© あfろ・芳文社/野外活動プロジェクト
After last week's horrific incident, Laid-Back Camp reveals a shocking truth: Aoi has a new bike. It's no surprise that her first action with her new wheel is to refuse her sister's request for wasabi chips and instead uses her powers to gently terrorize Chiaki. Aoi is a threat to society. That's why we love her.
The other members of OutClub got their chance to shine on their own this season, so it's time we checked in with our favorite prankster. However, her aunt stole the show; she doesn't hang around, but she stays long enough for the audience to understand where Aoi's penchant for mischief comes from. The post-credits bonus is cute. Aunt Inuyama also has their family's signature thick triangular eyebrows, so those genes are definitely dominant. However, on that note, I was shocked when the bike helmet obscured Aoi's eyebrows from view. Anime has traditionally captured those hotties through every hairstyle and hat Aoi wears, to the point that it's become part of Laid-Back Camp's visual identity. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am with this cowardly setback. Free your eyebrows!
However, to be fair and balanced, I will tell you about a cool fashion item in this week's episode: Aoi's cargo pants. I love them. As an outdoor venture focused on cold-weather camping, Laid-Back Camp's dress code includes many baseball caps and bulky jackets, setting it apart from the crowd. crowd. However, in terms of pants, it usually goes with jeans or leggings, and that's not too unusual for people with a moderate style. The anime industry, for whatever reason, doesn't seem to like baggy outfits. That's why I was so happy to see Aoi defy convention and show off those extra bags. I dare say they are an affordable and stylish choice for the comfort camper.
Aoi's bike adventures offer an interesting take on the series' typical vehicular antics. Historically, the show focused on Rin's set of motorized wheels, but now we get a detailed and tactile look at what a fancy bike feels like underneath the hands and feet. of a person. It's acceptable to anyone who's graduated from training wheels, and Aoi's natural charm carries that over. However, the anime suffered from slowing down when it had to show Aoi zooming along the road. This is mostly a problem in the long distance shots, where Aoi slides unnaturally across the ground like we're watching animators drag a cutout of her across a photo in MSPaint . I'm not a big fan of 3D models used for other vehicles, but I accept that it's the industry standard. The cycling scenes call more attention to the jarring compositions that have plagued this season, so those examples are all the more egregious.
The aesthetic improves when we shift perspective to Rin and Nadeshiko's unexpected collaboration. Here, the adaptation plays to its strengths, drawing out delicious puddings and using realistic backdrops to display some stunning night scenes. In fact, you don't have to worry about compositing when there's no foreground, and in other cases, darker lighting will help elements blend more naturally. It wouldn't be cheating if it worked.
The second half also delves into atypical territory for the series as the girls learn the history of the area and the fire shows on the mountainside. At times, it looks like a quote from a Wikipedia page, which I think is appropriate since it actually involves Sakura reading Wikipedia on her phone. Laid-Back Camp supports these stories with humorous recreations of past feuds, but the material feels drier than the series' usual infotainment efforts. However, I like learning things. The translation is also somewhat poor when it comes to some of the jokes, but I can't begrudge overworked translators for throwing their hands up when I can't think of anything better. The funny thing is that Nadeshiko's terrible photo of the kanji (大)”dai” ended up looking like “o”katakana (オ), so her sister renamed it from Toughmonjiyaki city O monjiyaki. Was that joke worth it? I'll let you judge.
The most touching part of this episode is Rin's openness with Nadeshiko. Two weeks ago, she lamented that she never had a good chance to return Nadeshiko's favor and take her out somewhere, so here, she seized the opportunity. After hearing about her pink friend's new obsession with vintage trains, Rin gives her some other websites to look at, and in the end, she invites her (and her sister) along. watch Oigatayaki together. As Rin explains, this is something her family did together when she was little, and now, on the eve of her senior year of high school, she shares it with someone else, someone special to her. The story doesn't explicitly call this the fulfillment of Rin's promise—this isn't technically a camping trip, so maybe it doesn't even count. However, it does lead to a quietly beautifully enjoyed moment between the series' main couple, and it's something I'll remember when this season ends.
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Laid-Back Camp Season 3 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Steve is on Twitter while it lasted. Watching this show again will make him feel guilty about going on more hikes. You can also see him chatting about trash and treasure on This Week in Anime.