Turkey!

It all began as a typical sports anime, highlighting the intense competition and camaraderie between athletes. At first, I was drawn in by the familiar tropes— the rivalries and the inspiring underdog narratives. However, as I continued watching, I noticed something extraordinary happening with the storyline. --[just ep 1 lol] Each episode seemed to veer off into a different genre, keeping me constantly on my toes. One moment, I found myself immersed in a heart-pounding suspense thriller, and the next, I was swept away into moments of comedy that had me laughing out loud.[mosty confused] The show expertly wove in elements of mystery and even fantasy, transforming what started as a straightforward sports narrative into a multifaceted experience. The plot twists were genuinely impressive, weaving complexity into the characters’ journeys and relationships, making each episode feel fresh and unpredictable. I often found myself thinking, “What will they do next?” The creators clearly put a lot of thought into crafting a story that keeps viewers engaged, with surprising revelations and character developments that felt both rewarding and believable. Moreover, what's remarkable is that this anime managed to maintain a cohesive narrative despite its shifting genres. The uniqueness of its storytelling is what truly sets it apart from other series. It’s not every day that you come across an anime that can so skillfully transition between genres while still being grounded in the core elements of sports and competition. By the end, . The journey felt complete, and I was left with a sense of satisfaction that is often hard to find in shows that promise to change things up regularly. Overall, this series offered a refreshing take on the sports genre -[but it's kinda like a sub genre], making it not just a show about athletics but a rich tapestry of storytelling that kept me captivated until the very last episode. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something truly distinct in the anime landscape! --------------- good rec for time travel watchers

A bowling time travel all-girls drama. That is the simplest way to describe this series. Synopsis alone, it's a hard pill to swallow, but it somehow works. By no means is it perfect. Time travel alone is a hard enough premise to pull off - how does it work? What makes it work? There is no DeLorean in here to explain it. It just happens. Frankly putting, the plot devices to make events move forward are a bit convoluted, like the main time travel looking thing to look like a lane sweeper in a bowling alley. In a way, the bowling aspect is played up to hammy ways. If you came looking for good time travel, this isn't it. If you came looking for a good sports anime, this isn't it. Is this unwatchable? No. Out of everything that goes on, the main focus of the series is the character journey of the five girls throws into this situation with no clear explanation as to what all is going on that play alongside a group of sisters from the era they are thrown in to. Each one of them has their own little kinks that are explored in their own depth. The first four episodes alone are dedicated to the main conflict between the captain of the bowling team and the youngest member who will be the only one left after the rest of the team graduates. In most situations, that would have done and would have been it, but the series instead dives into the other girls and hits upon the sisters. It starts with the sister helping the girls, and by the end it comes back around to them. The final plot twist is hard to swallow. That might be the most left field, but it may be a tie-in with the overall theme of the series. Again, this is a series where situational logic is less important as character dynamics during this journey. In that sense, there are moments in life like that. Overall, this a wacky concept that has its focus on the characters trapped in it. Is it going to be for everyone? Those who do not recommend can attest to that. Is it garbage? No. Perfect? No. Enjoyable? If you know what to watch for.

10/10 anime do not skip out on this one! I’m so glad I didn’t skip this anime like I originally was about to nor did I drop it like it thought I should have during the second episode….. This anime was an amazing adventure it made me think and feel so much it might be just a anime about bowling but it’s definitely not… and all the twist and turns especially the one on the last episode were so good… it made me think back to why I watch anime in the first place it was a good reminder of what makes a masterpiece… it was such a good story… it was really thought out and creative it deserves everyone to experience it at least once❤️

