The moments Keisuke Niijima shared with his wife, Takae, were the happiest in his life. After their first meeting as coworkers, the bond between them gradually became stronger. They eventually married and were blessed with a daughter named Mai soon after. However, following Takae's death, time seems to have stopped for Keisuke, resulting in his inability to build a proper relationship with his daughter.
Ten years later, the gloomy Niijima household is bound for change when a little girl knocks at the door—claiming to be Takae's reincarnation. After confirming her identity, Keisuke's world brightens once more as he revels at the thought of making new memories with his beloved family. Unfortunately, this fortuitous miracle comes with its obvious drawbacks, and one mistake will spell more tragic consequences for Keisuke and everyone else involved.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Marinate1016
Tsumasho was the most controversial show this season and it really didn’t need to be that way. Despite the title, this is one of the most wholesome and beautiful shows you’ll see this year. It’s a powerful story about grief, acceptance and moving on. I was brought to tears on several occasions in this one and the focus on the family dynamic of grief really resonated with me. This was a brilliant watch and if you can get over the really weird naming choice, you’ll be in for a treat. Everyone knows Japan is no stranger to controversial and taboo topics and by the name aloneyou’d be forgiven for thinking this is another one of those, like I said before though, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, we’ve got a unique twist on the reincarnation gimmick by having a deceased wife come back as a child to help her family deal with her death. This family’s just glad to have their matriarch back and it never goes beyond more than them just being happy to spend time together again, cooking, family outings etc., essentially your textbook definition of a wholesome anime. Sadly, the series has this cloud and sense of impeding doom kind of hanging over the family throughout even with the return of the wife because you just know this can’t last forever. We only have one life to live and can never get another one which is why it’s important to cherish the moments we have here now.
Again, things stay very wholesome throughout and I really liked how there was so much emphasis on the impact that suddenly losing a spouse/parent can have on the surviving child/spouse. Time kind of stops moving Keisuke and Mai when the mom dies, and then it resumes when she comes back, but her reincarnation and the ultimate conclusion to her character arc is basically a stand-in for people coming to terms with and learning to live with their grief. It’s a really well done story mechanic that’s feels like an emotional roller coaster. I mean, this show had me going through the highest of highs and lowest of lows at times, which is quite fitting because that’s how life after losing someone you care about feels. Good days and bad days.
On the whole I really liked how all the characters’ developed in this one. The daughter going from a shut-in with no social prospects to opening back up to the world and advancing her career. The husband going from essentially having given up on life and having a broken relationship with his daughter to someone who has hopes, and aspirations again and can actually communicate with his child. Marika’s mom accepting that her abusive upbringing turned her into an abusive mother and finally letting that hurt go, etc. My only complaint with this story narratively is that the pacing feels very wonky around episode 10/11 when a relationship(vague to avoid spoilers) seems to develop quicker than it should.. but other than that, I thought the small cast made things very intimate and just showcased how losing a mom can leave such a massive hole in a family. Losing a dad is one thing, but moms tend to be that glue holding the family together and there’s so many little things you lose when your mother passes.
In short, don’t let the name scare you off from Tsumasho. It’s a really nice and emotional story. I don’t know if I’d classify it as a “sad” anime. There’s certainly sad parts, but I think it’s actually quite optimistic and positive. Death is a part of life and we never know when it’ll come for any of us. But when we lose people, they’re never really gone. We take them with us every day, every step of the way.
Tsumasho gets 9 out of 10.
Chuy_diazz
A story that made me cry... but because of how poorly adapted the story was. At the beginning of the season, people sold me this as the drama of the year and that I would need a box of tissues to watch each episode. I naively fell into the trap of the premise, since the story of how a family overcomes the grief of the loss of the family matriarch seemed interesting. Even so, the fact that the wife was reincarnated as a 10-year-old girl seemed quite dangerous and that at any moment a morally improper line could be crossed. Although the story remained within themoral, many of the protagonist's attitudes still felt uncomfortable and out of place.
The story was cut short and the production didn't even bother to hide the scissors with which they carried out this massacre. Many subplots developed off-camera, making any kind of progress of the subplots feel inorganic or unnatural. The biggest example is the whole daughter subplot, since her entire love relationship was developed out of the viewer's sight, making you not understand anything about her development. In the end, she was the character most affected because her growth was null and in the end she just feels like a big girl throwing a huge tantrum. Another one of those affected was the character of Moriya, who without giving spoilers, what they did to her was to directly trample her.
