Taishou Otome Otogibanashi

Do you enjoy an innocent historical romance between two characters tied by fate? Want to experience a show with a healthy dose of charming love? Then, Taisho Otome Fairy Tale might be something that interest you. And just like the title, this is a like a fairy tale with two humans.

Adapted by the manga of the same name, I don't say this lightly about historical romances. Honestly, historical theme shows are often talked about for their battles, history, and overall, cultural context. It's not too often when romance is a central part of the show's context. That's where we meet the fated pair, Tamahiko Shima ... and Yuzuki Tachibana. We find out why Tamahiko is banished by his family and developed inferiority about himself. On the other hand, Yuzuki serves as a beacon of hope and falls for Tamahiko almost like first sight. Is it fate? Perhaps and honestly, this show binds them together like they were destined to be. Yet, it's not always easy for Tamahiko to open up to others because of his past. And for that reason, the show has dedicates time for Tamahiko to grow out of his shell while giving Yuzuki the chance to experience what's like to be in love.

The first few episodes is nothing short of being charming when we meet our main characters. Yuzuki is upbeat but also very kind and caring to just about anyone. Towards Tamahiko, she grows deep affections towards him at almost first sight. It's the type of love that may have even surprised herself. Nonetheless, the show makes it clear that they are a pair that's tied by fate and through connections, they grow closer together. Such a simple idea makes this anime a sensation, as the more I watch them bond, the more their character pair felt real. Their connection presents an emotional experience that's more than just love or closure. Tamahiko would've been much worse without Yuzuki's presence as his life changes forever after he meets her.

Despite the small supporting roster, this show proves itself capable of making characters that are worth watching outside of the Tamahiko and Yuzuki. For instance, we meet Tamako Shima, Tamahiko's younger sister who initially treated him with disdain but ultimately grows to trust him. Upon meeting Yuzuki, she also forges a strong bond with her and realizes that dreams can be achieved. There's also the delinquent thief girl Ryou Atsumi who causes many problems with Tamahiko's estate. But after seeing Yuzuki's compassion and serenity, she changes to become a more friendlier and positive person. After awhile, you may notice the pattern of Yuzuki's positive influence on others. Indeed, she's like an angel in this anime who serves as a positive role model to just about anyone.

At the heart of the show is the theme of love but the storytelling itself commits to character building. The most prominent example is Tamahiko as he develops from a pessimistic person to someone with hope and dreams. He realizes that there's a light in the dark tunnel thanks to Yuzuki and ultimately fights to be a better person. In essence, this show dedicates its time to show how anyone can make a positive light and turn their life around. Without Yuzuki, I can guarantee that Tamahiko would be much worse off, or perhaps even dead. Unfortunately, his siblings outside of the main supporting cast gets little characterization. With just 12 episodes, the anime did not have enough time to expand all of its casts' roles.

Coming off of their most recent adaptation, I was less than thrilled about SynergySP taking the role to adapt this show. Yet, they nailed it with this adaptation because the elegant visual quality of this anime works wonderfully. It gives the sensation of youth with its female cast while also having depressing moments in the story. Character designs fits for the historical setting and makes an impact with their human expressions. Comedy is no shortfall in the show either when we have hilarious moments between Tamahiko and Yuzuki. It's when the anime knows how to sell iself that it becomes successful.

To add on the positive elements of the show, it even has a soundtrack that works its magic to the core. Theme songs for both the opening and ending are soft beat yet carefully decorated with a serene feeling. Character voices and mannerism are protrayed with delicate care to suit every casts' personalities. And when you have a character such as Yuzuki, it takes a tremendous talent to be in her shoes. And finally, Kotori's singing brings in a lot of charm to the show especially when she has her own devoted fans.

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale is the type of show that we get once in awhile among the seemingly endless amount of soap operas, high school dramas, or isekai harems these days. Taking place in a historical setting, we witness two characters coming together and experiencing the very essence of being human. That is, being human means we have to explore our potentials and, this anime managed to knock to bring out the best of that.

Though there’s a lot of amazing anime in this season,but honestly this is the best one so far for me.
The reason ?
Well,CAUSE THIS ANIME IS A MASTERPIECE.
The amout of sweetness and wholesomeness in this anime is far exceed the amount that I can handle,not a bad thing though in fact it’s actually a good thing.
It’s been a long time since a romance anime can give me such warmness and happy feeling after watching every episode,usually romance anime these days can be tedious and very boring,well not this one,I can assure you,there’s no single episode that deserved to be called “boring”.the sweetness that this show ... offers is anything but boring.
Some said that this show has somewhat a same vibe as “Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid” or just straight up saying that this anime is a rip-off of some different romance anime.(BRUH)
For those who’s saying that this anime has the same vibe as Shinigami Bocchan,you’re not wrong cause it is,starting from the male lead that gets disowned by his family,a little sister with a totally different personalities from the MC that somehow also be the first family member that appeared as a “FRIENDLY”members
BUT,the main difference comes from the female lead,Yuzuki and Alice is different,Alice is more of a sweet girl that expressed her love with teasing,while Yuzuki expressed her love in a much more ‘’traditional” and convenience way,which preferably better for me.
Also in this anime there’s no “no-touching’’ rule since everyone is just a normal human,making the interaction between the two main lead is much more intimate and more realistic and close to real life.
Let’s take a look at a few aspect.

Story : I will say it to the point,I love it,I really love it.Every episode it offers will certainly gave me that pleasant feeling that make me wanna say “Awww’’in every scene but in the same time it also gaves me a sense of jealously and thinking stuff like “what a great couple,If only I was this,if only I was that” and so,yeah that just show how good the writing is for me,I got jealous,TO AN ANIME CHARACTER,I GET JEALOUS TO ANIME CHARACTERS EVERYONE.
The story also covers touchy issue like disownment from a family,as someone who’s living in a country where this kind of stuff happens a lot,it still feels painful to watch,cause being disowned is litteraly is being considered as a dead person while you still breath your breath is a fate worse than death,making me feel empathy to the MC,and seeing the way he got treated makes my blood boils.

The character : The MC is very likeable,even with all that shit he has been through,it doesn’t make him an annoying edgelord,yet he still values every bits of love that the female lead gaves to him,he totally deserve the spot in top 10 male characters in fall 2021.
The female lead is no different,such a loving and tremendously sweet characters,there’s no way anybody hating on her,she’s a pure cinnamon roll and deserve no hate.

