The battle against JFX reaches its fever pitch with an amusing weapon used to try and deal with it.
What They Say:
The legendary lure has been found, but will Yuki have enough time and strength to cast it before DUCK launches the missiles.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Tsuritama went big towards the end of the previous episode with what they boys are up to in trying to deal with the alien threat. Everyone came together under different circumstances, especially Akira, in order to do the right thing after the Duck organization screwed the pooch in whole. Their efforts to deal with the symptoms were unusual to say the least, but so were the symptoms. What made things particularly dangerous though was the shift to just destroying everything in sight in order to stop it from getting any further, which is what changed the tide of events just a bit in order to make sure that their own operatives weren’t killed in the action. With Enoshima the source of things in a sense, wiping it off the map certainly is one route to take. But how many people can really get behind that action?
While events pick up back with those on land, things at sea are getting even more tense since Akira learns of what’s to come and the boys are running out of ideas to try and deal with the alien. I do like the way that Yuki makes it clear that Haru is essentially the legendary lure at this point in time and they intend to use him to draw out the alien so it can be dealt with. Even before doing anything with it, just the visual idea that comes to mind is priceless. A lot of what’s made the last few episodes so much fun is in seeing how everyone has bonded anf made it clear their relationship, so having them go all out here in an effort to deal with the problem, and the Duck ships and imminent destruction, comes together beautifully.
While the series has largely been about the small moments, it does go big here as it should. We had a great lead-up in the previous episode with the change in weather and how it impacted the overall atmosphere of the series, so taking that to its next level here, and the movement past it, really highlights just how grand the scale was, especially with everyone doing the alien controlled dance. And while we do get these big moments, we also get a lot of wonderful closure moments with the cast as they go through the epilogue in dealing with Yuki and all his alienness. Seeing the growth in these characters and how it all pulls together with their mature way of handling it at the end is spot on. And strangely, they did it in a series where there are really no prominent female characters to provide input beyond Haru’s grandmother, who even then only added a little overall.
In Summary:
Tsuritama is an utterly charming and delightful series in so many ways. And even though there are always ways to do more with it, they provide a good, solid work here where it feels natural and complete. The epilogue aspects showcases a lot of different little things to take note of for the supporting cast and some fun bits for the main characters as well. While the series is predictable in some ways with how it’s structured, it’s the execution that makes it an absolute winner. With very likable characters, a great setting and a surprisingly fun focus on fishing and other activities along this coastal town, Tsuritama provides a wonderful diversion from the norm and hits just about everything right. I can’t think of a real negative to ding it with, other than it has to end.
Grade: A-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
