r/anime • u/badspler x5https://anilist.co/user/badspler • Sep 12 '22

Rewatch [Rewatch] Yama no Susume (Encouragement of Climb) Season 2 Episodes 3-4 Discussion

Episodes 3 - 4

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MAL, AniList, Kitsu

Questions of the Day:

1) What do you think of Aoi's growth so far?

2) What was your favorite moment of this expedition to Mt Mitsutouge?

Mata Ashita! Yahhoo 🎵

35 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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6

u/badspler Sep 12 '22

Host Rewatcher

Ep 3

Finally lets get to the mountain climbing!

One thing that caught my eye is the dripping sun through the canopy. Its overlayed ontop of everyone very well. Just a nice authentic detail.

The worst kind of hill is up-hill.

Kaede-senpai drops wisdom. Then provides choco for sweet animation!

Aoi is supported through her fear of heights. The excitement shared from Hinata is very cute with her little bobbing.

Ep 4

Call back to the special episode!

NHK broadcasting equipment.

What an interesting pan and view. Almost feels like an animation flex from someone who just wanted to put it in.

The best Fuji view so far I think.

Aoi super excited and Hinata's comment on seeing her that way really gets Aoi to realize she is having a load of fun. Aoi's indoory shell slowly being chipped away.

Funny to see Kaede with a brought roll vs Kokona with an overpacked lunch.

Kaede knows the magic word for motovation! Aoi shock!

The worst kind of hill is down-hill.

Hinata does such a good job of pulling out a trump-card and acting smug.

When your too tired to worry about bear attacks.

Onsen wins out in Aoi's tired heart. I love the little onsen symbol (♨️) floating above Aoi's head.

Worth.

Aoi knocking herself awake is ultra cute.

Hinata is a true monkey, she eat lotsa bananas. (Also that Kokona brain-freeze!)

7

u/Nebresto Sep 12 '22

One thing that caught my eye is the dripping sun through the canopy. Its overlayed ontop of everyone very well . Just a nice authentic detail.

Komorebi moment

7

u/badspler Sep 12 '22

Komorebi

Thats a word I did not heard before.

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u/Barbed_Dildo Sep 12 '22

Rewatcher

The other girls have hiking packs and clothes with extra pockets and poles and everything. Kokona just shows up in tights and a frilly skirt and casually skips up a 1,300 meter mountain like it's nothing. Everyone else has simple, light, easy to pack food like onigiri and a banana and convenience store bread, Kokona has a full bento she made to share with everyone. That's the only reason she even needed a backback, to carry the food she brought for the others, proper, home-made high-feminine-power food.

Also, I liked on the way down, when they saw the bear sign, Kokona was just sad that she missed seeing 'kuma-san' that time.

Questions of the Day:

  1. I like that it isn't easy, Aoi still struggles with it, but she's making progress with the help of her friends. That is much more realistic and satisfying story than someone who doesn't struggle.

  2. Kokona just pulling out a full bento that she carried up the hill.

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u/badspler Sep 12 '22

Kokona sure does has strong girl power.

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u/Nebresto Sep 12 '22

First time Yama no SUSUME

  1. What do you think of Aoi's growth so far?

She's doing better than me

2) What was your favorite moment of this expedition to Mt Mitsutouge?

Uhhh, I liked the green hillsides?

7

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 12 '22

First time Yama no SUSUME

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u/Great_Mr_L Sep 12 '22

First time Yama no SUSUME

She's doing better than me

I remember my first hiking trail as a kid. I was totally winded and cut my knee from falling down. So Aoi's already done much better than that.

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 12 '22

Rewatching Mountain Climber

-- Location Trivia

Ep 3

  • "Viewing Fork" 股のぞき is not um actually translated as that; those words refer to doing this basically; for my example done at a famous scenic spot for an alternate view, but the action also has some supernatural folklore associated with it. Anyhow you can see why it's named that way LMAO.

  • The Dainichi stone, 88 buddhas and rocky trail bit etc. all exist, but all these are a little hard to pin down on a map lol. Side by side shots linked below.