The animation : I don’t really have anything to say about the animation,some could say it’s generic,some could say it’s good,well for me it’s already well made and totally match the aesthetic.

The music : With all the aspect that I have written,this anime is already a 10/10 for me,but the music make it a SOLID one.i love the opening so much that I have no problem repeating it in my speaker for like 16 times,Garnidelia nailed this one.the same goes for the ED song as well.
Also one of the OST,Hoshi no Yo,use the exact same tune as my favorite national song “Ibu Pertiwi”,which also happen to have the exact same tune as my favorite religious song “Oh what a friend we have in Jesus’’ as well,so everytime it plays,it feels HEAVENLY.

Overall : If you into something sweet or something that can brighten your day,WATCH THIS,you wouldn’t regret it,this anime is like a strawberry tanghulu made with the FINEST strawberry ,sugar coated with the FINEST sugar made with the FINEST sugar cane.it certainly give you a very pleasant feeling that make you cherish every moment in your life,if you ever feel tired or sad ,just watch this anime,or better ,just make this anime your morning show so that you can start your day with a heart fuelled with happiness.

Taishou Otome Otogibanashi is a tone-deaf masterpiece, completely contradictory by nature, the anime proposes a romance that is barely believable and a sense of having to completely suspense your disbelief against the strange forces of wholesomeness and eye candy relationships. While the anime itself have a bunch of extremely respectable features that I will explain later, the final taste is that this is something that shouldn't exist, or at least, it shouldn't exist as it is.

The anime is not offensively bad, honestly, the comedy works extremely well with the usage of exaggerated emotional reactions, the characters are somehow charismatic, and the energy that the anime ... radiates does its job at letting us fully enjoy the relationships and quirks of them, it sometimes goes into predictable territory, but you can lose yourself into it without any problem. While the anime just has broadcasted 4 episodes, in each of them we have an interesting perspective over the pain provoked by authoritarian and almost evil family figures, and at the same time it let us go into detail about the perspective of the common people towards those that are above them. I don’t really know if this is historically true, but it works in the concept of the anime and it is a coherent motive about how the other can affect our own sense of development and sentiments.

And that is probably one of the main strong motives of the anime, to forge our own path is not just a thing that we do in the solitude of our own world, but it is a shared experience with all of those who can affect us, be it not just our friends but also our context, the world as an entire idea. Proposing the idea of caring to the one next of us, a positive idea. To extend such proposal the anime uses an interesting way of expressing the mental images of the characters, developing not only a coherent aesthetic that fits the historical period but also a pleasing way to truly understand the sentiments of them.

Why is this anime a 1 then? Because the concept is broken by design. The anime is not oblivious about its lack of touch, during the fourth episode a doctor tell the main character about what everyone who live in a developed country in the 21st century would think, about how buying an underage bride and using her as a servant is just an abuse of power and a completely bankrupt way of treating another human being. The problem is that while this anime is self-aware about how toxic the message is, it doesn’t turn around and make a reflection out of it, but instead just tries to silence those voices and try to go forward with the inhumanity of the main duo. Contradiction. The anime tell us something but does other.

And why is this a toxic message? One could say that this is a historical piece, and then whatever happens in that context is just a historical antecedent about something that existed, equivalent of doing a historical documentary. That would work, and I would love to see a realistic depiction of the reality about arranged child marriages, imagine yourself being a coin of exchange because your family were poor, that is strong. This anime lacks touch at treating such topics, it is tone-deaf, the main struggle presented in the anime is not by the perspective of the bride that was sold but the people who are in power, the equivalent of telling the story about a slave in a cotton farm being obedient and brightening the life of the slave owner. It is wrong, because it uses a deeply controversial topic that is still relevant to the present day, an issue about gender inequality, power distribution and poverty, and romanticize it to create a romcom, a narrative that instead of trying to portray it humanly it does a wish fulfillment manner. The caring sense of this anime just go in one direction because the main girl is not a human character, and the eventual struggle of the child bride by her condition is just used to sold us the character growth of the people in power, or to say, the husband and his family, instead of being a topic on its own.

I could add more negative factors of this anime but it is probably not worth it. The characters face extremely questionable struggles, the main character is not subtle at all about anything, and a bunch of other negatives, but anything that I can say wouldn’t be as problematic as the exposition of bride arrangements. Now, I will gladly delete this review if I sense a change of direction over this, but there is no business about this anime having a score higher than 1 in this situation.

Writing a romance story set in the early 20th century Japan that doesn't feel exploitative is a tall order. Back then, women were still perceived as little more than the property of their fathers with the equally endearing prospect of becoming the property of their future husbands via an arranged marriage. They were mostly uneducated beyond basic schooling, had very few rights, their career opportunities were severely limited and had all sorts of visible and invisible barriers. Not exactly the best place and time to be born without the fifth limb, as you can imagine. It followed that any true romance for a woman of ... marriable age was more the result of a blind luck than anything she could control.

Knowing all that, it's hard not to feel apprehensive at the premise which begins with Yuzuki, a 14 y.o. girl from a poor family, being literally sold (yep, for money) to the wealthy Shimas as a gift bride to their youngest son Tamahiko, whose recently acquired disability estranged him from his stern father and elder siblings. These days it would've been seen as none other than child trafficking, which is obviously a problem, though it should be mentioned that this decision is forced on both Yuzuki and Tamahiko, so he doesn't get a say in the matter, either. All the while, the pre-opening sequence keeps framing Yuzuki as more of a concept than a person, which could've possibly been acceptable the first time around, but having it precede every episode (the anime-original decision) is counterproductive at best, and outright dehumanizing if we're being real about it. So the show is definitely off to a rough start, but where does it take us as we go along?

First thing first, it recognizes the main problem—which is already better than some of the more acclaimed shows do in a similar situation (*cough* VIOLET EVERGARDEN *cough*). The forced marriage arrangement, especially through such inhumane means, is a surprise to both Yuzuki and Tamahiko, and neither of them is happy about it. The rumor spreads quickly, and villagers immediately start looking down on them, even though the decision was negotiated by the kids' parents without giving the prospective husband and wife any room to decline. Seeing it explicitly called out by both the leads and unrelated characters is definitely a positive sign in terms of where the show chooses to stand in terms of its morals.

