The sun is setting. The cold breezes that brushed through the yellow-green grass just a few minutes earlier have left the plains. In front of a small camping tent, Rin is comfortably seated in a folding chair, reading a book. A while has passed and she decides to put down her warm cup of cocoa, close her book and stretch; a puff of breath turns into a small cloud and slowly fades away. She looks at her surroundings: a huge, empty field of grass, a small forest and a clear view of a Mt. Fuji tinted in a friendly pink. Rin is on another of her lonesome weekendly winter camping trips. During the coldest season, she fancies spending some time alone in the quiet areas of Japan—on camping sites usually uncrowded during the winter.

During her trips, she spends a lot of time exploring the camping grounds; in midst of beautifully drawn, colorful sceneries, she follows intricately painted pathways in search for the stunning sights of an everyday beauty of nature perfectly evoked by the show’s wonderful visuals. Whether she ends up exploring the campsites, the colorful forests of early winter, taking pictures of funny-looking statues or just sitting in her chair relaxing, it doesn’t really matter; she just wants to spend some time on her own enjoying nature. Apart from camping, she doesn’t have any predominant interests or hobbies, and while she does truly love her friends and enjoys spending time with them, this pastime is something she truly needs: a breather, so to speak.

It comes as no surprise when she turns down an invitation to join her school’s camping club; it’d go against the purpose of her camping trips. And really, that’s completely okay. Her friends understand. While they may not truly grasp her feelings, they respect her desire to camp on her own without pressing further. This comes as kind of a surprise initially: in general, the members of the camping club are very energetic and gung-ho; seeing these characters which one might initially pass off as everyday anime idiots act like sensitive, genuine human beings and friends is truly, truly refreshing. Rin and them couldn’t be more different: Chiaki and Aoi often indulge in weird jokes or pranks, and while their love for camping is definitely genuine, so is their aversion to spending even a single penny on actually acquiring necessary utensils. Nadeshiko on the other hand is very much a simpleton—a hyperactive, hyperhappy and hyperhungry simpleton. It’s not only the members of the camping club who differ from Rin (whose camping trips aren’t as quiet and calming as Rin’s); the three horse around and have fun. Instead of appreciating the quiet and nature, they just want to spend time and camp together as a group of friends.

Due to the cast and the camping trips covering such a wide spectrum, the otherwise rather monotonous-sounding activity of winter camping can offer a variety of different, but always pleasant and comfy experiences. And while Rin and her friends may be apart when camping (well, most of the time), they are never out of touch: during their camping trips they regularly message or call each other and send the others photos of the camping sites they visit. They indulge in mindless but fun chats about food or the weather and it feels completely genuine. But not only do these small chats serve to make the character’s relationships feel real, they also help the otherwise standalone camping trip segments connect to the rest of the show to form a cohesive whole; while the general moods of Rin’s camping trips and the camping club horsing around are completely different, they still feel like parts of the same show, not fragments of a greater whole.

It isn’t just these small conversations between the group and Rin that creates the feeling of unity between every single scene. Yuru Camp’s soundtrack consists of very few songs which, while usually a negative, works well for what the show is trying to accomplish. The tracks are all very simple, but they sell their respective scenes perfectly through equally simple means: a short, repeated trill in the lead guitar is enough to sell the relaxing camping atmosphere; a change from a dominant guitar to flutes can be mystifying and create a sense of exploration; and a calm vocal song is enough to sell the most intimate of togetherness. It won’t earn any medals or prizes, but the soundtrack does just what it’s supposed to, and that’s just what you want for an equally simple and relaxing show such as Yuru Camp.

Be it Rin’s appreciation for the quiet and nature, the lively and fun friendship of the camping club or their genuine and heartwarming relationships—there is much to love in this soothing show. Yuru Camp may seldom stray off the beaten path, but it doesn’t need to, for it is a comfy and lighthearted experience through and through.

However, if you decide to join in on the fun please keep in mind that while camping…

• Always mind the campsite and facility rules
• Don’t forget to clean up fires and take your trash!
• It gets cold during the winter. Stay warm and be well-prepared!!
• Have fun :)