YuruYuri San Hai! is the third (and so far, final) season of YuruYuri which is based on the manga of the same name. It follows the four characters of Akari, Yui, Kyoko and Chinatsu as the members of the Amusement Club, which is just a fancy way of saying that they can do anything they want. The anime also follows the members of the Student Council, being Ayano, Chitose, Sakurako and Himawari as they interact with the Amusement Club. The series is part of the slice-of-life comedy genre, following the characters as they attend school, during the weekends and during vacation (where they always seem to have homework to do and it always seem to be summer).
Despite having already two previous seasons plus three OVAs, the anime somehow manages to find new ways of humor and many different gags which keeps it fresh and enjoyable. We still get the running gags of Chinatsu's terrible drawings and Ayano's tsundere attitude towards Kyoko, so it's not as if they started with a clean slate. It does frequently focus on Chinatsu and her lack of artistic skills in most situations but it is now revealed that when she is sick, tired or not in her peak performance, she does fabulous artwork.
The gags are hilarious, especially when characters misunderstand another character's current situation, making it seem like they're acting out of character. Their reactions resulting from this are priceless. Poor Akari continues to get the short end of the stick multiple times but it is not as bad as previous seasons. The running gags of Akari disappearing, her hair buns and even Chitose's nosebleeds from her fantasies simply don't turn up as often anymore. YuruYuri continues to show the characters' feelings and friendships towards each other. Despite some appearances (such as Chinatsu occasionally being very mean and cruel), they truly care for each other.
Ancillary characters such as Akari's sister and Chinatsu's sister, are more fleshed out and entired sections of episodes involve them heavily. Akari's sister has an unhealthy fixation on Akari, which can lead to some of the funniest scenarios in the season. There does seem to be at trend of showcasing coincidences where the characters will meet other characters' siblings (whom they haven't met before so they don't recognize them). Only afterwards will they then find out who they really are and it dawns on them. Each episode usually covers two stories, and usually stars all the cast in one way or another. The screentime between all the characters seems to be fairly even.
Events covered include cherry blossom viewing, Yui being scared of spiders and trying to find someone to help her get rid of it, and snow building. There is a wider variety of events and at least it isn't perpetually summer anymore. There are a few more mundane types of events but it managest o make them interesting enough to keep watching like peeling apples into the form of rabbits, and yet another sleepover but now the power goes out and Kyoko is up to her mischievous self. Each character has their own unique traits and personalities but this season dials up the cuteness of each character, from their appearances to their actions to the scenarios that they find themselves in. There are frequent sleepovers, dates between the characters and homework sessions.
Kyoko remains as charming as ever with her randomness and pranking, becoming endearing in her own way. While Chinatsu's affection towards Yui is quite over the top. It is similar with Kyoko and Chinatsu. There's a fair few confessions (whether serious or not) between the characters, and mentions of girlfriends. The season finishes off with a neat ending, complete with a friendship related motivational speech by one of the characters saying how luck they are to have such good friends. Overall, YuruYuri San Hai! is a fantastic third season to an already great series. It continues to be funny, bringing in new scenarios and new gags such that it is never boring. The characters are memorable and you will be sad when the final credits roll and you realize that you've digested every episode that the series had to offer.
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