of words with a dictionary that symbolizes as the ship that sails across it which really fits in the narrative well. Several obstacles are encountered along the way in making a dictionary. It looks mundane and time-consuming, not to mention it takes years for a dictionary to make, but it’s really rewarding for people who have the passion for it. The stakes are not that high and intense as everyone can just quit when they had enough but that’s not a concerning issue because the story tries to focus more on how the cast maintains that glowing light of dedication, not to succumb to the external pressures dumped on them.

The characters in the show are mostly simple but not to the point that they feel unnecessary and bland. All of them have roles in the story and they carry it out well. The only character that gets enough development is Majime who’s the main character. There is Nishioka as well, he gains considerable character development after he works with Majime for a while, but he ends up static after a few episodes later. Depth is not of immediate importance character-wise as it has become evident later that the show attempts to be more plot-oriented more than anything else. Even Majime’s romance subplot was only breezed by to make way for the story’s main objective, the completion of The Great Passage, in which his involvement is of the greatest. I like to see the cast as a part of something bigger, giving less emphasis on their individuality but remaining interesting and relevant.

On the more technical aspects, I love the character designs. I looked up the person behind the character designs and found out that it’s the same person behind Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu which is another fantastic show. The animation can get derpy at times but overall, it’s not very distracting. The soundtrack matches the atmospheric mood the show it tries to emulate. Imagery of scenes are wonderful especially at presenting metaphors and symbolisms.

Overall, Fune wo Amu is a show recommended to those who are interested with words, meaning, context, the overall semantics. It’s also a show recommended to those who likes seeing stories revolving around passion and dedication for something great and noble and seeing it get fulfilled in the end. It’s a shame that some viewers overlooked this hidden gem at the season’s lineup as I personally think it’s one of the best shows to have come out this year. Just remember the next time you pick up a dictionary that it’s the fruit of hard work and dedication, a culmination of human’s curiosity for meaning.

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(This review does NOT contain spoilers.)

I guess I'll be that guy. Oh well.

Fune wo Amu, or The Great Passage, is a series that had the right to greatness. It took a mature premise, featured adult characters in a realistic setting, didn't include unnecessary comedy nor fanservice (except the cartoony dictionary interludes, I suppose), and tried its best not to be insulting to a thinking person's intelligence. Besides, much like the protagonist of the story, I also love words and have worked in editing—among other things that directly correlate with the characters' mission. So, 10/10, right? I wish, but nope.

See, I really wanted to like FwA more, and for the first few episodes I had been certain it would become the strongest contender for that elusive Anime of the Season title. But I tend to value works by how well they manage to present what they set out to do. Giving FwA a free pass just because it took a good premise and didn't try to pander to the statistical average would be disrespectful to both the title itself and the intelligent viewer seeking it out. The things you seek out in a mature anime like this also have to be well-executed. FwA is anything but that. It's perfectly average—so content with the little it tries to do, playing it safe as if afraid of its own ambitions. By the end I was convinced that the director didn't really like characters he wanted to show.

(Allow me go off on a tangent here and talk about the director, Toshimasa Kuroyanagi. Other than FwA, he has also directed three other titles, all of which are relatively recent and have received notably mixed reviews. I'll let you seek out and read them by yourself, but the thing to take away there is that even people who were initially pleased with the premise still didn't end up enjoying the shows all that much by the end, so we may be seeing a pattern here.)

Let me explain what I mean. The premise the show tries to execute is really good—no doubts about that. It's something an adult could see and think to themselves, "this is something I could relate to". Adult-oriented stories are generally harder to tell because they demand steady progression of plot and/or characters. You can't just throw in a beach episode and expect the audience to be pleased (looking at you, every single high school anime ever). Even if it's a slow-burner, things should constantly be advancing, especially if the time span covered in the story is as long as in FwA.

FwA, however, does something really weird with the concept: it grows so visibly bored of its own slow pace it ends up introducing some amateurish, haphazardly set up dramatic moments in an otherwise tight and methodically woven narrative, and balance them out with long uneventful lulls. Virtually all the plot "twists", if you could even call them as such, can be seen from a mile away. They're predictable and they lack emotional impact and dramatic consequences. When instead of feeling sad for the characters who are down on their luck you end up feeling sad for the show itself, you know there's something wrong with it. But it is ultimately a character study, so then, perhaps, it has memorable characters and clever, thought-provoking dialogue? Well...

Take our protagonist, Mitsuya "Micchan" Majime, for an example. He is extremely introverted, stiff, reclusive, borderline autistic in his inability to comfortably socialize and relay his feelings directly and openly—but on the inside, he burns with passion for words as an instrument of mutual understanding. Actually a solid character conflict right there! So does Majime go through some sort of character arc that helps him become more fluent with words or otherwise be developed as a person who loves them? Does his research help other characters we see understand each other? No, NOT AT ALL—he basically just becomes a more accomplished dictionary editor—you know, the position he was hired on in episode 1. All Majime manages to accomplish over the course of the eleven episodes is to be a slightly more successful version of Majime. He just does what he *always* does, and tackles every mundane problem the same way for years. We never really get to experience the satisfaction for his accomplishments because we don't feel like he's putting any effort into self-development. Much like the metaphorical ship oft-referred to the story, he just drifts along with token involvement in all the events happening around him, as if knowing that the current will carry him to where he needs to be regardless of his actions. His on-screen chemistry with other characters is nonexistent almost to the point of being a non-person, and you end up wondering what exactly is the reason they all stick to him that much. Is it only the script compelling them? The relationship with his love interest Kaguya feels particularly forced. It could be that I just don't understand Japanese women, but my experience tells me that is *not* how romance works. I find it hard to believe that an accomplished, strong-willed, mentally healthy woman would be easy enough to jump on the first guy who professes his love for her, especially if it's a non-person with no attractive character traits. What did she find in him? His looks, wit, charm, power, strength of character? Does he have any of that? I don't think so. He's literally the silent roommate

Then we have perhaps the most enjoyable character, the ever-charismatic Masashi Nishioka, voiced by that crazy-talented sweet-voiced guy you hear in at least one show every season (not even exaggerating). What pains me the most is that by the middle of the show you become completely convinced that the show would be far better if he were the main character. Indeed, he is the only developed character in the story who goes through a proper arc, endures hardship and self-doubt, and emerges a better person as a result of his *own decisive actions*, unlike Majime. Note the important difference: Majime's accomplishments feel set up by the script—he just coasts along and everything solves itself; Nishioka's, on the other hand, are the result of *overcoming* the challenges set up by the script. We feel his hardship and we have a reason to root for him. He is a real protagonist and deserves to be the main character of the story. However, he quickly gets shelved the moment his arc is finished, and we barely get to see him afterwards.

One could say there isn't enough time to properly develop characters in a single-cour anime. And if you also think this way, please think again, because this isn't the case. Just earlier this year we had a much more accomplished adult-oriented show that slowly and methodically told a mature, compelling story where people behaved like real people, drama was poignant but not forced, and it did so with a great deal of subtlety in a similar 11 episodes out of its total 13. If you haven't yet guessed what I'm talking about, you probably haven't seen it: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. Needless to say, every good movie out there also manages as much in 90 to 150 minutes of total runtime. It's a matter of directorial prowess to show what needs to be shown and cut down on anything that doesn't. Prowess that Mr. Kuroyanagi, I'm afraid, has not yet acquired.

