True Tears (stylized as true tears) is a Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and directed by Junji Nishimura. It aired in Japan on tvk between January 6, 2008, and March 30, 2008, containing thirteen episodes. The series shares almost nothing in common with the visual novel of the same name that preceded it, using an entirely different story with different characters, and a different art style. An Internet radio show hosted by three voice actresses from the series was also produced to promote it. A Blu-ray box set released in Japan contained an extra three-minute epilogue. Bandai Entertainment initially released the series in North America, but the license was later transferred to Discotek Media.
Plot
True Tears revolves around a high school student named Shin'ichirō Nakagami with a high artistic ability. He lives with his mother, father, and fellow high school student Hiromi Yuasa who moved into his house after her father died. Her father had been a close friend of the family, so it was natural for Hiromi to come stay with the Nakagami family; one year has passed since she came to live in their home.
Shin'ichirō has known Hiromi for years, but before he had always treasured her smile, though now she acts coldly when at home and he cannot bring up the nerve to talk with her either. When she is at school, Hiromi is popular, always smiles, and is talented in sports, but Shin'ichirō knows she must be hiding things inside her. At school, he meets a strange girl named Noe Isurugi who wishes him misfortune after Shin'ichirō teases her.
After a bit of bad luck, he reconciles with Noe by crafting a chicken out of a tissue box, and he finds out from her that she "gave her tears away". Shin'ichirō also likes to spend time with his childhood friends Miyokichi Nobuse and Aiko Endō at the Imagawayaki shop Aiko's family owns, and she helps out at the shop too. Shin'ichirō juggles all of these problems on a day-to-day basis as he learns about love and the sadness of those around him.
The opening video of the anime contains shots of the Tateyama mountain range in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, and is where the series is set. Incidentally, the animation studio which produced the anime, P.A. Works, is located in Nanto, Toyama, and places in the series are modeled after that town. However, the town in True Tears faces the sea, and in reality Nanto is inland. The seaside was modeled after Himi, Toyama, the shopping center from Toyama, Toyama, and Aiko's shop and the fountain in the park were modeled from Takaoka, Toyama. Furthermore, three surnames used in the series—Isurugi, Kurobe, and Takaoka—are place names in Toyama Prefecture.
Characters
Shin'ichirō is a male high school student who enjoys drawing, and even starts working on a picture book. He lives with his mother, father, and childhood friend Hiromi Yuasa. She used to smile around him, though does not anymore when at home. Shin'ichirō longs to see her smile again which he loved so much as a kid. He is living a relatively normal life until he meets a strange girl named Noe Isurugi who curses him with misfortune after he teases her a bit, though he reconciles with her soon after. Shin'ichirō is frustrated by not being able to see emotion from Hiromi, and other pressures from his family, such as a traditional Japanese dance he does not want to practice. However, he eventually gives in to practicing hard for the dance due to comments made by Noe. He and Hiromi start a relationship.
Noe Isurugi is an odd girl at Shin'ichirō's school. He first meets her up in a tree where she is picking silverberries for a chicken she named Raigomaru in a coop on a campus. Shin'ichirō ends up having to catch her as she jumps from the tree since she was stuck and could not get down on her own. She likes chickens, though would only feed one of them since she says "it could fly" while the other cannot. After the chicken gets killed by a raccoon, Noe becomes saddened, but does not cry because she "gave away her tears". She later explains that after her grandmother died, she was unable to cry anymore due to her grandmother telling her that when she dies she will take Noe's tears away with her. She develops feelings for Shin'ichirō and even goes out with him for a time, until she discovers his true feelings for Hiromi. Noe has an older brother, Jun, who is a basketball team captain at another high school. Noe is known to have a frank personality and speaks honestly to other people. She seems to be able to judge people's feelings to a certain extent.