Urara Meirochou Review

Why do you watch anime? Think about it for a second. We all have our own reasons to consume media. Different people will have different reasons but at the end of the day each of us has our own reason for watching anime. While entertainment is the main point of media like anime, for me it's more than just that. There are many things that I can do that are entertaining. For example shitposting is entertaining. But is it fulfilling? No, not really. Video games can be entertaining (Although they've fallen out of favor for me.), so if entertainment was the goal why not play one of those. For me, that would be board games. I love the challenges and strategies that are present in board games, and I personally find them entertaining. So if entertainment is the goal, then why anime specifically?

This is why shows like Konosuba end up getting 7's for me. They are funny and entertaining but the enjoyment ends once the episode does. And while that is worthwhile, I want something more. I feel like the unique experience that animation can bring is the ability to be sucked into a world and learn to love and care for those that inhabit it. There is richness in finding something that is loveable, something that doesn't just live in the experience but something that can be taken away from it. I feel like out of everything fiction is what best does that. And so when I deal with fiction, that is what I look for. Something that I can love completely. Something that makes me want to see every bit and moment of it. Something I can rewatch over and over again. Something where not only do I love the characters but I also have the characters play out in my mind doing random things.

Why do I tell you this? Because that is exactly what Urara was to me. Something that not only made me eagerly wait for each episode so I could watch in and see the characters I loved so much but something that made me want to think about it in my mind. Create works of it with what tools I could, and gush about it whenever and whatever I could. It's exactly what I wanted. But what makes it so good? Everything.

Characters and character interactions I would say are the most important part of CGDCT shows. How is one supposed to enjoy the cute things that the cute girls are doing if the characters aren't likeable? Furthermore character interactions is what helps supply the cuteness that makes these shows work so well. A CGDCT without interesting or likeable characters or with bad character interactions is going to be bad. So it's important that Urara does characters well. And it does!

Our cast has quite a variety to it and while the girls may skate near common tropes they all have their own character traits that keep them away from being another iteration of those tropes. We have Chiya who is one of the funnest characters to get to watch. Despite being a feral child she's surprisingly wise about some things, as well as being a complete and total sweetheart. Over the course of the show the girls all begin to be fond of Chiya and it's not surprising why. She is able to say such sweet and kind words ones that may be unexpected from someone who is wild. At heart she is a feral child but she has her own fun quirks to her. The most notable one is that she loves bellies. She loves them a lot and likes to bring them up as much as possible. She also tends to be endlessly positive and sweet. That doesn't stop her from having some insecurities as she shows in some of the later episodes like when she mulls over that she divine as well as her friends. However she does a good job of swallowing them and doing the best that she can. Interestingly enough she actually keeps herself well guarded at times. Such moments like when she saw the gods in her divination and when she got trapped during the 9th rank promotion exam she never explained what had happened to her, and when she did she confided only in Kon. (Not that, that stopped the other two from listening in.) When she was afraid of haircuts she didn't tell them why even though it would make things easier for her. Despite all her kind words and her acceptance of others. She has a reluctance to make herself vulnerable which adds another layer of interest to her, giving more depth to her character.

Kon is the character that I would say is the most interesting. At first glance she seems like a character modelled in the line of Mio from K-On! And she is, however she has her own depth and peculiarities to her that make her fun and unique. One interesting point about Kon is that while she certainly tries hard and does her best to study as much as possible she isn't portrayed as much smarter than the rest of the cast. There are times she's able to use her wit here and there but most of the time she's isn't noticeably smarter. Often times she'll fall into the same pitfalls that the rest of them do. Rather she her skill and knowledge is from dedication through and through. She spent her whole childhood life studying and it shows with how much she cares about being an Urara. This avoids some of the pitfalls that the usual smart girl of the cast falls into.
Another point of interest is the role of her morality compared to the others. Like the rest of the girls she has a kind and caring heart. However, she also has lots of raw determination. Sometimes the two of these collide with each other which result in interesting results. It's not explored too much but it's interesting to see how she reacts sometimes as she examines her own moral code as she tries to claw her way to being the top Urara while also staying close to her friends. This is best shown when she ends up grabbing the key early. My theory is that it's likely due to her desire that she rushed to grab it. It's also very fun to see the things that she does due to her insecurity. While she does get frazzled by a lot of the teasing she receives (like Mio) she also does a nice job of getting herself into those positions because she seems to have a knee-jerk reaction of trying to be better than others whenever she gets outshone in something Urara related. For example when Chiya seemed more enthusiastic in the first episode she tried to out do her. Or when Nono got praised for her singing of the incantations, even though Kon had passed herself she felt the need to practice in secret to try out doing what Nono had done all because Nono had got more praise than her. Kon's insecurity adds even more depth to her character and to me is really nice to watch.

