DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ComedyGochuumon wa Usagi desu ka?
OVA ComedyGochuumon wa Usagi desu ka?? Dear My Sister

REVIEWS

• 

  Reinford

  90/100
  a good 'seat back and relax' show to end this bad 2020 year

  Gochuumon wa usagi desu ka? Bloom Review

  

  I've already made the first season review here:
  Gochuumon wa usagi desu ka season 1 review
  I feel like i don't need to review other season since I made the first season review , but I made this season review after all because this third season give me the most impression compare to the other seasons. It's very sad tho I can't watch this show every week again. I hope they will announce next gochiusa project, either it's movie or OVA it's better come soon enough. Well I guess I just can read the manga or repeat season 1 and 2 to fill this emptiness of my soul after finishing this show :)

  First thing I like about this season is the story. For me this show isn't just about 'cute girl doing cute thing' stuff, they give such a good morale about relationship. No matter where they go after graduation, even if they applied for a different school they are always gonna be a good friend. Also Chiya and Syaro childhood episode has a good impression about friendship.
  Other than that, this season story tells more about the family relationship. There're an episode that tell a relation between Chino and her mother, Rize and her father, Hoto (Cocoa) family.
  The halloween episode (Episode 7) is my personal favorite so far it's fun and a bit sad at the same time.
  I like how the halloween and Christmas episode aired nearly the same as real time calendar lol.

  Second thing is the music, their music is always impress me no matter what.
  Opening song by petit rabbit's
  also available on spotify or you can just hear it on their official youtube channel
  Spotify : Petit Rabbit's - Tenkuu Cafeteria

  Ending song by Chimame-tai
  Spotify : Chimametai - Nakayoshi! Nakayoshi!

  I got all the song for their official youtube channel (TV edit version).

  Also the ending song from episode 12 (still don't know how to find it, maybe someday it'll appear on their official youtube channel)
  I also like the relaxing BGM.

  Third thing is the character. In this season they introduce more character such as Cocoa and Chiya's friend at school (school festival episode). They also present more detail about Aoyama's editor, Rin with their relationship and past, and relation between Chino's dad and Rize's dad. There's also stuff like Roze- chan reappearance (it's a joke) , and Chino Smile more often in this season, maybe it's because of cocoa effect or something?.

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• 

  FestivalsOfComf

  90/100
  The long awaited sequel with a rocky start but it slams it out of the park as it gains its footing. Marvelous show.

  Setting expectations:

  • This review is being written under a subjective lens and mainly for enjoyment. If you come to expect opinions from a very critical sense, sorry, but I’m not your guy as we may have different tastes.

  • The number of spoilers will be as minimal as possible to none. There are some image spoilers but it's all out of context.

  • I’ll try my best to explain what are the things that worked for me and what doesn’t in this review. Hopefully this will help you understand my point of view and let you come to your own conclusion about what this anime might be like for you.

  I preface because a lot of people online come to expect reviews to fit a mold of what they want which isn’t always realistic. For me, I just like to talk about anime I enjoy. And so this review is about such things. Sorry if this ain't what you're looking for.

  

  ---

  Verdict

  Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? BLOOM or Gochiusa Season 3 for short is a 12 episode anime released in Fall 2020. It was animated by Encourage Films (Senki Zesshou Symphogear, Shinryaku!? Ika Musume / Squid Girl 2, and Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku) and directed by Hiroyuki Hashimoto (previous Gochiusa seasons).

  The anime is an adaptation of the Manga “Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka?” by author Koi and the anime is a Comedy Slice of Life with CGDCT elements.

  The most unique thing about this season is the different scenarios with different character pairings that were never seen before on-screen - something I didn’t ask for but I welcomed very much.

  **[Review Summary]**

  [Summary of: Background]
  I’m a big fan of the GochiUsa anime entries, especially season 2. I’ve been following this season 3 ever since Season 3 was first announced. With a new studio, your worries may come in the beginning episodes but they gain their footing again as the show progressed, don’t worry!

  [Summary of: Story / Plot / Characters]
  The great writing was able to set up great storylines and expansion of the world while also setting up a plot structure that allows character growth to shine. New characters are also introduced and done marvelously.

