[Categories: Anime Reviews]
True Tears: I only have myself to blame
It’s a funny thing, fan hype. Others’ efforts at trying to share enthusiasm for something can be counter-productive, putting me off watching it completely (Re: Cloverfield). This isn’t the case with True Tears though: although I heard many good things about it, I must admit that it’s something I’d enjoy anyway. Granted, it’s yet another high school-based show but to be honest finding an anime series that isn’t set in a high school is often a waste of time: it’s easier just to accept that I fall outside the target audience for quite a lot of stuff around these days, and concentrate on what it does have to offer instead.
To illustrate my point of it being a refreshing change, consider this situation that’s met with realistic embarrassment as opposed to the typical kick to the face. Marvellous
Here’s the rub: I actually agree with what the blogosphere has been saying about this show. Even to my critical eye it does everything as it should, and does it wonderfully. The snag is, televised drama is not a passive experience: the viewer’s assessment of the characters and their motives is clouded by his or her own judgement and, as I found out to my dismay, is a more significant deciding factor on enjoyment than I realised. The frustration for me here is that True Tears actually does everything right…it’s just unfortunate that my own opinions have been skewed needlessly by personal experience, which irks me no end.
Firstly, all that stuff you heard about the show’s production values is the honest truth. I’ve seen recent productions made on an OAV budget that don’t match this - it even gives Clannad a run for its money, and wins hands-down (the latter has an approach to animation and storytelling that I can only describe as artificial, which is a criticism that can’t be levelled at True Tears). The way the characters are animated feels fluid and natural, the ones in the background are actually *moving* and overall it comes across as a piece produced by people who really understand the value of attention to the details. In addition the backgrounds are lovingly painted, the direction feels sophisticated for its genre and the music is unfailingly pleasant, even if the OP is a little too reminiscent of Kikuchi’s earlier effort for Kashimashi.
Quite simply, for a mere TV show True Tears’ presentation cannot be faulted; the character designs in particular are stunning, especially the expressive way in which the eyes are drawn. I had to consult ANN to check if Yoshiyuki Sadamoto had his hand in designing them somehow, because it bore such a striking resemblence. As far as I can tell he hasn’t, and even more surprisingly there’s no sign of any Gainax or Madhouse alumni on the production staff at all. I’m thoroughly impressed at how a virtual newbie of a studio has come out of nowhere and created something like this, honestly.
Just look at the eyes…so pretty
Personality-wise True Tears seems to be trying harder than its rivals in avoiding the old clichés too, giving a very natural and slice-of-life feel. Shinichiro is a likeable kind of guy, with a balanced mixture of sensitivity and exasperation, depending on the situation. Nobuse seems to be a product of the Laddish Best Friend mould, but I often wondered while watching the opening episodes whether non-English speaking viewers would spot how appropriate it was that the Laddish Best Friend was wearing a jumper that bore the adjective ‘Shocking’. Odds-on that Ai-chan wears a T-shirt that reads ‘I’m With Stupid ->’ under her apron!
A bonus point or two is also earned in portraying an occasionally uncomfortable yet down-to-earth and realistic view of Shinichiro’s home life. It rounds off his character nicely and adds small but significant day-to-day moments in which things aren’t products of some idyllic fantasy world where parents are background figures who have no influence on how the leads interact and behave. It’s not an aspect that’s always catered for in anime but in this case helps the viewer get immersed in the story, so kudos to the writers for going to the trouble of giving his long-suffering mum and dad personalities too.
Normal domestic issues
It was when the romantic complications are properly introduced that I ran into problems. Portraying characters who are supposed to act like *real* people is something I welcome with open arms but here I found the unfortunate side-effect that I simply didn’t really like Noe much. If I were to make a guess at how the series will pan out at this point, we are presented with two female characters who cause conflict and indecision for the male protagonist who sooner or later ends up choosing between them. If this is to sustain itself during the episode run, I would expect both girls to be equally likable and engaging but for whatever reason I couldn’t really root for Noe at all when placed alongside Hiromi.
There are occasional hints that Noe’s situation is tragic and therefore she is deserving of sympathy, but given that Hiromi has known Shinichiro for years, she’s lost her parents and that the two of them genuinely care about one another I’ve already decided that I’d be more comfortable with a Shinichiro/Hiromi conclusion. The trouble is, I’m judging the three of them on the basis of those I know in real life; this wouldn’t such a bad thing if people of my own social circle had given me a fair picture of human nature. How I can put this diplomatically I don’t know, but when I place Noe’s personality type alongside RL equivalents she seems at worst manipulative and at best troublesome. People like her are, in my experience at least, bad news, whether they mean harm or not. This is a cynical conclusion I know, but drawn from events which have in recent years painted a very unflattering picture that I hope isn’t shared by the rest of you.
