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[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tsuritama.png]]

You can't catch fish if you don't go fishing, and you can't make friends if you don't at least try. Relationship-challenged student Yuki happens to find himself on a fishing trip to a small island with three other boys he doesn't know particularly well. These include another boy, a grown man and Haru who claims he's an alien. Natsuki is constantly stewing and mysterious Akira are not prospects for good companions. Fishing, however, is a unique activity that offers quiet sense of companionship and hopeful expectation, and it might bring some personal connections to Yuki. In addition, Haru says they're going to have to save the entire planet.

''Tsuritama'' ("Fishing Ball") is an original anime that first aired as part of the Spring 2012 anime season.
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!This series contains the following tropes:
%% * AlienAmongUs: Haru.
%% * AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:[[{{Brainwashing}} Coco is forcibly added to JFX's growing horde.]]]]
%% * {{Animorphism}}: The aliens can turn into fish.
* ArtShift: The first episode's introduction, the ending credits, and the {{eyecatch}}es use a computer-generated artstyle based around clusters of circles and paper cutouts.
* BabiesEverAfter: In the epilogue Tamotsu reopens the resturant with Sakura as a waiter and Mariko is heavily pregnant.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Natsuki is protective of his little sister Sakura. Haru saying to Sakura that Natsuki'll be teaching him and Yuki how to fish is the only reason Natsuki agrees to do it.
%% * BreakTheCutie: Haru, Haru, Haru. [[spoiler:Episodes 6-9 [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone did]] [[FreakOut NOT]] [[HeroicBSOD Treat him]] [[DespairEventHorizon well.]]]] In the span of nine episodes, he went from [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m59y0dVYyY1ruksreo2_1280.jpg this]] to ''[[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m59wmlpkGD1rtmvk7o1_1280.jpg this!]]''
%% * ButNotTooForeign: Yuki, who is one-quarter French. Akira is also presumably part Japanese.
%% * CastFullOfPrettyBoys
%% * CatchPhrase: Yuki's "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Eno! Shima! Don]]".
* CharacterDevelopment: A third of the way into the show and already there are clear differences. It's done pretty well, too, not jarring or strange. Certain traits remain or later resurface, without a complete remission.
* CerebusSyndrome: [[spoiler:Several characters are in mortal danger at times, but ultimately EverybodyLives.]]
%% * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}:
%% ** Haru claims to be an alien.
%% ** Akira gives off this impression as well, surveilling the three boys from odd hiding places like under the sand at the beach and speaking to his pet duck Tapioca.
%% * TheComicallySerious: Akira.
%% * CoolOldLady: Kate. Always on hand to hear Yuki and Haru when they need someone to listen, and in Episode 9 [[spoiler: she distracts the DUCK squad with her sweet meals in order to allow Yuki to escape the house and find Haru.]]
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Ayumi]] gets ''[[spoiler: blown up by a rogue missile!]]'' Subverted as [[spoiler:he survives]]
* DancingTheme: The opening features the various characters performing what is apparently an Enoshima-endemic dance.
%% * DemonHead: Yuki obviously, but not intentionally.
* DoubleMeaning: [[spoiler:Yuki points out that Haru can literally "be the lure".]]
%% * DudeLooksLikeALady: What Haru and Urara seem to be.
* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler:Urara]] gets nothing in the way of comeuppance and even becomes friends with Haru, Coco, and Yuki.
* FamilyBusiness: [[spoiler:Natsuki feels obligated to take over the family restaurant, but also wants to leave Enoshima to pursue a professional angling career]].
* FeeFiFauxPas: Haru tries to cheer up Yuki about Kate's hospitalization by telling him that everyone dies at some point.
%% * FireForgedFriends: The four main characters.
%% * FirstNameBasis: Haru, Yuki, Natsuki, and Akira all use each other's first names.
