If you’re looking for the ideal Tsurune watch order, this guide has everything you need.

Tsurune is a sports anime by Kyoto Animation centered on Japanese archery, known as kyudo. It follows high school students as they explore the mental and physical demands of the sport, balancing personal struggles with teamwork and competition.

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With multiple seasons and a movie under its belt, newcomers find themselves wondering where to start and how to follow the story properly. Stick around, because we’ll break down the ideal Tsurune watch order for you.

What is the Tsurune anime about?

Tsurune anime characters Ryouhei Yamanouchi, Nanao Kisaragi, and Kaito Onogi talking to each other.
Credit: Kyoto Animation

Tsurune is originally a Japanese light novel series written by Kotoko Ayano and illustrated by Chinatsu Morimoto.

Published under Kyoto Animation’s KA Esuma Bunko imprint, the first novel won a Special Judge Award in the Kyoto Animation Award competition in 2016.

It was adapted into anime by Kyoto Animation, the studio behind Free!, Violet Evergarden, and Clannad. The first season aired in 2018, followed by a second season, Tsurune -The Linking Shot-, in 2023.

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The story follows Minato Narumiya, a high schooler who steps away from kyudo (traditional Japanese archery) after developing target panic — a mental block that prevents him from shooting his arrows properly.

He is slowly drawn back into the sport through a new archery club and a mysterious coach named Masaki Takigawa.

How many seasons does Tsurune have?

Minato Narumiya holding a bow while wearing a green band on his forehead in the Tsurune anime series.
Credit: Kyoto Animation

Tsurune has two seasons and one compilation film.

The first season aired in 2018 with 13 episodes, introducing Minato and the Kazemai High School archery club.

A compilation film, Tsurune the Movie: The First Shot, was released in 2022, recapping the events of the first season with some additional scenes.

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The second season, Tsurune -The Linking Shot-, aired in 2023 with another 13 episodes, picking up where the first season left off and following the team as they push further into competitive kyudo.

As of writing, no third season has been officially announced.

The best Tsurune watch order

Tsurune anime characters Seiya Takehaya, Minato Narumiya, Ryouhei Yamanouchi, Nanao Kisaragi, and Kaito Onogi resting and idling around.
Credit: Kyoto Animation

The ideal Tsurune watch order is by release date. This is the most straightforward way to follow the story and how most viewers experienced it when it first aired.

The compilation film is essentially a recap of Tsurune Season 1, so it makes more sense to watch it after the first season rather than before. That way you already know the characters and can appreciate what the film is summarizing.

Watching in release order also keeps the story’s pacing natural. Each season builds on the last, and the character development flows much better when watched in the sequence it was meant to be seen.

And so, here is the Tsurune watch order by release date:

TSURUNE WATCH ORDERTITLETYPEEPISODE COUNT/MOVIE DURATIONRELEASE PERIOD
1Tsurune: Kazemai High School Kyudo ClubTV Series13 episodesOctober 22, 2018 to January 21, 2019
2Tsurune: Kazemai High School Japanese Archery Club – Dangerous ShootOVA1 episodeMarch 3, 2019
3Tsurune the Movie: The First ShotMovie1 hour and 42 minutesAugust 19, 2022
4Tsurune -The Linking Shot-TV Series13 episodesJanuary 5, 2023 to March 30, 2023