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.
Contents
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
Ikkokukan High School bowling club
Mai Otonashi (音無 麻衣, Otonashi Mai)
Voiced by: Hana Hishikawa
The president of the Ikkokukan High School bowling club. Mai has been a highly skilled bowler since she was a child. However, for reasons unknown, every time she scores a turkey, she immediately leaves snake eyes, always resulting in the club being eliminated in bowling tournaments.
Rina Godai (五代 利奈, Godai Rina)
Voiced by: Kana Ichinose
The club's most skilled bowler who rivals Mai. Rina takes bowling very seriously and is often frustrated with the club's lack of motivation to win tournaments, causing her to want to quit the club. She often clashes with other club members.
Sayuri Ichinose (一ノ瀬 さゆり, Ichinose Sayuri)
Voiced by: Haruki Iwata
A club member and one of Mai's childhood friends. Sayuri is a shy girl who always throws gutterballs. She later becomes friends with Suguri and learns that Suguri is a woman.
Nozomi Mitaka (三鷹 希, Mitaka Nozomi)
Voiced by: Yuuki Temma
A club member and one of Mai's childhood friends. Nozomi is more focused on her looks and gaining popularity than bowling.
Nanase Nikaidō (二階堂 七瀬, Nikaidō Nanase)
Voiced by: Ayasa Itō
A club member with no other ties to Mai. Nanase joined the club under the belief that associating with an athletic club will afford her better academic opportunities in the future. Once they travel to the past, she warns them to not make any changes so the future is not altered.
Tokura family
Sumomo (寿桃)
Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka
A member of the Tokura family, she plays a game similar to bowling. She correctly deduces that the club have traveled from the future. Mai later teaches her how to bowl. It is later revealed she is arranged to be married to the Washio clan's leader to ensure that the village remains under the protection of Washio.
Akebi (朱火)
Voiced by: Yūko Minaguchi
A mysterious girl who always wears a mask when outside. She is later revealed to be Sumomo's twin sister, who went into hiding to protect Sumomo due to fortune tellers believing that twins bring about misfortune.
Suguri (傑里)
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue
Sumomo's older sister, who plays the role of a man in order to protect her family.
Anzu (庵珠)
Voiced by: Miki Itō
The youngest Tokura sister who is angry at by the presence of the bowling club members, who have posed as traveling performers. She is later saved by Nozomi after she goes to retrieve goumi berries as a gift.
Natsume (夏夢)
Voiced by: Rei Sakuma
The eldest Tokura sister, who left the family to pursue her dreams after an encounter with another man who came from the future.
Other characters
Haru (はる)
Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka
Mai's foster parent who took her in after her parents died.
Tamajyu (玉重)
Voiced by: Nobuo TobitaEp. 9 credits
A fortune teller and Kagetoki's retainer.
Sakaki Kagetoki (坂城 景時)
Voiced by: Takanori HoshinoEp. 10 credits
A feudal lord of a nation neighboring the Tokuras, who is constantly putting pressure on them.
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. The series aired from July 9 to September 24, 2025, on Nippon TV's AnichU programming block and other channels, and is released internationally on Crunchyroll. The opening theme song is "Hyakunichisou" (ヒャクニチソウ; lit. 'Common Zinnia'), 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), while the ending theme song is "Moshimo" (もしも; lit. 'What If'), performed by Taiyō to Odore, Tsukiyo ni Utae. The ending was replaced in several episodes by insert songs: in episode 4, "Flashback" by Q.I.S.; in episode 6, "Sincerity Flower" by Aira Yūki; in episode 7, "Strike Freedom!" by Azami; and in episode 9, "Natsu no Sumika" by Nagi Yanagi.
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, others such as Anime UK News argue that Turkey! just falls under the time travel genre instead.
