Juru Camp
VOD (1)
Seasons(3) / Episodes(37)
Plots(1)
Nadeshiko, a high school student who had moved from Shizuoka to Yamanashi, decides to see the famous, 1000 yen-bill-featured Mount Fuji. Even though she manages to bike all the way to Motosu, she's forced to turn back because of worsening weather. Unable to set her eyes on her goal, she faints partway to her destination. When she wakes up, it's night, in a place she's never been before, with no way of knowing how to get home. Nadeshiko is saved when she encounters Rin, a girl who is out camping by herself. This outdoorsy girls story begins with this first encounter between Nadeshiko and Rin. (Crunchyroll)
(more)Reviews of this series by the user Jeoffrey (2)
Season 1 (2018) (S01)
The original review is from 2018, updated for 2021: This was definitely the most pleasant surprise of the anime season Winter 2018 and was a very impressive and enjoyable show. I too was worried that this would be just another typical school club anime series with some cute girls, yet surprisingly the whole school club thing remains in the background and the show focuses on what its title promises - camping. I was in the Scouts for a few years and went camping with my friends, and I think they were the best years of my life (I was at high school), so this subject matter is very close to my heart. It was very gratifying to see that this show captured the spirit of camping (and not only camping with friends) very faithfully and in an incredibly endearing way. After all, camping is about adventures, finding beautiful places to enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside, for example by a nice crackling fire. Years later, I still have fond memories of when I saw the sunrise over Amerika (a flooded quarry near Beroun), so I understand how such powerful moments and beautiful scenery can be found in the great outdoors. In general, I have a very positive feeling from this show, not only because of the respectable way they presented the subject matter but also due to the quality of the soundtrack and the well-chosen cast of characters. Personally, I have to declare the opening as the best opening song of the year 2018 and I am going to add "Shiny Days" to my playlist. Sure, one should maybe not factor the opening and closing songs too much into the overall rating, as it has a trivial effect on the story, however, with a vibey anime series like this one I just cannot ignore it, because, unexpectedly, the opening and closing songs add a lot to the overall vibe of the show, and they both work so perfectly well in the show. Furthermore, they chose some really good music to underscore the story throughout the show as well. For example, I really liked the subtle guitar motif that popped up so often. As for the characters, I have seen similar ones before and there is nothing new about them. However, the characters in this show are well designed. The central duo nicely contrast and complement each other, and the other characters have their place as well (not necessarily that important, however, they are still enjoyable). Additionally, the work on the characters and just the fact that this is not a typical show where the characters are falling over each other and having supposedly amusing interactions is incredibly refreshing. The story about the two camps and Rin’s solo camping were something quite new to me and I enjoyed them a lot more than if all the girls were just hanging out together the whole time. Aside from all that, it is also a rather cute and amusing anime series that really put a smile on my face. So for me personally, this is the best “slice of life” anime series of the anime season Winter 2018 (Hakumei and Mikochi has its undeniable qualities, however, I found this a little more charming) and it is also one of the best anime series this year in general... 8.4/10.
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Season 2 (2021) (S02)
The second season of Laid-Back Camp is still just as enjoyable and charming as the first. Even the concept, with the girls alternating their camping in a variety of ways, from solo camping to large group camping at the end, has remained the same, which means each part of this anime series is a little bit different. As for the soundtrack, once again, there are good opening and ending tracks that really suit the show, complemented by some easy-listening, and some very charming musical motifs played throughout the show. Whereas the guitar featured prominently in the music throughout the first season, this time around it was more about the flute and violin, and once again, it all added to the vibe of the show quite superbly. While there are some new little details about the characters, the emphasis of the anime series is still on the charming friendship the girls have between them and everything is as it is supposed to be. The animation is good, and the various landscapes, which really stand out, are excellent. I did not like the 3D CGI models of cars and motorbikes that often appeared in this show. I get that they used them to show us more of the landscape, however, I find mixing traditional 2D animation and CGI just never quite works for me I guess. What I liked best was the final part with the group camping. I have to say that there seemed to be too much moving around for my liking, with vehicles constantly going from one place to another. It often felt more like a sightseeing trip than a regular camping trip, however, on the other hand, it gave me the opportunity to see a lot of really interesting places (geospots), some of which I had to immediately look up on the internet to see what they looked like in real life. So, I still found the show very enjoyable despite the fact that the last part gave me the travel bug rather than stoking up my passion for camping. I have to say I did not find the jokes disappointing, Nadeshiko was in excellent form again. There were also some very humorous and heart-warming moments with the other girls, including the two sisters Aoi and Akari. What else is there to say? Nothing, just that it was another great adventure that made me happy this winter. 8.4/10.
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