True Tears

Did I mention I heart this show?

I think I may have. At any rate, I do. Call it a romance, call it a dating-sim adaptation (although apparently no characters or situations from said game were used, which it’s probably all the better for…), even call it “slice of life,” but no matter what, call it the best thing on right now. I’d say I was gay for it, but if we’re going to personify True Tears, let’s just call it a pretty lady instead.

Here is the final review.

tt_title.jpg

Episode Blog Posts

Story

Shinichiro is a quiet, sensitive kind of kid who is lucky-slash-unlucky enough to have a longtime crush of his living in his house. Shin spends his time making paintings and generally working toward his goal of becoming a children’s picture-book author/illustrator, in spite of the fact that he’s due to inherit his father’s booze distillery. Things are going to start getting convoluted from here on out, since this is soapy stuff we’re dealing with…

Characters

tt_shin.jpgShinichiro
Quiet, unassuming, generally a lot smarter and more fully-developed as a character than your standard anime soap hero. As a character, Shin is one of the main reasons why this show doesn’t read like others of its kind. He paints. He hangs out with other dudes instead of an unrealistic troop of women-folk. He doesn’t totally shirk girls who are interested in him, despite his endless Hiromi-pining. And he does things that anyone might do in the situations thrown at him.

tt_hiromi.jpgHiromi
She lives with Shinichiro and his family, much to the dismay of Shin’s mother, who openly subjects her to verbal abuse. She seems to like Shin, then seems to hate him, then finally comes out and says it in Episode 6: She is more than likely the product of an affair Shin’s father had with her mother. She currently dates Jun, possibly to get back at Shin for setting her up with him in the first place, and possibly because she has nothing better to do. I’m consistently impressed with how complex she is as a character. She’s motivated largely by confusion and her repressed emotions that are starting to get the better of her.

tt_noe.jpgNoe
This girl with a carefree personality and innocent face would be a pretty shallow stereotype in other shows, but thanks to really decent writing is the most lovable creature on animated television (ask the internet, he’ll tell you). She compares Shin to a rooster who wants to fly, and is currently ecstatic to be dating him. Hiromi doesn’t seem to want to hate her, but can’t seem to help it. Thanks to Noe’s presence, Shin’s painting spigot is on full blast, and he’s happy as a clam. But his whole initial reason for dating her was a shady little deal with her weird-ass brother. True fact: googling “I hate Noe” yields zero results.

tt_jun.jpgJun
Noe’s brother. Bear with me: Shinichiro overhears that Hiromi likes a fellow basketball player (number 4), who turns out to be Noe’s brother. Having about given up on her, Shin tries to hook them up, but Jun requires a deal: Shin has to take Noe out as well. Ultimately, the Shin/Noe half of things seems to be working out, but Hiromi and Jun don’t particularly seem to care for each other a lot. Not surprising that they don’t mesh: He straight up told Hiromi the reason he’s with her, and he’s a pretty cold bastard in general, though pearls of wisdom occasionally trickle out of his uncaring mouth. Also, he is a kind of creepy siscon, and Hiromi knows it. He rides a motorcycle, though!

tt_aiko.jpgAiko
One year older than Shinichiro and the operator of a bakery(?), she apparently played a bit of an older-sister role in the past, but now is his best friend Nobuse’s girlfriend. Unfortunately for all three of them, it’s a proxy relationship. She wants on the Shin train, and forcibly kisses him in her shop at Episode 7’s end. But between Shinichiro’s dating Noe, and his unwillingness to ruin his friend’s week/life, he’s not having any of it. Smart move, Shin. Hiromi seems far more likely to scheme or to be vengeful, but there’s no certainty of what Aiko plans on doing.

tt_nobuse.jpgMiyokichi Nobuse
The victim of the proxy relationship, Nobuse is the very definition of taking it like a champ. He refuses to get angry at Shinichiro (even though Shin’s done nothing wrong, still admirable), and he’s trying to deny his way through the whole situation in order to keep his girlfriend. Nobuse is a bit player, but certainly another reason why True Tears is an unconventional piece of rad: the best friend character is integral not just to an episode or two, but to the story as a whole. He’s not fleshed out in great detail, but at least he’s not comic relief.

Dangers of Watching

  • Multiple vague allusions to incest
  • Makes other cartoon dramas seem ridiculous
  • Might be a little dour in tone for some
  • Easy-answer or easy-villain crowds will get confused

Benefits of Watching

  • Beautiful look and fantastic animation
  • Skilled voice acting
  • A high water mark of realism in writing and characterization

I even enjoy the OP of this show, and it reflects what I like about True Tears itself: It’s prettily melodic without being overstated, and neither pushes too far toward melancholic or happy-time. It doesn’t do anything new, but provides a subtley unexpected angle on a tired style. I just can’t say enough silly great things about True Tears.

Currently, True Tears is already licensed in the US by Bandai Visual, who plan to bend you over the video store counter and cornhole you with a cattle prod. That makes legal ground of the subbing potentially shaky, so if you have an opportunity to thank the people who sub your version, please do. They’re doing a great service.