Yaku nara Mug Cup mo: Niban Gama

It's time for more mug cup making, and this time, it's for real!

Really didn't expect for this show of a mix anime and live-action to get another season, and admittedly while I found some issues with the prequel back in Spring, all those worries are alleviated in this sequel, and it's for the better. I know I sounded too harsh on my review back in Spring, so I took some steps back to see this from another angle, and the satisfaction really grew on me, bit by bit.

The same closeness relationship is as what you'd expect for a follow-up season with the mug cup clique ... of girls, and knowing that it's the same CGDCT style should clue you in that you can relax while watching this creation. It's not special, but it at least services the plot decently...except that you really get to see a mug cup made in action, so that effectively is a plus right there.

The same vibes with the OST, and while the sequel is decent, I really liked the ambient tunes of the prequel a lot more that felt fitting to the scene.

This is a show where if you have nothing else to watch and you don't expect to wing 20-minute episodes (minus the OP and ED) in one sitting, why not take a gander at this 12-min show that you can do much with less time? You can actually get to see how a mug cup is made that at least answers the show's themes!

2021 was a pretty good year for anime on most accounts, and one of the most pleasant surprises I've seen was a little show called Yakunara Mug Cup mo, about girls learning about pottery and making ceramics. I watched the first season and fell in love with it, but I was convinced it would be one of those shows that would end at 12 episodes and then fall into obscurity. So imagine my surprise when it was immediately announced that there'd be a second season! Of course, I knew I'd devour it the second it came out, and as you can see here, I did! ... Taking place immediately after the first season, Himeno Toyokawa learns more about the different kinds of pottery and ceramics every day, and even learns more about her mother and how she influenced the world of ceramics back in her day. But after a while, Himeno decides she wants to make her own, distinctive piece because of a suggestion her father made, but she mind wind up putting too much pressure on herself in doing so.

Most sequels to media aren't very well received because they either try to be too ambitious, or reuse the same formula over and over again but with less inspiration than before. All Yakumo really does is just build on what made the first series good and explore the ideas it established further. The animation and music quality are both the same, so those haven't changed much, but the characters grow from the previous season, and their development is very subtle and well done, expanding on what they were in the first season. We also get to learn more about Touko's past and her issues with her grandfather. Though...as much as I liked Touko's backstory and how it culminated in the end, there's one huge part of it that absolutely baffles me to no end, and the show doesn't really try to explain that part in greater detail, and it just left me confused. I also liked that the creators gave Nao a bit more focus here, as I felt like she was little more than the basic comic relief in the first season.

Not only that, the show introduces some new characters who actually contribute to the show and Himeno's development, such as a classmate of her mother's, and Ximena Valdez, a Mexican girl who loves ceramics and was influenced by Himeno's mother's creations. It's pretty rare for anime to depict characters of other races and from different countries outside of America, so to see a genuine Mexican in an anime is pretty refreshing (The only other one I can think of was Michiko and Hatchin, and that came out in 2008. There could be more that I'm not aware of, though). I can't exactly comment on the authenticity of Ximena's portrayal, as I'm not Mexican or Latin-American, but Ximena is a far cry from a lot of the stereotyped depictions of Mexican women in mainstream media, like the seductive temptress, a criminal, or a put-upon immigrant from an impoverished background. Ximena is fairly cheerful and enthusiastic, is clearly passionate about her work, worked very hard to get to where she is because she truly loves studying ceramics and pottery, and actually has a good grasp on the Japanese language. The main characters all accept her with open arms and make no comment on her race or background whatsoever. It helps that the Spanish used in the show is accurate and doesn't sound like it came out of Google Translate.

One other thing Yakumo does well is that it doesn't try to rehash the same storylines as the first season, instead focusing on being much more character-driven and having more internal conflicts than the first. So you won't find them entering another ceramics contest at the end. But the show has always been about putting its characters first, even if most of them are still kind of tropey. That doesn't mean Yakumo doesn't have its moments of weirdness though. For some reason, one episode is completely dedicated to showing how Mika created the ceramic bird mascot of the series, and the show had the bright idea of giving the bird mascot a voice and internal thoughts. It's not as weird as that one episode of the first season, but it is a little jarring.

So all in all, Yakunara Mug Cup mo season 2 built upon what made the first season great, and while not reaching any new heights or anything, still managed to be very sweet and a good show overall.

I'm genuinely shocked. I can't believe that they made a more powerful follow-up to a POTTERY ANIME of all things.