%% * FishOutOfWater: Haru, [[spoiler: literally.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A lot of Haru's behavior actually makes the fact that [[spoiler: his species of alien are fish]] rather obvious, such as being afraid of cats, needing to stay wet, and shouting 'Ow' while Natsuki is talking about hooking a fish. [[spoiler: There's also a blink and you'll miss it shot of the fishbowl he carries around being empty, right before Coco is introduced.]]
* FunWithAcronyms: '''D'''efensive '''U'''niversal '''C'''onfidential '''K'''eepers
%% * GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: [[spoiler:Yuki gives one to Haru during his HeroicBSOD]] in Episode 10.
%% * GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger: Everyone in the class to [[spoiler: Haru after his return in the final episode]].
%% * GlowingEyesOfDoom: [[spoiler:Haru in episode 6.]]
%% * {{Gonk}}: Yuki, whenever he gets extremely stressed.
%% * HenPeckedHusband:[[spoiler: Ayumi]]
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All the episode titles follow the formula "[descriptive word] [fishing term]".
%% * IncurableCoughOfDeath: Kate seemed to be following this trope, but has since recovered and left the hospital. Yay for Grandma!
%% * IntellectualAnimal: Tapioca proves itself to be not your ordinary duck.
%% * InvoluntaryDance: Humans under the influence of the aliens' water guns and not commanded what to do.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Natsuki. Strangers and his father see the jerk side but his friends and sister get the gold.
%% ** Captain Ayumi.
* LoonyFriendsImproveYourPersonality: Yuki overcomes much of his social anxiety thanks to Haru and the others, but all of them have character development as a result of hanging out with the other weirdos.
%% * MadnessMantra:[[spoiler:Haru]] spouts one in [[WhamEpisode episode 6.]]
%% -->[[spoiler: "Fish, human, alien! Fish, human, alien!"]]
%% * MeaningfulEcho: Yuki's CatchPhrase "Eno! Shima! Don".
* MeaningfulName: Misaki ("ocean blossom"; the pronunciation also matches "cape" when written with different kanji), the girl at the bait and tackle shop.
%% * TheMenInBlack: Akira and his crew of Indians, who are monitoring Haru and Coco.
%% * MindControlDevice: Haru and Coco's "water guns".
%% * MindControlEyes: [[spoiler: Aliens under the influence of another alien.]]
%% * MoodWhiplash: The end of episode 6.
* {{Mukokuseki}}: The Frenchmen and Indian don't look significantly different from the Japanese characters.
%% * NewTransferStudent: Yuki, Haru, and then Akira, who is ''25 years old. ''[[spoiler: And in the epilogue, Urara returns with Haru to be a transfer student!]]
* NoSocialSkills: Yuki. The poor guy didn't have friends at his old schools--mostly due to how he gets facially expressive panic attacks when nervous. This is a product of social anxiety disorder but some of his unsocial behaviour and anxiety may be attributed to something else.
* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The organization that Akira and his team work for, who are somehow involved in both the occult and aliens.
%% * OnlySaneMan: Natsuki... so far.
* ParentalAbandonment: Yuki's parents are not in his life. [[spoiler:Whatever happened to them is not specified, but Yuki seems to imply that they're alive]].
%% * ParentWithNewParamour: One source of conflict for [[spoiler:Natsuki and his father]].
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Friendship and making bonds is the point of the entire series, fishing coming at a distant second, saving the world third.
* RealPlaceBackground: Most of the series takes place on Enoshima, an island off the coast of the Japanese town of Kamakura. Many local landmarks are clearly recognizable.
* RealSongThemeTune: The ending, "''Sora mo Toberu Hazu''", is a cover of an existing song by Spitz.
* SavingTheWorld: What Yuki is supposed to be doing by being forced to fish... somehow.
* SceneryPorn: Enoshima is a beautiful, colorful place.
* SiblingYinYang: Haru and Coco, if they really are siblings. Haru's free-spirited, bubbly, and energetic, while Koko's more serious, calculating, and willing to use her mind control water gun.