  [Summary of: Visuals / Animation]
  Don’t expect to see visuals akin to Season 2 and OVA but the new style is still great to look at once you get used to it and you might enjoy it as much as previous seasons or even better! Animation and Visuals have a rocky start in the beginning but improve as the season goes on, definitely give it a chance.

  [Summary of: Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting]
  Great usage of audio. The OP and ED are what you expect from previous seasons. OST reuses certain tracks and possibly new tracks but I’m unsure, still quality background tracks. Finally, the VAs did an incredible job and you feel the character chemistry happen on-screen. Props to Chino and Rize’s VAs for an incredible job.

  [Summary of: Overall]
  A rocky start that worried me but it kept on getting better and better to the point where I feel safe in recommending this to fans of the series.

  **[Recommendation & Rating]**

  I highly recommend this Gochiusa sequel, it does the same things as previous seasons but it adds in new ideas that it feels fresh. Given that this is season 3, you should watch the previous seasons before seeing this one.

  If you liked the previous seasons, you’ll like this new entry. It hits the same story beats as you would expect.

  On my rating scale, I would give this a 9/10 which indicates that I loved this story.

  If you would like to see an explanation of my rating scale, read below. If you would like to see more details in respect to my thoughts, read the rest of the review below.

  

  ---

  Explaining my Rating Scale

  A common mistake with looking at ratings is how we associate the rating according to our own personal rating scale. An average anime could be seen as a 5, 6, or a 7 depending on the person’s criteria. As you all know, ratings and stories are subjective hence the different tastes as well as rating scales.

  My Personal Rating Scale (Anime):

  4 and below = Considered dropped but I finished it for some reason.
  5 = Meh, no rewatch ever.
  6 = Meh, would only rewatch if forced.
  7 = Acceptable and good entertainment, enjoyable.
  8 = Great entertainment, not one of the best though.
  9 = Loved the story!! Not life-changing but incredible!
  10 = Chills, intense emotional catharsis, perfect, and possibly life-changing.

  

  ---

  Background

  I have watched all of the GochiUsa anime adapted on-screen from Season 1 -> 2 -> OVA. I’m a huge fan of all the anime adapted on-screen and had a great time with all of it. The CGDCT/moe aspect of Season 2 was a huge enjoyment that makes it second to none.

  I was waiting for Season 3 ever since I heard about it back in 2016/17. It has been a long time ever since the first announcement of the new season until seeing it air. When I saw the new animation studio for Season 3, I think it’s fair to say that big fans may have been a bit worried given that White Fox, Kinema Citrus, and production doA weren’t working on this aka the studios that worked on the previous seasons and OVA.

  Spoiler alert - those worries can come to fruition in the beginning episodes but be rest assured they made the comeback of the century as the season went along!

  I watched this with official subtitles while it was airing in Japanese Audio, English subtitles.

  

  ---

  The Review

  Now the review. I’ll be talking about the anime in the following categories:

  1) Story / Plot / Characters

  **[Evaluation of Story]**

  As I mentioned before, the story sets up new character pairings and very new situations. It makes the story beats really fresh and interesting. So many different situations with different characters that I never expected to work ended up being quite entertaining thanks to the great writing. They also explore more new things with the setting which adds more to the world in this show.

  **[Evaluation of Plot Structure]**

  It’s episodic-based because it’s a slice of life show, however, it has many subplots happening in the background with references to callbacks here and there. There’s a great flow between episodes as you see characters progress, grow, and learn new things based on how the story goes. The series composition is great with how it handles each episode, a testament to the team.

  **[Evaluation of Characters]**

  It’s the same characters you’ve known since previous seasons and they all end up growing as characters. It’s great to see each character’s personality shine even more as we follow their storylines. Changes for the characters are subtle in nature and make a lot of sense. They also introduce new characters and they do a great job of introducing them into the show!

