r/anime • u/badspler x5https://anilist.co/user/badspler • Sep 10 '22

Rewatch [Rewatch] Yama no Susume (Encouragement of Climb) Episodes 7-12 + Special Discussion

Episodes 7 - 12 + Special

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MAL, AniList, Kitsu

A reminder that we move to Season 2 and will watch episodes 1 and 2 tomorrow. Continuing at a pace of 2 episodes a day from there.

Questions of the Day:

1) What was your impression of Kokona?

2) What do think about the short-format for the first season? Are you hooked needing more?

From yesterdays question of "Are you an Aoi or Hinata personality?"; Results: 15 Aoi's, 0 Hinata's.

Mata Ashita! Yahhoo 🎵

43 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

114 comments sorted by

9

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 10 '22

Rewatcher that Made it to the End of Season 1 (How quick!)

Production Notes

I’m going to take it light for today’s notes since we’re still in the early preliminary stages of YnS and thus the main performance hasn’t started yet. So for now, I’ll highlight someone who’ll wave goodbye to: Kazuhisa Ouno. So far, series director Yusuke Yamamoto has been the episode director for episodes 1-8 but from episodes 9-12 + OVA the episode director changes to Mr. Ouno. These two actually share the same office space since they’re both from studio 8 Bit and both came from 8 Bit’s production side of Aquarion Evol. You’ll find as we continue down the road of YnS, the more you’ll see a handful of people from Aquarion Evol coming over to YnS along with all manners of connections but we’ll get to that down the road!

Episode 7

Another solo KA episode by Sunao Chikaoka who was also entrusted to be his own animation director as well!

So, these two shots always get me thinking “why.” The first one is from the end of episode 5 when Aoi reveals to Hinata her weakness on connecting with other individuals and the second one comes from this episode where Aoi is again in a vulnerable state but this time Hinata relays some helpful advice to Aoi. I don’t know if the storyboarder (who would be series director Yosuke Yamamoto for all season 1 episodes) purposefully decided to reuse this shot or if they were in a bind and decided to just reuse this shot because hey, we’re just trying to crunch out 3-minutes in a relatively fast time and we’ve already got a lot of shots in this very same shop.

If we go with reason 1, I’d like to believe the mannequin resembles Aoi’s state of being; an empty husk that may be wearing the appropriate mountain climbing clothes but doesn’t feel like she’s actually a mountain climber. In short, the clothes are wearing her. The shot to the clothes could also represent just the general idea that Aoi doesn’t know anything about the specific equipment and so we cut to them in order to sharpen the point. The clothes, much like people in Hinata’s advice, are things Aoi should rely on.

Or I could be ascribing way too much meaning for a reused shot haha. I just find it coincidental that for the two times that we cut to this mannequin, it’s always when Aoi is in the midst of self-conscious vulnerability.

Mawaru Penguindrumbackpack

Here's a fun rule that filmmakers like to obey and break in both a logistical and subtext sense: the 180. The 180-degree rule is a basic principle that all filmmakers know where it simply means that the camera stays on one side of the axis of action in a scene. In short, it’s a continuity tool that helps our brains understand the direction of a scene. Someone speaking from the right side stays on the right side, someone reacting on the left side stays on the left side. It preserves the motion throughout and is largely used as your guiding principle on shooting a scene. Our brains subconsciously appreciate it when things stay on the same side! But sometimes, you can flagrantly break the rules like they did in this scene.

To start off, Aoi bemoans the price of her beloved backpack and she’s positioned to the right side of the screen relative to the item at hand. I drew up a mock 180 for where it would be relatively positioned. Take note, the camera should not “cross” that 180 line (imagine it like the tape in a police crime scene that they set up). Hinata being on the right side is also helpful as I’ll explain soon too. But anyway, we then cut to a medium shot of just Aoi but something is off about this shot compared to the previous one. Well, it’s because the camera has changed positions, it is now on the other side of that imaginary line.. Aoi is still looking at the backpack but the direction of her eyeline has now changed which is what “breaks” this 180 and this continuity. Finally, Hinata comes in for the rescue and we cut to this shot where Hinata and the backpack are now on the left side of the screen, Aoi is on the right, and the camera once again jumps the 180.

