One of the things that makes Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou a beautiful piece of work is how Hitoshi Ashinano meticulously draws the minimalistic lines that visualize a post-apocalyptic world slowly coming to a silent state of peace. Despite how effortless it may look with the natural flow of curvy lines his pen traces, you could very well see the thought put into every bit of detail within a single panel or illustration. The second OVA, Quiet Country Cafe, may not have consideration of how important these factors are into exhibiting the transient effect of the manga, and the end result is something that falls below average than what the source material has much to offer.
Being two episodes adapting several chapters from the manga, it aims to have a theme about Alpha temporarily leaving the cafe after it being swept up by a large typhoon, albeit the other chapters that were adapted doesn’t really bear any connection to this beginning-and-end motif. The Misago even appears briefly with regards to a segment adapting Takahiro’s perspective, yet with no relevance whatsoever. In this mishmash of random chapters being adapted it sadly takes away the fact that no matter how slow or lacking in story YKK is, it has a clear direction with each chapter meant to complement the other, yet standalone in its own right. It may have to do with this OVA consisting of simply 2 episodes, but the previous OVA also had the same amount but is structured and executed better according to its themes—a presentation of what Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is. Quiet Country Cafe lacks none of these, making up a messy, out-of-context set of stories.
With a watercolor palette, the background art of Quiet Country Cafe is remarkable, blending well with the relaxing atmosphere accompanied by the Choro Club’s very playful pieces. The distinctiveness of the music plus the softly-colored set pieces within this OVA may as well be an unforgettable combination of audiovisual stimulation...if not for the lacking animation direction and jarring character models. Ashinano’s character designs, specifically his female protagonists definitely live by curvy—from the body to the face to the eyes—but the OVA takes it too far. Alpha looks like a blob, with neon green hair that is not even remotely close to her manga shade of green. In addition, the animation goes for some sneaky fanservice shots here and there, which would be fine in a normal anime, but this is supposed to be Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou—a work void with these elements. It takes away the wistfulness of the passage of time and distracts you with primal instincts. I do not discredit fanservice, but there are times when something needs to be put in its place, and it absolutely does not belong here.
The true saving grace of this OVA lies in its soundtrack—as mentioned, with the Choro Club’s anime debut, their rendition of Cafe Alpha and several entries to mix along with the environment establishes the atmospheric mood it’s aiming for. It may be arguable on which of the two soundtracks between the first and second OVA stands out, but it’s undeniable how both have contributed to the simple and laid-back feel in the animation. As for personal preference, Choro Club’s depiction of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou sounds a bit too similar to their work in the Aria series, which is why comparisons between two iyashikei works abound more. Another thing worth praising about Quiet Country Cafe is Hekiru Shiina’s reprisal of Alpha, which I believe did a fantastic job of portraying her—cheerful, yet also composed. Much of the voice cast did their characters some justice, although not to the same level Shiina has managed to justify Alpha.
Quiet Country Cafe may not be a wholesome successor to the first OVA, but in its portrayal of what composes the source material is remarkable. There may not be much to gain from this series in terms of technical and artistic prowess, but if you love the manga, it is more than enough reason to give it a try.
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