Yuru Camp△

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.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shima, Rin Main

Touyama, Nao Japanese

Kagamihara, Nadeshiko Main

Hanamori, Yumiri Japanese

Inuyama, Aoi Main

Toyosaki, Aki Japanese

Oogaki, Chiaki Main

Hara, Sayuri Japanese

Saitou, Ena Main

Takahashi, Rie Japanese

Kagamihara, Sakura Supporting

Inoue, Marina Japanese

Toba, Minami Supporting

Itou, Shizuka Japanese

Shinshirou, Hajime Supporting

Ootsuka, Akio Japanese

Inuyama, Akari Supporting

Matsuda, Risae Japanese

Narrator Supporting

Ootsuka, Akio Japanese

Watase, Shouta Producer

Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Producer

Shimosato, Satoru Producer

Maru, Ryouji Producer

Reviews

Mar 22, 2018

Pipe

Recommended

“¡ One for all, hole in one!” —Nadeshiko Kagamihara

Yuru Camp is one of the gems from the season. Who could have guessed a camping series would be fun, refreshing, and very entertaining? Also, no matter how you are feeling, after each episode you will end with a big smile on your face. Yuru Camp isn’t about cute girls doing cute things. It is about how to enjoy simpler situations and how to maintain the proper mood and be happy under any circumstance. More important, the series irradiates that sensation to all the spectators. These girls give us a funny and delightful gem and will stay ... in our memories for a long time.

The story is straightforward and easy to follow, it is fun, fresh and entertaining to watch. It focuses on camping. Yes, I envision the same thing you’re thinking: camping, are you kidding me? How can you have a plotline about camping? It must be a fiasco. However, Yuri Camp is not dull, from a common event like camping, the authors create an amusing narration where all the characters take pleasure in camping. Keep in mind that maybe you want to go camping with your friends after the series because the characters’ commitment is plausible, delightful and absorbing. The message given to the audience through the story’s simplicity is enjoying the moments of life.

As a starting point, the pacing is perfect, and the way how all the characters are involved is pretty clever. It is remarkable seeing the correlation and the chemistry between them, no matter if they appear in the scene for few seconds, their actions complement the setting, and you don’t feel them wasted. Every character has a different personality that boosts the dynamic through the storyline and embodies the meaning of friendship. Another notable aspect, the trust. Would you camp with someone you do not trust? The series enrich the plot with those values and propels them in each episode. For example, Rin likes camping alone, but she starts enjoying her time with Nadeshiko and considers her as a friend. Since they are a group of “buddies,” they share their tastes (food, hobbies, fun). Also, the story maintains the realism and gives tips about camping. This small world is full of comical events and funny jokes executed at the perfect moment ingeniously. Look Nadeshiko, she may seem to be childish, yet she is very energetic, and she uses that side of her personality to be humorous. Just with her behavior, the characters seem flashy and feel happy. All this is possible because the authors care about the pacing and the story.

On the other hand, some spectators believe the series doesn’t have a plot, so they consider the show boring. The simplicity of the narrative can be measured in the course of action and the mood while camping. How many of us have at least camping once in our lives? If it was a gratifying experience then this show will bring memories and forgotten desires, perhaps you could end remembering some of your old friends. This series demonstrates that every action, no matter how insignificant is, it would make our existence happier and enjoyable. For me, seeing how these characters admire a landscape, it is very remarkable. Maybe it is a cliché, but that easiness is what we call having a good time. Lastly, I have not found any negative aspect of the show. Nothing is perfect, yet the anime covers some basic ideas such as friendship, trust, passion, joy, and boosts them in a very entertaining way. Yuri Camp’s beauty lies in its simplicity.

We have five characters in the story. The most noticeable Is Nadeshiko because she is the one that which gathers the rest of the cast together, and she is the central point for most of the jokes. Nadeshiko is very energetic and blissful. She loves eating, and we can consider her a thrilled girl. The other main character, Rin. In the beginning, she enjoys camping alone, but Nadeshiko’s influence may change her. Rin has more camping experience than the others.
The remaining characters add fluency to the story. Aoi and Chiaki, they are the members of the Outdoor Activities Club. Thanks to Nadeshiko the club continues with the activities and start to plan camping meetings. Lastly Ena, she always mocks Rin. Something I notice is the lack of a detailed background, but the plot works very well without it. You only need to know they like camping and the rest will come from their personalities.

