A thorough analysis of the appeal and emotion of "A Promise in this Blue Sky - Welcome to Tsugumi Dormitory"!

A Promise in This Blue Sky - Welcome to Tsugumi Dormitory - Reviews and details

Overview

"A Promise to this Blue Sky - Welcome to Tsugumi Dormitory" is a TV anime series that aired in 2007, based on an 18+ game by Teijiel and Alchemist. It aired from April 4th to June 27th, 2007 on UHF and AT-X. It consists of 13 episodes, each 30 minutes long, directed by Yabuki Tsutomu and animated by ARTLAND. The series is set in the Tsugumi Dormitory, a renovated old school building, and follows the daily lives of Hoshino Wataru, the only male student, and several female students.

■ Story

A remote island a little south of Honshu. The dormitory "Tsugumi Dormitory", which was renovated from an old school building, is now inhabited by the only male student, Hoshino Wataru, and a few female students due to a decrease in the number of students. The residents of the island rumor that the dormitory is Wataru's harem. He also gets involved with a transfer student who arrives at this time, and although they sometimes rebel, they spend their days having fun... The promise I made with you "that day" still lives on this island.

■Explanation

"A Promise to This Blue Sky - Welcome to Tsugumi Dorm" is an animated version of a romance adventure game released by Giga, a PC game maker that has released many beautiful girl games. It was widely accepted not only by fans of the original game, but also by anime fans. According to the official AT-X commentary, this work is a youthful love comedy set in school life, depicting the interactions and growth of unique characters.

■Cast

• Wataru Hoshino - Yuichi Nakamura
• Rina Sawashiro - Satomi Koorogi
• Umi Hayama - Fumi Morisawa
• Naoko Asakura - Ai Orikasa
• Junko Nakata - Rokujo Miyaho
• Shizuka Fujimura - Hitomi
• Sayuri Kirishima - MARIO
• Akane Mitamura - Kaori Nazuka
• Takashi Mitamura - Shinji Kawada
• Noriko - Reiko Sasagawa
• Vice Principal - Atsushi Imaruoka
• Headmaster - Ren Gakudai
• Elegant writing - Kota Suzuki

■ Main staff

• Original author - Teijiel, Alchemist
• Director: Tsutomu Yabuki
• Assistant Director: Ken Ando (Studio Ron)
• Series Composition - Satoru Nishizono
• Character design, chief animation director: Hirokazu Hanai (Studio Ron)
• Guest character design - Masashi Koseki
• Art director: Kenichi Kurata
• Color design - Naoki Fukutani
• Director of photography - Akio Saito
• Edited by Hideaki Murai
• Sound Director - Hamanaka Kazuzo
• Music: Kenji Ito
• Sound Production, Studio - Delphi Sound
• Producers: Makoto Ito, Toshiaki Asaka, Mitsuhiro Maruyama, Michiko Koyanagi, Yuichi Matsunaga
• Animation Producer - Hidenobu Watanabe
• Animation Production - ARTLAND
• Produced by: Tsugumi Dormitory Association (Marvelous Entertainment, Media Factory, Alchemist, 5pb., Movic)

■ Main Characters

• Sawashiro Rina - A second-year student at the school. She is a "newcomer" who has just entered the Tsugumi dormitory. For some reason, she doesn't try to get involved with others, and she immediately finds herself at odds with the nosy dorm residents. Although she generally acts unmotivated, she is actually a national-level track and field athlete.
• Umi Hayama - A second-year student at the school. Class 2-A committee member and student council secretary. Wataru and I lived next door to each other, so even now, he's always there to wake us up in the morning. He's a great cook, and as the person in charge of cooking at Tsugumi dormitory, he takes care of everyone's daily needs.
• Naoko Asakura - A third-year student at the school. Class 3-A committee member and student council president. She is known as an honor student, but in reality she is a complete shill. She skillfully uses both her public and private identities to completely control the hearts of teachers and male students. She immediately puts her ideas into action.
• Rokujo Miyaho - A first-year student at the school. Class 1-A committee member. She is the granddaughter of the school's former chairman and a true purebred young lady. She is calm, kind, and full of affection. However, due to the stimulating life at Tsugumi dormitory, her image as a sheltered young lady is in the process of breaking down.
• Fujimura Shizuka - A first-year student at the school. A wayward girl who clings to Wataru like a cat. She is generally quiet and seems to be spaced out, but she has excellent athletic ability and is quite good at studying, except for Japanese.
• Sayuri Kirishima - Wataru's homeroom teacher and dorm manager of Tsugumi dorm. A novice teacher in her second year, she is not very reliable and is called "Sae-chan" by students. She is caught between the dorm residents, who are too idiosyncratic and often criticize her, and the school.

