The Tatami Galaxy

An anxious young man, simply known as Senpai (“Senior”), enters Kyoto University with rose-tinted glasses, aspiring to experience the perfect college life. When his expectations are dashed, he is magically given a chance to reset his wasted years and begin anew. Over eleven episodes, we witness Senpai navigate his way through crucial decisions, desperately hoping that he will escape mediocrity and find his elusive “raven-haired maiden”.

Anime master Yuasa Masaaki’s darkly comic TV series The Tatami Galaxy crafts a delirious, richly ornamented universe of twisted college romance and absurd campus mythology. In his search for success, the terminally repressed Senpai encounters a multitude of offbeat characters, including the impish double-dealer Ozu and the stern, sharp-tongued Akashi, all of whom present him with newer identities to explore and novel paths to take.

The breathlessly rapid voiceover and dialogue cast us adrift like the protagonist. Yet, the repeating narrative structure across episodes ensures that we are in step with the constantly mutating world of the story. The Tatami Galaxy may be an endearing account of a lonely young man trying to find acceptance, but also a wickedly funny tale about the delusions we cherish about the power of individual choices in shaping lives.

– Srikanth Srinivasan

Film stills: ©The Tatami Galaxy Committee

Trailer

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