So, to sum up, would I recommend Fune wo Amu? The answer is: just barely. It does get its point across, however weak it is and however timidly it does so. It never really feels dumb, convoluted, or otherwise bad. You can definitely tell its characters and setting are grounded in reality. It's probably better than most anime out there—and that's it. But you don't have to take pity on it for the rare breed it represents, nor pretend to enjoy it more than it deserves just because you're the target audience. In everything you do or experience, you should always strive for higher standards and never settle for something that only narrowly escapes mediocrity—I believe that is one of the more important lessons to take away from The Great Passage... even if its creators haven't.

(By the way, I hear the live-action movie is much better received. I haven't watched it, though.)

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Fune wo Amu truly is a breath of fresh air. I can honestly say that I have not watched an anime like it. I really like anime that are about what people are passionate about. You really grow to love the characters.

The basic premise is about a guy who isn't really good at dealing with people and to make things worse, he's a salesman. But, he is very interested in words and books. Fate plays it's hand when the dictionary editing department needs a new hire to replace someone who will retire. (There's also a dash of romance too.)

At first I thought that I would grow board of this anime pretty quickly because I wasn't sure how they would keep me engaged in a story about creating a dictionary. But man was I wrong.

Who knew I would become so invested in a dictionary.

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Warm honesty. That’s how I would describe Fune wo Amu.

It is one of the “non-anime anime” as in it doesn’t really feel like anime. There are no over the top situations or goofy characters. Now that doesn’t make this anime boring. Matter of fact I enjoyed it quite a lot.

The absolutely best thing about this anime is its fantastic directing. Considering its premise and the fact that it is done by one of the lesser known studios, it’s just amazing how they were able to get a talented director to compose the storyboards like this. There are moments where I was legit amazed. If you find the premise boring, at least give the anime chance and watch first two episodes to get a feel of the amazing directing (especially in episode 2).

Plot of this anime is very simple, and yet it’s another strong point. As it tells a story of our main character’s journey across time the dictionary is worked on and published, we see a normal changes in life of somewhat normal person (albeit little socially awkward). Finding friends, falling in love, being challenged by your work. These things happen to everyone. By removing the aspect of unusualness, the series not only gains a lot of realism, but also allows us to observe real life situations and helps us providing possible solutions to said situations. But these solutions are not the universal right way. The series, while feeling very warm and honest, also has a little cold and sadness in it. Especially in the later episodes. And that is something I look for in anime. It has that real life feeling to it.

While the characters are not goofy or over the top, they are still entertaining and pleasant. Especially Nishioka who might be one of the greatest wingman in anime I’ve seen. The guy is just great. He’s the kind of friend everybody deserves. Our main character Majime is at first little robotic and stoic. But as he begins to work on the dictionary and as time progresses we see him develop thanks to his work. He found something he was predisposed to do. Our female lead is Kaguya (voiced by lovable Maaya Sakamoto). Kaguya is very solid female character. She’s very supportive but at the same time she’s independent. She’s a person. She doesn’t function as Majime’s safety net or goal. She’s not plot device or fanservice bait. She is god honest woman without any goofiness. And that is something I haven’t seen much in a recent anime series.

The character interactions are big part of why this anime works and flows so well. There is nothing holding it back. No boring moments, no boring expositions or dialogue. Everything flows well and I never had to check how much is left until the episode ends. It just grips you for 20 minutes. There are even cute interludes with dictionary mascots talking to each other.

Production is pretty good. The animation for whatever reason reminded me of IG (the character designs). It’s nothing mind-blowing but considering what this series is about, it is pretty fantastic. It could’ve easily been much worse, with less care put into it. Music is also pretty good. Orchestral sounds make the scenes feel more impactful and bigger (for example the “Make a good dictionary” scene in episode 2). There is no particular role which leaves a lasting impression when it comes to voice acting, but considering the premise of the series that would be almost impossible. However that hardly means the voice acting is bad. As I already mentioned Kaguya is voiced by my personal favourite Maaya Sakamoto and Majime is voiced by veteran Takahiro Sakurai who’s having a great year when it comes to voice acting. Reigen, Noboru-Sensei, and Majime. Nishioka is voiced by Kimiya Hiroshi…wait…Remi (who’s character from later episodes) is voiced by Chiwa Saito…what the hell? What is the Monogatari gang doing here?!?

In the end, there is hardly anything bad you can say about this anime. If you are not interested from the start because of the “boring” premise, and you don’t really care about good directing you won’t like this series. If you are okay with its premise definitely watch it. It’s like a tea, an anime which allows you to sit down, relax, and slowly enjoy it.

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This was such a sweet, heartfelt anime I got to pick up! The Great Passage isn't what I was expecting... A lot more confusion and emotions were settled by the end of this short series.

Let's get into the anime basics! Story; You're first introduced to an awkward man named Majime Mitsuya, who has a knack for knowing lot's of words and their multiple meanings but not being able to use them himself. You see him grow along side Nishioka, the Dictionary Department and other supporting characters. I love how this story revolved around two characters, but also something that you don't come across often (and that I didn't even know was a thing) a Dictionary Editorial Division at a Publishing company! Art; I loved the style of the animation... especially the background characters (slightly detailed, yet fat and floppy... you can tell they aren't important). Sound; The ending song "I & I" soothed my god damn soul every time I heard it, and the opening suited the anime as well (I love how they made Tora, the car, such an important figure in the OP). Characters were well built, you got learn enough of everyone to want to follow and see how they grow as the anime progresses (I still think Sasaki is mysterious, and would've liked to known a little bit more about her).

Overall, I really enjoyed this anime. I loved how awkward Majime was in the beginning, and how finding the perfect career and group of people helped him to grow. It just goes to show how your environment can really effect you.

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DISCLAIMER: Amazon Prime have low-balled this series hard. Crunchyroll would have done better with advertising.

This anime has gone under the radar, sure it may just revolve around the mundane task of creating a dictionary. However, the real beauty lies in its simplicity with it being complementary to its setting. This will appease slice of life fans but for those seeking something different, you may need to look elsewhere as nothing ground-breaking occurs.

A dictionary is a ship that traverses the vast ocean of words. This tool that we take for granted enables us to search up any word we like. Now I can only represent for the English-speaking anime community but going by the Oxford dictionary, we roughly have 170,000 common words at our disposal. How does one compile such a large amount of information? The answer is a dictionary, which is our best companion during our education days and beyond.

Compiling a dictionary is a complicated and time consuming process which is evident in the Great Passage. It should be noted than meanings of words can change with time, therefore words can be lost but will be balanced by the new words created. Majime Mitsuya who has been redeployed to the dictionary editorial department, finds himself in a challenging position.

The amount of cross-checking between older dictionaries is emphasised to ensure no words are omitted. This burdensome job must be taken seriously as a single mistake can lead you back to square one, which would be hard to endure for those meticulous with their work.

Truth be told this anime would get stale fast if it weren’t for the fact that it focuses on the business aspect as well. This is where the character Nishioka Masashi begins to shine, as he is witty and takes a no-nonsense approach to his job. The man who is blessed with excellent social skills always has a way with words to get the best results for his department.

The high standard of work produced by Nishioka eventually gets him promoted to the public relations department, ironically where he got rejected when he applied to company. Nishioka had fantastic chemistry with Majime and the rest of the department. The news of the upcoming transfer came as a shock to the department but this did not sway Nishioka. On the contrary, this boosted his work ethic making him more committed as he devoted himself towards the creation of the Great Passage.

Now going away from the dictionary creation process, Majime develops as a person considering he has now found an occupation that meets his strengths. Majime in the beginning is viewed as being timid and quite frankly dreadful at interacting with others. Working as a pitcher for the sales department only just exacerbated the problem, as it was a poor fit from the get go and only noticed by Nishioka.

