Please explain!!? angry emoji

Doiben said:
Okay people I feel like Ive dabled in the slice of life genre so to speak. I've seen cute anime girls doing (insert club and or wacky daily situations) and chilling with a cup of high grade most impacable tea while making jokes with each other, being sad that their sempais will leave, and occaisonally stealing food (SERIOUSLY MUGI WHY) going to the beach, paying the local shrine a visit, all that good stuff. All of these show (for me) need some serious spice to be good. Be it Charming characters, a cool concept, good humor, or high production values. With the crazy ammount of shows we have now, and not enough time to watch them, I feel like I need to be able to tell myself "Yes this is what I love and respect about this show". This annoying thought was in the back of my mind as I kind if enjoyed the second episode of this show. Now Let me tell you I actually like Yuru camp triangle. It's been a while since I watched season 1 so I didn't exactly know what to expect from this season. So was hella surprised to discover this being rated higher than all of the Kyoani shows (except for Koe no Katachi and Clannad Afterstory). Now, I know that not many people have rated this, the score will probably go down overtime but number 60 of the top, really? Im sorry if I offend anyone with this but if you are a diehard Yurucamp (triangle) fan please explain to me what quality does it posess (aside from being cute and comfy) to surpass all those other great shows, thanks.

jal90 said:
Hi, diehard Yurucamp (triangle) fan stepping in. For starters let's put its score a bit in context because this is not the first slice-of-life nor the first iyashikei show to creep into the higher parts of the ranking. We already have 3-gatsu's second season in the top10 of MAL and Mushishi and its second season are steady residents at the top50 (and the first was there already when I joined the site). This makes it not so rare for Yuru Camp to be there, considering that you don't really need stakes or action or drama-filled hype to get there.

Additionally, the first season was very well-received. This is relevant because in MAL there is this thing called sequel effect and in a fandom that is more modest in size than your typical shonen hype, it can be reflected in the ratings. But also because when I think of more established staples of CGDCT/slice-of-life anime like K-On! or Aria, both were mainly praised from their second season onwards, while Yuru Camp had a head start. As said, sequels are usually better rated than first seasons, and it's only natural that it happens here when season 1 got an 8.27 and this one has basically the same staff with a better time management and more polished visuals. It's not even that big of a gap, the first season had a 8.37 at its peak and this one is more likely to stabilize in the 8.50s than the 8.60s.

I think you are also underestimating the overall impact of this show. Yuru Camp is actually, like, very big in Japan. It sold like hotcakes, it established a franchise and it has been consistently labelled one of the best shows of the decade out there, so it's not just an oddity happening in MAL. If anything, in MAL the series has been filtered through the more modest slice-of-life fandom making it more difficult to bring haters. Other SOL shows were not that lucky in that regard due to timing or circumstance or whatever, and it has allowed this show to build a small yet very consistent fandom that has remained very active since it first aired.

Then you talk about how shows need to do something exceptional to be this high in the list. Which doesn't ring true to what I've watched, to be honest. I would even say that it's only behind Spirited away and the first season of Mushishi and it's very close to the latter. A lot of the stuff in the top100 consists of either sequels to popular and/or well-liked shows like this one or bombastic action/drama with a lot of loose ends.

Finally, on this whole matter of context, there's timing. The average ratings this season are very high, maybe even at an all-time peak. There is a lot of hype surrounding the first cour of this year after the complicated scenario of 2020 with corona and delayed projects, and the amount of popular sequels that accumulated this winter has only made the environment more favorable. We are talking about how highly rated this series is, but it's not even the only example of a quiet show getting very high ratings. Non Non Biyori Nonstop is sitting at a more than respectable 8.37 at this point. Horimiya had an incredibly strong start for a rom-com with an 8.62.

Sorry it took so long for all these external factors but I believe these are more relevant to explain how did this show jump so high than my own personal impressions. But I'll try to explain as well what makes it so special to me. First, I am a fan of quiet stuff, iyashikei may very well be my favorite genre/trope and CGDCT is always a blessing. So I don't need a "hook" to enjoy or love a show like this like you seem to do, as long as they are well-executed they fit the exact kind of entertainment I look for. It doesn't seem to be your case, maybe because you are not that into the genre, maybe because as you say you are looking for that "something else" that I'm not missing.

