Ah, Japan! What to think about its cultural beauties? This time pottery is the main theme of another honest and simple show, but one that deserves attention and care Himeno is the character that plays the key role in the construction and the sample of the show. The protagonist has an interesting past with ceramics. In fact, her mother is the cause of this. She was an excellent artist in this profession, which requires concentration, creativity, and especially innovation. Himeno doesn't remember much of the past she had with her mother, not even with the ceramics she made. In fact, Himeno had a greater appreciation forthis art only at school, when she joined a club with Naruse, Mika-chan and Tooko. All of them together go on to build a strong relationship with ceramics, regardless of the reason they were convinced to be in this club.
Over time, the show creates an appropriate and simple ambiance, using elements such as scenery, contemplation, and colors that harmonize and cause an approximation with the audience. And it is the audience, that is, us, the main character of this show. Ceramics is a subject that is not appealing to everyone. In fact, many belittle even the ability of a show to do 12 episodes of this without being boring or repetitive.
Yakunara really has episodes that don't cause much interest in us, but it is a great show to show a small portion of Japanese quality. Like Olympia Kyklos and the more recent Mashiro no Oto, Yakunara aims to herald a new vision in the culture and consumption of new cultural experiences from its country or region. Of course, each anime has its own goal, Olympia for example focuses on Greece, while Mashiro no Oto tries to convey a new perspective on Eastern musicality. Yakunara shows a timid artistic manifestation, but at the same time it causes an interest to the public, from the moment the show does not take place entirely in a closed room, such as a club, but promotes actions such as walks in cities that have ceramics as a public representation in squares and sidewalks. It is a simple action, but one that makes this show a good company during the week.
However, along with these elements, the anime needs to sustain its quality in being an anime, but this is where the show loses some of its excitement. As I said before, the show has moments that don't matter much. Generally these are episodes that do not add to the relationship of the characters or do not convey a message or empathy to the audience. The show has a special attention in being simple, but at the same time it is necessary to have a special attention in its own execution in order not to seem like an unnecessary anime. The early episodes of the show don't draw as much, but it manages to sustain a theme that is better used in the future. But those same themes make the show "forget" for a while about the past and the interpretation of each of the characters with their perspective on pottery. Of course, Himeno has a very good moment when she makes a new piece of pottery for her father, but gets frustrated because she feels it didn't please him. But for the most part, the show fails to carry an absorption of these elements in a pleasing way and hurts its composition of episodes. The director and the person responsible for the script were good with their work, but it is a show that still needs to improve a lot if it has a sequel.
Even with these problems, I must applaud Yakunara Mug Cup mo. It was a really fun experience and I enjoyed every little moment. Nippon Animation is not a studio that usually brings out good things lately, but this show was a positive leap for the studio. It really is a title for the few, it won't convince everyone of its relevance. It is even more likely that people didn't even care about this title while it was being released during the last few months. However, Yakunara is a show that delivered what it wanted in a positive way, I must acknowledge.
The pottery may not interest you, but the friendships and small slice-of-life action may please you. If you haven't given this show a listen, please give it another try. You will find that it is more honest than most recent anime. No wonder Yakunara has a manga with many volumes, don't be a person who underestimates anime just for being simple. ;)
IrIrrelevantGuy
June 21, 2021
Recommended
I have been rather unacquainted with pottery throughout my entire life. Despite being born in a country where it's recognized as a long-established profession (although neglected now, unfortunately), pottery never really caught my interest. However, after watching Yakunara Mug Cup mo, I might have become a little eager to learn about it. Yakunara Mug Cup mo takes place in Tajimi, a city which is known for its pottery. The story mainly focuses on high school student Himeno Toyokawa, who moved to Tajimi after her father's company went bankrupt. On the first day of her new school, a boisterous girl named Mika Kukuri invites her to visitthe pottery club. There, she learns that her late mother was an exceptional potter who was known for creating remarkable ceramic objects. Now eager to pursue pottery and learn more about her mother, Himeno decides to join Mika's club, where she is accompanied by her childhood friend Naoko Naruse, Mika's senpai Touko Aoki, and Mika herself.
