Tsuritama Episode 12 [Final Thoughts]--Dancing Tapioca

Somebody give this show an award. It deserves one.




There isn't a lot that I can say about this episode because it was just fantastic. It was exactly the kind of finale I hoped for, with plenty of twists and surprises but staying true to it's quirky roots all the way through. It's a rare show that can pull off exactly what it sets out to do, and Tsuritama does it with style.

I only have a couple of specific things I want to bring up. First, the newscaster voiceover provided an interesting tidbit of information about the Bermuda Syndrome. Apparently it's been happening all over the world, which gives a bit of context for a world where an organization like Duck can exist. It was a small point, but I appreciated it anyway, since last week I was still wildly speculating about the details of this world.

Second, of course the dragon is an effeminate man, what else was I expecting from this show? I really did like Urabe though, despite how little we got to see him. Despite Haru's insistence throughout the show that he was just like him and his sister, seeing is believing, I suppose. There is a kind of strange undercurrent of cannibalism when they finally catch him using Haru as the lure, but the show has been consistent in its portrayal of the aliens and "strange" is just part of the deal at this point.

Finally, how dare Tapioca cheat on Akira like that.




It's no secret that this was my favorite show this season, and I'm glad that it went out on a high note. There weren't any down points, and the only predictable part was the post-credits scene but it was still in keeping with the overall tone. The only plot thread I can think of that wasn't resolved was the question Yuki's parents, but that wasn't even a main concern of the show in the first place. Everything we need to know, we know, and it all gets wrapped up pretty nicely. Even the Captain gets his happy ending (despite claiming otherwise).

Since my personal hangup for all of my entertainment revolves around characters and character development, I love this series for not being completely about crazy fishing to save the world as much as it was about friendships and getting a bit out of your comfort zone. At the end, Yuki asks himself a couple of times if he's changed, and he definitely has. He hasn't had a complete personality transplant, but he's more open with people, which is a vast improvement from the start. Everything came full circle, which was all I cold ask for, and the presentation made it so much more.

I highly recommend this show to anyone who wants a break from "dark" anime, finds quirkiness amusing, and loves fully realized character arcs. For me, this will be the show noitaminA and Nakamura will have to top for their next production.

Images from Crunchyroll.com.