Getsuyoubi no Tawawa

Animated Tawawa is one of those little miracles that we must cherish in life. Here's some medium culture worth having:
Each episode is less than 5 minutes and is available online on NicoNico.
Watch it. Didn't like? Walk away. Like it? Watch the rest, it gets comfier.

What is this series?
Getsuyoubi no Tawawa, or Tawawa on Monday, is the anime adaptation of Himura Kiseki's doujinshi series with the same name. It's fundamentally a compilation of episodic short stories revolving, usually, a main average couple and a mundane event.
The purpose of Tawawa, both in its doujinshi and anime form, is to work as a healing antidote against Monday Blues. That's precisely why the main characters are Japanese salaryman, new episodes were released on Monday, there's Monday on the title, and the original drawings are all in monochrome blue.
The situations take unrealistic twists, the girls are unrealistically perfect?
This is an escapism series. That's the point.

But there's no plot, it's just fanservice!
Well no shit Sherlock.
The original drawings, which this series is based of, were posted on Himura's twitter (@strangestone) and were mostly without dialogue until serialization was considered. They are supposed to be cute and heartwarming, not tell the greatest love story ever told.
And yes, there's still a solid, concise and well-developed storyline. Which shows Ai-chan and Salaryman's relationship evolving as well as the other characters.
Way more than you'd expect from a 5min ONA (Original Net Animation) doujinshi-inspired short story.

What is Tawawa?
Tawawa is the name of the train station central to the story, where Ai-chan and Salaryman first met. All the stories happen somewhat near it and all the characters are living relatively close to each other, as to say, in the same prefecture.
Tawawa is also slang for "dropping", "overflowing" obvious reference to the amusingly huge racks of the girls appearing on this series.

Then why is this worth watching or special whatsoever?
It's up to you.
Sometimes a little break from reality can be nice. Especially if it's accompanied by cute soundtrack and neat VAs. Maybe it's not your thing, but the short stories are undeniably sweet and will add an extra sugar on your life.
This series in particular could be regarded as special for the future of doujinshi and ONA/OVA adaptations because it marks an accomplishment.
Himura has been growing in the doujin scenario for a while, selling a bunch of volumes on Comiket, but receiving a GOOD anime adaptation of his work like this one is opening the door for many future works to come. Be it from himself or any other author.
It's great to see a promising author get some recognition and on top of that, with a very good animation quality.

Yes, this wasn't exactly a review.
I'm not discussing artwork, sound, directing, etc. it's a bloody ONA.

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If one of your most cherished things in life includes big-breasted anime chicks whose gozongas defy physics and regularly burst out of their bra for no conceivable reason, why, have I got the anime for you.

That Getsuyoubi no Tawawa is also heart-warming and not completely terrible is perhaps just secondary to the visual feast.

I find myself in a conflicting position, as, while I am a healthy, adult male who enjoys healthy-adult-male-things, I am also bothered by media that contain these things without good reason-- or any reason, for that matter. A story about a model - fine. Flat-out pornography - also fine. Contrived sexual situations that would never, ever occur in reality - not so fine!

Getsuyoubi no Tawawa seems to think its viewers are so lacking in an attention-span that they cannot even complete a three-minute episode without the heroines' breasts hitting a dude in the face or bursting through their shirt every thirty seconds or so. The main heroine is so lacking in other qualities that she is known merely as I-Chan - so named after her colossal cup size. It is as if the show just surrenders to the notion that anime is synonymous with these tropes and is incapable of being interesting without. If it were deliberately trying to be sexy or pornographic there would be little issue, but instead it attempts to be cute and heartwarming. And so it is. And therein lies the problem.

Little about Getsuyoubi no Tawawa's story makes it seem like the typical ecchi anime. It develops the relationship between the protagonist and their respective heroine in a fairly cute and innocent way, even if there may be a bit (a lot) of sexual tension along the way. Every character within the anime is a genuinely kind and decent person, and it is palpably clear that they have feelings for the other with regards to more than just their body. It feels less an ecchi anime and more a romance. If it were longer, that could possibly have become more a reality than a feeling. But as it stands, it is a confused story, unaware of its potentials, unsure of what it wants to be.

I can appreciate how the anime deals with primarily adult characters. It illustrates the tedium of the salaryman, their life being dull and tiring enough that merely having a cute girl to talk to the on the train every week is enough to make one happy. It understandably does not go much into depth with regards to their working life (aside from the occasional after-work drinking), but giving the audience a glimpse into their life and something to identify with still does a lot in making the romance more meaningful than all the impromptu bra explosion does. Sure, it would have been better yet if the main heroine was an adult, too, rather than another wretched high school student, but there's only so much one can ask for in today's anime industry. Joy.

It is also worth mentioning that while most anime with a short run-time are of relatively low production-quality, Getsuyoubi no Tawawa looks and sounds quite decent. Its cute, heart-warming piano pieces do well to give emotional weight to an anime that really should not have any. And I was absolutely sure, based on how cute she was and how well she performed the role, that the main heroine's voice actor was someone renowned, but was pleasantly surprised to find she is a new face in the industry altogether. There's certainly worse anime to debut in.

Same can be said for Getsuyoubi no Tawawa as a whole, really. It could be worse. But it could also be much better.

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This is definitely more of a 'healing' anime than other shows with that description. Way more painful too.

