Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei

Jul 21, 2014

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Vene (All reviews)

902 people found this review helpful

~Multilingual review, English & Español: The Tatami Galaxy~.

Life wouldn't be less than a simple and plain matter of choices, wherever our life is right now is due to the choices we've made in the past, we're doing and we'll probably make in the future, considering everything said "Life" would just be an abbreviation of the sum of choices we've made up until now.

So...?

Have you ever thought about them?, the choices you've made I mean, I’m pretty sure everyone have dedicated, at least a little moment of their time, to muse about the choices we've made so far in our lives, important or mundane read more

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Jul 2, 2010

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Detective (All reviews)

568 people found this review helpful

I don't mean to get deep and definitely not right off the bat, but it's pretty true that small events can change the course of your life whether you're aware or not and that is what Yojou-han Shinwa Taikei (or the 4.5 Tatami Mat Galaxy) is all about. Sure it's also about pleasing your Johnny, hijacking blimps, engaging in prank wars, being ripped off by fortune tellers, joining the local power ranger squad, and eating cats and castella, but that's all trivial. Brought to you by the same guy who brought you Mind Game, Cat Soup, and Kaiba, Masaaki Yuasa, brings you what I would like to refer to as his best work yet.

Story: 9/10
A nameless protagonist, referred to as Watashi ('I') by himself, has just entered college, and the story more or less follows his many lives and many misfortunes. Each episode starts with Watashi pursuing something inane or stupid - like a "rose-colored campus life" or "raven-haired maidens" and in each episode his friend Ozu, manages to somehow screw everything up. I say friend in the lightest sense of the term, because Ozu isn't really anyone's friend. He's a backstabbing punk who just loves to terrorize people, and he always manages to infect Watashi in one way or another, usually ending up driving him away from his goal. Along Watashi's trip across the Tatami Galaxy you're introduced to many different people, and in each life, a different story unfolds. Each story is unrelated other than by starting the same way at first glance, but you'll start noticing some patterns, and eventually it brings you to one of the most impressive endings I have ever seen. If I were to tag a genre to this anime I'd first have to say it's a slice-of-life comedy, then mystery, but it's also a really great psychological anime. It's incredibly dialogue heavy, and the first three minutes of episode one has the most text I've ever seen in an anime. That being said it can be very easy to lose track of what is going on, but if you're on your feet then you shouldn't get lost too easily.

Art: 10/10
Yojou-han is brought to you by MadHouse, which is known for it's diverse art style and in this anime's case it is either defined as pretentious or glorious. I would like to call it the latter. It's non-traditional and is unlike any other anime in existence, seriously. It's like Mononoke when Mononoke was new, it can amaze people, or turn people the heck away. It's a very vibrant anime, and everything is so fluid - movement looks just splendid. For those faint of eyes, be wary, Yojou-han Shinwa Taikei may not be the anime for you.

Sound: 9/10
Well, there's a song about shapes in an early episode. That was like, totally freaking awesome. How many anime have songs about shapes? Unless Fullmetal Alchemist the Musical is coming out anytime soon, I think that's about a zero other than Yojou-han. The opening is amazing, and Asian Kung-Fu Generation does a great job (It's called "Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat"). I believe it's their first opening for a non-shonen show. The ending is amazingly well positioned (you'll see what I mean) and the first time you hear it I promise you'll get a small shiver. The singer is the same who sang the Arakawa Under the Bridge opening, Etsuko Yakushimaru. The voice acting for every character is of course, awesome as well. Watashi does most of the talking and I was considering favoriting his voice actor (Shintaro Asanuma) just because I liked to hear him talk. The background music is the only flaw sound-wise. There really isn't much to listen to, and even if their is, I probably didn't notice, because between following the dialogue and looking at the art, it's pretty hard to manage a third element.

Character: 10/10
I've already explained who Watashi is, but let me tell you a little more. Watashi likes shortcuts and doesn't like working, and almost can be seen as a lazy Ozu. Ozu is our antagonist most of the time. He's the downright rotten scoundrel who always leads our poor Watashi astray, and usually ends up profiting off of it. I called Watashi a "lazy Ozu" a moment ago because Watashi isn't an innocent little bird, he's just too lazy to put his efforts into anything other than his hobbies. Akashi, the somewhat romantic interest, is a girl who loathes moths and is bluntly cold to everyone around her. Kind of like Senjogahara (from Bakemonogatari), but easier to cope with. She's pretty funny herself, but all the characters are. We have the doll-fanatic Jougasaki, the drunk and elder Hanuki who likes to speak broken engrish, the Master Higuchi, who is an 8th year graduate who plans to travel the world, and multitudes of others (like Watashi's Johnny (see Eden of the East)). The character development is insanely good too. This anime is about Watashi's little foray of self realization, thusly he gets the most character development, but never have I seen it done so well.

Enjoyment: 10/10
An anime that can create a macrocosm within itself is an anime to be trifled with. It sets the stage with brilliant characters and visuals, brings hilarious moments throughout, and manages to deliver numerous meaningful messages. Is there a perfect world? Will I be happier with more money and women? Will I be happier doing what people say I should? Yeah. It's pretty damn complex. It's as thought provoking as Kaiba while bringing the comedy of Gintama. I think it's safe to leave it at that.

Overall: 10/10
No fanservice, no lolis, no moe, no ultra-violence, no regrets. It's intelligent without being snobby, it's stupid without being idiotic, and it's appealing without being inappropriate.

To sum it up, I think you should just try it out. It's only 11 episodes, and I think for the one season range of anime, this is one of the best out there.

Destiny is always dangling right in front of you, so why not reach out and grab this anime?

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Sep 6, 2018

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 4

Karhu (All reviews)

266 people found this review helpful

I watched Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei back in 2011. I was a noob and thought it was a masterpiece and the best thing ever. Recently, I rewatched it and came to realize that it was just the wannabe-elitist in me thinking this show is any good. It's basically the same as Sword Art Online, just the other end of the same shit-stick.

The story of this series is identical to Endless Eight from Suzumiya Haruhi S02. Only this time it is apparently meaningful and deep and provokes some thoughts in people. All I see is yet another teenage drama aimed for people who are lost in read more

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Nov 14, 2010

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Lindle (All reviews)

365 people found this review helpful

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (or The Tatami Galaxy) is an anime about a university student stuck in a Groundhog Day-esque time loop. In the span of each episode, our nameless main character (he is referred to as Watashi, basically meaning "myself") goes over the same two years of university, unaware of the loop, each time joining a different club, in search of a "rose-coloured campus life".

