Fircoal

Why do you watch anime? Think about it for a second. We all have our own reasons to consume media. Different people will have different reasons but at the end of the day each of us has our own reason for watching anime. While entertainment is the main point of media like anime, for me it's more than just that. There are many things that I can do that are entertaining. For example shitposting is entertaining. But is it fulfilling? No, not really. Video games can be entertaining (Although they've fallen out of favor for me.), so if entertainment was the goal why not playone of those. For me, that would be board games. I love the challenges and strategies that are present in board games, and I personally find them entertaining. So if entertainment is the goal, then why anime specifically? This is why shows like Konosuba end up getting 7's for me. They are funny and entertaining but the enjoyment ends once the episode does. And while that is worthwhile, I want something more. I feel like the unique experience that animation can bring is the ability to be sucked into a world and learn to love and care for those that inhabit it. There is richness in finding something that is loveable, something that doesn't just live in the experience but something that can be taken away from it. I feel like out of everything fiction is what best does that. And so when I deal with fiction, that is what I look for. Something that I can love completely. Something that makes me want to see every bit and moment of it. Something I can rewatch over and over again. Something where not only do I love the characters but I also have the characters play out in my mind doing random things. Why do I tell you this? Because that is exactly what Urara was to me. Something that not only made me eagerly wait for each episode so I could watch in and see the characters I loved so much but something that made me want to think about it in my mind. Create works of it with what tools I could, and gush about it whenever and whatever I could. It's exactly what I wanted. But what makes it so good? Everything. Characters and character interactions I would say are the most important part of CGDCT shows. How is one supposed to enjoy the cute things that the cute girls are doing if the characters aren't likeable? Furthermore character interactions is what helps supply the cuteness that makes these shows work so well. A CGDCT without interesting or likeable characters or with bad character interactions is going to be bad. So it's important that Urara does characters well. And it does! Our cast has quite a variety to it and while the girls may skate near common tropes they all have their own character traits that keep them away from being another iteration of those tropes. We have Chiya who is one of the funnest characters to get to watch. Despite being a feral child she's surprisingly wise about some things, as well as being a complete and total sweetheart. At heart she is a feral child but she has her own fun quirks to her. The most notable one is that she loves bellies. She loves them a lot and likes to bring them up as much as possible. She also tends to be endlessly positive and sweet. That doesn't stop her from having some insecurities though. Despite all her kind words and her acceptance of others. She has a reluctance to make herself vulnerable which adds another layer of interest to her, giving more depth to her character. Kon is the character that I would say is the most interesting. At first glance she seems like a character modelled in the line of Mio from K-On! And she is, however she has her own depth and peculiarities to her that make her fun and unique. One interesting point about Kon is that while she certainly tries hard and does her best to study as much as possible she isn't portrayed as much smarter than the rest of the cast. Often times she'll fall into the same pitfalls that the rest of them do. Rather her skill and knowledge is from dedication through and through. Koume is the fun girl of the cast and overall I have a hard time pinning her down into any bracket. I guess mostly she is a tease and a Frenchaboo taken in via Marie's influence. She's not exactly a genki girl, that's more Chiya, but she does fit more onto the happy side. She's also quite interested in beauty despite being the one of the cast most interesting in eating sweets. Out of the cast she's the one I have the least of a handle on, although that's not due to any fault of her own. She does try hard herself despite trying to have fun when she can Nono at first glance seems like a typical shy girl. She even spends the first half of the episode hiding behind her big sister. Given how shy characters in media are treated, she could have been yet another one of many shy characters whose main problem is not being social with others. These plots have been done over and over again almost repeated word for word. The shy character wants to have friends or get farther in life but they lack the courage, so the main characters work to give the shy character the push that they needs to be out in front. So of course Urara decides to... not do that at all. In fact, Nono's main development and push comes from the fact that she wants to be self-sufficient. It would be easy to rely on her friends to give her that push to be better. But instead most of her problems have to deal with her removing herself from the shadows of those around her and being truly by herself. It's a noble and interesting path of development for her, and it does also tackle the fact that she is shy. But that shyness is not treated as the only part of her character or even the main hurdle. This sets her character and development apart from others in a similar ilk. The character interactions are a big highlight of the series. One thing I enjoyed from this show is how much the main cast cares about each other and the things that they're willing to do for each other. Take Chiya and her belly exposing habit. Most people would look down at her for doing that and call her a weird pervert. Judging from my high school experience she would be mocked totally and completely. And as seen in episode 1 they too think this trait is weird, and yet they embrace it. Sometimes they'll make a light little