Now, if this were a pure wish fulfillment vessel, you'd expect the two leads to quickly ignore that, fall in love, and happily agree to spend the rest of their time together despite having nothing in common (*cough* TONIKAKU KAWAII *cough*), but thankfully, that doesn't happen, either. Tamahiko is heavily depressed by his life seemingly ruined by the disabling hand injury, and is, at first, annoyed by Yuzuki's cheerful presence. He gives her minimal courtesy as one would provide to an uninvited guest, and is willing to send her back to her parents, no strings attached, so that he could keep wallowing in self-pity like the self-proclaimed pessimist he is. And realistically, this is also the best he is expected to do: despite his inherently higher social standing, he's still by all means a kid only three years her senior, living at the mercy of his tyrannical father who orchestrated the whole deal.

But this is where the show cleverly takes advantage of its historical setting and has Yuzuki refuse the offer on the very reasonable grounds that if this boy showed her kindness right off the bat—even though he wasn't obliged to, even though he had reasons not to engage in social behavior, even though the marriage was arranged against his will—it would probably be okay to put her faith in him. On the other hand, if she were to return to her parents, in all likelihood they would simply get rid of her again like they have already done once, and in all likelihood it would've gone much worse the second time around. There is no easy or safe choice here, which truly feels bad, but Yuzu asserts what little agency she has in the situation and places her bet on staying with Tamahiko.

And as that somber realization sinks in, it becomes obvious that Taisho Otome Fairy Tale actually understands what it's doing better than most modern romance stories originating in Japan: it's using a very inherently problematic premise for a genuine attempt to humanize its characters and create a positive vibe within its unquestionably dark constraints while remaining aware of them. And while I can't say it goes very far beyond the bare minimum of what I'd consider acceptable for the kind of challenge it undertakes, thankfully, it does put up a valiant effort toward not becoming yet another Stockholm syndrome showcase every time Yuzu is demonstrating her bottomless devotion to Tamahiko. There is enough heartfelt writing in there to make the pair feel like they can still responsibly support and find comfort in each other, even though their meeting wasn't by their choice. They grow to play off of each other and have a certain degree of onscreen chemistry and personal charisma unlike the leads in much less problematic romance series (*cough* TSUKI GA KIREI *cough*). And it wouldn't be a spoiler to say that they do eventually fall in love for real, and it does feel pleasantly nice. It is most certainly a healing story at its core: it accomplishes its narrative goal by showing what it means to heal and be healed, and certainly does a good job at that.

The side-cast of the series, especially Tamahiko's younger sister Tamako, are a pure joy to behold; this is the element that really breathes life into the show, grounds it in reality, and catalyzes the development of the main pair—which is, thankfully, quite prominent and well-paced. It is through these interactions with the other characters that Tamahiko's view of his life situation (and his relationship with Yuzuki in particular) widens and becomes more adult and responsible, his motivation and joy for life return, and he learns to work around his disability to be a good husband to Yuzuki and avoid ending up helpless every time something bad happens. And Yuzu herself also becomes happier knowing she is safe with Tamahiko, she still has friends and allies in her new life, there are new things to look forward to, and her marriage will not revolve around pleasing her husband. (Holy cow, that sentence was sad.)

Perhaps the main reason the series couldn't do any better than it managed to is that it's simply too entrenched in the premise it chose, which set the characters up in all too different positions of power. When you try empathizing with both of the main duo, you inevitably notice how Tamahiko not only starts off vastly more privileged, but *still* gets the better end of the deal by the end—even considering the historic circumstances are already favorable for the kind of character he is. He has more agency at pretty much every turn, and despite that it could be argued that over the course of the series Yuzuki enables him more so than he enables her. Other than a few personal belongings, she has nothing to her name and is essentially a nobody without her benefactor, despite putting in most of the work in their shared household. Metaphorically speaking, she was moved from a small rusty bird cage into a much spacier bird cage with a better view and an ability to fly around the room every now and then in exchange for extra chores to do. At the same time, Tamahiko got what is essentially a new lease on life, a new career, a jackpot of a partner—basically everything that wasn't already provided by his family. Both of their situations have undoubtedly become better, but not symmetrically so, and it's particularly regrettable because the characters are lovable enough to make you wish a better life for both of them.

The other reason the show isn't as good as it could've been is that Yuzu's character isn't explored remotely enough for us to really know her outside the context of her relationship with Tamahiko. Indeed, he is a good and well-developed character, but we only see the story from his perspective—and romance is a game for two. I know this would probably go at odds with the positive atmosphere the series tried to cultivate so hard on such a barren soil, but in order for the romance to truly feel deserved, we needed to have a deeper insight into Yuzu's situation, too: how she felt about being torn away from her old life, how her anxieties and disposition towards marriage with Tamahiko evolved over time, what were her thought processes, when did simple gratitude for being treated like a fellow human being turn into genuine romantic affection, what other interests she has, and so on. Yuzu's character needed a better look; she deserved it, we deserved it. But, well, at least she's already elevated above the typical servile pleasure robots the female leads tend to be in the iyashikei subgenre (*cough* SEWAYAKI KITSUNE NO SENKO-SAN *cough*). Which, considering the premise, is somehow an achievement. Look, I know, I also feel stupid saying this, but that's just the sad reality we have to deal with.

Frankly, it's because of stuff like this that I constantly have to lower my standards when reviewing teenage romance manga/anime. Seriously, why can't more of them be like Insomniacs After School, Molester Man, Kaguya-sama, or even Toradora? With characters who have complex and believable emotions, who are influenced but not defined by their past or the social group they're written into, who act out the plot but aren't strung along by it? You know, like real people? When it comes to Taisho Otome, it clearly bit off a little more than it could chew, but it also had a clear and meaningful vision of what it wanted to achieve. It wasn't a bad effort by any means, and I think it would be fair to say the show is on the better side of the spectrum despite all of its problems. Because if anything, it strives to work *against* the problems of the genre and setting it chose rather than *creating* new problems on the spot—which is already more than a typical Japanese romance can manage. It doesn't do a GREAT job, but it does a GOOD job. And on the very surface level, it just looks cute and leaves a cavity-inducing sweet aftertaste. It's something I can recommend and not feel blood on my hands. Oh god, Japan... just start writing actual good romance more often than twice a decade already, ffs.