  

  2) Visuals / Animation

  **[Evaluation of Visual Art]**

  There’s a visual style change because this is a new studio. You must adjust your expectations accordingly. The biggest loss to me is the amazing moe factor being lost from Season 2… but, the new studio and animators do a great job in compensating with good art to complement the storylines and scenes. It’s something you’ll have to get used to but once you do, you’ll be in for a treat!!

  The new style is a refreshing treat once you get used to it and who knows, maybe you’ll like it better than previous seasons. It’s not awful looking at all (except the beginning episodes) as they kept upping their game as the season progressed. I felt like there was stonks / linear progression in improvement as the season went along. This is a testament to the animators for this project and I’m grateful they cared about this product this much to continue to improve. Definitely made watching this every week a treat.

  **[Evaluation of Animation]**

  They took a lot of cheap animator tricks in the beginning but I saw them start to properly animate as the season episodes progressed, so definitely don’t stress about the beginning. I feel like they were back to form by the middle and end!

  

  3) Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting

  **[Evaluation of Show’s Audio]**

  Amazing usage of audio, second-to-none as the director knows how to use it well for comedic purposes. It felt above-average at parts to me personally.

  **[Evaluation of OP & ED]**

  The OP is incredibly cute and a continuation of the previous OP sequences if you pay attention. Song for the OP is what you expect from Gochiusa. As for the ED, we didn’t get the Season 2 ED sequence but you definitely see remnants of it here and there. Song for the ED is what you expect from Gochiusa.

  I do like how they brought back the little after-credit gags, so definitely don’t skip!

  **[Evaluation of OST]**

  The OST felt like the same from previous seasons, it’s quite nostalgic in a way hearing the same tracks but it was a welcomed one. I feel like there have been new tracks here and there but someone has to fact-check that lol. Regardless, all of the tracks are great and fit the show. No track seems out of place given the tone/atmosphere of the show and there would be some stand-outs given some scenes too.

  **[Evaluation of VA]**

  If you were ever worried about the new studio, don’t fret. The Seiyuus/VAs were able to do a great job! I felt the same amazing chemistry as the previous season and it was incredibly satisfying to see them voice act throughout the whole season. Maybe it’s my memory but Rize sounds deeper in this season but that could be from me not having seen this show in a long time.

  Regardless, A+ to all of the voice actors in this season. No bad moments I can think of as I felt like they all hit it out of the park. Props to Chino’s VA for the A+ effort, you really see it as they show goes on.

  

  4) Overall

  I’m really happy that I watched this weekly, I’ve always had a grim feeling that this season would drop the ball at any episode while the show went on from its first episode. However, it kept on getting better and better that I’m really happy with the end result. If you’re a fan of the previous Gochiusa seasons, you MUST watch this new season!

  ---

  Hopefully, you learned something useful from the review. Thanks for reading. :)

  
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• 

  Hungerer

  55/100
  It was a bumpy ride and not as entertaining as previous seasons, but Bloom ends on a positive note.

  Going into Bloom, I found it not as enjoyable as the original series but couldn’t determine exactly why. Besides the worse art, the reasons are nuanced. In addition to the drop in production values, the shift in focus from comedy to light drama and its slower pacing make it harder to watch. The early episodes especially are a drag. However, the show eventually regains that Gochiusa charm in its final 4 episodes, and the story and plot are an improvement over the fluff from previous seasons.

  First of is the art. There is too much visual bloom. In certain key frames, the background lighting and visual effects are too bright and overpower the characters. Secondly, the background art is not as detailed. One of the key strengths of Gochiusa was its visual appeal, and the background environment in previous seasons would entrance the audience in a Venice-like world with photorealism and beautiful textures. The background art in Bloom is more cartoony and lacks the detail and realism. Eventually the background art does improve, but not until episode 11 did I find the background art to be as remarkable and on par.

  The music is standard and repetitive. The soundtrack borrows heavily from the previous seasons. If you like the soundtrack in previous installments, you’ll be content with this. However, the music never stands out; there are no interesting new soundtracks, and the show reuses and recycles many of the previous OST (that or the new songs sound too alike). For comparison, the second season added new background music, like “Komatta naa,” a catchy beat for Syaro’s shenanigans. The lack of new music isn’t a dealbreaker, but it was disappointing for me because music was one of the series’ strong suit and fans waited so long for a new season.

