Tsurezure Children: A Bite-Sized Sweet

It can be hard to find time for anime these days. Free time can be so limited and shows can just be too long. Finding a show small enough to fit into a tight schedule can be a challenge.

Then there are shows like Tsurezure Children. Which you can literally finish in an hour and a half.

Teenage love is a complicated thing. It can be awkward, and difficult to know what to do. Tsurezure Children is a collection of short love stories surrounding different couples at the same school. From long lasting relationships to fresh romance, it covers all the most absurd, awkward, and hilarious beats of them all.

In terms of an actual narrative, this show isn’t the most thrilling or engaging. Each plotline is almost completely separate from the others. Pretty much the only thing tying them together is the setting.

It’s far from the most realistic or dramatic romance series out there. It’s very much focused on the comedy aspect. All of the characters are cartoonish, the situations they get in ranging from ridiculous to silly. It has its more serious moments, though, so it does create a nice balance between laughs and heart-pulls.

If the narrative isn’t particularly ambitious, then the story relies entirely on its cast. Luckily, the characters here are all pretty solid. None are especially deep or complex, but they’re all likable enough to carry the show. Not all of them are created equally, of course. You’ll have your favorites and your least favorites. But none of them were intollerable.

Of course, characters do not a joke make. Timing is everything. Luckily, Tsurezere Children has great comedic timing. Jokes are snappy and quick, yet they always give just enough time to breath and take them in. Granted, comedy is subjective; I can’t say whether the show’s humor will work for you. Give it a chance, see if it squeezes a laugh out of you.

And if you don’t like a particular couple, or if a joke isn’t working for you? Don’t worry. With how short each episode is, it’ll pass more than quickly enough. Few scenes last more than two or three minutes, and episodes are only ten minutes a pop. You’ll be in and out before you even know it.

Now, in terms of animation, the show is… fine. It’s not like you could fit much mind-blowing sakuga into a slice-of-life comedy. But what is there is perfectly acceptable. You’ll never want to claw your eyes out while watching this show.

As for music, you could say the same. It isn’t the most memorable score. But it does the job and does it well.

All in all, I found Tsurezere Children to be quite enjoyable. It’s a bite-sized bit of rom-com fun. If you’ve got an hour or two to spare, I’d recommend checking it out. It won’t blow your mind, but it is still pretty wholesome and fun.