Yojouhan is a rare example of a series with time loops where the loops themselves are actually played with. Throughout the 11 episodes, there are several different stories, but many of the episodes focus on the same stories as others. What makes these episodes work is that we see the stories from different angles. In some episodes, we see segments of the story that aren't entirely clear, though at the time are not distracting. In later episodes, these plot points are often explained when Watashi's perspective changes and we see what actually happened. The best part of this, though, is that every episode lends pieces to a larger story. While the series is episodic, what we see effectively falls into place like a jigsaw puzzle, all coming to fruition in the final episode making for one of the most satisfying conclusions I've ever seen.

As a result of this, the first few episodes of the series don't make complete sense. They come off as being more abstract than part of an actual plot, but as the series goes on the beginning is referred to in a way that makes this start a vital piece of the puzzle. However, the start is hardly a throwaway. While not as strong as the rest of the series upon viewing, the bizarre and abstract style make the beginning an enjoyable watch anyway.

On that note, the way the series is presented is part of the genius. Upon starting the show, the first thing that will strike you is undoubtedly the art. The characters are drawn in an oddly cartoony way, using only one-tone colours for the art and having a rubbery kind of movement to them. This seems like an odd choice, but it does help to draw you into the unique world of Yojouhan, and later in the story it even gets used for plot purposes. This is also combined with a lot of black and white live-action shots, wherein the characters are sometimes drawn over the actors.

The strange presentation doesn't stop there, though. One strange feature of Yojouhan is that Watashi is very fond of monologuing, in a way very reminiscent of Kyon (from the Haruhi Suzumiya series, in case you've been living under a rock). He does so, however, at a very high speed. If the show has a fault, it is this, but it's more of a double-edged sword than a flaw outright. For people who aren't great at reading, the high speed of the subtitles can often make the things Watashi says hard to keep up with, but it's rarely overwhelming. On the plus side of it, it helps to keep the pacing of Yojouhan fast, which keeps the series interesting, an important factor in a series that is driven with an abundance of dialogue (excellent though the dialogue may be).

For a show that could have easily been dull or just weird if it had been handled wrongly, it only makes sense that even more precautions are made to make sure that there isn't a dull second in Yojouhan, as evidenced by the motormouthed narration. What helps with this is that rather than being thrown into an entirely new plot every time, there are a few elements that remain the same throughout every story. The beginning and end of each episode are usually the same, as well as Watashi's meeting with a fortune teller. This helps the viewer to keep a pace with the series, which may have been otherwise hard to do.

The characters of Yojouhan aren't really the focus point, but they aren't an afterthought by any means. While each member of the cast is a vibrant and distinctive individual in of themselves, the actual characterisation isn't really the strong point of the characters, but rather how they are used. Just like the story, each character and their actions throughout the two years are explained slightly more with each new perspective. This ends with more or less every character coming out good, but one character in particular sticks out as being an excellent example of defied expectations, showing their nature as a 3-dimensional character as we see their story from each side fall into place. I won't spoil who it is, but anybody who has seen the series should know who I mean. Watashi himself, while an unremarkable person, is hard not to like for his enjoyable musings and relatable situations, and as the series goes on he does develop well, if not remarkably so.

Of course, the time loops persist for as long as Watashi continues to miss the proper way to live the two years, with conclusions that have been dangling in front of his eyes the whole time. Some of the conclusions become expected after a mere few episodes, but other, more important ones (as well as the entire point of the time loops) are less obvious and yet no less excellent.

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is an exercise in series structure unlike anything before it. The way the entire series is built comes off as nothing short of genius. I have yet to see any of acclaimed director Yuasa Masaki's previous works, but Yojouhan makes it blatantly clear that he lives up to the reputation that precedes him. I can only hope Kaiba, Kemonozume and Mind Game are nearly as good as this, because now Masaki has set an excellent example of how to make a truly great, original anime.

Story/Plot: 10/10
Animation/Graphics: 9/10
Music/Background: 8/10
Characters: 9/10

Overall: 10/10

For Fans Of: Bakemonogatari, Welcome to the N.H.K!

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Jun 25, 2014

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

BlueEldur (All reviews)

279 people found this review helpful

I think I'm not in the wrong here when I say most of us have probably thought of the best way to live life at one time or another. That can mean what you want to be when you grow up, your dreams, ambitions, goals, what path you want to take, and what you envision it ending up life.

Tatami Galaxy's unnamed protagonist is one concerned with exactly that. In seek of that ideal life, he desperately repeats the first 2 years of his college life , searching for the "rose-colored campus life", and the "raven-haired maiden" that supposedly awaits him.

In doing so, he is able read more

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Jun 2, 2014

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 3

bellellis (All reviews)

180 people found this review helpful

J. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" despite being a novel intended for adults, in many ways laid the groundworks for the typical young adult story, where an above average intelligent teen tells about their life and problems, in a very self-conscious, humorously wanna-be literate way. Examples range from the now aging Adrian Mole books, to mostly anything by John Green, and the recent British film "Submarine". Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei, or Tatami Galaxy, is also a rendition of this trope, though seemingly with a pinch of some hallucinogenic drug.

The never named main character's story of university level loneliness, as it happens, is told with abnormally badly drawn characters, weird color use and bits of live action. Which might have been interesting under some circumstances, but only comes across as obnoxious combined with the vapid story carrying it all. Already from the first episode it's quite clear how Tatami Galaxy is going to end. The main character yearns for some imagined, idealized version of his university days while ignoring the attractive, very cool girl who is obviously into him, and depreciating the friends he does have. In other words, not something unhappy people can actually relate to, but an excuse for pretty much 10 episodes of the main character trying out different social environments, before he finally realizes his own stupidity. Of course, perhaps I'm wrong in taking it seriously, and all this might instead be an excuse for fun, but the humor is very repetitive. Not only because it's mostly the main character's constant, manic narration which really stops being amusing after an episode, never being particularly funny in the first place, but also because most of the silly situations and their two-dimensional characters are repeated in different ways, often leaving little room in each short episode for new things. Perhaps this is the reason it takes the main character so long to see the truth of his situation.

There is a single word, I believe, which describes this anime perfectly, and sufficiently, though I'm a bit reluctant to use it because a lot of people tend to bring it up whenever something is ambitious at all. This is fairly ungood, because I love animes, or pieces of any kind of media that try to do something out of the ordinary. Tatami Galaxy on the other hand, truly is "pretentious". With its fancy animation, aimless literary references, crazy symbolism, purposeful yet irritating repetitions, and what have you, it certainly presumes a lot about itself, wants to be seen as different and smart, only to end the banal way it was obvious it would from the beginning, having done nothing sensible in the meantime. Tatami Galaxy is truly a case of much style and no substance.

