Tsubomi’s Secrets #01 — Do Not Pursue Lu Bu!!
April 25th, 2008
The things I learn from anime.
Impressions:
I hadn’t heard of this OVA, which isn’t in and of itself particularly unusual since I have a tendency to selectively repress new knowledge about five minutes after acquisition, so I popped on over to find a summary or something. "Tsubomi’s Secrets" has the potential to be the title to any number of things, including scary scary life scarring pornography. As it turns out, that wasn’t too far from the truth.
The story of Tsubomi Tachibana, a fifth grader dealing with rather sensitive issues such as her mother’s pregnancy, her first period and the strange feelings she has started to get when she has been around boys.
From what I learned though, many of these things require our little 11 year old heroine to be without pants. I made it as far as the first underwear scene before booting up some Dynasty Warriors and leading Zhou Yu on an epic slaughter of the Chinese that if historically accurate would probably have had him replacing Sun Ce as the Little Conquerer. My attention was thus divided, and once the half naked locker room scene started, well… let’s just say that spilling the blood of the Wei more or less occupied me.
I don’t think I have anything against such shows… hell… I made it about 70 episodes through Kodocha before I yelled at it in anger and gave up. I also survived all of Full Moon wo Sagashite. Hell, I liked Full Moon. This though… for an OVA, it’s ugly and poorly drawn and animated. The whole panty thing creeps me the hell out. It’s so very very overmelodramatic. And from the little I bothered paying attention to, it’s designed to be a really really bad Saturday morning special where cousin Meredith learns an important lesson about growing up. I’m sure it has some kind of important message to impart on anxious and self-conscious 12 year old girls worried about feelings. However, since I’m not 12, a girl, and technically sold my soul in 1996 for front row tickets to Weird Al, I don’t quite think this one is for me. Or most anybody who would be reading this for that matter. Hell, I think once you’re granted free access to the internet, you’re probably beyond the education that this show espouses.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m supposed to be pursuing Lu Bu. Or not pursuing I guess… but my way’s more fun. Rrrarr.
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Yes, I just wanted an excuse to post some Ryofu.
Posted in Anime | 4 Comments »
Demon Eyes 
sage 
dangan
Well you know it IS based on a manga that’s a sex-ed title for young girls (ones around the same age as Tsubomi), so it’s safe to say you’re definitely not in the target audience. :P
That said, the manga was apparently very popular with many Japanese otaku, so who knows what the deal is with the OVA. Sounds more like it’s intended for young girls too though from comments you made about the animation quality. That and from the screenshots it looks like the scenes with panties are probably dealing with girls’ body issues, such as understanding/etc. the changes their bodies are going through at that age.