What Makes Yuru Camp Special?

Written by Rei Caldombra 7/29/2024 Video: https://youtu.be/p81JDfaB5bE

Hello, Rei Caldombra here to go in depth about what I think makes Yuru Camp special- as an anime in general and as a healing + cute girls do cute things show. There will be spoilers of some scenes throughout the 3 seasons, but it doesn’t matter much for this type of show.

If you don’t know Yuru Camp here is a concise description as there isn’t much you need to know. It’s about girls going camping and doing outdoorsy activities, with funny and wholesome shenanigans ensuing. As an avid fan of iyashikei/healing anime and cute girls do cute things, I think Yuru Camp is excellent and the gold standard of this type of show. To me it rose past the usual level of success and became much more mainstream and long-lasting than these types of shows tend to, at least in the anime community. Let’s explore some reasons that explain why this is. For a show about high school girls going outside, there is a lot more substance and wide appeal then you’d expect. There’s so much to love in this series outside of its therapeutic intentions, such as its great character writing and themes.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way, this show is extremely cute and funny, making for a very wholesome and relaxing experience. It is the very definition of therapeutic. One strong aspect is that it has its own unique blend of comedy. It’s very goofy but it comes out very naturally through the characters reacting to their setting and what they’re doing. There are a lot of spontaneous silly shenanigans and bits they do together that really feels like the characters came up with on the spot. Like someone suddenly taking a picture of you so you have to come up with a pose.

The show doesn’t have the feeling of being scripted. The way the comedy comes out of the characters and setting just feels perfect. Everyone has their blend of banter and energy that they bring to scenes they are in. Another iconic aspect of the show is the cute little voices that the anime gives to random objects. It’s random and minor but still a very memorable aspect of the show’s identity. This show is a sweetness injection straight into your veins. Just Nadeshiko’s smiling face alone is enough to make you feel really happy. She is just the cutest, sweetest thing. Seeing the character’s happiness and fulfillment over what they’re doing is very nice to watch. All of the characters are great, but when it comes to carrying the themes and vibes of the series, Nadeshiko and Rin hold the most weight. Nadeshiko is loud, silly, and spontaneous. She enjoys every moment of life wholeheartedly and her joy is infectious. She goes with the flow and usually sticks with the group. Meanwhile, Rin is quiet, contemplative, and the most daring. Rin prefers to be alone and is the most appreciative of the quiet stillness of nature. These two vibes can be very different but they never clash. Through these two main characters you have a well-balanced experience that leads to that calming effect the show brings.

One concept that this show nails is respecting the diversity of people who enjoy these hobbies. Yuru Camp manages to promote both self-dependence and autonomy as well as the value of enjoying hobbies with others. When so many cute girls do cute things shows focus very heavily on group bonding, encouraging people to rely on others, etc. Yuru Camp says that Rin preferring to camp alone is just as valid as Nadeshiko preferring camping with others. Rin being more of an introvert is not portrayed in a demeaning context, like her telling people off or acting elitist. She does try to avoid talking to the Outdoor Club members in the very first episode, but that’s because she doesn’t know them that well yet and they’re too high-energy for her at the time. She was talking to Ena just before that, so it’s not like she just hates people. She can enjoy spending time with people and being in larger group settings, she just needs time to get used to it, which is what we see as the series goes on. The other girls also never badger or pressure Rin into joining them, but also do not alienate her. They respect her distance and this lets them have a good friendship with Rin which happens but takes time- as healthy friendships with introverts tend to go. It was set up early on for Rin to eventually go on a group camping trip, but it was never about the idea of “converting” Rin to preferring group camping. She eventually gave group camping a chance and became open to it after enjoying it, but this was never at the cost of her preference for solo camping or her comfort level as an introvert.

