Laid-Back Camp

Overview

Laid-Back camp is the first anime on my Winter 2018 watch list to be completed. This is a cozy slice of life anime about girls who like to go camping in the winter. There’s not really any plot, it’s just cute girls go camping, and that’s perfectly fine.

It’s slice of life genre anime like this that I have the hardest time writing about because I can’t just resort to a summary, so I’ll try to actually review other parts of it. The character design, for one, is probably my favorite part of this series. Not just because I like how the characters look, but because their outfits are functional as well.

If you’re going camping in the middle of winter, you want to make sure you’re warm, and that’s exactly how these girls look with their bundled up clothing. Also, although the atmosphere of the show is supposedly cold, for the most part, it feels warm when you watch it.

I’m sure I’m not explaining this very well, but if you watch this series you’ll know what I mean.

Throughout the series there are also various random winter camping tips and tricks which are explained by a non-character narrator. This, combined with the fact that all of the campsites and various scenic spots in the show are real places makes the viewer almost want to go winter camping themself. But I’ll stay indoors where it’s nice and comfy and watch more anime instead.

Characters

One of the two main characters of the series is Nadeshiko Kagamihara. She’s the super energetic and somewhat annoying main character who loves food. Kind of like Naruto. While I don’t like her too much as a character, she does contrast well with the other main character of the series.

Nadeshiko is the new kid on the block. She originally wasn’t into camping, but after getting lost and spending some time with Rin at her campsite, Nadeshiko decides to join the Outdoor Activities Club at her new school.

Rin Shima, also known as Shimarin, is the opposite of Nadeshiko. She’s been camping for a long time, but prefers to go solo camping instead of camping with other people, which is why she isn’t a member of the Outdoor Activities Club. Rin is the one who puts the “laid-back” in Laid-Back Camping.

Of all the characters in this series, Rin is definitely my favorite. She has a good character design, and her relaxed attitude just adds to the cozy nature of the show. She also has a good sense of humor that isn’t carried by a character trope like with Nadeshiko.

The other two characters who are in the Outdoor Activities Club with Nadeshiko are Chiaki Oogaki and Aoi Inuyama. Chiaki is the more energetic of the two and is also the leader of the club. Aoi, on the other hand, just seems to go with the flow.

The final character in the main group is Ena Saitou. Ena is one of Rin’s friends and frequently tries to get Rin to interact with the other girls, mainly Nadeshiko. She also has a chihuahua named Chikuwa.

Conclusion

There were quite a few good anime this season, but although Laid-Back Camp isn’t my highest rated, it was one of my favorites of the season. In the end it’s a solid 7/10.

For anyone who has yet to watch any anime from the Winter 2018 season, this is definitely one of my recommendations if you just want something that’s relaxing to watch.

If you’re looking for more Laid-Back Camp content, I have a review of the specials, the short-form spin-off Room Camp, and Laid-Back Camp Season 2.