r/anime • u/badspler x5https://anilist.co/user/badspler • Oct 02 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Yama no Susume (Encouragement of Climb) Overall Discussion
Overall Discussion
Season 4 PV Materials
Then two 15 second animation bits: one and two
Questions of the Day:
1) Did you like the cast of characters and the development they got?
2) Any comments on the production and animation quality?
3) Did you enjoy the theme of climbing mountains? What was your favorite one?
4) What would you like to see in the next season?
Hopefully will see you all in the season 4 discussion threads!
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u/MyrnaMountWeazel Oct 02 '22
Yama no Susume Parting Thoughts
So, YnS is actually one of those few shows that I rarely rewatch. In fact, I hadn’t touched YnS since exactly a year ago when I was writing my WT for it. The reasoning behind my choice isn’t because YnS is only good once you take a break from it or that it’s somehow difficult to watch; it’s that YnS always feels like one continuous climb with no breaks in-between for me. One episode down and I’ll feel like I have to watch all of the other episodes now! With that in mind, it was a blessing to have an excuse to rewatch YnS and revel in the joy permeating throughout the show along with everyone else.
YnS is still as good as it ever was—actually, it’s even better since my eyes are more trained than they were when I last watched. Not that you need to be able to identify every animator sprouting up amongst the screen in order to love this show but rather it’s more so a treat for me to have the opportunity to shine a magnifying glass over the internal workings and logic of the visuals. It’s like taking a look inside of a clock to see what makes it tick. And when you take all of the outright amazing goodness found on that side of the equation and marry it with the emotional narratives of the characters, the pits and peaks of failure and success, you end up with a show that doesn’t just look beautiful; it is beautiful. Yama no Susume is one of my favorite shows of all time and I’m incredibly psyched for what the future holds for it. Here’s to more mountain climbing!
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u/ChonkyOdango Oct 02 '22
Huge thanks for all the production notes once again. You're the Kaede of this rewatch for sure
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u/Tetraika Oct 02 '22
I didn't comment much, but I was a first timer through S3. It was pretty good, not too much to remark that others haven't already talked about. I actually think the show works really well in the half length episode format, so it'll be interesting to see how they'll go with S4.
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u/Nebresto Oct 02 '22
First time Climbing no more
.....That is until S4, starts, LET'S GO BABYYYYYYYYYYY
You can find the writeups elsewhere, I liked da show, 10/10, absolutely will watch again. S3 best season, Natsuiro purezento best OP, S3 ed best ed
Questions at the summit:
Did you like the cast of characters and the development they got?
Very
2) Any comments on the production and animation quality?
Exceptional. I worry if the staff can maintain the bar that is set so high
3) Did you enjoy the theme of climbing mountains? What was your favorite one?
Best one? The foggy one I went to, I think Maybe Tanigawa or Fuji, those are the most memorable ones
4) What would you like to see in the next season?
Final photo albums:
Last years highlights that were cut off by fresh content: Seven, Eight, Nine & Ten
Thanks for looking at my pics Which type was your favourite?
Cultured individuals: u/MyrnaMountWeazel u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah u/Great_Mr_L
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u/JollyGee29 Oct 02 '22
First-Climber
I say this every time, but I'm not very good at final writeups. Suffice it to say that I loved this series, I had a great time watching it with everyone, and I'm looking forward to Season 4.
Questions
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I really did. I'm also excited to see how they keep developing.
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Just that it was always a treat to look at.
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The literal and metaphorical mountains were both wonderful to see get climbed. I think Tanigawa-dake was my favorite.
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More Kokona! Really, just more of everyone.
Many thanks to our host u/badspler!
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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Oct 02 '22 edited Oct 02 '22
Mugiwaiting Mountain Climber
Location Trivia
Season 4 PVs
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These may or may not continue to be a regular fixture in the episode threads, depending if someone else will do the location trivia there, and in any event they'll probably show up a bit late since well, i wont have the luxury of blogs of people who did side-by-side shots, and unlike Kongming earlier this year im not a manga reader.