  The ED is solid on the first watch but skippable afterwards. The wonderland sequence pays homage to the first season’s opening, and the animation was great and stands out. The song though is not memorable and one of Chiname Corps’ weaker songs. The ED is still an improvement over season 1’s ED though. As for the OP, it’s memorable. The opening song takes getting used to, but it’s catchy.

  One thing disappointing about Bloom was the loss of one of the series’ strengths - the episodic format with a focus on comedy. Usually, Gochiusa manages to fit multiple comedic skits into one episode to create a light-hearted, fun show. The new season though tries its hand at having a cohesive plot for the entire episode. This allows for a more “serious” and deeper story (at least when it comes to Gochiusa standards) but at the expense of comedy and pacing. Unfunny jokes and comedic bits overstay their welcome, and the pacing is noticeably slower. I also found the comedy to be lacking initially, and the first time I remembered laughing at a joke was on episode 8 (whereas Gochiusa season 1 started hitting the audience with jokes on the very first episode). Comedy is subjective though, so your experience may vary.

  Bloom gets some things right. In contrast to Sing for You, Bloom finally adds much-needed back story on Chino’s mom. Sing for You dangled the mystery of Chino’s mom without addressing it, but Bloom delivers on that premise. In addition, Episode 7 has one of the best scenes in Gochiusa (more on that later). Gochiusa always lacked those tender, heartfelt moments - with previous seasons preferring instead to interrupt those moments with slapstick comedy; in contrast, Bloom lets (some of) those scenes linger for maximum feels.

  Both a pro and a con: although the plot continuity takes the focus off comedy, it also introduces change to the dynamic, changing Gochiusa from high-quality fluff (with some themes in the background, like friendship and overcoming shyness) to a story about growing up and dealing with change. Watching these girls grow up, change, and have to deal with being apart was uncomfortable and made me realize how the status quo of Gochiusa might change (I loved the group dynamic and would hate to see the gang split up); but it was also deep, as it mirrored the same unease that accompanies graduation and moving on. The show also receives credit for resolving loose plot points from previous installments, like Maya’s new school (season 2 episode 8) and Chino’s mom (Sing for You).

  Some minor nitpicks I had with the early episodes were that they were disorientating. Cocoa’s and Chiya’s classmates are not introduced well in episode 4. They are introduced as if the audience is already familiar with them, and they interact with Chiya and Cocoa with high familiarity. Yet the minor characters only had brief cameos in second 2, so their presence in Bloom was disorientating and confusing, as if I was missing prior info. Compare this to season 1: Maya and Megumi were introduced as if Chino already knew them, but the show spends an entire episode to flesh out their personalities and characters. In contrast, the class president and the rest of Chiya’s classmates never get the time needed to develop their personalities, and they end up as flat characters, with their only other major appearance being in episode 9. Furthermore, Episode 3 of Bloom relied on a minor plot point from season two - the Chiname Corps graduating from middle schools and deciding on their future high school. A flashback would have helped here, as the related episode aired 5 years ago. Even if one binges the Gochiusa series, the plot point was so minor that it is still possible to forget or not notice (it was introduced in episode 8 of season 2 but sidelined with a stalker comedic bit).

  I did enjoy the last few episodes though, with that trademark humor and those production values returning, even if the light drama was still unsettling and the pacing dragged on. The post-credit scene on the final episode has a certain charm to it. It was a bumpy ride and not as entertaining as previous seasons, but Bloom ends on a positive note.

  C

  Ep 7 is the best and worst episode of Gochiusa. The first half is a tedious, unfunny Halloween bit that lasts for over 12 minutes. I had to stop watching on this episode because it was so dull, and it took 3-4 rewatch attempts before I could muster the diligence to sit through it. The ending scene though is peak Gochisua. When Cocoa gets lost, there’s this supernatural scene as if from a fairy tale. It portrays such a tender interaction between two characters, with the musical notes hitting at the right time and a flashback to accentuate the moment, it was beautiful.

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