Koume is the fun girl of the cast and overall I have a hard time pinning her down into any bracket. I guess mostly she is a tease and a Frenchaboo taken in via Marie's influence. She's not exactly a genki girl, that's more Chiya, but she does fit more onto the happy side. She's also quite interested in beauty despite being the one of the cast most likely to eat all the sweets. Out of the cast she's the one I have the least of a handle on, although that's not due to any fault of her own. She does try hard herself despite trying to have fun when she can

Nono at first glance seems like a typical shy girl. She even spends the first half of the episode hiding behind her big sister. Given how shy characters in media are treated, she could have been yet another one of many shy characters whose main problem is not being social with others. These plots have been done over and over again almost repeated word for word. The shy character wants to have friends or get farther in life but they lack the courage, so the main characters work to give the shy character the push that they needs to be out in front. So of course Urara decides to... not do that at all. In fact, Nono's main development and push comes from the fact that she wants to be self-sufficient. It would be easy to rely on her friends to give her that push to be better. However, she already had that under her sister. When Chiya's hair catches on fire she's not in the background twiddling her thumbs wondering what she should do. She actively gets some water and dumps it onto the running Chiya extinguishing the fire. She may have messed up the divination in the meanwhile but she tried to solve the problem rather than let fear hold her back. With the exams she mentioned how she didn't want others to help her study because it was her problem and they didn't have to sidetracked from their studies for her. While her shyness is there her bigger problem is not that she's shy but that she has low self-esteem. She's lived in the shadow of her bigger sister and sees herself as unable to each those heights. Most of her problems have to deal with her removing herself from the shadows of those around her and being truly by herself. It's a noble and interesting path of development for her, and it does also tackle the fact that she is shy. But that shyness is not treated as the only part of her character or even the main hurdle. This sets her character and development apart from others in a similar ilk.

The character interactions are a big highlight of the series. One thing I enjoyed from this show is how much the main cast cares about each other and the things that they're willing to do for each other. Take Chiya and her belly exposing habit. Most people would look down at her for doing that and call her a weird pervert. Judging from my high school experience she would be mocked totally and completely. And as seen in episode 1 they too think this trait is weird, and yet they embrace it. Sometimes they'll make a light little joke about it like Koume does at the beginning of episode 2. Or sometimes they'll reveal their own bellies as if that would be what Chiya does. They embrace the trait even though it's somewhat weird and out there, which shows a lot about their character. While a show could have gone for the route of making that characters trait into a joke for the other characters to laugh at, this show has the characters embrace it and take it into their own. In itself its already heartwarming to see these girls all with different backgrounds accepting each other for who they are and how they act even if they might not be normal. It's one of the great pleasures I got from this show.

I also have to compliment the development between Kon and Chiya. What started from Kon not caring for Chiya that much when they met each other turned into a very close and inseparable bond. Over the course of the episodes the two of them get closer and closer to each other until it gets to the point that they are each other's main confidant. The moment that highlights this is when Kon and Chiya do the Spring Seance. When Kon becomes afraid that she might lose her powers she starts having nightmares. She doesn't tell anyone but Chiya, worried about her friend, goes to help her off a hunch. And from there even though they were only friends for a short time Chiya is willing to stand by Kon's side and do whatever she can to support her, even trying to act as a god for her. She doesn't even know how she'd be able to do it yet she's committed to forming this bond if needed. She even tries to lick up Kon's tears as if to try to stop her from crying. Even with no idea of how to do so Chiya was willing to commit herself to Kon. From there on the two of them constantly try to help each other, like when Kon tries to cheer up Chiya in the same way when she gets upset about her lack of divining ability. The relationship between Kon and Chiya is one of the highlights of the show.

