***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Gochumon wa Usagi Desu Ka. Reader discretion is advised.***
Series Synopsis
Cocoa Hoto (voiced by Ayane Sakura) is the newest employee at the family-owned café, Rabbit House. With a warm atmosphere, the small coffee shop is the perfect hideaway for a moment of peace. Cocoa is eager to start working, especially after meeting the owner’s granddaughter, Chino Kafu (voiced by Inori Minase).
Chino is quiet and reserved; the exact opposite of Cocoa. The two work hard to maintain Rabbit House’s comforting reputation. A task they take on with, the help of their disciplined co-worker, Rize Tedeza (voiced by Risa Taneda).
The staff of Rabbit House trio is often assisted by their friends Chiya Ujimatsu (voiced by Satomi Sato) and Sharo Kirima (voiced by Maaya Uchida). Together the five girls support one another at their respective establishments. As well dealing with any other problems a typical high school student may come across.
Though business rivals, this doesn’t stop the five from growing close.
Series Positives
Gochumon wa Usagi Desu Ka, a.k.a. Gochiusa is a quintessential moe anime and was quite effective at it. The show was pretty damn cute. As a slice-of-life series, you already know what you’re going to get out of it. If you like these kinds of stories, you will probably like this one. And if you don’t, you probably won’t. I do, and I did
In much the same vein as Ichigo Mashimaro, Hidamari Sketch, Non Non Biyori, and others like them, Gochiusa is the kind of series that works when you’re trying to relax.
The Characters
Individually these characters possessed nothing for me to talk about in detail. They were engaging, entertaining, and likable, sure. And that‘s all I have to say regarding them. You have seen each of them before. There wasn’t anyone who stood out. There was nothing unique to them, but they were fun, so it balanced itself.
As such, why would I bother mentioning these characters at if there wasn’t much to them?
What Gochiusa did well, and what I wish other slice-of-life anime would do, it created a sense of a group. All the girls belonged. No one was around as pure background filler.
Many bonds connected everyone besides them being friends. Some had known each other for years. Others look up to someone. Reactions and interactions differed depending on who was talking to who. No one in the main group was an afterthought. Even Chino’s two school friends Maya (voiced by Sora Tokui) and Megumi (voiced by Rie Murakawa) weren’t strangers despite their introduction late in the series.
It was clear who the focus was at any given moment, and each of the girls had plenty of screen time. So much so that I can’t say who the main character is Cocoa or Chino. The show was only a twelve episode. And yet the sense of friendship it generated rivaled many series that are much longer.Series Negatives
In a roundabout way, I mentioned the biggest downside to this show.
You know what’s going to happen. You know what the jokes are going to be. You know how those jokes are going to get told. You even know which character is going to fill a specific troupe. There were no surprises. There wasn’t anything that I would say was uniquely Gochiusa.
There is nothing to prevent you from choosing another series over this one.
There is a season two, and I have every intention to watch it because, again, this was a good show. Given a choice between returning or trying something different I wouldn’t hesitate to pick the latter. While a season two review is coming, don’t expect it to be here right away.
A Slightly Above Average Comedy
I was trying to come up with a nice way to say Gochiusa was hit-or-miss. And it was more hit than miss. But this wasn’t an overwhelming ratio.
The dialogue and the writing weren’t the most consistent when it came to quality. Some jokes fizzled out and didn't register. Luckily other jokes that would land were right around the corner. And the likelihood of a one-two humor punch was high.
There was also a reliance on visual humor. Too bad like the dialogue, it didn’t always pay off. Usually what the series was going for and why it should be funny was there. Due to poor delivery or awkward timing, these moments might only produce a chuckle.
Gochiusa often tried to force jokes. Doing this was a complete killer. Whenever a series tries to be funny, but with nothing to back itself up, things come off as unnatural. Characters say or do things in quick succession to deliver a punch line. A punchline that only ever existed to be a punchline. There was void of any setup or relevance.
I’m making it sound as if this series ran ramped with these instances. But that wasn’t the case. A healthy amount of Gochiusa was amusing. There were more than plenty of moments that had me laughing. It’s a shame the amount of dry, flat humor was noticeable to the point where it was hard to ignore.
Final Thoughts
It’s not surprising to me why this series got a second season. Gochiusa was cute, and there's a lot more cuteness that can come out of it. Fortunately, the show is also funny and enjoyable. So, there's that.
The characters are what make this series worth watching. If you're not already a fan of the slice-of-life genre, this is not the show that's going to bring you over. However, if you are, this is one that's worth a look.
But these are just my thoughts. What are yours? Have you seen this show? How would you advise Gochumon wa Usagi Desu Ka? Leave a comment down below because I would love to hear what you have to say.
And if you liked what you read, be sure to follow me on my social media sites so that you never miss a post or update. Also, please share this review across the internet to help add to the discussion.
I’m LofZOdyssey, and I’ll see you next time.
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Others in the Gochiusa Series
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