Watching Yuri Kuma Arashi is like trying to memorize the first 100 digits of Pi. Succeeding might technically be considered an accomplishment, but good lord is it meaningless.
Yuri Kuma Arashi is a textbook example of an anime that tries to be too damn smart for its own good. It's a show which attempts to utilize intricate symbolisms and references rather than to present a story which you can take at face value. By hiding content in-between the lines, it tries to provide a plot which is unorthodox, deep and thought-provoking. However this is nothing more than a façade which tries (and fails) to cover up
...
the fact that the plot itself is in reality nowhere near as complicated as it makes itself out to be.
The story takes place in a world that has been struck by an asteroid called Kumaria, and after the following meteor shower ended, for whatever reason all the bears all over the world rose up and started attacking and eating humans. After the dust settled, a giant Severance Barrier was erected in order to separate the world of the bears from the world of the humans, and to try and cause a ceasefire in-between the two warring sides. Or at least that's what the premise states that the story is about, but in reality almost none of that is correct as Yuri Kuma Arashi is all about symbolism.
This is of course because Yuri Kuma Arashi is written by the one and only Ikuhara Kunihiko, famous for other deeply symbolic and successful works such as Shoujo Kakumei Utena and Mawaru Penguindrum among others. Most things in his works look like one thing but in actuality represent something entirely different. It's kind of like solving a riddle in that sense as you have to try and figure out what everything really means on your own. Yuri Kuma Arashi is no different either as it primarily revolves around homophobia and society's view on it, but there's one clear difference here: although the story is unorthodox, complex and filled with references, that still doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of it feels completely uninteresting and intangible. The execution of Yuri Kuma Arashi is one of the most random ones I've seen in a long time, and it doesn't really make the viewer care very much about the actual events occuring throughout the course of the story.
Merely including references and symbolisms to various works of media like The Shining and historical events such as the Sankebetsu Brown Bear Incident does *not* make a good story in and of itself. That's not how scriptwriting works. If all you needed to make an interesting plot was to haphazardly throw in cryptic references and symbolisms wherever you could, then writing a "good" storyline would be easy as pie. However that's sadly not the case, but Yuri Kuma Arashi seemingly fails to understand this. As a result you end up with a story which contains countless plot elements from various sources, but in actuality the vast majority of them don't matter whatsoever in the end. When it all comes down to it, what you're left with is a pretentious and quirky Yuri story, complemented with tons and tons of completely irrelevant references.
Speaking of which, I also have to say that Yuri is one of the absolute rarest genres in anime, and also one of my favorites. However if you're looking to see some cute, romantic, erotic or dramatic girl-on-girl moments you should look somewhere else because this anime has very little of that. The Yuri elements in this show are mostly used as a plot mechanic in order to be able to talk about homophobia. It is not really anything meant to try and be satisfying on its own.
The characters... who were they again? If it wasn't for the fact that their names themselves are pretty easy to remember, I probably wouldn't be able to name them without double checking here and now. That's how forgettable and wholly uninspiring they are. Ikuhara's writing style is heavily integrated into the characters' personalities and as a result they come across as quite intangible and hard to really get a good feel for. Well at least the main characters' goals and intentions are pretty clear since the show never stops repeating them, but other than that they all feel like nothing more than plot devices instead of actual persons.
Also a more subjective issue I have with this anime is how cringeworthy the dialogue is. If you've watched any Ikuhara shows before, then you'll be familiar with some of the more random catchphrases that he tends to use. I mean who can forget about SEIZON SENRYAKUUUU and penguins for example. However those still felt appropriate and humorous somehow, but in Yuri Kuma Arashi it only made me hold my head in agony. "Gao Gao", "Shabadadoo", "Deliciousmell~", "Kuma Shock!", and the list goes on. It's so unbearably awkward to listen to. Am I supposed to be watching a psychological seinen anime, or Teletubbies? Sometimes I'm honestly not sure.
