Tsuritama is officially the first anime to make a duck dancing a sad event.

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I put off watching the finale for Tsuritama not because I didn’t want to see it, but because I’m not ready for it to be over.  The cliffhanger from last episode was picked up right where it left off, and naturally, the boys weren’t going to let Haru go without a fight.  I just want to say that the revelation of using Haru as the lure was absolutely brilliant, and I didn’t see it coming at all, although in hindsight I probably should have. It was just such a perfect resolution and success, because it really focused on the dependence Haru and Yuki have on one another; this wouldn’t have worked if they didn’t trust each other completely.

Yuki’s intense concentration is probably why he didn’t fall to the monster’s spell even when Akira and Natsuki got sucked in.  When Yuki started singing the song, even while he was reeling the monster in, I was holding my breath, afraid that the line would snap again or that he would succumb to the power like his friends.  Seeing him succeed, saving not only his family but his best friends, was intensely gratifying, and I felt so relieved to know they were all safe.  I’d also like to say that the animation for the entire sequence fishing up the monster was absolutely beautiful, especially when Yuki was casting Haru.  It’s better than the action sequences I’ve seen in some shounen anime.

Hands down, the best part of the finale was the conclusion.  Haru, Koko and Urara (the newly sane former sea terror) have to return to their planet, but there were no tears at their departure.  Natsuki, Akira and Yuki realize that they are so close to Haru; even if he’s lightyears away, they’ll always mean something significant to each other.  I expected to see at least one scene with Yuki being depressed, but I realized just how mature he’d become.  His goal was to save Haru’s life, even if it meant he had to leave; it was enough for him to see Haru happy and healthy.

I’m a sucker for happy endings, so the montage at the end that showed how everyone was doing completely catered to my preferred wrap-up for a single season anime.  I get the warm-fuzzies when everything wraps up okay, and I got a little teary-eyed to see a newlywed Ayumi and Misaki.  Even though everyone went their separate ways, it wasn’t a bittersweet ending at all.  Everyone was following their dreams no matter where it took them, and the show couldn’t have ended on a better note.

GO Rating: 5/5

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Final Thoughts:

This was that show I went into watching thinking about how weird it looked and how I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to watch it in the first place.  But the art looked nice enough, so I decided to take the plunge and I’m so glad I did.  Tsuritama completely knocked my socks off.  I don’t even know where to begin with all the good things I can say about this anime.  The art was gorgeous, the animation smooth, the music catchy, the balance between drama and humor absolutely perfect.

The character relationships are really what made this show, and I can’t remember the last time I was this invested in a group of people in an anime that weren’t romantically engaged.  I feel like such a crock going on about their ~friendship~, but it’s truly the driving force in this anime, and their relationship is so strong I just wanted to bawl when they all vowed to remain on the boat together even in the face of a missile strike.

It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, it’ll make you do both with the dopiest smile on your face when Haru walks back into that classroom, and you’ll love absolutely every minute of it.  Seriously, why are you still here?  Go watch it, now.

Overall Rating: 5/5