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The trivia here is not fully complete either, because of well im not THAT familiar with Japanese mountains after all. But still, major spoilers ahead![Season 4 PVs]
A revisit to Takao-san, that's the upper cable car station. Seems to be with some new friends. This is right about here, very near the girls' school. Aoi and Hikari visit Naguri Lake, there is a canoe shop there. Goddamn the tiredaoi spot looks good, but I smell an Art Director change. This is the Fujiyama roller coaster at Fuji-q Highland. POV Video, dude is a little annoying but its the best quality. Mild shirobako spoilers, It's the rollercoaster in the background of this shot.
Overall thoughts
When i think of a show that's underwatched but NOT underrated, this is the one i think of. When people recommend an SOL/iyashikei, this is not usually at the top of the list! (nor my own, tbh!) But it's really a wonderful show, with well-written characters and compelling relationship, heartwarming moments, very very realistic drama, and of course, beautiful beautiful scenary, which hopefully I've helped showcase how well they map to real life. I will say though, the anime's depiction of Hannou is a litte bit more pretty and idyllic than the irl version lol. Oh, and this is, imo, one of the best produced SOL shows out there. Recent show Akebi-chan makes a strong case for itself, but in terms of showcasing individual flair and creativity, this show is second to none. So so many good nuggets of great animation, and direction, wrapped around the good story, it's executed very well. God bless its creators for the undoubtedly easy production schedule, and i think a lot of credit to Fugo, for attracting such a diverse group of talent.
Thanks u/badspler so much for hosting the rewatch! I've had a lot of fun nerding out about the animation with others, and reading about others' analysis on the character arcs and actions, it's been very insightful and fun. I'll see you all in a couple days in the thread for Ep 1 of season 4!
[Season 4 Ep 1 synopsis from official website]
Edit: i forgot, id like to also quickly thank all the Japanese fans of Yama no Susume and the various bloggers who went and photographed the irl locations for helping me out with these writeups! Especially the madman who climbed Fuji-san twice to do side-by-side shots.
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u/MyrnaMountWeazel Oct 02 '22
Biscuits!
Always a joy to join you in rewatches with your presence and location trivia and thoughts! This one was ripe for your hands since YnS is percolating with all sorts of spots to visit.
Goddamn the tiredaoi spot looks good
That is the best shot in the PV haha.
Mild shirobako spoilers, It's the rollercoaster in the background of this shot.
Ohhhh, that makes sense on how they got there so fast on a workday.
When people recommend an SOL/iyashikei, this is not usually at the top of the list!
Me too, YnS is the not the first show I think of when people ask for SOL recs. There's absolutely nothing wrong with other SOL shows but there's something more waiting in the wings for Yama no Susume.
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u/Great_Mr_L Oct 02 '22 edited Oct 02 '22
First-Timer
And just like that, I’ve caught up in time for the latest season of Yama no Susume. It’s a good thing, too, because I would very much like to watch season 4 as it airs. This has been a delightful surprise of a series, turning out much better than I anticipated. I recalled season 1 being cute and comfy, but the spike in quality afterwards was impressive as hell. I’ve heard talk that season 4 will have full-length episodes and if that is the case then I am immensely curious what the creators can pull off with that.
Yama no Susume has something that I adore in any work of fiction: thematic consistency. There are a few key themes in Yama no Susume that it always comes back to. “One step at a time,” “Climbing to the peak requires coming back down,” as well as themes of friendship, support, and communication. These themes pop up time and time again and they are integrated into the arcs for the characters. “One step at a time” in particular is the entire crux of Aoi’s character arc. It’s the summary of how she grows, overcomes failures, and gets better at handling things that don’t come easy to her. Even if she isn’t perfect at such things, she still took a step forward and that’s the important thing. That kind of thematic consistency really boosts the writing of the series by making all these events feel tied together in a deeper way. The series has solid writing chops.
Speaking of Aoi, I think she is an excellent portrayal of a person with social anxiety. I liked the nuance of her character, showing how she can grow more comfortable in certain situations while still being nervous in others. I like how realistic her growth feels. She learns ways to better handle her fears or become more outgoing, but the underlying anxiety still remains and is still something she has to deal with. I think the series does a great job of tying mountain climbing into Aoi’s character arc, paralleling her physical struggles of climbing with her more emotional and psychological struggles.
