As everybody else on this planet, I have an opinion. As many people do too, I like to write about it. Share it generously. And I am excellent at keeping score (mentally), so I will try tallying up my fondness of things according to balance.
Tsurune
Archery is something that is one hundred percent something I’d much rather watch than do. The whole precision and patience that is seemingly needed to do well in the sport doesn’t suit me at all. But watching cute boys doing all of that, suits me just fine.
Tsurune is a 2-season series about the Kazemai archery club, which has 5 male members, 3 female members and 2 coaches. The story follows familiar beats, but covers them in new ways.
Protagonist Minato Narumiya is feeling down ever since his target panic caused his former middle school archery team to lose a pivotal competition. His best friend Seiya Takehaya tries to get him back into archery again, following him to Kazemai instead of prestigious Kirisaki High School that’s well-known for its archery club.
A chance encounter with an extraordinary archer leads him back to the range and the Kazemai club is completed by Ryouhei Yamanouchi, another childhood friend of Minato and Seiya, and the duo Kaito Onogi and Nanao Kisaragi.
The boys have a nice dynamic going on, that builds off of archetypes but builds the boys into full characters of their own. Minato learns to reign in his earnestness and harness its power, Seiya learns to become more of his own person and not just a chaperone, Ryouhei gains more confidence in the power of hard work, Nanao learns that he can work hard for some things and Kaito learns to let his caring side shine behind his intimidating attitude.
Besides our underdogs, there’s also the team of favorites at Kirisaki, and a third team of misfits from Tsujimine appears in the second season. The interactions between all these boys are often subtle and indirect, but it generally doesn’t frustrate since you get a look inside their heads as well. Moreover, the chemistry between different members, rivals and antagonists generally works very well, although it can veer into the too dramatic from time to time.
The series also looks gorgeous. Tsurune refers to the sound of an arrow leaving the bow, heading towards the target. It’s clear the soundscape got a lot of love and research, with different ‘tsurune’ for each character. Although archery is a relatively static sport, seemingly equal parts ceremony and action, the series succeeds in making it interesting and gripping. By visualizing team dynamics during the competition, and focusing on details while shooting, you get a sense of importance about the whole thing.
Thus, if you like cute boys being serious about sports, this is a series to watch. I rate it would only watch, never do, but still very enjoyable.
Bitesized Writing 