Note: I watched this anime for Anicord Contracts Spring 2023 Event.
This review contains light spoilers for some later episodes.
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is a slice-of-life/isekai/fantasy anime about Yuna, a 15-year-old girl who lives alone and frequently plays the popular VMMORPG New Fantasy Online. She lives comfortably but has no friends and barely leaves her apartment. One day, Yuna receives a special gift from the administrators of New Fantasy Online: a cute bear-themed onesie that she finds too embarrassing to wear. She doesn't get much of a choice though, as after accepting the equipment, she is suddenly transported to the world of New Fantasy Online while wearing the bear costume. Despite the stares she receives wherever she goes, Yuna soon discovers her gear is overwhelmingly powerful. Not incredibly concerned about the possibility of returning home, she decides to explore her new world and enjoy this second chance at life.
The story of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear follows a simple formula: Yuna is presented with a problem (either someone else asks for her help or she discovers the problem herself and decides to intervene) and then she uses her overpowered abilities to solve the problem. This might sound repetitive, but the variety in the issues Yuna has to resolve, as well as the fun cast of characters she meets throughout her adventures, keeps the story from becoming stale.
The world of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is medieval fantasy-inspired. There are adventurer's and merchant guilds, as well as limited advancements in technology and cuisine. Elfanica Kingdom is ruled by a royal family, with individual towns governed by lords. We don't learn much about the world outside Elfanica, nor do we see any towns other than Crimonia, Millela, and the royal capital. The most memorable part was learning about the fishing port town of Millela, which was separated from Crimonia by mountains, and how that affected trade and communication routes. Overall, the worldbuilding is basic, but I didn't mind because it is sufficient for the stories Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear wants to tell.
At first glance, Yuna is your basic, overpowered protagonist. She's kind, friendly, and always willing to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate. What sets Yuna apart, however, is that she didn't start out that way. At the beginning of the season, Yuna is aloof and perfectly content being on her own, just as she was in her previous life on Earth. She also quickly earns the moniker "Bloody Bear". However, there is more to her than meets the eye. Regardless of her impressive powers, Yuna is a 15-year-old girl who gets homesick sometimes and isn't entirely sure what she wants to do in this new world. As she meets and assists other people, Yuna gradually becomes more sociable, to the point where she ultimately cannot imagine living without Fina anymore. I will admit that I found Yuna unlikable in the first few episodes, but I was pleasantly surprised by her character development as the show progressed.
Fina is an equally compelling character and an excellent foil to Yuna. As the oldest daughter of a bedridden mother, Fina was forced to place her family's needs above her own. She worked part-time fulfilling various gathering and harvesting requests from the adventurer's guild to support her mother and younger sister. While Yuna lived a solitary life by choice, Fina lived a solitary life by necessity, since she needed to keep earning money to put food on the table and afford her mother's medicine. Until she meets Yuna, Fina has never ventured past the forests surrounding her small town. Throughout their adventures, Fina witnesses many of Yuna's good deeds firsthand and learns it's okay to rely on others for help. She also comes to care for Yuna deeply, to the point where she can't imagine living without Yuna anymore. Additionally, the juxtaposition of a seemingly innocent girl and her skill in carving up monsters into sellable materials never gets old.
Even though Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear features a wide cast of reoccurring characters, I didn't have any trouble differentiating them. Everyone was entertaining, and I even found some storylines very interesting. For example, Kai's plight to save his town from a Black Viper was heart-wrenching. I also liked how even though Gentz wasn't subtle about his attraction to Fina's mother, he first asked Fina and Shuri permission to become their (step)father. Yuna's bear familiars are super adorable too!
The art style is what you would expect from a typical slice-of-life/fantasy cute-girls-do-cute-things show. The colors are soft, the environments are idyllic, and the fight scenes
are fluid and choreographed well. Others might feel that the art direction is generic, but I didn't have an issue with it. I also really liked
The soundtrack is nothing revolutionary but it works. I didn't notice any mismatched tracks, and the sound effects are all appropriate. The opening and ending songs are generic but I warmed up to both after a few episodes. I grew to appreciate the chill vibes of the ending song as a nice way to close out each episode, and
I've been meaning to watch Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear for some time now, and I'm pleased to say it was worth the wait. I have a soft spot for stories with video game elements, and this anime delivers on that front. Since the new world is based on an in-universe video game, the show occasionally references Yuna's stats and skills as she continously gains experience points, levels up, and unlocks new abilities. It's unclear if every adventurer has their own stats to grow and skills to unlock (I would assume so), or if Yuna is the exception. However, the show is less concerned about the video game aspects and is more focused on Yuna's adventures and her interactions with others, which I didn't mind at all.
At first glance, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear reminded me of one of my favorite video game/fantasy/slice-of-life anime: BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense. Both shows feature cute female protagonists exploring a different video game world while wielding overpowered abilities, however BOFURI leans more heavily on video game elements (i.e. stats, skills, equipments, guilds, in-game events, etc.) to carry its story. On the other hand, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear only uses its video game elements to frame its story and explain its protagonist's overpowered abilities. Nevertheless, if you are a BOFURI fan, I would highly recommend this show.
Another part of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear I like is that despite being a simple cute-girls-do-cute-things isekai on the surface, it isn't afraid to explore darker topics. For example, in the first episode, Yuna agrees to help Kai, whose village is being attacked by a Black Viper. The show clearly states that a significant number of villagers have already been eaten, and even after Yuna defeats the snake, the episode ends bittersweetly with a celebration of life and remembrance of those lost. Another good example is during a later episode, when Gentz and Fina's mother get into an intense argument. Fina and Shuri are worried this will break apart their newly formed stepfamily, so they set out with Yuna to try to fix it. Of course, Yuna's various adventures always end on a positive, feel-good note, but I liked watching Yuna come up with unique solutions for seemingly tough problems.
The only significant criticism I have for Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is that its first episode feels disjointed from the rest of the series. That episode features Yuna defeating the Black Viper attacking Kai's village with her bear equipment. In other words, Yuna has already been transported to the world of New Fantasy Online. However, the show splices this plotline with scenes of Yuna in the real world logging in and out of the game, indicating she has not yet been isekai'd. To make things even more confusing, at the beginning of Episode 2, Yuna logs into New Fantasy Online with her actual in-game character, receives the special bear equipment, gets transported to the new world, and meets Fina. In Episode 2, Yuna is still learning how to use her abilities, but in Episode 1, she has already mastered them and joined the Adventurer's Guild. The other adventurers are also already familiar with her immense power, as they already call her the "Bloody Bear". This means the events post-isekai must take place after Episode 2, but it's not entirely clear when, given the absence of Fina in Episode 1. I don't understand why the show chose to go this route, especially when there's a simple fix: move all the scenes of Yuna in the real world from Episode 1 to the start of Episode 2.
In short, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is a fun video game/slice-of-life/fantasy cute-girls-do-cute-things anime with entertaining character interactions. Nothing here is revolutionary, but the anime knows what it is and executes the concept well. If you're interested in these types of shows or just looking for something comfy and wholesome, I highly recommend this anime. I suggest watching at least the first two episodes to understand what kind of show it is.
Score: 9.9/10
Ok, time to go watch Season 2!!
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