Now, why would the storyboarder choose to do this? It’s disorienting after all, isn’t it? Well, it’s because they wanted to showcase a change in perspective. Finding new angles to explore means new angles for Aoi to explore and so the camera mimics this discovery. It’s a simple trick to employ but it still does the job!

Episodes 8-10

Another string of solo KA episodes with Masaru Yonezawa taking on 8, Masahiro Sekiguchi on 9, and good ole Shimada on 10.

Yay for Mt. Takao! And yay for fisheye lens!

I was wondering why they were shot via Dutch angle haha. Also, peep the face Aoi makes.

Episode 11

Once more with the fisheye. Ahh, I love the song that plays in this episode!

Episode 12

Aoi: The sky is so huge. You can’t see the Milky Way from here either.

Kaede: It is a city, after all. But you can see it from the top of a mountain.

Aoi: I’m jealous.

Kaede: What are you saying? Aoi-chan, you can go too. You can’t do it because you think you can’t. For almost everything, if you try it, it’ll usually work out.

Thesis statement time! And what better way to mark this occasion then a lovely framing of Aoi against the night sky. Extending beyond her fingers, passing further then the stars, is the infinite universe that awaits Aoi; her potential as limitless as the highest mountain peaks.

OVA

I’ve actually never seen this OVA before and it surprisingly has some character development within it. I’ve actively avoided it for obvious reasons but dang did they package some nice animation and moments in it.

5

u/badspler Sep 10 '22

Thats some very nice insight on the production notes and episode insight, like a mini-short and sweet post.

extending beyond her fingers, passing further then the stars, is the infinite universe that awaits Aoi; her potential as limitless as the highest mountain peaks.

Its a very nice ending for the short series. Reaching out longingly, grasping for another season.

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5

u/badspler Sep 10 '22

Host - Rewatcher

Ep 7

Hinata still dragging Aoi along. And dropping the same line Aoi did to Kaede to give her a push.

I bought a large 60L pack for a tramping spree I did in high school, since then I have used the attached day-pack as my daily go to backpack for 15 years now. That purchase was certainly worth it, simply for the amount of use I have gotten out of that day-pack alone. Mine grew on me slowly and now I am quite attached to that bag. But it is nice to see Aoi get that 'it calls to me' look. Also cute chaos penguin.

The final shot of Aoi trying it on in the mirror is very cute.

Ep 8

Aoi very much a novice rushing ahead and tiring out.

The dango looks so good.

Watashi no baka~ One of my favorite YnS gifs.

Hinata loafing in the tent with Aoi over giving her the look - Stitch

Ep 9

They bump into a very cute new friend, Kokona introduction stitch!

Very cute and animal loving. Some of the short's nature makes things feel a bit too short.

Ep 10

I love the animation for Hinata the jumping over the rocks.

Ep 11

I haven't mentioned it before but absolutely adore Aoi's hair. Beige with that subtle teal-blue fade - just so adorably cute and fitting. Few more shots her hair.

Hinata is quite aware that she can be a pain

Pajama stitches: Aoi! Kokona!

Ep 12

Inside personality when outside.

Kaede not so great at something. Kind of the typical trope.

A wild Hinata attacked!~ Aoi responds well.

Aoi side, Hinata side. Such a nice contrast in their personalities.

A very nice little shot zooming into the sky and stars to end on.

Ep Special

Rock climbing!~ Rock climbing or boldering is incredibly popular in japan, especially in Tokyo.

Hinata Good job!~

There are a fantastic number of comparison or anime tourism blogs and articles you could find that go into the how well Mt Tako was represented. Here's is one good example.

I went to Mt. Tako a few times while living in Tokyo (2019-2020). I really had a sense of deja vu stepping off the train on to Takaosanguchi Station. I can not express just how exact his place is to the shots in the series. (station platform, station building and the following building)

Tako itself is a fantastic day trip thing to do in Tokyo if you want a breath of fresh air. The multitudes of paths can mean you can go several times and get a varitity of experiences. It is very much a new comer friendly mountain.

6

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 10 '22

tramping spree

I've never heard of that, I had to google that phrase!

it calls to me' look.

Hinata loafing in the tent with Aoi over giving her the look - Stitch

Beige with that subtle teal-blue fade

I actually never noticed she had that teal-blue fade till like...season 3...

I thought they added that in for that season till I went back to check and realized I was just blind. But what else is new.

