Review of Tsukigakirei

These days, the number of anime(s) which focus on relationships among the young, especially teenagers, has been increasing. Behind this phenomenon there is strong effect of "Tamako Love Story," which was once pointed out by the producer of "Tsuki ga kirei." Anyway, this work is also about love between high-school students. Amazingly, it succeeded to describe teenagers' complicated and delicate emotions. I had been interested in this anime since it had been revailed, for the director was Seiji Kishi. He is famous for "Seto no hanayome," "Yuki Yuna wa yusya de aru," and so on. In Japan he is recognized as one of the great directors inthis age. Therefore, it is natural that not only I but many anime-funs payed attention to this work.
However, while I was really looking forward to it, I could not deny that there was a little anxiety. It is said that it is difficult to depict a school-life as if it really exists in our world, especially a love-romance between a boy and a girl. Also, the director, Kishi, had not created such TV animes yet. So, having worry, I started to watch this series.

Fortunately, my worry gradually disappeared as the story went on. Kishi and writers carefully describe many characters with precise background arts, detailed animation (not anime, I mean, the arts of animation,) and some songs.
The protagonist, Kotaro, had a difficult time: the things wouldn't go on as he wished. He couldn't achieve anything no matter how much effort he made. He sometimes got frastrated, as YOU once experienced.
In this story, such frustration was delicately depicted with many Japanese novels; maybe the most difficult part to understand for those who aren't familiar with other Japanese cultures. As Kotaro likes to read Japanese literature, he often cites its phrases, especially those of Osamu Dazai. The Japanese understands easily that also the title "Tsuki ga kirei" is influenced by Japanese literature. As the title implies, Kotaro's adolescence is decorated with such novels which are now thought as masterpieces. The writers succeeded to describe Kotaro's life as novelists in the Meiji or the Taisho era might write.
Such atmosphere is strengthened by background arts. Many articles which includes interviews state that the stuff over and over visited Kawagoe, where the story takes on, and made effort to imitate antiquity of its landscape. Thanks to such detailed backgrounds, the story is enveloped by smells of Japanese traditional cultures.
The stuff, mainly composed of Feel. (an anime studio), also work hard to animate characters. I was surprised by its precise animation. Kotaro smiles slightly, runs hardly, and dances seriously. Of course other characters "LIVE" vividly in the world of "Tsuki ga kirei." It is a kind of shock in the industry of TV anime at the time, really.
It is worth pointing out that some tunes of Nao Toyama also enforces staging of this title. Her warm voice certainly watches over characters' growing-up.
Yes, characters grow up through the series. As I mentioned, this title focuses on relationships between boys and girls. They are confronted by many difficulties. The success of "Tsuki ga kirei" is that it does not depicts only love affairs but through love it describes many aspects of adolescence: suffering, sadness, agony, and, joy. Going through hard experience, they step by step become adult. You may remind of your younger days and feel sympathy.

It is difficult to trace the way the young in Japan loves, cries, and lives. However, the stuff of "Tsuki ga kirei" made it.
There are no magic spells in this story, but for certain there is a magic Kishi and Feel. stuff make. It is one of milestones in the 50-year history of Japanese TV anime.