Shinkai-esque artwork: check. Sadamoto-esque character designs: check. Kyo-ani teen issues: check. Why don’t I like her?!
It’s perfectly likely I guess that Noe has reasons for being eccentric to the point of being irritating (e.g. what about the photo of the elderly woman in her kitchen?), and is only inadvertantly damaging the relationship that Shinichiro shares with his current romantic interest. Unfortunately my first thought was “Hey, she doesn’t care about Shinichiro at all! She’s just playing mind games with him!” and my view didn’t change in the episodes that followed. If you think I’m being unduly harsh towards her, I wouldn’t blame you; my point here is that Noe seems to me to be toying with Shinichiro and using him to gain attention and sympathy. An alternative scenario would be that she really is an innocent girl with a tragic past while Hiromi is the one being manipulative, but from what I’ve seen so far Hiromi also has a fair amount of emotional baggage and is coming to terms with her feelings for him, but isn’t necessarily a bad person either. Her observation that “[Noe] saw right through me,” has more to do with the recognition of simple jealousy and status as a rival for Shinichiro’s heart than anything more sinister.
It’s a bit of a stumbling block when a character you’re supposed to care about comes across as annoying and significantly less deserving of the protagonist’s affections than the other female lead. At this point, I’m working hard to figure out whether Noe is indeed as I guessed, or whether it’s my cynical outlook that’s being unfair. It’s a shame really, because True Tears is one of the season’s highlights so far in every other respect - to put it in its crudest terms, my enjoyment of a good quality series may have been reduced by so-called friends of mine who have turned me into a cynical git. It’s quite sad, really.
EDIT: since the first draft of this post was written, I learned that Bandai have secured the rights to the series so subbed torrents are going to be harder to find. On the plus side it probably means that Beez will be organising the UK DVD release. Good news there then.
Posted on February 3rd, 2008 @ 9:53 pm
I actually feel differently with regard to Hiromi and Noe. In my opinion, Hiromi is the manipulative one who is torturing herself in order to gain sympathy. Noe, on the other hand, is sincere with her feelings, and while she gives Shinchiro a hard time, she’s at least there for him. And I think she stays by his side out of genuine affection for him. I’m sure Hiromi cares for him all the same, but she refuses to show it. Even if she has a good reason not to, the amount of sympathy I have for her is limited.
However, comparing the two characters to their real life counterparts, I’ve always found I get along better with women of Noe’s personality than I do Hiromi’s. Different strokes and all that.
Posted on February 3rd, 2008 @ 11:31 pm
It’s really interesting to see how someone else views the three female leads in this show - One of the likeable things about True Tears is that none of them are ‘perfect’ in any particular fashion, and all three have shown their flaws in the series so far.
I think asking about Noe’s true motivations is an important question (and one that shouldn’t be lost under the cute side to her), and should probably equally apply to Hiromi, who has been equally if not more devious in some of her actions.
The beauty of this kind of anime is EXACTLY that everyone will react differently to the characters offered up in its tangled web of relationships - Our own experiences and preferences will naturally sway us one way or another in our own feelings towards a particular character, and those feelings will be totally different to the next persons. It isn’t something you should apologise for… It’s actually a big sign in my book that True Tears is an excellently realised work that gets to its viewers emotional core most expertly.
Posted on February 4th, 2008 @ 3:36 am
A friendly reminder: Tokyo Toshokan reveals that all isn’t lost. In fact, subbing is business as usual. Hint: The dog onomatopoeia is the same group under a different name, they made it obvious like that.
Noe’s cast in a considerably more positive light in episode 4, and I hope your opinion of her will change after watching that. Mind you, I’ve had similar experiences with girls like those so I can totally understand why you would have such an impression of her, but my suspension of disbelief is overriding any similarities she might have had to those I’ve known.
I’ve also got to admit that Noe’s case is helped by the fact that she doesn’t have that horde of guys wrapped around her finger like her real-life counterparts do. Those have a posse of salivating slaves at their beck and call, and could you really call it manipulative if what they do affects just one, and not numerous other guys?
That’s my take on it. Hope you don’t drop this just because it’s licensed, since the prices, the last time I checked, were rather steep for usual standards. But it’s a May release, in any case.
Posted on February 4th, 2008 @ 5:56 am
I ignored everything but your Cloverfield mention.
…
How could you say such a thing? Putting it off because of fan-hype? Heresy.
Haven’t watched True Tears yet… I’ll watch it soon, once I get this backlog of shows finished.
Posted on February 4th, 2008 @ 6:00 am
Well, uh Spam Karma or something caught my comment.
I detest your putting off of Cloverfield. It is epic. I will continue to hype it and wave it in people’s faces until they watch.
Haven’t watched True Tears yet… but everyone says it’s sooooo good.
Posted on February 4th, 2008 @ 8:57 am
I prefer Shinichiro/Hiromi conclusion too..