Majime is known to be quite an avid reader which has ultimately led to him possessing a great vocabulary ideal for dictionary work. He has a strange but unique hobby of observing people that exit the train stations. The key idea is observation, which is one of the skill sets required for being a dictionary editor. This anime knows when to be subtle, and paying attention to certain aspects gives for a wonderful experience.

Majime is an individual who struggles to express his feelings and as a form of self-deprecation usually comments about being socially incompetent compared to Nishioka, who is far more of a smooth talker. Majime during the series has written a love letter to his crush Hayashi Kaguya, who conveniently happens to be his landlady’s granddaughter. The man retreats to his room after handing his love declaration, which to me is a sign of his lack of confidence due to the fear of being rejected.

I’ve waffled on about Majime and Nishioka without mentioning other characters. Araki Kouhei is the employee who had to give up his full-time position to care for his spouse, who was hospitalised for some apparent reason. He mentions his regret having to leave all the work to Matsumoto-sensei who is clocking up the years. Matsumoto has the goal of wanting to finish the Great Passage, to the point that he overworks himself just to fulfil his objective. This alone suggests the amount of dedication put into the work and can only be achieved by those passionate enough to do so.

Passion can be found in every job which was the case for Kaguya who aims to be a professional Japanese chef. There is a stigma attached to women working in this sector as it is a field dominated by that of men. Majime learning about her occupation gives him encouragement to complete his own task of making the dictionary.

Kaguya as a romantic partner does not get as much screen time than Majime, which kind of leaves her in the dust in terms of character development. It would have been better for the series to explore more with her situation in the culinary field, as it is subject to sexism which quite frankly makes for a more interesting story than the Jisho-tanzu sequences that aren’t important.

The time-skip came at the right time after Nishioka’s departure to take up his new position in PR. We get a new character introduced in Miyoshi Remi, who finds herself in the same position that Majime used to be in. Except this time that Majime is now the experienced editor and can lead his fellow colleagues convincingly. The work towards the completion of the Great Passage concludes in a satisfying way. It is realistic as few jobs can be done effectively without experience some problems occasionally.

The animation by Zexcs is standard with there being no poorly animated sequences. The character designs are quite detailed and sufficient with it reminding me of the designs used in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. The animation itself is very limited in the sense that it only takes place in the workplace and Majime’s house. I would have liked to seen a change in scenery but there are occasions when it does switch backgrounds, such as the restaurant that Kaguya works at.

The sound is composed by Yoshihiro Ike (Ergo Proxy, Shingeki no Bahamut) who has quite the accolades considering his recent works. The opening “Shiokaze” is vibrant and engaging with the music being used as insert music that just gets me pumped up every time I hear it. The ending “I and I” is less memorable with it being more of a relaxing song to listen to. A slice of life does not need great music to carry it but it should be complementary to the situation.

This anime won’t blow you away with flashy scenes but concepts like hard works pays off will sure to put a smile on your face. It has given me a different perspective on how one can find work enjoying even if it is the most mundane of tasks. This is a good show with strong characters making it easy to recommend.

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Maybe a spoiler, I watched it in one sitting but I feel like I've been watching it from years. It looks kinda dull at start but I think you grow into it as you watch 2-3 episodes. Such a great anime with light heavy story with beautifully illustrated simple characters.
Definitely a recommendation if you are searching for a slice of life anime with little less romance and more focus on characters and story.
Hmmm I have said all I wanted to say but mal is making me write more as it doesn't fit minimum word count so maybe I'll give a advice to mal stop forcing people write more or they'll end becoming just like Majime(Protagonist of this anime).LOL.

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Some anime series deserved more attention than it had. Fune wo Amu (a.k.a The Great Passage) is on top of such list.

This is not your typical slice-of-life in vein of Non Non Biyori or Working!! which, in hindsight, might have been the reason why Fune wo Amu has been criminally underrated. If I could coin a brand new genre, I would say Fune wo Amu as a 'soulful' anime. Here we have a late-twenty-something Majime Mutsuya who has been employed against his true nature when, out of a sudden, he finds himself involved in a team filled with outsiders with one mission: creating the next big Japanese dictionary encyclopedia. Yes, it is not exactly saving the world or changing people back from being a stone but nonetheless, leave it to the good people of Zexcs to turn something unassuming into something deep and interesting.

It is no overstatement to say that the characters, both main and supporting, are the best in recent memory. Every single one of them is multifaceted and when they support our hero in his quest, the support is never cliche or just-because. This time, both the characters and the plot balance each other like a subtle-yet-strong romance. No wonder it later on became an adaptation of a live-action feature which, later on, would be Japan's official submission for 2014 Academy Awards. However, the biggest draw of Fune wo Amu is how they present not just dictionaries in general, but also Japanese Language is a living, breathing deity and it is the duty of the tongues to both preserve and evolve such deity. Fune wo Amu successfully delivers the obvious-yet-hidden fact that language is important for the sake of capturing our histories and our emotions.

Ironically, I had been having the hardest time concluding my review with just one word. Is it "Love"? Is it "Pride"? Is it "Light"? You know what, I just looked into my own dictionary and I got it-- "Masterpiece".

#felixlovesanime

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This is an underrated anime series; a hidden gem. I'm a complete sucker for stories that revolve around people who are passionate in their vocations whether its about war, sports, cooking, friendship, family, and even compiling a dictionary. Fune wo Amu (aka The Great Passage) is a down to earth, realistic portrayal of a group of dictionary editors who are passionate in their job of compiling a dictionary, which is said to be an endeavor that may span a decade.

While it may sound dull, the process of compiling a dictionary and the struggles that go with it will probably open up a new perspective from viewers on things they usually take for granted. I, for one, never realized making a dictionary could be such an interesting (and also a pain in the ass) process. The interaction between the editors and their nuances are interesting to watch as each have their own issues to deal with without being complete emotards (like, you know, Ikari Shinji or that faggot from Your Lie in April).

I like the MC, Majime Mitsuya. He's an introvert yet doesn't have that emotard aura and he actually thinks about improving himself to mix better with people (and a particular girl! :3), as opposed to typical emotards who get help from everybody else without asking and attract a bunch of hot chicks for no good reason. He's one of the very few main characters that don't annoy me.

I like it because:

1. It's realistic, makes sense, and relatable.

2. No superpower, no archetypal formula mix of tsundere, megane, introvert, and shit, no 'genius' characters who always win, no weird fantasy, no tit/panty flashes, no moe; no nonsense.

3. I'm a sucker for such genre (see second sentence).

4. Amusing anecdotes by dictionary characters during episodes.

Complaints: Well, maybe one. The MC is too imperfect that he's too perfect for his role in his job. But I think that's exactly the beauty of the story. So, maybe not a complaint, after all.

It's a story purest of form that is meant to be enjoyed by mature audience. I hope you are convinced to watch this series and enjoy it as much as I do. :)

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Seems like a dry and boring anime about making a Dictionary. But try the first episode. I bet you'll end up finishing this short series.

A really down-to-earth anime with no drama and unnecessary frills, it is straightforward about a small dictionary team aiming to publish a Dictionary called The Great Passage.

Under threat to be demolished, the Dictionary Department has to work hard to publish this last dictionary and make some profits. In comes Majime, a book-loving nerd who provides much needed insights and attention to detail in the construction of this dictionary.

