To be honest, I was kind of skeptical if I should watch this when I first added this to Plan to Watch list. However, when I started the first episode, I knew that I will definitely finish this series (quick). I did not read the manga prior to watching this anime either.
I was hooked after I heard the opening theme song ["Urar" by Chima] along with the visuals it provided (the places where they got inspirations from). It has this dreamy, fantastical feeling that it soothe my heart instantly. Probably, it was because I watched it when my heart is tired and I am just looking for a place to escape temporarily. This rhythm continues all the way to when the episode ends.
Moving on to the anime itself, there are many instances when I can relate this anime to real life such as, having to work and having to prepare food so that you can have something to eat, despite it being a fantasy anime, the characters do not "magically" appear from one place to another nor they do not have to eat to live. They still live like how humans live, but maybe 1000x smaller and in a fiction town with animals that understand and talk human language. Also, it's probably due to the fact that I live in a city area with houses so close to each other (= humans everywhere!), I really like where the main characters live - the tree house among the forest and that's probably because my ideal Sunday afternoon is to spend it in a spacious area surrounded by the peaceful nature, sitting on a rocking chair, drinking a cup of tea and enjoying a book and you would definitely find me in the main characters' house if it ever.. exists.
I am loving those humans' puffy cheeks and the food shown in the series were also realistically looking that I was craving for some while watching. The scenery scenes are the ones that I love the most in this series - it feels surreal that it is almost as if I am beside Hakumei and Mikochi themselves whenever they are on their adventures.
About the main characters, Hakumei and Mikochi, I really envy the friendship they both have. Hakumei is more of an adventurous type person while Mikochi is more a person who likes to stay indoor. Despite having different characters, they are able to be so understanding of each other. For instance, when they both went fishing, Mikochi told Hakumei that she doesn't like fishing and Hakumei wasn't even angry about this. Instead, she accepted the fact that Mikochi dislikes fishing and did not force her to continue with the activity. That's probably the reason why they both can stay together in the same house for a long time. I also love how they can make friends with anyone whenever they go.
To summarise, the artwork, the music and the simple moments in life where there are no unnecessary stress (such as bills eek) makes this the best anime to watch on a Sunday afternoon. I would love to join them in their adventures, anytime.
I admit there are a few boring moments but I can overlook that since everything else, especially the pace is just right for me. On a side note, there isn't really a story for this anime but it's still best to watch this from episode 1 as there are some parts that are continuous and you might miss out something if you skip a episode.
Before I end, if this series only features either one of them as the main, it wouldn't be as nice as featuring the both of them. It's really great to have someone besides you that is willing to go on all kinds of adventures with you :)
BONUS- Loving those moments when they have peanuts for snacks, it's just so cute.
(It's my first time writing a review, so apologies in advance if I didn't mention anything you are looking for >.<)