Just a brief note in passing, I finally completed the English dub of Season 1 of TSURUNE, the boys' archery anime on HIDIVE by Sentai Filmworks.
I don't have any hard data, but I'm guessing it was a commercial flop for Sentai Filmworks / HIDIVE because while HIDIVE streams TSURUNE: The Movie (essentially a recap of the highlights of Season 1 with additional background info provided, on a movie budget) and also TSURUNE Season 2, only Season 1 was dubbed.
Sports anime are always risky for a US Distributor, and especially when it is such an inherently Japanese sport like KYUDO (Japanese archery). Still, it was brave of Sentai Filmworks to dub at least the first season, as it certainly hooked me. I am definitely going to watch the movie & Season 2 subtitled because I'm attached to these characters now. Not all of You Are Under Arrest! got dubbed back in the day either and I still continued it subbed for the same reason, namely falling in love with the main cast. I have a feeling that even as recently as the early 2000s there's no way this show would've ever been dubbed at all....too strange, too "foreign", too JAPANESE. But the dub audience has matured since those days and shows like this are no longer as inaccessible or strange as they would've been. Those of us who have stuck with anime through the years do so because we love the medium AND we love that medium's country of origin, Japan. We care about and want to understand more about Japan and its culture through the artistic medium of anime.
You no longer need to translate terms like "Senpai" or "Kohai". We get them. It's also misleading to use terms like "Freshman", "Senior", etc....because the Japanese High School system is only 3 grades....10th, 11th, and 12th (Sophomore, Junior, Senior).....or in their terms 1-2-3. It makes more sense to speak of First Year, Second Year, Third Year and avoid using the English terminology at all, which is misleading at best, especially calling first years "Freshmen". The temptation is strong to do so, but it should be resisted. US "Freshmen" are still a Middle School cohort in Japan. Middle School in Japan terminates with 9th grade instead of 8th. That's why so many Middle School characters show up in Anime sometimes.
TSURUNE is a coming of age story featuring angsty teen boys getting in touch with their feelings and reflecting on their childhood and growing up into the young men they are today, as well as looking at their teachers and mentors for guidance and wisdom. I'm sure there are fujoshi fans of Tsurune that ship the hell out of these characters and that's fine. There are gay & homoerotic subtexts that are plausible with this show but optional. I'm not saying definitively if certain characters are or are not gay or bisexual. There are bread crumbs and possibilities but these are best left to the viewer's imagination. Write your own fanfic if you like, it's no skin off my back. What is present are a lot of teen angst and deep feelings and passions that all teen boys have felt at some point in their lives. The characters question their life choices, their chosen sport, etc. Kyudo Club is an important bonding experience for the cohort of friends that make up the Kazemai High School team.
It is a wholesome show about overcoming self-doubt and real obstacles in pursuit of a common goal. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to continuing the story. I wish the whole thing had been dubbed but Season 1 did its job to hook me. Thank you, Sentai Filmworks for making the investment to dub the first season and cause me to become invested in this story and these characters more than I would have with a sub-only show.
The animation is well done and the movie animation even better. The movie is a recap film for people who've already seen Season 1, something to watch that's beautiful eye candy before moving on to Season 2. I look forward to finishing it.
I generally like Sports Anime but they're often commercial failures with the rare exceptions of a breakout hit like Haikyuu! or Kuroko No Basuke. But I heartily recommend TSURUNE to all viewers. Watch it subbed if you want a consistent experience from start to finish. If you're unsure, watch the first season dubbed & see what you think? I think you'll find it hits the mark more often than not.
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