What Laid-Back Camp Taught Me

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.

Episode Rankings: Laid-Back Camp

Look, Laid-Back Camp isn't high art or anything, it's a cute healing anime about girls going camping. But it nails everything it's trying to be, and if you're looking for something comfy and heartwarming, I can't recommend this anime enough. The lush backgrounds, lovable characters, and light-hearted tone makes for a truly calming experience, but the way it deals with introversion and communication as well as its genuinely realistic depiction of camping gives Laid-Back Camp a surprising amount of substance that I didn't initially expect. Here's my ranking of its episodes (Heya Camp shorts included): 

1. Camping Alone (S2.08)
2. End Of The Journey (Room Camp 11)
3. Cape Ohmama In Winter (S2.06)
4. Two Camps, Two Campers' Views (S1.05)
5. A Day In Shimarin's Life (Room Camp 4)
6. Mount Fuji And The Laid-Back Camp Girls (S1.12)
7. Scary Ice Cave (Room Camp 10)
8. Clumsy Travelers And Camp Meetings (S1.10)
9. I'm Home (S2.13)
10. Both Of Us, Back In The Day (Room Camp 6)
11. Surprise Camping And Some Deep Thoughts (S2.03)
12. Curry Noodles Are The Best Travel Companion (S2.01)
13. Heya Camp (Room Camp 12)
14. A Night On The Lake Shore And Campers (S1.07)
15. Nadeshiko's Solo Camp Planning (S2.07)
16. A Night Of Navigator Nadeshiko And Hot Spring Steam (S1.09)
17. Lies Spread 'Round The World (Room Camp 8)
18. Mount Fuji And Relaxed Hot Pot Camp (S1.03)
19. Caribou-Kun And Lake Yamanaka (S2.05)
20. New Year's Solo Camper Girl (S2.02)
21. Christmas Camp (S1.11)
22. The Izu Camp Trip Begins (S2.10)
23. The Outdoor Activities Club And The Solo Camping Girl (S1.04)
24. Izu Camping! Birthdays (S2.12)
25. Mount Fuji And Curry Noodles (S1.01)
26. Shizunashi War II (Room Camp 9)
27. What Are You Buying With Your Temp Job Money? (S2.04)
28. Exams, Caribou, Steamed Buns, Yum! (S1.08)
29. Winter's End And The Day Of Departure (S2.09)
30. Operation Houtou (Room Camp 7)
31. Welcome To The Outdoor Activities Club (S1.02)
32. The Mystery Of Canned Tuna (Room Camp 1)
33. Izu Camping! On The Way (S2.11)
34. Meat And The Fall Colors And The Mystery Lake (S1.06)
35. True Faces: Kachikachi Mountain (Room Camp 5)
36. So Many Mt Fujis (Room Camp 2)
37. Mad Dash! Kawaguchi Lake Rally (Room Camp 3)

Laid-Back Camp

Laid-Back Camp (also known as Yuru Camp) is one of the comfiest shows ever made. If you're looking for plot, you're not going to find much here, but if you want something light and calming, Laid-Back Camp does its job perfectly.

Laid-Back Camp is a show about girls going camping. That's the plot. The series actually follows two different characters with their own preferred styles of camping. There's Rin, an introverted character who prefers solo camping. And there's Nadeshiko, a much more extroverted (and unexperienced) character who got into camping after running into Rin, but much prefers doing it with friends. Nadeshiko joins an Outdoor Activities Club to pursue her hobby, while Rin mostly continues to solo camp and only occasionally camps with Nadeshiko and the others. I have to say, I really like how Rin's introversion is portrayed here. It's not a problem or flaw that needs to be solved, sometimes Rin needs to be on her own and Nadeshiko and the other friends she makes throughout the series are perfectly accepting of that. As an introvert myself, it's honestly some of the best representation of this in any media ever. The anime also does a great job of utilizing text and technology to allow the cast to communicate even when they're on their own, and the visuals and voice acting accompanying said texts are always a joy to watch. However, I do have to say that I think Laid-Back Camp is a lot more fun when the characters are interacting with and playing off each other in person, especially when Chiaki and Aoi, the two major comic relief cast members, are around.