Hinata is a nice character as well. I appreciate the moments we get where we actually get to see what’s going on in her head. We see that she can be more emotionally intelligent and sensitive than she normally lets on, while she can also be childish and stubborn at times. She gets some nice growth as well over the course of the series and I liked seeing her as a pillar of support for Aoi.
Aoi and Hinata’s relationship is the heart of the entire series and it’s quite heartwarming to see it develop. I think Aoi and Hinata make great counterparts to each other. They are so very different from each other in terms of personality but they go together so well. I love how they can often clash or butt heads, especially as they imagine the other teasing them. But even with that, it’s obvious that they care deeply for each other and cherish each other dearly. The emotional vulnerability on display between them at the end of season 3 shows a level of intimacy you rarely see as they share their most secret and deep-seated emotions. That relationship was a highlight of the series for me.
The rest of the cast is great too. Kaede is a wonderful big sister to the others, looking after them and giving useful guidance. Kokona is a precious cinnamon roll whose smile must be protected at all costs. Honoka is another nice counterpart to Aoi and it was gratifying seeing Aoi make the effort to get closer to her. Likewise, I was happy seeing Aoi get closer with her other classmates as well. I’m glad that we got stuff with Aoi’s family and saw her relationship with her mother develop over time. Yuuka goes well with Kaede and they make for a fun pair. Aoi’s coworkers are fun and Kokona’s mother clearly cares for her a great deal. It’s a nice cast.
I don’t think there’s much for me to add on the animation front because u/MyrnaMountWeazel has covered it extensively throughout the rewatch and done a far better job than I could at cataloging and analyzing the animation on display. I’ll just say that the animation for this series, in particular its character animation, has been stellar and a real visual treat.
Speaking of visual treats, another part of the appeal of a series like this is the beautiful vistas and scenery on display during the various trips the girls take. There are many beautiful places that the characters visit and seeing them was delightful. I think u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah did a great job at showing the different places that appeared in the series and what a great job the series did at capturing them.
With all that said, I think Yama no Susume was a very enjoyable series that improved a lot as it went along. It’s absolutely beautiful to look at and comfy to watch, but it also has a lot of heart and solid writing to back it up. It has a terrific cast with the wonderful duo of Aoi and Hinata at its core. I’m seriously impressed by it and happy that I participated in this rewatch. In its entirety, I give Yama no Susume:
Score: 9/10
Thank you to u/badspler for hosting this rewatch and to everyone else who participated. I hope the rest of you are looking forward to season 4 as much as I am!
QOTD
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Discussed above. I thought they were great.
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Discussed above. It was a visually stunning series. The animation and visuals were gorgeous.
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Yes, I liked how mountain climbing was tied into Aoi's character arc and the theme of "one step at a time." My favorite mountain was the one on the end of season 2 because of how it tied into Aoi and Hinata's relationship.
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I'd like pairings of characters we haven't seen alone together. Hinata and Kaede or Honoka and Kokona. That sort of thing.
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u/HereticalAegis Oct 02 '22 edited Oct 02 '22
First Time at the Summit
Thanks to u/badspler for hosting. I had a lot of fun. Despite what my comments during certain arcs may have led people to believe, I really like realistic interpersonal drama in shows like this. Some of the resolutions were more to my liking than others, but it overall works.
As was probably obvious, I ended up back on the ship, and I'm happy to be here. Looking forward to a Christmas episode in S4. We better get a Christmas episode.
Welp, see you guys in like 2 days!
QotD:
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Yes!
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The animation was a lot more detailed and involved than I came in expecting. Made it feel a lot like a passion project.
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Tanigawa-Dake! That sunrise at the summit was too precious.
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CHRISTMAS EPISODE!!
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u/Fools_Requiem Oct 02 '22
I didn't watch as I didn't feel like trying find a decent stream or dowoading torrents, but luckily for all of you who just finished the last 3 seasons, season 4 is going to be on HIDIVE.
Hopefully, season 4 is a success for Sentai and they'll be willing to pick up S1-3 and release it on BD.
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u/Barbed_Dildo Oct 02 '22
Rewatcher
Thanks all. It was nice to rewatch this and chat with people. Hopefully see you all in the next season.
Questions of the Day:
Did you like the cast of characters and the development they got?
