Getsuyoubi no Tawawa is a 5 minute anime that doesn't try to be something it isn't. If you want some deep mind boggling story, this isn't what you're looking for. If you're looking for something to make you smile for a little while, this is it.
It's not some deep moving masterpiece or anything. The story is supposed to be daily life of several average blokes who are off working their rear ends off in office buildings. Each of these guys end up meeting a girl that brightens their day.
Because it follows several different guys, the story is episodic.
Yeah, of course there are big breasts. However, this is a different type of fanservice from Masou Gakuen HxH. In this case, the girls simply radiate an aura that makes you wish you knew someone like that in real life, because they actually seem like good people. (will explain more in character section)
Don't go to a Chinese restaurant expecting French cuisine. Tawawa is a short anime about salarymen who meet kind women.
Story: 7/10
Time for art and sound.
Sound is decent. You can't really expect any better from a 5 minute anime. What are they going to do? Insert a song that takes up literally the entire episode?
Art, however, is something wonderful to me. Tawawa's art style gives off a real calm vibe, especially when matched with what the story is about. A slow start on Mondays. A sort of comfy vibe.
Art: 8/10
Sound: 6/10
Here's what you've probably been looking for since early in the review. Characters.
Bland salaryman characters. They are bland characters who rarely have their eyes shown because they are supposed to be you. Insert characters. What makes this acceptable for me is how they play around this.
Ai-chan. The sweet girl. The type of girl that you wish you knew back in school. Because you met by chance on the train, you now realize that you share a mutual interest in each other, so you begin making conversation every time you meet.
Kouhai-chan. Your cute coworker who happens to have been hired after you were, thus you are the senior. She helps you out at times and you help her out at times. You even go drinking together, but you know she's taken already, so you're content to be just friends. After all, it's nice to have a friend in the workplace environment.
Convenience Store-chan. Have you ever had someone you liked back in school, but you never talked to them? Now that its been many years, you have some deep feelings of regret. The one that got away. A lot of people have someone like this in their lives. "Gee, I wish I knew ____ better." or "I should have taken the initiative back then with ____."
Each girl represents a relatable aspect of every person's life. Almost everyone has had an encounter with someone that brightens their mornings. Almost everyone has had an encounter with a comrade that helps you fight in the war zone called "work." Almost everyone has deep seated regrets about social relationships in the past. This is what works very well with the bland self-insert main character, as we end up remembering these types of people in our own lifes.
Very effective use of a self-insert. Your mileage may vary, however. If you don't like self-inserts, this might be a bad thing for you.
Characters: 9/10
Overall, this anime was very enjoyable. It's about cute girls making the POV character's day just a little more livable, and you get some fanservice on the side. There isn't supposed to be a deep story. There isn't supposed to be epic action, be it drama or actual fighting. You enjoy this anime because there is cuteness, girls, and boobs.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Finally, before I give my verdict, let me explain why I love this anime so much.
Getsuyoubi no Tawawa is more of a healing anime than anything. It's for tired people to sit down and feel a little more cozy. As with all healing anime, your mileage may vary.
Just like how one medicine doesn't cure all illnesses, this type of healing doesn't heal every type of spiritual wound.
The anime shows us the gloomy world of adulthood. Facebook feeds aren't what real life actually looks like. The real world is like the night sky. Plain black. The Tawawa girls are like the stars in this sky for the salaryman characters. Just a little bit of happiness in their lives.
Perhaps in your lives you suffer the same problem of living in a gloomy world with nothing to make it more livable. In that case, watch Tawawa and maybe, just maybe, you will feel a bit better after.
Overall: 10/10