The art and sound are good. One exciting part is how they care about the landscapes. It is a plus because most of the scenes are outside. The camera angles and the camera movement focus on the main characters. Also, the color palette is very vivid and catch the attention of your eyes. However, the character’s design is standard compared with other series; it goes well with the simplicity of the plot. Regarding the sound, the score fills the moments and the jokes. It isn’t bad. Although, sometimes you don’t notice it because it is standard.

The OP and ED are great. I love those two songs. The lyrics and the rhythm work very well and are very catchy. Honestly, I hummed the OP for a whole day. I am getting crazy. =(

Finally, the combination between a simple and a fluid narrative, good characters, attractive art design, right sound, creates a delightful story called Yuru Camp. I like the show, I want a second season but maybe isn’t going to happen, yet it was a hilarious ride. You must give this anime an opportunity.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Mar 25, 2018

Artrill

Mixed Feelings

[6.0/10]
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Ever spend the afternoon listening to those lo-fi hip-hop playlists on Youtube? The ones that play a long playlist of relaxing instrumentals over gifs of animated characters either studying, reading, or floating in outer space? If so, then you have probably experienced, through audio, the kind of feeling that Yuru Camp embodies and presents to you. The chirping birds and licking of river water as it wraps around the rocky shoreline. A group of students out at campsites, under no threat, in no danger, with no drama, cooking food for one another and conversing about what they value. The term here is “laid-back”, and the ... show translates that for its title.

The series here follows Shima Rin as she camps out in various locations around Mount Fuji, from lakes to open fields. Along the way, she meets Nadeshiko, a spunky, goofy pink-haired girl that has a similar, yet louder passion for camping. Later, we realize they go to the same school and lo-and-behold there is even a camping club, because of course there is, with a few other equally cute girls with a seemingly diehard passion for sleeping in linen huts outside. That’s our story. No less and no more.

From here we venture into their day-to-day lives. Without the burden of classes, social interaction, or growth for anyone but maybe Rin towards the end of the series. It really feels like a flatline in the best possible way, I suppose. As in, the line here is “comfort” and the series encapsulates that comfort as well as it can within the parameters it draws. These parameters being the set locations during the winter in the small vicinity around where these characters live in Japan. It isn’t for everyone but fortunately, it offers a lot to the crowd that really seems attached to the iyashikei presentation with a healthy dollop of feel-good humor.
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[Camping Under the Stars and Presentation]

Funny faces, chibi inspired designs, and crackling campfires, Yuru Camp isn’t going to blow you away visually. Much like the rest of the series, it often has an air of decentness that you can’t help but acquiesce to after a few episodes roll by without your notice. That’s kind of the charm of it. The character design is serviceable, without many standouts. Each girl has the expected wide pallet of hair-color and generally looks alright. Where the series, and the people making it, clearly put the most thought into was the honestly great variety of outfits worn. Now each one is a variation of winter-clothing, but they were never ridiculous or unbelievable and, throughout the runtime, each episode seemingly had a unique selection of designs to attach to these characters. Good stuff all around, here.

The music is also not anemic, thankfully. The opening is catchy, the closer is quite frankly the best track in the series, and there enough background tunes to keep you engaged and on occasion bob your head to. Similar to those lo-fi hip-hop beats, that kind of melodic, unobtrusive, and relaxing feeling is injected into the soundtrack.

There is also nothing licentious here. Everything doesn’t feel like it is there to sell sex. While this is something I hate to bring up in every anime I seem to review, it is a problem that just plagues this medium. While this series is easily pandering to a certain crowd, it’s not doing so through sexual means and is never obnoxious about it and I will gladly take a series that doesn’t drill sexual fanservice into your eyes every chance it gets. The entire thing feels wholesome, and a focus on sexualization would undermine that. The creatives seem to understand this and avoid it. Even the scenes in the hot springs are very neutral and don’t have anything sleazy under the hood. Thumbs up for that.

Overall, the presentation is solid. I might even call it above average. It is where I expect a show like this to be. The directing is generally unremarkable, but the music and the decent production more than make up for that. The voice acting didn’t blow my socks off but thankfully it avoids being shrill and loud.
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[Narrative, Characters, or Lack Thereof]

Deadpan high schoolers, eccentric glasses, and alcoholic teachers with seemingly no care for students, there really isn’t much to latch onto in this show. Of course, that’s my opinion and I’m sure for some just the serene experience of the whole thing can be enough. The atmosphere here is exceptional, but the characters that inhabit the atmosphere are about as normal as they come. Each one possesses a very minuscule amount of quirks or habits that didn’t do much to intrigue me. While you could argue that’s the point and the series wasn’t trying to intrigue me, I can’t help but feel like they could’ve done more with these characters.