■Subtitle

• Episode 1 - Sawashiro Rinna (Part 1) (2007/04/03)
• Episode 2 - Sawashiro Rina (Part 2) (2007/04/10)
• Episode 3 - Rokujo Miyaho (Part 1) (2007/04/17)
• Episode 4 - Rokujo Miyaho (Part 2) (2007/04/24)
• Episode 5 - Fujimura Shizuka (Part 1) (2007/05/01)
• Episode 6 - Fujimura Shizuka (Part 2) (2007/05/08)
• Episode 7 - Umi Hayama (Part 1) (2007/05/15)
• Episode 8 - Umi Hayama (Part 2) (2007/05/22)
• Episode 9 - Kirishima Sayuri (Part 1) (2007/05/29)
• Episode 10 - Kirishima Sayuri (Part 2) (2007/06/05)
• Episode 11 - Naoko Asakura (Part 1) (2007/06/12)
• Episode 12 - Naoko Asakura (Part 2) (2007/06/19)
• Episode 13 - The Promised Day (2007/06/26)

■ Related works

• A Promise to This Blue Sky Welcome to Tsugumi Dormitory Tsugumi Dormitory Theater of Love

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1 - A Promise to This Blue Sky
  • Lyricist: Chiyomaru Shikura
  • Composer - Chiyomaru Shikura
  • Arrangement - Koji Ueno
  • Song - KAORI
• ED1 - Blue Sky Fantasia
  • Lyricist - SWIM
  • Composer - TARAWO
  • Arrangement - TARAWO
  • Sung by: Ayumi Murata
• IN1 - Instead of goodbye
  • Lyricist: akadRESS
  • Composed by: akadRESS
  • Arrangement - akadRESS
  • Song: Tsugumi Dormitory Student Association Choir

■Review

"A Promise to the Blue Sky - Welcome to Tsugumi Dorm" is a very attractive youth romantic comedy. As the original is an 18+ game, the characters have strong personalities, and the format in which the story progresses from the perspective of a different character in each episode was refreshing. In particular, the background and growth of each character are carefully depicted, evoking deep empathy from the viewer.

The story revolving around Hoshino Wataru depicts the island's scenery and dormitory life so realistically that viewers can feel as if they are a part of it. In particular, the charm of the characters is outstanding, such as Sawashiro Rinna's past as an athlete, Hayama Umi's kindness through cooking, and Asakura Naoko's dual nature. Also not to be missed are Rokujo Miyaho's process of breaking away from her sheltered life, Fujimura Shizuka's innocence, and Kirishima Saeri's struggles.

The animation was produced by ARTLAND, who meticulously depicted the characters' expressions and movements, and the visual beauty of the opening and ending themes is particularly stunning. The music was also composed by Kenji Ito, and it expresses the freshness and sadness of youth well. In particular, the opening theme, "A Promise to This Blue Sky," features KAORI's singing voice that resonates in the heart, making it a song that symbolizes the theme of the story.

This work is not only praised as a youthful romantic comedy, but also as a work that depicts the growth of characters and the depth of human relationships. It was widely accepted by fans of the original game as well as anime fans, and was loved by many viewers. In particular, the final episode, "The Promised Day," was a touching ending that brought tears to the viewers' eyes, making it the perfect episode to conclude the story.

■Recommendation

"A Promise to the Blue Sky - Welcome to Tsugumi Dorm" is highly recommended for fans of youth romantic comedies and works that depict character growth and human relationships. Fans of the original game will also enjoy the new interpretation and additional episodes of the anime version. In particular, don't miss the beautiful visuals that realistically depict the island scenery and dorm life, and the music that brings out the individuality of the characters. Please give it a watch.