P.S. I'd read the manga before the anime, and the adaptation is done very well, with beautiful designs that faithfully translate the sugary sweetness of the manga's tone. I'd probably say it's a superior experience overall. I hope the same team does the sequel as well.

Taishou Otome is one of those romance animes that has the power to give you diabetes because of its sweetness overdose: from the characters, plot, storyline, dialogue, etc.

The manga is on par with this anime adaptation. Since the chapters in the manga are very short and it only has one major arc, Taishou Otome really exceeded my expectations. People compare this anime to Tonikawa Kawaii, which I find it interesting, because of how sweet of our two beloved main characters. Their blossoming romance and cute romantic moments, including dialogue, really strikes my heart to invest to watch this anime more. Common thing between those ... two shows is simple: hardcore romance and undeniable sweetness. it is obvious that they are really different, but from what I can tell you, the high level of romantic fluff is the same as Tonikawa Kawaii. And of course, Yuzu is a powerful contender for being the best girl of this season.

I also want to point out the emotional aspect of this anime, because it greatly affects the emotions of the audience, just as in the manga. With its dialogue matching with the music's somber tone, it really puts you on a situation that you are witnessing the tragic backstory of Tamahiko, where his family abandoned him, thinking of himself as a useless person. Yuzu on the other hand, is the person who can bring him back to the light.

In our real world, we cannot avoid our own ups and downs. Admit it, everyone has, not just me and you. There are moments that we think that "I am useless, guess I'll die then" because of some tragic and traumatizing moments. At the end, someone is there to save you from darkness. There is always light at the end of the tunnel and someone is there to help and overcome your problems in life. This is present in Taishou Otome, where Yuzu wants Tamahiko to release all the burdens of his life and be happy with her, as they will marry each other in the future (not a spoiler much, but foreshadowing since it is part of the plot). Yuzu is the saving grace from Tamahiko's uselessness. She wants him to be happy and solve the problems together. This is what I like from the manga and anime.

Overall, this show has a special place in my heart. Compare it to Tonikawa Kawaii or not, emotional impact is important and one of the factors of a great anime. With romance at its core, Taishou Otome is one of the hidden gems this year's Fall Season. I hope everyone appreciates this anime.

Taishou Otome Otogibanashi is my first ever seasonal anime for which I had no prior knowledge before starting. This is the anime through which I learned how truly agonizing waiting a week for an episode is. With that out of the way lets review this.

The story of this anime isn't groundbreaking. Its about the son of a rich family who loses the use of his right hand in an accident and is discarded from the family for being useless. To help him his father sends a girl to the home he was banished to, to help him.

The art is very good and a pleasure to ... look at. It doesn't have eye orgasming art like anything KyoAni might make but, in my opinion, the simple art style suits it better. Plus the blushes and when the characters become chibi are just cute af.

Sound isn't something I often pay attention to. The proper background music was used and a few pieces just set the mood pretty well. The opening however is one of my favourites so far. I didn't skip it in a single episode!

Now the characters. The truly amazing part of this anime and the reason you should be watching it. The main lead Tamahiko is a depressed edgy boy. Our female lead is an energy filled ball of sunshine. It is a typical grumpy/sunshine trope for those familiar with romance.

The reason I say why the characters are amazing is because there is character development in each and every episode and you can very clearly see each and every character blooming ever so slightly with each interaction. The most growth is shown by the MC Tamahiko and I can honestly say he is one the best romance MCs I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

Moreover none of the characters are overly oblivious and know what a certain reaction means. One particular scene that stuck out for me was when Yuzu, our female lead shows off a new dress to Tamahiko and he blushes and says it looks ok. Yuzu, on the other hand, knows immediately he is just shy and responds appropriately hehe. That scene gave me a lot of serotonin.

My enjoyment was a 10 without question. There wasn't a single moment I felt bored and the character interactions made me feel all sorts of emotions. For my first weekly based experience it was absolutely a joy.

In the end I gave it a 10. I would've loved to see a marriage and kids of course but still what we had in the end was a happy ending that was deserved and for me that deserves a 10!

If you are looking for an anime to reset or chill out or relax this is the perfect one. There is drama but nothing that stops your heart. Hehe. DO give it a watch!

One of my favourite. Everyone talks about AOT, demon slayer, jujutsu kaisen... But this one is too a masterpiece like them. It went all the way through my nerve and made my day. The plot is so good and heartwarming that it made me cry some of the time. There is no ntr, love triangle or harem. So the romance is pretty innocent and heartwarming. I love this anime very much. Really hoping that there will be a season 2 since there is further story in manga.

I think the rating of theis anime should be higher since there is very few romance anime with ntr(indirectly ... ntr). It is my humble request for season 2. Really looking forward to it.

Yeah ik she's technically a loli, but the setting is in 1920 and it's Japan, anything goes.


So, Taishou Otome is a beautiful piece of art if you like romcoms, if you don't, then why are you watching this? This isn't a show with super deep characters and real relationship problems, it's a wholesome show. It gives us an escape from the harsh reality, and brings us into this perfect world of wholesomeness.

This show is VERY wholesome, it gives us all that warm feeling, and of you're thinking "Oh but this is a dream scenario and this would never happen", yes I know, but that doesn't ... make the show bad. The show is a representation on how love for another can change you and give your life purpose.

The plot mainly follows Tamahiko and Yuzu, the two have a master servant relationship at first, but as the show progresses, they become lovers. Unlike most romcoms, they actually become a couple pretty early on in the show, (by 'couple', I mean them having mutual love, because by Yuzu being sent there, they are technically already a couple) leaving room for challenges and development unique to couples. The show introduces new characters as it goes on, and each have an impact on the two, especially Tamahiko. We feel satisfaction in seeing Tamahiko grow as a person and learn to go out of his way to help others. So basically, it's a show about the life of a couple.