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Jul 31, 2013

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

AnimeCrusader (All reviews)

133 people found this review helpful

From time to time, I desire a show that will deliver a simple and grounded in reality plot in an unorthodox way with great success. Yes, you should already understand that Tatami Galaxy holds no need for superficial or amazing concepts to be successful, just a realistic story executed in a masterful way.

Story : 10 / 10 "Masterful"

Tatami Galaxy is set on a fictional universe, specifically a town, which seems pretty close to the modern Japanese towns. Our main character, Watashi, expects to find the rose colored campus life that he always dreamed of, entering a campus club. Instead, he finds mischief and disappointment in read more

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Jul 1, 2016

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Cynthesizer (All reviews)

75 people found this review helpful

Beware, spoiler-ish review.

It is a given that choices are very important for all of us, for just a minute of thought or two can change the outcome of many things in our lives, that be a relationship, that be a friendship, that be our well-being, anything I dare say. Before going to sleep, I personally reminisce of my actions, coming from my choices, which in turn come from my thoughts, and make a conclusion as of whether these actions were the right thing to do for myself. Ever thought of how much of a toll a choice can take in your life? Additionally, have you read more

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Jan 17, 2015

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Link_of_Hyrule (All reviews)

54 people found this review helpful

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**

There’s no such thing as a perfect anime; everybody knows that. Due to the fact that different human beings value very different things across all mediums of art, it is impossible to create a work that everybody will agree is flawless. However, there IS such a thing as an anime that could not possibly be more effective in the delivery of its narrative, characters, animation, themes, and soundtrack under the given circumstances; an anime that is as close to perfect as you can possibly get. That anime is called The Tatami Galaxy. There is little debate among those who have indulged in this brilliant creation that The Tatami Galaxy is an absolute masterpiece. It’s the hardest anime to criticize simply because it’s thematically bulletproof; the only possible criticisms that can be made of it boil down to personal preference and what YOU may or may not be partial to on a subjective level. Now, if all that is true, why has barely anyone seen this show? If it was THAT great, why isn’t it overwhelmingly popular? Well, the answer to that question supremely unjust, but unfortunately true: The Tatami Galaxy is very experimental. The reason you may not have even heard of this little gem before is because not everyone is going to be into its one-of-a-kind style or use of literary devices. However, even if you aren’t fond of its art direction or narrative presentation, it’s hard to refute that this is one of the greatest anime ever made. It accomplishes everything it ever set out to do with the utmost of ease and grace. It sets ambitious and perhaps unreasonable goals and then proceeds to effortlessly meet them. Presenting the most horrifyingly under-watched anime in history: The Tatami Galaxy.

Synopsis: A college dropout stops for a late night meal at his favorite ramen stand. There, he crosses paths with the self-proclaimed “god of matrimony”. This bizarre meeting sends the young man hurtling through a horrifying flashback to his not-so-glorious college days as he is forced to reflect upon where it all went wrong for him.

The Tatami Galaxy’s plot is essentially a far better written and much artsier version the movie Groundhog Day; the protagonist is forced to relive his college days over and over and over again, with each iteration ending in his complete and utter misery. However, in addition to providing the same level of comedy, this anime also manages to be overwhelmingly meaningful, brutally thought provoking, and nihilistically sobering. The Tatami Galaxy may seem like an innocent comedy with a fancy art style up until the last couple episodes, but make no mistake; this anime has so much explicit detail to it that it’s almost scary. It can only be described an absolute bombardment of symbols, themes, motifs, and imagery that you likely didn’t even notice until the final episodes, if you noticed it at all. For that reason, it is essentially mandatory to rewatch this show in order to truly get everything out of it, because you WILL be overwhelmed. It’s supposed to feel that way.

But what EXACTLY is this show about? Well, it’s about a lot of things. Namely, it’s about having respect for the choices you have made in your life and understanding the you need to take the good with the bad; there is no perfect, fairy-tale life style out there waiting for you. The message of this show is relatable to virtually everyone, but especially so for college students, considering that a university campus is the setting of The Tatami Galaxy. There are so many people out there who feel like they have lost their way or don’t know what they are doing with their life, stressing out over every single situation, agonizing over the fact that they can never achieve the “rose-colored” life they are so desperate to experience. Put simply, this is the story of man who is finding his way in life and discovering what it truly is to be happy. It’s both a charming, heart-warming tale and a realist’s harsh reality complete with the ups and downs that everyone can relate to. That’s why everyone should watch it.

If you HAD to put The Tatami Galaxy into a genre, it’s honestly closest to a comedy. Now, with that in mind, everybody knows that the most important aspect of a comedy (besides, well… the comedy) is the cast of characters. This puts The Tatami Galaxy in an interesting predicament, because its characters don’t serve nearly the same roles that they might serve in a more traditional comedy. Rather, the characters in this show are all symbols. Our protagonist, for example, doesn’t even have a name. The novel that this anime is based on (as in a REAL novel, not a light or visual novel) simply refers to him as “Watashi”, which makes the symbolism quite obvious. The rest of the cast, including Watashi’s love interest Akashi and his best friend Ozu are also allegorical, but I won’t go into detail on the subject for the sake of time and spoilers.

What makes The Tatami Galaxy’s characters so masterful is that not only do they execute their symbolic roles so masterfully, they also manage to have likable, charming personalities and add a lot of comedy to the show. While Watashi is without a doubt the most prominent and dynamic character, the side characters serve a purpose that is just as important: an emotional anchor. From episode to episode, seemingly everything around Watashi (i.e the eyes of the viewer) changes. His environment, his mental state, his hobbies, his pastimes, etc. all fluctuate superfluously, which can get chaotic. The only things we have as an audience to anchor us to reality, as in the only things that seem to NOT change episodically, are the side characters. Jougasaki’s eccentricities, Akashi’s hilarious fear of moths, and of course: Johnny. All of them serve as the only constants in an ever-changing world, and this technique was executed to perfection. By the end of the show, you feel like you personally know each and every character, particularly Watashi. Dare I say that you may feel as if you know him as well as you know yourself? In short, everything about this cast amazing; I can’t picture them being done any better.

