Maybe I’m just too cynical and bitter to properly enjoy this movie for what it is; a wholesome and heartwarming tale about young love. It’s a decent story that admittedly progresses a lot better than most romance anime out there including some of my favorites, but just as an example, I found myself more invested in several of the 9 couples portrayed in Tsurezure Children over Tamako and Mochizou. I just didn’t feel excited when I watched it. I wasn’t wide eyed and my heart didn’t race in excitement and anticipation. It was predictable and felt much too long, drawn out, and boring in many parts.
However, it feels difficult to criticize the actions of the main characters that made the plot feel so slow, because that is the way they are intended to be portrayed. They are supposed to be inexperienced in love and stumble their way through, and that feels real. And while I harp on a lot of shows for not being realistic for the sake of the plot, I can’t say that Tamako Love Story’s characters were not realistic. I found it extremely annoying however, watching them deal with a simple problem through a long and arduous bout of bad communication as the main conflict of the plot. Spoilers from here on out.
Maybe it’s just that she made him miss his train, that’s what really bugs me. This all could have been avoided if she just answered him within the days from when he confessed to when he had to take his entrance exam. Seeing as how she had liked him too then it really should not have been as difficult as Tamako made it, especially with him taking the initiative and already laying out the fact that he wants to study in Tokyo. While the scene with her thinking he is actually leaving was a very emotional and impactful scene, to me it felt anticlimactic because of the circumstances that led to that point. It leaves a lot more to be desired, although I probably just expected too much and raised my hopes from all the praise I have heard before watching.
The whole opening scene with the bird was also just so weird and seemed pointless and stupid. I suppose now is a good time to mention that I did not watch Tamako Market before watching this or writing this review, so that definitely affects my opinions here and the bird’s significance is definitely going over my head.
So, nitpicky criticism aside, it was a good and very believable story. The part that I loved the most is the song that Tamako discovered that encouraged her, and the whole backstory of why they fell in love with each other. The supporting characters are easily my favorite part of the movie and probably the best secondary characters I’ve ever seen - especially Tamako and Mochizous' friends. They don’t fade into the background, but take notice and encourage their relationship, support them and the main plot, just good feels all around. A nice amount of comedy, the music and art are both good, nothing to complain about but I didn’t find anything particularly memorable.
Overall, I would say that there was a lot left to be desired and a lot more could have been done with the story, but it is also charming in its simplistic storytelling. The plot has its hurdles but I do not regret watching it at all. Not my favorite, but a lot of that is just personal preference and I can definitely see why people like it.