Tsuritama--Fishing and Aliens, What Could Be Better?



Who wouldn't want to fish with these guys? (Hey, Haru, put that water gun down!)
(tsuritama and these images do not belong to me, sadly)

I'm sure most up-to-date anime enthusiasts have at least heard mention of this title. It's a new show this season, adorably quirky, and well worth watching if you're a fan of fishing, aliens, or cute boys that have more personality than "look at me, I sparkle!"



In fact, the main character, Yuki, does anything but sparkle. He's a shy, easily embarrassed kid who just moved to Enoshima with his grandmother, and when he's nervous he feels a drowning sensation that causes him to make some really strange faces. Needless to say, he has a hard time talking to people and making friends. Yuki isn't a particularly complicated character, but he's unique and lovable. The funny thing is, for the first part of the series, he barely talks...and you don't notice! He keeps up a commentary in his head, usually consisting of panicky thoughts or exasperated comments about his alien friend's carefree behavior. Then, as the series progresses, we see him begin to speak more and more as he becomes passionate about fishing and is more open with his friends. This is when you really start to see him emerge as a character, and you can't help but love him even more as he's found this new way to express himself.

The self-proclaimed alien of this series and Yuki's (eventual) best friend is Haru, a small blond boy who invites himself into Yuki's household, carries a water gun (that allows mind control--wish I had one of these!), and continually embarasses people (usually Yuki) by his lack of social knowledge. He's bubbly, energetic, and eager to learn (about fishing and humans), a nice contrast to Yuki early in the series, but he appears to have his own secrets, especially when you see the end of episode 6 (which has enough crazy alien stuff to make anyone confused, but obviously signifies the real start of the main conflict--and I'm excited!).

Another character integral to the story (and the fishing!) is Natsuki, the "Fishing Prince" that teaches Yuki and Haru how to fish and eventually befriends them, though at first he seems somewhat irritated by them ("I'll only say this once!"). He has his own problems as well, mainly revolving around his family and his estranged relationship with his father, which is currently in focus as of the latest episode (7).

The last main character is Akira, a mysterious Indian who spies on Haru and his sister and is always accompanied by a duck named Tapioca. In recent episodes, he's started to interact more with the other three, and has also expressed a love of fishing.

So, obviously, this is not your run-of-the-mill anime. Somehow the combination of fishing, daily life, and science fiction come together to make an amazing show. I adore the setting and the art and the colors just as much as the characters and the plot, and there was never really any question after the first episode that I would be following this show. It's sweet, innocent, quirky fun, and I know it'll only continue to get better as we near the end.

...Should I make some pun about fishing?

Nah, I'm sure that's been done before.

Just watch it. It's fantastic.

~Hana


P.S. I'll review episodes 8 and onward individually ^_^