Tsuritama Original Soundtrack – Review

Album Title:	Tsuritama Original Soundtrack
Anime Title:	Tsuritama
Artist:	Fujifabric, Sayonara Ponytail, Kuricorder Quartet: Masaki Kurihara, Takero Sekizima, Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi, Kenji Kondo
Catalog Number:	SVWC-7856
Release Type:	Soundtrack
Release Date:	July 25, 2012
Purchase at:	CDJapan, Play-Asia

Tracklist
[spoiler]

Track Title	Artist	Time
01. Tsuritama March	Kuricorder Quartet	1:21
02. Asa, Enoshima	Kuricorder Quartet	1:59
03. Asa, Enoshima ~Keikai Hen~	Kuricorder Quartet	2:07
04. Kazoku	Kuricorder Quartet	2:06
05. Nanka Okashi na Koto ni Natteru	Kuricorder Quartet	1:18
06. Hen na Waltz	Kuricorder Quartet	2:04
07. Kakeashi March	Kuricorder Quartet	2:03
08. Uchuujinzu	Kuricorder Quartet	1:06
09. Katasegyokou no Yuugata	Kuricorder Quartet	1:53
10. Boukenshatachi ~Kanjiru, Kangaeru~	Kuricorder Quartet	2:34
11. Boukenshatachi ~Kimochi ii Umikaze~	Kuricorder Quartet	2:27
12. Eyecatch	Kuricorder Quartet	0:08
13. Hen na Eyecatch	Kuricorder Quartet	0:10
14. Gozuryuu no Densetsu	Kuricorder Quartet	1:33
15. Matamata Kuru, Are ga!	Kuricorder Quartet	3:06
16. Enoshima wo Wataru Kaze	Kuricorder Quartet	4:36
17. Hen na Uchuujin	Kuricorder Quartet	2:15
18. Ikai e	Kuricorder Quartet	1:31
19. Hajimete Tsuru	Kuricorder Quartet	2:48
20. Iroiro Kanjiru	Kuricorder Quartet	1:15
21. Imoutotte Taihen	Kuricorder Quartet	1:42
22. Tsuri wo Osowaru Hamabe ~Ouyou Hen~	Kuricorder Quartet	1:30
23. Nounai Orgel	Kuricorder Quartet	1:57
24. DUCK Honbu, Outouse yo!	Kuricorder Quartet	1:46
25. Tsuritama Jinta	Kuricorder Quartet	1:43
26. Akira to Tapioca mo Outouse yo!	Kuricorder Quartet	1:48
27. Kangaeteru Toki no Melody	Kuricorder Quartet	1:40
28. Kate no Niwa	Kuricorder Quartet	1:54
29. Kirei na Hana	Kuricorder Quartet	1:57
30. Chotto Shinpai	Kuricorder Quartet	1:26
31. Gozuryuu no Densetsu Part2	Kuricorder Quartet	2:00
32. Aitsu wo Mitsukero	Kuricorder Quartet	2:26
33. Danshi Koukousei no Fuan	Kuricorder Quartet	1:34
34. Bentenbashi wo Wataru	Kuricorder Quartet	1:41
35. DUCK Honbu, Outouse yo! ~Kinmirai Hen~	Kuricorder Quartet	2:14
36. Koukai	Kuricorder Quartet	1:49
37. Densetsu to no Souguu	Kuricorder Quartet	2:02
38. Saigo no Tatakai	Kuricorder Quartet	1:52
39. Boukenshatachi ~Tomodachi to Issho ni~	Kuricorder Quartet	3:12
40. Tsurezure Monochrome -“Tsuritama” TV edit-	Fujifabric	1:35
41. Sora mo Toberu hazu (“Tsuritama” Ending Version)	Sayonara Ponytail	1:48

[/spoiler]
Review: Amidst the eccentric amalgam of Tsuritama’s three plot points, its music stands out as a testament to the Kuricorder Quartet’s ability to delight listeners. Their melodies encompass the whimsical oddities the show doles out in spades and remind us of the same sort of delight we got from Kuricorder’s head honcho’s, quirky, but fun score for Azumanga Daioh. The cheery feelings that emanate from Azumanga remain in Tsuritama’s soundtrack. Its mixture of breezy and energetic sounds featuring varied instruments like the recorder, flute, guitar and ukulele, immerses us superbly into the seashores of the laid-back town of Enoshima, and I daresay it’s one of the more memorable soundtracks released so far this year.

None of the tracks capture Tsuritama’s penchant towards boundless optimism more than the “Tsuritama March.” Its opening has a goofiness heard through the recorder’s short phrasing, and once the main melody gets going, the jaunty tone only adds to the infectiously whimsical aura. The entrance of a second recorder into the main theme creates an enjoyable dynamic as the two weave in and out at times, and play in unison at other times, creating a lively, carefree mood all the while. Its cheery feel is wonderful and reinforces not only the anime’s charmingly scatterbrained plot, but some of the characters’ exuberant personalities as well.

