Moe is a rather one-note genre. The main premise and draw of it is having a bunch of cute girls do cute thing in a rather ordinary setting living a day to day life. So, for the Fall 2015 season, our token moe show is Gochuusa 2, a basic rehash of what we know of the moe genre...and then some. Story: Gocchusa 2 returns to the town of...wherever we are, back to the Rabbit House cafe, where we return back to the seemingly always barren cafe to witness the little adventures of the girls inside. As mentioned before, the story of a general moe showis simple, and as such, Gocchusa's story is rather simple. Every episode is basically another day in the world of Gocchusa and every episode follows the girls in whatever adventure that they go on doing. Things like camping, treasure hunting, work transfer, there's a lot of things. What makes this season different than the last is in setting. Many of the episodes that this season showcases is rather unorthodox, as many of them are outside of the normal 'sit down and talk' and explores a bit more of the world around the girls, which is odd but really a breath of fresh air.
Aside from that, the show does bring a fair chunk of character development particularly with the main two characters, Cocoa and Chino. The show really creates a bond between these two characters which is really quite cute to see.
However, there are a couple bad brews with this show, particularly with just its inherent storyline. And that is, it's boring. While the show has development and has different scenes from episode to episode, there really isn't anything spectacular about it. The tone doesn't shift, and it's just...cute. Sure, there's nothing wrong with cute, but that's all it really is. There's no drama, since everything pretty much returns to the status quo at the end of every episode, and we still don't know how Grandpa Tippy came to be. Aside from its inherent one-notedness (since it's a moe show), there're really no flaws, to be honest.
Overview:
+ Character development
+ Different scenarios (contrary to what they did before)
- One-note tone throughout
Characters: The cast from season one returns back in full force. Chino, Cocoa, Chiya, Rize, and Syaro all return (mainly because they are the main cast) and participate in every episode. There really isn't many difference in terms of character for them since they all stay within their personality parameters and don't really change all that much. Sure Chino and Cocoa have that closer bond that I mentioned earlier, but as characters, they don't really change.
As for cast changes, the show shifts around its side cast importance quite a lot, putting Chino's friends, Mayu and Megumi more in the spotlight, as well as Grandpa Tippy, while putting the author introduced last season, Aoyama, more into the background. What differs this season as well is the fact that they added in a new character, Cocoa's sister as well as a new rabbit. However, due to the way that these kinds of shows work, all of them really only participate as to what is going on in the moment and don't really change. Yeah, character development isn't all that important, but like the main cast, there's really not all much to say about them.
Overview:
+ Everyone comes back
- Everyone is still rather one-note
Art: Produced by White Fox, Gocchusa comes back as shiny and polished as ever with its colorful and bright artstyle. There are little to no flaws with the animation and everything looks high quality and very pleasing to the eye. And then there's the ED animation and that itself is...well, I'll talk about that later.
In addition, the more 'comedic' portion of the show showcases itself with the use of exaggerated emotions and comedic facial changes. They're very classic and used often in comedy, so there really isn't much to point out as special.
Overview:
+ Good, high quality animation
+/- Good, but not unique comedic expressions
Sound: Similar to the rest of the show, the soundtrack for Gocchusa is good, but not really all that special. The OP is a simple moe song sung by the seiyuus of the girls and really doesn't stand out as out of this world. That does not mean it's bad; it's just not really all that special as a song.
The ED on the other hand is...well...you know what, you should just find out for yourself. If you're too lazy to do that, then I'll explain it, I guess. The ED, while the song itself isn't really all that special, is made to be special simply because of the visuals. The song is sung by the VA's of Chino, Mayu, and Megumi and the entire song has all three girls spinning and dancing around and it's just...so...adorable. (Ah, the sound of sirens coming near my home to take me away... T^T)
Overview:
+ Good songs
- Soundtrack really isn't all that memorable
Personal Enjoyment: Gocchusa is a series that really isn't much different than most moe shows. It's a bunch of girls playing around or spending time with one another in the various empty cafes that they work at, (seriously, they have like no business.) and every episode is another adventure for the viewer. They don't even have many rabbit motifs this time, and that's actually a bit sad considering how chock full of rabbits the first season had.
Did I enjoy this anime?
I wouldn't say I enjoyed so much as I just watched it. Every episode is pretty much the same thing and as such, doesn't really have much variation. Yet, it was still oddly entertaining and that ED was something else... (I'm definitely on some government watchlist now...)
What didn't I like about this anime?
There's nothing really to dislike about this anime aside from the fact that it's just...that. By 'that', I mean it's just what it is. There's not depth to it, and, while I know there really shouldn't be any, there's just nothing really all that interesting about it in the end.
Would I recommend this anime?
It's moe. That's the simple way to say it. As such, it's a cute little show about middle/high school girls that live day to day lives. There's nothing really unique about it and it's just rather plain in the long run. Still, if you want to watch an ordinary moe show, I suppose this is an option you can choose.
HaHaXXspetten
December 26, 2015
Recommended
The most sugary sweet, diabetes-inducing moe show there ever was finally makes its encore in the second season of Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka. You better prepare some tissues (no not *that* kind you perv) before you kick things off or you may suffer the risk of dying from excessive nosebleeds. Studio White Fox will not be held legally accountable for any such incidents. Anyway I'll try to keep this short because you should already know exactly what to expect from this if you've seen the first season (which you should have if you're reading this). Although it's naturally very similar, I personally think this seasonis slightly better than the first one, because it has a bit more focus on the show's main strength, in other words moe. I don't think there's ever been an anime which makes me rape the screenshot button as often as this one does, and there's a good reason for that. Especially Chino has an abundance of unbelievably cute scenes this season, which is surely intentional given that she's the series' main poster girl as far as pure moe goes.
