08/24/2016
Welcome back to Anime Wednesdays and Blog Medley! I’m sure all of you are getting tired after arriving at the midway point of your work week, so why not kick back and watch a relaxing and fun anime? In fact I’ve got 2 anime series which fall under this category where everyone from all ages can enjoy. Therefore I’ll be introducing you to them one at a time. This week may I present to you the hit 2014 (season 1) and 2015 (season 2) anime series Gochūmon wa Usagi Desu ka? (Is the order a rabbit?).
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I have to say the title is extremely catchy and the anime is definitely one of the best ever produced, bringing smiles to everyone’s face every time they watch it. Each season has 12 episodes and I’ve lost count of the times I’ve re-watched them haha For those that loves art and animation, this is a must watch, rarely can you see excellent drawings of a European town in an anime and this one does it the best. The artwork for the setting (and the characters too) are not only gorgeous it really sucks you in and makes you feel like you’re actually there.
The beautiful setting found in Gochumon wa usagi desu ka? is unparalleled and huge credit goes to the production company for bringing the stunning visuals to life
The story starts with Cocoa travelling to a certain town to study as a live-in student, in other words living in a local student’s home while studying abroad. Due to the fact that she can’t read maps and have no sense of direction she promptly gets lost after arriving while wandering around town and taking in the sights. She happens upon a cafe, Rabbit House, where she promptly enters in the hopes of cuddling some cute rabbits and this is where our story begins…I won’t spoil the rest of the anime for you because each and every moment in this anime is a a very fluffy one filled with many cute scenes, funny jokes and hijinks, and touching moments. This is one of the rare animes where it contains something for everyone of all ages to love and enjoy!
Cocoa being her cute and hilariously air-headed self as she tries to figure out the directions listed on the map
If you like coffee and coffee shops/cafes, and you probably do, this anime is also for you. I must say if there was a cafe like Rabbit House I’d go there everyday haha. The coffee they brew there is first rate, you can even order Blue Mountain and they’ll make it right in front of you with fresh beans. My favourite though has to be their latte art. Some of the ones they show are absolutely crazy!
Rize has awesome skills, presenting the Tank Latte cafe! Next time I go to Tim Hortons or Starbucks I’m so asking them to make this for me!
If you like sibling bonds/love, there is that here in fact lots of it! One of the biggest themes in this anime is “being a big sister”. You’ll find Cocoa throughout the anime series trying to make Chino, the younger girl who she’s living with, accept her as her “big sister”. This leads to hilarious and warm moments throughout the anime. We also see Chino coming out of the shell (or rabbit hole?) as the anime progresses which leads to even more interesting moments.
Ahaha Cocoa tries to hug Chino tightly and gets rejected as always
And of course it doesn’t end there, for Japanese sweets lovers rejoice! There’s a Japanese sweets shop that used to compete with Rabbit House that serves a variety of Japanese sweets. The catch is, you’ll have to decipher the menu first before you can order, mwhahaha! The names of the sweets that Chiya, the granddaughter of the owner, comes up with are simply out of this world to say the least.
Chiya presents Cocoa with her newest invention! Now this is a fruit bowl worthy for a Shogun!
If you want some military action shoot’em up moments, no worries, we’ve got them here too! Yes, the author was a master at blending action sequences into a fluffy relaxing slice of life anime by adding in Rize, the daughter of a former soldier. The addition of this character would prove invaluable as you’ll find throughout this anime especially when she’s paired up Sharo, a student that goes to the same school as her. Crazy and extremely hilarious things happen (usually because of Sharo) when these two are shown together haha.
Poor Sharo got bit again, she really lives in the wrong town haha
And did I mention the interesting minor characters that play major roles at times? Like a talking rabbit? Yes, and unlike the one in Alice in Wonderland, Tippy is totally tame and cute though that’s mostly because of some funny and unusual circumstances. And then there’s the famous author Aoyama Blue Mountain who goes along at her own pace (in life and work haha). And of course we can’t forget Chino’s friends Maya and Megumi who brings warm and funny moments with them whenever they appear on screen.
This is the only anime that can make stalking look cute. Here is an aerial view of the stalking chain that forms as they try to stalk one another haha!
All in all, Gochūmon wa Usagi Desu ka? (Is the order a rabbit?) is an anime series you cannot miss and is a wonderful anime that removes all the stress in your life. If I’ve piqued your interest you can watch it here at Crunchyroll with official subs or at Gogoanime with fan subs (Fan subs are 99.9% of the time great so don’t worry!). Next week I’ll talk about my other favourite relaxing anime that I also like to watch when I’m feeling stressed. Until then, come back on Friday on Travel Fridays here at Blog Medley where I’ll continue talking about the wonderful food in Japan you can try during your trip there!
© 2016, Anson Wu. All rights reserved.
The post A relaxing anime to watch after a busy Wednesday (Part 1) appeared first on Blog Medley.
