Yama no Susume

It’s very rare to find a great show among animated shorts. Many of them produce situational one-shots with the same characters in the same setting. While some of them do have a serial timeline, shorts often lack the details of storytelling. The short series Encouragement of Climb (Yama no Susume) counters these claims by creating situations chronologically with wonderful progression and development for its protagonists.

Encouragement of Climb follows two high school girls and their adventures in hiking to mountain summits across Japan. Aoi, the scared and unsure of the two, learns to overcome her anxieties while being accompanied by Hinata, the tomboyish enthusiastic one who ... appears to have some experience in hiking. With each episode, audiences learn a little tidbit on activities and ethics in camping and hiking as they watch the girls learn to hike together.

The visuals for this anime consist of more simple drawings with “watercolor” effects, faded coloring that’s not nearly as bright or vivid as most anime. I personally like this style because it does not distract the audience from appearances and fan service and forces them to focus mainly on the situation the characters are in. Visuals for animations and films like this one accompany the story rather than make it the main reason people watch it. I certainly love the characters this way for who they are, rather than how they look.

One thing I did enjoy about this series is the reality displayed when one goes on a hike in the mountains. Being somewhat of a hiker myself, I have learned that not all mountain trails are steep, scary, or even arduous, as Aoi originally thinks when it comes to climbing mountains or hills. In fact, their first trail blaze was on a neighboring hill that took them less than a day to reach the summit! The trials Aoi and Hinata face are not only literal in climbing mountains, but figurative in climbing our lives’ scariest moments. All progress in life is a hurdle that many of us face with fear and anxiety, as Aoi had done; but with the help of good friends and a little encouragement from within, we can climb our way to the top.

Encouragement of Climb is a beautiful short series, not only for its story and characters, but it also showed me that I can climb the “mountains” in my life.

Now, the row of 8's may actually leave many baffled or doubting of the seriousness of this review, but I assure you all scores were given impartially and after long thought.

Also, the show is still going so the review may well be subject to change, but I felt I had to do something about the ridiculous rating: the score as of now is 6.82, which is the average for EXTREMELY BAD anime. Not kidding: EXTREMELY. BAD. Yama no Susume, however, is frankly one of the shows I look forward each week, so I hope this review will encourage more people to watch it.

Enjoyment: 8 ...
To hell with the MAL order. I watch anime to have a good time, so enjoyment is the most important point. Hence, the last will be first. (Translated for my grandma reading me from the North Pole: I'm apologizing for putting the last point first in order.)

Yama no Susume is WILDLY enjoyable. It actually changed how I look at mountains: once, they were big rocks without meaning. Then, a lovely sight and a good photographic subject.
Now, they are places I'd like to dwell in.
Still, I find that for 5 minutes of your life, they can be well spent while watching Yama no Susume. It takes as much time as a smoke, but it won't kill you.

Story: 8
Let's face it: Yama no Susume is not a thriller, nor a romance story. If you're looking for plot twists, keep looking as you'll find none. However, if we consider YnS a slice-of-life comedy I think the story is actually quite good. It's plausible, and yet funny. It's logical, and yet moving. Heck, this is a life any of us could well have lived: how do you call an anime about people with magical powers or mecha "slice of life" ? So, sticking to this definition of Slice, Yama no Susume is actually quite good in my opinion.

Bottom line: It's not an action anime, but I still found the story to be very enjoyable.

Art: 8
Fresh, light-hearted and colorful without ever great taste. Not quite as comedic as Kotoura-San, neither as artistic as Sakurasou na Pet no Kanojo, and I think that's a good side: an up-the-ante art would have really looked off against the story. Still, they could break the boundary a little in the comedy moments.

Bottom line: Botticelli didn't draw this, but I think it adds to the lightheartedness of the anime. Yes, you write lightheartedness without hyphens

Childish show? Yes. About cute girl doing cute things? Yes. At first, I thought this anime will just gonna waste my time. It is short, only 3 minutes per episode. That's why I think this anime can't be very good. How could it be good if it is only 3 minutes? Moreover the story is just about little girl playing around? But, seriously this anime is not like what I thought at first.