Camping is a hobby a lot of people do alone like Rin to have relaxing and independent time, but also do it as a group activity like we see from Nadeshiko and the others. Hobby shows almost always focus on the activity as a group, focusing on collaboration and being supportive while admonishing the “standoffish” character. Yuru Camp also has that through the main group, while also acknowledging that preferring solo is not contradictory to enjoying group activities. Rin can be supportive and feel like part of the group without being with them all the time. Such as giving them advice and recommending things to them. Nadeshiko who exclusively did group camping activities also eventually goes on her own solo trip that she enjoyed. There are a variety of ways to enjoy hobbies, such as how you choose to engage in them with or without others. Everyone can enjoy hobbies in their own way and on their own terms. To me this is incredibly mature and is a very strong point for it specifically as a hobby anime and cute girls do cute things show. In general, this is simply good character dynamics and writing that anyone can appreciate.

We see so many different activities within Yuru Camp- camping, biking, cooking, arts and crafts, foraging, etc. All these different activities synergize very well. In season 3 we get another example of them showing the different ways people do things. Nadeshiko has to take the trains to get to various areas, while the bikers go by bike. Portrayals of trips very often focus on everyone staying together at all times, only breaking up at the end of the day to sleep if they even do break up. But here we see how there are a lot of ways you can get around and enjoy these sights. And each group got a completely different experience during that process that they enjoyed. This show succeeds at appealing to main hobbyists more strongly than most hobby shows by acknowledging the diversity of people who partake in it. And this extends to the general personalities of the viewers as a whole. Anyone can find themselves in how one of these characters goes about enjoying themselves. The show is so popular because it greatly appeals to outdoor hobbyists and the general audience. You don’t have to have one way of doing things that you stick to. You should explore a variety of ways to enjoy your hobbies, the same way you should explore the world. Yuru Camp respects and celebrates the diverse group of people who engage in these hobbies. Nailing this point to me is critical to the enjoyment of the show and is a big reason why this series deserves so much praise. 

Another aspect I really respect about Yuru Camp is the big emphasis on safety alongside its encouragement of the hobbies it focuses on. It is very responsible in its encouragement of being out in nature and engaging in activities that can bring risk when not done properly. It encourages the viewer to pursue these hobbies but also recognizes the time, effort and often difficulty of them. It’s not trying to say that camping is super easy, that you’ll get used to it right away and have no trouble. We see the girls have tons of fun, but also face difficulties. These struggles give rise to the comedy while also being properly educational about the hobby. Camping is a great experience about building independence and patience, but it can be expensive and uncomfortable at times. Traveling and exploring can expand your horizons and lead you to things you’ve never seen before, but the trip there might be pretty rough and even be dangerous. It does a fantastic job portraying the full scope of camping and the related activities, properly showing the viewer the benefits of engaging them but also a proper look into what you are getting into. Yuru Camp gives good instructions and messages on safety for all the activities it shows. It is proper edutainment. The show never feels like it's giving you a boring lecture or is difficult to understand. The educational elements flow and blend well with the content, tone and comedy. Considering how camping and these activities can genuinely be very dangerous, this point about responsible encouragement is especially important for this show to nail for me. When it comes to camping and the adjacent outdoor activities, it really portrays the reality of them rather than a romanticized version of it. During recent times (especially the pandemic period) where people are spending more time than ever indoors, Yuru Camp reminds us of the joy of spending time in nature. The sense of exploration, learning and effort that accompanies it.

This line from Rin perfectly encapsulates Yuru Camp’s philosophy on these activities. For how Laid Back this show is, it is in no way encouraging laziness. It does the opposite, encouraging you to try new things and work hard. The characters spend a lot of time and energy engaging in these hobbies, but we see how the experience is well worth it for them. Yuru Camp encourages you to get out of your comfort zone and persevere through adversity. Another moment we see this is through Aoi when she gets her new bike. With the bike we see her end up going way further on the bike than she planned to. She had more fun than expected, and rather than settling with her initial goal, she took that positive feeling and went with it. These activities can be difficult and even dangerous, but undertaking these tasks and building your skills will reward you in droves.

