Tamako Market



Tamako Market (たまこまーけっと) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Naoko Yamada. The series aired in Japan between January 10 and March 28, 2013. A film sequel, Tamako Love Story, premiered in Japan in April 2014. The anime (series and movie) has been licensed and released in North America by Sentai Filmworks.

Tamako Kitashirakawa is the eldest daughter of a family which runs the Tama-ya mochi shop in the Usagiyama Shopping District (うさぎ山商店街). One day, Tamako encounters a strange talking bird named Dera Mochimazzi who comes from a distant land searching for a bride for his country's prince. After becoming overweight from eating too much mochi, Dera ends up becoming a freeloader in Tamako's home. The series follows the everyday life of Tamako, her friends, family and neighbors, and this peculiar bird. As well as keeping track to the main course of events, Tamako Market follows the emotional lives of characters in between each other, having a main love story which is Mochizo's crush on Tamako and both of them being too shy to open up for each other.


 * Anime First: The light novel was published after the first run of the series.
 * Dancing Theme: Played With, in that Tamako is the only one who dances in the OP.
 * Edible Theme Naming: Mochizo (mochi), Tamako (ball-child), and Anko (red bean paste). You get the impression that everyone's parent's did this on purpose, given that they have mochi shops.  Honorable mention to Dera Mochimazzi, whose surname sounds suspiciously like "mochi is terrible" in Japanese.
 * Everything's Better with Princesses: Played with. There's a prince in the story, and he's looking for a mate, but is there a princess here?
 * Ho Yay: Midori's behaviour towards Tamako makes one wonder. It doesn't seem to be reciprocated, though.
 * Left the Background Music On: In episode 8, when Dera is told that he's fat, Ominous Pipe Organ music is heard (Toccata and Fugue in D minor, of course) - until everyone present looks at the cafe owner, who had put the record on the store's player. It immediately happens again with another comment about Dera's weight and another album of organ music (Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, of all things).
 * Meganekko: Shiori, all the time. Tamako, occasionally and only at home.
 * The Movie: Tamako Love Story serves as a Where Are They Now? Epilogue for the series.
 * Moon Rabbit: The Usagiyama -- or Bunny Mountain -- shopping district is a reference to the rabbit making mochi on the face of the moon.
 * Talking Animal: Dera
 * Tin Can Telephone: Tamako and Mochizo use one to talk when they're in their bedrooms - which are across a narrow street from each other. Mochizo keeps it in his room when it isn't in use.
 * Wholesome Crossdresser: Kaoru, the flower shop lady. (Played by Daisuke Ono in the original Japanese.)