Yama no Susume. A story of courage and friendship. As its title -Encouragement of Climb- say, this story is about a little kid (Aoi) who build up her courage in trying something new ... with the help of her friends. This anime has strong nostalgic feeling, reminding me of my childhood. The moment when we still dream high and try to achieve it, even if it seems impossible. A nice anime that everyone can watch. Watching it together with someone else is also fine.

Story (7/10)
Simple, funny, and heartwarming. The story is about climbing mountain and trying something new mixed with some comedy. It shows daily activities with a lot of everyday conversation. The story bring up many kind of feeling (happy, worry, sad, embarrassed etc) mixed together. I like it when the characters is smiling. It bring happy feeling to the viewer. The story just flows with nothing big or special happened.

Art (10/10)
The way character drawn is cute. I love the design. Not only the characters, but also the view like mountain, sun, and sea is well drawn. I like the art in the ending song of each episode.

Sound (10/10)
ED song (Staccato Days) is pleasant to be heard. I have repeated it so many times and still not bored of it until I write this review. The background music is also nice and the voice actress fits the characters too.

Character (9/10)
Aoi's reserved, like to do things alone, and thinking too much personality and Hinata's cheerful and mature for her age personality make them a cute pair. There is a nice character development on Aoi despite the anime short duration. There is difference between Aoi in the beginning of the story and Aoi in the end. I did not really like the other two girl characters.

I'll mention three things I like about Yama no Susume
- Beautiful little girls
- A lot of outdoor activities with nice view
- Courage to trying something new

PS : Feedback for the review is welcomed

This is one of the best and short anime series I have ever seen, since its three minutes in one episode and the story is really simple but really good.

Kinda long review, which could help you decide watching this anime.

Story (8):

This story follows an introverted girl named Aoi and her childhood friend Hinata.
Aoi is introverted and shy, when Hinata is an extrovert and loves mountaineering (going to mountains). They both decide to climb a mountain, to see a sunrise they saw together when they were younger.
Episodes fit together into a continuous story, it wasn't very predictable but the story is very short and simple because ... each episode is only 3 minutes long.

Art (9):

Art is very nice, pleasing, heart warming, cosy and all those feelings.
Very beautiful backgrounds, cute characters.

Sound (9):

Voice actors perfectly fit characters.
Background music fits current mood.
Opening/Closing songs were also likeable.'

Characters (9):

Everyone had their own stories, which is nice. They reacted normally, realistically. There was some supporting characters and they weren't really needed for the series, but it just made anime more alive and they helped the main character to realise some stuff.

Enjoyment (10):

With nice, short, simple story, beautiful art, cute characters, fitting sounds, I totally enjoyed this anime.
I think others will enjoy this anime aswell.

Overall - 9

A fantastic short anime with great character development. Yama no Susume is about Aoi, a shy girl who is scared of heights, then a childhood friend Hinita forces her to start climbing, a friendship begins and Aoi gradually begins to have more confidence.

Short anime series are known for not having a clear plot, but this surprising has one and has great continuity. The series focuses on Hinita and Aoi’s goal to climb a mountain, and the episodes flow and join each into each other seamlessly. Each episode is focused climbing in someway, whether they’re shopping for a new bag, or climbing up a hill.

The character’s ... are fantastic. Aoi starts off shy and is socially awkward, but overtime as she goes outside her comfort zone by climbing mountains/hills and talking to people, she becomes more confident, and happier over time. It was really great seeing her gain more confidence during the series. Hinita and the other characters are also very likeable. Especially Hinata, who is very energetic and often encourages Aoi.

This is a very lighthearted and fun anime to watch, however it doesn’t take itself very seriously as it doesn’t explore the emotional challenges Aoi went through like the struggles of trying to be more social. I would definitely recommend watching this if you want to watch an anime that’s going to make you smile.

Constructive feedback for this review is appreciated :)

Why do humans climbs mountains? Well people climb dangerous mountains simply because they can!! They see the mountain as a challenge,a challenge that cannot stand unanswered!!!! Can cute little girls also climbs mountains? Well let's find out , Welcome to my review of Yama no Susume!!!