Second, I believe it's an exceptionally well-executed show in its genre, for several reasons. The characters and character interactions keep a steady balance between cute, funny and relatable. Like for instance, for how much of an adorable fluff Nadeshiko is, she is also genuinely funny interacting with other members of the cast and there's always a natural flow to their dialogues. It's not like this hyper character who sticks out like a sore thumb with her crying and overreactions, she and her reactions are very well integrated in the pace of her surrounding characters. She can be dumb and noisy in certain situations or quiet and empathic in others according to the mood. The same could be said for the rest, with Rin's solo camping and monologues being specially great at capturing this balance. Their interactions have a lot of banter, inside jokes and aimless conversations and instead of making the characters' strong personalities clash against each other they display a lot of chemistry. One of my favorite scenes in the first season involves Nadeshiko, Chiaki and Aoi just talking about ramen seasoning. I'm not even that interested in ramen, but hearing people that are both enthusiastic and respecful of each other's timing and ideas in the conversation feels pretty great in a show like this. It hits that feeling of organic niceness that makes it so special to me.

On the other hand, it is a very aesthetic show. You could very well say that the "hook" you are missing is in the background art, because scenery is that important. I would also mention the soundtrack because it's a very rare sight to have something so competent in the music department that it's able to effectively use it to enhance every mood required and even to create comedy and expectation that works every time. Seriously the OST in Yuru Camp, and specially the way it's used and integrated in the narrative, is something else.

But going back to the landscapes and in general to the visual aspect of the series, I have had a bit of a brainstorm myself to explain why does it work that much and that well to me given that it's not even the first anime to enhance this aspect of its presentation. My conclusion is that it just feels real. Watching a lot of similarly quiet pastoral stuff, I often feel like these scenarios are places I would love to live in or be at the moment. Watching Yuru Camp, it reminds me of places I've been at, and it honestly feels like I'm stepping into that scenario at that very moment. A lot of things are done exceptionally well to enhance that feeling; for starters the characters are always put in the frame in a way they seem integrated, moving through and not oddly sticking out. The soft colors are also relevant, since it manages to be both breathtakingly beautiful and close to a real experience, and in general the idea of setting the series in fall/winter helps a lot because it brings an aesthetic that I think is more likely to hit home in something like this that aims to be quiet. There's also the suburban and rural settings which are modelled after real locations and they are shot and lighted in a way that it feels like you are just there at that moment. Quite relevant as well in my opinion that this series uses a lot of early morning, evening and nightly sequences which feel more intimate to the viewer.

So in short, I think it's exceptionally great and its calmed and simple nature makes it difficult to explain properly why, as well as to make it understand since there's a lot of very subjective attachment involved. On the other hand, it's not like simple means any worse, not specially in a genre and type of show that celebrates simplicity. So while it may stick out to you personally, I think it makes enough sense in context that this series is as high as it is, both from the personal and the general consensus levels.

jal90 said:
Hi, diehard Yurucamp (triangle) fan stepping in. For starters let's put its score a bit in context because this is not the first slice-of-life nor the first iyashikei show to creep into the higher parts of the ranking. We already have 3-gatsu's second season in the top10 of MAL and Mushishi and its second season are steady residents at the top50 (and the first was there already when I joined the site). This makes it not so rare for Yuru Camp to be there, considering that you don't really need stakes or action or drama-filled hype to get there.

Additionally, the first season was very well-received. This is relevant because in MAL there is this thing called sequel effect and in a fandom that is more modest in size than your typical shonen hype, it can be reflected in the ratings. But also because when I think of more established staples of CGDCT/slice-of-life anime like K-On! or Aria, both were mainly praised from their second season onwards, while Yuru Camp had a head start. As said, sequels are usually better rated than first seasons, and it's only natural that it happens here when season 1 got an 8.27 and this one has basically the same staff with a better time management and more polished visuals. It's not even that big of a gap, the first season had a 8.37 at its peak and this one is more likely to stabilize in the 8.50s than the 8.60s.

I think you are also underestimating the overall impact of this show. Yuru Camp is actually, like, very big in Japan. It sold like hotcakes, it established a franchise and it has been consistently labelled one of the best shows of the decade out there, so it's not just an oddity happening in MAL. If anything, in MAL the series has been filtered through the more modest slice-of-life fandom making it more difficult to bring haters. Other SOL shows were not that lucky in that regard due to timing or circumstance or whatever, and it has allowed this show to build a small yet very consistent fandom that has remained very active since it first aired.

Then you talk about how shows need to do something exceptional to be this high in the list. Which doesn't ring true to what I've watched, to be honest. I would even say that it's only behind Spirited away and the first season of Mushishi and it's very close to the latter. A lot of the stuff in the top100 consists of either sequels to popular and/or well-liked shows like this one or bombastic action/drama with a lot of loose ends.