If I told you there exists a "time travel bowling drama anime," would you believe me? Turkey! is a strange, one-of-a-kind show (in the best way), and if you want to see something unique that makes you think, "How did someone even come up with this?", this is the anime for you. I don't usually watch seasonal anime, but this one caught my interest (see the username), and I thoroughly enjoyed this bizarrely amazing anime. Unlike many viewers, I went in with some expectation that this was not a normal bowling anime: the change in poster and genre tag after it started airing tipped me off, but I didn't know what kind of show it would be nor where the plot was headed. I believe this is the best way to experience this show: it maintains the shock factor of getting to the end of episode 1 while not disappointing someone who came in wanting an actual bowling anime. Now, if this were my personal rating, I would have given this show an 8-10/10, both due to personal enjoyment as well as out of spite for the low average score. However, for my official review, I can say this show deserves a solid 7/10. I won't lie and pretend this show has a groundbreakingly amazing story, despite its concept being so original and well executed. The premise? Five girls in the bowling club find themselves transported back to the Sengoku period during a game of bowling. Amidst the time travel incident, they meet their historical counterparts, and they have to work out both drama amongst themselves and conflicts that arise as a result of the time period they're in. It present such a bizarre concept as bowling-linked time travel with complete seriousness in a way that's just fun to watch. Sure, there are times when it takes itself a bit too seriously for a bowling anime of all things, but it gets you really invested in the characters and their stories in a way that is genuinely moving. The story meanders a bit during the middle (about episodes 3-6), and for a bit it seems like it's unsure the direction it wants to go for these few episodes: it's mainly just the girls bonding with their historical counterparts and getting used to living in the Sengoku period. In addition, it feels like the focus shifts about every 2 episodes rather than one single plotline being built up. In this way, it does feel a bit like "stuff's just happening." However, these slight weaknesses are not to say the story is lacking: it's still very good. No spoilers, but the last two episodes were amazing and managed to mix the bowling and historical drama in a way that not only somehow makes bowling exciting to watch but is also genuinely emotionally moving. The last episode made me want to cry. The best part about the show is definitely the characters. Though some are extremely unlikeable at first, by the end I loved each and every character. I loved the bond between the main girls and the characters from the past. My only complaint is that most of the Sengoku characters felt like they were cast aside after their main story arc ended, and they never really got a proper resolution at the end nor any relevance outside of their own arc. I definitely would have liked to see more of them. Turkey is a show that's not afraid to push the envelope and be something DIFFERENT. I think everyone should watch it and come in with an open mind. I do not regret having watched this, and I am really glad I am, this show is amazing and got me back into anime. Give it a try, please.