The characters, we're given a bunch, and they all have pretty good depth and development. First is Tamahiko, pessimist mc who hates everything and bla bla. Some people can probably relate to him, he basically got disowned and lost everything, but got saved by the light that is Yuzu. His character growth and willingness to change because of Yuzu is just beautiful to watch. We get to see him make use of his talents and that really gave me satisfaction. Though he can be very annoying and edgy, overall, a very good mc. Next is Yuzu, I was about to give this show an 8, but ep 12 gave us more depth to Yuzu so now it's a 9. So, Yuzu is basically the perfect partner, always joyful and willing to help, her she is a spring storm that clears out the sadness and brings us to the light. At the start she was a servant, whose sole purpose was to aid Tamahiko, but Tamahiko and her break out of their roles and fall in love with each other. In short, she should've got more depth in the middle episodes, but this is fine too. Third, is the side characters they basically cause early drama, then become friends with the couple. They all have the same purpose; to make Tamahiko grow as a person, but they feel unique and fresh, and all have their own struggles that Tamahiko helps with. Last is the antagonist, the dad that disowned him, he's basically a asshole who is just a terrible father. There isn't much depth to him, but that's fine because he's attitude is all we need to know, he's an authority and everyone feels uneasy when they're around him. In short, a wide variety of characters with unique emotions and nice depth.

This show doesn't lack problems though. They don't really impact the story as much and aren't conflicting with the main purpose of the show, but I have to point them out. First is the unfulfilled plot points with potential, Ryo's dad, a longer look into the Shima household and a more in-depth backstory of Yuzu. The show could've showed more of this and balanced it with the main story, but didn't', the end product was still good though. Then, there's the final confrontation with the dad, it felt kinda anti-climactic and was lacking in many elements, but what Tamahiko did really showed massive growth and development, so that scene wasnt' useless. All these problems could be solved with a second season, but it's a very slim chance. :(

So overall, this show is a very wholesome warm romcom that has a good message, and is filled with well-written characters and balances with the daily couple stuff. Romcoms like these will always have a special place in my heart, they're an escape and gives a great feeling after every episode. Great anime.

This is the kind of show that, if written by a man, would’ve been rightly viewed as an incel fantasy about having a submissive, underaged fuckdoll. However, it’s written by a woman, so it should therefore be viewed as a controlling female fantasy about a short, maidenly goody two-shoes healing her tall, rich, handsome man-baby whose emotionally vulnerability pushes him to rely on her for everything, gazing at no woman other than her. Most of the anime community is male, and most of these men aren’t exactly rolling in women, so the resulting subculture is one that has a warped, rose-tinted view of female literature. ... You’ll often hear people express sentiments like: “Anime is misogynistic. Most anime and manga authors are otaku manchildren, and all they want is to create female characters who appeal to their perverted fantasies.” Indeed, these opinions may seem hard to dispute, because while the part about the entire medium being misogynistic is debatable, the part about male authors often not knowing how to write female characters definitely isn’t. However, my personal favorite is this: “Men are not socialized to recognize uncomplicated, unsexual fondness for a female character, and their association with fiction proves this.” Say whatever you want about contemporary ideology cultivating the belief that men are primitive beasts who should be degraded into thinking of themselves as rapist monsters—I’m not trying to start irrelevant controversy here—but this opinion is the epitome of what I’m talking about. The people of this community, both the outnumbered girls and the boys who outnumber them, simply know nothing of popular female literature.

There are literary masterpieces written by women just as there are literary masterpieces written by men (I hope that goes without saying), but there’s a very glaringly obvious reason that—oh, I don’t know—the Fifty Shades of Grey book series sold over 150 million copies worldwide. Let me ask, have you ever read any manga aimed at Japanese women? Literally 99% of them feature women embracing traditional roles and following the lead of a dashing older man, 99.9% of their doujins foster smutty dreams about being submissive fuckdolls, and anything which doesn’t feature a female MC is almost guaranteed to be fujoshi trash. When I went to go see Promare, the theater wasn’t filled with old-ass Gainax nerds hyped about the next big Imaishi project. It was filled with teenage girls shrieking at the screen, acting just as obsessive, shameless, and depraved as ANY male otaku I’ve EVER seen at ANY idol concert. Gosh, just thinking about what the theatre audience must be like for My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission makes my skin crawl. Now listen. I’m not trying to make this a competition, but the point is made: BOTH sexes are filled with antisocial degenerates possessed with lurid fantasies and their own preferences for fanservice. This might shock you, but different women have different tastes and different forms of pandering media. Some like, "being swept away by a domineering ikemen who competes with other ikemen to claim my heart and bend me over,” and others like, “healing a broken boy so he falls in love with me instead of one of those other sluts competing for his attention.” Taisho Otome Otogibanashi just happens to fall in the latter category.

And I’m not saying any of this to detract from the show. If you can tell a compelling story based around fetishistic wish-fulfillment, that’s awesome. I just wanted to articulate the fact that, yes, this show is rooted in trashy sexual fantasies, just not the male kind which you may be tempted to think. The real reason I’m giving this show such a low score is much more simple: it’s just boring and ugly. Yuzuki Tachibana, our lovely fourteen year old protagonist, gets sold and married off to Tamahiko Shima, the seventeen year old edgelord who’s totally not just going through a phase, Mom, I swear! Seriously, the first episode opens with this edgy grainy filter and overdramatic letterbox over the entire screen while Tamahiko narrates his tragic backstory, and the second Yuzu shows up on screen, the grainy filter and letterboxed margins disappear. At that moment I realized this show would continue to have the subtlety of a brick to the face, and this is a problem not only with the symbolism, but also with every character and every single piece of dialogue. Its historical setting can be mildly interesting in ways I’ll talk about in a second, but the actual elements of the show just come across like those of a generic, modern day highschool romcom. If you’re comfortable viewing this as the non-pornographic fetish-fantasy which it’s clearly supposed to be for reasons aforementioned, then great, but that’s not what I signed up for, and if you don’t feel like projecting yourself onto the submissive maiden or the edgy boy in need of your womanly healing, what you’re left with is two boring, one-dimensional characters whose dramatic backstories add little to the tedium of their lives.

