Japan’s most relaxing fetch-quest.
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 12
Source: Manga. Sequel to Laid-Back Camp
Read my first impressions here!
Read my review of Laid-Back Camp here!
Review: Nadeshiko Kagamihara has now transformed into something of a camping enthusiast after relocating to Yamanashi prefecture and learning the ins-and-outs of roughing-it. Despite her enthusiasm for the outdoors, however, she lacks much knowledge about the local culture. Aoi and Chiaki, the other members of the Outdoor Activity Club, encourage Nadeshiko travel the prefecture to complete a stamp rally, and through doing so help her to gain some familiarity with the locations and culture right at her fingertips.
Laid-Back Camp and this, its very pleasant short-form offshoot, are just the type of anime that I feel is made for times like these. While we all fret about leaving the house (well, some of us; judging by the few trips I’ve made out to obtain food and supplies, there are plenty of people who seem to believe the world is completely back to normal now), the beauty of the outdoors remains and reminders of this gentle beauty can be a good boost to one’s mental health. While Laid-Back Camp‘s ability to make camping seem interesting to the uninitiated is masterful in-and-of-itself, this brief little sequel’s charm is that it serves as a reminder that not matter where we might live, there are usually points of interest worth seeking out.
I have the privilege of living in Minnesota’s largest urban area, and because of that I’m surrounded by parks, lakes, monuments and the like. Not to mention that even in this time of numerous restaurant closures, I still have a lot of interesting local options for take-out food if I feel like it (though I still prefer to cook most of my own meals). However, even with the search power of the internet at my fingertips, I’ve still probably learned more from exploration on foot and word-of-mouth from my friends than Google has been able to tell me. There are plenty of places and things to do and see off the beaten path that might be missed while sticking to the area’s main thoroughfares.
Room-Camp does a good job of conveying the joy of experiencing these types of little local secrets, whether it’s a family-owned restaurant or a special sight-seeing spot. Japan is known for having some very specialized local cuisines, and this series covers that sort of thing, too. And, without spoiling too much (I’d say it’s difficult for a series this short to have many spoilers, but you never know how other folks are going to feel about that), the theme of this series, much like its predecessor, is that often these types of activities are more enjoyable when spent with one’s friends.
While we fans await the second season of the main series with great anticipation, this tidbit of a spin-off is just enough to help bridge the gap until January.
Pros: Recaptures the warm, friendly feeling of the original series. Ultimately, it’s about friends being nice to each-other.
Cons: The episodes are so brief that it leaves one hungry for full-length episodes.
Grade: B+