I want to make a thing clear in the beginning: I do recommend the series overall, but I can also totally understand why someone would not want to watch it. The show is by all means not perfect and has a lot of things one could point out. And depending on what you value in your story, this can make or break the show for you. Easily. However, the reason why I chose to "recommend" the series instead of using "mixed feelings" is that I want to appreciate the boldness of the authors. Turkey could have easily been your typical CGDCT show that you already saw a million times. Just with bowling this time around and not [insert sport/band/idol title here]. And I do think, it would have been received better overall by the people watching. However, in this day and age, where most studios like to play it safe, it is such a refreshing sight to have an anime original show where the authors just do what they want to. Even if people might not like the concept. And even if that means you make a show in the end, that has its flaws that can be pointed out, but you still achieved in what you wanted to tell. And make no mistakes, when this show wants to, you can see that there is talent behind it. The big emotional scenes are always well directed and hit the spot they want to (even if they can be a bit cheesy at times). And that also and most importantly also applies to the ending of the series. Because yes, not only does this series have a definitive ending, but they also nailed it better than I had originally hoped for. But with that preamble out of the way, let's dive into the show itself. As it's already known now, this show isn't a CGDCT bowling anime as the first part of the first episode likes to make you think. But instead, the five girls of the bowling club are sent into the past, where they are met with war and bloodshed and have to find a way back into their own time. During this time, they meet characters that not only have a similar look to them, but also share certain characteristics with our main 5 girls, though with the difference that these issues are slightly different due to the times the girls grew up in. To not get into spoilers, our MC Mai has some psychological trauma due to an event in her past (where she didn't have any fault, but still blames herself for it) which results in her not being able to hit a strike after a Turkey (three strikes in a row) and more importantly, there are always two pins remaining in a 7-10 split (and yes, that has a meaning). Her counterpart in the past, Sumomo, also has a psychological trauma due to an event in the past and the associated guilt she felt, but it obviously is a bit different due to her living in the Sengoku period. Still, by meeting each other, the two girls are able to overcome their traumas in the end and move forward without any guilt in which bowling plays an important part in healing their spirits. And that's pretty much the idea for most of the first half where each episode focuses on one of the characters, meeting their counterpart and learning a valuable lesson through that experience. And overall, these arcs are done well and most importantly, after this is done, this comes back during the final episodes of the show where every girl shows how much she has grown in order to lead to a satsifying ending that still comes with its own twists and turns and can get quite tense, despite this still being about bowling. And that is probably where most people might have issue with it. Because while the emotional and thematical points usually land quite well, the path to these is not always this well written. One can get the idea that the authors knew how the final scene should look like and how bowling was supposed to be involved into that final scene, but they didn't put as much emphathis on how they would get there. Which can lead to some weird moments that can dampen your enjoyment of the show. For example, to not use a bigger spoiler here, during the Nozomi arc, her counterpart Anzu, who is similarly self-centered in the beginning and easily lashes out at others when she doesn't feel good despite the others not being at fault for that, decides that she wants to make up with Nozomi and wants to pick a certain fruit that she heard, Nozomi likes to eat. And where does this fruit grow? On a tree that is on a cliffside. And when Nozomi finds her unable to get back up, instead of looking for help, she decides to climb down herself. Again, the overall emotional part at the end works well, even for that arc, but the path to it can be a bit shaky here and there. Though, to be honest, since the arcs are wrapped up well enough, I didn't mind that too much, but if you know this is something that might bother you, you might not want to check the show out, because if someone is already in a state of mind where they dislike the general story progression, the good bits usually aren't enough to change your opinion. One thing I want to add here though, is that the overall direction and soundtrack are well done and are part of the reason why the emotional moments can work so well. As mentioned, one does feel that there was a lot of emphathis put on these moments so that they deliver the exact emotion, the authors wanted to invoke in the viewers. And that is especially true for the ending of the show. With a lot of shows, not just original anime, but those in particular, I am always a bit afraid of reaching the ending, because it is one of the biggest points if I ultimately enjoy a show or not when looking back at it. And sadly, it is also probably one of the hardest things to pull, doubly so if you write a story this unconventional. But I am happy to say that Turkey's ending does deliver and does everything well and even better that made me enjoy all the other arcs of the show. Yes, the path to that ending is again not necessarily the most "logical" one. You could point out things here and there, where you feel the authors needed to find a reason in how everything can come back to bowling, but the final two episodes are really well done and a reason why I ultimately rated the show relatively high. Because they managed to make the hardest part work, despite the goofy premise and all the issues you could easily point out. So in summary, Turkey is definitely not a show for everyone. If you expect a normal CGDCT bowling show, then this isn't for you. If you expect a complex time travel show like Stein's Gate, then this isn't for you either. If you are easily taken out of the show over (small) things that are at least a bit questionable, then this isn't a show for you either. However, if you are interested in the girl's character journey's by meeting similar people to them, just in a different timeline and where bowling is used to help them solve their issues in one way or another and most importantly, where the ending is done really well, then this is a show you should definitely try out. With all the same romances, isekai and even CGDCT shows that are very often interchangable, it is a nice breath of fresh air to see a show where the authors just do whatever they feel like making. Even if that might alienate viewers here and there.

This show is bad, but it's fun to watch and try to figure out what it's supposed to be. It's not a secret that this is a show about time traveling girls who bowl. It's just as dumb as it sounds, and it gets dumber. The show has a tone that bounces all over the place between lighthearted and fun, to serious and grim. These shifts can happen multiple times per episode, leaving the viewer confused and a little upset. At the end of the day, this is still a show about cute girls doing cute things. The girls are cute. They have nice chemistry, defined personalities, and they're mostly fun to watch. Rina is an exception to this. She spends the first half of the show being moody, annoying, whiny and unpleasant. Everyone else is fine. The show looks alright. It has a very standard anime style and color palette, nothing too groundbreaking, but it doesn't look bad, either. It's just there. There are some moments of nice animation, but it's mostly mouth flaps and some poses. The music and such is okay, as are the voice performances. It's not a good show, but if you can stand to watch all 12 episodes, get some friends together and laugh at how the cute bowling show suddenly turns grimdark. If you want some laughs but don't want to commit to 12 episodes of mid, just watch the last two episodes. They don't require any context. They're just dumb.