joke about it like Koume does at the beginning of episode 2. Or sometimes they'll reveal their own bellies as if that would be what Chiya does. They embrace the trait even though it's somewhat weird and out there, which shows a lot about their character. While a show could have gone for the route of making that characters trait into a joke for the other characters to laugh at, this show has the characters embrace it and take it into their own. In itself its already heartwarming to see these girls all with different backgrounds accepting each other for who they are and how they act even if they might not be normal. It's one of the great pleasures I got from this show. Note there is some nice yuri undertones as well, leading to hints towards some powerful relationships, but that all comes later in the series. As you can see, the characters are great. But characters aren't everything, what about the plot. Now you might be asking yourself, plot? What's a plot? This is is a CGDCT show there isn't supposed to be any plot! But guess what there is a plot, and it's executed wonderfully. Urara revolves the four girls trying to become top ranking urara or diviners. This is a nice little plot that makes clear the motivations of the characters but yet also doesn't overshadow the tone of the show. Because the show is primarily about the fun things the girls do together it's good to have a plot that while there isn't taking up all the space and time but also provides a template for where the show is going, as well as a goal to strive for. The way this is executed in my opinion is brilliant. Most of the episodes are those of the variety that would be light and fluffy. They don't have much plot dependence and for the most part they show the good times that the girls all have together. Sometimes a bit of key information will be leaked but the tone of these parts always stays on the fluffy side. These episodes give us the nice pleasant atmosphere that we are used to from CGDCT shows. The characters interact with each other, play off of each other. They learn about themselves and others, as well as study up on how to be better uraras. But remember how I mentioned the plot? It's not just a book opener and a book ender. It's there for a reason. There are mysteries that lie beneath the show with regards to Chiya. Leaving a vile of intrigue under the wraps the show. There are several episodes where the struggles of the characters and more deeper issues come to the forefront. There are heartwarming moments between the characters due to the things that happen to them. Urara strikes the delicate balance between being lighthearted and having substance in it. For me it hits right into the sweet spot. It has just enough emotional moments and depth to be substance full yet it has enough playful times and fun bonding that makes it lighthearted and comfy. This allows the best of both worlds, both a deeper presence in the show but also the fun happy times that strike joy into one's heart. It's a mix that I find few shows are able to pull off well, and certainly most shows don't pull it off as well as Urara does. The pacing between these elements are also key. The more intense moments don't come out of nowhere. They are there for a reason and when watching it's clear why. Also it has a baseline of the happy moments so that one doesn't need to worry about the mysteries while the girls are having a fun time. Rather they are dealt with when they are needed to, which I feel like is the best wy to do this. It represents life and going through life in a balanced manner. Yes there are problems, and there are going to be bigger things that happen especially when they have such lofty goals. But there are also lots of fun times. And usually if things are good those fun times will be most of the times. And that's how it is here. It's a very nice balance. I also want to note that the plot itself (being the best Urara), and some of the more god based mysteries seems a bit shounen-esk. Personally, I like this mixture as it makes the show a bit more original and adds a nice flavor. I'm not a fan of shounen in general but I do like bits and pieces of it. So when some bits and pieces of it is added into a nice comfy show well it enhances the show. It's nice to have tropes and stylings taken from multiple genres imo, and I always do enjoy when a show is willing to borrow across like that rather than stick to what is most commonly found in the genre. I would like to sidestep for a moment and talk about fanservice. Fanservice is not always a liked thing in anime and some people are turned off by it. Because of this I'm sometimes hesitant to talk about the fanservice that is in Urara. But I would like to be complete in this so I will note there is fanservice. And guess what? It's not just that there is fanservice, but it's excellently done fanservice. What do I mean by that? Well, two things. First off most of the fanservice that is there is the natural kind. What is the natural kind? Take your average show with fanservice. How do they get there? There are common fanservice tropes like the accidental pervert, who'll trip onto some girls boobs, or the type where the camera magically tilts towards the girl's panties. These are what I'd call unnatural fanservice. IT's hard to imagine them happening in real life, and rather they feel forced into the narrative in order to provide something that would give the audience a rise. In Urara that is not the case for the most part. In fact most of the fanservice is caused by the girls themselves, and in most cases Chiya. Chiya loves bellies. She loves them a lot Sometimes, she tries to do things to expose other's bellies. She also doesn't like clothes and sometimes makes innocent mistakes when she tries to check for tails. It's easy to see where some of these fanservice elements can arise from. And while they might not be what everyone wants to see, they are true to her character. Every one of her fanservice moments I can point out why she did what she did. It may not be what everyone would do. No, it most certainly wouldn't be but Chiya is Chiya, and that's fine. Furthermore, the other girls can help at times too. Whether it be them teasing each other or just having fun in general, the atmosphere