It's normal that the story feels rushed since the +100 manga chapters were adapted into 12 anime episodes. The anime tries to avoid the construction of the sad moments and only gives you the drama to force a tear or two in the viewer. Only without construction you are just watching a random moment with sad music in the background. I don't doubt that in the manga this is a wonderful story full of life lessons, but the anime fails to sell its counterpart and doesn't even make you want to read the first chapter of this story.
I feel bad for the fans who waited for this for who knows how long, but the production didn't try even a little to make something decent. Although I must say that not everything is bad in the anime. The subplot of Chika and Marika is told in a satisfactory way and it is the only story that can genuinely awaken some feeling of empathy or sadness. Seeing a mother try to recover and repair her relationship with her daughter is always something nice to see. The bad thing is that you have to watch the whole main story to be able to see these little moments that are worth it.
I don't recommend this even to the biggest fan of the drama genre. I think there are other media that adapted the story better, the anime was just a failed attempt to live off the name of a popular manga.
patkarunungan
TsumaSho, otherwise known as 'My wife becomes an elementary student', created some buzz several months before it aired because of its trailer. Did the anime live up to the hype? Maybe. § Overview Keisuke and Takae were happily married couples. But one day, Takae died in an accident, which left Niijima and their daughter, Mai, devastated. 10 years later, an elementary student knocks on their door, claiming to be Takae. Will Keisuke's family return to being happy?§ Notes
So many trolls were joking that this is about pædophilia, but some have taken such criticisms at face value without giving this anime a chance. That is so unfortunate. As a whole, this anime is so wholesome.
It's not about Keisuke reestablishing a relationship with the child Marika who has Takae's soul. It's about resolving Takae's unfinished business because, for many years, her family had been in shambles. Keisuke is unmotivated at work. Mai doesn't have a career to speak of. All that has changed when they were reunited.
That said, there were a few pædo jokes that may put you off. Keisuke was rather careless, calling the child his wife and Takae had to smack some sense to him. It's not really that bad, but they're there and I'm warning you about them.
Takae's husband and daughter started off so insufferable. Once they reconciled, they started leaning more on her. Little did they know that as the child Marika, Takae had a separate life that she must deal with. So basically, this anime is also about how these insufferable individuals grow as a person and come to terms with the fact that Takae can't be there forever.
This is a good drama and the last few episodes are very emotional. For much of the time, I was leaning toward giving it a 7/10. I ended up giving it a 6/10 because there's a detail in the final episode that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Hint: It involves deception.
§ Conclusion
It's a generally wholesome drama. It can be emotional, and for some people, it can make you cry. There's nothing degenerate about it. You might be turned off by different things. In my case, it's the partially flawed ending that lowered its score.
KANLen09
TsumaSho a.k.a If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student. - The title alone sells the premise, but by the standards of the 2020s, it has become the misogyny to trigger even the tiniest of Karen-type fascists to force a name change...idiots. As humans, the adage of "forgive and forget" is an often-quoted term that can be the bitch (or vain) that would not be suppressed in our system so quickly. Case in point, the loss of loved ones that family and friends can only get the news and be shell-shocked by the sudden loss that it could take days to weeks to move on, astory that we fickle humans must learn to accept no matter how hard the pain can be. Case in point (again): mangaka Yayu Murata's Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru a.k.a If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student, a title that since its release has been the subject of a litany of triggering people's Spidey senses to the point for just about every outlet to refer to it as the shortened Japanese nickname instead, just because of its "sexual" inference. But believe me, this drama-filled story is more nuanced once you get into the show firsthand, then dig into the manga for what the anime chose to omit for its limited runtime and come out feeling like an emotional trainwreck in totality.
It's not easy being given the news that a loved one has died due to a freak accident, and the family and/or friends having to grief like there's no tomorrow for what life is left to expect. This is the family of the Niijimas, of husband Keisuke, daughter Mai, and the dead wife/mother Takae, who's been killed in a car accident. For 10 years thereafter, both father and daughter having lived their lives on their own accord with a broken family that has gone with words not exchanged between the two (mostly on Keisuke's end), which without their beloved mother, the Niijimas' household descends and plunges into total darkness. That is until the appearance of an elementary school kid, who, chancing the gloominess of both Keisuke and Mai, barges straight to the Niijimas' door...to proclaim that she's a reincarnation of their mother, Takae. Of course, any sane person would dismiss this word outright, but the bizarre premise takes the twist to prove that despite being in a different body and having a different name, she is indeed Takae in every sense of the fact, knowing full well of every fibre of their being to attribute her motherly traits, remembering her past life, which reassures both Keisuke and Mai that their mother is "back." The fault of the matter, however complex it may look, is quite the simple construct that teaches a lesson about the fickleness of life.
