This post discusses (spoils!) the main character's arc in-depth, so come back to this review later if you'd prefer to go in blind! I started Ruri no Houseki on recommendation from a friend. I figured I'd like this show: I've pretty much always enjoyed the 'hobby anime' genre, particularly when it has intersected with iyashikei. However, I'd be lying if I said my expectations going in were remarkably high. All I'd heard was passing commentary about the gorgeous animation and one notably voluptuous character design. I was under absolutely no pretense that the writing of this show would meaningfully iterate on the core formula presented by previous attempts at this concept.

I am so pleased to report that Ruri not only delivers on the best aspects of 'girls discovering awesome hobbies', but does so with a character arc that is so earnest and lovely I left the last episode on the verge of tears.

It is so important to me that Ruri is a girly-girl at her core. The show makes it clear: prior to discovering her interest in rocks, Ruri's interests were limited to makeup and jewelry. She has no clear goals for her future, and isn't motivated by school work. When she starts exploring this interest with the women studying geology in university, Nagi and Imari, she instinctively devalues her contributions to the research. She minimizes the impact of her data collection, and others herself mentally from her accomplices. A new friend her age, Seto, has been interested in geology from a young age and is already aligned with the research-minded sensibilities of the university students. Simultaneously, to Ruri, Nagi and Imari are fully-formed adults: she can't imagine a younger version of them that has struggled and not had a strong sense of direction.

This undercurrent is a subtle feature beneath Ruri's positive and bombastic personality. She doesn't fit the stereotype of an academic, and is visually differentiated from Nagi, Imari, and Seto. Where the other three characters are predominantly depicted in androgynous or masculine clothing, Ruri is consistently illustrated with a feminine personal style.

Ruri doesn't appear to fit the mold, but 'the mold' is a construct here. Her childish fervor is a strength, not a weakness. She's sharp, and demonstrates a natural inclination for scientific inquiry. She's athletic, she's self-motivated. These contrasts, that are present, but not imposing, immediately make Ruri's relatable outsider standpoint accessible.

Most hobby anime can be described in a lens that frames 'learning' as a core theme, but in this case, it's far from surface level. Sure, the anime is information-dense, and the viewer can learn a lot about crystals and minerals. But, the rocks are a framing device. The true message of 'learning' here is an extremely fundamental one.

Through Ruri, the viewer is asked to consider the incredible joy that can be found in the process of learning. Yes, the discoveries are great, but the work is depicted with just as much love and attention as the final payoff. For you, it doesn't have to be rocks. What inspires you? What captures your attention? Why does it do that? You don't have to be an academic. You don't have to be a person that was a perfect student in school. Ruri no Houseki is begging you to identify something that interests you, and discover the incredible personal empowerment that lies in finding the absolute wonder in our world.

The character Ruri is this idea incarnate, but as mentioned, she minimizes herself. Ruri doesn't see her engagement with geology as something to take note of. To her, because she got into rocks on a whim and sees it as a fun pastime, it can't possibly be something 'serious'. Even though Nagi and Imari are participating in many of the same activities as Ruri, because Ruri doesn't conceptualize herself as a researcher or a scientist, she doesn't take herself seriously and doesn't consider studying geology to be an actionable path. This was so poignant to me. Unlike most people pursuing their interests, Ruri has wonderful mentors in Nagi and Imari that are unwaveringly supportive of her. Ultimately, their presence alone isn't enough to break Ruri out of her mental framework.

At the end of the series, Imari bemoans the struggle of the job search. Nagi sheepishly admits that she turned down a rare job offer for a geology role at a museum. Ruri dodges questions from Seto about what it is she really wants to do. All she knows is that she's been having the time of her life, and she doesn't want it to end. Grasping for something that truly inspires you and truly makes you happy is often a risk, and a struggle. But for this cast, pursuing this joy is worth it. By living life wholeheartedly and learning new things, more fun can always be had. Ruri decides to sign up for an earth sciences class at school.

...

When all of these elements began to come together, I realized all at once how much I had in common with Ruri. I cared about school as a kid, but it was difficult for me to sit down and get things done the way most of my peers did. As I grew up, I discovered I had a strong interest in space, radio, and the planet. By high school, I had internalized my middling grades as a sign that I "wasn't meant" to take on a lofty goal like being a scientist. But, like Ruri, I would simply go out of my way to do whatever it is I thought I wanted to do. Before I knew it, I was scraping together money to build radios for fun, but I had done so completely outside of the framework I was being told was the "real" thing.

Even though I struggled with math, I decided to study engineering in undergrad since I thought it would bring me the closest to the incredible excitement and joy I had when I was making progress with my hobby. I felt out of place. Far less than 25% of the students in my department were women, and most of my peers were the kinds of powerhouse students I never resembled. My breath caught in my chest when I heard Ruri downplay her work, because I remembered myself saying the same things. Even though engineering school was sometimes so difficult I thought I might die, when it was fun, it was so fun I knew there was no option for me but to keep going.

During my 3rd year, I took a break from classes and went home for a quarter. The self-doubt had compounded, and I got sick. During my break, I finally started to regain some energy and decided to email a local university lab about doing some work for them. They agreed, and for a few months, I got to do my radio, my electronics, and rediscover what it was that I loved so desperately, and found so incredible and mind-blowing about these subjects. Ruri no Houseki made me nostalgic for those cramped university hallways. Like Nagi to Ruri, I was suddenly in an environment where the people around me were simply happy to accommodate my learning, no strings attached.

I had no idea at the time, but some of the faculty I was working with were go-to experts in the field. They encouraged me to apply for graduate school, and were all surprised when I told them I wouldn't be able to, because my grades were poor. I was genuinely shocked that these textbook "smart people" would ever see such potential in me. My grades were what they were, but I started to wonder what doors I had closed for myself by failing to consider the possibility that I could become someone like the people I looked up to.

It may sound obvious written out like this, but in the moment, especially as a young person, this combination of self-confidence and self-imagination can be extremely difficult. When all of the external input around you tells you that you are a specific thing, whatever it is: a girly girl, a C average, whatever, it quickly becomes internal as well. I welled up with happiness when Ruri said: "well, I like all of those things (makeup, jewelry), but now I like rocks too," because she was wholly, unabashedly embracing herself in that moment. She need not fit the mold or change herself to also be excellent at geology.

Even though I have overlap with Ruri in field, context, and demographic, I truly believe that fundamentally, nothing Ruri demonstrates in her development is exclusive to this combination of factors. I believe there is an extra layer of poignancy present in telling this story through the lens of female academics, but people of every conceivable walk of life have had this kind of experience of self-limitation. And I truly believe the goal with this show was to inspire anyone and everyone to find that 'spark' in their life, to trust themselves to take on a challenge, and learn.

Someday, Ruri winds up as an adult still chasing the joy of discovering beautiful crystals. I made it through too. I'm for real putting radios in space now, and taking measurements of the earth. I still feel like an impostor a lot of the time, but I have a long way to go. Now, when I need something to think about when I'm wondering if I should take a risk to find the next 'fun', I'll have this show to keep in my back pocket.

A must-see.