As the perilous artist's journey continues, it doesn't make for an explosive innovative entrance. Unless you consider the VAs getting in the POTTERY ANIME BRANDED GOVERNMENT VAN to be innovative, I guess you can call it a default 10/10 :3

Nay, Let's Make a Mug Too! S2 (henceforth Yakumo S2) continues the artist's journey. If you have no idea what that looks like, allow me to present a crude 3-step method of how to get into professional art:

1. Develop interest and passion for your medium.
2. Get good.
3. ... Enjoy the craft as you're a true professional.

Yakumo S2 focuses on steps 2 and 3 because Himeno isn't the central focus of the story this time. It focuses on the motivations for the main cast. From dealing with circumstantial setbacks (Mika) to upholding family legacies (Touko-senpai), the cast of characters discover the true meaning of pottery... Something that I couldn't be fucked to tell you what that actually means lol.

Honestly, I felt like that point was just to generate faux depth for the story. From what I could gleam into, the essence of pottery is no different than the rest of the crafts like painting or even drawing anime frames. It's just the methodology (hands-on vs using a pencil vs using CG for anime) that's different.

But that's okay, this IS a show designed to be light-hearted and easily digestible from the ground up. Even though the character development can seem like a mega-miss because of how short-lived it really is, the themes and overall development are perfect for the half-length episodes. The show gets their points across with a clean cut every time.

And golly gee, Jim. The story does feel excellent as always. Through the expressions of the characters and what they make, you can feel that sense of progression happening between seasons, even if it isn't explicitly shown.

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"But what about the specials, Mr. Chips901? It was the only reason why you rated S1 so high! Is it the same this time around?"

Why yes, wayward reader. I'm so glad you asked.

Yes, the specials take it a step further, ranging from appreciating history to the VAs making a piece of pottery that they can feel proud of.

One immediate difference I noticed was the dichotomy of appreciation from people who regularly watch anime vs the town of Tajimi. As mentioned above, the town REALLY liked Yakumo for how well produced and faithful it is. Not only do they have an anime branded government car, they also went as far as to say that the town would showcase some of the pieces that the VAs made! Needless to say, it startled VAs for just how good of a job they did. In contrast, both AniList and MAL rate this show as a mid-to-high 6, meaning that the casual audience probably expected someone to die.

On the history side, all I can say is that for someone to be designated as a Living Treasure, you would have to stand at the very apex of the craft itself. Like, they talk about one ancient gigachad who singlehandedly recreated an ancient pottery style FROM A SINGLE FORGOTTEN SHARD. It's a feat that's more impressive than whatever I'll be able to accomplish in my weak bloodline...

On the side of VAs producing a pottery piece, that's where things get a bit more interesting.

How do you judge amateur work? Well, you'd judge by what you can see. But if that's all you can see, then that's a pretty shallow and casual take on it. Professionals take it a step further by judging the shape of the idea itself, being able to see the underlying potential in one's work.

This doesn't apply too much to Yakumo, since the VAs received professional help in realizing the end result, but hey. Y'know what they say, it's the thought that counts!

For the most part, the VAs made an earnest effort to create something memorable. To that extent, at the advice of the expert helping them, they created something related to their interests. While two of the VAs' creations were simple and clear, one VA tried to make something abstract, and the other... A butt with T H I C C legs and heels.

I shit you not. That VA said something like "I didn't like how [the butt piece] turned out. The butt ended up being more masculine and thicc in nature," despite receiving professional help with shaping such a piece. It was at that point that I knew Yakumo S2 was a 10/10.

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Sometimes, you just gotta take a step back and enjoy the little things. When you're drinking something delightful out of something handmade, there's something inexplicably special about it. Yakumo S2 successfully captures this, even if melodramatic for what it is. Pottery itself still continues to not be intrinsically exciting, but as stated in my previous review, it's all about having fun with the creative process.

Yakumo S2 gets a 10/10 simply because they did an excellent job at showcasing what they wanted to showcase, be it the continuation of an artist's journey or the butt. They did such a good job that creating a competing pottery anime of the same calibre would be very VERY difficult. It's one of those cases where less ends up being a lot more.

Should you watch Yakumo S2? Obviously, my answer is a resounding yes, both anime and specials. As usual, if you're just grinding anime for the sake of completion, you'd only disappoint yourself as you can only see this as a write-off. On the flipside, it is more pottery and then some. It is the pursuit of inspiration itself.

For me, I'll always look back on this anime with a peculiar brand of fondness. It'll always bring a smile to my face no matter how hard I critically think about it. If a colourful anime mug can be that evocative, how could this show be any less than a masterpiece?

In conclusion,

Yeah! Let's make a mug too! 10/10.

Until next time.