(This review was originally written on February 3rd, 2020, long before the second season and movie were made, and before LBC was dubbed into English)

Ever since shows like K-On and Azumanga Daioh popularized anime about girls just having fun and doing mundane things, anime of that nature exploded in popularity, to the point where the anime/manga community gave them their own name, "Cute Girls Doing Cute Things." But as of recently, the label alone has garnered a bad reputation because many shows that came out after K-On exploded in popularity were mostly either generic, bad, ripping off other shows, or stuck in K-On's shadow. Some of them are just downright terrible. But most people prefer their anime to be more action packed, having no patience for slice-of-life anime with little conflict and barely any character development, which is fine. But just making an anime about people doing mundane things in and of itself isn't going to cut it, and you need to have something to make it stand out from all the rest. In the case of Yuru Camp, or it's English title Laid-Back Camp, it's camping. I really didn't think I'd like this, but after seeing some bloggers review it and praise it every week, I decided to check it out. While I wouldn't consider it the best slice of life anime ever, it still has a lot to offer, and it's a great anime to watch if you want to kick back, relax, and chill after a hard day.

The story focuses on a young girl named Rin Shima, who enjoys going off to various places camping all by herself, especially places that take in views of Mt. Fuji. One night, she finds a pink haired girl, Nadeshiko, lost and alone. The two become friends on Rin's camping trip, and this happenstance encounter makes Nadeshiko take an interest in camping herself. To this end, she joins the Outdoor Activities Club, where she meets two other camping enthusiasts, Aoi Inuyama and Chiaki Oogaki, and from then on, Rin and Nadeshiko begin sharing their camping trips and experiences, sometimes alone, sometimes together, and enjoying the wilderness around Mt. Fuji.

Slice-of-life shows mostly elaborate on themes such as spending time with your friends and use that as their selling point. While Laid-Back Camp does indulge in this through half of its run, the other half of it focuses on Rin and her solo camping trips, respecting the fact that she's the kind of girl who just likes being by herself and having her own time to herself. I can relate, as even I, a normally shy person, am normally happiest when I'm by myself, doing something I love in a quiet place, enjoying the scenery around me and appreciating moments of nothingness. Those times when you can truly let go of all burdens and enjoy a brief moment in time. Rin isn't painted as secretly wanting friends or anti-social. She finds all sorts of ways to enjoy herself, like talking to a dog in a passing car, talking to other strangers, or finding ways to get around obstacles such as road blocks.

The other characters are fairly nice as well, even though they still conform to overdone anime archetypes, such as the ditzy pink haired girl who is obsessed with eating, the energetic girl who gets wound up over silly stuff, the smart girl, so on and so forth. Now, the show isn't interested in things like deep character development, and there's hardly any conflict, so if you're looking for a show where the characters are constantly changing and growing, this isn't the show for you. But as archetypal as the girls are, their overall chemistry is great, and any banter and conversations they have feel like conversations you'd have with your own friends. Good on the show for not having them talk about stupid stuff like boob sizes or winning over a boy. The warm, comforting atmosphere the show has throughout its run helps, and I admit, I'm one of those people who enjoys quiet solitude and appreciates moments of complete nothingness, when you can truly let go of all worries and burdens.

Animation-wise, the character designs are all stereotypically moe and cutesy, so you won't find any realistic designs here. The animation itself is solid, with light movement and little still frames, though the background art is a sight to behold. You can tell the background artists went all out in trying to make every scenic location and landscape look as visually appealing as possible, kind of like this obscure anime from 2008 called Porphy no Nagai Tabi. The score is pretty flash as well, with soft, soothing piano and flute tunes and upbeat, snazzy Irish fiddles that really capture the feeling of being in the outdoors. That being said, Laid Back Camp isn't perfect. The narrator and his camping tips seemed a bit unnecessary, as having Rin or the other characters demonstrate various camping techniques, gathering the right materials, and displaying various cooking skills would have served as a better substitute.

Now, the second season is due to air in winter of 2021, so I thought I'd review the first season and get it out of the way. Overall, Laid Back Camp is a fairly cute, solid slice of life show that knows how to use its ingredients wisely, and I can't wait for the second season to air.