Yuru Camp△ [Review]

Posted on March 28, 2018 by KiritoNarukami 3 comments

“While the perfect getaway for most girls her age might be a fancy vacation with their loved ones, Rin Shima’s ideal way of spending her days off is camping alone at the base of Mount Fuji. From pitching her tent to gathering firewood, she has always done everything by herself, and has no plans of leaving her little solitary world. However, what starts off as one of Rin’s usual camping sessions somehow ends up as a surprise get-together for two when the lost Nadeshiko Kagamihara is forced to take refuge at her campsite. Originally intending to see the picturesque view of Mount Fuji for herself, Nadeshiko’s plans are disrupted when she ends up falling asleep partway to her destination. Alone and with no other choice, she seeks help from the only other person nearby. Despite their hasty introductions, the two girls nevertheless enjoy the chilly night together, eating ramen and conversing while the campfire keeps them warm. And even after Nadeshiko’s sister finally picks her up later that night, both girls silently ponder the possibility of another camping trip together.” -MAL Rewrite

Yuru Camp, or also known as Laid Back Camp, was issued back in May of 2015. A slice-of-life and comedy manga that focused a lot on outdoor activities.

Story:

Yuru Camp brings back the “cute girls doing cute things” back but with a much more refreshing style. Instead of using the typical school set up, it sets up the story towards the outdoors, more specifically camping. The story is as simple as it gets, girls who go camping together to deepen then bonds and friendships. That’s all it is but its simplicity is what gives it its charm! A lot of anime lately try to cram everything into a short time frame but watching something like that always feels rushed and confusing. Yuru Camp takes one step at a time and details everything from how they get to their campsite, to the setup, the food, and some of the sleeping!

Artwork & Animation:

The background art in Yuru Camp is breath-taking, capturing the beauty in a variety of different locations such as the view of a city atop a hill to the view of Mount Fuji beyond a crystal clear lake. All the scenery that is shown in the anime depicts actual locations around Japan! It makes you want to go out there and explore what nature has to offer! Character designs are very cute and stick to the source material and seeing them animated with their quirky personalities was very enjoyable.

Character(s):

With moe anime like this, it’s the characters that really make the show interesting. Typical shows use the typical character tropes with typical scenarios. Yuru Camp brings a new flavor to the mix and the characters become the cherry on top rather than the dessert itself.

Sound (OST & Voice Acting):

The soundtrack brings the feeling of being at a campsite and countryside with its use of strings such as banjos, violins, and guitars. There are some woodwinds here and there that give the music a little more energy. The music has a serenity that gives the warmth of being around a campfire.

Enjoyment:

Yuru Camp was one of the only shows that had me wanting more episodes week after week. Each camping visit was an adventure, you never know what kinda of scenery, or trouble, that these girls were going to find! It was a very relaxing show and also very educational. The detail that went into explaining the procedures were quick and simple to understand, making it very entertaining.

Overall: Score 10

With a very relaxing vibe and a great assortment of characters, Yuru Camp makes its way to one of my favorite anime of all time. A refreshing camping theme and a very slow pace story and dialogue it helps break away from the compact and rushed stories that we see so much of in this day and age.

Best Girl: Rin Shima

With the cool yet very nice and sweet personality as well as being voiced by Nao Touyama it’s hard not to pick Shimarin as best girl!