(Important note: This review was originally written before Yuru Yuri San Hai was released.)
Watching YuruYuri Nachuyachumi is like reuniting with a childhood friend; in the chance that that friend hasn't changed since you last saw them, the spark of friendship could very well reignite. I remember when I watched seasons one and two back in 2012, and I enjoyed them a lot. However, the ending for the second season somehow felt incomplete, and that feeling has bothered me for a long time. Thus, when this OVA was first announced, I was so hyped that you wouldn't even believe it! Luckily, the hype I had was well worth it.
In case you're not familiar with YuruYuri, it's basically a slice-of-life centering around four middle school girls, Akari Akaza, Kyoko Toshino, Yui Funami, and Chinatsu Yoshikawa. Akari, Kyoko, and Yui are childhood friends who form the Amusement Club, a club where they basically slack off and do whatever the heck they want. Did I mention that they have taken over the room of the now-defunct Tea Club? Chinatsu, who is a classmate of Akari's, comes into the Amusement Club room hoping to join the Tea Club, but she ends up joining the Amusement Club instead. Hilarity and perhaps even a touch of yuri ensues.
In this OVA, it's summer break, and the Amusement Club, along with a few members of the Student Council (Ayano Sugiura, Chitose Ikeda, Himawari Furutani, and Sakurako Oomuro), have gone on a camping trip! Now, doesn't that sound like fun?
Now, I'm not going to lie; this OVA, along with the series itself, is very adorable. The story is a very relaxing one, and there are a lot of funny moments. For example, it's a running gag in the original series (that is still prevalent here) that when one of the characters, Chitose, takes off her glasses, she has yuri fantasies about Kyoko and Ayano. Not funny enough? Okay, then what if she has nosebleeds when she does? Laugh-inducing yet?
As always, the characters are quite fun to watch, especially Chitose and Akari. (Wait, who's Akari again? Oh, don't worry; that's an inside joke.) The OP and ED for this OVA are really cute, as well, and as always, the voice actresses fit their roles quite well. Now, let's talk about the animation. The animation studio for seasons one and two of YuruYuri was Dogakobo, but the animation studio has changed to TYO Animations. It's not too hard to notice, either. That's okay, though, because the animation is actually pretty good.
YuruYuri Nachuyachumi was overall a return to form for YuruYuri and a good OVA overall. Is it the best OVA there is out there? No, not really. However, it does make me remember how much I liked the series when I watched it a few years ago. I'm also looking forward to the upcoming third season!
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