This is a recent anime that I feel didn’t get the attention that it deserved. It was actually one of my earliest reviews on this site. I’m referring to the fall 2018 anime Tsurune. It was always a highlight for my week, an almost calm in the storm. But it wouldn’t be here if that was a popular opinion, now would it?

This anime embodied passion to me. I’m not talking about the kind of passion where the character is running around screaming at everyone because, well, that’s their quirk (so hyper and random, amirite?). The passion in Tsurune is the kind of passion that you typically see out of real world professionals. It’s a group of people who love and are dedicated to their craft, giving it their all as they work to overcome challenges and personal shortcomings.
KyoAni worked really hard to bring the sport of Kyudo alive between the art, storytelling, and amazingly, the sound design (which I talk about in my original review if you want to read more). But, it’s still a sports anime (and a slow-paced quiet one at that) so the viewership is lacking along with the score. It’s a shame, because I feel like this anime is a unique treat, but obviously everyone will have their preference. If you decide to give this one a try, clear out all distractions and really focus on what you’re being shown. It might surprise you.
What’s your most underrated anime?
Kids on the Slope. Very well made and realistic story that I think a lot of people don’t care for because the music is all jazz.
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Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll definitely try it out. I happen to like Jazz music.
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I liked Kids a lot. It’s by Shinichiro Watanabe, the director of Cowboy Bebop, and he is not only a great director but also a man who loves music.
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Ok, so I decided to try this one today and I absolutely loved it. Finished the whole thing in a day. Thank you so much for the recommendation!
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It’s not what anyone expects from the director of Cowboy Bebob, but it’s a darn good story with a lot of love in it.
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I’d probably go with Katanagatari. It is beautiful, exciting and fun to watch with a unique style to it and while a few people talk about it every now and then it gets overlooked a lot.
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I’ll give this one a shot as soon as I can find it. Looks like none of the major streaming platforms are carrying it in the US right now, unfortunately.
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Shame. It is a nicely told story.
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I believe I said “The Great Passage” when I did this, but I can’t remember. For me, right this moment, that’d be my pick at least. It’s really good.
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