Turkey! Time to Strike

'Turkey! Time to Strike, also simply known in Japan as Turkey!', is an original Japanese anime television series about tenpin bowling and time traveling created by Tatsunoko Production under their Bakken Record label and Pony Canyon, set in the city of Chikuma, Nagano. It aired from July to September 2025.

Plot

The bowling club of Ikkokukan High School in Nagano Prefecture consists of five members: club leader Mai Otonashi, first-year student Rina Godai, nervous Sayuri Ichinose, fashionable Nozomi Mitaka, and nerdy Nanase Nikaidō. During a match between Mai and Rina to persuade Rina against leaving, a bolt of lightning strikes a partially buried artifact at a nearby construction site, which affects Mai's bowling ball as she is about to bowl, dragging her away down the lane. As the rest of the club members attempt to pull Mai to safety, the ball sends the club back in time to the Sengoku period (1467–1615), where they are taken in by the young samurai Suguri Tokura, who they save from a group of bandits. After witnessing Suguri's sister, Sumomo, playing a game similar to bowling, the club attempts to return to the present by recreating the same conditions that sent them back in time.

Characters

Production and release

''Turkey! Time to Strike'' was animated by Bakken Record, directed by Susumu Kudo and written by Naomi Hiruta, with Airi Takekawa serving as character designer, Yuki Hayashi composing the music, and Pony Canyon producing the music.[3][4][5] The series aired from July 9 to September 24, 2025, on Nippon TV's AnichU programming block and other channels,[6][7] and is released internationally on Crunchyroll.[9] The opening theme song is "Hyakunichisou" (ヒャクニチソウ), performed by Nagano Prefectural Ikkokukan High School Bowling Club (Hana Hishikawa, Kana Ichinose, Haruki Iwata, Yuuki Temma and Ayasa Itō), with episode 9's version performed by Daughters of the Tokura Family (Noriko Hidaka, Yūko Minaguchi, Kikuko Inoue, Miki Itō and Rei Sakuma),[10] while the ending theme song is "Moshimo" (もしも), performed by Taiyō to Odore, Tsukiyo ni Utae.[11] The ending was replaced in several episodes by insert songs: in episode 4, "Flashback" by Q.I.S.;[12] in episode 6, "Sincerity Flower" by Aira Yūki;[13] in episode 7, "Strike Freedom!" by Azami;[14] and in episode 9, "Natsu no Sumika" by Nagi Yanagi.[15]

Reception

There is debate as to whether the series falls into the isekai genre. While it has been described as an isekai on some websites such as Anime News Network and Anime Feminist,[18][19] others such as Anime UK News argue that Turkey! just falls under the time travel genre instead.[20]

External links