Nature contains two distinct branches, if you will: flora and fauna. Or for those that prefer the basic terms, plants and animals. Disregarding all of the former gives us a wide range of creatures that roam the Earth. The ferocious rhinos of Africa, the black-and-white pandas of Asia, and the slithering snakes of Australia, to name a few. These examples are more exotic; that is, some animals are a bit more domestic. The most popular among them being dogs and cats. However, there exists one rather cute species that has garnered much attention throughout the years. And if the title doesn't make it apparent, this animal is, of course, the bunny rabbit. In Is the Order a Rabbit?, while the coffee and cute girls take the spotlight, there are still bunnies aplenty.
STORY
Rabbit follows a young girl named Cocoa, who, upon moving to some Western town, houses with another young girl named Chino. Along the way, they make friends with Rize, Chiya, and Sharo, and their exploits are shown throughout.
At its core, Rabbit is nothing more than a cute girl show. From beginning to end, it isn't looking to elicit emotions from the audience other than those of happiness and joy. Drama is irrelevant, development of the characters is nonexistent, and it is thematically lacking any kind of outlook on society or life as we know it. And that's perfectly fine. Not every anime has to cause us to question our self or provide a thought-provoking message. No, what Rabbit relies on is execution.
For the genre it places itself in, "cute girls doing cute things," it performs very well. The majority of this is due in part to the characters themselves. They seem trope-y -- and to an extent, they are -- but their personalities and interactions are distinct and varied enough to make the entire experience completely fun from start to finish. Cocoa's "big sister" shtick, Sharo's inability to compose herself around Rize, and Chiya's sweet-naming powers remain consistent both in quality and quantity, providing the viewer with never-ending cuteness.
Where Rabbit missteps is in the presentation of the comedy. It's a mixed-bag, to say the least. On the one hand, the show is capable of utilizing its setting and situations to great effect, giving the laughs and adorableness needed for the moment. When it's focusing on the girls working in the coffee or tea shops, or playing up their character quirks, it's fine. On the other hand, though, a lot of the jokes either happen way too quickly or come from out of nowhere. Aoyama suddenly liking looking at girls or the lot of them practicing sports is good fun, but feels out of place within the context of the show.
One interesting aspect of the anime is the title. The line, "Is the order a rabbit?" is only uttered once, and in a flashback no less. From a literal standpoint, it doesn't make much sense. Who "orders" a rabbit from anywhere other than at a high-class restaurant? In other words, how does it relate at all to the show? The key word here is "order." It's not a request for food but rather a question about the composition of the show itself. Rabbits are cute, fluffy, small, precious, and harmless. The anime is definitely cute, the girls being a testament to that; it's "fluffy" in the lighthearted subjects; the series is contained and doesn't try to be anything more than it presents; it's difficult to mistreat the show; and it certainly isn't out to offend anyone. In this way, one can see the show as a "rabbit," just without the physical (and alive) form. My analytical glasses are straining here, but the comparison of the anime to its presupposed rabbits is definitely interesting.
ANIMATION
Is the Order a Rabbit? actually performs nicely in the art and animation department.
Taking place in a Western village, much of the locations are depicted as such. Narrow streets, classic European houses, and bridges spanning canals permeate the show. It gives it a nice sense of "uniqueness" even if the girls are speaking Japanese. At the same time, the show does incorporate nice lighting effects and more serene environments besides the "Rabbit House." Places such as the park or the bath-house aren't particularly enticing, but do help to spice up the formula. To help the hilarity, the show also incorporates more minimalist caricatures -- deadpan eyes, faces, and "chibi" bodies.
The character designs follow the simple pattern of "varied hair and eye colors" for the most part. This simplicity isn't terrible, as none of the characters are poorly drawn or animated. They are all rather small in stature, giving them a -- perhaps unneeded -- boost to cuteness.
Actual animation is often average to above average. It mostly depends on the type of art they are exhibiting at the time. If it is "modern," hair flows, expressions change, and eyes glisten and wander. If it is "minimalist," the characters are usually refrained from moving much to (again) enhance the comedy.
CHARACTERS
There are five main characters within Rabbit: Cocoa, Chino, Rize, Chiya, and Sharo. This is the order in which they are introduced, but let's go through them by personal preference.
As the youngest of the group, Chino is often treated as a child. Her emotionless way of speaking and frequent need to have Tippy placed on her head does make her out to be such a person. However, more often than not, she is the most serious and mature of the ladies. Towards the beginning of Rabbit, she is rather distant, refusing to take part in the silliness that Cocoa offers. However, Chino's time with her and the other girls allows her to break out of her self-induced shell, giving her the connections and friends that she always longed to have.
Cocoa is as strange as the name she harbors. Her affable personality and "sisterly" ways paint her as fun-loving and sibling-wanting. She contains a certain obsessiveness for cuddling anything -- especially Chino and bunnies -- and is rather dense when it comes to understanding the situation. Where she lacks in intelligence she makes up for in happiness, being the type of person who doesn't conform to the environment around her. Instead, while she may get sidetracked or she may cause everyone more trouble than is necessary, she enjoys being the jubilant young girl she's always been.