The last wave of praise that I must pile upon this masterpiece is in regards to its one of a kind presentation. In terms of animation, there is NOTHING out there that’s even remotely comparable to The Tatami Galaxy. Not only does it use a wide variety of techniques, (including rotoscoping, which is seldom scene in the medium), it gets the absolute most out of them and creates a visually stunning product that you will never forget. Masaaki Yuasa is an absolute GENIUS. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING about this show’s visuals are flawlessly executed. Not only does it look good, it’s extremely fluent and meaningful. The Tatami Galaxy is perhaps the best example we’ve ever seen of visual storytelling and using animation to convey meaning without words, and that’s saying quite a lot. As for the soundtrack, I couldn’t have asked for anything more fitting. From jazz to soft rock to tracks that simply transcend genres, the OST never fails to set the mood, whether it be depression, hope, happiness, or anything else. Have I mentioned that both the OP and ED sequences are superbly directed and consist of fantastic songs in general? On a final note, I must point out that Shintaro Asanuma delivered what I consider to be one of the most impressive voice acting performances of all time as the character of Watashi. The speed, clarity, and tone in which he speaks is so alluring and impressive, which merely contributes to this show’s overall top-notch ability to present its story.

In conclusion, watch the Tatami Galaxy. You owe it to yourself as a fan of anime to witness arguably the premiere model of what the medium is truly capable of. It’s not for everyone, you might not love the art style, and you may not understand it the first time you watch it, but make no mistake: Those who are able and willing to digest the Tatami Galaxy will never forget it. The anime industry has never seen anything like it and it will never see anything like it again. This is without a doubt the finest example of how quality does not correlate with popularity. In case you take nothing else out of this review: WATCH. THIS. SHOW.

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Jun 22, 2010

9 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Fuzzen (All reviews)

52 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

From the critically acclaimed director Masaaki Yuasa comes an anime that defies the definition of conventional: The Tatami Galaxy provides a ride full of twists and turns, rewinds and jumps through time. Beautifully crafted and imbued with a comedic touch, The Tatami Galaxy explodes with energy, ultimately forming a dense and complex narrative that serves as the embodiment of good directing. Indeed, The Tatami Galaxy proves that animation is a viable medium in terms of both storytelling and visual appeal.

Upon first glance, what do you notice? Chances are it’s the art style. Similar to Yuasa’s previous works, The Tatami Galaxy features a unique, anomalous, but yet simple art style that never fails to evoke a sort of anger towards Yuasa among some anime fans, for many claim that they watch anime to get away from this very style; however, The Tatami Galaxy’s art style reasserts the classic saying that less is indeed more. The style itself is brimming with simplicity; characters are bestowed with one shading at all times, only the most dominant features are depicted, while chins, ears, adam’s apples, collarbones and other aspects of the body are forgotten, leaving the characters themselves appearing very flimsy, curvy and far from dynamic.

How, you may ask, does this advocate the fact that less is more? For those of you unaware of the mechanics behind the animation process, animators must draw a character numerous times, bearing the same proportions and details as the previous sketch. As a result of this, many animators spend their time copying over details from the preceding drawing rather than creating a sense of flow between them. On the contrary, The Tatami Galaxy’s simple style allows the animators to portray actions more fluidly and regularly than other shows. The condensed style is much faster to draw, and so the animators are given a chance to work without restraint, and that is absolutely what they do. Characters ricochet across the screen, a plethora of objects move at once, still frames are very limited, and unlike many other anime, budget does not act as a confinement for imagination.

I would also like to point out that, from a cinematic standpoint, this anime is incredibly well put together. Transitions between scenes flow brilliantly and scene composition is done with great expertise. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that The Tatami Galaxy is easily one of the most visually appealing works of animation that have ever graced this earth.

Does the theme of less being greater than more desist after moving away from the topic of art and animation? Well, not entirely. As the story progresses, or rather regresses, the characters are shown in varying situations that range from sad, hilarious to downright over the top. Rather than taking the time to elaborate as to what the character’s roots are, the show uses its recursive nature to build the character’s personalities and give them a good portion of depth. The characters themselves are all very likable and are drawn very smoothly. I especially enjoyed Ozu’s antithetical antics and Akashi’s icy yet affectionate attitude.

The stunning visuals are not the only thing The Tatami Galaxy has going for it; the voice actors pack great amounts of effort, emotion, and in some cases, speed, into their roles. The background music is also similar to the previously analysed categories in the sense that it follows the ‘less is more’ rule of the show. The Tatami Galaxy is at times silent, while at others calmingly quiet, but the rare fast-paced ensembles never fail to produce a sense of excitement and urgency in the viewer. The composer and sound directors working on this show deserve a great amount of kudos for their excellent work.

Lastly, I will assess the plot of The Tatami Galaxy. Ordinarily, I would deconstruct the plot of an anime first and foremost, but coincidentally, this is far from an ordinary anime.

The story follows its nameless protagonist as he searches for love. In an attempt to find his raven-haired goddess and attain the rose-colored campus life he had been dreaming of, he joins a multitude of extra-curricular activities, but the majority of his efforts are for naught. He denies the reality that has been set out before him, and time rewinds back to the day he first joined college, only giving him yet another opportunity to follow one of the endless contingencies awaiting him.

The plot gives the viewer room to guess what’s going on – it allows them to speculate why time resets, how each individual episode correlate with one another, and the nature of the protagonist’s recursive campus life, or to even ponder the possibility of no recursion at all. Rather than taking the viewer for a ride, The Tatami Galaxy lets the viewer create their own ride, then continues to enhance said ride into a rollercoaster.

Overall, The Tatami Galaxy is a brilliantly put together anime brimming with creativity and originality. Like its predecessors, The Tatami Galaxy is filled with Yuasa’s postmodern madness and humor, giving the viewer food for thought and a good laugh at the same time. I’m usually very hesitant to give an anime, or anything in particular, the title of a masterpiece, but I believe that this show deserves no less than that. It is for that reason that I give The Tatami Galaxy all 10s across the board.

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Sep 16, 2019

2 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 3

hoofdkond (All reviews)

23 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

First of all, this anime truly features the most horrific art style that I have ever laid eyes on, but this comes as no surprise seeing as it has been around since the day my grandfather was conceived. The plot consists of some particularly badly written dialogue, most of it really makes NO SENSE AT ALL... and is not worth the paper it was written on. Honestly it must have been a laughable attempt at some kind of weird profundity. Furthermore, the subtitles were not even readable and never before whilst watching an anime have I felt more of a need to stab my eyes read more

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Jan 23, 2017

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 3

jennyj270687 (All reviews)

45 people found this review helpful

I decided to watch "Tatami Galaxy" because of the overwhelming numbers of positive reviews, many giving it a perfect 10/10.

