Polar Bear Café (Shirokuma Café): A charming, puntastic show filled with memorable moments – 9/10
PLOT: Polar Bear Café is about the daily lives of a bunch of animals who frequent a café run by the titular Polar Bear, including a panda, a penguin, a llama and a sloth (among many others). There are a few random humans thrown in there too – the perma-smiling Sasako, the bumbling zookeeper Handa and the panda obsessed florist Rin-Rin, but the cast is mainly animals. Animals that no one bats an eye at when when they’re casually wandering about town buying groceries, or working in a bakery or running
...
a bar – they’re fully integrated into society. And yet there is a fully functional zoo where a number of the characters actually work! You kind of take this strange setting for granted after a few episodes – it just works.
Polar Bear Café is a show I couldn’t watch without a smile on my face (trust me I desperately tried when watching the later half of the series on my own in public, being caught grinning and giggling like an idiot when there’s pastel renditions of wild animals emitting showers of sparkles and hearts on my screen is not fun); the show just thrums with feel-good vibes. It’s also consistently hilarious, and displays excellent use of puns, parodies, basic comedic timing and the usual tsukkomi/boke routines. The series uses all the run-of-the-mill s’life situations (festivals, onsen, road-trips, all the holidays you can think of) but simply having the characters be animals puts an interesting spin on things, as they have a unique outlook on things. I don’t usually get on well with s’life shows, but I adored Polar Bear Café – it just balances the mundane with wit so well.
The characters are probably what kept me coming back to the show so much – the central quartet of Polar Bear, Penguin, Panda and Sasako just have superb chemistry and play off each other brilliantly. The side characters are also wonderful and all get their own episodes to shine – my favourites have to be Polar Bear’s long suffering childhood friend and bar owner Grizzly and poor overlooked but utterly charming Llama.Polar Bear Café also has “The Feels” in spades – it just gets under your skin and forces a reaction out of you with alarming frequency. After 50 episodes these characters feel like old friends and I was desperately sad to see the series end, I do hope we get more at some stage.
ANIMATION: The animation is by Studio Pierrot and is very simple but serviceable. The animals are well drawn and surprisingly expressive given many of them lack the usual facial features humans rely on to determine emotion (just where are Penguin & Panda’s eyes anyway??). The over all look of the show is quite soft and pastel, and there is creative use of sparkles, bubbles, hearts, flowers and sweatdrops to punctuate gags or emotion. On the flipside the humans in general are actually terrifying in their inexpressiveness – Sasako in particular has completely dead eyes that are rather unnerving. The show also experiments with unusual visuals in its many EDs – stop-motion, live action, shadow-puppets and paper cut-outs all get a turn, and it is clear that the staff had a lot of fun making this series.
MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: The cast of Polar Bear Café has to be one of the most star-studded I’ve ever encountered. Everyone seems to be a noteworthy name – the central quartet consists of Jun Fukuyama, Takahiro Sakurai, Hiroshi Kamiya and Aya Endo – but the extended cast reads like a who’s who of popular seiyuu! They all seemed to have lots of fun working on this series as well, as the chemistry is brilliant and the acting is really excellent on the whole. A few actors even voice a number of different side characters giving them completely different voices and displaying their range well.
Another thing of note is that there are a lot of different EDs for this series and each of them is an image song, sung in character by the seiyuu – resulting in some truly wonderful songs. I particularly loved Panda’s ‘Bamboo Scramble’ by Jun Fukuyama and Llama’s ‘Llama Mambo’ by Daisuke Ono, but all the song are special in their own way. Even the OPs are pretty damn good, but I’ll always like the first OP best.
Overall I just have to reiterate who utterly charming this show is – it’s a wonderful show to watch if you need cheering up (just avoid watching episode 44 for that purpose – it’s a proper tearjerker). When I first picked up the series last Spring I never would have imagined it turning out to be this good – always a joy when that happens. So yes Polar Bear Café is a show I’d highly recommend picking up – it deserves much more love!
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Polar Bear Café, Shirokuma Café
Japanese: しろくまカフェ
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
50
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Apr 5, 2012 to Mar 28, 2013
Premiered:
Spring 2012
Broadcast:
Thursdays at 17:30 (JST)
Licensors:
None found, add some
Studios:
Pierrot
Source:
Manga
Genre:
Slice of Life
Demographic:
Josei
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
G - All Ages
Statistics
Ranked:
#7912
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#2148
Members:
95,168
Favorites:
959
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 25 / 29
Sort
Your Feelings Categories Apr 19, 2013
Polar Bear Café (Shirokuma Café): A charming, puntastic show filled with memorable moments – 9/10
PLOT: Polar Bear Café is about the daily lives of a bunch of animals who frequent a café run by the titular Polar Bear, including a panda, a penguin, a llama and a sloth (among many others). There are a few random humans thrown in there too – the perma-smiling Sasako, the bumbling zookeeper Handa and the panda obsessed florist Rin-Rin, but the cast is mainly animals. Animals that no one bats an eye at when when they’re casually wandering about town buying groceries, or working in a bakery or running ... May 21, 2014
I’m still a relative newbie to anime, but so far, slice of life has been pretty good to me. Polar Bear Café manages to continue this trend. It’s a pretty silly and stupid show. It may not be gut bustingly hilarious (I’ll explain why), but it’s still very entertaining. This is my review.