Years before this tale take place Aoi and her friend Hinata climbed a mountain together!! Holding hands and seeing the sun rise!!! Casting its piercing rays over the world and blessing it with its precious light!! While they are sharing the magical display from nature. My girls makes a vow and pledge to relive this moment again together!!! But life ... inevitably throws us curve balls. After a nasty fall which resulted in a broken arm, Aoi suffer from trauma and developed fear for heights, and social anxiety and avoidance to this kinds of situations,rather spending her time alone and with her safe books then ever again climbing another mountain .But one day Hinata see her lost friend and have not forgotten their past, She decide to rekindle their love and help Aoi traverse her biggest obstacle in life!! Her own fears and anxiety!!



A great story in a cute girl show is not important.Its rather all about the cute girls and how they chose to spend their time .The anime will give some hikers pointers and other relevant stuff .But mostly its about warm females spending precious time together. With some lewd occasion ofc .The animation looks great nice soft watercolours!! Easy for the eyes and very cute girls, and some stunning nature with breathtaking views!!!



The characters are kind gentle and heartwarming. Especially Hinata!!! Instead of being upset at Aoi for forgetting or blaming or trying to force her in to something. Hinata love her friend and wants to help Aoi get passed her fears!!! But mostly I think she missed her friend and wants her back!! Those two characters works great. Together their personality is a great mix and I love to observing their interactions!! Others will also later join in!! And together experience the magic nature and lolis have to offer!!



I like lolis and i love Yuri!!! So i have a damn good time watching this.The girls are flirting wildly with each other, and a lot of psychical contact strong friendship and pure warm Yuri love .And with no males other than support it suited my taste very nicely.My overall experience was very pleasurable! So,,Do you like cute girls doing cute things? Do you like lolis in lewd situations? Well luckily for you then you pervert!! This anime is more about loli climbing other lolis!! Rather then loli climbing mountains.And for that i strongly recommend this anime!!!



I dedicate this review to my lovely Hinata. Because her strong dedication to help her girlfriend and lifting her up with love and compassion!!!

A new chapter in the collection of "cute girls doing cute things" anime, Yama no Susume is a series of short episodes (which evolved into a longer second season) that does not deserve to have such a low score, 6.85 at the time of writing, being objectively a very good show that satisfies the target audience of slice of life and moe enthusiasts.

Let's start addressing the elephant in the room: can this show be good with three-and-a-half-minutes-long episodes including ED? Yes, no doubt: it's a slice of life, it hasn't a dense complex plot which has to be carefully developed in order to be enjoyable; ... it's just 2 to 4 girls mountaineering, everything that has to be said for plot purposes fits perfectly in the short span of time that the anime is allowed to occupy, with plenty of room left for the enjoyment of the cuteness of the characters and of the beauty of the scenery (which is good enough for a scenery-centered anime although not great). If on the other hand you are wondering how a show about mountaineering can be cute, let me reassure you: all the characters are very sweet, and honestly in a world where loli/basket anime Ro-Kyu-Bu! exists anything can be moe (by the way Yama no Susume's Kokona and Ro-Kyu-Bu!'s Hina, who have the same role in their shows as the "loliest" girls, have also the same seiyuu).

Overall if you're interested in the genre the runtime should not discourage you: Yama no Susume is a very good choice, and if at the end you're feeling like you would have wanted more of this, well, go straight to the second season (it's as good as the first, and much longer!).

Recently Japan likes to make animes of 3 to 5 minutes per episode. This is an example of this. There isnt any bad to make that short anime, becouse I consider if you can, you can tell a story in a short time.

Here we dont have any ecchi, action ore something like other animes. The anime inly focus in a girl with a fear and how her friend helps with that. The only know about the main character more than the other 3. Some episodes the characters go into a mountain and others we see that buying things (and for this makes the anime boring), ... so I put a 7 and in characters 8.

Talking about music is saying nothing. You can ignored the music, but the ending song is cute.. A 5 for that.

I am getting sick about see a lot of animes with moe characters, and seems that this season has a lot of animes with a LOT of moe, this is one of this anime, so if you dont like moe, dont watch it, but if you lke or dont hate moe, you can ignore this point. About the scene is really good. Too much forest , so we have a lot of good scenes

SO in enjoyment I really like the anime, you can watch it if you are bored or tired to make homework. . this anime is so easy to watch becouse is a 3 minutes and the story is easy to follow.