Some might call this escapism, if they do I think they're missing the point. The term 'escapism' should only be applied to works that allow us to delve into our fantasies rather than tickle our imaginations. Tawawa is soothing only because we have to distance ourselves from what is happening on screen in order to fully enjoy it. Because there is the realization in the backs of our minds that, no matter what, we're never going to get a cheerful titty monster of our own, we can laugh about how wishful it all is without becoming invested at all in the fantasy. All the while, however, we can still get some happiness out of it. Happiness, of course, tempered by the all too apparent truth, a truth that this anime makes no attempt to obscure. Half of the pleasure in watching this show comes from its affirmation of the gloominess in the real world. Cynical-optimism I'd call it. This really is the best therapy you could ask for after a long day. If anyone on here actually has a stressful job, they should be watching this.

The faceless (and sometimes voiceless) males in Tawawa are only a little closer to having their dreams come true than we are. Save for perhaps button-man, the titty goddesses are just as (seemingly) unobtainable. (Though the anime is ambiguous enough to hint at what's possible) Just as we await the release of a new episode, these tired and broken down men do all they can to make sure they can spend even just a little time with their big breasted saviors. Bright spots in an otherwise dark week; the episodes are 4 minutes long for a reason.

The shorts are also surprisingly well made. Episode 11 even has an ingenious use of ( space ), and mood. The last episode is mellow, but upbeat and it knows what buttons to push and when to relieve. Aired right on time for a lonely Christmas.

To enjoy Tawawa beyond a superficial level you'd have to have the right mindset and life experience, because, let's be honest, a Japanese salaryman will get more out of this than the average MAL 14 year old, who, when reviewing would probably use the term "fanservice."

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This review refers to the two special episodes as episodes 13 and 14.

Getsuyoubi no Tawawa is a 5 minute anime that doesn't try to be something it isn't. If you want some deep mind boggling story, this isn't what you're looking for. If you're looking for something to make you smile for a little while, this is it.

It's not some deep moving masterpiece or anything. The story is supposed to be daily life of several average blokes who are off working their rear ends off in office buildings. Each of these guys end up meeting a girl that brightens their day.

Because it follows several different guys, the story is episodic.

Yeah, of course there are big breasts. However, this is a different type of fanservice from Masou Gakuen HxH. In this case, the girls simply radiate an aura that makes you wish you knew someone like that in real life, because they actually seem like good people. (will explain more in character section)

Don't go to a Chinese restaurant expecting French cuisine. Tawawa is a short anime about salarymen who meet kind women.

Story: 7/10

Time for art and sound.

Sound is decent. You can't really expect any better from a 5 minute anime. What are they going to do? Insert a song that takes up literally the entire episode?

Art, however, is something wonderful to me. Tawawa's art style gives off a real calm vibe, especially when matched with what the story is about. A slow start on Mondays. A sort of comfy vibe.

Art: 8/10
Sound: 6/10

Here's what you've probably been looking for since early in the review. Characters.

Bland salaryman characters. They are bland characters who rarely have their eyes shown because they are supposed to be you. Insert characters. What makes this acceptable for me is how they play around this.

Ai-chan. The sweet girl. The type of girl that you wish you knew back in school. Because you met by chance on the train, you now realize that you share a mutual interest in each other, so you begin making conversation every time you meet.

Kouhai-chan. Your cute coworker who happens to have been hired after you were, thus you are the senior. She helps you out at times and you help her out at times. You even go drinking together, but you know she's taken already, so you're content to be just friends. After all, it's nice to have a friend in the workplace environment.

Convenience Store-chan. Have you ever had someone you liked back in school, but you never talked to them? Now that its been many years, you have some deep feelings of regret. The one that got away. A lot of people have someone like this in their lives. "Gee, I wish I knew ____ better." or "I should have taken the initiative back then with ____."

Each girl represents a relatable aspect of every person's life. Almost everyone has had an encounter with someone that brightens their mornings. Almost everyone has had an encounter with a comrade that helps you fight in the war zone called "work." Almost everyone has deep seated regrets about social relationships in the past. This is what works very well with the bland self-insert main character, as we end up remembering these types of people in our own lifes.

Very effective use of a self-insert. Your mileage may vary, however. If you don't like self-inserts, this might be a bad thing for you.

Characters: 9/10

Overall, this anime was very enjoyable. It's about cute girls making the POV character's day just a little more livable, and you get some fanservice on the side. There isn't supposed to be a deep story. There isn't supposed to be epic action, be it drama or actual fighting. You enjoy this anime because there is cuteness, girls, and boobs.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Finally, before I give my verdict, let me explain why I love this anime so much.

Getsuyoubi no Tawawa is more of a healing anime than anything. It's for tired people to sit down and feel a little more cozy. As with all healing anime, your mileage may vary.

Just like how one medicine doesn't cure all illnesses, this type of healing doesn't heal every type of spiritual wound.

The anime shows us the gloomy world of adulthood. Facebook feeds aren't what real life actually looks like. The real world is like the night sky. Plain black. The Tawawa girls are like the stars in this sky for the salaryman characters. Just a little bit of happiness in their lives.

Perhaps in your lives you suffer the same problem of living in a gloomy world with nothing to make it more livable. In that case, watch Tawawa and maybe, just maybe, you will feel a bit better after.

Overall: 10/10

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