Carole & Tuesday is a special anime series that marked a dual celebration: studio Bones' 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the music label FlyingDog. And the director? None other than Shinichiro Watanabe.
If that name rings a bell, it's likely because he's the visionary behind the cult classic Cowboy Bebop, as well as other beloved series like Samurai Champloo and Space Dandy. While each of these shows boasts its own distinct style, they all brilliantly intertwine themes in unexpected ways. Cowboy Bebop, for instance, was a space western; Samurai Champloo blended Edo Period Japan with a fresh hip-hop vibe; and Space Dandy was, well, delightfully insane.
So, where does Carole & Tuesday fit in? It's a classic underdog story of two girls striving to make it in the music world, but with a unique twist: they live on Mars and face off against AI-generated songs. It's a premise that feels both fantastical and surprisingly close to reality. The technology in their world is advanced, yet never stretches into the unbelievable. Plus, long-time fans of Watanabe's work will spot familiar elements from Cowboy Bebop and even a character cameo from Space Dandy, creating a world that's both fresh and nostalgic.
And for those new to Shinichiro Watanabe's incredible filmography? Carole & Tuesday is the perfect introduction.
The Story of Two (Three):
The story of Carole & Tuesday isn't as straightforward as it might seem. It opens with a young Tuesday running away from her rich family, determined to follow her dreams of becoming a musician on Mars. She has no real experience with the outside world and no idea where to even begin her so-called music career. Quickly, she realizes how truly hopeless her situation is. After her baggage is stolen, leaving her with only her guitar, she actually considers going back home and giving up. That's when we jump over to Carole.
Carole is Tuesday's complete opposite. While Tuesday was sheltered her entire life, Carole has never truly had anything of her own. She's an orphan who endured a hard life on Earth and eventually moved to Mars with nothing to her name. Yet, she doesn't let this get her down; she simply accepts it as life. She's managed to find an apartment and works part-time jobs to pay her bills and get by. Not everything always goes smoothly, and she's not the best worker, but at least she tries. So what if she gets fired? All she has to do is move on to the next job! Needless to say, this isn't how she wants to spend the rest of her life, so on the side, she makes time to play her keyboard on the street, hoping someone will like what they hear. That's when Tuesday shows up.
Awakened by the melody of Carole's song, Tuesday stops on a bridge to watch her play when suddenly the cops appear. Apparently, street performing is illegal there, so the two girls find themselves running for their lives until they finally make their escape. Afterward, they get to talking, and Carole invites Tuesday to stay the night at her place. Being practically from the streets herself, it's not hard for Carole to realize Tuesday's predicament. She's a runaway, but a runaway from what? Carole doesn't know, nor does she care. She understands Tuesday needs a place to stay, and that's reason enough for her to help.
Back at Carole's place, she and Tuesday slowly start to open up to each other. They talk about their dreams and their love for music, and they even decide to play together. Carole feels as if her song has always been missing "something," and Tuesday agrees to help her finish it. So they get to work playing, and before they know it, the song is completed and the group "Carole & Tuesday" is formed. There's just one problem: Where do they go from here? That's where the main story comes into play.
Early in the series, the two girls force their way into a concert hall of sorts and perform their first song on "stage." They have to escape from security on their way out, but not before capturing the attention of a man named Roddy. Roddy is an AI programmer and system engineer working in the music business, but despite loving AI, hearing Carole and Tuesday sing captures his attention unlike anything else. Their song touches him in a way he has never experienced before, so he quickly pulls out his phone and records it for the world to see.
Afterward, he contacts his friend Gus, who used to be a big-time manager for multiple music groups, and the two set out to find the young girls to hopefully start their career. Eventually, they do find the girls, and together the four of them enter the music business with dreams of taking the world by storm. But it's still not that easy.
Most of the show does focus on the group Carole & Tuesday trying to make it big, but it also heavily features Roddy, Gus, and the other musicians they encounter along the way. Because the girls are seen as amateurs, however, their life isn't easy. Just because they released a catchy song doesn't mean they're professional singers worth other people's time. Angela, however, is a different story.
The "third" main character of the series is another young woman named Angela. She's a childhood star known across the world, but she decides to give up that life to follow her childhood dream of becoming a singer. She already has a huge head start on this dream due to her past work, but she, too, has challenges she must overcome. She has had issues with her mother in the past, and despite being popular, she is pretty much always alone. She teams up with an ace AI programmer named Tao, who plans to compose "perfect" AI-generated songs for her to sing. The problem is... humans aren't perfect. Rather than making songs that fit Angela and her vocal range and abilities, Tao expects Angela herself to become as "perfect" as his AI. So, to say the least, it's not going to be easy for her.