Im not sure what pulled me in to watch this anime but the characters are really realistic (something I realized just after the first episode) so it is very easy to relate to them and understand their feelings and thoughts. Before I knew it, I was caught in the world of words and knowledge and finding the process of making a Dictionary an amazing one. It is not quite easy as one thinks and every dictionary actually have their own characteristics.

The Great Passage took more than 10 years in the making. unfortunately this happens in a time skip so you are rushed from the beginning of the dictionary to the publishing of the dictionary, with the middle parts up to your imagination.

Maybe the authors thought to explain everything will make the anime boring, but after finishing the last episode I actually hoped for more in the middle and I thought watching the process and struggles by the team would provide more bulk, substance and meaning to the anime. 11 episodes for this is far to short also for these wonderful characters to really develop fully.

All in all, this is definitely worth completing and you will not regret a single episode.

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“A dictionary is a ship that navigates an ocean of words. Without words, you cannot express your thoughts or be able to have any sort of deep understanding of others. People board the ship we call dictionaries and find the perfect words to gather the small lights floating to the top of the dark waters. Words are lights. But in the ever-changing world, unable to find the right words, there are those who lead troubled lives caged with their own trapped feelings. We need a ship people like that can feel safe boarding. This is the dictionary we are trying to create.”

Words are a boat that we use to sail across the vast ocean that is society. They carry us through our lives and connect us to other people through conversation. However, when someone is incapable of using those words to express themselves, they become lost both socially and emotionally. This is the central and most basic message presented to us in Fune wo Amu, the slow story of Mitsuya Majime as he discovers the power of the words he carries in his day to day life while aiding in the creation of a dictionary named The Great Passage in hopes it will help others in realizing the importance of words themselves.
The story of The Great Passage is one of words and dialogue - something unique and rarely seen in anime in which works normally present themselves visually, not verbally. Though other anime, such as Katanagatari are far better at focusing on the progression of the story through dialogue and while others, such as Serial Experiments Lain are better at showing that progression visually, Fune wo Amu manages to take the middle ground. It spectacularly presents the audience with both powerful and moving dialogue and imagery. Aspects of the visual progression of Fune wo Amu can be seen with the image of words forming an ocean that separates our protagonist from the rest of society or the Ferris wheel that represents the connections between people (and more specifically between Mitsuya Majime and Kaguya Hayashi). On the other hand, many of the lines given to Tomosuke Matsumoto are, to me, extremely powerful and deep and we can see obvious character progression in Mitsuya in regards to how he speaks (especially with his crush, Kaguya Hayashi) showing that he, as a person is growing both mentally and socially alongside his relationships with others.
However, despite having a powerful presentation at times, Fune wo Amu’s story frequently moves at a snail's pace. Though having a slow story is not necessarily a bad thing, stories still have to be engaging for the majority of its audience to enjoy it. Fune wo Amu often loses sight of the necessity of engagement and therefore often times lacks enjoyment as it slowly lugs its plot forward.
This lack of engagement, however, allows Fune wo Amu to have some of the most realistic and down to earth characters I’ve seen in anime. Many anime use egregious and exaggerated cliches (-deres, OP main characters, overly depressed characters who are socially awkward and so on) to connect to the audience and engage/entertain them. Though these cliches work, they’re boring and outlandish to those more critical of the content they follow. Fune wo Amu, however, despite using some of these cliches as the foundation for its characters, (the playboy Masashi Nishioka, the klutzy Mitsuya Majime and the wise old Tomosuke Matsumoto being just a few examples) turns them into something more and makes its characters, though not perfect, much better than what the anime community is normally present with.
Unfortunately, Fune wo Amu forgets the main demographics within the anime community and fails to cater to their tastes, creating characters and situations the younger teens that are the foundation of the anime community find hard to appreciate and engage with. This, paired with poor advertisement, is why this show often times goes unnoticed and unmentioned by the bulk of the anime community.
The animation in Fune wo Amu is, much like its characters; down to earth and more realistic. There are no outlandish hair styles or colors and the characters look like actual people. This, along with some impressive visual metaphors is why I gave the art a 6 instead of the 5 I’d normally give a show with this level of animation.
Fune wo Amu also has a unique but forgettable opening sequence and a similarly composed OST. Despite occasionally using this softer OST effectively, Fune wo Amu, much like its animation, has an average OST that fails to implement any unique or outstanding techniques.
Despite having many obvious flaws in all regards, Fune wo Amu is an anime that I, as a writer, as a member of the audience and most importantly as a human being, can enjoy and it is something I don’t think I’d hesitate to call “good”. However, for many people, this anime lacks the key elements and themes an entertaining and good show to them would have and therefore cannot and will not cater to a mass audience.

Scores:
Story: 7
Art: 6
Sound: 5
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 8
Overall: 8

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'Fune wo Amu' is about a topic you never see covered in media.The show takes us through the care,diligence and meticulousness it takes to compile a dictionary.That's right,a dictionary.The compilers have to be mindful of the way the words are being used in today's time,they have to include new words,remove the obsolete ones,etc.It's a 'never ending job'.I don't know how dictionaries are actually compiled but the show presents this creative process very romantically.The anime is centered around a geeky,introvert man in his late 20s(I guess?) named Majime Mitsuya.He loves reading,lives with his cat and works as a salesman for a publishing company.However,he's mostly at a loss while talking to others.His expressions lag far behind his feelings.Once a member of the dictionary editing team,Majime learns that dictionaries are a means to bridge this very gap.Words translate our feelings into an understandable form.This is how we get to know each other.The creators of the show are definitely optimists.They put great emphasis on how a perfect dictionary could make the world a better place.Everyone will be able to use the correct word for their feelings and thus be able to communicate better.To it's credit the anime manages to increase our respect for words and to show how they are truly 'alive' entities.


Just like the ocean of words and ship analogy it loves to quote,'Fune wo Amu' is like the cool breeze at the shores of unsteady waters.The show has a very serene vibe to it.Even the music is the same.There is no fan service even.It's like a very dignified piece of art.I don't think a lot of people will be interested in such an anime.There is no visible action.The only conflicts we see,happen inside the minds and hearts of our characters.All the characters are sincere,hardworking folks.This is again in-line with the show's optimistic outlook.


'Fune wo Amu' is an acquired taste.The pacing will put off a lot of people.But if you want to watch something relaxing with some philosophical undertones you won't be bored at all.The characters are lovable,their relationships endearing and you just want to hug everyone at the end of it.While the animation is average,it doesn't hinder the viewing experience.'Fune wo Amu' is a very heartwarming tale if you can be patient with it.I liked it a lot.

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Fune wo Amu is a great show which I honestly didn't imagine enjoying so much and that's probably the same for a fair amount of people. Most of us can agree that making a dictionary is a little on the dull side, but of course what really matters is the execution and it was executed in an intriguing and compelling way. Character studies are something I love deeply because of how courageous they are and how fantastic they can be when done well. This is no exception for Fune wo Amu; the characters, the struggles they face and their interactions with each other are where the show brims with quality. It finds this unique, restrained beauty and nuance through moments of quiet, understated excellence between its fantastic and fascinating characters. The characters are less like depictions of tropes meant to check boxes, but rather depictions of real people with realistic personalities and worries. No-one acts in a brash, over-exaggerated way; everyone acts the way real people would and that's something you would be a little hard pressed to find nowadays.

