Turkey!

Mai Otonashi, Rina Godai, Nozomi Mitaka, Sayuri Ichinose, and Nanase Nikaidou are all members of their high school's bowling club. The captain, Mai, can effortlessly land a "turkey"—three strikes in a row—yet her next delivery always ruins her game. Each girl struggles with the sport in her own way, but that never stops them from having fun.

However, amusement is not enough for Rina. As the newest member, she is furious about the others' disregard for their failures. After an argument, Rina decides to quit the club, but Mai refuses to let her leave. During a match to determine if Rina stays, a strange incident occurs after Mai's turkey: the girls are sent back in time!

The group discover that they have landed right into the middle of a battlefield in the Sengoku period. They soon realize that recreating the match between Mai and Rina is the key to returning home. As the girls decide to enjoy their time in the unfamiliar era, Mai must prepare to score a turkey when it matters the most.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Otonashi, Mai Main

Hishikawa, Hana Japanese

Ichinose, Sayuri Main

Iwata, Haruki Japanese

Godai, Rina Main

Ichinose, Kana Japanese

Nikaidou, Nanase Main

Itou, Ayasa Japanese

Mitaka, Nozomi Main

Tenma, Yuuki Japanese

Sumomo Supporting

Hidaka, Noriko Japanese

Kagetoki Supporting

Hoshino, Takanori Japanese

Azuki Supporting

Nonaka, Ai Japanese

Komugi Supporting

Orikasa, Ai Japanese

Kousaka Supporting

Okamoto, Nobuhiko Japanese

Kinoshita, Tetsuya Producer

Iwasa, Naoki Producer

Miyata, Kazuya Producer

Watanabe, Toshiyuki Producer

Reviews

Sep 23, 2025

Loid_Forger_8002

Recommended

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

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Loid_Forger_8002 (1)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Sep 23, 2025

justinharsey

Mixed Feelings

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.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by justinharsey (13)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Oct 23, 2025

patkarunungan

Not Recommended

'Turkey! Time to Strike' seems to be a sports anime with cute girls. It, however, provides some twists that may amuse you or frustrate you.


§ Overview

A group of girls has a conflict with how they approach bowling. The captain of the bowling club, Mai, values enjoyment over winning. Her kouhai, Rina, has the mentality of winning.

One day, as Mai and Rina have a match to determine if Rina would quit or not, they find themselves transported to the Sengoku Period (戦国時代), about 1467 to 1615 AD.


... § What's in the name?

A strike happens when all the pins come crashing down due to the impact of the bowling ball. A turkey happens whenever there are three consecutive strikes. It is called that because historically, a turkey (you know, the fowl that's killed and cooked during Thanksgiving in America) was awarded for three consecutive strikes.


§ The studio and staff


⚫ The studio, Bakken Record, is new as it was established only in 2019. So far, it has only 6 titles, including Turkey. I haven't seen their other outputs, but they have mid to decent scores.

As far as Turkey is concerned, I am not impressed with their visuals, and the character design is forgettable.


⚫ It's interesting that the director, Kudou Susumu, served as director for three anime by GOATHands, two of which I've seen: 1) Momentary Lily, 2) The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, and 3) The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today. I haven't seen no 3, so I'll use no 1 and no 2 for comparison.

GOATHands have polarising visuals. Many hate it; others like me love it.

Despite all the criticisms Momentary Lily received, I found value in watching it, from the visuals and the emotional payoff.

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses is entertaining despite its visuals. I'm not saying it's bad. It's just that it seems the source material is good enough that, regardless of the director and the studio, the anime adaptation would be at least decent.

That's not the case with the writing of Turkey, and the only person I found responsible for the writing is scriptwriter Hiruta Naomi. This is her first work.


§ Issues with the story and commentary

1. Many people are expecting this to be a sports anime but were astonished that this is isekai-adjacent. I use that term because it resembles isekai, but it's not really an isekai. It's technically a time travel show.

I have no issue regarding this.


2. Some have noted that the drama seems forced and that the characters act so dumb.

I partially agree with this take. Rina's conflict with Mai is so frustrating to watch, and some of the behaviour I find unbelievable or contrived.


3. If I'm charitable to the writer, it seems that she is subtly criticising the girls of 2025 and reminding them of some of the positive values that women did in the past, namely duty, honour, and similar virtues. Despite seemingly favouring the past, the writer is also criticising the past for restricting freedom, and this aspect is more explicit.


4. To be fair, each of the girls in the main cast is given an episode to flesh out their character and backstory. This is better than some others, where the character's backstory is not explored at all. That said, I wish some of these character arcs were explored further in a later episode. Nanase's backstory, for one, is interesting, and it's too bad we can only infer what happens afterwards.

5. Its biggest sin is that the only good episode is the final episode, where the stakes are higher and the girls are slapped by reality into letting go of their naïveté. The previous episodes are either bad or mediocre. Is it worth putting up with all the crap just to reach a barely acceptable finale? You be the judge.


§ Conclusion

Turkey! is a forgettable show with some forgettable characters. It's not the worst show, to the point of being confusing. But for a so-so anime in an excellent Summer 2025 season, there are better anime out there if you're pressed for time.


NOTA BENE: A grade of 3 out of 10 means that I did not enjoy watching this anime despite being either well-regarded or at least popular, or perhaps I happened to rank them below my 4's but above my 2's.

My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by patkarunungan (337)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Anime of the Year 2025

by SuperShulk

42 Entries · 22 Restacks

Poster Clichés: Falling From the Sky

by eblf2013

26 Entries · 13 Restacks

Sports Anime (Girls Cast)

by YuikoKira

48 Entries · 17 Restacks

'Turkey!' Reveals Additional Cast, Second Promo

The official website for the Turkey! (Turkey! Time to Strike) original television anime revealed additional cast, the third key visual (pictured), and second promoti...read more

Jul 11, 2025 5:37 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (7 comments)

Summer 2025 Simulcast List [Update 8/7]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Summer 2025 season. Anime series licensed for hom...read more

Jun 27, 2025 2:20 PM by Snow | Discuss (17 comments)

	Poll: Turkey! Episode 11 Discussion Stark700 - Sep 16, 2025	35 replies	by overlord_hias »» Jan 11, 5:35 PM
	Poll: Turkey! Episode 9 Discussion Stark700 - Sep 2, 2025	34 replies	by EdhyRa »» Nov 28, 2025 7:32 PM
	Poll: Turkey! Episode 6 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Aug 12, 2025	65 replies	by EdhyRa »» Nov 28, 2025 1:54 AM
	Poll: Turkey! Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Jul 15, 2025	64 replies	by Alkimia »» Nov 11, 2025 7:55 PM
	Poll: Turkey! Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Jul 8, 2025	99 replies	by Alkimia »» Nov 11, 2025 4:30 PM