Sharo has an affinity for two things: glassware and Rize. Her abnormal fear of rabbits and misunderstood financial status make her "stick out" from the crew. She's refined and ladylike, yet finds herself going with the flow when everything goes down. This is mostly due to her major insecurities, a problem she is usually forced to deal with. Sharo, more so than any of the other cast members, values the people around her, looking to fit in rather than be ostracized due to some misplaced thinking. And over the course of the season, she is given these opportunities to find her place. While it starts somewhat rough, she eventually discovers that it isn't about where you come from that truly matters; what matters most are the feelings you share with those around you.
The best way to describe Chiya would be to call her a "mother." Doting on Cocoa, Sharo, Rize, and Chino, Chiya is simultaneously very aware and very carefree. She takes pride in coming up with clever names for the sweets she sells, but much like Cocoa, she tends to cause quite a few problems for those around her. In this way, she and Cocoa are "two peas in a pod." Where they differ, though, is in their conversational positions. That is, Cocoa is a "talker" whereas Chiya is a "listener." She's willing to sit down and hear out others, owing further to her parental nature.
Rize is pretty, but undervalues her own womanly aura. With a deep love for the military, she is often seen equipped with a gun or making coffee cream art in the shapes of tanks and jets. Oddly, compliments go straight to her head; she is generally cool-headed except when it comes to her looks or beauty. Being the oldest, she takes on a leadership role, guiding the girls both at work and in life. For her, she always felt as if she was being left out. And again, a comparison is made, but this time to Sharo. Sharo's perceived loneliness was due to her unwillingness to express herself properly. Rize, however, believed that her behavior was pushing everyone away. Luckily, she finds that her friends are more than willing to accept her for who she is, knives or snipers otherwise.
Each of the characters is quite likable, with no one being particularly grating or underwhelming. They're given an appropriate amount of time to be characterized and to give their own flavor to the comedy. At the same time, there's a particular connection that exists between many of them. The show explores the idea that, even if one feels helpless, there is somebody out there who cares. This is demonstrated constantly throughout the anime: Chiya consoling Sharo in the library, Cocoa looking after Chino as a "big sister," Rize acting as a role model for Chino's friends Megu and Maya, etc. Their aid for one another is what provides the show with the calming and mellow feel that it has. Nobody ever feels in danger, everyone is happy, and it is almost always "sunshine and rainbows." And it's designed this way not because of the individual characters, but because their relationships allow such fun to blossom, to run as free as a wild bunny.
SOUND
The OP is fine for what it is. The differing vocalists create a cute arrangement, even if the beat is rather boring. It's fun and fleeting, and fits the anime nicely enough.
As for the ED, it's harder to pinpoint. Once again, the highlight comes from the varying vocals, and not for the instruments themselves. The guitar and clapping are cute, and the three-step lyrics can often be catchy. And while it ends on resounding trumpets, it just isn't that memorable of a song.
The soundtrack, though, is rather nice. Owing to the setting and atmosphere, it generates many storybook-like tunes. Whimsical harps, dainty piano playing, and funny flutes give Rabbit a fantasy-esque feeling despite the normalcy of the scenarios themselves.
Voice acting sees above average performances for everyone involved. Shout-outs go to Maaya Uchida as Sharo, Ayane Sakura as Cocoa, and Inori Minase as Chino.
ENJOYMENT
This one requires the viewer to care about cuteness, more so than other anime, because it solely relies on it. Besides its execution being there, I found myself enjoying pretty much the entire cast. Cocoa as the lead actually didn't deteriorate her laughs; she was usually the one to make me smile. My favorites were Rize and Chiya -- Rize for her blushing and Chiya for her calmness -- but I also greatly liked one of the side characters, Aoyama. Her inclusion is kind of strange, but her lax way of going about her business wasn't so much funny as it was a way to buffer the quite rambunctious girls. She is quite attractive, too.
I find myself wishing that the show would have done a bit more explanation in regards to Tippy, and some of the relationships, most dealing with Chino, weren't as fleshed out as some of the others. This will most likely come with later iterations in the series (if they come to be), but as an example it would have been nice to see Chino and Sharo interact more with each other over the course of the show. Also, while Aoyama was given a small chance to shine, I would have liked to have seen her sooner and more often.
Is the Order a Rabbit? pours out adorableness like a pot pours out coffee: swiftly and in large measure. Combined with the nice art style and lovable cast, the anime should be able to bring a beaming smile to anyone's face.
SUMMARY
Story: Fine, nice execution, though lacking comedic guidance and anything else
Animation: Good, great art style, okay character designs, good actual animation
Characters: Good, Cocoa, Chino, Rize, Chiya, and Sharo are each both cute and helpful
Sound: Fine, okay OP, okay ED, good soundtrack, good VA work
Enjoyment: Good, funny and charming but needs more Aoyama
Final Score: 6/10