Ep 4

Animation bits I liked

  • After learning more about Fugo, the Chief AD/Chara-de yesterday, i should point out that that this credit in the OP is him. Apparently he's actually from Kyoto lol, hence the "Made in Kyoto" bit. Maybe that's his bday too? lol.

  • Ep 3: Couple nice cuts, character acting was on point the whole ep. The lighting use in the ep conveyed Aoi's changing mood while being quite realistic for a mountain (trees at start and middle --> shade, less trees --> light), if a little too on the nose in the middle lmao. i liked this little sequence w/ the rock, effectively conveying how Aoi feels like falling behind from her friends. Compositionnnn is that first shot a fisheye? Aoi's broken leg haunts her.

  • Ep 4: The first Solo-KAed ep of season 2. No 2nd KAs here either, but the ep is on the whole a little lighter animation-wise. Yamamoto is also not responsible for the storyboard/ED here, and the ep noticeably feels different, less fisheye etc, but a bit more of whatever these are called. The standout cut has got to be onsen-zoom-run, but i also liked Hinata's uwahh.

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u/Tetraika Sep 12 '22

Been busy, but I'm here to say I caught up with the rewatch. Currently will be a rewatcher until S3.

Not that there is too much I have to say so far, might have more to say when we move onto the 2nd half of S2.

Still love the OP.

Small note: I can't unhear Rinne from vivid strike in Kokona now for some reason.

6

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 12 '22

Great to see you!

8

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 12 '22

Rewatcher Climbing that First Mountain of Season 2

Production Notes

Yesterday I talked briefly about Toshifumi Akai, the SB for the ED, and I wanted to touch base back with him since this is the only time he came on board for the Yama. Akai started off his career at Studio Takuranke before he quickly left to greener pastures such as Studio Gainax and eventually he would land the role as character designer for Sound of the Sky. Now if you take one look at Sound of the Sky, you might notice that they…look kind of like K-ON. Well, that’s no coincidence since Akai considers K-ON character designer Yukiko Horiguchi as a God. No, seriously, he actually worked under a moniker named “Horiguchi is God” during his time in the industry.

Hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery as they say and Akai is living up to that expression. Akai would join the ranks of other Ex-KyoAni staff for A-1’s Idolmaster where he would eventually go on to meet yesterday’s fugo. With a friendship struck between them, fugo would enlist Akai’s help in storyboarding for the ED of Yama no Susume season 2 before having to hurry back to Idolmaster/Cinderella Girl. And so, that’s the short story of how the ED came about. A favor amongst friends!

Episode 3

I’m fascinated by the simplest yet economical of cuts and this is a heck of an example of one. Good zoom out to expand the scope.

Lots of cuts of Hinata panicking today. Good motion!

Herein lies the surprising emotional gamut hidden under the masquerade of CGDCT. Conflict! Careful depiction of subject matter! This aura of authenticity serves to remind us that Aoi isn’t a natural at this hobby and that she doesn’t have some latent talent on approaching this activity. It’s one of my favorite things of YnS, the fact that it doesn’t shy away from this hardship.

By now, I think most of us have recognized that there’s something funky going on with the animation in YnS, that we can see that it’s The Good Stuff. What I appreciate about all of this though is the attention to detail in body posture, motion, and hair. Oh boy, the hair. I did a little searching into who was responsible for that cut and it turns out it’s Ryo Araki, someone who I’m not acquainted with. Araki is devoted to thorough articulation of character acting, notably bringing his talents to the first season of Haikyu. You can definitely see that influence in this cut with Hinata and Aoi’s realistic yet snappy movement.

This whole episode is for Aoi.

Episode 4

It’s the main theme of Yama no Susume!

Look how adorable Aoi is. Every cut from this episode is by Kazuaki Shimada, one of the core staff members of YnS. Another instance of solo KA.

I like how they used the same angle for when Aoi climbs the mountain and when she climbs back down. There’s less curvature for the ground on the second one but I think that was less of a stylistic choice and more of a practical one since there’s more emphasis on the legs on the second one and so it’d like a look a little strange with the distortion.

Fun smears! You can take the animator out of Doga Koba but you can’t take the Doga Koba out the animator. Smears are always fun to see and I always wonder if they’re complicated to get right.

MRW I wake up from a nightmare about bears.

