Perhaps I could have grasped the mystical treasure that is known as that
"rose-colored campus life"━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In a nutshell, The Tatami Galaxy is about the human experience; it covers the different pathways one may take and the dissatisfaction that may come with everyday life. The tatami mat is used as a symbol of these intertwining pathways, the threads of the mat offering a metaphor for the threads of fate.... or threads of choice? Predominantly, it is a story of acceptance.

This perspective is narrated through the main character 'Watashi', meaning simply 'I'. The decision to not put a name to the protagonist is important to show how any audience member can see themselves in him. The character is imperfect, insecure and regretful of the choices he has made in his university life, in a constant search of finding the 'answer' to finding that romanticised rose-coloured campus life. And so the story takes on the form of a Ground-Hog Day pattern, with our main character reliving the same university years, but changing depending on which society 'circle' he joins.

The style of the show was phenomenal with its distinct visuals and witty dialogue. At first, it was a lot to adjust to, but I was immediately absorbed. The fast pacing of Watashi's constant inner monologue was particularly attention-grabbing, like absolutely nothing could be missed. The art style was unique, nothing like any other anime I have watched. Many scenes were surreally illustrated, with vibrant colours, patterns, abstract shapes and fluid character design/movements.

No matter which alternate reality Watashi takes, he always finds himself in the unfortunate company of Ozu, a friend with a fiendish appearance who insists that they are connected by the 'black thread of fate'. Ozu's main gag in the story is to drag Watashi into his devious pranks and general way of life. They share the same goals and lifestyle, and yet their attitudes towards the mundanity of their university life differ. Watashi mourns what could have been and what he could have changed to avoid being the purported loser he is, on the other hand Ozu is enjoying his care-free languid lifestyle. Throughout the series, Ozu is illustrated as a sort of opponent; Watashi is in no way grateful for his company, but nonetheless carries on their friendship.

Another recurring character is Akashi, who always seems to save Watashi in some way or another, and loses her Mochiguman charm - Watashi finds it, and keeps it as a memento dangling from a thread in his room. Despite Akashi always being a presence and clearly showing her interest in him, Watashi is too occupied with the idea of finding his perfect life and ideal 'raven-haired maiden' to notice what is right in front of him. And so the charm dangling above him is representative of choice.

The Tatami Galaxy teaches you about all the different vibrant 'colours' of life, presented both stylistically and through plot. However, despite all the different opportunities that are available, there may also be constants in life that we may take for granted. In Watashi's instance, this is the relationships he builds - he spends so much time concerned about what he 'should' have to notice what he already has. Personally, the ultimate takeaway from the series is that we need to trust life's direction and appreciate the friendships we already have.

And to not miss that dangling thread of opportunity.