It's got some very interesting and relevant themes which were where the show found its depth and ingenuity. It's all about words; how we use them, our ability (or inability rather) to express our true emotions with them and the relationships we build through them. These themes and concepts are mainly conveyed through the main character, Majime, who is a very intriguing character. He's a man who can't find what he wants to say. He struggles to convey his emotions and feelings through words but has a vast, deep understanding of them. As a result, he finds trouble speaking normally with people and building friendships and relationships. He was a very relatable character for me and I emphasised with many of his struggles. The show did a good job of presenting his inner turmoil through the usage of visual metaphors and compelling imagery that really helped the show to stand out. The supporting cast was great too, particularly Nishioka and Kaguya. Nishioka was a very inspiring figure with a great deal of depth to his actions and Kaguya consistently made scenes that much more nuanced and beautiful through her own unique, understated charm. The romance between Majime and her was refreshing too because of its natural, relaxed progression that wasn't hampered by unnecessary, frustrating misunderstandings.

Fune wo Amu is criminally under-watched which is a shame because it really is a very good show. Give it a chance, and those preconceptions you had about it being or dull will disappear in no time. If you're fond of character studies or if you're desperate for some realistic characters, I strongly recommend this.

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“Light – A source of illumination, such as a small fire or torch. ‘A light shows us the way’”

Soft, quiet, and lukewarm, Fune wo Amu chronicles how an awkward yet thoughtfully observant man stumbles onto a job perfectly suited for himself. After being fairly unsuccessful in sales, Majime Mitsuya is recruited for dictionary editing through a colleague, and he quickly immerses himself in creating “The Great Passage” a modern Japanese dictionary.

Fune wo Amu does a decent number of things properly. From addressing the teamwork and differing strengths of the team members to the hindrances of upper management and obtrusive egos of outside help, the show nails how it feels to be in the workplace, and it does so without exaggeration, nor time wasting on issues that are irrelevant or just don’t really matter.

But for all the relatability, the show does leans rather on the optimistic side. For the 13 years put into the dictionary, the only real negative was that Matsumoto-sensei, the man who originally pushed for the creation of the dictionary, dies of cancer just prior to the work getting put into print and being released. For the fleeting influence he had on the show, Matsumoto may have had the most telling effect, discussing how personal interests can at time be of a better influence than public on certain projects, using dictionaries as an example. With all the obstacles, with the threats of their department being shut down, with the personnel transfers, and the time needed to complete the project and mistakes that arise, in the end they do win out. And although the hard work does come to fruition, it was done really without any losers or compromises. This lack of competitiveness partially contributes to the mellow atmosphere of the anime, but it almost says “as long as you’re dedicated, things will work out”.

The effect shows on one occasion through the timeskip. One of Majime’s issues is his inability to properly communicate and work with others, a role taken up by his fellow work colleague, Nishioka. Majime later receives much more work suited to Nishioka, but it is never actually shown how he deals with it. It all kinda works out. The change in character wasn’t what I take issue with as he and Nishioka do exhibit other changes, such as Majime finally getting with a girl or Nishioka finding personal value in his role at the office. It does, however, contribute to the overall atmosphere mentioned previously.

Really, Fune wo Amu is an anime that travels under the shadows of others and it’s clear why. It’s a show that concentrates on and emphasizes words and their importance and value in human society. What the show never really talks about is ideas behind them, the values they represent, the philosophies that they showcase. The idea that words are a conduit for the sharing of these things for people is an understated one, but reasonably so, because contemplating and communicating those ideologies is simply of higher precedence than the fact that we are capable of doing so. That’s what truly makes us people, and that’s why this show will slide by unnoticed.

This was enjoyable for what it was, a calm show following a guy life’s work. It was one of the better ones of Fall, but there’s more out there.

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Hidden Gem.

This anime was good. The story, the character, and the art. It's sooo relatable to real life (which the one that I really like).

Watching this anime makes me remember that I used to want to work at a publishing house. I love reading so this anime which telling us about how they make a single dictionary makes me realize that it took a lot of effort and hardwork to create something and makes me more appreciate it.

The dictionary team at the Genbu Publishing, they're a very dedicated people. It makes me want to work harder and more caring for every work or things that I do while watching them.

For anyone who wants to watch or like a slice of life drama anime. I really recomended it.

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Starts out strong, mostly because of the character's love for their respective callings, which drive the whole story. And they're all portrayed in a way that makes these callings really believable (think opposed to how overdrawn the average sports anime's protagonists are into their respective sports). The first few episodes are really enjoyable like that, but then right down the middle, this anime certainly slumps a little.

The art is fair, but I've seen better even for short anime on a budget. The music is okay as well and captures the mood, but it's entirely forgettable.

I guess it redeems itself a little towards the end and finishes in a pretty generic drama-like way. Not a must watch, but kind of better than expected overall.

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Believe it or not, I was legitimately excited to watch this show. Just imagine it: an anime… about DICTIONARIES! Sound boring? Yeah, probably, but these kinds of shows really have a soft spot in my heart because I know that they have to have at least something to sell. Think about it; what studio in their right mind would greenlight a show about freaking dictionaries if it didn’t have something other than mere plot to give? Especially since a simple glance at the trailer will tell you that very few corners were cut making this show. And so I went into this, genuinely hopeful for something involving beautiful character development and down-to-earth imagery. Ladies and gentlemen, this is my review of Fune wo Amu, aka The Great Passage.

Story: 6
Okay, here we go. The story itself is about as exciting as you would expect. We’ve got our Main Character-kun working his darndest at editing a dictionary… and that’s it. No, really, that’s it. Some people might argue that the show really isn’t about the dictionary, that it’s all about learning to express one’s self and establishing emotional bonds with others through the magic of language, but I honestly don’t agree. Fune wo Amu’s greatest flaw is that it tends to get bogged down in the whole dictionary-making, thus leaving less time for what should really be given center-stage here: the characters. As a watcher, I was much more interested in seeing Majime develop as a character, slowly coming out of his awkward shell in order to reach out and form bonds with those around him. In other words, I wanted to see the dictionary-making used as a medium for Majime and co.’s development rather than actually seeing a show just about dictionaries. In other other words, the plot is rather lackluster.
However, there are still some very good points about the story. You can clearly tell that the original creator truly has a passion for words and language, and as a fellow linguaphile, this hit me right in the heart. Furthermore, watching the whole process of developing a dictionary is very sobering, especially after realizing that it is essentially a lifetime commitment. I’ve seen a lot of people make the point that, in this age of the internet, dictionaries are quickly becoming obsolete, thus making this whole show’s purpose meaningless. Heck, even FwA itself acknowledges this; Genbu Publishing straight up says that dictionaries don’t make money. But even with the internet, collecting and defining and redefining all of those words is a massive undertaking. In this regard, the internet might even make things harder since it causes language to change and morph more quickly. So no, Fune wo Amu is not “stuck in the mud” or “behind the times” because of its subject matter. It’s still a little boring, but it’s definitely not passé.

Art: 8
The art of Fune wo Amu is very grounded and realistic. You won’t find any crazy, unnaturally-colored, gravity-defying anime hair here. From what I’ve heard, the character designer is the same from another seemingly-boring-but-actually-fantastic show, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. So if you’ve seen that one, expect the same here. Everything and everyone is very clearly defined and distinguishable, but they still look normal. Often, when shows want to go for that “ordinary” look, they’ll use a very dull and brown color palette, but FwA does not do that. One of the best things I noticed about the art, however, was their sense of detail. Throughout the show, the character’s faces, even from a distance, retained that clean and detailed look they had close up. There were some spots towards the end that didn’t hold up as well as what came before them, but these few instances are far outweighed by the many others that were practically perfect.
Like I said in the intro, this show does not cut corners. The vast majority of the animation was very, very smooth and pleasing to look at; I might even describe it as sakuga, or at least sakuga-ish. Even in the slower scenes, the animators spared no expense at making everything look natural. Again, not EVERY scene is perfect, but definitely most of them are. If I had to sum up the art of FwA in one word, I wouldn’t be able to think of anything other than “clean.”