The character cast is overall the same as always, with the one exception of Kokoa's older sister Moka who is introduced for the first time this season. In a nutshell, everything that Kokoa wants to be good at but isn't, Moka is. In other words, she's basically a "better" version of Kokoa, much to the dismay and jealousy of her younger sister.
The art style is about as cutesy as it can possibly get, even more so than I recall it being in the first season, which in this case can only be considered a good thing. The more the merrier, right? As far as the new theme songs go... okay I'll just say this: the OP is similar to the one of the first season and certainly isn't bad, but nothing special. The ED however... oh my god. I'm sincerely at a loss for words. It is my personal pick for best ED of 2015, and the reason is simply that it contains the most outstanding 90 seconds in the history of moe. It is seriously the most nosebleed-inducing thing I've ever seen. Similarly it's also the first time I've ever seen an anime's first episode discussion thread being filled with more comments about the godlike ED than the episode itself, just to put it in perspective. I seriously can't praise it enough.
In any case, if you watched and enjoyed the first season of Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka, then there's no reason you shouldn't watch the second one as well. It does everything the first one did, except it does it better. If there's any anime which can truly showcase what the very epitome of moe looks like, it's probably this one.
SySymphopathy
December 26, 2015
Recommended
Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?? can be described as an anime that builds upon the foundation which has brought it success in its prior season. It gives the fans more of what they desire without making substantial changes to most if not all elements. As in the previous season, the story of GochiUsa is simplistic in featuring cute, barista girls do cute things. The episodes for the most part are standalone, meaning they are not directly tied to the events of those before them. Still, there is a finale, and a satisfying one which is handled well at that. The story is not all that unique,even with the cafe motif and the Mediterranean town-like setting, but I definitely do not have a problem with this.
I think the pacing is fine for an anime of this genre, as well. It gives the characters time to interact with others one-on-one, in small groups, and all together. I believe these dynamics make the story more engrossing, especially when there are duos or trios between characters I would not expect.
Additionally, the comedy is done well. It’s not ill-fittingly over-the-top. There’s just the right amount to where it adds to the moe.
Next is the art. Just like the story, the art is quite moe.
White Fox, the studio behind such series as Steins;Gate, Hataraku Maou-sama, and SoniAni: Super Sonico the Animation, has experience producing in cuter designs and more serious designs. This time, it is joined by another capable, versatile studio in Kinema Citrus. You may have heard of its works, the likes of Black Bullet, Barakamon, and Yuyushiki.
Even with a second studio helping, I have not been able to notice with casual eyes any differences in the art style between both seasons. This certainly is not to the detriment of GochiUsa because the art is as wonderful here and remains consistent throughout.
The female characters’ designs are not all that realistic with their large, colorful eyes and colorful hair, and that is the point. These designs make them all the more cute. For the occasional, (older) male character, these and other physical features are portrayed more realistically. Still, I believe this dichotomic style conveys the characters’ personalities well enough.
The backgrounds, on the other hand, are beautifully photorealistic, as well as unique. Roads, buildings, sceneries, and landscapes remind me of those I’ve seen in photographs of Mediterranean cities, like Venice, Italy. Overall, the backgrounds definitely are breathtaking and memorable.
Let’s move on to the sound.
The seiyuus know what they are doing and are as fitting as ever. Between this and the first season, their voice acting skills don’t improve here. But they don’t need to at all. In fact, I am not sure how they can do any better.
GochiUsa’s orchestral, classical-style music is fantastic. Just one statement before I begin: I want to buy this soundtrack.
The background music is fitting for the story and the Romantic atmosphere. Perhaps it is because many soundtracks sound similar that the background music does not stand out to me always. If this is the case, then the OST receives my attention because of how original and consistent it is. There are no pop or EDM arrangements here. I respect both of these genres within anime soundtracks, but I just believe adding them would have interrupted the excellent flow here.
And it gets even more phenomenal with the OP, the ED, and the insert song. These have the same orchestral, classical styles going for them and add vocals and buildup to the mix. This second season of GochiUsa may have the best combination of an OP and ED I have ever heard. It certainly is for the anime I’ve seen this year. When I first heard the OP, I did not think the ED could be even cuter. ...I was wrong. Although, I admit I could be biased because I love moe. This is moe overload.
Now, we move on to characters.
The characters as a whole are well-rounded enough. With a relatively large cast such as this, it can prove to be difficult to give characters meaningful personalities and development, and I think GochiUsa accomplished this. The characters may rely on the deredere archetype for the most part, although the their personalities branch out from this archetype in order to create different perspectives of it.
In addition, they react and interact with each other and the situations around them in plausible ways.
I personally do not relate to the characters’ personalities all that much. However, I do empathize with their reactions, interactions, and developments. These characters are enjoyable to watch, either way.
There also is character growth throughout the series for them. This growth occurs most often in intimate, one-on-one situations or in small groups. As I stated before, this also happens for character pairings and groupings I do not expect.
All of the characters, with just one or two exceptions in the supporting cast, are portrayed and developed nicely. Speaking of the supporting cast, it is very good, considering how many characters there are.
If you enjoy a simple yet effective story of cute girls doing cute stuff, you probably will like Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?? Although, I highly recommend watching the first season beforehand if you have not done so yet. Relax, and enjoy 24 episodes of moe in that case. For those of you who have seen the first season and are curious to know if this is worth watching, I can say this definitely is. The story, art, sound, and characters are as wonderful as ever. Indeed, it’s as satisfying if not a little more so than its predecessor since there is continued development of the characters and their relationships. I’m definitely content with it ending here if it must, and yet, I admit I would be overjoyed to have a third season of Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?