How disappointed was I when I started the series. The narrator speaks in a very very fast manner, making a lot of his narration unintelligible. Even with the subtitles on, it was very difficult to follow. I thought after a few episodes I would adapt to the pace, but unfortunately it did not happen.

My second problem with this anime was the amount of repetition. As the protagonist relives some of his days with a difference going from slight to more pronounced. But I grew tired read more

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Dec 4, 2012

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

AnnoKano (All reviews)

43 people found this review helpful

When you look back on your life up until now, do you find yourself feeling somewhat dissatisfied with how things have turned out? Do you find yourself regretting choices you’ve made, the people you’ve met and end up wishing you could just give it another shot, knowing that this time around, everything would work out so much better for you?

If you are just such a person, then watching Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei -or The Tatami Galaxy as it has come to be known in English- is one opportunity that you simply can't afford to pass up.

The story of a nameless (referred to as 'Watashi') young man in his third year at Kyoto University, looking back on the numerous adventures, expeditions and escapades he has experienced during his time on campus. However, rather than fond memories, he finds himself feeling rather dissatisfied with the way things have turned out, and proceeds to ask himself where things started to go wrong.

Perhaps it was the club he joined. Maybe he made a few bad decisions along the way. But in all likelihood, it was all Ozu's doing. But it doesn't really matter who is at fault. With his opportunity missed, Watashi has no choice but to harbour his bitterness and day dream about how things could have been so very different...

And then something miraculous happens, and Watashi is given something that you and I will never have; a second chance. The perfect opportunity to go back to the beginning. The opportunity to do it all again, to avoid his previous mistakes and ensure himself a life of happiness. But one simple question still remains; which path should he take? Which of the various roads, streets and avenues is the one that leads to that most glorious of gardens, the rose-coloured campus life?

Unsurprisingly for a character who's name essentially translates as 'I', Watashi is a character that is easy to identify with; after all, 'disappointment' does not discriminate based on sex, race or class, and at the end of the day we are all looking for the same thing Watashi is-- our own happiness.

But he is just one of the many interesting characters in the Yojouhan universe- there's Watashi's quote-unquote friend Ozu, who seems to be set on preventing Watashi from enjoying a care-free existence. There's Master Higuchi, a local god engaged in a bitter "war" with the leader of the film circle. Last but not least there is Watashi's underclassman Akashi, who's charmingly cute appearance, sets the hearts of men flying, shortly before her distant and fiery attitude brings them crashing back down to earth like Icarus.

But Yojouhan's most impressive achievement is its beautiful, understated visuals. Despite integrating features like stylised photography and simplified character designs, Yojouhan never feels like a Director's visual experiment, but a seamless, straightforward production; proving that looking good doesn't always mean you need to show off. Of course, the animation and directing is still top notch, as you would expect from a show that takes this much pride in its art.

The soundtrack, while certainly not below average, is the only thing about Yojouhan that can adequately be referred to as a weakness. The background music -quiet pianos and melancholic violins- certainly do their job, but fail to be impressive. This is a little disappointing when compared with other aspects of the show.

The opening and ending themes do offer some condolences though, with a particularly catchy opener 'Maigoinu to Ame no Beat' by Asian Kung-Fu Generation features grungy guitars and lyrics about the banality of everyday life yet has a subtle optimism about it which feels perfect for Yojouhan. Meanwhile, the ending sequence combines an atmospheric trance song with some mesmerising visuals.

Then there's the dialogue, set to the kind of pace one would normally expect in an auction-house. Long and complicated sentences that begin and end within the confines of a single breath. While it makes reading the subtitles a little bit of challenge at first, the extra effort is worth it, as it makes the dialogue far more interesting, and is just one of the many things that demonstrate the level of attention to detail in Yojouhan.

Offering an interesting storyline and considerably more depth than the typical 'Slice-of-Life' anime and each episode offers something new and original, without ever having to rely on tired clichés like hot spring or beach episodes. It gives the whole show a remarkable freshness, and every episode is a pleasure to watch. And best of all it, it manages to be so much more than just straight up entertainment- it actually has a point behind it all. It leaves you with something to think about, and without resorting to emotional blackmail.

Whether you're an expert or a beginner, a casual or critic, watching Tatami Galaxy is the perfect choice for a few hours of quality entertainment. Anime this good only come around once every few years, so don't hesitate. Isn't it about time you seized the opportunity that is dangling in front of your eyes?

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Apr 20, 2018

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 3

Shrabster (All reviews)

37 people found this review helpful

There isn’t much to Tatami Galaxy. A nameless protagonist, here by referred to as Watashi, wants another chance at a “rose colored campus life with a raven haired maiden”. Through mystical means he is granted the opportunity to do so, thus beginning his journey for that rose colored campus life he so desperately wants though it might just be right in front of him. With such a setup there are not many places to go, and Tatami Galaxy quickly finds itself trapped.

Most episodes follow the same structure of Watashi joining a club in order to reach his goal and falling just short of it due to his "friend" Ozu’s schemes. In his defeats Watashi gets closer and closer to asking out his main love interest Akashi but fails to do so and the cycle starts again. Throughout the series Watashi fails to pursue many different opportunities which can become quite tiresome. Granted, that’s the point of the story but taking the “get in the damn robot” scene from Evangelion and stretching it out into an entire series is arguably not a good idea to begin with. When a story presents its ending in the first episode it becomes even more reliant on the journey there to be fulfilling or subvert expectations. Tatami Galaxy manages to do neither and instead we get eleven frustrating episodes of silly misadventures and while some of it can be entertaining it is mostly just pointless and meandering, ultimately adding nothing to the forgone conclusion.

Tatami Galaxy desperately tries to be quirky and relatable to the point where it's off putting. Within the first five minutes of Tatami Galaxy we have obnoxiously fast narrations where the main character just complains about his life, a man with a huge chin slurping down noodles, and some fucker that looks like an onion. It’s a lot to take in right from the start, and anyone who doesn’t see the humor in the spastic and hyper active style Tatami Galaxy offers is in for a very long ride.

The attempts at making the characters relatable just makes them unlikable. The protagonist is a nameless college student who is completely average, filled with regrets, and in general is lost when it comes to life and love. Aren't we all. Despite the eye rolling lack of subtly the story manages to even mess that up as the main character is more like that one friend who has a personal problem where everyone else knows the solution but he just keeps bitching about not knowing what to do despite being told over and over again. It is unflattering in real life and not any better here unless you like cheap self inserts instead of characters.

