We are back for Part 5 of our Kyoto Vacation, entitled “Kyoto Animation’s Splendid Isolation,” and today we’re discussing the next series made by the ladies behind K-ON!, 2013’s Tamako Market! An entirely original creation by Naoko Yamada and Reiko Yoshida, Tamako Market is a strange, singular, and sweet slice-of-life series about the daughter of a mochi-shop owner and the many oddballs she encounters in daily life, including a talking bird from a mysterious island kingdom named Dera. Sean and Jonathan are split on just how effective the TV show itself is – Sean loves it, while Jonathan found it a little hit-or-miss – but we are in complete agreement about the 2014 film follow-up, Tamako Love Story, which adopts a slightly different tone and focus and delivers a true directorial tour-de-force from Naoko Yamada. It’s one of the best things we’ve watched this season, and that’s saying something. 

Enjoy, and come back next week for our review of 2013’s Beyond the Boundary and its feature film sequel, I’ll Be Here! 

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:30 

Tamako Market Review: 0:01:30 – 1:43:36

Eyecatch Break: 1:43:36 – 1:44:14

Tamako Love Story Review: 1:44:14 – 3:07:45

End Theme: 3:07:45 – 3:08:46 

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“re:CAPTURE” and “Happily Ever After” – Original Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com