Sound: 7
The OP and ED for this show are a bit oxymoronic. Firstly, let me just say that they are both great songs, and you can count on me to download them and listen to them during my morning jogs. Now, the opening is very bright and energetic, with lots of colors and great imagery, but in conjunction with the show itself, it doesn’t really fit. I mean, it’s a show about dictionaries, right?? Especially since the tone of the show is very grounded and low-key, the opening seems to stick out like a sore thumb. This is strange because the imagery presented in the opening (I know I’m in the Sound category, just stay with me) fits with the show perfectly. It seems to tell a story about Majime’s struggles to express himself and find the right words, and about his relationships with his friends and coworkers, especially Nishioka. The endi-- oh, wait, hold on a sec…

WARNING! SPOILER! MAYBE? DUNNO! JUST IN CASE! BEWARE!

The ending, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. This time, the song fit the mood of the show much better, but the imagery focused heavily on Majime and Kaguya’s romantic relationship, even though, in the show, this aspect is hardly covered at all. This might have been the most frustrating thing about the series for me.

END OF (POSSIBLE) SPOILER

As for the OST, I’ll just say that the background music for FwA is utterly forgettable. Literally, I can’t remember even hearing any music during the show. I’m sure it was there because I definitely noticed silence when it happened, but the tracks themselves just went in one ear and out the other.
And finally, the voice acting. Even here, the show is very realistic. You can tell that the seiyuus are experienced and comfortable in their roles because the characters all seem so… real. It sounds like a bunch of guys having a completely normal conversation with each other. There’s nothing over-the-top about these performances. In some cases, people might call this dull or bland, but if you’re anything like me then this will only serve to enhance the immersive quality of the show. My one complaint (and this is very minor) is Nishioka. He just so happens to be voiced by Kamiya Hiroshi (the ever-psychopathic Orihara Izaya from Durarara!!, our favorite Recruit from Arakawa Under the Bridge, and Ararararagi-kun from Bakemonogatari, just to name a few of his roles), and while Kamiya is a very capable voice actor, I’ve heard his highly distinctive voice in so many places now. Whenever Nishioka opened his mouth, I couldn’t help but briefly think “Hey, it’s Yato!”

Characters: 9
Okay, now here’s when things get good. Without a doubt, Fune wo Amu’s huge selling point is its characters. Every single person you meet in this show is likable and relatable. You simply can’t help but root for these guys even when the task at hand isn’t exactly what you’d find interesting. Easily, my favorite parts of the show were when the editing took a backseat and we got to see some of these characters’ lives outside of the office. From the beginning, these were the people I wanted FwA to focus on, and when it did, it truly shined. Seeing Majime interact with the people around him, Kaguya, Nishioka, Matsumoto-sensei, Araki-san, even Sasaki-san, essentially made the show for me. Fune wo Amu does an excellent job at portraying the many different kinds of relationships people have with each other, whether they be romantic, friendly, mentoring, or simply civil. Some scenes I wish FwA included more of were the one’s where we got to see things the way Majime saw them, the ones where words began to float off the paper and form a vast ocean, sometimes calm and tranquil, other times rough and angry. These scenes provided so much depth and understanding into who Majime is as a person and how he functions without merely coming out and telling us. This also generally applies to the other characters, even the minor ones. The audience is able to learn so much about them simply through how they act and hold themselves, without some guy off to the side spelling everything out for us.

Enjoyment: 8
I generally pride myself on being able to watch and enjoy just about any genre of anime, including the more subtle and mature pieces like Fune wo Amu. Therefore, I probably enjoyed this show much more than others would. I was so attached to the characters that they practically carried the whole show on their shoulders. The smooth animation and fun OP and ED were merely the metaphorical icing on the cake. However, when I stopped to think about it, I realized that a fair amount of the show was spent with me just “watching” and not really “enjoying.” I never felt bored or wished for the episode to end already, but I wasn’t exactly enthralled with it either. When it was great, it was GREAT, and when it was good, well... it was just good.

Overall: 7.6
Overall, I’d say this show is a bit on the niche side to recommend to tons of people. There are many out there who prefer the comparatively less-realistic shounen and shoujo genres, and that is totally fine. For those people, I’d say that Fune wo Amu is probably not for you; it’s most definitely not bad, it’s just probably not your cup of tea. If only FwA gave more time to the people themselves rather than the dictionary-making process, its plot would have been substantially more interesting to a larger group of people, and I could recommend it more openly. However, even with this said, if FwA seems to even remotely interest you, then I highly encourage you to give it a shot.

(A note on my ranking scale: My average anime score is 7. This is because I rate on quality and enjoyment, not in comparison to other works. A 5 would be something I was completely indifferent to, and since I somewhat enjoy most shows I watch, my average is 7)

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(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

I believe I have written this anecdote before, but it’s entirely too relevant to not bring up again.

In the fourth grade, I “read” the entire dictionary. “Read” is in quotes there because, while I technically read through it, I didn’t read all the definitions. I simply read each word. In order. From A to Z.

In my mind, doing so would make me “smarter.” I have always been prideful of my intelligence, of wanting to prove my brains to the world. Doubly so when I was a young kid who had everyone telling him I was overly smart for my age.

I don’t remember too much of my little adventure, for I was “reading” it so fast. I hadn’t realized there were so manywords, but, once I started, I knew I couldn’t stop.

At the minimum, when I finished the dictionary, I had a greater appreciation for words. Not just the amount but the variety, weirdness, and importance of them.

Fune wo Amu isn’t something one reads through quickly. Rather, it’s something that rewards patience with a wholly satisfying experience.

STORY

Fune wo Amu begins with Mitsuya Majime, a salesperson who seems a bit out of his element. That is until Araki, Nishioka, Matsumoto-sensei, and Sasaki enlist him to help in the creation of their massive dictionary named Daitokai. Once aboard, Majime starts to feel right at home among the symbols, pages, and words that surround him.

Fune wo Amu is best described as an extremely solid show. It doesn’t do anything fancy or unique or special. But it what sets out to do, it does well, giving the audience a complete, well-rounded story.

One of its earliest goals is to showcase how exactly a dictionary is made and what a dictionary means. The show talks about gathering words, performing mundane triple-checks, sacrificing heaps of time, the various notations involved, and even the type of paper required. While expected, learning more about this very niche profession gives the audience a reference point for just how arduous this task can be.

The anime also includes these cute little interludes between the A and B Parts of each episode. Personifications of the different high-profile dictionaries from Japan discuss their differences, their focuses, and their changes. It heavily contrasts the down-to-earth story being told, but these fun asides further help the audience to understand dictionaries at a more fundamental level (in their own silly way).

That down-to-earth feeling is arguably Fune wo Amu’s biggest strength. When one steps back and looks at the whole season laid out, nothing extravagant really happens. They work, they make their dictionary, they have dinners, they have relationships, and they simply live their lives. Besides perhaps the final conflict of the season, where a missing word forces a complete recheck of the entire dictionary (bringing in interns and extras to help), the anime does not elevate its drama beyond that of everyday life.

After all, the story’s premise focuses on something arguably very mundane: the creation of a dictionary. How fitting it is then that, through this big book of definitions, the anime explores a relatable theme that any audience member can appreciate: the importance of words.