If there's anything good to mention about this show, then I'd still have to give the animation some credit. Yuri Kuma Arashi uses a very artistic and Shaft-like art style which is very reminiscent of the Monogatari Series in how it looks, and also how the show utilizes it. The OP is also very atmospheric (and even has some decently pronounced French lyrics in it), and the ED is very catchy and addictive. Overall the production value is quite solid, but sadly that is not all you need to make a good anime. If pretty artwork and nice music was all that mattered, then you're better off watching something more dedicated on that front like Iblard Jikan or similar.
I don't bother making negative reviews very often, simply because a) I don't actually hate anime, and b) most of the bad shows I come across are just bad because they're predictable, generic and boring. However it's been a very long time since I saw an anime which genuinely annoyed me as much as this one did, because I sincerely believed it had a lot of potential before the season started. I like Ikuhara's writing style. I think it's very unique and interesting, but in this case it just didn't work out at all. The first episode alone left me with a horribly negative impression, however I still had hope that it would get better over time when things would start to be explained and make more sense, but I am left somewhat disappointed on that front as well. Fortunately the eventual ending of the entire show was a lot better than everything before it, but that alone doesn't really make up for all the time where the story is pitifully bad.
If you haven't seen an Ikuhara anime before and you're interested in seeing what they're like, all I have to say is [go watch one of his other works]. There is no need to bother watching this one before that. If you've already done so and you really liked them, then I guess it might be worth at least giving Yuri Kuma Arashi a shot. But just make sure to not get your hopes up too high because odds are that you're going to be left somewhat disappointed if you do.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Yuri Bear Storm, Love Bullet: Yurikuma Arashi
Japanese: ユリ熊嵐
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
12
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jan 6, 2015 to Mar 31, 2015
Premiered:
Winter 2015
Broadcast:
Tuesdays at 00:30 (JST)
Licensors:
Funimation
Studios:
SILVER LINK.
Source:
Original
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#42592
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#2047
Members:
102,597
Favorites:
760
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 43 / 43
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Your Feelings Categories Mar 30, 2015
Watching Yuri Kuma Arashi is like trying to memorize the first 100 digits of Pi. Succeeding might technically be considered an accomplishment, but good lord is it meaningless.
Yuri Kuma Arashi is a textbook example of an anime that tries to be too damn smart for its own good. It's a show which attempts to utilize intricate symbolisms and references rather than to present a story which you can take at face value. By hiding content in-between the lines, it tries to provide a plot which is unorthodox, deep and thought-provoking. However this is nothing more than a façade which tries (and fails) to cover up ... Mar 30, 2015
**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**
Surrealism: it’s something that you are either into or you aren’t. The plots of these shows are usually far harder to comprehend than your average anime and the actions of the characters won’t always make logical sense, but if you merely change your perspective, you will see what the show is really trying to say. Yuri Kuma Arashi, which translates into “Lesbian Bear Storm”, is no exception to the formula of surrealist art; it is NOT for everyone. While most shows are driven by their plot or by their characters, YKA is a show driven by its themes and the messages that the ... Mar 31, 2015
Yuri relationships and bears. What are you thinking? One could say this is one of anime’s weirdest creations, but I think it’s one of the greatest, this year in fact. It is one of the first few anime that aired this year (and season) and as well as the one which focuses on girl-on-girl relationship.
Yuri Kuma Arashi was probably picked up by many because it was directed by Ikuhara Kunihiko, the director of the well-famed Mawaru Penguindrum. To give some background of the story, there was a planet Kumaria that exploded on space which showered around Earth. This caused the bears to become violent ... Apr 7, 2015
"Everything is good in moderation" ..now if you were to say that to Ikuhara he would probably pimp slap you with a proverbial hand and skip off into the schizophrenic sunset of left field allegorical stew, while conjuring new ways to make even Satoshi Kon's nuttiest creations to look like tamed Saturday morning cartoons.