If you're one to take in those emotional notes, this show will undoubtedly wreck you to the point of onion tears. Second chances don't come often in life, much less the anxiety of feeling grief and healing knowing the near-impossible of the supernatural of someone ACTUALLY being like Jesus Christ "rising on the 3rd day and living out the monumental years of the Saviour's life." It's both a blessing and a curse for the Niijimas acknowledging that Takae is back in another form, though it clearly puts a strain on the new identity that isn't Takae all at the same time. To have the elementary school kid of Marika Shiraishi "be enabled" with Takae's past memories intact, both Keisuke and Mai may not have believed that the impossible came true, but they clearly have to grapple with someone else who has their mother's identity, yet let her live like the person that has her soul being reincarnated from another. Reincarnation is the keyword here, and it'll change the dynamics of the Niijimas as they have to come to learn to "forgive and forget (or rather, move on)" that their mother, despite being in another body, will never come back to the face of the Earth again, as much as it has her loving kindness showing through the physique of the other. And this drama, despite being fictional, does have some sense of realism of the bonding of the Shiraishi family and the other characters that would come to understand where both Keisuke and Mai are coming from and help guide their path towards the future to reassure them that things would be alright even without Takae by their side, though it can be quite the ugly sight at times of human-natured tendencies to act impulsively and go out of order. It's just that dramatic, though sometimes to the degree of weird, and Yayu Murata certainly got what he wanted to tell out of this story on the right notes for a premise that's all about "living life to the fullest" and "life or death incarnate, till death do us part."
The obvious nitpick about the anime adaptation is largely the sum of many parts, other than the one aspect that does well. Story-wise, as a manga reader, I think that leaving the second half out of the anime certainly makes the show feel incomplete from the Average Joe's point of view, but I would take the first half over the second any day, as the other half goes into even more bizarre plot armour about Takae's reincarnation phase (and new characters that relate to her) that honestly would just not sit right having a sequel just to explain all of the shenanigans that would otherwise hamper the overall feeling of the anime as a whole. Think of this as the family drama version of Horimiya's compressed adaptation, and you're all set to go.
Being a Studio Signpost production, the show may not look as refined, but it honestly doesn't need to be one to get the story moving in animated form, and it's a decent, but admirable job done to simple satisfaction. Even the music is plentiful at times, though for a drama of this calibre, it has to be to hit its emotional notes at the right spots. And a great example of this is the contrast between Pachae's rather delightful OP and Ms. Ooja's melancholic ED, of which, just by song tastes alone, the ED is a cinch above the OP.
Despite being the complete-but-incomplete adaptation, though with the manga's rather childish nature when it comes to its art style, I'd suffice to say that the anime is the way to go if you're down for emotional but mature drama stories like Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru. if you need a cut from on all of the excessive Isekai/fantasy BS that the AniManga industry is heavily focusing on these days and leaving works like this in the dust. It may not be for everyone, but it's a substantial lesson worth noting of the fragility of life, its devastating effects, and the outcome of moving on to better things ahead.
Ellenya
It's a beautiful anime, the concept is great and it's executed nicely... But unfortunately it's lacking. It's supposed to be an anime that gets you emotional, that hits hard about the meaning of death and how to cope with losing a loved one, but this anime wasn't able to do so. I can't pinpoint how it went wrong, but at the end of it we are left with an impression that this anime was wishy-washy. I noticed that they strongly focused on Mai (the couple's daughter) in order to avoid issues about the age gap between the couple, and that was a highlight of this anime,but on the other hand it made the Father merely a father and not a "husband". It made his character weak and unlikeable.
This is "mixed feelings" because I think that the story is worth it, but the anime isn't. So I would instead recommend watching the live action instead.