The rest of the characters are just as irritating and why Watashi is even friends with some of these people is beyond me. Ozu fucks him over on a constant basis and seems to be actively working against him. Higuchi is some hipster who likes to hang out with younger kids for some reason. Hanuki is a cock tease who Watashi is too much of an... anime character to fuck her even when she isn't being a cock tease and is throwing pussy at him. Akashi isn’t much better as they try to portray her as the witty “not like the other girls” type of character one would see in a bad indie romantic comedy but she ends up coming off as just kind of cunty. In fact, the whole series in general just reminds me of a more arthouse version of a bad romantic comedy.

The only thing I got out of Tatami Galaxy that was a unique experience was being fairly annoyed despite not feeling incredibly passionate about the show in either a bad or good way. When a story amounts to “sad guy goes back to college” with the most painfully obvious ending possible there has to be more than just quirky bullshit, Sword Art Online tier pandering, and cliché messages about life that any well-adjusted person already knows. Unfortunately for Tatami Galaxy there isn’t anything more and it ends up empty, leaving me yelling “Get in the damn dentist, Watashi!”.

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Mar 16, 2014

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

iSuckAtWriting (All reviews)

35 people found this review helpful

The choices you make might change, but the end result will always be the same.

For our unnamed main character—we’ll call him Watashi—this couldn’t be more true. He’s a college dropout at the end of his rope, eating a meal at the end of the night at a ramen stand. There, he meets a (self proclaimed) God of Matrimony. After this God’s inexplicably large chin tells Watashi that he basically knows everything about him, our hapless main character is sent on a flashback to his not so great college years.

The flashback of his college years zips on by, and so does Watashi’s narration of events. He read more

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Apr 6, 2013

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

NonOtaku (All reviews)

35 people found this review helpful

If there was ever a time to slow clap it out, this would be the precise time to.

This series really is why I love episodic series. The bad ones obviously suck beyond belief, but when shows like this one make optimal use of them they can really turn into something unique, and the short stories can allow for ideas that would normally not fit within a linear storyline. A lot of things have to be done right in order to get a good episodic series, though, but to me the key seems to be creativity, along with somehow finding a way to build-up: connecting the read more

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May 7, 2017

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

LIQfilms (All reviews)

35 people found this review helpful

The idea of perfection is something that, I believe, not any piece of media has been able to attain, and that makes sense. Nothing is 'truly perfect' and every piece of media, no matter how great that product actually is, will still have flaws in one way or another and this philosophy also applies when I give tens to shows. When I do so, I don't reward an anime a ten because I believe it is perfect. I reward a ten to an anime that does the most good or is a shining example of what the medium is capable of. The Tatami Galaxy is one such example of this. A show that perfectly conveys the power of the medium and all of the limitless possibilities it contains, this show, despite the medium's tropes and cliches, still remains an anime unbound by genre convention and is oozing with so much creativity, charm and great writing that it has become my personal favourite anime of all time! A such, I apologise in advance if I sound like I'm being a little too biased throughout this review, but I absolutely adore this show! Everything from the characters to the narrative is handled with such care that it's hard to for me to even articulate properly into words, but, alas, I will god damn try! This, ladies and gentlemen, is The Tatami Galaxy in a 4.5 tatami mat nutshell: (pssst, only those who have seen the show will get the reference!)

The Tatami Galaxy has a rather unconventional narrative structure, which, at first, did put me off from even watching the show. The show stars a nameless protagonist, who attends college for the first time hoping, as he himself puts it, for a rose-coloured campus life. At the end of each episode, the clock goes back once again and essentially resets the whole episode, back to when the main character starts college once again. Each episode pretty much starts out in the same fashion but in every story, the main character joins a brand new club, meets new people and each episode is just a small segment in a much larger picture and narrative. In one episode, the show may begin one story thread which will be connected later on in another episode while, at the same time, systematically resolving older narrative threads established in previous episodes. Now, I'll admit, that it did take me time to accept this fact and structure, but thankfully each episode is vibrant enough and distinct enough to work by itself and the constant juxtaposition of endings and resolutions to each episode felt fresh, original and the entire show has a very addicting and fast-paced nature about it. There is always this lingering sense of desire to know what happens next and to fully understand this crazy world we have been pushed into and this is part of the fun of The Tatami Galaxy.

Much of the appeal of this anime is trying to figure everything out as we watch more and more of the show leading up to the most satisfying conclusion I have ever seen in which everything gets brought together in such a neat and tidy way while also making complete sense at the same time. This sense of satisfaction is only enhanced on my repeated viewings of the show. The more and more times I watch The Tatami Galaxy, the more I am able to pick up on small details and thus, I appreciate the ending even more than I did the first time around. Not only that, but the show's pace, as mentioned before, is crazy. If you've ever seen the Bakemonogatari franchise in which its characters speak about five hundred lines a minute, then you already have an idea about the pace at which the Tatami Galaxy goes. The characters speak so fast in this show and dish out so much comedy and wit that it can be hard at times to keep up, but I believe this is one of its strengths. The insane pace and nature of the show mirrors real life too, and, in particular, how fast your college life will zoom by. As someone who has only two weeks of college left myself, this theme in particular, and the way the show is structured speaks volumes to me personally and is one of my favourite things about this show.

Part of the anime's charm is in its wit, metaphorical line delivery and meaning. The entire script is loaded to the brim with clever jokes, play on words and the character interactions is by far the most entertaining aspect of this show. The internal monologues the main character has are both so funny and relatable to anybody wanting to fit in while attending school, that it's genuinely charming. The comedy is easily the strongest part of this show, and I believe it's a show that gets funnier the more you age and the more cynical you become. It invites you to laugh at the ridiculous situations everyone encounters in their day to day life and all of the clubs the main character joins each brings something new to the table and each has their own unique gags and jokes which never made the show feel as if it were repetitive. Complementing this story is a varied and likeable cast of characters, all of which are unique in terms of designs and personality. My personal favourite being Ozu, the main character's, sort of, friend out of circumstance who seems to be out just to make our protagonist's life a living nightmare. The fact that we never even learn the name of our protagonist just goes to show how well written this anime is since he is still so endearing and entertaining to watch on account of how relatable he is.

