Im sure that most people have at some point in their lives asked themselves If I had made a different decision in my life how would I be different today? It may take a few episodes to realize it but this question is the entire basis of Yojohan Shinwa Taikei AKA The Tatami Galaxy. The story focuses on an unnamed narrator sometimes dubbed Watashi by viewers for the personal pronoun he uses as he attempts to have a rosecolored school life. In the first episode he joins the tennis circle and meets a devious young man named Ozu who drags him down with him. In the end after a disaster Watashi wishes he could go back and do it all again. In the second episode Watashi joins the film club and meets a devious young man named Ozu who drags him down with him. In the end after a disaster Watashi wishes he could go back and do it all again. In the third episode...well you get the point. The episodic structure is rather unusual. It appears to be a Groundhog Daystyle loop that the protagonist never realizes hes stuck in and its presented in such a way that a viewer might not even catch on for a bit. There are elements that keep popping upa selection from a pool of characters the fortune teller the Mochiguma that Watashi findsbut each episode has its own plot. This unfortunately may be perceived by many as being formulaic and repetitive when a closer look reveals it to be a gradual development of an overlying plot and the main themes of the story. The plot is simple: Watashi joins a club in hope of finding a rosecolored school life and his life suddenly spirals out of control. A fortuneteller gives him vague cryptic advice charging 1000 yen extra for it every time that heavily implies that hell find happiness with Akashi an underclassman hes taken interest in. He ignores or misinterprets the advice and makes a lifedestroying decision then reflects that hed do things differently if he could. A clock rewinds and the next episode Watashi joins a different club. Its only in the final episodes that the show diverges from this formula and when it does all the pieces begin falling into place. There are roughly six primary characters who keep popping up throughout the stories and though the only difference between the timeline of each episode is a decision that Watashi makes every episode gives a new fresh view of the characters. For example Jogasaki is initially introduced as an arrogant and dictatorial jock an archetype that is instantly identifiable and understandable. Watashi runs an expository film on him and portrays hidden aspect of his character in a negative light but when Jogasaki appears in later episodes he seems quite different whether hes engaging in prank war or showing tender romantic devotion to his love doll. Hes still undeniably Jogasaki but the context in which hes being portrayed is different and you get a better understanding of him. The same happens to all characters and when all the pieces begin falling into place at the end it is this realization that theres always more to a person than you can initially see that makes Watashi reevaluate his relationship with Ozu. The anime adaptation was directed by Masaaki Yuasa famous for his unorthodox animation direction. The Tatami Galaxy is no exception. Much of the art is symbolic and representative. Viewers instinctively understand that when Ozu is portrayed as having fangs or the softball circle is given a beelike color scheme its Watashis own symbolic perceptions of events rather than a literal representation. Watashi sees Ozu as devious and the softball circle as an incredibly driven hivemind so the animation reflects that. In fact Ozus appearance grows less monstrous as the show goes on and the narrator gains a better understanding of him. Most notably in terms of art when the show takes a turn for the more bizarre near the end there are more colored filters and there is occasionally liveaction footage included alongside the animated footage creating a much more deranged experience. Overall its quite a surreal experience but its very much a visually interesting one. Finally the soundtrack is very solid. The OP and ED are both wonderful and the visualizations present in both manage to wonderfully summarize and encapsulate the entire series although its only at the end that the viewer is able to understand how. The series does have a very few flaws as all things do. While I found the repetition at the heart of the show enjoyable others might not find it worth sitting through for the final payoff. In a lot of ways The Tatami Galaxy is very didactic and often borders on esoteric as a result. This is not easily classified as action or romance or even sliceoflife. The Tatami Galaxy can best be described as an artistic piece thats both philosophical and introspective. You watch it to think and reflect and those who dont like those types of shows will probably hate The Tatami Galaxy. On top of that Watashi is an incredibly wordy narrator. To my knowledge there is no English dub available so if you want to watch the show I hope you enjoy reading. Overall though these flaws are only minor. After all theres a reason the show has such a strong cult following. The Tatami Galaxy is an incredible experience that will leave you thinking about it long after youve finished it. If youre in any way appreciative of experimental or artistic storytelling youll absolutely adore it. 5 stars.