Laid-Back Camp, also known as YuruCamp, is a 12 episode anime that’s based upon the manga. It is a chilled and relaxing anime that at first, follows Rin, who has a passion for going camping… but only during winter. It’s not the best season to do that, given that it’s cold but it has benefits too, such as less people, less bugs, no sweltering summer heat to contend with and there are clear blue skies, so you definitely can see why she does it. She likes to go solo camping though, as she appreciates the quietness.
Naturally, given the first scene of the anime, Rin doesn’t stay solo camping for long. She meets Nadeshiko, who isn’t really an airhead, although she’s the overly cheerful type that loves to eat. The anime soon makes it clear that it likes to depict the cuteness of all the characters, so there are a lot of scenes with a cuteness overload. Despite Rin’s (subtle) resistances, Nadeshiko manages to befriend Rin and convince her to go camping together.
Rin likes to camp around the Mount Fuji area, which given its big size, does lend to a lot of different campsites that each provide something different. While showing off the characters camping, it utilizes these opportunities to rattle off some facts or tips for camping. These are quite interesting, especially if you don’t normally camp yourself, such as how to make a fire, the different types of tents and what to look out for. Combined with the serene music, and it makes you want to go camping yourself.
Seeing an opportunity, Nadeshiko joins the school’s camping club, which only comprised of three members in total including her. They are all amateurs, and since budget is tight given camping gear is expensive, they all take part-time jobs in order to make it work. It feels good to see them put in effort and then enjoy the fruits of their labor when they finally go camping. They are not experts and so they make mistakes, but also it makes it natural when they explain the concepts behind several camping techniques and tips.
Thus the anime takes two perspectives, being Rin and her solo camping, and Nadeshiko and her group camping. Each has their benefits and disadvantages, and given that Nadeshiko manages to keep in contact with Rin, often sharing messages and photos, it’s a fun comparison. One that you know that eventually their paths will meet where Rin warms up and will try camping with others. The vistas that the groups get to see manages to translate well into the anime, and they look really good.
This is a chilled relaxing anime with cute and funny characters, who are the heart and sole of the anime. They have the innocence of youth and will get into trouble due to their lack of experience in camping. However, it’s done in such a way that’s funny and natural. They’ll learn and improve for next time, like when setting up a tent in the wind but having things blow away. Or it could be silly things like the running gag of them loving to eat.
The whole season builds up to the finale where all the characters finally get to go together in a group camp. Too bad it’s only an overnight stay but it feels satisfying all the same to see them finally get together and enjoy the quiet scenery in the company of good friends. There are some OVAs that were released with the blu-ray, and they’re on the sillier side of things, but as a result, they are funnier too.
Overall, Laid-Back Camp is surprisingly enough for an anime where nothing too exciting or crazy happens. However, it manages to blend the overly cute characters with the fun of camping in a strangely enjoyable way. Watching the anime, it will pique your interest in camping yourself, as there are many ways to camp, from the simple to the complex. At the heart of it, it’s also an anime about making friends and having fun with their company so it’s a feelgood wholesome anime overall.
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