Contains Minor Spoilers Story The story of Polar Bear Café is really simple as it just follows the daily escapades of a café run by a Polar Bear’s regulars. There is no overarching plot and the stories are broken up into two 12-minute segments like a lot of western animated shows. This ... May 20, 2012
Shirokuma Cafe is a slice of life, comedy anime and it doesn't try to be anything else. It does its job well and in appealing ways.
When talking to a couple of my male friends they were surprised to find out that I watched Shirokuma Cafe and I was surprised in return. I always thought of it as a kind of cute show with catchy tunes that was fun to watch. My friends watched it for the humor (it wasn't like I didn't, because I did, I just didn't think that would be their number one appeal). Shirokuma Cafe is targeted at a wide variety ... Apr 5, 2012
This whole anime is pretty much just the silly things that happens when panda tries finding jobs and silly dialog between the characters. It is very similar to animes like 'Nichijou', 'Kill me baby', and 'Hetalia'. The anime has no real meaning but it does have better pacing and more of a story line than the animes mentioned above. In fact, this anime is a whole lot like 'Lucky Star'. A silly, pointless anime with a decent-at-best story line (again, its alot better than those crazy random animes that change what is happening every .5 seconds).
Probably the only reason people are watching this show is ... Jan 9, 2018
I was recently recommended to watch this anime. I wasn't sure what to think at first. I do enjoy Slice of Life quite a lot, the theme seemed interesting and the art looked like something I'd enjoy watching. But I will admit that knowing that the main characters were animals put me off for a little while. I felt like it would probably be incredibly childish. In the end... I was half right, half wrong?
The humor can be childish, at times. But I think it can also be incredibly smart, especially with Shirokuma's puns. They play with the Japanese language in a way that ... Feb 27, 2016
If there was ever an anime which put "kwai!" to perfection and graced it with a significant degree of adorable charm, this one does. While I would go on and proceed about all aspects of this masterpiece, I find it would be a lacklustre review and would undermine the wonderful experience of watching this lovely anime. Nevertheless, some pointers are always best to mention.
While there are some really nice aspects to this anime, the best thing which makes it sell and makes it viewable is that it isn't 50 FULL episodes, but 100 HALF Episodes (2 story events occurring per episode). Amongst the best aspects ... Jan 27, 2016
There is probably no better anime than the one and only Shirokuma Cafe. I have rewatched this about a good 34 times and it never gets old for me. There are far too many legendary aspects in this single series for me to even begin to talk about. I wil leave you with an analogy instead.
<analogy> Meet Beareskinford. He is a rebel bear who has been fighting off the government for many years. He has been working with his trusty sidekick for about the same time. Fast forward a couple years... Beareskinford walks into a bar and meets a bison. Now he hasn't ... Nov 15, 2012
When I first saw the pic for the series (The portrait of Shirokuma, Panda and Penguin with the Cafe in the background), I wasn't sure what to expect so I waited a bit untill I watched the first episode.
And boy did I not regret to start with this series. The music and art are relaxed and soothing, it has amazing OP's and ED's , the animals look so realistic yet so nice to watch them interact with each other and with the humans sharing their community. The jokes are funny (Especially the word puns with Shirokuma and Penguin) and the voice acting is amazing and fits ... Dec 22, 2012
Shirokuma Cafe is the epitome of the classic "Don't judge a book by it's cover"...seriously, don't judge it by pictures or the synopsis. The only way you can enjoy Shirokuma Cafe is to actually watch it.
The story isn't much, it's pretty much a collection of short stories about the 3 main characters (Polar Bear, Panda, and Penguin) and the events that happen to them (as they tell them to the others inside the cafe). Polar Bear pretty much runs the cafe while the other 2 come in nearly every day. DO NOT be turned away by the anthropomorphic animals...just don't because you'll regret it. ... Nov 29, 2014
It's not always easy to stay on the right side of the line between cozy and boring. Polar Bear Cafe handles it flawlessly. The main source of drama is the romantic haplessness of an unlikeable character, which keeps the suspense minimal and stress-free. The recurring gags are well-timed and always worth a chuckle, even (especially!) when they're just a little predictable.
Aug 20, 2014
Shirokuma Cafe is one of the best anime you will ever see if you just want to watch something that will make you relax, laugh and think about nothing.
