Ah yes, another one of those moe slice-of-life anime series. While many may consider this to be an overdone and stale genre, every once in a while we get a series that stands out above the rest. True Tears is one such series.
Originally a Japanese visual novel, True Tears received its anime adaptation in 2008. However, the anime bears no resemblance to the original work, as it features a different story and characters. While fans of the visual novel may be turned off by this, some may consider it a blessing, as direct visual novel adaptations of anime quite often suffer from pacing issues. This is certainly not the case in True Tears.
STORY
The series centers around Shinichiro Nakagami, a high school student with a passion for art. He lives with his parents and his childhood friend Hiromi, who moved in after her father passed away. Despite being a childhood friend, Hiromi has acted coldly towards Shinichiro since she moved in, and the two of them hardly converse. Her attitude at home is in direct contrast to how she acts at school, where she is very outgoing and cheerful.
One day at school, Shinichiro meets Noe, a strange girl he finds sitting on a tree branch. After helping her down from the tree, he discovers that she is caring for some chickens in a nearby coop. When one of the chickens is killed by a raccoon, Noe does not shed a tear. When Shinichiro questions her about this, she says that she “gave her tears away” when her grandmother died, and hasn’t cried since.
Shinichiro frequently spends time with his friend Miyokuchi, who is currently dating Aiko, a girl who helps run a nearby restaurant. Hiromi, Noe, and Aiko are the heroines of this story. Through a series of dramatic and sometimes shocking events, they must face everyday challenges in order to realize where their true feelings lie.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. There’s not much original about this story. Been there, done that, right? Not entirely. One thing that sets True Tears apart from other series of its type is its pacing. There’s almost always something going on to keep one interested in the plot. The characters are very well-developed, and just like in Toradora!, I really felt emotional for the characters. Any series that can do that to me is ranked very high on my list.
The characters from left to right: Shinichiro, Noe, Hiromi, Aiko, and Miyokuchi
VISUALS & SOUND
While there isn’t much original about the story of True Tears, its greatness is in its presentation. The visuals, animation, and music did an amazing job at keeping me interested and emotionally invested in the series. Both the OP and ED themes really set the mood for the series. Even the background music is very well done.
The animation is certainly a step above most other anime as well. While it may not be on the same level as Kyoto Animation’s work, the quality is indeed noticeable.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
It is worth noting that the U.S. localization of this title is not so spectacular. It’s no secret that its licensor, Bandai Entertainment, has been struggling as of late, and it shows in this release. The entire series is packaged in a standard DVD case, leaving fans that like nice box art wanting more. Dub fans will be upset to find that there is no English audio, only Japanese with subtitles. A greater issue is within the subtitles themselves, where I counted numerous spelling & grammar errors. In addition, there are virtually no special features aside from the standard clean opening & closing animations. Needless to say, this series certainly did not get the treatment it deserves.
OVERALL
Licensor issues aside, True Tears is still a wonderful series that any drama, slice-of-life, or moe fan will certainly enjoy. While the story may contain common clichés that we’ve all grown way too tired of, its presentation is what indeed makes this anime a true gem.
Noe is moe =3
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