There are a lot of anime out there, and more keep being made seemingly by the second.
And of course, as much as we would appreciate it, they aren’t all unique productions with
distinctly different styles.
No, a lot of them tend to be the same thing slightly reskinned….
Now, this is completely fine, odds are if you like a show you’ll like ones that are
similar to it.
But for those who have limited time, they have the trouble of having to pick out what
is the “best” of a certain genre or type of show.
Otherwise they risk missing out on something with the same kind of feel
that they may have enjoyed even more.
So when looking at Yama no Susume, a show about exploring friendship through hiking
outdoors, and Yuru Camp, a show about exploring friendship through camping outdoors, which
one do you watch?
Both of them.
You watch both of them.
In Magic: The Gathering, which is a trading card game, you’ll hear the words “strictly
better” thrown around often.
It refers to a card that is literally better in every aspect compared to another one, so
for example, Fauna Shaman is a strictly better Grizzly Bears.
It just does more stuff, and if you had to choose between the two, you’d choose
the Shaman every time barring some kind of tribal situation.
Or maybe you just like bears, who knows.
What I’m getting at here is that Yama no Susume is not a strictly better Yuru Camp,
nor is it the other way around.
In this case, similarity of premise does not indicate grouping, the two are sufficiently
different enough that what one gets out of each of them is different as well.
And they’re both worth watching.
Yuru Camp offers a relaxing experience with a focus on a unique relationship dynamic.
Its main goal is to destress the viewer, allowing them to experience the more meditative and
calm side of camping, while also exposing them to how fun it can be with friends.
A large part of the show is this balance between introversion and extroversion—the contrast
of Rin enjoying time alone and Nadeshiko enjoying time with friends.
Many people criticize Yuru Camp for its comparably weak side-characters, but I think to do so
is kind of missing the point.
You have a main character whose defining trait is that she likes to spend time alone, and
you have another main character who is a lot more social.
It would follow that you need other characters for the social one to, well, show that she’s
social, as well as give her something to do while Rin is off alone.
While the moments where they’re together are great, some would argue the best part
of the show, I think the other characters allow those moments to happen.
In addition, I love how true-to-life Yuru Camp is.
Rin never ends up joining the club since well, she doesn’t really want to.
But she does compromise and decides to come to the Christmas camping trip.
And unlike some other shows, she doesn’t immediately fit in and open up to everyone.
It’s pretty clear that she’s mostly there for Nadeshiko and that, while remaining courteous,
just puts up with the others.
It’s a remarkably relatable feeling to be at an event with a bunch of acquaintances,
and important to know that you can have fun anyway.
Basically what I’m getting at is that Yuru Camp is a show exploring the complex subject
of friendship through two seemingly conflicting personalities.
It’s about Rin being accepted for who she is and what she likes, rather than about getting
her to quote unquote open up and get friendship forced upon her.
In contrast, Yama no Susume is more about one’s personal journey through a hobby,
and how that relates to friendship.
The act of climbing itself is kind of analogous to the many pitfalls we might encounter over
the course of a normal relationship, but with a little effort we can move beyond them.
Unlike Yuru Camp, Yama no Susume is split up into arcs, each one focusing on a different
mountain, and each mountain symbolizing something new.
These encompass a wide range of subjects, ranging from the gratification that comes
with dedication and effort, to the value of looking back at the past with new perspective.
However, the thing that really reverberated with me with regard to Yama no Susume is how
it approaches hardships within a hobby.
Whenever you start something new, there usually is a period of excitement that accompanies
it.
You’re experiencing something for the first time, and generally beginners can pick up
the basics relatively quickly.
It’s when you get just a little further in that’s the issue.
Your “beginner’s luck” starts to run out, and you’re left with this hump you
have to get past to progress in the hobby.
Watching Aoi come to this sudden realization that not everything can be rainbows and sunshine
is really heartbreaking, but watching her friends band together in support of her is
enough to put the pieces back together.
It’s one of the most accurate depictions of struggling with a hobby that I’ve seen,
and a great example of how one should deal with it.
What I’m trying to get at is, despite being superficially about the outdoors and friendship,
Yuru Camp and Yama no Susume drastically differ from one another.
It’s kind of the result of “Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” not being a very useful
descriptor for the “feel” of a show.
So if you’re not into iyashi-kei and their attempts to “heal” just put you to sleep,
Yuru Camp isn’t for you.
Likewise, if you find it hard to care about girls hiking, Yama no Susume isn’t for you.
And of course you can like one and not the other.
But this doesn’t mean that one can be a replacement for the other.
They each offer their own thing.
And for what it’s worth, I think both of those things are pretty great.
Thanks for watching and be sure to like and subscribe for more content.
Or if you’d like, you can donate to my patreon.
Special thanks to LuunBG, Vom, Mestuck, DoomGamer632, and Chwispy294 for their support.
And of course, if anything I said was wrong, I’m sorry.
I must’ve stuttered.