Initially, I didn't expect much from the collection of hiking shorts, known as Encouragement of the Climb, or Yama no Susume. And following my expectations, the first season of the series is just average, I can't say that it's anything other than average, but I thought the second season was good.

• Much like other moe shows like K-On, Yuru Yuri, or New Game! The second series are usually far superior, due to the fact the the studio seems to be more comfortable quirks, and the audience is more familiar with the girls’ cute quirksーso character and story exploration can take place. Encouragement of the Climb ... doesn't betray its sister shows in that aspect.

• Along the same vein of Akari having an existential crisis at the end of the second season of Yuru Yuri, the second season of this series goes more into Aoi's fear of heights. The first season does touch on it, but since the shorts in the first season are far shorter (episodes in S1 are three minute segments, while the ante is ramped up to fifteen minute weeklies in S2), before, the show only had time to teach us about hiking.

• Moe shows about a protagonist overcoming a fear or personality flaw is a stereotype, but a stereotype that I often enjoy. I really enjoyed that Girls und Panzer took Miho's character a step further than the rest, by having her deal with PTSD and an overbearing, abusive family.

• I enjoyed the cute little vignettes that made you think that this collection of stories is sweeter than a diabetic pony. I can also say that Encouragement of the Climb got me really interested in hiking, which is spectacular since I rarely leave my house. The arc where the girls climbed Mt. Fuji, or Fuji-san as they call it, was particularly touching and well-written.

• Overall, if you want to watch something adorable, emotionally moving, and something that will encourage you to break your shut-in habits, then you would probably love the hell out this series! If you don't like moe, then don't, but it’s a very fun and encapsulating experience for a series of short episodes: seriously the times range is from 3-13 minutes. I give the first season a 5/10, the second season a 7/10, and the third season a 5/10.

This is an anime series that is extremely short, actually more like a mini-series that sets the whole relationship among characters. Slightly empty plot-wise, but it gives the viewers mostly a very warm feeling as they understand how the characters interact with each other in a generally productive way. It's very realistic of Japanese schoolgirls interacting with each other. But I have to say that the story is very straight-forward with no frills attached as the main purpose of the story came from a manga that introduces the hobby of mountaineering. You know, a huge chunk of what Japan is in a nutshell.

Without explaining about ... the whole storyline, it's very short and full of good vibrations. Well, the good vibrations in this case are the warm and positive friendship of being comrades.

I overall recommend this series very immensively for the purpose of watching the 2nd season, where the story spices things up. What spices the story is very sweet.

And one more thing about Yama no Susume (essentially Season 1). There is no opening theme song, but a closing theme song that has something that is colorfully applied and it is called staccato, a music term that denotes a note that is slightly shortened and slightly strengthened. I would recommend to feel the music as well and watch this series as it sets the whole dominant mood of the story, AKA their love for mountaineering.

Encouragement of Climb consists of 12 episodes each clocking in at 3 minutes.

Usually anime shorts like this consists of little sketches that are either comedic or fan service-y in nature. It's very rare that a show can contain the storyline within that amount of time and still be a proper one with arcs, character development and plot.

It also highlights the beauty of the locations mentioned (mt Takao specifically) and pays attentions to the details of both the climbers and the trail.

I can't believe this also counts as a point but it allows children to be just that, children. They look like kids, ... act like kids AND they don't suddenly flash their panties or get over sexualized when they're KIDS. I feel like 99% of all recent animes can learn from this.

Moe at the right point, the kawaiiness is just enough to melt your heart and hugs you just as a loving sugoi mother would.
Everything is perfect: outstanding characters with realistic personalities, beautifull landscapes and wonderful stories with an enchanting yuri subplot with that weird irl alterego of Black Rock Shooter and the main character from Hidamari Sketch.
Truly a masterpiece that everyone should see at least once in their lives.

Wonderful.

Yama no Susume is a light and warm series of short episodes about cute girls doing cute things. Also, mountains.