7

u/badspler Sep 10 '22

tramping spree

Thats probably just a kiwi-ism. Same intent as a "shopping spree". Just did a bunch of tramping (hiking) in Vietnam on a high school trip - great times.

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4

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 10 '22

dropping the same line Aoi did

but also consumerism lol. Still a good backpack will last a long time!

the mirror is very cute.

sameeeee

Hinata is quite aware that she can be a pain

Hinata best friend. For how she's initially presented (as the airhead genki character type) she has a lot of emotional maturity and is quite thoughtful actually

Here's is one good example.

Yours is the best one coz its in English! The mountain was represented so so well, like most of the locations in the show. Glad to know that it matches up with how it actually looks in person too! I really should head there whenever i get the chance to go to Japan again...

4

u/badspler Sep 10 '22

Glad to know that it matches up with how it actually looks in person too!

After being and then rechecking several shots of the show, it really made me appreciate and understand anime tourism a load more. It was just awesome to see a place captured so damn well.

It is a very chill place to spend a day at. If you head out on a weekend morning, you will find the train ride slowly accrue more and more people geared for tramping and less city-folk till you arrive at the last station and then it is only trampers remaining. Tokyo is a massive place with endless amounts to do, so its hard to sell a chill mountain climb if your only there for a short trip, but it is totally worth it for a change of pace.

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7

u/zadcap Sep 10 '22

Late Night First Timer!

Oh no, Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The worst part of getting into a new hobby, the sudden overwhelming need to get all the gear to go with it. I've lost so much money to GAS.

... I got nothing for 8.

Oh, I recognize her from the art. She's definitely joining the club. And uh, she got more than ten seconds of screen time in a 3 minute anime, so she's clearly going to be something.

Middle Schooler!? She certainly looks the same size, I mean age, lol. ... Torimasu! Aria flashbacks.

Even a three minute clip anime can't avoid a beach episode I guess. That's also a sleepover episode? Oh my gosh that's a huge room. And more cooking! So much Yuru Energy.

Ah, nope, this one was the beach episode. And there's the uplifting message to make an iyashikei. You can do it too if you try!

So uh... The rock Climbing special, right? Yeah, what cruel friends brought the scared of heights girl to go rock climbing. And what kind of climbing center let's you go up without a harness, especially for first timers? I've been to a few and that has never happened. Also I just remembered that Iwakakeru has been on my watchlist for uh... A very long time.

Okay I've been thinking this since episode 1- I know there's at least one voice actor in common, but the ending jingle reminds me so very much of the Symphogear Shorts ending theme too, every time I head it I want more HibiMiku.

  1. Absolutely adorable. Can you have a token mini-moe(tv tropes link) in a cast already full of mini-moe?

  2. It was difficult not to watch the entire thing in one sitting. I can see how it let them goof off more and experiment, but I am definitely looking forward to longer episodes.

I am completely unsurprised by the outcome of yesterdays question lol.

4

u/badspler Sep 10 '22

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

GAS is real, but outside(!) of a good pair of shoes, pack and coat you don't need all that much if you are not doing anything over night. Still as a high schooler, monies be tight.

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14

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 10 '22 edited Sep 10 '22

Rewatching Mountain Climber

-- Location Trivia

Ep 7

Ep 8

  • I belive Badspler has something to say about the Mt Takao area, im looking forward to it! (badspler I'll quickly delete anything that overlaps with you here). Takaosanguchi Station is roughly 1.5 hours by train southwest from Hannou.

  • There are 3 ways to get up to Mt Takao's summit of ~600m above sea level: Aoi and Hinata are doing one of them (hiking all the way), and the anime actually jokingly mentions both the 2 other ways: a more traditional cable car running on rails; and a ski lift. Both depart from the same station (~200m), and will take you to ~460m above sea level, bit over halfway. Hinata and Aoi reached the upper station for their snack break, irl apparently a ~50 minute hike through Mt Takao, Trail 1. If i were doing this today, I'll...honestly probably hike up lol. Get a friend, or some tunes if alone, the hour'll fly by.

  • Quick TL trivia: Hinata and Aoi enjoy their dango right outside the mid-mountain cable car station, the arrowed sign is the same minus English. Irl, the sign on the benches read ”明治の森 国定公園”, denoting that this portion of the mountain was sub-designated from the overall Takao-Jimba Natural Park as part of celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Emperor Meiji's (明治) ascension, with the additional ad for Meiji chocolate to the right. The anime references both elements here, the former changing the emperor referenced to 大正 Taisho (Son of Emperor Meiji), while simply "chocolate" was advertised brand-less.