Of course, a show without a shred of conflict is just that, though, a show without a shred of conflict. Conflict grows characters and the deepest conflict here is often running out of food to eat. Again, that’s the point, but there really should’ve been more to the characters that we got to learn about as they bonded together. These girls, the four specific ones that took up most of the show, don’t change or give us, the viewer, anything to chew on other than pretty scenery and delicious looking food. Which is a plus, the food looks great and watching cute girls eat food is something I will unabashedly indulge in (especially when it isn’t obnoxiously over the top). Even Rin, our protagonist, who goes through the biggest “arc” of the series doesn’t get much to think about or ponder.

The lack of conflict is a flaw in entertainment value, but a flaw that I think will easily be looked past by the people specifically looking for a series that doesn’t have conflict and is an iyashekei. That’s kind of the sharp-end of criticism, though, the flaws I see are often not what someone else sees. The nonchalant atmosphere is nice to sit back and enjoy, however, I doubt I’ll be thinking back to this series as something memorable or worth revisiting.

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[Conclusion]

Do you want an overtly wholesome parade of cute anime girls camping? The comedy here isn’t in abundance, but it’s there. It’s okay for anime comedy, too, occasionally making me breath air out of my nose. Yuru Camp relies on expectations more than anything. What do you want and ultimately, what engages you as a viewer? A lot of the flaws here, beyond some of the awkward CG vehicles and weaker animated segments are exceedingly subjective. It’s hard to argue that this series isn’t feel-good and it’s almost impossible for me to say I didn’t like a good portion of it. Even the slower moments were relaxing as all hell, and while the ideas presented here may feel myopic to some viewers, none of it felt tepid. Even the truly “laid-back” moments, which manifested in five-minute segments of almost no dialogue, relaxing music, and maybe some monologuing, are relatively easy on the eyes and will, on more than one occasion, make you feel what this show is trying to make you feel. Comfortable.

Oh, and camping. This series makes you camp. Regardless of interesting characterization, what Yuru Camp does most well at is the meticulous creation of the scenarios at hand, here. A lot of the series is based on easy-reveals and drama-less conflict-resolution that feels good. For example, your hands are cold because it is cold out. You take your hand warmers and place them in your hands and exhale happily. That is a drama-less resolution, especially when one of your good friends walks up behind you and passes the hand-warmers to you and you smile and greet them.

This continues simply with the fact that the original creators of the manga this series is based on smartly made it set during the winter. A cold time that can often feel lonely alone. So of course, Rin, our lone-warrior of cute camping girls, ends up coming around and finding friends to camp with. Of course, there will be multiple scenes of snuggling up with yourself in a sleeping bag and cosplaying caterpillars. Because that’s cute, and you can probably imagine just how warm that feeling is and in turn you are suddenly in a place of comfort and relaxation. I commend the series for these smart creative choices that made for a better watch.

Then it’s the minuscule details to continue this streak of excessively unrealistic but ultimately satisfying interactions. Such as texting your friend at night and getting a response immediately. It almost never happens in the real world but damn it if it doesn’t feel good when it does happen. Sharing a vista with a close one. Cooking food for someone and ultimately getting that favor returned by them later. Sharing a laugh. Admiring a sunset. Looking over the lake and not caring about tomorrow because hopefully today will last forever.

These are all great qualities and don’t let my above-average score fool you. If you are seeking something like this, this may be the best show of the season for you. It is very time-oriented. If I was going through an excessively difficult time in real life and I threw this show on, at night, by myself, I would have most likely enjoyed it even more. Note that. Value what you value and don’t let this wholesome series slip by you.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Mar 7, 2020

crunchybagels

Not Recommended

Funny

I know that this anime is well liked and all, but I just did not enjoy it in the slightest. The characters were okay but the only one who really stood out to me was Nadeshiko. I hated Rin though, she was such a bore every time she was on screen. The animation is also pretty bad in this anime, not atrocious or anything but pretty bad nonetheless. The show features slice-of-life esque scenarios, but unlike most slice of life it gets incredibly repetitive incredibly fast. There's not really anything going on in this show that's entertaining in the slightest to me. I guess ... the appeal of the show is that it's cute? But that didn't really transfer to enjoyment for me. Overall, in my opinion it's not worth your time to watch Yuru Camp.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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