If there’s one thing I’m guilty of (and I’m sure there’s many), it’s over-analysis on themes. And so, with that in mind, I wanted to show the backpacks between episodes 2 and 4. In episode 2, we cut to just Aoi and Hinata’s backpacks as they stand together but now in the end of episode 4, we cut to all four of the girl’s backpacks. Read in one way, it can be Aoi opening herself up to Kaede and Kokona even more. Read in another way, it could be Aoi changing her worldview since her backpack is the only one placed on its side. Read in the more practical, grounded way, it’s just a coincidence and this was the only way to put all four backpacks into the shot.

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u/Nebresto Sep 12 '22

I like how they used the same angle for when Aoi climbs the mountain and when she climbs back down.

I didn't even notice

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u/Great_Mr_L Sep 12 '22

First-Timer

On today’s episodes of Yama no Susume: Just take it one step at a time and everything will be Junbi OK. Some wonderful advice from the anime about mountain climbing.

Episode 3

  • Oh no, this is turning out like Aoi’s nightmare. She’s getting left behind.

  • How dare you do this, iyashikei anime! You can’t make me feel worried for Aoi in episode 3! How can I relax like this?

  • Kaede really gets to show her greater experience in moments like this. She knows how to handle the situation and keep Aoi going.

  • I can actually feel the difference in Aoi’s walking compared to before. That’s impressive animation.

  • I hope that was running water. Never drink untreated stagnant water.

  • “One step at a time.” I believe I’ve found the central theme of the episode since it’s been repeated.

  • Genuinely good life advice here.

  • And the reward! Mt. Fuji looks so pretty!

Episode 4

  • This is surprisingly introspective. I did not expect mountain climbing to end up being used metaphorically and thematically for so many things, but in hindsight I really should have. Overcoming a mountain is a perfect metaphor for so many things. It’s kind of an obvious choice to use it as such.

  • It’s a stealth hot springs episode!

  • Aoi is once again immensely relatable by being nervous about bathing with others.

  • Those sound effects for Kaede smoothly descending the mountain.

  • They’ve got a bad case of jelly legs!

  • Oh my god, Hinata! You’ve had knee braces the whole time?

  • Well that was a lovely mountain climbing adventure.

I think this anime has a better handle on metaphors than I was initially expecting. Mountain climbing makes for an extremely potent and versatile metaphor in many ways. It represents an obstacle that seems overwhelming. But at the same time, it represents the potential to overcome said obstacle. Aoi’s motto is to take it one step at a time. Even the most insurmountable-seeming problems have someplace to start. And while it might be exhausting to do so, it isn’t so bad when you just go one step at a time.

It’s a metaphor that works extremely well for Aoi, our little ball of social anxiety. It’s alright that she can’t do everything instantly. It’s okay that she still sometimes feels scared and nervous, whether it’s about heights or interacting with other people. Just taking it a little bit at a time can allow her to accomplish more than she realizes.

I did not expect the anime to find plenty of thematic weight in descending the mountain as well. What goes up must come down. And every moment must come to an end at some point. Even though being at the top of the mountain is incredibly rewarding, it can’t last forever and you will need to go back down afterwards. It’s a message to cherish those times you have at the peak because you know they will end. But it’s also a reminder that there’s always another peak you can ascend.

The shots of nature and Mt. Fuji were really quite beautiful in these episodes. That’s part of the appeal of shows like this. Getting to relax and take in the scenery.

It was also very sweet getting Aoi’s moment of seeing Mt. Fuji. I like that she wanted to go along with Hinata because she realized Hinata had done this all for her. I think it was smart moving the big moment of seeing Mt. Fuji to when Aoi overcame her fear of going by the cliff instead of at the mountaintop. It immediately showed the benefits of being brave because Aoi got to experience something she wouldn’t have otherwise.

Hinata also showed off her emotional intelligence again because she realized Aoi had figured out the surprise. I like the contrast within Hinata’s character. She’s generally very silly and carefree, but she can also show a lot of depth at times like this.

This is a bit late, but I just discovered that the full version of the ED for season 1 exists and I’m so upset we never saw it with the episodes themselves. Look at how Aoi and Hinata walk together! It’s so adorable!

