Tatami Galaxy: A Bizarre Masterpiece

gamerant.com:

Masterpiece is a word that gets used to describe many good shows, but it is not always applied accurately. When it comes to anime, there are certainly many big series that have earned the title, but there are also some underappreciated titles that deserve it. The Tatami Galaxy is one of these.

In a fairly rare occurrence, Tatami Galaxy is actually an anime adapted from a book. The original novel was written by Tomihiko Morimi and released in 2004. In 2010, it received an anime adaptation, directed by the legendary Masaki Yuusa, who is behind other great anime like Japan Sinks and Devilman Crybaby. The book’s cover was also illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura, whose art you might recognize from Asian Kung-Fu Generation’s various album covers. Nakamura was also the character designer for the anime adaptation, fusing his striking art style with Yuuasa’s fluid animation style. But what is it about this adaptation that earns the title of a masterpiece?

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First of all, what is Tatami Galaxy about? The story stars an unnamed protagonist, who is often referred to as “Watashi”, as that is the Japanese word for “I” or «Me», and the only way he ever refers to himself. We find Watashi in a position some anime fans might actually relate a lot to. He’s just graduated highschool, but regrets that his social life there was not as full and exciting as he wanted. As he enters into a new life as a College student, he vows to make things different. He dreams of being loved by others and finding a girlfriend, so he commits himself to joining a social circle, excelling, and getting to know people. This however, is not to be.

By the end of the first episode, Watashi has already failed at