There's really not all that much I can say about this series. The art style is beautiful and captures the essence of the locations well. If you know nothing about mountain climbing, it's even a little informative, and "peaked" (bad pun, I know!) my interest in trying it myself some time.

There's no action or drama here, just a cute story about a girl gaining confidence and making new friends. The characters come off as a little generic, but they fit in to the story well ... enough. There is a bit of the "moe" aesthetic here, but this isn't one of those otaku-pandering shows.

The only thing I didn't like about this series was the sound. The music was bland and forgettable, and the voice acting was silly, though not atypical for the slice of life genre.

While not a masterpiece, Yama no Susume does enough with the less than 45 minutes total to make it worth the time spent watching.

I want to start off this review by saying , you wouldn't think it's possible to have as "complex" of character development in 12 three minute episodes. But it is , and its heart melting to say the least . The stories about 2 high school girls , one outgoing and boarder line obnoxious and the other shy and reserved and terribly afraid of heights . The rest of the story is the development those two girls go through in their journey to climb mountains together as they once did as younger children . The art is BREATHTAKING !! Every nature scene looked just like ... I were climbing through the mountains myself . By the end both girls have drastically changed from who they were introduced as in the beginning , and only for the better . Enjoyment overall was an easy 10 to give . I found myself smiling the entire series , each episode start to finish .

"You can't do it because you think you can't. For almost anything, if you try, it'll usually work out."

It's refreshing to find a fresh short anime akin to Yama no Susume. There isn't a lot like them, ones with a continuous story, an enjoyable growing cast of characters, and most importantly of all is a joy to watch. In 3 minutes Yama no Susume captures the essence of a normal 20+ minute episode without losing any quality. It doesn't feel like a shorts anime is what I'm trying to articulate, the pace is what you'd expect from a typical CGDCT anime. For that alone, I ... admire this series even more cause it's not easy to have that feel down perfectly by the first episode.

We follow Aoi Yukimura who is naturally shy and is a novice when it comes to climbing. When she stumbles into Hinata Kuraue an exuberant ball of energy, she reignites Aoi's encouragement to climb. (pun intended) Aoi hesitantly is pushed into the whole mountain climbing thing unable to really say no because of her innate shyness, but throughout the short series we see her find happiness from climbing, and how much fun it is to be with Hinata and the others she befriends as a result.

"I hadn't looked at the sky for a long time, but when you take an interest you start to be able to see something, and it leads you to something else."

Without being reintroduced to mountain climbing by Hinata, Aoi wouldn't have took an interest of climbing once more, and would have missed the opportunity to make friends with Kaede and Kokona. I'm impressed with the sheer amount of great lessons in this short series, and seeing something like climbing a mountain from a casual perspective is fascinating. Anime like Yuru Camp take a similar approach on camping and there are some parallels but as a whole Yama no Susume strikes a different chord.

I can easily see why Yama no Susume has garnered multiple sequels which all in all take the series from a 3 minute short anime into a full blown 24 minute regular series! It's a treat seeing the growth of Aoi from the perspective of mountain climbing and can't wait to see how far it progresses, what mountain will they climb next?

You are in a school and want to pass it peacefully by doing stuffs you want to do. People usually keep their distance from you as you are not good at socializing. Is this the story of your school life? No there will always be a person in your life who gonna break the barrier and drag you out from your illusion-normal day-unsocial life.

Set on a high school Aoi is your "Unsocial" main character who prefers indoor hobbies but her childhood friend [whom she forgot already] came out from no where and pursue her to mountain climbing as they once did when they were ... child. And thus there mountain climbing story starts.

It wasnt like they went out to explore Mt.Fuji or some big shot mountains as they are high school students they started it small with the neighbor hood mountains.

Also the anime shows what you require as a mountain climber. As they the prepares themselves with back packs and necessary things to climb mountain,as the anime progresses they specially Aoi came through people who are like them [Aoi Hinata] Thus Aoi's new "mountain climbing" high school life starts with her friends.

The anime was good with back ground music and good graphics. After watching anime like "Non Non Biyori" I had high expectation on this one too and it lived upto my expectation.

Bit by bit the anime became educative [in mountain climbing way] and also soothing along with enjoyable though it was only 3 minutes long.