Describing The Tatami Galaxy is a rather difficult thing to do considering how experimental everything is and how it combines so many different genres together into one blender; it's a show that's best to be experienced by the viewer on their own. It has elements of being a love story, but not really. At the same time, it is also a coming of age story but presented through surrealism and comedy. What's great about the show is how all of these elements and genre staples never feel forced or intrusive on any other areas of the show. The show combines them all together and presents them in such a colourfully, creative way that it comes across as so charming and lovable while allowing each respective element time to develop. For example, the love story, despite being fragmented due to the nature of the show, has a genuine sense of progression during its run while also never feeling too overbearing or soppy. Adding to the wacky nature of the show is one of the most unique and vibrant art styles in the medium. Everything pops out at you and the visuals are wonderful, conveying the emotions of the characters in interesting ways. My favourite being the scenes in which the main character speaks to his penis, who he calls 'Johnny'. 'Johnny' is presented as a cowboy on a horse and this makes for some very creative and very funny comedy, and the whole show is like this! The music is also superb, and I LOVE the ending and opening tracks! Two of my favourite pieces of music in the entire medium. The show has a very distinct art style which is oozing with style, creativity and colour, and much of it feels very much like a pop-art piece of art. The animation and art style is endless imaginative which brings this vibrant world to life; it feels very postmodern and experimental, but, in a good way.

Now, as I said in the opening paragraph, nothing is truly perfect, and this also applies to The Tatami Galaxy. There were a few moments that I felt were kind of weak and some moments that were just straight out boring, in particular episode ten. In addition, watching the show can also be highly tiring due to the fast nature of the show, but these elements were few and far in between and everything I have praised makes up for it. The Tatami Galaxy is a strange show but one brimming with personality, fantastic dialogue and a great cast of characters. It fully shows us what the medium is capable of and is by far, one of the greatest anime out there. It also goes to show that an anime doesn't have to have a complicated narrative or be buried underneath deep and thought provoking themes. If anything, this series plays it rather safe with its themes and narrative thematics. It's a series that, while certainly not everyone will like, anyone can understand after their initial watch of the series. And that, is one of the reasons why I love this show so much. Madhouse proves once again why they're one of the best anime studios out there and I wish them all the luck on future projects in the future. I would highly recommend this show (if it weren't obvious at this point). As a final side note as well, the series has finally been licensed and as such, I decided to go ahead and purchase the collector's edition, which has a ton of awesome posters, making-of books and title cards. If you're a big fan of the series yourself, I would highly recommend buying this too!

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May 16, 2015

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

MaridiuS (All reviews)

34 people found this review helpful

"This opportunity is always dangling in front of your eyes. You must grab this opportunity and act on it. And if you not, you will walk this life as now, ever unchanging." For starters, the opportunity would be this anime, and you shouldn't miss it, as it will impact your life, just as the quote suggests.

This starts off with a fast dialog quickly summing you up on the "world" the main characters lives in. You will quickly notice the special art that is very different from regular anime in any age. It doesn't resemble any art on any anime ever made, it might rather resemble a little bit of a regular cartoon. It could suit your taste, or you can just live on with it, however, this kind of artstyle is very open to symbolic images. Rather then watching how the plot progresses, the animation is based around the thoughts of the character. In the same time while you're reading the subs, you could take a glimpse of the image going on, and it will force you to think at the same time while reading. So this is not for just pass time, it fills a role of a psychological activity that might change the way you think about certain situations in life.

The most amazing thing about this anime are the characters. They're well thought out and written. Watashi, the protagonist, is just a regular guy pursuing the regular "rose-colored campus life". He thinks that it is perfectly normal, that it is finally time to leave his past behind, and start anew. On his "adventures" he meets Ozu. He is a "demon" looking guy, his look resembles his personality as in he feeds on others unhappiness and sadness. Another notable character would be Akashi. She is not so sociable, doesn't like to interact with others, but she's very open to people that are close to her. There are many other characters, but telling you about them here would just spoil it.

Another unique part of this show would be it's diversity. As it offers many different perspectives throughout the episodes, featuring "new" characters, or rather remade characters. This show with its diversity makes you question is what you're doing the right choice? I mean it's the right choice to watch this, but I'm reffering to normal life. This teaches you in some way that what's done is done. You can wish, or think of what would've happened if you did or didn't do something, but that alternative way won't happen. However, you can experience how it would really end up if it did, in this show.

This also shows you that while you're going for your life goal, you're living your life, not when you reach it. When you do, many more ways to other goals open.

Some episodes serve as a purpose for later development but just going through them isn't as fun as watching the climax of the show. Most of them are actually very fun, but there are 1 or 2 that are good, but not so fulfilling. Those episodes before the climax are what tells me to not give this show a 10 because these little flaws are what keep the perfect shows from near perfect, so i settled for a 9.

Even though this appears mysterious , the message of this anime is clear as a river, so you won't have the "wtf factor" up. I repeat, you shouldn't miss this opportunity.

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Nov 15, 2015

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Nervin (All reviews)

34 people found this review helpful

Anyone may have wondered whether their past or current student life matched with their expectations, and in some cases, if not on most, they may find themselves pondering whether decisions made were correct, or if some improvement could have been made. Expectations of a rose-coloured campus life and regrets are no exception either; such is the case of Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei, also known as Tatami Galaxy, in which a nameless protagonist exactly has these issues. It is a fantastic journey into the realm of university life, mingled with time travelling.

~Story~

The premise of Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei may be of simple nature at first glance, having the nameless protagonist, often referred to as "Watashi", live a rather lackluster life in comparison with his own expectations. This is due to mainly Ozu, both his friend and enemy, as he seems to make his life as miserable as possible, besides Watashi himself being a lazy, gutless person. The protagonist finds himself one day eating together with a aubergine faced man, which makes him reflect on his past years of college that in turn hurls him through time to experience his life anew.

Time travelling - time loops in this case - is certainly of one the most interesting aspects of the anime. Watashi repeatedly lives his student life each time, though there is a gist to it: he remembers nothing each time this happens, only having vague memories of events and people around him. This may seem simple, but there is little margin for error upon executing such a narrative, as it can end in failure when handled improperly. Each episode is well done with a natural progression of events; however, as story progresses, the time travels may feel repetitive. Comedic relief is also available, presented through events and encounters with people who serve to enhance the overall atmosphere of the anime.

Each episode is treated as an independent one, yet viewers observe how in each chapter human relationships are shown and developed, as well as displaying hints that adds to the overall progression of the storyline, which in the final episode all events of the puzzle fall together with a satisfying conclusion. These afore-mentioned relationships are such, that anyone can easily relate to the main protagonist and all the events that take place, being stuck with a drunkard or any other club activity. Other aspect of the anime is the heavy monologuing that take place, which occasionally can be surprisingly fast, making it difficult to follow the story when not fully committing to the anime.

~Characters~

The cast of characters in Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is small, yet of great diversity, people types you can often find in university. However, the main focus of the story doesn't lie on secondary characters, being Watashi its main focus. This is not to say that these aren't well crafted; each is an interesting character on its own that contribute a great deal to the overall progression of events, which are crucial for understanding actions and relationships of the different characters.