As you can see, the characters are great. But characters aren't everything, what about the plot. Now you might be asking yourself, plot? What's a plot? This is is a CGDCT show there isn't supposed to be any plot! But guess what there is a plot, and it's executed wonderfully.

Urara revolves the four girls trying to become top ranking urara or fortune tellers in a sense, but I'm sure you already knew that. This is a nice little plot that makes clear the motivations of the characters but yet also doesn't overshadow the tone of the show. Because the show is primarily about the fun things the girls do together it's good to have a plot that while there isn't taking up all the space and time.

The way this is executed in my opinion is brilliant. Most of the episodes are those of the variety that would be light and fluffy. They don't have much plot dependence and for the most part they show the good times that the girls all have together. Sometimes a bit of key information will be leaked but the tone of these parts always stays on the fluffy side. These episodes give us the nice pleasant atmosphere that we are used to from CGDCT shows. The characters interact with each other, play off of each other. They learn about themselves and others, as well as study up on how to be better uraras.

But remember how I mentioned the plot? It's not just a book opener and a book ender. It's there for a reason. There are mysteries that lie beneath the show with regards to Chiya. Who is her mom? What is she? Why do the gods dislike her? All of these mysteries are present in the show. Leaving a vile of intrigue under the wraps the show. There are several episodes where the struggles of the characters and more deeper issues come to the forefront. There are heartwarming moments between the characters due to the things that happen to them. Urara strikes the delicate balance between being lighthearted and having substance in it. For me it hits right into the sweet spot. It has just enough emotional moments and depth to be substance full yet it has enough playful times and fun bonding that makes it lighthearted and comfy. This allows the best of both worlds, both a deeper presence in the show but also the fun happy times that strike joy into one's heart. It's a mix that I find few shows are able to pull off well, and certainly most shows don't pull it off as well as Urara does. The pacing between these elements are also key. The more intense moments don't come out of nowhere. They already are there for a reason and when watching it's clear why. Also nicely it has a baseline of the happy moments so that one doesn't need to worry about the mysteries while the girls are having a fun time. Rather they are dealt with when they are needed to, which I feel like is the best wy to do this. It represents life and going through life in a balanced manner. Yes there are problems, and there are going to be bigger things that happen especially when they have such lofty goals. But there are also lots of fun times. And usually if things are good those fun times will be most of the times. And that's how it is here. It's a very nice balance.

I also want to note that the plot itself (being the best Urara), and some of the more god based mysteries seems a bit shounen-esk. Personally, I like this mixture as it makes the show a bit more original and adds a nice flavor. I'm not a fan of shounen in general but I do like bits and pieces of it. So when some bits and pieces of it is added into a nice comfy show well it enhances the show. It's nice to have tropes and stylings taken from multiple genres imo, and I always do enjoy when a show is willing to borrow across like that rather than stick to what is most commonly found in the genre.

I would like to sidestep for a moment and talk about fanservice. Fanservice is not always a liked thing in anime and some people are turned off by it. Because of this I'm sometimes hesitant to talk about the fanservice that is in Urara. But I would like to be complete in this so I will note there is fanservice. And guess what? It's not just that there is fanservice, but it's excellently done fanservice.

What do I mean by that? Well, two things. First off most of the fanservice that is there is the natural kind. What is the natural kind? Take your average show with fanservice. How do they get there? There are common fanservice tropes like the accidental pervert, who'll trip onto some girls boobs, or the type where the camera magically tilts towards the girl's panties. These are all what I'd call unnatural fanservice. IT's hard to imagine them happening in real life, and rather they feel forced into the narrative in order to provide something that would give the audience a rise. In Urara that is not the case for the most part. In fact most of the fanservice is caused by the girls themselves, and in most cases Chiya.