All you need to know is that if you are going through a dark time and all you need is some sweet wholesome warmth to get you by, this is the soothing show of pure innocence comfort and joy I would 100% recommend. It's simple, scenic and charming like being in nature with friends when you were a kid

The characters are kind, The animation is calming and pretty as it is mostly set in beautiful scenery, Overall I'd say it is pretty unique and original in it's setting and tone. It's not as over the top as a lot of anime styles but it is ... that exact same simplicity that makes it so wholesome and calming. capturing that certain glow of the appreciation one may feel when they're making new friends who take you on an adventure finally to be enraptured by the beautiful, simple yet expansive joy of nature.

This is one favorite anime. Yama no susume is an anime that is beautiful since it presents many teachings with the main character Aoi. Aoi presents many situations where she overcomes her fears and matures more and more. I have to say that I have only seen it up to the second season but from what I have seen I can say that it is a beautiful anime, Aoi constantly suffers from anxiety about what will happen in the future and I think that many of us feel identified with the situations that it presents. I only have one negative point about this anime and ... it is its OVAs, its OVAs are the worst, it is literally pure fan service and that is something that I do not like since they sexualize the characters too much and that in my opinion is wrong since it is a moe genre anime and moe in my opinion has to be very pure and cute, not dirty.

When Yama no Susume premiered, I took one look at the show and passed, thinking it was a "sports anime" like Yowamushi Pedal or any of the billions of baseball/soccer shows that Japanese producers can't get enough of. "Hiking club? Whatever." But the Anime Drought of Summer 2018 showed up (1), and I needed a pick-me-up anime to break the monotony that set in. A colleague at work heard that I enjoyed Yuru Camp, and suggested Yama no Susume. All right, let's have a go, but I want to start from the beginning.

So, how do you get an acrophobe to climb a mountain? Just make ... her, says the show. It sounds cruel at first blush, but unless we're talking Alps or Himalayas, many mountain climbs don't involve sheer cliff drops, and I thought this was a wonderful way of not only helping Aoi's isolation and phobia, but also introducing noobs to mountain climbing.

Anime shorts, lasting anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, are nothing new. Here we have a bit of a no-frills sitcom where each situation tends to stretch over about 3 or 4 episodes. And before you know it, the end credits. Three and a half minutes is perhaps an indication of the budget available, and 8bit made the most of what they had. This is probably best viewed in one go.

Visually, this is kinda like Yuru Camp before Yuru Camp even got to production. It would've been quick, easy, and cheap to do what many shorts do, which is stick with low-detail backdrops and lots of low-movement animation, but 8bit made sure each episode was richly animated.

I've come to the realization that I will probably endure a terrible anime if the soundtrack is fantastic. Season 1 of Yama no Susume is "all right" in my estimation, and the soundtrack is largely unassuming-- but then there's not much to compose within a cour of 3-minute episodes. The only theme song is an end credits theme sung by Yuka Iguchi and Kana Asumi, both seasoned veteran actresses. It's a good accompaniment to an iyashi series, short and sweet. The show received something of a cult following in Japan, which naturally leads to season 2 being greenlit.

(1) Yes, I made that up, but this is because I dropped about a dozen shows this season, which is a new personal high. Hanebado started way too dark, for example, Sunohara-sou was one-dimensional, the rest was just... dull and boring. The only shows I looked forward to, putting it charitably, were Lupin and Gegege, and they were likewise pretty dull.

This anime is perfect for fans of anime such as Yuru Camp/Laid back camp. Initially, I had no idea if I was going to enjoy this anime at all, as im an introverted indoor loser, but, as time went on. I found myself rooting for the heroine of this show. The anime doesn't pull any punches either. Not every moment is a happy moment, it shows the struggle of trying to achieve something, the struggle of failing, yet the passion that remains to never give up. Simultaneously, this manages to be a high school anime with some drama elements to it. This anime, if you ... couldn't guess from the title, is, encouraging. It also however isn't too plot-centric. You could easily use this to just kill 20 minutes, if youre not in the mood to be paying full attention to something. Overall this anime is great for people who love the outdoors, or for people who are struggling to achieve their dreams.