#“Tamako Market” Vol. 2: Visit from the Prince

Polyband anime recently published the second volume of “Tamako Market”. What happens next for Tamako, her friends and the bird Dera and can the conclusion of the TV series be convincing? You can find out in our review!

• Label: polyband anime
• Publication: 13.12.2024
• FSK: Released for ages 12 and up
• Duration: approx. 144 min
• Image format: 16:9
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 p
• Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life
• Languages: German, Japanese (DTS-HD 2.0)
• Subtitle: Deutsch
• Number of discs: 1
• Packaging: Ordered
• Extras: Booklet, Clean Opening, Clean Ending

Opening-Song:

Story

Tamako knows pretty much everything about mochi, the traditional Japanese dessert. When she’s not at school, she enjoys creating new flavors for her family’s mochi shop. However, she is still trying to find the right recipe for school and growing up. But with the help of her best friends Kanna and Midori, Tamako makes the best of it. However, sometimes it’s complicated, especially when it comes to feelings and the relationship with her best friend Mochizo, whose family also runs a mochi shop. And what’s up with the strange bird that flutters around and can speak fluently? The whole thing is very mysterious and exciting, but at least Tamako can always rely on one thing: whether her day was good or bad, there is sure to be something tasty waiting for her at the end.

(Description: polyband anime)

Personal assessment (Spoiler alert!)

While the origins and actual mission of the now quite chubby bird Dera were only hinted at in small bits in the first six episodes of “Tamako Market”, things get a little more moving in the second half of the series. So suddenly the young Choi is standing on the mat, the one who sent the birdie on the journey from her mysterious homeland in the first place. Just like Dera, she is taken under the wing of the Kitashirakawa family and spends everyday life with Tamako and her friends Midori, Kanna and Shiori. As time goes on, Choi becomes more and more certain: Tamako is the perfect candidate to marry the prince of her country and thus become a princess! This gives Tamako a choice of what to do next. But by this point it should actually be clear to the viewer what her answer is. This takes the subplot to the point of absurdity, as there is no significant tension anyway. Even the prince’s visit to the Usagiyama shopping street doesn’t change much. So in the end everything more or less comes to nothing, even if the circumstances lead to a few more emotional scenes.

Fortunately, episodes 7 to 12 continue to focus on what ultimately sets “Tamako Market” apart: quiet slice-of-life stories with light comedy interludes. This gives viewers a slightly better insight into the activities of Twirling-AG, which had hardly been discussed in the series until then. Of course, a school festival shouldn’t be missed, even if it is shown in less detail compared to other anime. As in the first half of the series, the amount of romance remains practically constant at zero. The end of the series draws a connection to the very first episode and left a well-rounded impression on me, which is not always easy with slice-of-life anime.

The production of the anime remains at a consistently high level. The animations and backgrounds are of high quality as usual from Kyoto Animation, but luckily you won’t find any fluctuating quality and off-model shots here. The background music remains quite varied. A wide spectrum is covered here, from cheerful Hammond and barrel organ sounds to melancholic melodies on the acoustic guitar. Nevertheless, the soundtrack overall is less concise than the background music in “K-On!”.

Unfortunately, I still have mixed feelings about the German dubbing. For example, I find it difficult to buy the role of Tamako’s father from Adam Nümm because of his small age difference from Sarah Alles. While I still don’t see Sarah Alles as the ideal choice for Tamako, you do at least get used to her role over the course of the series. What I also appreciate about her is how she conveys Tamako’s cheerful nature. Overall, I still like Ronja Peters on Midori the best. A new addition to the cast is Samina König as Choi. While she tries to combine both Choi’s cute side and her strictness towards Dera, her acting was unfortunately a little too “anime-like” for me at times. Of course, “Tamako Market” is also an anime, but I generally welcome it, especially in slice-of-life series, when the German dubbing takes on a natural character in contrast to the Japanese overacting.

That being said, I may have noticed a small glitch in the mix. In the Japanese version, Tamako’s father Mamedai sings the lyrics of a song while it plays in the background. In the German version, however, the take was left silent. This makes the scene seem strange as Mamedai is clearly moving his lips. Since the lyrics were left in Japanese anyway, if in doubt the Japanese take could have been used here.

The German disc release of polyband anime can also score points with excellent picture quality in Volume 2. The booklet included with the volume is also impressive: it is larger and thicker than a normal Blu-ray booklet and contains numerous character designs, sketches and background images. Unfortunately, you just have to forego interviews or the like.

Conclusion

Overall, polyband anime has created a very solid and beautifully presented disc release with “Tamako Market”. The series can be compared to its “big sister” “K-On!” Doesn’t hold a candle, but impresses with consistently likeable characters, high production quality and entertaining entertainment. As a fan of the slice-of-life genre, I am all the more pleased that the series received a German release despite its age. In my opinion, some potential was wasted in the German dubbing, but the version is still more than adequate and can convey the likeable charisma of the characters.

I am now looking forward to the film “Tamako Love Story”, which polyband anime is expected to release in local stores in February 2025.

Evaluation

>>Here you can buy «Tamako Market» Vol. 2 on Blu-ray!<<

We would like to thank polyband anime for providing the review copy!

The post “Tamako Market” Vol. 2: Visit from the Prince appeared first on BuradaBiliyorum.Com.

If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on Google News too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.

If you want to read more anime-manga articles, you can visit our anime-manga category.

Source