Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Tamako Market: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

A charming slice-of-life anime gem (with some fantastical elements tossed in to the equation)

Sometimes life is like a box of mochi. A sweet-natured and entertaining anime series with plenty of fun for audiences of all ages, Tamako Market is a slice-of-life gem (with some fantasy elements tossed in to the mix) that is centered around the lively events of a Japanese mochi shop that sells the tasty rice cakes. Produced by the duo of Riri Senami (A Silent Voice: The Movie, Beyond the Boundary) and Shinichi Nakamura (Liz and the Blue Bird, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions), the anime series comes from acclaimed studio Kyoto Animation (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid). Don't miss it.

Ordinary life is about to get a lot more interesting for Tamako Kitashirakawa (Aya Suzaki). The young, sweet, and kind-hearted high school protagonist is living out her day-to-day life as a student while spending most of her free time in her family's bustling mochi shop (located within the Usagiyama Shopping District in Japan) . Tamako helps out with the shop duties while attempting to navigate the life of any normal teenage girl: spending time with friends, studying for classes, dreaming about boys, and being active in a school club. There is never a dull moment.

Yet things liven up considerably in mere moments: a talking bird (who has a special ability to 'act' as a projector) enters her life. Now Tamako must navigate through her high school, her crush, and her fast-talkin' bird. What's a high school girl to do? As Tamako explores life alongside her friends, the unique journey of her life is only just beginning.

The animation is one of the strongest components of the production. There is a real sense that the first rate animation is the direct result of the hard work of the talented team of animators who tolled away behind the scenes. The craftsmanship is impeccable and there is a clear cohesiveness to the vision explored throughout each episode. The character designs are unique and stand to work for each of the respective characters featured through the series run. Background art is similarly impressive: there is a great sense of depth to the image and line art is well- drawn.

Magic mochi.

The detailed locations (such as the colorful mochi shop) are brought to life. Audiences will find it so much easier to fall in love with the series as it isn't hard to be absorbed by the colorful and vibrant animation. There is a clear consistency to the work as well: there is never a dull moment during the series run where one gets the impression that the series animators were running out of steam. The art work remained thoroughly convincing and enticing from start to finish. There is something worth applauding about that element of dedication conveyed by the talented animators involved in the production.

The music by Tomoko Kataoka (Tamako Love Story) brings the series another compelling element of intrigue. Each episode has a involving score which manages to help bring audiences closer to the fun storyline. Kataoka manages to convey the elements necessary for the score to be perfectly entangled with the storytelling: the heart of the characters and the rhythm of the mochi shop. Episode to episode, Kataoka delivers character themes that impress and quiet moments of wonder where the score will be able to sweep viewers off their feet. One of the elements Kataoka coveys so well is young love. As the story evolves, there is a romantic sub-plot on the series which involves the lead protagonist, Tamako Kitashirakawa. There is a sense that the young love is brought to life well by the music score. It is so well conveyed.

The screenplay by Reiko Yoshida (The Cat Returns, A Silent Voice: The Movie) also adds to the series effectiveness behind-the-scenes (and ultimately can be sensed in the series itself). The storytelling is energetic, fun, and charming. The characters are well drawn out. While the series balances in some fantastical elements, the slice-of-life charm of the series remains one of the central elements. The storytelling is all the more engaging because of these quiet scenes of characters living out their lives. Anime fans who enjoy in simple (but beautiful) stories will find there is much to appreciate about the scripts Yoshida contributed to Tamako Market.

Directed by Naoko Yamada (K-On!, Liz and the Blue Bird), Tamako Market is ultimately a gem of animation because of the energetic direction of Yamada. A gifted director, the filmmaker brings a distinctive style to the forefront of the production. Each episode is well-paced and the myriad of components of the series are brought together effectively and efficiently. Yamada seems to have a strong understanding of characters and of how to convey their journeys to audiences in a unique way. Having been a huge fan of the work done on K-On!, Yamada proves just as effective here: the style of the filmmaking is exquisite. Tamako Market is a under-the- radar anime gem that any fan of the medium should consider seeking out.

Tamako Market: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Tamako Market has received a beautiful 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is top-notch from beginning to end. Throughout the entire run of episodes, I found myself consistently impressed by how bright and colorful the animation was. The series is vibrant to behold and the encoding reflects the intention of the animators precisely. There are no egregious issues with banding or other distracting compression woes. The video is simply altogether colorful, tight, and sharp. Line art detail is kept intact.

Tamako Market: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The stereo audio is exceptional and does not leave viewers wanting for more. Dialogue is consistently crisp, clear, and easy to understand throughout the presentation of the series. As a stereo audio track, Tamako Market never seems to excel at enveloping sound effects in the way a 5.1 (or greater) surround sound track would but the sound designers clearly still invested in the sound design enough to create the best package possible for audiences. The music score has a strong liveliness within the sound mix and manages to pierce scenes with the right amount of warmth and flavor necessary for the sequences to grab hold. There were no egregious issues to report. A high quality lossless audio presentation which will leave fans of the series enormously satisfied.

Tamako Market: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Web Previews (HD, 3:07)

Tamako Market: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tamako Market has heart (and drama) in equal measure. Animation enthusiasts looking for something delightful to chew on (pun intended – mochi!) will enjoy experiencing the delights of Tamako Market. There is charm in spades and a beating heart keeps the storytelling engaging from start to finish. The production has a number of impressive merits. Not only is the animation exquisite, the storytelling conveys the beauty of growing up. The Blu-ray release features a top-notch video-audio presentation. Fans of the series are strongly encouraged to pick up the set and newcomers should give it a chance as well. Highly recommended.