Joshua_0121
Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru.(If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student.) While this anime as a cringe name the premise(reincarnationish) Was executed very well and grounded in realism Plot The anime as a simple plot with some well executed twist that keep you invested in the storyline (not to give any spoilers) Characters The Characters are quite relatable and realistic And the development of some Characters in the helps feel the emotions that are being passed across All in all it was a good watch although the first few episodes were a little clichéd and boring things pick up and progress well NB if you love slice of lifethis anime is something you will enjoy and I recommend it
Ratings: 7.6/10
lycoping
I want to start this review, right at the top, by saying that anyone who says you should not watch this anime based on the title alone should lose all their social media accounts, and be hounded by a particularly randy pikachu. It's not only an undeserved criticism, it's a particularly stupid one, and I find myself actually a little angry that there are people out there who would try to cancel this wonderful anime based upon a characteristic but misplaced ignorance. There are some anime that may deserve that kind of criticism. This one isn't it. Okay. I said that.Right at the top. Now, let's move on.
The fall 2024 season has been mostly a disappointment. There are only two anime that I particularly cared to watch this season. "Love! Live Superstar!" and, well, this one. I thought this anime had a very promising premise, but I wasn't sure at all about the execution. In fact, the first three episodes made me wonder what they were playing at - if you'd stopped there, you would have thought that it might go in a particularly unhealthy direction.
But it didn't. It didn't, at all.
This is an anime about grief, about love, about family, and about letting go when a loved one dies.
You might think from the title that this is a particularly prurient anime, having to do with an elementary school girl being put in ecchi situations and, well... you know. Let me assure you this is *not* the case. It isn't. Not even a little bit. Not even the littlest, tiniest, eensiest little bit. This is about a girl who shows up at the doorstep claiming to be a reincarnated wife, yes. But it's not that simple, and as the anime progresses, well... you're gonna cry. A lot. It's that kind of anime. This anime would never stoop to that kind of cheapness.
I can't think of anything to criticize about this anime, and if you've seen my reviews, you know I have a very critical eye, and I always try to find at least one thing that could be improved. I couldn't, in this anime. For what it was, it was absolutely perfect. The animation was good (and amazing in spots), the music was good, the voice acting was good... everything was good. This was as much of a flawless anime as I've ever seen, and, well, I've seen a few.
While it's not ecchi or anything like that (not even a little), it does deal with adult topics, such as infidelity, adultery, betrayal, verbal and strongly implied light physical abuse of children (by which I mean nothing worse than a slap or two) but even so, it deals with those things sensitively, and what they do is absolutely necessary to the story. So it's fine, at least in my opinion.
Watch this anime. And don't listen to the people who tell you not to because of the title. In fact, don't listen to them. At all. Ever again. I'm serious. Just don't.
Recommend and a 10 from me, and quite frankly I'd give this one a 10+ if I could.
Cerbin
You Can trust me when i say that this is one of the most objective review you will saw of this anime for the good reason that I was one of those people who thought this anime was going to be one of those "Loli bait anime" with an old guy who is going to flirt with his wife reincarnated as a kid BUT OH MY GOD I WAS WRONG. The first episodes are going to be really boring and cliché (I even took a break for a while because of that) BUT BELIEVE ME the anime is going to suddenly become extremely interesting, adultand mature (Be careful I didn't say "Dark", it's not the same as mature or adult). In short it's an anime that talks about subjects related to adult life and family as a parent and various subjects around the death of a loved one, there are some serious twists and turns and especially moments much more interesting than I could have imagined.
MidniteAndBeyond
This is the best anime of 2024, without question. The short and sweet premise is that its essentially a spiritual successor to AnoHana. if that's enough of a reason for you to watch it, then enjoy. While the two premises are incredibly similar, the experiences and settings are entirely different. Something I adore this show for is that it could've very, VERY easily been an absolute trainwreck. People have been memeing on this series all season based on the translated title, alone. And while I've seen so many amazing this show this year, I've also seen a LOT of trash that was filled to thebrim with my least favorite tropes in the anime medium. I was so worried this was gonna be a very disturbing and uncomfortable experience. But no. Not in the slightest.
