Yuyushiki

My favorite short of Star Wars Visions was The Village Bride by the studio Kinema Citrus. I've never actually seen any of their anime yet, but they made a bunch of really big ones like Made In Abyss, The Rising Of Shield Hero, Is The Order A Rabbit? Of course, I didn't start with any of those anime, I started with their high school slice of life anime: Yuyushiki.

Like many other slice of life anime I've reviewed, Yuyushiki doesn't have much of a plot. It's a show about three girls joining a Data Processing Club only to goof off and do absolutely nothing of value outside of looking up random shit on the club's computer (some of which is shockingly interesting). Where K-On at least had the concerts, and Nichijou had the Nano storyline, there really is no story whatsoever in Yuyushiki. So now you might be wondering what the appeal is in watching a bunch of girls goof off for twelve episodes, and the appeal is purely in the chemistry between the main characters. Yui, Yukari, and Yuzuko have such an amazing dynamic that it elevates the already funny script, and the way the three bounce off each other is so entertaining to watch, even if in the grand scheme of things they fall in the same comic trio format that shows like Nichijou did. The conversations these dorks have range from silly puns to introspective discussions on life itself, and just seeming them interact is a joy to watch. Even during the obligatory "breast talk", the sheer stupidity of these characters (and I mean that in the best way possible) somehow makes it entertaining. These three can talk about paint drying and it would still be a ton of fun. 

While Yuyushiki mostly focuses on its main trio, the few side characters the series has manage to be just as likable. The teacher Yoriko is one of the friendlier teachers I've seen in slice of life anime, and the running gag where everyone calls her mom makes me crack up every single time and I have no idea why. There's also Chiho, who has the closest thing to an actual character arc. She spends the series wanting to get to know the main trio, and slowly becomes more comfortable around them as the series goes on. We also learn that she has her own trio of friends that we get to meet as well. Aside from that, the only other running thread is the fact that a large portion of the cast is really gay for each other. There isn't much of a point to all the unrequited love, it's not like any of it gets paid off, but that doesn't mean watching the characters flirt with each other both jokingly and sincerely isn't simultaneously hilarious and heartwarming. The main trio in particular are so affectionate and flirty that even the background characters start to think they're a polytrio, and given the fact that they repeatedly try to kiss each other throughout the course of the anime, I wouldn't be surprised if they were!

As for the presentation, Yuyushiki boasts a fairly standard moe artstyle. I've said this before, I like these kinds of simplistic, cute, and expressive animation styles, and Yuyushiki's animation does look really fluid, colorful, and cartoonish in spite of its simplistic nature. There's also some elements of the animation that are surprisingly detailed, like how the characters have a different outfit every episode, or the fact that Yui's notebook says Citrus on it. The voice acting might not seem anything outstanding at first glance, but as I mentioned above, this show wouldn't have worked nearly as well if it wasn't for the fantastic chemistry of its cast. Minami Tsuda, Rumi Ookubo, and Risa Taneda do a fantastic job of selling the friendship of the main trio, and some comedic moments (like Yuzuko randomly screaming "SEPTEMBER!!!!") are made even better thanks to the voice acting. The jazzy background music is pretty great and charming too, even if it's not super memorable most of the time, and I love how the OP is actually sung by the main cast of characters. It gives the already banging tune so much more charm. Once again, the presentation of Yuyushiki may seem unremarkable, but it's really well-executed and perfectly suits the anime's low-key nature.

The general episode quality is pretty consistent across the board, so there aren't really any particular standouts (though Episodes 11 & 12 are definitely the anime's best), so instead, here's a list of the random facts I would never have learned if it weren't for this show.

• The sun holds 99.8% of the solar system's mass. Most of the rest is Jupiter.
• The blue whale's heart isn't just the heaviest on the planet, it weighs a whopping 400 pounds.
• Thursday is named after the Norse god Thor (so it basically means Thor's Day).
• There's a protein called Pikachurin, and yes, it is named after the Pokémon.
• And most importantly, SEPTEMBER!!!!

Overall, Yuyushiki isn't anything groundbreaking and I totally get if its lack of plot puts you off, but this is an anime that knows what it is and doesn't try to be anything more. It's a charming slice of life series with a strong central trio and a truly comforting vibe, and it might just brighten up your day.

4/5 Stars