Make no mistake though, Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? (Is The Order a Rabbit) doesn’t just have the cute girls but also has the luck factor when Cocoa Hoto wonders around town and happens upon this place called “Rabbit Café” by pure luck. Contrary to what she may believe, as in a place where people cuddle cute rabbits, it’s instead a café that serves delicious beverages. Well, there happens to be one rabbit, even though it seems to a rather peculiar one sitting on the top of the head of store owner, Chino Kafuu. It’s here where the story begins for a young girl and her new life with rabbits, err I mean…friends.
For most slice of life shows, there’s one configuration people should be aware of. It’s essentially devoid of plot in both arc form or linear trending. There’s no actual story that develops with its setting because it’s too simple. Take it to face value – we get a café that serves beverages and cute girls managing them. However, it should also be noticeable not to denote a show just for its lack of story because its small yet colorful cast of characters makes up the appreciation for itself.
Indeed, the character cast is the main focus with their dynamics. Gimmicky as it sounds, most of the characters are named after beverages you would find in a café. (ie. Cocoa named after hot cocoa, Chino named after cappuccino, etc) However, the gimmicks that it establishes has a beauty with our characters in terms of conversation and interaction. In essence, none of the characters are alike or parallel in one with another. They all have different backgrounds as Cocoa herself quickly discovers as she works with them on a daily basis. Taken for granted though, Cocoa is a young girl curious about everything around her but in particular cute and cuddly things such as rabbits. While we don’t get a full scope of her character, it’s easy to tell that she is able to make friends easily with others such as the soft spoken Chino. As the owner of the store, she has responsibilities and is often strict with herself. Yet behind her snowy image, Chino is a girl who wants friends. Cocoa pushes the button to her inner desires and gives her the initiative to try out new opportunities.
As the show progresses, more characters are introduced with diversity. Rize, a girl with a firm background in military, has two sides to her – one that personifies herself as a soldier while the other half an innocent girl with interest in cute things. Here we have her interact with others with different backgrounds. And with a military gimmick, you can expect her to be self-disciplined. On the other hand, we have childhood friends Chiyo and Sharo with their different view on rabbits. Nonetheless, the purpose of these characters are not to influence every aspect of the ‘cute girls do cute things’ concept but to deliver its contrivance. By doing that requires gaining the attention of the audience. Especially for shows without a progressive story, it’s important to realize the connection these girls build off of one another. Thankfully, the show achieves that with the focus on each character. All of them get their spotlights during conversations whether it can seem goofy, innocent, or just lively. It can also feel surprisingly realistic on instances when the girls talk about aspects of life whether it’d be related to work, school, or friends.
A good portion of the show also comes from the comedy. It delivers tenderness and a charming atmosphere that people can appreciate. Some of it comes from the girls’ personalities. Other parts delivers with the conversations that uses all sort of motifs, casualness, and inspiring dialogues of imaginativeness. This can come as forceful on occasions yet can be surprisingly memorable because the show’s gimmicks. But at the same time, this can come as a mixed bag for some fans. Not everyone will appreciate this show’s gimmicks nor its humor. It can feel stale, repetitive, and even cliché at various times. Some jokes also can feel hypocritical and deny logic such as Rize’s ownership of firearms at someone her age or a talking rabbit. There’s also a bit of hidden yuri tropes behind the show for those who pay attention to its ever glimmering character cast. Objective discontent also pops off on occasions such as the first episode of Rize in her underwear or unconventional fantasies courtesy of a young girls’ mind.
While the story itself doesn’t hold together with progressive moment, every episode does offer something new and even on occasions a different setting such as at school. This opens up doors for other characters to enter the story such as Chino’s classmates. The more noticeable part is that the show opens up feelings of human emotions whether it’d be jealousy, regret, fear, and even sparks of puppy love between the characters. Just don’t take it too seriously as this show is more about a fun package that should be opened up with appreciation rather than for deep value.
The artwork is generic to say the least but every character has a distinctive design with their backgrounds. Their personalities match well when it comes to these designs and gags referencing the nature of the characters. And as waitresses at a café, expect the girls to dress decoratively when at work. Their uniforms aren’t just charming but also fits the overall theme of a café such as Chino’s hat or Chiya’s maid-like dress up. The way the show also depicts its gestures with body languages is also solid to show itself colors. However, Tippy (the rabbit and mascot) can be a bit blend and strange. Take notice of his behavior as he may seem cute but acts nothing like an actual rabbit.
While the soundtrack isn’t anything explicit for its background OST, one should take more notice of its voice cast. Care is taken when the characters speaks to match consistency with their personas. In particular, I give exceptional praise to Risa Taneda for her role as Rize. She can play her character very well that shifts her mannerisms from those of a self-disciplined waitress to an innocent girl in love with cute things. But to be honest, all the characters’ voice mannerisms are delivered well when it comes to their roles in conversations and ability to draw a viewer in with their expressive responsiveness. And while not as strong as the voice acting, the OP and ED songs shines with charm in the way I expected.
With all said and done, this show is a healing series that should be at least considered. Even if you’ve never stepped into a café in your life or is unfamiliar with the CGDCT concept, it can still offer something to anyone. 12 episodes. That’s all it takes to convey the message of the Rabbit Café and its characters. Despite some contestable humor and lack of a strong story development, it makes it up with the strength of its characters. Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka serves as an example of a slice of life show that is charming to the core and deliciously entrancing.