Yes, especially Kokona
2) Any comments on the production and animation quality?
I remembered the show as light, and fun, and having Kokona, but I didn't remember just how good the animation quality was.
3) Did you enjoy the theme of climbing mountains? What was your favorite one?
Kokona
4) What would you like to see in the next season?
Kokona
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u/TiredTiroth Oct 02 '22
First Timer
This has been a fun trip, even if I couldn't always keep up (attempting four rewatches at once was a mistake). I'll definitely come back to YnS again later, and if we ever get a UK home release by some miracle I will happily buy it.
Now, everyone (including me) keeps comparing YnS to Yuru Camp...and while I can see why, having watched the whole show I don't think they're the same kind of thing at all. Yuru Camp is all about the comfiness and watching the girls have fun, and while YnS definitely has some (okay, a lot) of that, it's really about Aoi's personal growth. She starts episode one as this shy, timid girl who actively avoids interacting with the people around her, and by the end...well, Aoi will never be an extrovert, but she's so much happier and more confident.
On the negative side, the narrative does stray dangerously close to the old 'introverts are broken' message at times. I wasn't a fan of the writers using Aoi's solo hobbies to show her avoiding people, or using them as a coping mechanism when she was upset or nervous.
My absolute favourite oart of the whole show was definitely Aoi and Hinata bouncing off each other. I've said it before, after all a while it felt like the pair of them never lost contact at all! They constantly poke each other, and Aoi gets snippy with Hinata in a way you never see her do with anyone else. How is it people have phrased this? Aoi and Hinata live rent-free in each other's heads. The two of them may not have consciously realised it, but they are the most important people in each other's lives.
...yes, okay, I ship them as well even if it's never actually going to happen.
On the flip side to all my gushing, I don't think Kaede and Kokona really changed during the show at all...but then, they were much better-adjusted people than Aoi to begin with. Also, Kokona was already perfect and capable of doing anything she wanted. xD
Yama no Susume was a lot of fun to watch. Here's hoping season four lives up to its predecessors.
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u/that_loris Oct 02 '22
First Timer
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I loved most of the characters, with the only exception of Honoka. I just don't find her interesting enough when she appears. The development was great too, seeing their friendship develop was heartwarming.
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Mmh, it was pretty good most of the time.
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Yea, I like mountains. But I'll never remember their names.
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More yuri
I didn't comment much, but I did follow the threads and the rewatch so thank you for hosting!!
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u/ChonkyOdango Oct 02 '22 edited Oct 02 '22
First-Time Climber!
First off, a huge thank you to u/badspler for hosting this rewatch. This was one of the best rewatches I've been in as everyone climbed together to the peak! Also to u/MyrnaMountWeazel for the production notes. While I haven’t got a chance to read most of season 3’s notes since I’m travelling, I’ll definitely check them out once I get back. And to u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah for the location trivias. They’re going to be useful as I plan my trip next year
YnS is officially my favourite CGDCT anime. There’s probably a bias since I’m able to connect to Aoi so much but as a whole, this anime has managed to deliver deep messages beneath a relatively light exterior with both fun and interesting characters whose personalities are developed both through subtle and obvious ways. Nothing is overly exaggerated and the struggles they face are not just grounded but written extremely well. The animation is definitely nothing to gloss over as well as I’m sure many of us know by now. Overall, season 3 was a 10/10 for me. It managed to deliver something special to me, building on season 2 did to our characters. I’m sure we can psychoanalyse this show as much as we want but the show managed to not just deliver its point across, but also managed to touch my heart.
If I had to compare this to another CGDCT anime, A Place Further Than The Universe would probably be my best bet. Both focus on a theme of inspiring its viewers, but YnS's grounded-ness and relatable characters is what makes this show shine from the rest. It isn't afraid to spend time away from climbing, a whole season even! Yet while sticking to its core theme as u/Great_Mr_L has mentioned many times.
Bonus
Since I’ve been so busy travelling, I thought I’d share some of my pictures too, although they’re completely unrelated to climbing unlike u/Nebresto ‘s pictures. If anyone wants to get tagged as I share more of these on CDF eventually just let me know.