Yuri Kuma Arashi is a dream factory chock-full of symbolism and motifs with everything being beyond what's presented at face value. This isn't for casual viewing and if unprepared to really dig deep it can be either taxing or repulsive upon initial impression. I normally don't like to judge works based on ... Aug 22, 2015
Yuri Kuma Arashi is to me the anime version of 2001: A Space Odyssey. That may seem to be a completely bizarre, nonsensical comparison, but there is one shared trait between the two that supersedes in value every single trait they don't share: each story is written by a director who is clearly creative, intelligent, and has a lot of talent and great ideas but is so absorbed in delivering some metaphysical message or lump of symbolism he forgets the prime element of storytelling is... *gasp* the story! (Shock! Kuma shock!) Due to the radical focus on the message, the actual execution is so wildly
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May 2, 2015
(This has been adapted from my blog post. Spoilers ahead!)
Love is such a simple word. But when you think about it, there is a lot more to it than at first perceived. Love can be used to bring someone wonderful happiness or utter sadness. Love can make you extremely nervous or completely at ease. Love can even be used to bring about total beauty or despondent sin. This omnipresent feeling is incredibly complex, being something that everyone feels in one form or another. Ultimately, though, it is a good feeling. But much like the symbols that this anime thrives on, its meaning morphs depending on ... Apr 19, 2015
Very lengthy review!
Warning: Spoilers present (but no detailed spoiler present). Now, how do we review a show that >is so unique that it's almost absurd >has very polarized views >is hard to review without spoiling detailed stuff? Answer: To be in the sexy way. ... Mar 30, 2015
When Kunihiko Ikuhara said he was going to make Yuri Kuma Arashi the self-titled "Gundam of Yuri" I was a bit spectacle of how something like that would turn out and if he could even pull off such an elaborate ploy.
I was glad to find out that I was wrong. YKA is a 12 episode series by Silver Link and the basic story is about a young girl named Kureha who lives in a world where a giant "Barrier of Severance" divides humanity from the world of human-devouring bears who started to attack humans after a great meteor shower covered the lands. Two transfer students, who ... Apr 4, 2015
Shaba-daa… Shaba-daba-daabaa. This anime is a prime example of why people should not quit watching a non-linear show after the first few episodes.
Art is outstanding – beautifully designed characters, colorful background, lots of attention to details and expression. The OP is good on its own; the soundtrack blends into the storytelling perfectly and doesn’t distract you. Despite all that, Yuri Kuma Arashi is definitely not an easy anime to watch. As many people may have noticed, the first three episodes – no, make it five episodes – had one of the highest WTF-per-minute factor. The story didn’t make any sense. Asteroid exploding, cute-looking bears uprising and ... Mar 30, 2015
Kunihiko Ikuhara sat down one day, picked up a Mad Libs book, and found his first prompt: "Adjective, Noun, Noun." Of course, he chose "Lesbian," "Bear," and "Storm" as any normal and respectable individual would.
Although it certainly might seem like Ikuhara just threw some words together to make this series, Yuri Kuma Arashi (Lesbian Bear Storm) is not a "thrown-together" series by a long shot. Now please bear with me-- I promise the puns won't be this terrible-- for my take on YKA. Disclaimer: Although I am majorly biased towards Ikuhara (Utena and Penguindrum are my #1 and #2) I'd like to think that ... Mar 30, 2015
To be honest, Yuri Kuma Arashi (Yuri Bear Storm) is one of those shows you’ll want to like or hate from the early start. Make no mistake, this is not your ordinary slice of life series or one of those shows where cute girls do cute things. To put it into easier perspective, Yuri Kuma Arashi appeals more to fans of surrealism, or those who seeks out more than just a plot and its characters. Symbolisms, foreshadowing, and many plot elements are exclusively packaged into this series that hits peculiarity from all directions.
The show has this strange vibrant radiance to it. From the first few ... Mar 31, 2015
Yuri Kuma Arashi. I’m going to be flat out honest, I utterly loathe this show for the sheer fact that I’ve fallen in love with it. Now I must caution you all, this show will alienate you if you haven’t seen Ikuhara’s previous works like Penguindrum or Utena so upon viewing this as a first title his style can be rather overbearing. But, back to the topic at hand, there are some anime out there that can only be described as otherworldly and Yuri Kuma is just that. Today I will be reviewing the anime Yuri Kuma Arashi so without further
...