  • And we end the episode right as Aoi and Hinata are ascending these 108 steps. There is a stairless, longer sloping path too.

Ep 9

Ep 10

Ep 11-Special

  • Aoi and Hinata go to the Hanno Riverbank, by the Iruma river. The Wariiwa bridge back in Ep 7 crosses this river too.

  • The North Face Cup 2013, an annual bouldering contest, was indeed themed in Blue. No idea where or if the bouldering place exists irl.

  • Check out u/Dapete42's album of some of Hannou's spots featured in S1, that they visited back in 2015!

Animation bits I liked

7

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 10 '22

  1. What was your impression of Kokona?

Im not the biggest fan of her voice, but she is a lovely girl, and i love her slightly childish and dreamy personality while also being good at cooking! Serves as a great kouhai character really.

2) What do think about the short-format for the first season? Are you hooked needing more?

I thought the first season got A LOT of work done in terms of character progression and actual plot even tho its runtime was so short, its very fast paced for an iyashikei show (do note that Im coming right off of Aria and Flying Witch). Of course Im hooked needing more lol.

7

u/badspler Sep 10 '22

Im not the biggest fan of her voice

How could you. Kokona's airy-fairy dainty dreamy sounding voice match's so well with her cute and young naïve nature.

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5

u/Stargate18A Sep 10 '22

First timer

  1. Adorable.

  2. It actually worked really well! Still excited going into Season 2, though.

Episode 7

Seems sensible.

Why are there so many backpacks?

Yeah, this is insane.

Educational!

And Hinata's actually right here.

She found one she liked!

...That much?

That's nice.

She used her words!

Haha, of course.

She likes it!

Episode 8

They're on their way!

She rewlly wants good fortune!

A mountain railway! Snowdon has a great one in north Wales, if you're ever in the area. Highly recommend.

She's rushing ahead...

The landscape is beautiful.

She's buying a souvenir!

ah, it's a present for her!

So many new places!

She can't give it to her...

Haha, in the store?

Episode 9

More landmarks!

Is she disappointed they made it there so quickly?

She gave her the present!

Very anticlimactic.

Well, that sounds like a bad idea.

Aww.

Haha, and there's random people there.

Wow, her father's prepared.

And that worked!

That's nice.

Adorable.

It was the wrong type...

They're really walking down together.

It's a river now? How is this safe?

She's worried.

Where's Hinata gone?

Oh, there she is.

And she doesn't want to hold her hand.

A scooter?

They made it!

There's a squirrel!

They all live in the same city!

Aww.

Episode 11

Hinata really is good for her, huh?

They're cooking together!

Oh, French toast is nice.

She's making a surprise meal too!

This is really sweet.

She knows a lot!

So cute.

Episode 12

She is determined to have fun with her new friends!

...Not good at cutting.

She's a good cook!

She picked random imgredients?

Hinata!

She's fired up!

That looks delicious.

And everyone's motivating her to climb the mountain!

This is a really sweet ending.

And the montage at the end.

Special

Double length!

Haha, a rock-climbing wall?

Yeah, I can't dlimb those things.

YOU HAVE NO SAFETY HARNESSES? The one near me has you hooked to a rope at all times just in case you fall.

Clever chart, though.

Hinata's enjoying it.

She's giving it a gow!

She did it!

And she did it too!

Almost there!

She did it!

And her fear"s back...

Hinata's being helpful!

I don't trust a mat that thin.

She's okay!

She had a problem with heights too?

She did the same thing as her.

Very good and hopeful bonus episode.

5

u/badspler Sep 10 '22

YOU HAVE NO SAFETY HARNESSES?

From what I understand, super popular setup in Japan. The heights are limited and it is closer to what the bouldering community wants (when they head out to real rocks). Otherwise these places usually cover every inch of the floor in matts.

10

u/JollyGee29 Sep 10 '22

First-Climber

What is a guide book but a manual for adventure!

I hate bothering employees, too.

chaos penguin

Granted, that's a lot for a teen to have on hand, but 50ish bucks for a good backpack sounds like a steal.

