True Tears (TV series)

Plot

True Tears follows Shin'ichirō Nakagami, a high school student with strong artistic ability. He lives with his parents and Hiromi Yuasa, a fellow student who moved into his home after her father died. Hiromi had been a close friend of the family, and she has lived with them for one year. Shin'ichirō has known Hiromi for years and once treasured her smile, but now she acts coldly at home and he struggles to talk with her.

At school, Hiromi is popular, always smiling, and talented in sports, but Shin'ichirō believes she is hiding something. He meets a strange girl named Noe Isurugi, who wishes him misfortune after he teases her. After reconciling by crafting a chicken from a tissue box, Shin'ichirō learns that Noe "gave her tears away." He also spends time with childhood friends Miyokichi Nobuse and Aiko Endō at the Imagawayaki shop owned by Aiko's family.

Shin'ichirō juggles these daily problems as he learns about love and the sadness of those around him. The opening video features shots of the Tateyama mountain range in Toyama Prefecture, where the series is set. The animation studio P.A. Works is located in Nanto, Toyama, and many locations in the series are modeled after that town, though the fictional town faces the sea while Nanto is inland.

Characters

Shin'ichirō Nakagami is a male high school student who enjoys drawing and begins working on a picture book. He lives with his parents and childhood friend Hiromi Yuasa, who used to smile around him but no longer does at home. He longs to see her smile again. After meeting Noe Isurugi, who curses him with misfortune, he reconciles with her.

Shin'ichirō is frustrated by Hiromi's lack of emotion and other pressures, such as a traditional Japanese dance he does not want to practice, but he eventually practices hard due to comments from Noe. He and Hiromi start a relationship. Noe Isurugi is an odd girl first encountered up a tree picking silverberries for a chicken named Raigomaru. Shin'ichirō catches her when she jumps from the tree.

She likes chickens but feeds only one because "it could fly." After the chicken is killed by a raccoon, Noe does not cry because she "gave away her tears." She explains that after her grandmother died, she could not cry because her grandmother said she would take Noe's tears with her. Noe develops feelings for Shin'ichirō and dates him until she discovers his true feelings for Hiromi.

She has an older brother, Jun, a basketball team captain. Noe is frank, speaks honestly, and can judge people's feelings to some extent.

Production

True Tears is an animated television series directed by Junji Nishimura. The animation was handled by P.A. Works, while Lantis produced the music. The production was a joint effort between P.A. Works, Lantis, and Bandai Visual. Although it shares its name with La'cryma's visual novel, the anime tells a completely original story with its own characters and a different visual style.

The series first aired on TV Kanagawa from January 6 to March 30, 2008, with a special preview of the first episode broadcast on BS11 Digital on January 4. It later appeared on channels including Chiba TV, Kansai TV, Kids Station, Tōkai TV, TV Saitama, and BS11 Digital, totaling thirteen episodes. A DVD featuring the first episode was released in Japan on March 25, 2008. A Blu-ray box set includes an additional three-minute epilogue that reveals what happens to the main characters after the series ends.

In North America, Bandai Visual initially licensed the show, but the release was postponed. After Bandai Visual USA merged into Bandai Entertainment, a two-disc DVD set with English subtitles came out on August 18, 2009. Later, Discotek Media issued a two-disc DVD set on August 30, 2016, followed by a Blu-ray release on October 31, 2017. The music includes the opening theme "Reflectier" by Eufonius, the ending theme "Sekai no Namida" by Aira Yūki, and the insert song "Sono Mama no Boku de" by Eufonius, which appears in episode ten.

Internet radio show

An Internet radio show titled True Tears Kochira Tulip Hōsōkyoku was broadcast to promote the anime. It was hosted by Charradio for four episodes from December 7, 2007, to December 28, 2007, then moved to Beat Net Radio! for weekly broadcasts starting January 4, 2008. The show had three hosts: Ayahi Takagaki, Kaori Nazuka, and Yuka Iguchi, who voiced Noe Isurugi, Hiromi Yuasa, and Aiko Endō respectively. Makoto Ishii, who played Shin'ichirō, appeared as a guest for the seventh and eighth broadcasts, and director Junji Nishimura was a guest for the ninth.