The amount of delicacy and maturity this show handles its premise with, and how intelligent and genuine its characters are written makes this show the masterpiece that it is. There is ZERO inappropriate humor. ZERO miscommunication between characters. ZERO irrational behavior. ZERO unsetting imagery or pairings. It's one of the most raw, pure, beautiful pieces of art I've ever bore witness to and I am SO relieved and grateful that this show exists the way that it does. Any time I see those tired, inappropriate tropes pop up again in a future series, I'm just gonna point people towards this show. This is how it should be handled. It's not hard to be mature. It's possible to make us laugh or smile without acting like a creep. This show is the gold standard. And there's no excuse why others don't follow its example, going forward. A lot of the shows I've watched this year have become some of my all time favorites and have provided experiences and lessons that hit incredibly close to home and helped me with things I've been dealing with throughout my life in both the past and present. But this show... this did that for me, ten times over.
It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I've been suffering. Not just this year. This year was just the breaking point. I haven't been ok for an incredibly long time. And honestly, a lot of the reasons why I stopped watching anime for several years was due to not being able to feel joy anymore, as well as not being able to take in the lessons they were trying to pass onto me. But now I'm finally on the road to recovery. And this show tackled a lot of topics of grief and loss and trauma that haunts and controls you for years on end and the seemingly endless battle of trying to recover from it. Other shows tried to show me that there was light at the end of the tunnel, but honestly I had stopped believing them.
But this one... this one got through to me. It broke me. It shows me the light. It made me cry and grieve openly and feel the weight leave my shoulders and made it easier to breathe. Things will never be the same. Things will never be perfect ever again. What was lost will never be reclaimed. And yet, there's still joy and hope left to be found in life, despite all that. I've said similar things to people in my life who were suffering in an attempt to help them with whatever it was they were going through. But I always felt a sense of guilt for never believing the words I was saying to people when it came to my own life. But after watching this... it made me truly, TRULY believe it. Finally. I'm not ok, yet. I don't know if or when or how long it'll be until that day comes. But I'm able to get through each day so much easier than I was able to in over a decade. I can't recommend this show enough to you. It may not be a masterpiece in everyone else's eyes, but it'll always be one in my heart, simply for what it provided me throughout these past three months of watching it, week to week. Please watch it if you find yourself in a dark place. I hope more than anything it helps and heals you in the same way it was able to do for me.
10/10
rogirogi
Tsumasho is an emotionally impactful anime that explores themes of identity, change, grief and acceptance. The story’s portrayal of grief and the process of moving on, especially through the Niijima family’s journey stands out as a central emotional element. From a technical standpoint, the anime has a neat and pretty art style, particularly in closer shots, but there are occasional inconsistencies in the anatomy in some scenes. The story is original and well-paced, with each episode contributing meaningfully to the character development and plot progression. The anime's conclusion provides a satisfying and complete journey. the characters feel realistic, too. they don't give cheesy lines and even breakexpectations of what they were going to do, and thinking about their actions, they make sense and seem deeply layered. Overall, Tsumasho is a well-crafted anime that handles its complex themes with depth and sensitivity - a good and memorable story
ecktt
TLDR: A moving story, that subverted my expectations numerous times but not always in a good way. The premise is right in the name, setting up your expectations of what to expect and the story delivers while managing to a very wholesome show. An unexpected death leaves the remaining family consisting of a father and daughter, unable to truly move on. The story then explores what happens when the mother returns in the body of another family's child. The obvious drama of how this is handles while we slowly discover the who, what, when and why is cleverly mixed with external pressures of life and howthey deal with the challenges as they come. It can be a be a bit to wishy washy at times for no good reason and several plot twists were just unnecessary or took the show in unwanted directions. This is all too apparent at the overly neatly tided up ending. This isn't to say that the show is bad as it does tug at the heart strings really hard, and the characters are way more charming and mature than you would expect. Overall, the art, sound, voice acting and pacing were very much on point leaving you to focus on the story. Clearly a lot of thought was put into this as nothing felt forced or contrived.
If you need something around the holidays to keep you from going numb, this could be ticket but expect the hardcore viewer slice-of-dramas to be disappointed.
MexicanStoke
I think it was one of the best anime of this season and you'd be missing out if you skip it. Watch it if you like wholesome dramas that bring joy and tears. While the middle definitely feels rushed. I think the studio did the best they could with the 12 episodes they had. In general you get to mostly appreciate the character development. Although 16 episodes would've been better. The story is very unique. I loved that they never put the little girl in any uncomfortably sexual situation. That would've sucked. But they managed it great. I am not a huge animation nerd (I grew up inthe days of Dragon Ball so yeah anything looks good enough) but I think the art and animation are a perfect complement to the story.