Outside of that, however, Laid-Back Camp doesn't really have much of a plot to speak of, and that's purely intentional. Laid-Back Camp is what's called an Iyashikei, which is a slice-of-life anime about characters living peaceful lives, intended to have a healing effect on its audience. On that front, Laid-Back Camp absolutely succeeds, this is one peaceful anime. Much of Laid-Back Camp consists of moments of silence as the characters just take in the environments they're in, and whatever rare instances of conflict there is are played for comedy. And as par for the course in a slice-of-life anime like this, it is also ridiculously cute. However, one thing I'm not a big fan of are the brief moments where a narrator comes in to teach the audience how to do something camp-related. The silly visuals do try really hard to make these moments fun to watch, but the educational aspects of Laid-Back Camp really just don't interest me at all.

Presentation-wise, Laid-Back Camp is alright. I think the most important thing you needed to nail for an anime like this are the backgrounds. You can't really take in the environments if the environments don't look all that great. Thankfully, this anime nails that aspect perfectly. The backgrounds are downright stunning, detailed and colorful. However, while I think the actual character animation is really cute and expressive, I can't say it blends all that well with the backgrounds all that well. Given that all of the campsites are based on real locations, there's an "anime characters in real life" vibe, a style I genuinely like. However, the shading just doesn't really pull it off a lot of the time. The soundtrack for Laid-Back Camp does its job pretty much perfectly, it's calming and very easy on the ears. The first half of Season 1 does reuse the same music too often, but there starts to be a bit more variety later on in the show. Season 2 even has entirely new tracks to keep the music from getting too stale.

Season 1: I was surprised at how much this show took its time to really bring its cast together. While most of the cast is already established by Episode 2, Rin doesn't even interact with Chiaki until Episode 9, the Outdoor Activities Club doesn't get an advisor until Episode 10, and the whole cast doesn't go on a group camp until the last two episodes. I already mentioned that I think the series is more fun when the characters can banter off each other, but it does work really well for Rin's arc this season. She starts the season only wanting to camp on her own, but by the finale, Rin has realized that there are also merits in group camping. Outside of that, this is your standard first season in terms of general quality. It has a bit of a rocky start as it establishes the cast, but the second half is overall pretty great.

Two Camps, Two Campers' Views: This was the first really great episode of Laid-Back Camp and probably epitomized everything the show does great. Despite splitting up the cast, the storylines for both Rin and the Outdoor Activities Club were both fun and enjoyable, and I liked seeing the characters try to make it through all of the obstacles that got in their way to make it to their campsites. The final scene where Rin and Nadeshiko take pictures of their views for each other is easily the most beautiful and memorable sequence in the whole anime.

Clumsy Travelers And Camp Meetings: This whole arc was a ton of fun, as I really like the premise of Nadeshiko and eventually Chiaki pestering Rin from afar on where to go during a camping trip. It's incredibly funny, until Chiaki actually manages to help Rin out and gain her respect a bit. This episode also has the introduction of the Outdoor Activities Club's advisor, as well as the hilarious reveal that she's the drunk girl Rin and Nadeshiko ran into a while ago.

Mount Fuji And The Laid-Back Camp Girls: This was a pretty heartwarming way to end off the season, still feeling as lowkey as the rest of Laid-Back Camp without losing that "finale vibe". It was great to see the main cast all go camping together, Nadeshiko getting a new job was cool, and the final scene where Rin and Nadeshiko run into each other is just plain sweet. I was a bit sad Rin and Saito still weren't willing to join the club, but there's something funny about them still being stuck in such a cramped room.

Room Camp Shorts: In between its first and second seasons, Laid-Back Camp got a series of twelve shorts about the Outdoor Activities Club. Chiaki and Aoi take Nadeshiko on a stamp rally around Yamanashi. Despite its short length and lack of Rin (quite possibly the show's best character), I really enjoyed this series of shorts. It got off to a slow start and definitely feels like a travel advertisement at times, but getting around 30-40 minutes straight of banter between most of the cast was just what I wanted from Laid-Back Camp. As the miniseries progresses, we even also start to get some shorts with creative premises, as well as shorts that flesh out some of the characters a little more. We get an entirely Rin-centric short about her daily life, as well as a short about how Chiaki and Aoi met. The series also ends with a plot twist that I definitely didn't expect to see from a show like this, but it worked incredibly well.