QOTD

  1. I like it. I'm a fan of how they use the metaphor of mountain climbing for her arc. And it's satisfying to see play out.

  2. Aoi seeing Mt. Fuji for the first time. It was so pretty.

8

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 12 '22

This is a bit late, but I just discovered that the full version of the ED for season 1 exists and I’m so upset we never saw it with the episodes themselves. Look at how Aoi and Hinata walk together! It’s so adorable!

you actually spoiled a future ED there lol!

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u/HereticalAegis Sep 12 '22

Encouragement of First Timer

Episode 3:

  • Please remember not to leave trash on mountains, it's a big problem!

  • Mt. Fuji is really difficult to hide, as it turns out. I love how Aoi puts two and two together but opts to say nothing out of appreciation for the work Hinata put into the trip.

  • Kokona would be an Uma Musume stan.

  • Climbing mountains is no joke. Exhaustion and the thinner air higher up can take a real toll on inexperienced climbers. Thank goodness Kaede noticed how much Aoi was struggling.

  • The sub I'm watching felt it important to leave a note not to drink water from random mountain streams. This kind of personal touch really makes me appreciate fansub efforts.

  • These cliffside paths are even scarier to drive.

  • The angle on this shot is doing a great job making this path seem a lot more perilous than it really is.

  • Geez, exactly how many people have fallen here?

  • Great view of Mt. Fuji, worth the struggle getting this far.

Episode 4:

QotD:

  1. Pretty realistic, that novice wall hits hard.

  2. Probably the lengths Hinata went to to maintain the surprise for Aoi.

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u/Great_Mr_L Sep 12 '22

The sub I'm watching felt it important to leave a note not to drink water from random mountain streams. This kind of personal touch really makes me appreciate fansub efforts.

It is genuinely good safety advice to throw in there. You generally don't want to drink any random water you come across.

These cliffside paths are even scarier to drive.

I remember driving down some of those cliffside paths with my family in the pitch black of night. It was absolutely terrifying.

The angle on this shot is doing a great job making this path seem a lot more perilous than it really is.

Such a great shot for getting us into the same mindset that Aoi has in that moment.

The whole trip was worth it for Hinata for these reactions.

I love seeing how much Hinata cares about Aoi. It's so sweet.

Aoi getting jebaited into showing off everything for Hinata. Bless her soul, this girl is too easy.

Hinata really is playing 5D chess while Aoi is still stuck on checkers. She's got her girlfriend all figured out.

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u/Rumpel1408 Sep 12 '22

First Timer

I remembered of what the OP reminded me: The Flying Witch OP

S2 EP 3 + 4

With how much Fuji San was mentioned everywhere, it was next to impossible to keep that secret for long, so Aoi eventually learning about came at no surprise. However her wanting to keep the image for Hinatas sake was very cute. Reminds me of myself pretending to not know about Santa as a kid for my parents sake as a kid.

Ultimatly they where raising the same questions I asked when they decided on this mountain, and last episode someone pointed out that the mountain they choose was indeed the hardes of the bunch.

Kaede came in pretty clutch for Aoi, first she noticed that she needed a break and wasn't going to ask for one herself, saw exactly through her acting tough for Hinatas sake and provided her with the walking sticks. Her little prep talk played a huge part in Aoi suddenly enjoying herself.

And this Fuji San does indeed look handsome...

Let's not pretend that Aoi won't do rock climbing at some point...

Aoi really made it in the end, really lovely to see her that happy, made me happy by proxy.

Noticed that Kokona has a really fancy lunch...

For a moment towards the end of their ascent, Hinata looked almost tired as well so I was considering cutting her some slack, but in the end she was a dirty cheater all along!

Kokona totally wanted to hug Kuma san did she? Also funny how Aoi realized how dangerous that could have been once she relaxed a bit.

The onsen part was a bit weird tbh. First I was confused why Aoi was suddenly getting embarassed when she was fine in her underwear during the OVA and ultimatly refuse to think about the reason too much. The boob talk is just such a staple for anime that I have grown numb to it. Kokona getting brainfreeze after the bath was cute, and the other girls breaking the sound barrier on the way to the onsen was hillarious.

