Posted by OP Sequence
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OP: 「天空カフェテリア」 (Tenkuu Cafeteria) by Petit Rabbit’s (Ayane Sakura, Inori Minase, Risa Taneda, Satomi Sato, Maaya Uchida)
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「にっこりカフェの魔法使い」 (Nikkori Kafye no Mahoutsukai)
“The Magician at the Cafe of Smiles”
While I’ve become less interested in moe blob slice of life anime over the years, which is to say there was a period of time where I was absolutely fixated by them, Gochiusa never fails to bring that magical dose of soothing and soul-healing through the power of moe.
Despite the series changing production hands once again, from White Fox to Kinema Citrus to what is now Encourage Films, the town where GochiUsa is set looks as familiar, vibrant and gorgeous as ever. Which really makes it feel as if five years haven’t gone by since the last episode of Season 2 aired. The cast are as cute as ever – with the air-headed Cocoa, coolly collected Rize and shy yet willful Chino continuing their work together as floor staff at the Rabbit House. A most wondrous coffee shop where the hopes and dreams of GochiUsa fans are brewed. And of course, who can forget Tippy? Who for me, is the real star of the show. Who doesn’t want a big, floof ball with the gentle temparament of a wholesome grandfather as their pet?
Although they aren’t directly involved at Rabbit House, the interactions between a motherly Chiya, the precocious Syaro and the rest of our characters felt heartwarming to see as well. Whenever the going gets rough and the Rabbit House trio are at their wit’s end, you can always count on Chiya and Syaro to help out – as we saw with the fabric shop and the flea market. The dynamic between the entire cast is truly wonderful – which elevates GochiUsa to another level as opposed to being a run of the mill, generic CGDCT show.
I’m running out of things to say. Which is fine. With these kind of shows, there’s less to talk about and a necessity to absorb this cute experience through sights and sounds. So it’s unlikely I will provide any type of further coverage, although I will probably continue following GochiUsa S3 in my own time.
Epilogue:
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I think that shows like GochiUsa have a greater worth behind them, beyond being just a moe-blob show. Even if there’s no single goal (e.g. camping or fishing), GochiUsa still has its merits.
In this first episode, we’ve seen how Cocoa’ and the friendship she’s brought in along with Rize, Chiya, Sharo, Megu and Maya have managed to impart noticeable changes on Chino (she’s a ways louder than she had been in the first and second seasons, and she appreciates that being called onee-san means she’d been helpful, which is what Cocoa’s been seeking all this time, to be seen as someone dependable).
With this being said, it’s quite understandable if the third season isn’t covered here: writing about slower-paced shows like this can be tricky. Fortunately, it looks like those who are interested about GochiUsa’s third season are covered: the folks at Infinite Zenith will be writing about this series weekly!
I’m just happy to hear the voice of Taneda Risa again, like at all. Girl hasn’t been getting anything since her hiatus besides a few OVAs in Strike the Blood and likely a one time thing in Zombieland Saga. Is there a reason for this that I’m not aware of?
I think it’s precisely because of her hiatus. Too much time out of the industry, was bound to have some kind of negative impact on her career, like her role as Erina in Shokugeki no Souma passed to Hisako Kanemoto (still kinda salty about that one). A damn shame, because I enjoy her voice just as much as the voices of Hayami Saori, Hanazawa Kana and Kayano Ai. Good thing she still has her role as Xenovia in High School DxD.
Oh I forgot about Xenovia. Well, here’s hoping she gets back into the game, even if it may take a longer time.
Well, the hiatus was for medical treatment. No source would comment on what the illness was, but that’s private to her health. I’m just glad the treatment went well and that she’s back!
Oh man, the nostalgia. It’s like GochiUsa never left. Has it really been 3 years since the movie and 4 years since season 2? Wow, time flies. Here’s to my favorite moe-blob, SOL, CGDCT series!
Well, hope this makes for a better marathon experience once this season’s over. (And as soon as I’m done with the English-dubbed version of Persona 5: The Animation.)
But back to GochiUsa BLOOM…based on the screencaps, the visuals and character designs had quite the upgrade. (Or perhaps it’s because of the studio change? I can’t say.) Still, it looks like the fans are in for a treat.
Looking forward to YouTube video clips of Rize’s “Best Girl moments” from this season.