mono
a review by marioink508
a review by marioink508
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A serene journey through Japan’s hidden gems — this anime transforms the everyday into breathtaking cinematic poetry.
Story - 8/10 'mono' is the series that introduced me to the world of 'Laid-Back Camp' and managed to get me more invested in the slice-of-life genre. I'm generally someone that doesn't enjoy episodic slice-of-life series, and honestly, if I had found out about this series later into its season, I might not have even given it a try. But having the chance to actually watch this series weekly made my experience so much more enjoyable. I find it hard to binge slice-of-life which is why this turned out to be a much more pleasant experience than I expected... being able to watch something like this weekly made me love a lot more the episodic structure of shows of this sort while also having the ability to appreciate the serene moments this series brings. Excuse the dragged introduction, but this series really changed my view on slice-of-life.What makes this series so great are the really well directed slice-of-life elements. My experience with purely slice-of-life series is limited but, I haven't really seen series that are able to capture the essence of daily lives better... It doesn't shy away from keeping more silence when needed or allow the viewer to breathe with some of the more scenic cuts. Also the creative direction for comedy in this series is absolutely amazing... Most of the adventures, if not all of them, follow around the exploration of Japan's touristic locations as well as many mountainsides. And while these adventures are great on their own, what makes them be even more beautiful is the contrast with reality the series has. A lot of locations are real life locations, showcasing their culture, with various topics explored that reflect local traditions and interests as well as cuts talking about camera work, motorcycles and many more random topics that get genuinely interesting.
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One of the aspects of this series that felt a little disorienting for me at first was the fact that the series is described as a photography journey. While there are still moments that support that idea, I feel like there were also many episodes where this was really overshadowed, and I really enjoyed seeing those cuts when they take time-lapses or look for fun photographies. I do appreciate the camera work that this series has though, it is impressively stunning and adds a lot of value to the creative direction in this show. And I will say it does kind of balance out the fact that this series doesn't focus on the photography plot as much as it should. There aren’t many times I’ve watched an anime and genuinely compared its scenes to real cinematography. The camera angles are amazing, the use of perspective and camera lenses around the whole series is really well thought out, adding a level of cinematography to an anime which I haven't seen much before...
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Characters - 9.2/10 This series has some of the most fitting voice acting there is honestly. All of the JP VAs for this series are amazing and add so much to the characters... I don't think they could've done a better job with the casting, all of the characters are flawless with my standouts being Haruno and An which have the best VAs compared to the personalities of those characters. And speaking of Haruno, I found her character to be a standout this spring season, being one of my favorites... her personality is just so well developed and has a lot of depth for how simple this series really is. She is chaotic, easily scared, a clumsy character that brings some of the best energy in this show. It is so beautiful how well she manages to fit in with the group of girls so seamlessly that you forget she is a whole adult. She is an amazing show of childish behavior that is still well grounded, she takes authority whenever they go, is the driver, drinks alcohol, and it all feels so well-balanced that it never feels like she is awkward in the group. Genuinely such a well written character with a perfect VA to elevate her to how great she is. 
#####The main group of girls is also great, outside of the great voice acting, they all bring something different to the table and create a beautiful dynamic. An is the chaos of the group... loud, energetic, and constantly driving fun ideas, chaotic moments and stupid outcomes. Satsuki is honestly the most normal in this dynamic, she is the most fitting of an actual teen status, yet you can still find her amusing and fun to watch. Lastly, Sakurako who is less talkative one, she is insanely calm in every situation she is really smart and talented in everything she does... while she doesn't sound like a lot, she is so great in the group for contrast... there are a lot of subtle comedic moments built around her that are really funny and creative.
Another great character is Kurokuma, which is like a random episodic appearance that just brings chaos, and a fun horror segment every time she shows up. I really liked a lot this creative segments, I’m not fully sure if it’s her character by itself, but for sure for the atmosphere change around her and the well directed horror comedy moments. She doesn't make many appearance, which makes for the times she does show up to be really engaging and rewarding.
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Visuals - 9.8/10 When it comes down to visuals, this series is completely stunning... The animation is top-notch all around, and that is without going back into the topic of camera work and perspective, and once you factor those in, the series absolutely skyrockets... The lighting, the smoothness of the animation, character design, and the series’ overall style, all of it feels close to perfect. This anime also follows an environmental style I’ve seen before in 'BOCCHI THE ROCK' and I assume it's probably in the previous installments of 'Laid-Back Camp', the combination of both real life shots and artistry that creates this somewhat realistic still hand drawn look, a look that I feel compliments well the storytelling aspect of this series, covering real locations, as well as the foundation of the photography theme, taking into account camera work and creative direction. 
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Closing Notes Honestly, this is a must watch, a stunning series that captures the essence of small moments in life perfectly, as well as the sheer amount of fun and creativity this series brings. This really changed my perspective on episodic series, and I’ll definitely be checking out 'Laid-Back Camp' soon if it’s anything like this... Amazing show of creative direction, character design and expressions as well. Enjoyment Level - 8.3/10 Favorite Character - Haruno Akiyama Favorite Episode - Episode 8 ‘Nagano/Toyama Trip That's on the Test (The First Night)’
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