PrN_8
If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student – An anime often dismissed due to its title, but surprisingly not that bad. It could be a a decent pick for drama fans At first, it seemed like just another loli wife anime, but it unexpectedly delves into mature life situations and presents them decently. Though the pacing felt a bit off, and I found myself skipping parts, the overall experience was decent. The characters were well-developed and matured throughout the episodes. Their transformations felt real and grounded, making them more relatable as the story progressed. From my perspective, the animation wasn’t great. The character designs felt more cartoonish,and the emotional expressions weren’t animated as effectively as they could have been. While the direction was satisfactory, the animation and visual storytelling could have been much better.
For those who enjoy drama, I’d suggest giving it a try, but it’s not a 100% recommendation from my side.
It’s by no means a must-watch for all drama lovers, but for an anime I expected to be bad, it turned out surprisingly decent.
AboAhmed130
This anime is a masterpiece! Why are you wasting time reading comments? Go watch it now. This work is for: Fans of slice-of-life, romance, seinen, beautiful stories, and deep dialogue. If you want my opinion, you’ll find it in the comments of every episode—I wrote detailed thoughts for each one. Check the episode comments, and you’ll find all my reflections there. I don't know why I couldn't post a short comment—It's required to elaborate more. Story: Wonderful.Characters: Amazing.
Side Characters: Excellent, and each one was explained in a very satisfying way.
After finishing the show, are there any lingering questions or mysteries? No.
Did I feel bored at any point? No.
Do I see any flaws? No—and even if there were any, in my opinion, the positives completely overshadowed them.
Why did I love this anime? Simply because it fits the type of shows I personally prefer—those that are story-driven, have deep dialogue, and strong character development. I guess I’m a bit biased toward this kind of anime.
These are my tenth reviews for an anime work—yay, let's celebrate this achievement! 🎉🎉🎊
PenisButtFart
I love good anime like death note that takes a surreal element implemented into our human reality, and showing how it affects human lives in different aspects, and I consider Tsuma Shougakusei ni Naru one of these amazing anime series that implemented a surreal element into human lives, focusing more on the aspect of emotions, feelings, letting go, learning lessons, domestic abuse, bad parenting, redemption, emotional healing, love, etc. It does it in such a beautiful, realistic, and human way that connects with the viewers when showing emotions we can relate to. It wasnt perfect, but I can't really tell what was wrong with it, Iguess just low budget, questionable marketing, poor cinematography or composition that takes away from the inmersion of the story, and the intensiry of the feelings. Still, with the resources the studio had, I think they made a great job telling this beautiful story, but I'm still looking forward to see the story being told with better resources.
KaaruOobun
Short review: What I really like about the show is that the concept of acceptance is explored in an unusual and unique way, offering a refreshing perspective that sets it apart from other dramas. It delves into the complexities of human relationships and emotions, presenting them in a way that feels both thought-provoking and heartfelt. While the title might be seen as controversial by some, the show handles its subject matter with great care, never sexualizing the child, and maintaining a respectful and grounded approach throughout. VAs: The voice actors did a great job, especially Takae's VA, who skillfully portrays the sad moments. Every time she expresses thewife's emotions, it really gets to me and brings tears to my eyes.
Ending Song:
Ngl, Hidamari really grew on me by the time it hit 6 episodes and was completely solidified by the conclusion.
Conclusion: (Spoiler)
The ending reminded me of (Plastic Memories) When they went to the Ferris wheel, I just knew it would make me tear up—iykyk!
Since it made me cry multiple times, I gave it a 9—because I reserve that rating for shows that truly evoke strong emotions like that.
Kyou_Ryuu
THE GOOD: Interesting story concept, with an overall decent execution. The plot is simple and to-the-point. Good development for all the main characters and some of the support cast. Good voice acting, which manages to convey emotion without being too bombastic. Nice sound production, with a special mention for the ED song. THE MEH: The last 2-3 episodes felt rushed, with a lot of development going on and no time to process it (by characters and audience). The show managed to nail the ending anyway, so it's not a deal breaking issue, but 1-2 extra episodes would have helped a lot with the pacing. THE BAD: Visuals, direction and animationare slightly below average, sloppy at times, and barely sufficient to avoid immersion breaking: not a deadly sin for a drama, but the story deserved better.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
An emotional show about grief and loss, which will definitely touch the heart of those who enjoy this kind of anime.