Right from the start its going to be another generic "cute girls doing cute things" anime. But as I watched more episodes I found its actually better than most of that genre anime. Its not generic. Yes at first I thought it was going to be sill and it is in many ways even to the end of the anime it had really good moments. This is a time travel anime and I thought it was very silly how the whole time travel thing happens but at the same time characters, even though they are young girls seem to be aware they shouldn't screw up or interfere with the past so that future is changed. They are afraid if the change the future they may cease to exist. The characters they meet in the past and their interactions with them is really nice. I was invested in their friendship and their future. Because the past they go to is a dangerous place. And even though if somehow our six girls would somehow make it back to their own timeline I was worried about all the friends they had made. This is good writing. Finally, I do appreciate they made a show about bowling. In the 1st episode I thought it was going to be a show about bowling tournaments only. I am glad they added so many other incredible story arcs so others who are not interested in the sports are also interested. But at the same time I felt it was a missed opportunity to make a show exclusively about the sport, like we have of basketball, football, tennis or volleyball. I highly recommend it to all the girls. I think they will love the show. I mildly recommend it to the boys. They may or may not like it. I did.

As an avid league bowler, I was of course very excited when I first learned about this show last year. I am not an isekai or fantasy watcher by any means but as long as I can still follow the plot, I will keep watching a show even after the major swerve none of us saw coming. Some may have been put off by it but I'd argue a sport like bowling needs a hook like this to grab people's attention. A straightforward sports show like say Ooi! Tonbo from last year (which I also thoroughly enjoyed) are abundant. An unconventional story at least makes it stand out. Turkey certainly wasn't everything I wanted out of the first major bowling themed anime but watching it also gave me an experience I didn't know I needed as well. I may come off a bit biased since I am a bowler but I truly felt emotional towards the dialogue especially during episode 9. I cried multiple times over the course of this show. I feel blessed to have been able to experience it. I will always remember 2025 as the year of Turkey! The AMV I made for it https://youtu.be/0watlrKjwBw I sincerely hope the IP thrives for many years. Mai Otonashi is easily one of my new favorites characters now. I may go on my own pilgrimage to the sites someday who knows

The story setup is fun: a school club of bowling girls gets sent back in time to the Sengoku period in the middle of a battlefield. Scenarios played out are what you'd expect from a group in a time travel situation: bewilderment, shock, cultural shift, technological differences, and linguistic issues. Watching the girls navigate a new, or rather old, world is entertaining as they try to cautiously avoid any actions that might affect the future. Overall, the show is silly, yet it weaves in moments of reality that remind the characters and viewers where they are. Politics and morals contrast, and heads get chopped off, rolling around like a bowling ball. Unfortunately, the show progressively gets worse. While there are dilemmas and mysteries, the solutions and reasons often feel cheap. Akin to "with the power of friendship", "everyone gets a happy ending", and "deus ex machina". Rediculous situations arise that are resolved with equally ludicrous answers, with the finale being an unrealistic and nonsensical circus. The entirety of the show is one big roundabout way for the characters to forcibly bond with each other and fix inter-relational and personal problems that hold them back from succeeding in bowling. The anime was enjoyable enough to finish easily, but not good enough to recommend to friends or rewatch.