Yakunara Mug Cup mo seems like a typical CGDCT show at first glimpse, and for the most part, it absolutely is. Most of the anime revolves around our main characters – a group of four adorable, lively, and passionate girls – making mugs (and other ceramic utensils) and occasionally traveling around the city. What's somewhat interesting about Yakunara Mug Cup mo, though, is that it does have a recurring theme prevalent throughout its 12 episodes, which is surprisingly well-executed for the most part.
The underlying (kinda) theme of the anime concerns our protagonist Himeno's self-discovery and her growth as a person. When Himeno started doing pottery, she wasn't confident if she could improve herself to the adequate standard. However, as she spent more time in the profession alongside her friends, she gathered up more confidence and gradually rid of her anxiety. By the end of the anime, Himeno does not only improve as an artist, but she also shapes up her persona and finds her ambition in life. Her relationship with her father plays the most important role in this, which is by far the best part about the anime.
Pottery is actually a nice addition to the story; not only because it makes Yakunara Mug Cup mo stand out a little from other CGDCT anime, but also because it serves as an effective foundation for Himeno's characterization. This topic is expounded upon in a technical regard as well; the series provides the viewers a short glimpse of what it's like to work in the profession. Of course, you wouldn't learn how to make ceramic objects simply by watching the anime, but honestly, I learned a few interesting things about pottery that I wouldn't have known otherwise.
The slice-of-life moments of Yakunara Mug Cup mo are also not bad, mainly because of its small yet playful and endearing cast of characters. The series sticks to a semi-episodic format for the most part; as I previously said, each episode follows our main characters partaking in fun little activities surrounding pottery (mostly). Most of the episodes are enjoyable to watch, and while there are quite a few segments that feel rather out-of-place and awkward, all in all, the anime is unexpectedly good at maintaining consistency.
Honestly, almost all the characters of the show aren't much more than what you would find any other CGDCT anime, but they sort of compensate for that with their energetic personalities and natural dynamic. On their own, they probably wouldn't able to be as amusing, but together they manage to make the show enough entertaining. With that being said, I do genuinely think that the drama is well-executed, and it adds a noticeable layer of depth to Himeno's character and makes her a little bit nuanced.
The animation of Yakunara Mug Cup is satisfactory. The backgrounds are decently drawn, and the ceramic objects look very well-made when they need to. The soundtrack isn't bad either; it mostly consists of cheerful tunes that aren't bad to listen to. The opening song titled "Tobira wo Hiraketara" is pretty okay, and the ending song "Pale Blue" sung by Aya Uchida is actually very catchy.
To conclude in a sentence, if you are looking for a simple CGDCT with somewhat well-executed drama, there is a chance that you will enjoy Yakunara Mug Cup mo. It is far from the best the subgenre can offer, but if nothing else, it should be praised for providing some insight into a profession that's barely discussed.
Mixed Feelings
Well, this is a bit of an odd ball. It's the stereotypical CGDCT, with pottery, that is nothing more than just product placement and advertisement for the city of Tajimi, Gifu. Unsurprisingly, when you research about Tajimi's attractions as a Gaijin tourist, Mino-yaki ceramics will be the first thing that pops up since it's very highly regarded over there. And this short show attempts to replicate all of that in the similar "tourist attraction" mood. As for this show, like I've said, it's just CGDCT with making mugs that slowly evolve into more ambitious earthenware like bowls and sculptures. There's nothing that makes this show standout, unless you feel like you're watching something akin to NHK's educational content (which this does not air on that channel). Grab some kids and make sure they're glued to the screen and see them go in awe.
One thing's for sure: everything feels monotone at first, until the Minoware comes around and pops the livery of the show to color. That's just the extent of this show, with both an anime and live-action part, teaching you how to make mugs with characters and the actual Seiyuus who voiced those characters in real life. Sure works well for advertisement at a wrong time, but garnering interest this will wane.
Overall, it's fine across all boards. Feel free to hit this one if you really don't have time, or just want to find something for the younger generation to learn while studying at home in the current global situation.