Recommended if you're into drama, but only if you can put up with sub-par production and you don't mind minor pacing issues.
Not recommended if you don't like the genre or if you think visuals are important.
Rian_Rahmat
The beginning of this anime episode is quite interesting to watch. But after a while it gets quite boring, especially for her husband who has a below average level of awareness, a clear example of when someone has a crush on him but thinks it's normal, Another thing is when he's talking to someone, he always gets too carried away and almost accidentally mentions Tsuma/his wife. In fact, it would be a big problem if her husband accidentally mentioned his wife, because his wife should no longer exist and it would be very complicated to justify that his wife had been reborn. It's quite scary to see acharacter with a figure that is considered mature but whose thinking is so slow!
The storyline is also not always smooth, there are some dramas that make me quite bored watching them, like when the elementary school child talks and continues to change into an adult figure just like his wife used to be.
And other dramas that I shouldn't mention, no spoilers!
The point is, this anime is not very entertaining for me, maybe it's not my taste either, because I rarely see household relationships in an anime.
I watched this just to satisfy my curiosity, what would the content be like because before the adaptation there was a Live Action (LA) first, but I didn't see it.
Rachiba
The first time I heard about this series, I didn't feel any different from your average normie in terms of the title and premise, so I started reading the manga thinking at first that it would come true. What I didn't expect was that behind that seemingly "suspicious" facade I was going to find one of the most interesting dramas that Japan sometimes, with its crazy ideas, wants to impress on those who are not familiar with its culture and way of seeing things. The first thing to highlight is the characters facing different circumstances in their personal and family lives, and although the premise mayseem to take the seriousness out of the matter, the truth is that the effect is exactly the opposite. One can imagine different situations that people must face regarding death or what remains to be done afterwards, and no one is prepared for one where a person in a surreal way tells you that he is the reincarnation of a relative from the past. Although at first it may seem immature on Keisuke's part with his reactions and jokes in bad taste, over time the feelings and emotions of this family are developed in depth, as well as other secondary but interesting stories of other characters that in one way or another affect the main cast. The beginning is more like an introduction to the characters, showing their small moments of family happiness and a certain comedic tone, but this is built up until reaching the second half, where the magic begins to shine.
Without a doubt, the most defined character is Takae (under Marika's body), Keisuke's (ex)wife and former coworker, who knows how to deal with her new life and the one she left behind. She takes the lead in leading Kosuke and Mai on a better path while dealing with her own problems. But also, another character that stands out a lot is Chika, Marika's mother, who we see an important development as a mother and a person, even some people with family problems can find some empathy in her at some point. My problem, however, comes from Kosuke: even though we can sometimes see a mature attitude with his companions and he tries to improve himself, he also depends too much on Takae to avoid making a mistake about the secret, and this is because the adaptation rushes a good part of his development which can give a different impression to the viewer than what the original work tries to give. Mai is a good character and is perhaps the one who should also stand out as the center of the whole thing between Keisuke and Takae, but again, unfortunately the adaptation omits a whole important story that involves her as one of the key elements in the second half of the show.
It's obvious that the production doesn't do justice either, the animation and design style is more generic and is a "nerf" to the manga style. And it's not like the original drawing was as striking as the content of the story, but damn, they can even lower the standards for this. Also, stressed throughout this review, the cutting and pasting of the script to, hopefully, fit the most important moments of TsumaSho, which to be honest seems to work, but with a rather risky bet very noticeable for those who read the manga, and those who didn't, will not stop having a feeling that pacing too fast.
So, the good thing about TsumaSho is that it keeps the essence and the most important scenes in 12 episodes. Unfortunately, it compresses 112 chapters into just that, which makes the pacing as quick as possible. However, it is still an emotional series that, with the initial impression you may have, is interesting to watch and experience on your own. The story is too good to not get justice, although it is up to each person how you judge the circumstances of each character. I admit that I live in a generation that seems to be more tolerant than it is believed with stories like these, although we still have fans who mostly judge things by the cover rather than the content.
Anyway, I recommend this show if you are looking for a drama that makes you feel sad, since its entire story can at some point bring out an emotion and perhaps a tear. We have all lost a loved one at some point, and when have we not wished to have lived more moments with that person. TsumaSho teaches the viewer to face reality and live it, that life goes on and what we can do while we are alive is to continue saving moments with those who are still around and are part of our sense of life, even though this does not make us forget the pain of having lost others.