Its presentation is also terribly lackluster, and since the animation itself is pretty shoddy, the whole show often borders on being downright ugly. The color design just ruins everything. I never thought I’d live to see the day where I recommend Demon Slayer of all things, but that show legitimately does have a much better color scheme to fit the Taisho era (it’s also a convenient example to use because literally everyone has seen it). In the manga, everyone’s hair and clothes are shaded with much deeper and darker blacks, but everything in the anime has a color palette leaning more toward grey, and the whole show just looks kind of washed out as a result. However, while I still think it looks bad on an artistic level, it was this hazy presentation which got me thinking about something much more interesting, and the only element of this show which I actually really liked. This show is called Taisho Otome Otogibanashi, A Taisho Maiden’s Fairytale, and the more I watched, the more I got the feeling this title was supposed to be interpreted not simply as a romantic hook to bait viewers in, but as a literal description of the story, because in context, the show itself feels like a fairy tale. Taisho Otome Otogibanashi, the manga, has a sequel called Showa Otome Otogibanashi, and in it, the two lovers meander around a rapidly radicalizing imperial society, deeply depressed, and actively wanting to commit double suicide, and while we were comparing that manga with this one on /a/, someone posted this greentext as a joke:
>extremely cute and vanilla love story
>followed by an edgy as fuck sequel where main characters want to kill themselves
>extremely liberal and democratic era
>followed by an edgy as fuck era where everyone becomes imperialist war criminals
Now, while this greentext did directly inspire the thematic interpretation I’m about to discuss, it’s also extremely reductionist. Describing Taisho as an “extremely liberal and democratic era” is over-stating things a lot. It's definitely true that the Taisho period saw a lot of political and social movements towards liberal democracy and attempts at government reform, but on the whole, the era is better characterized as chaotic and unstable, plus these movements and reforms never really coalesced into any lasting form, all the while suppression acts like the Peace Preservation Law were being passed in order to consolidate power away from the people and more toward police and military factions. This is why from the turn of the 19th century all the way up until the end of the war, the technological development of the Japanese countryside was nearly a century behind that of the cities, because all their resources were being devoted to capitalizing on the nationalism of the Meiji Restoration, industrializing the nation’s heartland, and modernizing the nation’s military—which the government had long since lost control over—for the sole purpose of creating and expanding an empire and becoming a world power as quickly and aggressively as humanly possible, over a hundred years after the initial industrial revolution took place, leaving the old isolationist Japan in the dust. The history lesson I’m giving you right now may feel exhaustive for a MAL review, especially one concerning a fetish show like this, but I promise this is all relevant.

The earthquake featured in episodes ten and eleven was a real event called The Great Kanto Earthquake. In the show, we’re treated to scenes of everyone coming together, hugging it out, and aiding in the relief effort, but in real life, ultranationalist cells among the military police force in the city center were working with civilian vigilantes to take advantage of the chaos and use it as a pretext to massacre political dissidents and commit ethic cleansing against thousands of Koreans living in the region. Thinking about it more soberly, Taisho would be better described as an era of idealism and hope for change, and this is why I feel this story works so well as a literal fairy tale (otogibanashi) of the Taisho era. Considering the fetishistic nature of the series I discussed in the first two paragraphs, it can also be said that, in a meta sense, this show acknowledges the proliferation of smutty literature that occurred throughout Taisho. A great deal of erotic poems and stories got popular as a result of the influx of laxer social standards, and the increased popularity of female authors also had a huge impact since libidinous poetry was especially popular among female readership. On top of all of this, it was also the era in which love marriages started to be more idealized over arranged marriages, which is obviously a huge theme in this particular story. I don’t know, maybe I’m overthinking this and giving the author WAY too much credit, but either way, I think it’s a cool way to view the series, because as far as simple naming schemes go, it's honestly really clever. Now we just need Heisei Otome Otogibanashi about a loveless marriage between a salaryman and a sengyo-shufu. Forget historical commentary, the doujins practically write themselves.

Thank you for reading.

The animation is pretty mediocre. No real flash to any of the scenes, character animation is just alright. Although the backgrounds are actually pretty solid. The characters are not all that impressive either, they're not shallow as a puddle, but they are not incredibly deep. The story has decent premise and leads to some fun hijinks, but that being said it's not too involved. The pacing is good for the most part, but the middle struggles a bit. Voice acting is pretty average. It's not lifeless, but it's also not at all impressive. The soundtrack is pretty good and the op/ed is also decent. Overall ... it's cute and I enjoyed it, but it felt a little dull. The voice acting plus the mediocre character animation just made the entire thing feel a little lifeless. I think that was really what held this anime back, a lack of effort in some key areas. Voice acting and character animation might not seem like a big deal, but they impact the ability of the show to move the audience. It's a rom/com drama, so I expect to be moved a bit more and I felt this was somewhat lacking in that area. 6.4/10

Wow just Wow. My gosh this was a masterpiece.
If you are looking for a feel good motivational anime this one is going to be right up your alley. The characters were amazing the MC’s growth through the 12 episodes was phenomenal and the heroine was just perfect. The art/animation was a straight up 10/10. The fact that this came out in 2021 and all the backgrounds were hand drawn and not a single bit of CG. The music was fantastic the op and the ed were great to listen to, I never once felt like skipping either one. It takes place in 1920’s Japan ... and well I am not going to give any more away cause I think its a must watch. No episode over stayed its welcome honestly a perfect 12 episode anime. I really want to read the manga for this one I need more of these two. 9/10

Ever had a knee jerk reaction just from a show's opening?

That's Taishou for me. A story about a sad boy being sad and the /manic pixie/ dream girl that "saves" him. I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s. This genre was practically invited back then and it completely saturated the market back in the day. I guess Japan, like Disney, really is 20 years behind trends...

Now the catch here is that she's a granny. Nope, that's it. Think of the ideal grandma, the sweet one that does all the housework perfectly, makes the best food and can sew. Yeah, now place ... her in a childlike body and you have this show. Because heaven forbid we don't infantilize women. Sorta made worse by having the boy practically tower over her, I get that tall = handsome is most Otome stories but this just looks like a pedo entrapment show!

The rest is what you'd expect from this kind of story really. /manic/ is loved by all from the start, super happy all the time even when it makes no sense for her to be and she saves sad boy by bringing him out of his shell. In return sad boy is handsome, super tall, rich, gets good grades and is the author's ideal only with better hair.

And here is the issue I have with this trope. The characters are empty. Sad Boy usually feels more real since we get his inner monologue in stories like this but Manic doesn't really have her own identity, she is whatever will make sad boy happy (bra size included!). It makes sense that she was "bought" for him now doesn't it... By the way I find it problematic that this premise is ok in this day and age. It's a common one is BL to force the couple together but in a supposed romantic show??? There is some lip service paid towards this but that's all it amounts to, lip service.