I never took anything this stupid so seriously. So... I am going to try and do justice to this show, because I cannot believe the reasons people are trashing this show for. "In bowling, there's always a second throw." This is not just a repeated quote from the show, but it's also a life lesson that they're giving us, opening our eyes with. It carries with us the whole time and the story's conclusion is so perfectly sweet, much like goumi. 👍Isekai??? Then why is it entertaining? No, this show is a hidden isekai. In most isekai shows, you know exactly what they're selling you. A guy dying and being transported into a magic world where underage girls see him as a god. A girl dying and becoming a game character, ready to save a hot guy or her waifu from certain death. Turkey is nothing of the sorts. We start out at a bowling alley, where a group of classmates has a different relationship to the sport. Blondie Nozomi seems annoyed to even be there, Sayuri is scared of any kind of conflict, Nanase seems too good for everyone, and Rina and Mai are at it again. The cool as ice Rina does not seem to understand why lucky-go-happy Mai cannot get pass "Turkey", calling her out on not wanting to win. As you get into the drama... suddenly the girls are transported into Sengoku period. This is a time slip/time travel anime. Not an isekai. That being said - even if you see this is a comedy, parody or historical drama, you will not be bored. Because what Turkey does, they do exceptionally well. 👍Characters, their backstories and message Usually in large characters show it's hard to balance screentime and importance. Characters come and go, they are either very important or they're just one episode ponies. Not here. Here, everyone has a "life meaning". Let's start with Rina. Rina brings in the first drama - the drama of "I am going to seem entitled because I have a beef with the one everyone loves" that can get on your nerves from the start. But she is a great example of why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Now those who have seen this show will know what Rina's deal is. And to those I say - yes, it is not something unique. But sometimes leaning into something that is well know can be your biggest strength. They do however lean into new tropes as well. As can be seen with Sayuri. The girl I totally feel for. I too was struggling with my own strength a lot in the past, and I needed someone and myself to see that it is not freakish, but it is indeed a strength. With that, she was a real human. Fighting for your values, keeping up with your moral compass... and then understanding what happens when it's challenged. I do not want to give out too much. These two girls and Anzu, Suguri and Nozomi are fighting themselves and their imagine. The show does a brilliant job at pacing their stories and giving them time to learn, get better and understand their world a bit better. Mai, Nanase and Akebi are fighting their family problems and problems in family. Those are not only holding them back, but also preventing them from seeing what reality is. It's deep, touching, you want to cheer on them and you are watching with held breath what will come out of their stories. And that's not all! Natsume and Sumomo are showing us how important freedom is, and why you should fight for it and yourself! While they're also presenting different types of grief and dealing with it. Emotionally, Turkey is insanely strong and heavy story, that you would not expect within the comedy genre it carries with itself. 👍It's so stupid, it's good At moments, Turkey is extremely hilarious. Getting transported into the past during bowling. Family secrets being quite ridiculous, excused with sob stories. Going back in time because of highschooler's logic... Periods in the past, not being able to use tissues after peeing... Mixing goumi tree and gummy bears. Using bowling as escape from dangerous situations... This show does a great way at mixing funny, dramatic and breathtaking. Which is just a huge plus. 👍Overall quality There is nothing, besides plot points and ridiculous choices, that would take points off or ruin this show. It's on your own likes, dislikes and taste to decide how well you'll rate Turkey. But it's definitely not less than 7 (which is average, in this case). The art and artstyle (and character design) is simple, but effective. Color coding works wonders. The music, openings and endings are bops with story that they're telling (please, pay close attention to them). The animation is smooth and not lazy, they're being smart about the way they're animating background characters. The bowling animations are not intrusive to eye, I couldn't tell you anything bad about it. And the serious moment, where they play with animation style was a risk that payed off. There is nothing else to add. Do watch it. It is so worth it. 💖Conclusion: it's a must watch 💖

Turkey! is a pretty interesting anime, it has more drama than a relaxing SoL anime, and if you really want to look for something to de-stress, maybe with this show, then this will be the one to trick you in the first few episodes. The concept of time travel is not something so strange, but Turkey! uses it to convey a lot of messages, some of which may be successful but some of which are not, it depicts outdated dogmas in an extremely extreme way that the Japanese feudalism were, at the same time showing a very bold solution but not entiretly something that can satisfy the viewers, although it is a lame thing and sometimes intertwined between childishness and over-dramatization but at least it still keeps the direction and does not deviate from what was intended. I quite admire the concept, some of the most original ones I have ever watched, the end is quite a surprise and bears a lot of meaning, but for all the super lame factors that pull down this show quite a lot, I gotta say: gosh, it's just a bowling game, a relaxing and fun game, so why the heck does it have to be so cringe???