Words give people the power to express themselves. For someone like Majime, he uses words to write a love letter that oozes feelings. For someone like Nishioka, he can use words to both exude personality and support his good friend. For someone like Matsumoto-sensei, he can share his life’s wisdom with all the words he has gathered over his whole life.

It’s not just the words themselves that matter, though. Their use, place, and context do, too. And Fune wo Amu has many strong scenes where its word usage reinforces this idea. For example, in episode three, Majime stammers in shock as Kaguya speaks with him for the first official time, leading to a comedic situation as well as one that perfectly captures his thoughts. Even better, in episode eight, the new hire Kishibe describes the word “right” in the exact same way that Majime did all the way back in episode one, proving that “away-kan” doesn’t fit her current role in the company.

Simultaneously, Fune wo Amu focuses on another idea: the pursuit of perfection. With Ferris wheel symbolism in tow, the anime, through Kaguya’s conversation with Majime, argues that nothing is perfect in life. From her dishes to his dictionary, people constantly struggle to follow their higher calling. And, even when they have accomplished their goals, there’s still more to be done.

It’s a realization. How the end isn’t the end but rather the beginning of something new. A motivation that pushes people to grander heights. Like life itself, it goes on and on. A never-ending cycle that’s not daunting but rather fulfilling beyond what even words can describe.

This theme is not explored as much as the show’s theme on words. However, it does sit subconsciously in the audience’s mind, acting as a nice buffer for the anime as it focuses on relationships, work, and time itself.

Speaking of time, Fune wo Amu follows an interesting narrative path: a thirteen-year time skip in episode eight. It doesn’t come as a surprise to the audience because the characters constantly implied that creating their dictionary would take quite a while. Plus, the company’s underhanded tactics of pushing extraneous work onto them to hamper their progress slows down their work even further.

This plot element ends up as a catch-22. The anime must advance the plot to deliver its conclusion; it wouldn’t make too much sense to not showcase the completion of Daitokai. In doing so, however, the story must skip over a lot of content. Majime and Kaguya’s romance. A massive amount of work involved in creating their dictionary. Nishioka’s time away from the Dictionary Editorial Department.

Arguably, this skipped content is not necessarily important. Indeed, the in-between of the beginning of their journey and the end of their journey would be a bunch of busy work that doesn’t exactly work on a narrative level.

Yet it’s also somewhat tough to justify. When the anime places so much emphasis on words and their ability to connect people together, it seems almost unfair for the story to gloss over a huge part of the lives of these characters. Granted, the audience got to see the starting of these relationships, but the intricacies, changes, and milestones are lost to time.

Fune wo Amu makes another interesting narrative choice near its finale. A choice that’s a bit more on the negative side: Matsumoto-sensei’s death. Matsumoto-sensei’s declining health is alluded to frequently after the time skip, and, sadly, he passes away. But that’s not the issue. The issue is that the anime has him pass away before he gets to see the official completion of Daitokai.

The anime does its best to make it a dramatic plot point. Majime feels absolutely heartbroken that he couldn’t finish their dictionary in time, and Matsumoto-sensei leaves behind a parting letter that describes his contendedness.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well.

His death is shoved into the final episode, leaving little time for the audience to dwell on these events. It also gets in the way of the aftermath of the dictionary. After all the buildup and time spent on it, the payoff isn’t exactly rewarding on an emotional or narrative level because now the audience must juggle both of these pivotal plot points.. And it simply feels unnecessary. Fune wo Amu builds his character on the fact that he’s the most passionate about dictionaries and that this endeavor is perhaps his last. So, for the narrative to deny him his important resolution injects drama where none is needed (let alone wanted).

Despite this odd plot point right at the finish line, the anime ends on an optimistic note. Hearkening back to its theme on life’s cycle, the anime’s last line reads, “And we will build another ship once again,” implying that Majime’s journey and those of everyone else has only just begun.

And with that, Fune wo Amu concludes. It doesn’t overstay its welcome by bogging down the audience with extra ideas or forgotten plotlines. Rather, it reaches a satisfying completion that, while not itself everlasting, leaves its viewers ready to pursue their own perfection, too.

ANIMATION

Fune wo Amu starts off rather strong on an animation front. When Araki puts on his suit coat or Nishioka motions his hand at Majime during Majime’s welcoming party, the anime gives these non-extravagant actions extra fluidity that’s evident while watching. Given the mundane day-to-day depictions, these extra frames add a spark to the feeling of the show itself.

Artistically, the backgrounds do not vary too much. The Dictionary Editorial Department and Majime’s residence make up most of the setting. These places, while fitting in their numerous binders and wooden walls, don’t have that same spark the animation brings.

To rectify this lack of spark, Fune wo Amu incorporates on occasion imaginative scenes that derive mostly from Majime’s mind. A flurry of words echoes him awake as he dreams of Kaguya. He and Nishioka stand opposite one another on a thin layer of water filled with words, the green-sky backdrop punctuating their drive. A hole explodes in the fabric of space that spews forth a raging tornado which sucks in the words that he desperately wants to save.

Keeping with realism instead, the character designs strike simply yet superbly. Majime’s frazzled hair, lanky body, oval glasses, and slightly hunched back capture his awkwardness with ease. Kaguya radiates beauty with her long, dark hair, fair face, and mature demeanor. Matsumoto-sensei exudes a gentleness thanks to the ornate leather necklace around his neck, the uncommon colors of his suits, and the wrinkled smile on his face.

Unfortunately, come episode four, the anime encounters a dip in quality. Animation loses its spark, leaving behind its subtle actions and sticking mostly with stagnate movement during conversations. Similarly, a few sloppy depictions of the characters make their way into some of the final cuts, hurting the artistic integrity of the anime itself.

After episode four, Fune wo Amu never gets low artistically again. However, it likewise doesn’t reach the highs of the first three episodes. Indeed, it coasts somewhere in the middle, giving the audience a standard visual experience for the rest of its run.

Yet the anime does create one last spark. It often showed the changing seasons to indicate the progression of time. After that thirteen-year time skip, though, it does an even greater job of visually showcasing this progression. Rather than constantly mentioning the jump in time, the anime highlights smaller details like Majime’s wedding ring, Nishioka’s new smartphone, and the funeral shrine of Take.

Once again, though, it’s the character designs that stand out the most. People often look different thirteen years later, and the same is true for the cast. Majime and Kaguya have bags under their eyes, Araki’s hair turned grayer, and Nishioka grew his out. These details are small, almost insignificant. But they immediately demonstrate the time skip without fanfare.

CHARACTERS

Like the story itself, Majime’s journey in Fune wo Amu doesn’t scream lavishness or remarkability. But, once again, it’s so solid in its construction that it also doesn’t need to stomp its foot down with force.

In the beginning, Majime is a very socially awkward person. He’s a salesman, but he cannot interact with others without carrying the wrong bag or spilling some beer. Indeed, his favorite hobby – watching people queue for escalators – paints him in a strange light. Even when he is enlisted to help with the creation of Daitokai, he still feels inadequate. He understands his nature, and he doesn’t want to let anybody down.

This new opportunity in his life marks a turning point for him. As the anime depicts, he’s very good with words and working hard at what he does. More importantly, the people around him give him the courage and the support he needs to grow as a person.

Araki is a mentor for Majime, inviting him onto the team, showing him the process, and providing him the chance to fight for something he never knew he wanted.