Unlike Noe, Hiromi is a interested in Shinichiro..
Noe is…I’m not sure..
But Noe is a good character too..
If Noe is actually interested in Shinichiro later on..
Then I might change my mind..
Side note: Ohh.. So that’s why I can’t find subs at Animesuki..
Good thing there are other sources..hehe…
Posted on February 4th, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
I just found Noe a strange bird (lol pun?), and I’m surprised that you feel so negatively about here. I haven’t really had personal experiences like what are shown in True Tears, so I can’t really say what will happen, or what should happen (though I would like a Shinichiro/Noe pairing based on what I’ve seen so far), but it’s an engaging ride so far.
Posted on February 4th, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
You guys have really met a girl like Noe? She climbs trees and feeds you bird seeds too?
Ok, in seriousness, Noe is a bit of a tease. She doesn’t have a horde of boys admiring her because this is a hareem and because she’s just too weird. She doesn’t seem to have any friends. That makes her a pity case. She is hopelessly enigmatic but so far her intentions have consistently been positive and innocent; she’s not out to hurt anyone particularly not Shinchiro, so far.
In episode 5, Noe is a bit more assertive. Hiromi and Aiko in contrast are being indecisive and bitchy. I really think they’ll open up the race for Shinchiro soon when everyone starts being honest with themselves. At least Noe is honest from the start.
Posted on February 4th, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
Great comments, guys. I really enjoyed reading them and found them really helpful too. Replying to each one is going to make this comment a bit epic, so please bear with me. ^_^
@Jeff: Different strokes indeed. I’m glad you agree to disagree because I was kinda worried about upsetting anyone…you do make a good point about Hiromi though. On reflection she seems to sit back and just expect Shinchiro to ‘wait for her’, while Noe is more open and acts on her feelings. Point taken, so thanks for an alternative view!
@Hanners: what I love about this show is how it’s more slice-of-life than bishoujo adaptation - whether we like the characters or not, there’s a realism to them that’s wonderfully refreshing and adds to my view that True Tears is going to become something very special indeed. My guess is that I haven’t warmed to Noe yet partly because her background hasn’t been explained yet in the same way that Hiromi’s has. I only became aware of personal experience swaying opinion on fiction after watching this actually, but it felt important enough to comment on! There’s the subject of another post starting here somewhere…congrats on getting your own blog BTW.
@Owen: bookmarked, cheers. I have every intention of continuing this, mainly because I’ve promised myself that I’ll collect the DVDs too. Again, I can see Noe’s character growing on me in time as we learn more about her and what makes her tick - Hiromi has an ‘unfair advantage’ so to speak, in that we were told of her background pretty early on. The fact that this isn’t proving to be a harem show earns it a bonus point in my book too.
@Icystorm: yeah sorry, my anti-spam plugins can get a bit over-zealous when there are links involved! I’ll be watching Cloverfield at somepoint, once the big rush dies down a bit. I don’t like going to the cinema when it’s too crowded…
@Setsukyie: the love triangle is a headscratcher to be sure, but not wanting to repeat myself too much, I’ll try to keep my judgements on hold until I’ve got to know all the characters a bit better.
@TheBigN: it struck me as strange too, especially when IRL the eccentric people are often the most interesting and, ironically, sometimes the most genuine. The fact that she doesn’t have many friends does make me feel a bit sorry for her though.
@Teeif: Nah, not the bird seed bit. ^_^ The teasing side of her is something that really bugs me about people at times, which made me question the validity of her feelings for Shinichiro. Her openness makes me a bit more optimistic - after all, she doesn’t pretend not to be weird. Hopefully later episodes will give me a clearer picture.
So, yeah, thanks for all the feedback. It’s turning out to be an excellent series - as an aside, Bandai’s pricing doesn’t faze me much since all UK DVD prices are somewhat higher than US ones to begin with! From what I can tell, Beez (the Bandai subsiduary who handle their UK distribution) are unaffected by these changes, and seem to be selling their DVDs at the same prices as other UK distributors. Hopefully True Tears will follow suit, and not too long after either.
Posted on February 5th, 2008 @ 2:26 pm
As much as I sympathize with Hiromi, the way she’s torturing herself (as Jeff also mentioned) because of issues in her past keeps on reminding me of the kind of melodramas I supposedly hate… where people’s indecisiveness, and/or lack of courage to stand up for their love leads to even more heartbreaks =/
It’s justifiable, understandable, but argh… it’s just sad. I do want to see how Hiromi and Shinichirou will tie up all the knots in their relationship or past issues (especially with Shin’s mom), but I also find myself interested in Noe, and how she’ll be able to gain my sympathy and true tears later on…
Posted on February 8th, 2008 @ 1:59 am
It’s a nice change of pace.
Sigh… I’m not impressed with this season though.