As I predicted, the winter 2021 anime season is the best one in years, with dozens of quality shows worth following, and multiple choices for whatever genre you want to watch. Are you into isekai and fantasy-themed series? There are at least ten decent shows to consider. How about idols? I count at least five new shows. Love harem anime? I count eight, depending on how you define the genre. We’ve also got some quality relaxing anime — a genre known as iyashi-kei or “healing” in Japanese — which are great for escaping from the various stresses life throws at us. The most relaxing anime so far is season 2 of Yuru Camp, aka Laid-Back Camp!
Laid-Back Camp is the Perfect Relaxing Anime During a Crisis
A proper continuation of the hit 2018 anime series that got otakus all around the world fantasizing about getting out of their rooms and going camping, season 2 of Laid-Back Camp continues the adventures of Rin, Nadeshiko, Aoi, Chiaki, and Ena as they learn and re-learn the joys of going camping together in the winter where you can enjoy the peace and quiet of nature without the bother of others around you.
Laid-Back Camp is part of a growing sub-genre of the “cute girls doing cute things” slice-of-life category I call “cute girls find a new hobby.” Like Koisuru Asteroid, Rifle is Beautiful, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? Encouragement of Climb, and K-On!, it follows characters as they adopt a new hobby which is camping. The show follows the girls as they learn more and more about camping, and gain experience doing solokyan or solo camping, and later camping together. Great care is taken to teaching viewers, who are more likely than not “indoor-ha” (lit. “indoor faction” who aren’t used to outgoing activities outdoors), how to investigate ahead of time the rules that each campground has regarding fires, how to set up a tent and successfully start a fire for cooking, how to make sure you’re not too cold at night, and so on.
The new season starts with an “origin story” of how Rin first got interested in camping, receiving a gift of a tent and sleeping bag from her grandfather. She asks permission of her parents to try out camping alone at a campground, and, after making many mistakes, learns how enjoyable it can be. And thus Rin’s career as a solo camper begins.
One of the gems of the new anime season is #YuruCamp #LaidBackCamp season 2, a gorgeous continuation featuring all our favorite characters as they enjoy camping in the winter.
It’s the most relaxing anime ever. pic.twitter.com/Y7J7J0rNRL
— Peter Payne (@JListPeter) January 18, 2021
At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, I went out and bought a large OLED TV, so Mrs. J-List and I could enjoy our lockdown better. Either for this reason or because the animation budget has been raised due to the first season’s success, the visuals of Laid-Back Camp season 2 are eye-popping and beautiful. The colors we experience viewing Mt. Fuji from Yamanashi Prefecture or seeing the first sunrise of the new year from Izu Penninsula, are just breathtaking.
As has been the case since the days of Onegai Teacher! and Onegai Twins!, everything you see in Laid-Back Camp takes place in real locations that you can look up online and visit. When the current crisis is over, hopefully you can plan to trip some of your favorite “holy lands” and experience the joys of walking up to see Mt. Fuji in the morning. I know I’m motivated to try some camping later this year thanks to the show.
An Example of the Power of Memes… and Rule 34
I’ll never forget when season 1 of Laid-Back Camp was airing, and some fans watching the episodes and enjoying them and posting about it online. But when the hot springs episode hit (episode 4), revealing the Osaka dialect-speaking skinfang girl Inuko to be especially voluptuous, fans positively exploded, creating fanart and memes about “yuri shipping” with her and all the other girls. And thus, “rule 34” — the Internet maxim that states if you can imagine it, then porn exists of it — has made the world a better place yet again, bringing thousands of fans into the comfy and relaxing fandom of Yuru Camp.
Thanks for reading this post about season 2 of Laid-Back Camp. Got any other series you’d like us to post about here? Tell us below or ask us on Twitter!
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and as usual, J-List is here to support you with a fun Valentine’s Day Sale! Whether you need to buy some delightful chocolates for that someone special or need a “girlfriend replacement” if you’ll be spending February 14th alone this year, you can get 5x points off your order! Start browsing now!