* SinisterGeometry: [[spoiler:Haru and the dragon]] can conjure creepy triangular halos.
* SoundtrackDissonance: The cutesy ending theme cuts in as the BigBad finally begins to take action in episodes 6 and 7.
%% ** In episode 10 it kicks ''[[spoiler:directly after Ayumi's apparent death!]]''
%% ** The opening is becoming rather jarring as well.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The Crunchyroll subs give Kate's name as Keito and Coco's as Koko.
* StarfishAliens: Haru and Coco's alien species can communicate through water, but whenever they try it on a human it just ends up as MindControl. [[spoiler:A powerful enough alien can work via moisture in the air if it's particularly humid]]. [[spoiler: When the Dragon's nearby not even wearing protective suits will protect you from his control. Only one of the crewmen seemed to not be affected by it.]]
* StealthPun: Haru's obsession with the Sky Tree might have something to do with the fact that the "Tree" is ''tsurii'' and "fishing" is ''tsuri''.
* StrangeSalute: Akira's crew hold up cards emblazoned with a "D", strike a [[Anime/DragonBallZ Ginyu Force]]-esque pose, and shout "Duck!"
%% * {{Stripperiffic}}: Coco's black bikini and odd silver skirt and gauntlets.
%% * SurvivalMantra: Yuki in episode 12:
%% -->[[spoiler: "I won't let you wither. I won't let you wither."]]
* ThemeNaming:
** FloralThemeNaming: The girls. Coco (coconut), Misaki (doesn't seem to be an actual plant, although it literally translates to "ocean blossom"), Sakura ("cherry blossom"), Erika ("heather"), and Kate (''keito''/"plumed cockscomb").
** GenderBlenderName: All of the main boys have unisex names.
** TemporalThemeNaming: The boys are named after the seasons--Yuki ("snow" for winter), Haru ("spring"), Natsuki (''natsu''/"summer"), and Akira (''aki''/"autumn").
%% * ThirdPersonPerson: Sakura.
* WhamEpisode:
** Episode 6, ''boy howdy.'' [[spoiler:An artificial reef suddenly disappears. A giant pink halo appears in the sky that looks like Haru's. It then ''smashes'' Haru's halo. Haru goes berserk and starts using his [[MindControl water gun]]. Akira starts shooting at him before their ship crashes and he goes unconscious. Everything soon goes back to normal...up until the episode ends with a bunch of fishermen doing the Enoshima dance for ''no reason'' with [[TheUnsmile the creepiest smiles on their faces you]] ''[[TheUnsmile ever]]'' [[TheUnsmile did see.]] ]]
** Episode 8: The true nature of the BigBad is divulged ([[spoiler:the "dragon" in the fairy tale--a renegade member of Haru and Coco's species]]), his possible plot is revealed ([[spoiler:mind control the entire world via air humidity]]) and [[spoiler:his fleet of mind-controlled fishing ships makes landfall at Enoshima]]. Akira [[spoiler:is disowned by Duck and held at gunpoint by the rest of his unit; meanwhile, a Duck combat unit is en route to Enoshima]].
** In Episode 9. [[spoiler:Haru got hit with BreakTheCutie. Hard.]]
** In Episode 10: [[spoiler:As JFX takes control of a Duck battleship, without the use of water, the only unaffected officer bumps into a missile control switch. The missile launches and destroys the Hemmingway, with Ayumi inside.]]
%% * WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Coco's dialect is...strange. Haru's pitching can sound strange as well.
* WhatTheHellHero: In episode 7, both Sakura and later Yuki call out [[spoiler:Natsuki]] for picking a fight with their father and [[spoiler:slapping his sister]] respectively. [[spoiler:He tells them both to shut up and storms out.]]
%% * WhereAreTheyNow: The epilogue with [[spoiler:Urara]].
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