Yuru Yuri Returns With Yuri

Yuru Yuri returns with more of its much loved yuri in a second run – shuffling through many antics seen within the first, yet delivered to a fresh take so as to reacquaint and reintroduce all to the atmosphere.

This second season does feel similar to the first in that we’re met with the same simple circumstances, the Amusement Club four with nothing better to do, and some slight yuri implications floating all around – although in a series as this, where comedy is the main driving factor, it can’t help but continually elevate the extent of what it does in order to keep the audience entertained. And with that being the case, this episode does contain much which is far over the top in comparison to Yuru Yuri’s first episode ever – although that’s to be expected.

Basically, this second season does feel like a proper return – yet with a very noticeable growth or shift in mood, feeling to have developed to the point where mere tea parties in a club house will simply suffice no longer, and that’s even expressed in the episode as well.

And thus, the start into this second coming is extravagant – Akkarin calls the title as usual, although in as incredibly grandiose a manner as imaginable, with a whole concert’s worth of fans roaring the name “Akkarin”. Following up is the opening sequence, and it certainly does well to define itself from the first season in how much more ecstatic, energetic, and outright strange it is – particularly with the inclusion of a few abnormal, yet wonderfully amusing dancing scenes.

When the episode actually starts, it’s an amplified spin of the original beginning from season one – Akkarin is portrayed as if she were legitimately our protagonist, and not only that, she’s even glorified. Her friends all fight to get her attention – and they also get fussy over who can touch her and whatnot. Essentially, Akkarin is made out to be their shining angelic idol of yuri affection – yet this isn’t limited to her closest three friends, it expands beyond to everyone else as well.

At school, everyone wars over Akkarin as well – and then somewhere near the end of it, the place practically erupts in fervor for Akkarin’s love, with every character of season one being present and involved.

Yet unsurprisingly, we then see that Akkarin was dreaming a dream rather full of herself all along. Though in any case, moving onward, it looks that our main four girls are heading somewhere snowy – they arrive at an onsen, and then begin to indulge in table tennis and bathing, each activity being flooded with all sorts of lighthearted gags which are commendable in how they not simply serve to provide humor, but also simultaneously treat the viewer to the personality of each character.

For instance, one can definitely assess Akkarin’s wish to be more popular based off her dream – and Kyouko’s quick yet often cruel humor shows the sort of playful person she is. Yui’s lack of any of that shows her to be the most modest and mature of the bunch, only reacting when appropriate – specifically, in response to her friend from childhood, Kyouko. And then lastly, one can see the sort of sick sadistic loli character Chinachu truly is by how her hair digests ping pong balls as if it were some sort of carnivorous flora.

These comical moments also are superb in identifying the relationship held between the girls – aside from the overall friendship they share, which one will easily grasp, there’s smaller, more direct links of connection prevalent, such as Akkarin being often paired with Chinachu, and then the lines of yuri love existing between Chinachu towards Yui, as well as from Kyouko to Chinachu. It’s also interesting how one can see the relationship molding as result of events of season one – Chinachu for example does have an ever so slight like and respect for Kyouko.

While it may be a comedy series, and there’s some less than serious moments, the ending of this episode is worth recognizing as very strong and truly lovely as it highlighted the intimacy, be it of friendship or otherwise, existing amongst the girls – and there’s also one other highly significant detail. Akkarin still is shoved off to the side as per the running gag that she hardly has a presence – yet now it’s done far more realistically, and it doesn’t feel that she’s being totally forgotten, as was the case within the first episode.

It may be fun to laugh at Akkarin’s expense, yet to see a more reasonable take on her role is immensely refreshing.

Finally, the eyecatch intermissions were one of the glistening displays of brilliance within Yuru Yuri’s first season, and they’re now even better than before – a facet evidenced by the cheerful yet all so terrifying Chinachu sketch doing a little dance.

Overall, everything from the first season returns and has been much improved – Yuru Yuri didn’t blatantly recycle anything, it recreated and renewed, and in addition to that, it added so much more. Certain areas were fine tuned. even if not flawed, merely to achieve complete perfection – and if the original wasn’t impeccable already, then this second season may very well be so.

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