Chiya loves bellies. She loves them a lot Sometimes, she tries to do things to expose other's bellies. She also doesn't like clothes and sometimes makes innocent mistakes when she tries to check for tails. It's easy to see where some of these fanservice elements can arise from. And while they might not be what everyone wants to see, they are true to her character. Every one of her fanservice moments I can point out why she did what she did. It may not be what everyone would do. No, it most certainly wouldn't be but Chiya is Chiya, and that's fine. Furthermore, the other girls can help at times too. Whether it be them teasing each other or just having fun in general, the atmosphere that I get from these moments are ones that are fun more than anything. And the funness of those situations make as a viewer happy. It's what they want to do and how they choose to play around at times; I personally find nothing wrong with that. Sure sometimes there are sneaky crabs but for the most part it's the girls being themselves, and I like that.

The second reason I'd say Urara's fanservice is good is because it's original. There's lots of belly fanservice due to Chiya's quirk. But guess how much belly fanservice there usually is? Not much. Urara decides to go for its own unique corner to the fanservice and that I find it something much more respectable. Even if one doesn't like fanservice, I think one could appreciate they're at least doing something unique with it, as well as having it fit in with the characters, rather than it be the endless amounts of accidental perverts.

The sound quality of Urara is also top notch. The OST is solid and it's rare that the music doesn't match the mood. The Voice Actors shine in the show. The VA's of Chiya and Nono did a great job with giving them distinctive voices. It's easy to tell when they're talking since they sound so different. Nono's shy squeaky voice perfectly matches her character while Chiya's soft and soothing voice matches the kind personality that she radiates. The voices match so well and are so unique that it adds an extra layer to it. It's rare that I find voices that match so perfectly but for the case of Chiya and Nono they absolutely nailed it.

The art as well is a delight to see. The animation isn't the most technical or impressive but it fits well with the mood of the show. For example, the little chibi faces that they use may be a way to cut corners but they are cute and get across the feeling from the show. The backgrounds are often nicely done and add to the soft atmosphere that it has. The art is especially notable whenever they go into the mystical events of the show. The color choices during them and the execution of them make them such wonders to watch. They capture that feel of mystery and supernatural in a way I feel like other shows don't. Take this scene for example: http://i.imgur.com/FRLpoNP.jpg The background colors are gorgeous and the choices of pinks, purples and blues all had a mystical and beautiful shine to it. Furthermore, the placement of Kon and Chiya in the center looking at the mystery around them floating in the water just feels so mystical and strong to me. As if they're up against a large radiant aura that they have to defeat. This is more than just cute art, this is emotional art, and it really adds to the atmosphere of the scene. (I love this picture hence why it's on my MAL.)

That was a lot to cover. I usually don't do reviews this way. I tend to focus on everything that seemed notable to me. So then why did I try to write about everything. Well silly, it's because EVERYTHING SEEMED NOTABLE TO ME! That's just how good this show is. Characters, story, pacing, writing, sound, art everything fits together so well creating its own original little show. I never felt like Urara was like anything else, that may be due to my limited experience but it felt fresh and fun.

To be fair I tried to talk about the more objective components of why I liked this show. I also just want to note that this show was very much catered to my taste. While I could talk about my taste and all of that this review is almost at 4K words and that part isn't as important. Because unless you like those same things it doesn't really matter. That said I am willing to talk about them and they did help boost the show even more for myself but the important stuff is already here. I just wanted to note that. I am biased and it's important that you're all aware of that. I still do think this show is masterfully done but it is a show that very much aligns with my interests.

It's been a while since I've been this excited each and every week for the newest episode. The last show I can think of that did that happens to be my favorite show of all time. I love everything about this show. And now that it's over I can make it official. Urara Meirochou is my 2nd favorite anime.

10/10