What “Tegami Bachi” Delivers is More Than Just Words — What it Means to Deliver a “Heart” in a World Where Dawn Never Breaks

About the Work Based on the manga by Hiroyuki Asada, “Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee” is a fantasy series adapted into anime in 2009 and 2010. It depicts a heartwarming adventure story about delivering the feelings and “hearts” enclosed within “Letters.”

The story is set in “Amberground,” a land of perpetual night where the light of the man-made sun does not reach. In this world, postal carriers known as “Letter Bees” transport “Letters” filled with people’s hearts. They risk their lives traveling through wastelands inhabited by dangerous creatures known as “Gaichuu” (Armored Insects).

The appeal of this work lies not just in being a fantasy action series, but in its careful depiction of the “connections of the heart” between people and the precious feelings contained within the letters. Through the grueling work of the Letter Bees, universal themes such as love for family and friends, as well as hope, are portrayed in a deeply moving way.

A world where dawn never breaks. In this dark and dangerous land, postal carriers known as “Letter Bees” risked their lives to deliver “Letters” filled with people’s “hearts.”

Lag Seeing, a young boy who became a Letter Bee admiring his childhood savior, Gauche, finally takes his first steps as a Bee. However, the reality that awaited him was the news that Gauche had already been dismissed from the Letter Bees. Lag vows to bring back Gauche, who reportedly lost his “heart” in the capital and disappeared. But when they finally reunite, Gauche ruthlessly identifies himself as “Noir,” a Marauder, and points his gun at Lag…

“When was the last time you wrote a letter?”

In today’s world, a simple tap on a smartphone screen instantly delivers a message to someone on the other side of the globe. We have become too accustomed to exchanging vast amounts of “information.” However, in exchange for that convenience, haven’t we left behind some essential “texture”?

The feel of the stationery, the bleed of the ink, the pressure of the handwriting, and the thrill of opening the envelope. In these things resides the writer’s body warmth and breath, something far beyond mere textual information.

The anime I am introducing today, Tegami Bachi (Letter Bee), is a masterpiece that depicts the preciousness of this act of “delivering” through the setting of fantasy. In “Amber Ground,” a land where dawn never breaks, postal carriers (Letter Bees) risk their lives to deliver people’s thoughts. Through them, we are painfully confronted with the weight of the invisible thing called “Heart” (Kokoro).

Why do the protagonist Lag Seeing’s tears strike our hearts so deeply? Why is Miyuki Sawashiro’s acting called “incredible”? From a veteran’s perspective, let’s unravel the charm of this beautiful yet sorrowful story.

The story is set in “Amber Ground,” where an artificial sun shines only on a select privileged class (the Capital), while the rest of the region is shrouded in eternal darkness. This setting of a thorough class society may seem at first glance to be a lineage of dystopian sci-fi or dark fantasy.

However, the true worth of this work lies in the expression of “light” that emerges within that darkness. Outside the cities, giant monsters called “Gaichuu” (Armored Insects) roam. They are attracted to and try to prey on human “hearts.” The only ones who can oppose them are the national civil servants, the Letter Bees. They use a special weapon called “Shindan” (Heart Bullets).

This setting is truly brilliant and, at the same time, cruel. “Heart Bullets” involves shooting one’s own “heart” and “memories” as ammunition. In other words, the more they fight, the more the Letter Bees risk wearing down their own precious memories. The visual beauty of the animation is breathtaking. Every time a Heart Bullet is fired, fragments of the contained thoughts and memories rain down on the night sky like sparkling jewels. Although it is a battle scene, it is fantastic, like a requiem ritual, captivating the viewer’s heart.

While based on episodic human dramas that are sad yet warm, similar to Natsume’s Book of Friends (Natsume Yuujinchou), there is an underlying extreme tension of “delivering thoughts at the risk of one’s life.” This coexistence of “beauty” and “pain” makes the worldview of this work unique.

The protagonist, Lag Seeing, cries a lot. In shonen manga and anime, the “crybaby” attribute can sometimes be shunned by viewers. However, Lag’s tears are never a symbol of “weakness.” They are proof of his “strong sensitivity” that allows him to resonate deeply with the pain and joy of others.