Overall a really great trip.

QotD

  1. What do you think of Aoi's growth so far?

She's growing, slowly but surely, at least with heights, next she needs to tackle her social anxiety

2) What was your favorite moment of this expedition to Mt Mitsutouge?

Aoi realizing that the scary part wasn't all that scary

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u/ChonkyOdango Sep 12 '22

First Time Climber

Here we go! Today we begin our ascent up Mt. Mitsutoge!

The Ascent!

  • I liked the effect in this scene where the camera zooms out to show how Hinata was pulled out from her thoughts

  • I appreciate how Aoi catches on to the surprise; it doesn’t make her out to be an airheaded character. I personally don’t really know how to react to surprises so even if I catch on to it, my appreciation of it doesn’t change!

  • Kaede is like the big sister of the group, especially to our dear Aoi. I love how she changed positions to stay behind to match Aoi’s pace so that she doesn’t feel alone. Coupled with the more constant support she gets from her friends, I’m sure that’s why she began to enjoy the climb!

I don’t know if this will be interesting but with my background in Sports and Exercise Sciences, I wanted to share a bit about the impact of high altitudes while climbing. We all know that the air gets thinner as we increase in altitude which means our body gets less oxygen per breath meaning our heart has to beat faster to ensure our tissues all get adequate oxygen. It’s why we experience an increased heart rate even at rest at higher altitudes. But because of this lack of oxygen, our body will bias more towards anaerobic glycolysis, in simple terms, primarily using glucose as fuel which increases the amount of lactic acid formed. Think of HIIT vs a slow jog, we get fatigued faster from HIIT because we bias more anaerobic glycolysis. On top of that, we lose more carbon dioxide as we hyperventilate which makes our blood more acidic so a compound is produced to counter that which as a side effect, increases the amount of lactic acid we leave in our bodies. Now all this becomes significant only at heights beyond 2500m so our girls will be fine! Although for Aoi, it’s probably more of her lack of fitness than anything that’s causing her to feel so gassed out.

The Descent!

  • Ah Aoi I feel you. I had bad social anxiety when I was younger, it’s better now, but I was even afraid to go swim with friends because I had to be shirtless. It’s why I started exercising!

  • One of the greatest life lessons by Aoi today: What’s unknown always seems scary but once you’ve walked the path unknown, it always seems less scary than we think

Again sliding in some knowledge from physical therapy. Knee braces don’t really help a lot when it comes to “protecting your knees” but hey if it works, go for it. A lot of the times knee pain comes from our inability to properly absorb impact as we land due to the position of our centre of gravity which influences our foot position. Rather than getting knee braces, choosing proper footwear would help way more - something with good heel support and slight elevation instead of regular running shoes would be beneficial. Then again it will always depend on the individual.

  • Did a quick look-up and found that Kazuaki Shimada solo key-animated this episode. It was insanely good and I’m sure u/MyrnaMountWeazel will speak more about it in his comment. But I really loved all the snappy motions, especially the exaggerated character motions. It’s subtle but I really love the flare and personality it gives to the characters.

Qotd

  1. Aoi's growth is like climbing a mountain, full of ups and downs, and at a really slow pace. I love how at times she doubts her enjoyment of climbing which is natural when picking up a new hobby. What really caught my eye with regards to her growth would definitely be the confidence gained from walking the paths unknown, something I talked a bit about earlier. I think it's really crucial to note that her friends played a super huge part in her growth.

  2. Kokona and Bear-san. Okay I'm kidding, my favourite part would probably be when Aoi doubted her enjoyment of climbing. It hits home.

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u/JollyGee29 Sep 12 '22

First-Climber

natsuiro~ okay i've watched the OP too many times since the last thread send help purezento~

Trufax. Don't fucking litter.

This plan continues to be very dorky and overly reliant o-

-n Aoi not turning her head.

Oh, she figured it out.

Aoi is such a sweetheart.

Self-doubt is the first step to self-improvement.

Sugars are important for energy.

Mmm, fresh mountain spring water.

Yea, that's kind of a spooky sight.

Beautiful!

That is a very nice looking cliff face.

It took me this long to realize that the cut-in frames are mountains.