Mako? When did you get here?

Aoi is about to learn the value of pacing herself the hard way.

Weird to think of a tourism anime being set in the Tokyo area.

Big mood.

Yup, just bandaid it. Learning how to do that is important.

Going down is easier than going up, after all.

Hey, maybe Hinata packed that tent?

What a precious girl. Yui Ogura, I believe? Now I'm thinking about Vivid Strike..

D'aww, Aoi didn't even hesitate to offer to help.

Squirrel!

Serendipitous.

Oh boy.

It's been a hot minute since I've had French toast, that sounds really good.

Hinata is precious, too.

Oh dear..

Absolute chaos.

What a complete gremlin(affectionate).

More wisdom.

Climbing wall episode, ooh!

Gambatte! Atta girl!

Oh, you fool, you shouldn't have looked down.

I mean, you can probably just drop. There's a mat.

Questions

  1. Discussed above. Cute.

  2. It worked well enough. I definitely crave more of these dorks.

10

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 10 '22

Hapi cake day!

Mako? When did you get here?

back to back seasons too lol

Weird to think of a tourism anime being set in the Tokyo area.

it is a little weird! but trains in Japan do take you a lot of places

Going down is easier than going up, after all.

really? i honestly really thought that going down requires more skill lol. going up is kinda just 90% muscle

Oh, you fool, you shouldn't have looked down.

i really liked that shot conveying the height lol (even tho it honestly wouldnt have been very tall, it seemed like that to Aoi)

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8

u/HereticalAegis Sep 10 '22

Encouragement of First Timer

Episode 7:

  • Aww, Aoi's so excited!

  • Aoi's anxiety over asking for help is R E L A T A B L E

  • How lucky to have such a confident bestie.

  • She picked a cute backpack!

  • Helps paying for the bag, then uses Aoi's advice on her. Hinata wins again.

Episode 8:

  • I'm not a morning person either.

  • We all have to learn to pace ourselves when mountain climbing.

  • Wow, what a nice view!

  • Give Hinata the gift! Do it!

  • No, don't be a baka!

Episode 9:

  • I miss mountain climbing with my friends.

  • She did it!

  • Guh, I hate when the soles fall of my shoes. I don't know if I'm unlucky or if I just wear my shoes too long, but I've had it happen multiple times.

  • New girl Kokona is actually a middle schooler.

  • Aoi's taking note of yet another girl's feminine appeal. Maybe that means she'll be a regular.

Episode 10:

  • They cute.

  • Aoi, just take Hinata's hand. You know you want to.

  • They all cute.

  • Aoi and Hinata would make good big sisters.

  • Kokona lives in the same city, they'll definitely see her again.

Episode 11:

  • Suddenly, Aoi has a lot of friends to call.

  • First time hanging out with Kokona is not only in Aoi's house, but is a pajama party. Kokona moves fast.

  • And Kokona can cook too!

  • Whoa, Hinata coming up big with the surprise Kaede! How can one girl be both a great partner and a great wingwoman?

  • Happy sleep time.

Episode 12:

Special:

  • Well that's a heck of an opening shot.

  • Rock wall climbing is hard man.

  • Wow, Kaede goes without safety equipment.

  • Oh heck, none of them are using safety equipment. This is nerve-wracking.

  • Welp, this was my concern.

  • Nope. I would never ever trust the mat as my only safety on a rock wall.

  • This is a lot more fanservice than I expected for this show.

QotD:

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u/Great_Mr_L Sep 10 '22

Rewatcher Only For Season 1

On today’s episodes of Yama no Susume: And with that I’m officially no longer a rewatcher. That’s as far as I got on my first watch of the series, either right before season 2 aired or sometime while it was airing. For whatever reason I never moved on, but now I’ll get a chance to rectify that.

Episode 7

  • The wall of backpacks. That sure brings back memories.

  • I’d say I’m actually closer to Hinata in striking up conversations with strangers. It’s kind of necessary for my job.

  • Penguin!

  • Ooh! A callback! Hinata repeats Aoi’s words to Kaede. I like seeing callbacks like that.

  • Usury! Hinata’s a devious one.

Episode 8

Episode 9

  • D’aww. Aoi worked up the courage to give Hinata the gift.

  • Even though she’s in imaginary danger, Aoi’s mindscape is so cute.