While Angela serves as a rival for Carole and Tuesday, she's far from a typical antagonist. At first glance, she might come across as a brat, easy to dislike due to her attitude. However, there's a lot more to her character than meets the eye. It takes a while before she directly confronts the girls (mainly because they're nobodies in the music scene), but once she does, things play out differently than you might expect.
While the characters don't harbor outright hatred for each other, Angela does everything she can to egg Carole and Tuesday on. She pushes them to be better, simply so she herself can "win" fair and square. It's clear she holds at least some respect for them, though it's something she'll never openly admit. Overall, her character fits nicely into the story, helping to illustrate the different facets of how their journeys will unfold.
The Music:
What's a musical show without music? Being a collaboration with FlyingDog, this series is absolutely filled with music. The group Carole & Tuesday is front and center for most of this, but Angela also plays a significant role. Her singing style is completely different from the two girls, offering a refreshing change of pace.
However, these three aren't the only musical talents. There are multiple other side characters, and each usually has a song or two to share with the audience. Every single character in the show boasts their own unique musical style, meaning you truly never know what to expect. One particular song was just... yeah... You'll know it when you hear it. As for the others, they are all generally well-done and enjoyable to listen to. Even if a song isn't typically in your preferred genre (my favorite genre isn't even featured in the series), you can't help but appreciate most of what the show has to offer. There's no denying the real singers' talents.
The show also does a great job of drawing and animating the characters during the musical performances. There's a noticeable level of extra detail put into these moments, and it really helps the songs stand out more. However, there is one thing that's slightly odd.
If you watch the show in Japanese, the first unique thing you'll notice is its "Western" style, yet everyone is speaking Japanese. While this is common in anime (consider titles like Attack on Titan), in this specific case, it feels a little off. Why? Because all of the music is actually in English! Not a single song is sung in Japanese, with the musical score remaining exactly the same between both subbed and dubbed versions. Characters will even switch between English and Japanese on the fly, and sometimes, their speaking voices don't quite match their singing voices.
With the English dub, however, we encounter a different problem. The voice acting is generally very good, and it's pleasant to hear everything remain in English. Yet, even here, not all the speaking voices perfectly align with the singing voices. Carole and Tuesday themselves are pretty close to their singing voices, and it's understandable if they aren't spot-on; many singers sound different when they sing compared to when they speak, so this is to be expected. It's some of the other side characters that can be off-putting at times. While it's true that some individuals can greatly alter their voices and surprise us all (just look at contestants on "Got Talent" shows), when nearly every single character in the series does it, that's when you notice it's not exactly normal.
Putting that minor point aside, however, it's not a major issue and doesn't diminish the quality of the songs themselves.
Should You Watch It:
First off, Carole & Tuesday isn't going to be a series for everyone. While you don't have to be a die-hard music fan to enjoy it, it's strongly recommended. Throughout the series, multiple bands and singers from the past are referenced, and each episode is even named after a popular song. Missing these references isn't the end of the world, but it definitely enhances the experience if you know who the characters are talking about.
Then there's the music itself. Each episode typically introduces a new song, and if you don't connect with the music in general, you'll miss out on a huge chunk of what makes the series so great.
Putting that aside, however, at its heart, it's an underdog story with all the main characters trying to climb the ladder in their own way, and you can't help but root for their success. That being said, if you enjoy music and you like this type of compelling underdog narrative, then you'll most likely enjoy this one from start to finish.
Like Shinichiro Watanabe's previous works, the series is brimming with style. Everything from the character designs and fluid animation to the captivating music truly stands out. While not every song might resonate with every listener, there's still a lot to appreciate here, regardless of your usual musical tastes. The characters are genuinely likable, making you actively root for their success.
The opening of each episode teases Carole and Tuesday's eventual greatness, yet the exact nature of their achievement isn't revealed until the very end of the series. This keeps the narrative unpredictable, with each episode presenting a new challenge for the girls to overcome (or not). As for the sci-fi themes, they are actually kept to a minimum. This world is more advanced than what we saw in Cowboy Bebop, but it's also not too far removed from our own. People depend on their cell phones and use Instagram (complete with obvious product placement), while video bloggers and live streamers seem to dominate the internet. Sure, the AI and robots seen throughout the series are a step above anything we currently possess, but beyond that, it's nothing too outlandish. In other words, even non-sci-fi fans could potentially enjoy this show... they just have to accept that humanity is now living on Mars and spaceships are commonplace.
Ultimately, Carole & Tuesday is a unique show that I highly recommend everyone at least try out. Don't dismiss it or drop it too soon. Give it a chance, see if you connect with the direction the show is taking, and then decide if you want to keep going. It's definitely worth your time.
Verdict: Essential
