[Tari Tari] - 1
Tari Tari is the latest series from Progressive Anime Works (yes, that is their full title). You may already know it as 'that show that looks like
Hansaku Iroha'. It's quite understanable why such a comparison would arise - both shows feature very similar looking character designs, a very similar colour, similar background art and that classic PA works soft-lighting that fills every scene.
However, beyond the visual similarities these shows seem to be quite different.
Hansaku Iroha really was about running an inn, where as this shows focus is clearly on teenagers in school. I can practically hear your groans from here - another show about teenagers in highschool? I am afraid so. I was extremely resilient to the idea at first because I think we've all seen too many shows cover this ground. However, this show eventually won me over.
Unlike
Hansaku Iroha which was focused largely on Ohana this shows does a good job of introducing us to a wide range of non-stereotypes right off the bat. The cast
doesn't solely consist of 'the shy gir', 'the genki gir' and 'the tsundere'. Instead we're treated to a wide range of people who aren't as easily categorised as usual. Now, this shouldn't be a massive deal but frankly, for anime, this is quite impressive. Everyone feels fairly natural and likeable at this point in time and I didn't have to shout at the screen once, so that's a very good thing indeed.
However, unlike
Hanasaku Iroha the direction and editing isn't nearly as tight. It's not bad, per see, it's just unremarkable. Luckily the actual strength of the cast manage to pull through this episode.