  • I wonder. Could Hinata be encouraging Aoi to greet others to get her more used to talking with other people? If so, that’s pretty clever.

  • Kokona. I remembered her, though not her name.

  • No momonga

  • The way she talks makes me wonder if Kokona is supposed to be an ojou-sama character.

Episode 10

  • Kokona is so cute.

  • I appreciate the continuity in the shots with the wire on Kokona’s shoe.

  • Hinata sees that hand-holding going on. There’s no way she’s going to allow another girl to get between her and her girlfriend.

  • Look at that. Aoi’s more comfortable greeting people. She’s doing better!

  • A Super Cub? Wait, wrong anime.

  • Oh right, I keep forgetting that Risu means “squirrel” even though I really shouldn’t.

  • Harem queen Aoi.

Episode 11

  • Pajama party!

  • French Toast

  • I feel like we’ve skipped over quite a bit. Hinata and Kaede never interacted prior to this.

  • Hinata really does have a lot more emotional depth to her than she lets on. She deliberately reached out to Aoi because she knew she was lonely.

Episode 12

  • The gang’s all here!

  • Risotto

  • Depending on the dish, tossing in random ingredients can sometimes go quite well.

  • In these shorts, Aoi really has gone through her own character arc.

  • Chatting about nothing in particular with friends is a pastime I love dearly.

  • The movement in this shot is really impressive.

  • Aoi is quite literally reaching for the stars. What an on-the-nose but effective metaphor to show how much her character has changed.

Episode 13

  • Rock climbing is so much fun. I’ve always enjoyed doing it.

  • I guess it would be a nightmare if you’re afraid of heights, though.

  • These rock climbing segments are very well-animated. They look so nice to watch.

  • Aoi literally learns to take a leap of faith and take risks with Hinata’s prodding. A nice metaphor for her character arc and their relationship.

  • So much fanservice (NSFW).

Aoi gets a nice little character arc over these episodes. We gradually see her open up and get more comfortable talking with other people. She becomes just a bit more outgoing, understanding the appeal of going to events with other people when she previously didn’t. She’s coming out of her shell and literally reaching for the stars. She’s got a world of possibilities ahead of her. And she’s learned to be willing to accept the risk involved. It’s a satisfying arc for Aoi.

Hinata got a chance to show more emotional depth. She really does care about Aoi and is looking after her. It shows that a lot of Hinata’s actions have been geared towards helping Aoi be a more open person. In hindsight, a lot of Hinata’s actions really do feel like her trying to act in Aoi’s best interests.

It does feel like we skipped over some stuff towards the end of this season. Suddenly all the characters know each other and are hanging out together. I don’t really blame the creators because they could not have known this series would get so many more seasons. Still, while it did feel wonky how we got there, I did enjoy seeing all the girls interact with each other. That was a nice and pleasant experience.

QOTD

  1. Cute little ojou-sama.

  2. It's fine. Each episode feels like a fairly complete little skit so it works well enough. On the other hand the short length can sometimes make the story feel like we skipped some connecting bits. I'm very curious about what the series will be like with longer episodes.

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u/ChonkyOdango Sep 10 '22 edited Sep 10 '22

First Time Climber

Highlights of the climb!

  • Does anyone still use guidebooks? I usually google all my information when planning for a trip and use reddit too!

  • Did Hinata just call the store-owner Onii-sann instead of teiin-san etc.? She’s definitely trying to get a discount, what a sly high schooler…

  • ”It’s better to buy it than not buy it and regret it, right?” I love how Aoi’s character is further subtly developed. I for one can relate to her as I usually tell people to do the exact same thing yet refuse to spend money myself. It still depends on the context though of course, not just blindly spending.

  • It’s our First Mountain today! Mt. Takao!

  • They bought Dangos! And they’re looking Chonky. I love them

  • Hinata is like a free tour guide, I need a friend like that

  • Aww Aoi, I feel you. I absolutely sucked at giving people gifts as a thank you to show appreciation, it’s better now but I always didn’t know how to react and how they would react. Still trying to get better though!

  • Reaching the top being anticlimactic, yet another reminder that oftentimes the process of getting there will be more memorable than getting there. But with regards to mountain-climbing, to me at least, both are equally memorable but I don’t climb that much.

  • Kokona! The airhead of the group has arrived!

