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 original. I mean come on which anime aside from Shirkuma Cafe has a POLAR BEAR as the owner of a cafe and the customers are animals and humans together. Not only that it seems that it is a normal thing to see a panda walking down the street. I mean in real life people would either have screamed or they would have called animal control. I don't think many people recognize how unique the story and the concept is. But aside from the plot itself in each episode there are two different stories which sometimes are connected but otherwise it is usually two separate ones. Without giving any spoilers the stories that happen with each character does give you a nice feeling inside. For an example in episode 34 you follow the story of Wolf and Tiger and watch the friendship bloom really is beautiful and funny.
Story comparison: Doreamon, and Ninja Hattori-kun in terms of format.
Art-8
I'm always impressed by the art in anime. The characters and the background look very unique and clean. The colours are also very nice looking but it isn't anything that will make you go O: like Attack On Titan does.
Art comparison: Minami-ke in terms of character design. If you look closely at Sasako she kind of resembles Kana (kind of) and also the eyes look pretty much the same in terms of style and width
Sound-9
The voice acting is almost perfect. Each character has the voice that I would imagine them to have. For an example, isn't penguin's voice perfect? and also grizzlies?
Furthermore, one of the best things in this anime is the music. The openings match the exciting and laid back vibe that the anime gives off. The first opening "Boku ni Invitation" especially gave a strong impression on me. It is very upbeat and catchy like most anime songs should be in order to draw the audience in. Also the endings of each anime are very nice but the transition to the ending in some episodes can be somewhat disruptive. However I don't want to over-hype the music too much because by no means is it a masterpiece like Guilty Crown, Fairy Tail, FMA, Angel Beats and others.
Sound Comparison: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin but there are better comparisons for sure
Character-7
Okay, here is what the anime mayyybee could have done better. However considering the type of anime it is I don't see why they would add character development in this kind of anime. The anime isn't particularly supposed to stand out in terms of a mind blowing story. But to put into context:
Panda (main character):
-very lazy panda
-is full of himself to the point where it is funny
-Even after watching the anime I don't really know if he is selfish or just mean
-at times can be very nice
-Hates people that he views as weird (poor Rin Rin....)
Voiced by: Fukuyama, Jun (Yutta in Chuunibyou, Lelouch in Code Geass O: and a lot of others) in other words he's a very good voice actor
Shirokuma (main character):
-PUN the PUNS ARE REAL
-a very calm person
-is a very funny character
-background is really unkown.. there have been various stories but none that are confirmed to be true
-of course a very good cook
-runs the cafe
-best friends with Grizzly
-is kind of a mean...you'll see why if you watch the anime
Voiced by: Sakurai, Takahiro (Kira in Bleach, Sting in Fairy Tail and lots of others as well)
Penguin (main character):
-Needs compliments
-is often left out and ignored (it's funny at first but you kind of feel bad for him)
-Reminds you of that friend who keeps talking about how wonderful this girl he likes but never has the guts to ask her out
-basically just does nothing for the whole entire day
-adds dynamic to the other main characters and acts as that person who is always laughed at
Voiced by: Kamiya, Hiroshi (Otonashi from Angel Beats)
Enjoyment-9
If you are looking to watch something that will be make you relax or just want to watch a show for a cooldown after watching something intense Shirokuma Cafe is something you would want to watch
Overall-8
I would not really recommend this show to someone who can't stand shows without any character development or something without a mind blowing plot. However if you are looking to watch a show that will give you a few laughs or too then Shirokuma Cafe is one of the shows you want to watch.