Another theme that plays into persistence I previously brought up is being adaptive and staying positive when moving through life. Sometimes things won’t work out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get a good outcome out of what you’re doing. One path being blocked off just gives you the chance to go somewhere else. In episode 9 of season 3, the cherry blossom tree viewing area at the top of the mountain Nedeshiko and her sister wanted to go to was filled to capacity. Instead of being down about that and going home dejected, they went down a different road to see the cherry blossoms.

Driving under the trees by road was not the method they intended, but they still got a wonderful experience out of it. And as they say, what they couldn’t do this year is what they can do next year. The beauty of nature that Yuru Camp promotes can be enjoyed in countless ways. And this extends to life as a whole. If one way is blocked, just try another way instead of feeling sad and giving up. Don’t think of plans falling through as a ruined day, think of it as an opportunity to do something else. If things don’t go exactly as planned, there’s always next time. Each path is a unique experience from the other. There’s always a new experience to be had and something interesting to find in the world. Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path. Each can bring a unique memory. There is a lot of joy to find in happenstance, such as meeting new people and finding new passions. If Nadeshiko did go out and explore when she first moved, she never would have met Rin and gotten into camping in the first place.

We can also see this idea of unique experiences through the variety of areas the characters go to. We get to see so many real places, many of which are small local areas that are easy to miss. This feels natural because campers would want to go to different areas. You get the taste of these areas that hold unique experiences. You could totally do tours of Japan just based on Yuru Camp alone. Nadeshiko becomes a retro train fanatic in season 3 after coming across trains in various areas. She was able to unexpectedly find a new hobby by being spontaneous and exploring new places.

Yuru Camp shows the appeal of lesser-known areas. Many people do not have access to the deeper countryside. You get to see and learn about so much that you never would have. With Japan experiencing economic issues in remote areas, this kind of advertisement can be very helpful to these areas. Regardless of how much of a sponsored advertisement the show intends to be, it serves as one for the areas they go to. The way Yuru Camp handles this is excellent, providing an educational and eye-opening experience that never stops being entertaining while also promoting real places. The immense amount of research that goes into this manga and anime is very clear, and I respect the series a lot based on that alone.

Yuru Camp has such strong positive energy because it uplifts things while never putting anyone or anything down (unless it’s something like people littering, which is deserved). With a show that so blatantly praises the beauty of nature, you could expect it to take a stance against technology, having a character needing to get pulled away from their phone or a computer to enjoy the wonderful outside world. But it never does this. You can argue phones are actively taking people away from properly appreciating the world around them. But phones can also be a way of sharing your appreciation of the world with others. The characters use their phones to communicate and ensure everyone gets to the right place safely. They can share the photos they took with the others. They can find new places and bring attention to them. This is one way the characters enjoy their experiences together as a group even if they aren’t in person. Yuru Camp itself is an anime that you would only view on a device, but it still encourages you to put it down and get outside without trying to make the viewer feel like they’re doing something wrong if they don’t. This is just like how solo or group camping and extroversion or introversion are never put down as inferior. Yuru Camp is about looking at all aspects of life positively.

Let’s end things off by talking about the visuals. You can be fully engrossed in the world and activities through the fantastic direction and production value. The scenery can be breathtaking, beautifully portraying the majesty of nature.

The sound design nails the tactile pleasure of these activities. I’ve praised the strong appeal of having diverse outfits for the characters a few times now and Yuru Camp does it well. This helps the peak of realism and immersion that Yuru Camp hits. This is especially important since camping in different places and times of the year requires different gear. If this effort was not put in the immersion would fall flat. The music really brings you into the outdoorsy settings, as well as properly elevating the toned-down scenes as well as the higher energy ones. The voice acting is great across the board at portraying the right energy, from the voice actors making silly voices for the goofy banter to the more relaxed moments where everyone is tired or being Laid Back. The wholesomeness of the characters is accentuated by goofy and cute expressions and designs. Everything visual and audible is great to me.

There are too many great faces for one image but you can definitely see my character favoritism here.

I really hope this post succeeds at giving you a greater appreciation for Yuru Camp and the unexpectedly deep appeal it has in its characters and themes, as well as its other strong aspects. It’s much more than just goofy cuteness. Thank you for reading!

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