It gets a few points since some of the situations are cute. Also the old timey 1920s aesthetic is charming and does work with manic's grandma persona. Over all it's not too bad but if you're not into this specific trope then you won't like it.

The Perfect Waifu Doesn’t Exi-

I’ve been trying to really think hard about why I shouldn’t give Taishou Maiden Fairytale a 10/10 because this probably one of the most underrated, wholesome and sweetest rom-com shows of the fall season NAY, of 2021!

Whilst most rom-com anime take place in a high school and need to rely on gimmicks to break away from it’s contemporaries (unless the anime in question is really well written) Taishou Maiden Fairytale is set in a 1900’s era village in the mountains of Chiba were Tamahiko Shima lives alone in an isolated manor after being exiled from his wealthy family for the ... crime of being involved in an accident and losing the ability to use his right hand. Riddled with anxiety and depression he spends many sleepless nights wishing he were dead until one day Yuzuki, who was sold to Tamahiko’s father to pay off her own fathers debts comes to his home to asset him and to become his future wife. The two start off awkward with each other at first. Tamahiko can’t quite grasp Yuzuki’s positive, bubbly outlook and willingness to help him, but slowly they start to become more accustom to one another as they spend more time together and that eventually ends up leading to a very well paced and very rewarding romance and character development.

There’s not a huge cast of characters to get in the way of the main couple either. Tamahiko and Yuzuki spend a lot of time alone together without interruption and there’s no harem to distract from the main couple.
Yuzuki is the cinnamon roll to end all cinnamon rolls and is a factual waifu. Deciding to make the best from the hand she had been dealt she’s very kind, nurturing, adorable and funny which contrasts well with Tamahiko who is pessimistic and socially awkward after being isolated for so long thanks to his father. After he realises how much Yuzuki is a positive influence on his life he tries to slowly change and be better for her.
The rest of the cast are also just as fun to be around though you have to warm up to Tamahiko’s sister and Ryou after they give really bad first impressions.

The show is also really pretty. Really nice water colour backgrounds give the impression of an 1900’s painting and the characters put in front of those backgrounds are expressive and vibrant. There’s even some light bits of sakuga used to emphasis certain scenes, usually Yuzuki getting flustered over something.

This show is fucking adorable and I love it. If you’re into your rom-coms you’ve got to check this one out. It’s up there with this years Horimiya, Nagatoro and Fruits Basket as a must watch.

10/10 Practically Perfect.

Has anyone else noticed the ending credits song? Incorporates Jackson 5's song "ABC" and Gloria Estefan's "1-2-3" with a Japanese pop singer - pretty good mix there. (I'm a millennial, but my dad used to play in a band at bars when I was a kid, so it stuck out.)

This show at times is funny, other times heartwrenching. I usually go with isekai anime because life sucks (you're not the only one who feels that way, Tamahiko), but after reading the description, tried something new, and this one's worthwhile.

[Review filler nonsense below, no need to read below]
... And wow, just went to hit "Submit" for ... the review, and MAL wants a longer review, as if this were some time of fine-dining restaurant where you're obligated to describe every aspect of something, so I guess I'll just finish off this sentence and hit Submit again, as if that stupid requirement is useful or meaningful in any way whatsoever.

It was not part of my plans to write a review for this anime but Oh boy! IT IS SO WHOLESOME and I love it.

The anime bought me since the first chapter, and I am just 4 chapters in. The story may be simple, but the main couple is just.......so cute together and compliment each other so well. I am looking forward to more interactions among them and the chaos that I can foresee (other characters bringing).

The art is ok and I love the main girl's design. Sound is ok.

This is definitely one of the gems of this season and I'm looking forward to more ... episodes. Each episode of this show makes my Fridays better.

Taishou Maiden Fairy Tale, a feel good romance that made me tear up so much it wasn't even funny. If you like wholesome, cute romance shows, this show is definitely for you. Furthermore, it's a historical romance, which isn't seen very often, so it's quite unique.

My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Comedic/Romance themes /20

STORY: 17/25

Although not anything special, it hits some good notes. The main character, Tamahiko Shima, lost his use of his right hand in an accident, and got cruelly neglected by his family, and naturally developed depression and thinks that he's a useless human being, until ... a girl appears at his door, that girl being Yuzuki Tachibana, a very upbeat and caring girl. It turns out she was sold for money, to pay off a debt to the Shima family, but even though that was the case, we never saw Yuzu complain, and the two shared a home together, bonding in the process. There's some conflict though, as characters disrupt their seemingly peaceful life, and the earthquake that occurred in the Taisho era was obviously seen as well. Overall, a very wholesome story, and while predictable, it does its job well as a romance story.

ART: 9/10

Pretty normal animation, but I enjoyed it.

MUSIC: 8.8/10

Soundtrack was good, and the use of "Hoshi no Yo" was very interesting.

CHARACTERS: 16.2/20

First of all, Yuzu is undoubtedly my BEST GIRL. She is so upbeat, and in my times of pain, I wish I had a girl like Yuzu around me, and I bet most of you think the same way. She helped Tamahiko develop a liking for humans, and helped him realize that not all people are like his dad and his family who disowned him. Outside the main cast, we have other characters like Ryo, Kotori, and Tamahiko's sister, Tamako. Unfortunately, they aren't developed much, but I think they complement the main cast well enough. I'm also glad the show wasn't just sunshine and rainbows and that there was a bit of conflict in there, with some slight relationship issues, and an earthquake to boot (very historically accurate btw). Anyways, lots of smiles from me when watching these characters.

ENJOYMENT: 14.5/15

It was so wholesome sometimes it made me tear up. I dunno why, but shows about family and wholesome relationships make me very happy.

COMEDIC/ROMANTIC THEMES: 18.4/20

Comedy hits in a simplistic manner, but pretty nicely between the wholesome moments. The romance is quite beautiful indeed, and it was nice watching two characters bond without much of the normal anime ecchi shots. I always enjoy a bit of wholesome romance, rather than all the other types of tension, if you know what I mean. The relationship between Yuzu and Tamahiko made me cry multiple times, it was really a good bond.