Lag’s left eye is embedded with a spirit amber artificial eye called the “Red Needle,” which has the ability to visualize the memories of the “heart” left in objects and letters. But even before his ability, it is because his own soul is pure that he can decipher the writer’s true wish contained in the letter. Words sometimes lie. Formal sentences and words of bravado. However, Lag senses the “tremor” behind them and sheds tears. That figure gently melts the “insensitivity” we have put on like armor while leading our social lives.

And the existence of Niche, the girl who becomes Lag’s partner (Dingo), is indispensable. She behaves like a wild child, and her speech is faltering. She drops particles or mistakes words. But precisely because of that, there are absolutely no “lies” or “decorations” in her words. In contrast to the adults (the boorishness like the “Tin Man” mentioned in the story) who are so concerned with the strictness of language that they cannot convey the essence, Niche’s imperfect words strike straight at the heart.

“Being honest is the noblest thing in conveying one’s heart.” The mismatched duo of Lag and Niche teaches us that what is truly important in communication is not fluent eloquence, but the pure heat of thinking of the other person.

In evaluating anime works, voice acting is an important factor that influences quality, but Miyuki Sawashiro’s acting (as Lag) in Tegami Bachi can be called a “National Treasure” without exaggeration.

The voice of a boy who still retains his youthfulness. A bright voice full of hope. And the heart-wrenching sobbing when in despair or sadness. Especially in “crying acting,” I believe no one stands to the right of Ms. Sawashiro. It is not just a symbolic acting of “boo-hoo,” but the physiological phenomenon of “tears”—where the throat clogs, the breath trembles, and emotions that cannot be put into words overflow—is perfectly reproduced through audio alone. Every time Lag cries, the viewer falls into the illusion that someone is crying right next to them, and before they know it, they are crying in sympathy. This is a phenomenon that happens because the performer’s soul has transferred to the character, going beyond the power of the script.

The characters surrounding Lag are also charming. Gauche Suede, the admired senior who went missing. The acting of Jun Fukuyama, who plays him, tinged with kindness and shadow, is also wonderful. The ensemble drama with colleagues like Connor and Zazie, and the strict but warm Dr. Thunderland Jr.—people who are quirky but kind at heart—saves the viewer’s heart.

The end of the first season was a tremendous cliffhanger that made us scream, “It ends here!?” At the time, we had to wait nearly half a year for the second season, but now we live in a happy era where we can watch them continuously on streaming services. I want you to experience the luxury of writhing with “I need to know what happens next” after watching season 1 and then diving straight into season 2.

Tegami Bachi is a story about mail delivery, a coming-of-age story of a boy, and a mystery unraveling the secrets of the world. However, flowing at its foundation is the universal message that “people cannot live alone.”

Someone thinks of someone. Someone risks their life to deliver that thought. What a miracle this simple activity stands upon. Because it is a world where dawn never breaks, the “light” of the bond between people shines even brighter.

If you feel tired of the daily hustle and bustle and your heart feels frayed, please touch the world of Tegami Bachi. Lag’s tears and the fantastic light of the Heart Bullets will surely gently illuminate the “thoughts you wanted to deliver” deep in your heart.

Now, it might be your turn to write a letter to someone.

• Lag Seeing: Voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro
• Niche: Voiced by Ayumi Fujimura
• Steak: Voiced by Nao Nagasawa
• Gauche Suede / Noir: Voiced by Jun Fukuyama
• Largo Lloyd: Voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi
• Aria Link: Voiced by Ami Koshimizu
• Roda: Voiced by Yui Horie
• Jeel: Voiced by Takahiro Sakurai

• Original Creator: Hiroyuki Asada
• Director: Akira Iwanaga
• Series Composition: Tetsuya Oishi (Season 1), Masanao Akahoshi (Season 2)
• Character Design: Minako Shiba
• Music: Kunihiko Ryo
• Animation Production: studioぴえろ+

(C)浅田弘幸／集英社・テガミバチ製作委員会・テレビ東京

tarumaki

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