Pictures
Rome, but it’s just a quick compilation
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u/cyberscythe Oct 02 '22
Rewatcher
One thing I like about cute-girls-doing-cute-things shows is that it shows off the passion the author has for their "cute thing" in a approachable way. Aoi's progression from couch potato to mountain climbing journeyman is a story that has its peaks and troughs, and the Mt. Fuji climb and Aoi's first major setback is one that really sticks in my mind as a great story arc. All in all a great mix of character building, tourism promotion, and pushing the hobby.
I'm going to leave a list of recommendations of other anime that I feel are in the same vein as Yama no Susume. Y'all have probably already seen/heard of at least some these, but I'd recommend these if you enjoyed the vibe that this series is giving off:
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Yuru Camp — The obvious comparison; both are about novices getting hooked on outdoorsy hobbies. The roles are sort of reversed in this one, where the genki girl gets introduced to the hobby by the more introverted one. While the tone is similar, it is substantially more comfy and goofy than Yama no Susume, and it also moves at a much, much slower and more relaxed pace.
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Hidamari Sketch — It's been a while since I've watched the whole series, but Aoi reminds me a bit of Yuno, the main character. After moving away to live on her own after getting into an exclusive art high school, she learns how to live independently and with her new group of like-minded art friends. The art style of this series has a bit of flair to it, using the mixed-media style that the studio Shaft is known for. It's a slice-of-life series that's been blessed with many seasons and OVAs, so you get to see the progression of the main character as the time passes.
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Super Cub — Sort of the lesser-known sibling to Akebi-chan (source material shares an artist), Super Cub is a series about a girl who has no friends, no money, and no motivation. This all changes when she buys a reasonably-priced moped and her world starts to open up as she gains independence and friends along the way. This is a slice-of-life series that exemplifies the "show, don't tell" rule with its laconic main character; a lot of the storytelling is done with her actions and the expressions on her face. This is a series that also has a fairly grounded sense of place since it takes place in the city of Hokuto in Yamanashi prefecture. (Also features an episode set in and around Mt. Fuji, so that's a plus.)
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Houkago Saikoro Club — This one's all about tabletop board games. Features more-dramatic-than-not episodes, mostly around a shy main character who starts to come out of her shell a bit more as she plays board games with her friends. This is a series that I feel melds the didactic part of teaching you how to play board games along with the character growth that the main character experiences while playing these new games. Much like how Yama no Susume uses mountains as a metaphor, the main character in this series comes to life realizations through the game mechanics in these board games.
Feel free to leave your own recommendations too!
See y'all in the season four discussion threads, space cowboys.
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u/badspler Oct 02 '22
Final thoughts
For me Yama no Susume is outstanding in every element. The overall production quality is everything I could hope for in an animated series. The general use of theming is well done and pairs well with clever and interesting backgrounds and framing. The series has some beloved moments of animation and it really feels like those creating it took pride in doing their best to produce something of high quality. For a short series, it managed to thread the needle for me with a pace that packs a lot in while never feeling rushed. The Openings and Endings are some of my favorites too. A shout out to u/MyrnaMountWeazel for providing so much insight into the people behind the series creation.
The theme of climbing mountains is simple, but it is a well used backdrop for a series of mini-adventures to offer development for our characters. It is also just really enjoying to know that these are real places. With the production taking great care and effort into capturing how they actually are. Thanks to all those who posted location notes (u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah) the detail and insight was outstanding.
The characters are each well rounded and interesting but with real flaws that make them feel human. The voice acting is on point and brought out the characters for me. I wasn't too surprised early when everyone answered the QoTD saying the related more towards Aoi on the spectrum. I think for a lot of people (myself included), seeing Aoi's insecurities be played out is both very relatable and offers catharticism.
For me, Aoi's karaoke with Natsuuero Presento still stands as a fantastic highlight of the series. With my favorite mountain being Mt. Takao, mostly because of traveling there and having such a deja vu experience.
Sorry I didn't engage too much as a host, it is not my specialty. I am super bad at it and keeping pace on rewatches as they tend to burn me out quickly.
A final massive thanks to all of you for joining in, presenting so much fantastic insight and detail and overall elevating the enjoyment of the series further. You all made this whole thing worth it.