Like many other things, introversion hasn't really gotten the best depiction in television. A lot of the biggest introverted TV characters are abrasive or detached from society to some degree, from the socially awkward Sheldon Cooper, to the immensely cynical Daria and Dr House, to the literal serial killer Dexter Morgan. And the rest mostly just consists of those really shy characters who go through a character arc where they come out of their shell, usually upon meeting an extrovert. In a world where extroversion is rewarded, it definitely feels like being an introvert is painted as a bad thing in a lot of media, and as an introvert myself, I started to agree. But then I saw Laid-Back Camp, and by extension, Shima Rin, a character who was wholly secure in her introversion and spent plenty of episodes completely on her own separated from the rest of the cast... and it confused the hell out of me.
But before talking about the show, let's talk about what being an introvert really means. Many people seem to think that an introvert is someone who is shy, socially awkward, or abrasive, but that's not the case at all. As a matter of fact, extroverts can also have all of those traits I just mentioned. Because introversion and extroversion isn't a matter of personality as I may have initially thought, it's all about how people enjoy spending their time and recharge. Introverts enjoy spending time alone and in their thoughts, and use solitude to get their energy, while extroverts enjoy and get energy from spending time with others. And even more, introverts aren't incapable of interacting with others just as extroverts aren't incapable of being alone for a bit, they may just interact in a different way than you might be used to. Introverts might only speak up when they feel they have something useful to say, even if they're still going to be listening throughout the whole conversation. The point is, the difference between introversion and extroversion isn't as simple as someone's personality traits, it's a lot more their actions, and how and when they tend to spend their time. Not that I knew that, of course, and that's where Rin comes in.
Laid-Back Camp starts with a classic anime slice of life setup. The introverted Shima Rin runs into the extroverted Nadeshiko Kagamihara, and it immediately became apparent that Nadeshiko was going to get Rin to come out of her shell, join the school's camping club, and spend more time with others... but that's not what happened. Rin did end up making friends with Nadeshiko and the members of the club, and even finds enjoyment in going camping with them every once in a while, but she also spends a lot of time going solo camping like she usually does and never actually ended up joining the club. Rin makes sure to set her boundaries, and Nadeshiko is perfectly accepting of this, even trying out solo camping on her own in Season 2. In Laid-Back Camp, wanting to spend time by yourself or do things at your one pace is perfectly valid and understandable.
When I first saw this series, I was completely baffled, and it kinda shows in my review. While I gave Laid-Back Camp a generally positive score of 3/5, most of my criticisms revolved around the fact that the entire cast didn't spend enough time all together and that there were a lot of scenes with characters on their own, as if that made the show more boring for some reason. And sure, Laid-Back Camp's character interactions are great, but I feel like my reaction stemmed not really having seen an introverted character like Shima Rin. Rin doesn't start the series alone (she's friends with Ena Saito), and she doesn't have any desire to make more friends or put herself out there. She's perfectly fine with camping on her own, even taking enjoyment in it. That type of character is so rare that I didn't think a show could have been written around it, but Laid-Back Camp continues to surprise.
I rewatched Laid-Back Camp recently, partially because I wanted something comfy and partially because I wanted to focus on watching it through the lens of Rin, and I realized a lot. For starters, I really started to notice just how much I related to Rin, especially whenever she pulls out her disgusted face. But I also realized just how much the show manages to actually make her introversion interesting. For starters, Rin is the only narrator in the series, which makes perfect sense since introverts tend to think to themselves a lot. So whenever Rin is on her own, you still get some dialogue in her inner thoughts, as well as the beautiful backdrops of whatever camping site she's at in any given episode. In addition, Laid-Back Camp is the absolute gold standard for text messages in any show ever, using cute chibi sprites to denote the characters texting, having the voice actors read out the texts out loud, and keeping the eyes busy through either a charming character reaction or a beautiful piece of scenery. Here's a few examples:
There's something really forced about the way text is used in a lot of media, as if the crew and writers are trying to be trendy despite texting currently being a part of life. Part of that is with the dialogue, which has never felt as naturally as it does here, but another part is that media tends to just shove in texting just to scream at the viewer: "Hey! It's the 21st century! Did you know that people text?! We're hip!". But in Laid-Back Camp, the text messages serve a purpose of not only letting the characters interact despite being separated, but also by tying it into introversion. Many introverts feel more comfortable texting or using social media than interacting in person, since they'll still have their space and can spend more time thinking of responses. Laid-Back Camp depicts texting in a positive light and shows how Rin and the rest of the cast use it to connect and communicate, which is something I really wish more shows would do.
Laid-Back Camp changed the way I viewed myself and television as a whole. Ever since watching it, I have so much less patience for series who stereotype introverts, because Rin's depiction shows you can pull off that type of character in a respectful way while keeping the anime enjoyable. It also ruined texting in movies and TV shows for me, and I wish every show would take the Laid-Back Camp route in that front. I've related to shy characters before, like Mio Akiyama from K-On, but Rin was the first time I felt like I truly saw myself in a character. She makes all the decisions that I would've probably have made, and just watching her be secure in her introversion made me feel more secure in my own.
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