As for character development, only Watashi is of importance. Throughout the anime viewers observe how he evolves from being indesicive and lazy, to a person he always aspired to be, straightforward and honest. Other interesting character is Ozu, who seems to be the source of ailments for Watashi. He is somewhat the "enemy" of the main protagonist, yet all his actions have purpose. I believe him to represent the way we interpret people, which doesn't necessarily reflect their genuine personality, as Watashi undergoes changes, his point of view on Ozu does as well.

~Animation and sound~

The animation of Tatami Galaxy is of high quality, character movements being fluid. The art style is another matter, as it can be a hit/miss for viewers. At first it gave the impression of being a Shaft produced anime with the visuals and heavy monologuing, yet to my surprise, it was actually produced by Madhouse. It is very unconventional, yet fits well when trying to display characters behaviour and the environment through bending character movements and environments; backgrounds are not spared either.

The voice actors performed their roles well, being Watashi's and Ozu's one certainly the most appealing to hear, followed by Akashi's voice actor. The soundtrack used fulfilled its purpose, yet is nothing outstanding. I must mention that the opening song had quite the catchy tune.

~Enjoyment~

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei was overall an enjoyable experience with a well crafted storyline and good use of the time travelling concept. Characters were well presented and were of importance to the story. I am personally no real fan of this art style, and found it rather off-putting at first. I myself found the different events an interesting watch, yet couldn't really identify myself with it, consequently not fully enjoying it. Nevertheless, I can easily see why this is so popular, so I can recommended it to anyone who has an interest in college life. After all, this a wonderful story of acceptance of yourself and embracement of the countless oportunities life has to offer.

Thank you for reading.

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May 9, 2015

11 of 11 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

literaturenerd (All reviews)

33 people found this review helpful

Overview:

Tatami Galaxy is a VERY unusual anime. This is an oddly drawn existentialist comedy that attempts to tackle the meaning of life over 11 episodes, that are all basically the same episode except the last one. Tatami doesn't look like an anime. At no point does it ever feel like an anime. It is Japanese and is animated, so it is technically an anime. However, this is less Bleach and Naruto and more an Avant Garde, European art film.

Plot: 9/10

The plot is that a hapless college student is aiming to have "the greatest college life ever" and has impossibly large dreams after a rather lonely and sad high school experience. He doesn't instantly become a Casanova and is filled with bitterness and anger. He then meets a Mephistopheles like tempter named Ozu. Ozu persuades our hero to be an anti-cupid and split apart lovers while causing as much misery as possible. If he can't be happy then nobody should be happy. The hero is seemingly killed by an angry mob at the end of episode 1, but the God of Love rewinds time and gives our hero a second chance. You are going to be seeing these rewinds A LOT. I guess the art film "Run Lola Run" did it, so why not our artsy anime? Each episode the hero makes the same mistakes and doesn't realize the happiness that was under his nose the entire time. He doesn't stop and smell the roses and instead goes off on a Quixotic quest of some kind. Our hero eventually must learn that happiness lies in appreciating the small things in life that give us joy. Happiness lies in things like daring to ask out that girl that you love. "Try to live while you live, for tomorrow you die!" -War and Peace by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy

characters: 8/10

The main protagonist is never given a name. This is perhaps so that we the viewer will have an easier time projecting on to him, but may be just yet another example of Tatami trying REALLY hard to be deep and artsy. Hey, "Notes From the Underground" did it, so my anime should clearly try to emulate it in order to be sophisticated! Our protagonist is an everyman kind of character that most anime fans can identify with. He wasn't "mr popular" in high school and thinks surely his college years will be different. He aims far too high and even compares himself to Icarus from Greek mythology in episode 3. The other main character is Ozu, who is a devil that begrudgingly works for God and ends up helping the protagonist. Think of Mephistopheles from Goethe's Faust or perhaps Woland from The Master and Margarita. Only Ozu isn't 1/10th as awesome as Woland. I'm not giving Tatami THAT much credit!

Edit: The main character is named “I” as an homage to the I novels of early 20th century Japanese lit. I hadn’t read Dazai and Soseki back when I wrote this review.

Art: 9/10

The art is...odd. That isn't to say it is bad. It combines the fluidity and energy of FLCL with the super pale skin and bizarre character art from the Iranian cartoon Persepolis. That is really the closest I can get to describing what the art is like.

Sound: 7/10

Although it does make use of some classical music, the soundtrack isn't really that memorable. Probably because this is a very speech heavy anime and music would get in the way rather than help.

Enjoyment: 7/10

This is where Tatami galaxy is weakest. Here is one thing that really fucking annoyed me, although it isn't technically a flaw. The speech is ridiculously fast to try capture the "steam of consciousness" feel. Although this has worked well for many esteemed authors including Joyce, Woolf, and Faulkner, it isn't used as often in film. When you are reading a book, you can read at your own pace, even when a character is experiencing a raging river of random thoughts. In a film, if characters talk too fast, the audience loses a lot of the dialogue. This is ESPECIALLY a problem if the audience speaks a different language and has to watch a subtitled version because no dub exists. Unless you are a speed reading champion, you have to literally hit pause every 5 seconds to avoid missing huge chunks of important dialogue. The director intended this anime for a Japanese audience, so he wasn't actually thinking about this issue. That is the main reason that I couldn't consider it a major flaw. The second major problem is that nearly every episode is the same fucking episode! Tatami was adapted from a short novel and should have honestly been a movie rather than an 11 episode anime. There is no reason this needed more than 4-5 episodes to tell this story and deliver the themes and message it wanted to give. In fact, that’s exactly what Yuasa did in Mind Game and Night is Short!

Overall: 9/10

Tatami Galaxy tries REALLY hard to be different, deep, and artsy, but it actually does a pretty damn good job! This is certainly not a series for everyone, so if you prefer action and science fiction to existentialist art films then please stay far, far, away from Tatami Galaxy! You will hate every last second of it. However, for those of us that like a philosophical art film once in a while, Tatami Galaxy is a solid entry to add to your view list. I really liked this series and enjoyed how it laughed in the face of commercialism. This series took risks and had balls like a tanuki! Does it really have the same depth as the novels and films it clearly wants to be like?...probably not. Just ignore the teenage elitists who think this is as profound as War and Peace. Having said that, this series WAS quite good and certainly had a lot more philosophical depth and artistic daring than the average anime. I award Tatami a well deserved 9/10!

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