Finally, on this whole matter of context, there's timing. The average ratings this season are very high, maybe even at an all-time peak. There is a lot of hype surrounding the first cour of this year after the complicated scenario of 2020 with corona and delayed projects, and the amount of popular sequels that accumulated this winter has only made the environment more favorable. We are talking about how highly rated this series is, but it's not even the only example of a quiet show getting very high ratings. Non Non Biyori Nonstop is sitting at a more than respectable 8.37 at this point. Horimiya had an incredibly strong start for a rom-com with an 8.62.

Sorry it took so long for all these external factors but I believe these are more relevant to explain how did this show jump so high than my own personal impressions. But I'll try to explain as well what makes it so special to me. First, I am a fan of quiet stuff, iyashikei may very well be my favorite genre/trope and CGDCT is always a blessing. So I don't need a "hook" to enjoy or love a show like this like you seem to do, as long as they are well-executed they fit the exact kind of entertainment I look for. It doesn't seem to be your case, maybe because you are not that into the genre, maybe because as you say you are looking for that "something else" that I'm not missing.

Second, I believe it's an exceptionally well-executed show in its genre, for several reasons. The characters and character interactions keep a steady balance between cute, funny and relatable. Like for instance, for how much of an adorable fluff Nadeshiko is, she is also genuinely funny interacting with other members of the cast and there's always a natural flow to their dialogues. It's not like this hyper character who sticks out like a sore thumb with her crying and overreactions, she and her reactions are very well integrated in the pace of her surrounding characters. She can be dumb and noisy in certain situations or quiet and empathic in others according to the mood. The same could be said for the rest, with Rin's solo camping and monologues being specially great at capturing this balance. Their interactions have a lot of banter, inside jokes and aimless conversations and instead of making the characters' strong personalities clash against each other they display a lot of chemistry. One of my favorite scenes in the first season involves Nadeshiko, Chiaki and Aoi just talking about ramen seasoning. I'm not even that interested in ramen, but hearing people that are both enthusiastic and respecful of each other's timing and ideas in the conversation feels pretty great in a show like this. It hits that feeling of organic niceness that makes it so special to me.

On the other hand, it is a very aesthetic show. You could very well say that the "hook" you are missing is in the background art, because scenery is that important. I would also mention the soundtrack because it's a very rare sight to have something so competent in the music department that it's able to effectively use it to enhance every mood required and even to create comedy and expectation that works every time. Seriously the OST in Yuru Camp, and specially the way it's used and integrated in the narrative, is something else.

But going back to the landscapes and in general to the visual aspect of the series, I have had a bit of a brainstorm myself to explain why does it work that much and that well to me given that it's not even the first anime to enhance this aspect of its presentation. My conclusion is that it just feels real. Watching a lot of similarly quiet pastoral stuff, I often feel like these scenarios are places I would love to live in or be at the moment. Watching Yuru Camp, it reminds me of places I've been at, and it honestly feels like I'm stepping into that scenario at that very moment. A lot of things are done exceptionally well to enhance that feeling; for starters the characters are always put in the frame in a way they seem integrated, moving through and not oddly sticking out. The soft colors are also relevant, since it manages to be both breathtakingly beautiful and close to a real experience, and in general the idea of setting the series in fall/winter helps a lot because it brings an aesthetic that I think is more likely to hit home in something like this that aims to be quiet. There's also the suburban and rural settings which are modelled after real locations and they are shot and lighted in a way that it feels like you are just there at that moment. Quite relevant as well in my opinion that this series uses a lot of early morning, evening and nightly sequences which feel more intimate to the viewer.

So in short, I think it's exceptionally great and its calmed and simple nature makes it difficult to explain properly why, as well as to make it understand since there's a lot of very subjective attachment involved. On the other hand, it's not like simple means any worse, not specially in a genre and type of show that celebrates simplicity. So while it may stick out to you personally, I think it makes enough sense in context that this series is as high as it is, both from the personal and the general consensus levels.

Doiben said:
Okay people I feel like Ive dabled in the slice of lif] Its what they're good at my dude i understand you as a slice of life fan yuru camp has some aspects that they're lacking but being cute and all is what they're good for and what get the viewers hook and basically where the high rating comes from some people just enjoyed this chill and relax anime without even understanding what is happening

Now if you want some anime with some spice i Highly recommend a place further than the universe (its basically just yuru camp but with different takes) unlike yuru camp this anime has some heavy emotins and deep friendship growth and a good plot

Chiribei said:
Another generic thread complaining about how a new show's rating is too high or too low, yawn. I've seen enough of these threads about Re:Zero and Attack on Titan. Shut up already, there are so many other things you could be talking about, but instead you wasted your time creating a thread that'll just get locked, like every other "waaaaa the score is too high/low waaaaaaaa" thread.