Take is a mother of sorts. She cooks him food and listens to him over dinner, giving him advice that keeps him hopeful. She’s also a cool wing-girl, setting him up with her granddaughter whenever she can (and with a few winks as well).

Matsumoto-sensei is his role model. Majime and the others not only want to finish Daitokai for themselves and for the people but also for Matsumoto-sensei. His evident passion for dictionaries and his outlook on the words that connect everyone inspires Majime. Matsumoto-sensei sadly does not make it to the end, but, as he similarly puts it, his gratitude towards him cannot be understated.

Kishibe is the new, hopeful junior. Just as Majime learned the ropes and became accustomed to this new venture, Kishibe likewise starts to flourish. She doesn’t realize it immediately, but, with her on the team, Majime gains happiness and drive for the final leg.

Kaguya is his beloved. She loves him not with fervent adoration but with wholesome respect. More so than anyone else, she understands him, the two of them pursuing perfection in their respective fields. She’s quiet like him. She’s mature like him. She’s simple like him. And that makes her the one.

All these people around Majime support him in their own way. His mentor, “mother,” role model, junior, and lover help Majime to grow out of his awkward shell and into the confident man he always wanted to be.

There’s one other character who supported Majime the whole time. Arguably, he did so the most: Nishioka.

Nishioka sees Majime’s awkwardness firsthand, so he doesn’t initially take to the odd word guru. However, as he listens to Majime speak and sees him work with due diligence, he slowly starts to appreciate him for who he is.

All the while, Nishioka looks out for Majime. He eases Majime’s transition into the team at his welcoming party. He gives him a playful kick on the back out of friendship. He reads the love letter for Kaguya, giving no addendums since he feels it encapsulates Majime already.

To Majime, Nishioka is the person he wants to be. Outgoing, comfortable in social situations, and confident. In return, Majime is the person Nishioka wants to be. Passionate, determined, and willing. As Matsumoto-sensei says of the two good friends, they “…respect each other’s strengths and complement each other.” That they share a “wonderful trust.”

The more Nishioka learns of Majime, the more he gets inspired by him. He does everything in his power to make the creation of Daitokai a success – to the point that he gets transferred to a different department. But that doesn’t stop him from enlisting more help, pushing forward, and doing more to follow the path he has found himself on.

Before his transfer, Nishioka has arguably his best moment in the season. In episode seven (where the quote above also comes from), he refuses to grovel at the feet of their manuscript writer. The pride they have in their project, the heart and soul with which he and Majime and everyone else has put into it, means more to them than what some mistress-having jerk may think.

Even after he is transferred, he supports Majime and the others from the sidelines. He works overtime outside of the office. He guides Kishibe. He helms the marketing for the dictionary (going so far as to create the cute blue mascot for the dictionary seen in each episode’s interlude). He unfortunately does not have as much of a presence in the last four episodes, but the effects of his support, both for the people close to him and for the project at large, are no doubt felt throughout.

Thus, Nishioka, like the rest of the cast, supports Majime. Their feelings, their thoughts, and thus their words affect him for the better. Majime doesn’t turn into the life of the party like Nishioka (nobody can), but he now leads the department, he can enter meetings, and he can express himself more clearly.

Yes, Majime doesn’t transform into somebody new, but these many relationships were their own great passage all along.

SOUND

Perhaps surprisingly, the music of Fune wo Amu has a lot more finesse than may be at first believed.

The opening track, titled “Shiokaze,” uses a simple beat with dancing sound-effects to achieve a catchy tune. Once the sound of wood hitting wood rings out, the second half begins, and a rolling set of lyrics up the energy of the song as well as the catchiness.

However, it’s the words of those lyrics themselves that pack the most punch. “The vivid clatter of the night.” “Flexible conception.” “Swept and sunk in the waves with sparse opposites and similarities.” The OP’s ability to weave these complex words into not only a cohesive piece but also a story about how words bring people together, which matches a major theme of the anime itself, makes it much more than just a fun tune to hear.

In contrast, the ending track slows everything down with calmness and sensuality. Titled “I & I,” the ED is a love song, and a romantic one at that. Piano and acoustic guitar, like two lovers, support one another, forming a peaceful base that gives the female vocalist the room to express lyrics saturated with sincere feelings and a life-partner’s touch. While less about the words and more about Majime and Kaguya’s relationship, the song makes for a strong contender in how to best represent love in musical form.

Alongside the OP and the ED, the original soundtrack also strikes a nice chord. A triumphant, soldier tune that leads the charge forward. A sometimes sweeping, sometimes cascading melody that harbors high emotion. A pair of delicate acoustic guitars. A brooding, menacing track that threatens all. Many use the same base motif – the titular track “Fune wo Amu” is arguably the best among them – in the same vein as words do, threading together as set of simple yet powerful tracks.

The best track in the whole show, though? The dictionary rap “We are Jisho-tans~.” Their cute song came as a welcome surprise in episode four.

The only real letdown are the voice-acting performances. They are definitely fitting, and none of the actors or actresses were subpar. They simply had no standout roles either.

ENJOYMENT

I love almost any kind of anime. (Controversial, I know.)

Yes, I have my preferences in genres and details, but I watch everything and anything that I can. I consider myself lucky that I have a wide taste when it comes to stories. So far, I’ve completed over 300 different shows – yet it’s still interesting to me how rare it is for an anime to focus on a story about adults for adults. Most people know already, but so many anime (understandably) focus on high schools, cute girls, and high-octane action.

Which is why this anime enters that niche group of shows that appeals to the regular adult male who’s writing these sentences out right now.

This show never tries to wow me. Rather, it simply wants to tell this tale without much fuss. It didn’t win any awards, and it probably won’t be the most recommended anime out there in the future. But, in my mind, that makes me like it more. For it knew what it was and what it needed to do, accomplishing all its goals. It showed up, played out its piece, and left on satisfying terms.

Of course, there are specific reasons for why I like this anime. Chief among them is Nishioka. He’s such an awesome dude. A passionate worker, a supportive junior, and a really, really good friend. Silly but thoughtful. Carefree yet driven. He always managed to say or do the right things at the right time, making him my favorite character in the anime. (And I was very happy to see him be a husband and father, too.)

The romance between Majime and Kaguya also makes me smile. My readers know that romance is my favorite genre, so, even though the anime doesn’t give a whole lot of lovey-dovey moments, their connection and the feelings they share with and for one another fill my heart with joy.

Even the small ending skits got me chuckling. They were arguably pointless, but their fun, aside nature, and the fact that the anime occasionally alluded to them once again in some form afterwards, made them little treats that I could never turn away.

Fune wo Amu may not do anything exceptional, but, during its quiet stay, it presents the audience with nothing short of a satisfying experience. Strong story beats. Supportive relationships. Some intriguing artistic choices. Emotional music. Filling a spot in that niche adult genre. From A to Z and back again, it defines itself about as well as it possibly could.

SUMMARY

Story: Good, a mundane yet satisfying tale about words, life, and the pursuit of perfection

Animation: Fine, while a consistent quality of movement isn’t maintained, and the artistry can see some hiccups at times, the young and old character designs, alongside the imaginative scenes, provide enough visual sparks for the audience to like

Characters: Great, Majime’s many relationships are their own great passage for him, and Nishioka takes a similar trip right alongside his best friend

Sound: Good, good OP, good ED, good OST, cute dictionary rap, and okay VA performances

Enjoyment: Great, a no-fuss tale, plus Nishioka being one of the coolest dudes out there, multiplied by a dash of romance and silly asides equals a fun, mature experience

Final Score: 8/10

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