It is often a difficult endeavor, even for those of us who number among the appreciators, to quantify exactly what makes a slice of life show ‘truly great’ or ‘’stand-out’. It’s not that no such shows exist, the truth is in fact far from, its that in the absence of big epic moments or impressive sakuga cuts, that feeling is not one that we feel so intensely in a moment as in other shows. So what is it exactly that separates a K-On from a lesser series? Well I think today’s review, ‘Is the order a rabbit’, provides a good case study for some do’s and don'ts of cute girls doing cute things.
First of all, we have to get this clear right off the bat, let’s not compare this series to K-on, or any other titans of slice of life made by KyoAni or the like. This is more comparable to the Doga Kobo take on moe, with cute, doughy designs and simple but effective movements. This show however comes to us from studio White Fox, a fairly new studio in the business. They are perhaps best known for handling popular titles such as Steins;Gate and Re:zero. They are however less acquainted with slice of life, with the only other notable outing being the excellent romcom The Devil is a Part Timer. Generally speaking, their production values are on the upper end of the industry, not quite in the upper echelons but still pretty damn respectable.
And on the production side of things, this show gets a lot right. First of all, the character designs are absolutely adorable, all very distinct and each character has their own unique flair and set of expressions. They remind me of the simple but expressive designs from New Game! in their ability to handle both ridiculous comedy as well as more serious moments very naturally. It’s always a good sign when the animation can deform the characters to extreme degrees for a joke and they still remain recognisable and with their own individual sense of style. And at the same time as being so distinctive and unique, they are also a perfect canvas for a variety of adorable facial expressions and reactions, which a lot of the show’s comedy lives and dies on. Also worthy of note is the design of the show’s setting and backgrounds, which has a heavy European vibe, giving a distinct feel to the environments shown, many of which are very memorable and pleasing on the eye, which is a nice touch. The environments feel lived in by these characters, which lends an extra level of depth to the world and characters itself, something that is somewhat rare for slice of life shows not made by KyoAni.
With these designs and backgrounds doing a lot of the heavy lifting, the animation is perhaps less impressive by comparison, though certainly no slouch. There isn’t a whole lot of movement or impressive character animation but there almost doesn’t need to be. This show is meant to be relaxing on the eyes as well as on the mind. It keeps things simple, using clever placement of camera and character reactions to carry the comedy and drama. Not every show has to have mind blowing animation, some just aim to be visually pleasing, and for a show like this, that’s more than enough to make it memorable.
While we’re on the subject of characters, let's talk about that, as well as the overall content of the show. Gochiusa strikes somewhat of a balance between the ultra-irreverent style of moe comedy like Yuru Yuri and Nichijou, and the more character driven fare of something like New game or Dragon Maid. It’s basically a workplace comedy about a girl finding a job in a coffee shop in a new, picturesque town. It does follow a fairly episodic format, with two vignettes per episode telling a different tale in the lives of the employees of Rabbit House. However, unlike those irreverent shows I mentioned previously, watching this show out of order or skipping any would have a tangible effect on your viewing experience, because Gochiusa features some subtle but great character development and narrative. You could pretty much put every character in this show into an archetype chart, but that’s just the surface level. This show does a good job of using comedy and everyday occurrences to shine more light on its characters and their idiosyncrasies.
Take Chino for example, who is introduced as a pretty by the books deadpan loli/kuudere type character, who serves to be deadpan and crack sarcastic jokes. However, as the show goes on, we learn why she is the way she is, feeling less able to communicate with her peers due to the environment she grew up in, and various anxieties that hold her back from expressing herself properly. The way she warms up to the other characters as the show progresses, as well as her very wholesome relationship with her rabbit Tippy, give a level of depth perhaps not seen in a lesser slice of life series. The other characters are all pretty great as well. Cocoa is a pretty generic genki girl protag, but her relationship with her sister sheds more light on this dynamic, as well as her growing friendship with her workmates. Syaro is very relatable if you’ve ever been poor and desperate, and Rize is also a very fun character with her gap moe traits of being a military geek while also being kind of a pushover who has a soft spot for cute stuff. It’s also pretty hilarious how the romantic tension between Rize and Syaro is underpinned by the fact that they’re both pretty awkward and insecure people deep down, which leads to some great interactions
The show knows just how to put these characters into situations that play off their natural chemistry and unique traits to create cute, often hilarious, sometimes genuinely emotional moments. It’s great fluff to relax and let your worries wash away. Despite these positives though, not everything is perfect. The show can often resort to tried and true jokes and setups within the genre. This includes stuff like hot springs episodes, boob size jokes, embarrassment humour and one joke side characters. This is to be expected, but truly great shows can put an original spin on these a little better. There is also a recurring plot element of misunderstandings between characters, that are resolved in the same manner time and time again, which got a little dull after a while. While the art and characters are somewhat remarkable for the genre, a lot of the more nitty gritty plot elements are standard fare, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The voice acting is a joy, carrying a lot of the funniest moments, with a variety of cute voices that have a good range in displaying emotion. If you’ve ever seen a show like this before, this kind of acting will be very familiar to you, but I tend to like it for what it is, and in this case everyone does a good job. The music is all pretty standard too, relaxing strings and twinkly tones to go with your sugar sweet show, and the opening themes are pretty fun too, with the first being especially catchy, and the second having some fun imagery and use of character.
This show is not going to convert any doubter of CGDCT to the dark side, but it does remain a fun, relaxing slice of life show, with a gorgeous setting, some fun characters with some depth, and some really great comedic and dramatic moments.