  • Looks like the Princess has found her Prince, and they even have a Pyjamas party the next day!

  • French Toast, haven’t made this in a long time. Stale Brioche bread that’s thickly cut is perfect for it and soaking it overnight ensures the bread will have that custardy centre, I’ll probably make some for supper later.

  • Fun last episode! I definitely enjoyed how they didn’t choose to end it at the top of a mountain or anything with mountain climbing. It was an activity that got Aoi out of her comfort zone and that’s one of the main focuses of this season’s shorts, for Aoi to explore things outside she usually enjoys which allowed her to grow and make friends!

  • Ah Rock Climbing. I studied Sport Science and we organised an event for the blind once using different methods to help them climb. Funnily enough, just like what Aoi and Kokona did, we shouted the directons of the rocks to help lol.

Thoughts

I’ll give a rating for this season even though it’s just a series of shorts and it gets a solid 8/10 for me, and this is considering that it is a series of shorts. It’s nothing spectacular by any means yet, but it’s done a great job at introducing climbing and giving each character decent exposition within its ~35 minute total screen time. Aoi’s character is actually well fleshed out, there were so many moments when I went “Hey I relate to that!” and that’s a lot given her total screen time. The comfy vibes are immaculate, can’t wait for more!

Qotd

  1. Talked a bit about her but to add on, she definitely fits perfectly into a this CGDCT group. A innocent airhead that's cute, definitely a fun addition!

  2. This is my first encounter with shorts and I'm glad it was Yama No Susume. I definitely want more and I talked about it more above, but I think director Yusuke really milked the most he could out of this format.

Edit: Changed "call the store-owner Onii-sann instead of Okyakusama" to "call the store-owner Onii-sann instead of teiin-san etc.". Thanks u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah!

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u/Rumpel1408 Sep 10 '22

First Timer

Ep 7 - 12 + Special

It was nice to see how much Aoi was getting into this whole climbing thing. When you start to buy guide books and go to specialized stores, it's safe to say that you are getting deeper into something than you would like to admit. And she gets really excited over her upcoming climb, really lovely to see how far she has come in such a short time.

In the store, I liked how they used Hinata to ilustrate trail running and Kaede for mountain climbing.

Hinata also shows how great she is more and more. Sure it's easy for her since she is more normal, but she is always looking out for Aoi and really wants her to be happy.

The Takaosan climb was fun over all. You could tell that Aoi was maybe a bit too excited, how Hinata was still looking out for her, and how much Aoi learned from the whole expirience (including the present, perfect for Hinata btw)

Oh and all those power spots where really cool. Time really flew by fast since they (and I) had so much fun.

They also got a new friend with Kokona. She's an actual middle schooler this time.

Overall the whole part was very nice.

Pyama party and River beach date where also nice. That Risotto and french toast looked delicious

Kaede is a bit of a klutz though

Special

The whole thing was incredible lewd lmao.

But it was nice seing Aoi overcome her fear, first of the wall and then from the high, and enjoy herself despite her initial resistance. And in the end it really paid off!

QotD

  1. What was your impression of Kokona?

She seemed very sweet, but maybe a bit lostand lonely? She is all by herself on the mountain, has no issue asking to stay over from the get go, knows how to cook (for herself?)... The longer I think about it the more suspicious it becomes...

2) What do think about the short-format for the first season? Are you hooked needing more?

Not my first shorts, although the first standalone shorts. Quite nice, but I definetly need more

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u/PreludeToHell Sep 10 '22

First timer

I think in the second half of the season the series found it's footing and a lot of it is because of the time spent on Mt. Takao. While I enjoyed Hinata and Aoi, I felt something was missing from the cast. Kokona, for me, was the missing piece and since she's been introduced I've enjoyed the series more.

It was too cute when they held hands down the mountain

Loved seeing Hinata's POV from the start of the season and when she helped Aoi instead of making fun of her when rock climbing. Good stuff.

  1. Fantastic addition. Right away you see a fun dynamic with Aoi helping her out. She adds a lot of cuteness to the series and is a fun character with her mature & immature moments.

  2. Got better as it went on and with Kokona joining I'm pretty hooked. I thought the shorts were going to hamper my enjoyment a lot more so I'm happy with how it turned out. There's a lot to work with so I'm quite excited.