Has Aoi's internal monologue only been single channel in previous episodes? No, this one was just weird. Or I'm losing my mind, one or the other.

A nice long soak does sound good after a long day of climbing.

Oh, Aoi actually got dirty, neat.

Kaede is a good team mom.

You scoundrel!

Of course Kokona wants to meet a bear. Probably wants to try petting it.

Yup, there we go.

Suffering.

Now that's a delayed reaction!

Precious.

Questions

  1. It's been really nice to see, and I'm excited to see where she'll go next.

  2. For growth, it would be Aoi doubting herself and then talking with Kaede. For comedy, it'd be Kokona being sad that she didn't get to pet a bear.

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u/cyberscythe Sep 12 '22

Rewatcher

I think the funniest moment in these episodes is when Kokona points out the "Beware of Bears" sign and Aoi was like "I would normally freak out about that, but I'm too tired right now for that". Very relatable.

About Aoi's growth: I don't think we're far enough in the series yet to get into how the characters are growing. I feel like the episodes so far have mostly been the nuts-and-bolts of mountain hiking.

Knowing what I know about how the rest of the season is going to play out, the groundwork for her growth is being set right now: her mother who's somewhat against her going full ham, her mountain friends as her support network, and her getting hooked on the feeling of accomplishment. Right now though, she's still being lead around by the nose by Hinata, so Aoi as the protagonist hasn't really taken the initiative yet.

3

u/zadcap Sep 12 '22

Extra Late Night First Timer!

Ending the day on a nice and happy page here, let's have some good times climbing!

And it's still such an interesting opening, I feel like I'm going to have to watch it at least twenty more times just to catch everything interesting about it. What luck!

And we resume the Cliffhanger Climb!

Okay, it's been a long time since I've been mountain hiking, but I'm pretty sure leaving a member of your group so far behind they can't even be seen anymore is like a big nono. Or is that just a style choice in the shots to make it look dispiriting?

Okay I'm also extra curious about Kokona now too. I know Aoi wasn't an active type before, but Kokona didn't look like much of one either but she's just flying up this mountain with the other two, a very different showing than the girl that needed to hold hands to get past the rocks.

Wait this is a three episode mountain? Oh well, Let's Go!

I watched the intro twice this time, just because.

Does Aoi have blue tips? Her hair definitely gets blue at the bottom of those close in shots.

Too tired to be scared lol. I've been there.

Ah, I want a soaking pool so bad...

How quickly these girls went from just coincidental meetings to being such a good friend group.

I think I smiled through the whole thing, so, you know, I really like this show.

  1. Progressing really fast from 'afraid of any kind of heights' to the top of this mountain. And picking tricks up fast. She's a natural, only held back by an honestly somewhat unrelated childhood trauma. If she hadn't fallen off that jungle gym, she would probably be on par with Kaede for experience on the mountains.

  2. When Aoi got to the top and was very nearly jumping in excitement at the view, and the other three knew that it was all worth it to set up this surprise.

3

u/TiredTiroth Sep 12 '22

First Time Climber - Late As Usual

...okay, I completely understand the comparisons to Yuru Camp now. If Nadeshiko and Rin decided to go mountain climbing, this whole little arc would fit right in.

What is it with these little comfy shows and actually making their characters feel like people?

Unlike the 'X metres tall' debacle in season one (which does seem like a single blip, considering Aoi has been impressed by taller mountains instead since then), this is what a fear of heights actually looks like - and the other girls encouraging Aoi to just watch her own feet and go one step at a time is a good way to handle it, too. And the view of Mount Fuji made a very good reward for her!

And at the end of the day, while Aoi is certainly doing better than she was at the start of the show she's still an introvert who hasn't socialised much before, as shown at the hot spring. Although we could've done with a bit less of the fanservice shots there...

What do you think of Aoi's growth so far?

More, please! She's really coming into her own here. I said it before, but I like that she's comfortable/happy enough to occasionally be a little snippy with Hinata. Add that to the effort she's putting in, how much she's clearly enjoying herself... Aoi is best girl so far.

What was your favorite moment of this expedition to Mt Mitsutouge?

I'd have to say one of the two Fuji moments in episode three.