Apr 11, 2015
No spoilers!!!!
Many of the reviews I see here are talking about how this show is "difficult to watch" as if it is a chore. My advice is to just not think too hard about the deeper meanings and simply enjoy the cute characters, art, and story. After you become interested in the show, you can always watch it again in order to analyze it. I decided to watch this show based on the art I had seen...and I was not disappointed because the art used in the show is very good and appealing to the eye. The outfits and character design are very cute as well. ... Mar 14, 2015
Yuri Kuma Arashi, I’m sure that your first impression on it was the series is purely about “lesbian”. No doubt, Yuri Kuma Arashi is a series that talks about something related to lesbians, but what the series wants to present to the audience is more than the lesbian theme. Yuri Kuma Arashi, was translated to “Lesbian Bears Storm”. The title, however, is very misleading. “Yuri” actually refers to pure maiden while “Kuma” actually refers to sexual predators. In other words, Yuri Kuma Arashi actually is a show that symbolizing the difference between pure romantic friendship between two girls & the real lesbianship. Ikuhara might had
...
Sep 1, 2015
I am not english, so i apologize if i make mistakes.
ʕ•̫͡•ʔ♡ʕ•̫͡•ʔ Yuri Kuma Arashi. I bet your first impression of this show has not been nice. Bears ʕ ☯ ڡ ☯ ʔ, invisible storm and Yuri, this is what you'll get from the first three episodes and probably even at the end of the series, Why? Because you didn't pay attention to the Yuri elements, dialogue, characters and especially to the symbolism (or you were just too lazy to find explanations on the web ʕ – ▃ – ʔ ). But what is Yuri Kuma Arashi about? Symbolism, love and drama. If you don't ... Aug 22, 2015
+Cute characters and very good character development
+Pretty animation +Very surreal and symbolic +Weird (In a good way) +Lesbians +Building up lore and pretty good twists +good character backstory +Goddamn that opening -Not for everyone ... May 12, 2015
So you wake up one morning and decide to create the perfect human. So naturally you go out for a walk with your favourite butcher's knife. Hey black male man, nice muscles you have there, "SLASH!" hey white guy, can you give me a hand? "SLASH", hey asian girl, nice everything, "SLASH". So you just stick together the best parts you found and set your new creation for a walk. But instead of recognising your brilliance and worshipping you as a god, everyone starts screaming. And then Mary Shelley writes a book about it. Do you know why that is? a) Because they're giant pussies.
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Mar 30, 2015 When it comes to making anime that is overflowing with metaphors and symbolism, Ikuhara is your guy. I remember hearing about the project and was excited for a yuri anime to be directed by Ikuhara, since he's always included it in his past work. I came with the expectation that this show was going to be revolutionary like Utena (pun not intended) and Penguindrum. Yuri Kuma fulfilled it to an extent. The first couple of episodes of the anime don't give it any justice since the fan service is everywhere, but the show does get better. The show encompasses the ... Feb 16, 2018
This anime had some nice art and some decent episodes but honestly people talking about how theres "soooo much symbolism and it has such deeper meaning " are totally misleading you. The symbolism is so heavy handed a monkey could understand it and the characters and plot are incredibly simplistic and predictable.
Yes there is something to be said about telling the story in an intricate and finely crafted way. But this story sucks. And it's not like some Homestuck level stuff where 10 hours later you see something from the first 5 minutes and suddenly something new comes to mind - it's incredibly predictable ... Jan 31, 2021
(TLDR at the bottom, thanks for reading.)
Yuri kuma Arashi attempts to say a lot but with the restrictive episode count, the message gets the message muddled and confused. This show is fairly confusing, even by Ikuhara standards, so to properly understand yuri kuma arashi we need to understand what it is trying to say. Yuri kuma arashi is a very symbolic anime, so to understand what it is trying to say we need to understand what each of these symbols means and how they tie into the main narrative as a whole. Yuri means yuri, no surprise there. While kuma literally translates to bear it is ... |