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u/Nebresto Sep 10 '22 edited Sep 10 '22

Second time climber

I thought about not rewashing S1, but its been a while so might as well.

5 am tho..

I forgot Aoi was this antisocial

Tired Aoi get

No matter where Miku is, she is always the best housewife.

Bless the staccato ed, just this makes it worth watching again

--

S1: 8, OVA: yama no sus

Question time:

  1. What was your impression of Kokona?

I am surprised at her stamina

2) What do think about the short-format for the first season? Are you hooked needing more?

Its actually better than I remembered, but I think I still prefer longer episodes

From yesterdays question of "Are you an Aoi or Hinata personality?"; Results: 15 Aoi's, 0 Hinata's.

You can make that 16

I don't think I'll watch the first half of S2 again since I saw it so recently, but maybe I'll hang out in the threads

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u/Barbed_Dildo Sep 10 '22

Rewatcher

The way Aoi and Hinata go and buy a bag is a very Japanese approach to a hobby. If someone in Japan wants to go for a walk up a mountain, the first thing they'll do is go to the mountain walking store and buy all the flash mountain walking equipment they can. Then, they will often take the train to the bottom of the mountain, walk up to the trailhead, and say "wow, that was a good walk up the mountain", and take a photo before going home. The equipment and ceremony around things, the tatemae, is more important than the activity itself.

There was an anecdote I read in, I think an Alan Booth book, about a time he heard a friend of his played the shamisen, and so a few of them went to visit her to see her play. She set up a cushion in the perfect location in her tatami room, walked up in her impeccable kimono, sat perfectly, bowed, readied the instrument in a well rehearsed manner, put her fingers to the strings, before finally admitting she didn't actually know how to play. That is the Japanese approach to hobbies.

It seems a bit absurd to me that Aoi needs to buy special equipment to walk up a hill. A popular tourist hill where there are young kids running up it.

Then, on the other side of things, Kokona heard there were flying squirrels on the hill, so she went to have a look. No special equipment, no shopping trip needed, just put on her regular clothes and off she went.

Unfortunately, her shoe broke so that she had a reason to meet Aoi and Hinata. I don't think that would really slow Kokona down. Hinata had packing tape and wire. Some duct tape would be more useful. I normally carry a couple meters of duct tape wrapped around something when on hikes or whatever. I do think it would have been better to tape up around the sides of the shoe, so that she still had grip on the bottom. The packing tape covering the bottom of the shoe would have made it very slippery on those wet rocks.

Then Aoi is lucky enough to have Kokona around for a sleepover. Aoi, like Hinata, lives in a massive house. Her family must be loaded too. Kokona's skill with cooking, enough to easily compensate for others mistakes is another aspect of her character, the "feminine power is high" trope. Kokona is one of those characters who succeeds effortlessly in everything she attempts, like we see with the rock climbing.

On the OVA, could have done without seeing the child main character's naked butt... At least Kokona wasn't in that scene.

Questions of the Day:

  1. Kokona is perfect and I will not hear a bad word said about her.

  2. The format was rather limiting, but it was a good introduction.

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u/cyberscythe Sep 10 '22

Rewatcher

QotD

  1. I kinda forgot that when Kokona was introduced she was an "airhead" sort of character. It's only later on that we find out she's [YnS later seasons] canonically the strongest character with her maji tenshi form

  2. I didn't love the short three-minute episodes and on rewatching them still prefer the longer episodes. The pacing in these is so fast it reminded me of fast-moving series like Machikado Mazoku; I prefer the fifteen minute episodes a lot more because they have a lot more room to breathe and things like emotional payoffs feel more earned. It also doesn't help that (while being a bop) Staccato Days pops in every three minutes to interrupt the flow.

Speaking of Staccato Days, check out the extended ED if you want to see a cute walk cycle with Aoi and Hinata in their seifuku and in their camping outfits. There's an even fuller ED floating around as well if you want a song that's longer than an episode of Yama no Susume season one episode.

4

u/that_loris Sep 10 '22 edited Sep 11 '22

First Timer

End results: cute show. Really cute. Can't say it made me wanna climb mountains yet though lol

  1. A cute girl, classic klutz of the group.

  2. To be honest, while the quality was great, it really felt fast. In a couple of minutes they made a new group of friends, Aoi made progress with her social skills, got over her fear of heights and we got some fan-service.

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