Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is exactly what it sounds like. What it advertises is what you get and that is our main character dressed up in a bear outfit. It may seem like a peculiar trend but with the countless amount of fantasy shows in recent years, nothing surprises me anymore. Coming into this anime gave me the impression of playing a video game as we follow Yuna on her fantasy adventure. And here’s the catcher: Yuna enjoys her life in this new world more so than the real world.
World Fantasy Online is perhaps the most generic sounding game I’ve ever heard of. It’s taking the three most oversaturated words of the isekai genre and put them all in one basket. And as expected, the game itself has a colorful world setting of creatures, NPCs, characters, and of course, Yuma in a bear outfit. Despite the anime seemingly throwing everything to you at once, it’s actually pretty easy to figure out where Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is headed. The premise follows the plot and doesn’t take deep understanding to figure out the show altogether.
First off, there’s Yuna, the 15-year old poster girl who is carrying this show in her bear outfit. Like most teenagers, gaming is part of her hobby but she takes it to an obsessive level. There’s charm about her character despite this unhealthy hobby because let’s face it, she’s nerdy on the outside but adorably cute on the inside. Watching Yuna solving problems such as dealing with roaming monsters in the wild, discovering treasures, or collecting certain objects reminds me of modern JRPGs. Only here, Yuna doesn’t have a main questline to get through to beat the game. At least from this anime’s plot, she’s free and builds her own life in this virtual world. And because she is so free, Yuna has come to love World Fantasy Online and the gaming culture.
Make no mistake. Yuna’s no pushover when getting work done especially when judging on her combat skills. It’s actually amusing once you witness her feats in the show. Fighting monsters seems more like an annoying chore for her than an actual challenge. The anime built her character to be powerful, and by powerful, she is pretty much unrivaled throughout all her fights. I could go on to list her achievements but you’ll have to see to believe it. The bottom line is, Yuna is more than just unbearably cute. She’s a selfless girl that has the personality of a teen but also with heart of gold. She even forms some important relationships with others such as Fina and Noire. While on her adventure, you can see more of Yuna’s real personality when she interacts with these characters.
With the show’s cour length being just 12 episodes, there’s concern about how the studio would handle the adaptation. Honestly, stuffing over 15+ volumes into a single cour is never a favorable impression when you know the juicy part of the franchise lies in the light novels. That being said, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear does have a smooth pacing and flows on its own as a story. With every episode, we discover that World Fantasy Online can be a dangerous place to other adventurers. There’s monsters, bandits, and other creatures roaming around that can kill, rob, eat, and commit all sorts of sins you can imagine. Remember, it’s a fantasy story and common logic is often thrown out the window. Yuna herself represents a defiance of common sense. I mean, just asking yourself this question: how can a little girl of her size in a beat outfit be so damn overpowered?
Limiting the anime to 12-episodes did set off red flags but thankfully is tolerable as you can enjoy the show for more than its length. Comedy wise, this show loves its recurring gags specifically with other characters making fun of Yuna’s bear outfit. She herself even realizes how ridiculous it looks despite the overwhelming stat advantages. Studio EMT Squared and the director designed her in such a way to sell the show’s appeal. It creates many moments of charming chemistry between the cast. The world setting itself is designed to reflect fantasy elements with the castles, dangerous creatures, and oversized bears. Even if you’re not a bear fanatic, there’s no doubt the show wanted you to experience its world.
I’m sure everyone can agree that we have way too many fantasy anime every season. Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear may seem like a clone with some added twist but deep down, this is still a charming anime. Without a complex story or characterization, we are presented with a show about a girl in a bear outfit enjoying her fantasy life. Life isn’t easy in the real world but Yuna makes it look like a piece of cake in her own world.