A Day In Shimarin's Life: There wasn't much to this short, but it was definitely a ton of fun to see Rin again given her small role in this series. Saito imitating Nadeshiko was also pretty entertaining.

Scary Ice Cave: This episode playing off of horror films was a very fun change of pace for Laid-Back Camp, with several very funny fakeouts. And Rin showing up to give Nadeshiko the stamp sheet back was a heartwarming resolution to one of the series' running plots.

End Of The Journey: I'm still surprised the Room Camp series actually had a plot twist to begin with, but it worked really well and made a lot of sense. The stamp rally being fake was foreshadowed quite well throughout the series, but I definitely didn't expect Nadeshiko to have been in on the secret the whole time. The next and final short revealed why Chiaki and Aoi made a stamp rally to begin with, and the reasoning was very sweet.

Season 2: The second season of Laid-Back Camp is mostly more of the same, but I'd still generally call it an improvement on the first in a lot of ways. Now that we don't need to establish the cast, the anime can offer a lot of really unique and fun storylines, like backstories for Rin and Nadeshiko, two Saito-centric episodes, and a storyline about Nadeshiko going solo camping for the first time. This last arc is especially notable as it contrasts with Rin's own arc in Season 1. Where last season had Rin learn the merits of group camping from Nadeshiko, this season has Nadeshiko learn the merits of solo camping from Rin. Of course, the emphasis on solo camping means some members of the cast end up sidelined for episodes at a time, but the season makes up for that with a lengthy final arc about a trip to Izu. While the sheer length of the storyline means those episodes tend to blend together a bit, it's still great to see the whole cast in one place again and the introduction of Aoi's younger sister to the group adds a bit more chaos.

Surprise Camping And Some Deep Thoughts: Despite the lack of actual camping, this was just a cute episode that developed the relationship between Rin and Nadeshiko, along with revealing some more info on what caused Nadeshiko to appear in that first episode. I also really liked Ayano, this episode's side character, and hope she appears more in the future.

Cape Ohmama In Winter: This episode easily had the most effective educational moment in the whole anime, as Chiaki, Aoi, and Saito's camping trip leaves them in serious danger of freezing due to unpreparedness. While such a lighthearted show shifting tone so drastically could have been awful, it fit in with Laid-Back Camp's dedication to realism. As fun as this anime makes camping sound, it can still be very dangerous and I like that Laid-Back Camp didn't pull its punches with making that point very clear. But even with the brief flirtation with drama, the trio of Chiaki, Aoi, and Saito remains lovable, and the ending where Nadeshiko reveals she wants to go solo camping is not only a great hook for next episode but perfectly timed so that you actually start to feel concerned for her safety.

Camping Alone: Even with the big Izu arc, this felt like the climax of the season for me. Nadeshiko went solo camping for the first time, and she killed it! It was really heartwarming to see her trip go without any hitches (especially after the last arc), and her interactions with the kids show just how much of a sweetheart Nadeshiko is. I also like the subplot where Rin and Sakura try to make sure she's okay. They have a nice dynamic and seeing them try to hide from Nadeshiko was very funny.

I'm Home: This was a really bittersweet final episode for Season 2 that worked really well, not only tying up loose ends like Akari's desire to see capybaras and the Iida family, but also capturing that feeling of when you've just come home from a trip but feel just slightly sorrowful that it's all over. The final scene where Nadeshiko and Rin reflect on their trip was a beautifully understated way to end the season.

Overall, slice of life anime in general are already hard to review given their lack of plot, but Laid-Back Camp is especially challenging given its goal is to be healing and educational. Even something like Yuyushiki can be easily praised for its writing and the chemistry between its cast, how do you even quantify something like healing factor? While the educational elements didn't really work for me and the cast got fractured a bit too much, I think Laid-Back Camp mostly succeeded in what it was trying to do. This is a very feel-good and heartwarming show that just makes me feel calm watching it, and even more than that, by the second season, I felt genuinely attached to most of its cast. While it probably isn't going to be a genre I'd want to pursue, I have to say that my first "Iyashikei" was very enjoyable.

3/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Cape Ohmama In Winter