Doiben said:

I didn't mean to do that, sorry to hear I upset you

jal90 said:

I think that was a bit of an overreaction to be honest. We've had a lot of iterations of threads asking why certain anime X is overrated so that's why some people act so bitter at the mere mention, but really don't worry, there's nothing wrong with how you framed the question.

I'm glad that you are enjoying the show, by the way, and no need to pay further attention to anything! It's a series to sit and enjoy and there's not much science beyond that. A fine and reliable 7 may be preferable to trying to look for a reason to like the show more.

Chiribei said:

Maybe you don't read these threads as much as I do, but you would understand my frustration if you did. I've seen too many of these, and the last few times I have has just really pushed me over the edge.

emolano said:
Well, for me at least it's better than all Kyoani slice of life shows I've watched, except Nichijou, that also happens to be my favorite anime of all time. I just liked Yuru Camp more. The technical part has no comparison(not that triangle lacks behind, it's just that Kyoani is Kyoani), but the feeling of Yuru Camp is something unique that you won't find in any other Slice of Life. If that feeling is not for you then you will not understand. Actually, it's kind of unfair to compare the camping anime and let's say Maid Dragon, they have the same genre but are too different for one to be considered better than the other. I like Yuru Camp for the confy and the descompromissed plot, while I like the other show for it's chemistry between the characters and the creative and funny situations that occur in it. Does Yuru Camp deserve said score? Idk, only 2 episodes aired until now(both of wich I liked very much), but the first season definitivelly does(but it's only at 8.27).

Doiben said:
All of these show (for me) need some serious spice to be good. Be it Charming characters, a cool concept, good humor, or high production values.

Groenboys said:
there is some genuine improvement in this second season, like the production values being upped.

Waveshaper said:


It's funny, because I'm personally torn if I consider this really a good thing. It was the first thing that I realized when watching the first minutes of ep.1 - how much they improved the detail in regular backdrops - and it ruined a bit the feeling from season 1 for me. It's not even something I can really pin down - but it feels a bit forced to me. The addition of more character development and slapstick might not help with this impression - but there are a few things that appear to me as unnecessary 'improvements' for the sake of improvement.

Still an outstanding good anime - as much as one can tell after 3 episodes - imho, but I can't ignore the feeling of something being 'slightly off' when watching. That might even be a case where upped production value has a subjective negative impact.

Doiben said:
Okay people I feel like Ive dabled in the slice of life genre so to speak. I've seen cute anime girls doing (insert club and or wacky daily situations) and chilling with a cup of high grade most impacable tea while making jokes with each other, being sad that their sempais will leave, and occaisonally stealing food (SERIOUSLY MUGI WHY) going to the beach, paying the local shrine a visit, all that good stuff. All of these show (for me) need some serious spice to be good. Be it Charming characters, a cool concept, good humor, or high production values. With the crazy ammount of shows we have now, and not enough time to watch them, I feel like I need to be able to tell myself "Yes this is what I love and respect about this show". This annoying thought was in the back of my mind as I kind if enjoyed the second episode of this show. Now Let me tell you I actually like Yuru camp triangle. It's been a while since I watched season 1 so I didn't exactly know what to expect from this season. So was hella surprised to discover this being rated higher than all of the Kyoani shows (except for Koe no Katachi and Clannad Afterstory). Now, I know that not many people have rated this, the score will probably go down overtime but number 60 of the top, really? Im sorry if I offend anyone with this but if you are a diehard Yurucamp (triangle) fan please explain to me what quality does it posess (aside from being cute and comfy) to surpass all those other great shows, thanks.

leev said:
Irrelevant to the question but just an advise tbh, you didn't ask for it but hear me out. I think scores that should only matter is your own scores. You musn't control how people rate anime in this site or try to gatekeep the site's top 100 with your own criterias. You're lucky this anime isn't that popular otherwise it'll get the same backlash as those "X anime is overrated" threads

zwolf12 said:


For the OP, most people already gave detailed opinions, for me the reasoning for Yuru Camp is pretty simple, it is just very good iyashikei. For me the biggest strength in Yuru Camp is the character chemistry, there are not many anime in any genre that have characters that mesh this well, add to that the beautiful art/artstyle and you have yourself a winner.
While Yuru Camp doesn't snatch the throne from Hidamari Sketch it is still in the top 3 of iyashikei anime and the latest with this much quality in that department.
(Other top anime of this style of the top of my head include Sakura Quest, Flying Witch or if you want to go classic Mushishi.)


I dislike that overall advice, while I understand where this is coming from, numbers are always good, the problem is that people don't understand what they mean.
Just because most people misinterpret numbers doesn't mean you can discard them altogether you just need to understand who to interpret them.