Tsuritama March

[audio:01 – Tsuritama.mp3]
The spritely “Tsuritama March” then gives way to a quieter tone in “Asa, Enoshima.” With a recorder supported by the guitar, the piece starts off with a calming air, at least, until the tuba enters to support the melody with a sauntering rhythm. The addition of the second recorder later in the piece allows the piece to pick up the optimism and shift the mood to become more bubbly and playful, if only to a lesser degree than the preceding march. That said, I do prefer the second version of the track, which uses the ukulele to create that effervescent tropical seaside feel.

Asa, Enoshima ~Keikai Hen~

[audio:03 – Tsuritama.mp3]
These early tracks do well in depicting the easygoing nature of the anime with plodding, harmonica drawls and animated recorder solos. In tracks like “Kakeashi March,” the sense of adventure brews. This piece’s flute and crumhorn gives it a spirited tone that’s chaotic, but stays true to the spirit of adventure as its melody zips along delightfully in a way that feels serendipitous, fun, and engaging. “Kakeashi March’s” atmosphere carries over to the “Boukenshatachi” themes. The first, “Boukenshatachi ~Kanjiru, Kangaeru~,” is quiet and calming in a way that reaches deep into my soul with its stirring sound. But the better version, “Boukenshatachi ~Kimochi ii Umikaze~” offers more energy. The recorder’s inflections sing of excitement as the ukulele and tambourine uphold the inspiring tone to declare that as whimsical as the fishing adventure may be, it opens up new horizons to explore, take in, and grow from.

Kakeashi March

[audio:07 – Tsuritama.mp3]

Boukenshatachi ~Kimochi ii Umikaze~

[audio:11 – Tsuritama.mp3]
With the atmospheric foundation set, the soundtrack then takes on a serious turn in “Gozuryuu no Densetsu” and the magnitude of the plot events materialize through the staid string chords. But with this turn, the album becomes less engaging as more atmospheric tones begin to dot the soundscape. “Matamata Kuru, Are ga!’s” tone is discordant, characterized by short string phrases and melodic bursts that evoke conspiracies, but get repetitive rather quickly. Finally, I’m also not too fond of the “Uchuujin” themes or tracks like “Nounai Orgel” either, as they fittingly carry this otherworldly aura through the eerie synth slides, but they’re either too dissonant or too repetitive to please the ear.

Matamata Kuru, Are ga!

[audio:15 – Tsuritama.mp3]
That’s about as bad as it gets though! Some of the atmospheric fare may be dull, but the goofy tracks like the “DUCK” themes have a humorous quality that makes them enjoyable. The first track to showcase this bit of silliness is “DUCK Honbu, Outouse yo!” which starts off with an exotic percussive rhythm that segues to a recorder to carry an Indian-inspired theme. Its procession exaggerates the exoticness of the anime’s DUCK Squad (a group accoutered in Indian turbans, no less) as the harmonica also enters the mix at some point, but the image it sculpts is eccentric, delightful, and memorable.

DUCK Honbu, Outouse yo!

[audio:24 – Tsuritama.mp3]
At the end of the day however, it’s the buoyant themes that’ll stay with me. “Bentenbashi wo Wataru” shines radiantly through the lilting recorders which play a bright, uplifting melody to instill confidence through an airy delivery. “Hajimete Tsuru,” takes the theme from “Tsuritama March” and applies it to the strings, swelling radiantly and issuing a glowing, charming aura that also inspires. Finally, the best version of the “Boukenshatachi” theme comes in the end in “Boukenshatachi ~Tomodachi to Issho ni~” which exhibits a growing confidence through the trumpet fanfare that sidles into a section that reflects a mood of deep concentration as the rhythm stays low and few instruments interrupt it. But as things round towards a conclusion, the fanfare makes its return, coming in confidently, and with a sense of euphoria that signals all is well as the characters’ growth pays off and they’re able to work together and bring home that sweet sense of victory.

Bentenbashi wo Wataru

[audio:34 – Tsuritama.mp3]

Boukenshatachi ~Tomodachi to Issho ni~

[audio:39 – Tsuritama.mp3]
As enjoyable as this soundtrack has been, a part of me wonders whether Tsuritama can be more than a soundtrack du jour. Its themes have been consistent, cohesive, and, most importantly, ear-catching the whole way through; no mean feat given the need to fuse so many off-the-wall plot elements – quirkily-formed friendships, the fishing adventures, and the secret governmental organization monitoring alien activity on Earth are just the tip of the iceberg – into the score. For now, however, I can listen to the Kuricorder Quartet and find their work to be inspiring, heartwarming, and optimistic. Tsuritama’s soundtrack, more so than any other score released this year, has been a treat that intimately ties the music and its anime together into an inseparable package. So much so that it’d be a disservice to enjoy one without the other.

Rating: Very Good