OVERALL: 8.39/10

The story was a bit predictable and simplistic, but it doesn't take away from the fact that this is an amazingly feel-good and wholesome historical romance story. If you like wholesome romance, definitely give this show a go. You won't regret it. YUZU BEST GIRL!

Looking for a romantic anime with a relaxed feel? I think this anime is the answer!

As the title suggests, this anime will be set in the Taisho era.
Honestly I'm a little confused about what to say about this anime, I know this anime is good, and it was recommended by me, but I have a hard time finding the right words to describe how good it is, and looking at the number of recommended reviews which is relatively small, while the score is quite high, maybe some of them feel the same way I do, it's hard to describe in words.
So I'll just give you ... a few key points, and hopefully this will help.

First, in terms of graphics, this anime has graphics that are not disappointing, and are very pleasing to the eye.

Second, it has a pretty good art style, the character details are not the best, but I think this is more than enough.

Third, the storyline is quite interesting, relaxed, but not too long-winded and not boring to watch.
The story is so relatable to the audience, and sometimes I feel like crying a little seeing the sad story in it.

Fourth, I think this is the most important point, namely the song sung by Shiratori Kotori, The songs he sang were very deep, and very suitable to bring us back to the time when we were in love, or other touching nuances (fill in yourself) In fact, I often play songs from Shiratori Kotori whenever I'm relaxing or doing other activities.
This song really takes me back to the Taisho era.

The downside for me is the opening and ending songs, because they seem too cheerful or have a happy tone, while the story in this anime is mostly sad.
So I think the opening and ending songs don't fit together in this anime.

This was one of the most heart warming and amazing animes to grace this planet this year. The build up of anxiety, fear, and pessimism from episode 10 and 11 that had us biting our fingers, desperately hoping and praying for yuzu to be alive. The heart warming ending of episode 12 showing how tamahiko has finally found a man in himself, his dedication to live his life for yuzu and yuzu's unfaltering, unwavering, and unconditional love towards tamahiko. This anime is so deserving of a second season. In fact, the preposterous rating of 7.75/10 on myanimelist.net is utterly insulting to the point of near ... disrespect. This anime deserves a minimum of 8/10 . The story, the characters, the relationships. Its been a long time since i've finished an anime in one sitting, this anime kept me captivated through the little trivial moments full of cute interactions between the two protagonists, through the pessimistic downfalls of the Hero, and through the purest of love demonstrated by the Heroine. This anime is a work of art.

The realistic aspects of this anime (The Great Kanto Earthquake) showed how a regular japanese couple at the time may have experienced life, the thought of losing someone so dear to you in the blink of an eye. The though of searching endlessly just to be met with disappointment and sad world breaking news.

The string of thoughts that come after finishing this anime makes you feel a sense of euphoria yet also a deep sense of sympathy and pity. Though surviving the Great Kanto Earthquake, Tamahiko and Yuzuki will be forced into hell as their world shatters once again in WWII. Tamahiko will be forced to conscription, possible and more than likelly losing his life in the war. Yuzuki's life will not be much less agonizing than his, she may have to endure rape and subsequently murder.

Reading these reviews sure makes me sad about the state of our world. So much bitterness and anger, so much jaded cynicism and looking to attack others, that we can't even enjoy an anime such as this one without throwing around terms like Misogynistic, Predator, Lolicon, Female Fantasy, Male Fantasy, Feminazi, etc... It's ridiculous, man. Have we gotten to a point where we can't even watch what is basically a modern day studio Ghibli film without pulling the proverbial knives out?

This anime was a lovely anime about a teenager who was viciously abused emotionally by his family and outcasted for being soft, long before ... he was hurt in a car crash. It's about this boy finding hope in a girl (who is only 2-3 years his junior) who his father bought him to take care of him because he only has one working arm. That turned out to be the only good thing he did for him, for the most part, because the girl he sent was strong underneath such adversity as literal debt slavery in the mountains, that she passed on that love and strength to a mentally shattered boy. They overcome being sold off and abandoned by their parents in the mountains, and grow to have a full life of friends and love in spite of their circumstances.

How in the hell does this kind of story become such a lightning rod for criticism? It's not like it was endorsing the girl being sold. The most villainous dude in the anime did it, the MC tried to get her to leave almost immediately and she refused, and people still criticized him in the village for it. It clearly isn't endorsing buying child slaves for other children. It's just how the time was back then. Is Yuzu over-the-top sweet? Yes. But, these are anime characters. Not human beings. They aren't meant to behave like human beings. They are meant to be caricatures that amplify human traits in order to connect us emotionally to a story. Seriously, if Yuzu acted like a regular human, then where is the story? Because she immediately thinks the MC is a weirdo shut-in and then takes off episode one if she's a regular human girl. The second he offers her freedom from the arrangement, she's gone. And the anime ends in 10 minutes.

Hell, maybe it's because I'm older, but pedophilia never even crossed my mind. I just saw a 17 and 15 year old going through a puppy love stage that reminded me of young love I had when I was that age. It was sweet. And even managed to throw in some decent suspense at the end. How does liking an anime with zero sex or nudity and 2-3 kisses between two animated teenagers make me a pedophile of some kind? I don't get this world anymore and I'm not even a boomer. This was a great anime. It had character depth and development in its main character, it had a nice pacing to it, the music was lovely and story had the right blend of comedy, romance and drama. Animes like these are why I still give Slice of Life anime a chance.

Story: 10
Art: 7
Sound: 10
Character: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10

Honestly I cannot believe how much they ruined this from such a great beginning.

I really don't recommend this one, because there are just better shows with same idea. Tonikawa being one of them.

At first, I liked Taishou more. It had some dark elements mixed in with wholesome stuff, which meant wholesome moments felt more real. Main lead was lovely and their interaction was cute, and love as a feeling wasn't forced.
But, for unknown reason author decided to introduce new character every new episode. Is it bad in general? It isn't.
Then why is it bad here? Because introducing characters that are toxic towards main lead with ... overforced sad backstory/personality is just lazy writing for unnecessary drama.

Art/animation are nothing worth mentioning, its average.

Sound is good, but it doesn't stand out.

How should you watch this shitshow? Watch first 2 episodes to get introduced to backstory of both leads then read last chapter of manga. It will put your mind at ease, and you won't be introduced to lazy writing.