Story-8 Okay so first off, if you don't like anime where the story although will change but the concept is the same then Shirokuma Cafe will annoy you a bit. The story is pretty simple. There is a cafe run be a Polar Bear (Shirokuma) and the whole entire anime is basically about a panda, a penguin, a lama and other animals that go to the cafe and talk about their problems. The idea is pretty funny and ... Dec 6, 2014
Now, there isn't really a story since this is a slice of life anime, but there is enough progression in the episodes to feel that everything doesn't simply reset each episode. It doesn't give you a feeling of loss when watching, as long as you can appreciate the characters living out their lives.
While it is primarily a humor, this anime surprised me with the range of feelings. I cried. I laughed. I got frustrated. I recommend that people who love animals, comedy, and sit back to watch this show. Nov 14, 2015
What do you get when you take a world with humans, put walking and talking animals into that world, and then proceed to have no one care? Well, you get Shirokuma ( Or Polar Bear's) Cafe.
Story 9/10 - There really isn't an overall story to Shirokuma cafe , as it is mostly episodic with its plot lines, but in all, a lot of the stories were done fantastically, and were very enjoyable. There even managed to bring in the feels at the end of the show ( which worked surprisingly well) that helped the show come to a satisfying conclusion. Art 9/10 - I ... Oct 7, 2012
I'll write a review, for once in my life, only because I found this show to be awkwardly amusing.
Yes, some may say it is a boring show, or a SOL anime that just uses animals as a way to make it 'original', but I find there's ore than just that. The story, yes, there is none. It is a slice of life, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's meant to be a peaceful side story in the life of a strange, strange town with talking animals. Everyday is just another day in the life of Panda, but they act like what ... Nov 21, 2013
as with many animes it doesn't really matter what the story is really about,but as long as you can have great characters that make the series enjoyable to watch then it is worth it. This comedic slice of life anime is defiantly something unique and fresh.
Polar Bear Cafe is an odd anime since almost everyone is an animal,which is not very common in anime at all so the anime already stands out on its own. The story is about a white polar bear who is the owner of a popular cafe called the "Shirokuma Cafe" after quitting his boring job to start running his ... Jul 6, 2016
This anime will always be one of my most favorite anime, it's one of those anime that really makes you feel like you can relate to the characters a lot and it is enjoyable to watch something that is cute, funny and normal. In this anime you mainly see that some animals are living in a very similar way to humans and it's quite hilarious to see this as the animals aren't completely Anthropomorphic and still stick to their normal animals ways at times.
The openings in this anime are wonderful too, I mostly prefer the first and third opening, however they are still very ... Jan 4, 2019
Sometimes you just want to watch something relaxing to unwind from the stress of the day or to just spend some time watching something nice that isn't too complicated or hard to follow. Something comfy. If that sounds nice, then this anime might just be for you. Shirokuma Cafe, or Polar Bear Cafe in English. It's a slice of life, but instead of the characters being human, most of them are animals.
The show follows the daily life of a young and incredibly lazy panda named Panda. He is constantly told by his mother to get a job. One day, Panda wanders outside after his mother ... Apr 27, 2023
Shirokuma Cafe is one of the most interesting and memorable slice-of-life series I have ever watched.
I watched this together with my partner when we were in need of some simple, cozy entertainment and Shirokuma Cafe did not disappoint. The 50 episodes flew by and I will look back fondly on our time with this anime. Let me start with the openings and endings. The endings in particular are memorable because they are in a way “character songs”. They are all sung by the voice actors of a particular character, and the song in question also relates to that character’s existence or experience in some way. The ... Nov 8, 2015
Shirokuma Cafe, or Polar Bear Cafe as people who do not have the tongue dexterity to use the Japanese name for it, is a lighthearted anime, perfect for watching on a lazy afternoon with a cup of ocha in hand, or perhaps a cafe mocha on a saucer.
Shirokuma-san, the owner of the cafe is a pun genius, and a habitual liar (he prefers storyteller, but I beg to differ). Panda-kun is the adorable part-time panda at the local zoo who doesn't know how to be "natural", but does it perfectly well. Penguin-san is the regular at Shirokuma Cafe who orders //okawari// of cafe mocha, ... Sep 8, 2016
Shirokuma Cafe, it's been a while since I've finished it but here I go. With some personal motives into trying this out, the obvious factor was the seiyuus, especially Shirokuma himself (Takahiro Sakurai), and the rest of the characters. But setting that aside, I actually enjoyed it a lot.
Story, it's a slice of life, with an animal factor twist. Animals and humans live in harmony in this case. It's pretty much realistic as it can get with reality minus the harmony factor which does entertain me. And a lot of easy going jokes, life jokes, not any kinky or dirty jokes but just soft ... |