that I get from these moments are ones that are fun more than anything. And the funness of those situations make as a viewer happy. It's what they want to do and how they choose to play around at times; I personally find nothing wrong with that. Sure sometimes there are sneaky crabs but for the most part it's the girls being themselves, and I like that. The second reason I'd say Urara's fanservice is good is because it's original. There's lots of belly fanservice due to Chiya's quirk. But guess how much belly fanservice there usually is? Not much. Urara decides to go for its own unique corner to the fanservice and that I find it something much more respectable. Even if one doesn't like fanservice, I think one could appreciate they're at least doing something unique with it, as well as having it fit in with the characters, rather than it be the endless amounts of accidental perverts. The sound quality of Urara is also top notch. The OST is solid and it's rare that the music doesn't match the mood. The Voice Actors shine in the show. The VA's of Chiya and Nono did a great job with giving them distinctive voices. It's easy to tell when they're talking since they sound so different. Nono's shy squeaky voice perfectly matches her character while Chiya's soft and soothing voice matches the kind personality that she radiates. The voices match so well and are so unique that it adds an extra layer to it. It's rare that I find voices that match so perfectly but for the case of Chiya and Nono they absolutely nailed it. The art as well is a delight to see. The animation isn't the most technical or impressive but it fits well with the mood of the show. For example, the little chibi faces that they use may be a way to cut corners but they are cute and get across the feeling from the show. The backgrounds are often nicely done and add to the soft atmosphere that it has. The art is especially notable whenever they go into the mystical events of the show. The color choices during them and the execution of them make them such wonders to watch. The palettes use a mixture of soft but notable colors never stoking too far to go out of the boundaries. They capture that feel of mystery and supernatural in a way I feel like other shows don't. That was a lot to cover. I usually don't do reviews this way. I tend to focus on everything that seemed notable to me. So then why did I try to write about everything. Well silly, it's because EVERYTHING SEEMED NOTABLE TO ME! That's just how good this show is. Characters, story, pacing, writing, sound, art everything fits together so well creating its own original little show. I never felt like Urara was like anything else, that may be due to my limited experience but it felt fresh and fun. To be fair I tried to talk about the more objective components of why I liked this show. I also just want to note that this show was very much catered to my taste. I am biased and it's important that you're all aware of that. I still do think this show is masterfully done but it is a show that very much aligns with my interests. It's been a while since I've been this excited each and every week for the newest episode. The last show I can think of that did that happens to be my favorite show of all time. I love everything about this show. And now that it's over I can make it official. Urara Meirochou is my 2nd favorite anime. 10/10

PyraXadon

Urara Meirochou. Alright, you're a moe blob anime, what's your gimmick this time? Let's see here... Set in a town of 10 districts... Divination... Gods and spirits...? And...lots of yuri baiting. Alright well this is going to be a 'fun' venture, now isn't it? Story: Labyrinth Town is a town of fortune tellers where girls with spiritual powers starting at the age of fifteen come to the city with the prospect of becoming rank one urara, the highest rank of fortune teller that one can receive. It's here where we meet Chiya, a girl raised in the woodswho comes to Labyrinth town to meet friends with the goal of becoming a rank one Urara in hopes of finding her mother. Urara Meirochou is what one would expect coming into a moe show filled with cute girls. The show has an all female cast, cute character antics between the four main characters (cause 4 is apparently the magic number for this), some fanservice for those who're fans of seeing animated underage girls with less than a full set of clothes on, and a large majority of pointless dialogue talking about how they're all friends and how happy they all are being with one another. Standard fare, nothing special, so what does the show's gimmick, the divination and setting of Labyrinth town, add to the overall story? As far as impact goes, the added story elements help to spice up the story just a little bit to make it a bit more than the basic moe blob formula. The majority of the episodes feature the girls learning various forms of divination while providing both the audience and each other with backstories and slight development with their ultimate goal being "we're going to be #1." In addition, the story manages to sprinkle in moments of unease (contrary to what a happy go lucky show like this may have normally) and show how the gods and spirits of the town interact with the Urara to an extent that I honestly wasn't expecting at all from this series. The contribution of these elements actually do help keep parts of the story to feel interesting, but what makes it disappointing is how uncommonly these elements, particularly revolving around the lore of Labyrinth Town, is used. As far as endings go, the show has what is known as a 'throwaway episode', where the story of what the cour wants to achieve has been told in full before the entire 12-13 episodes is completed, causing the creators to use the remaining time for a fluff episode that the story could just as easily go without, and it wouldn't make a difference. I'm not a fan of throwaway episode, and it felt like I was just wasting my time to finish up all 12 episodes of this show. Ultimately, Urara Meirochou is what one would come to expect from a cute girl moe show with unrealized potential. Largely focusing on moe antics, the rest of the series involving the lore of Labyrinth town and the secrets of the gods and spirits that reside over Labyrinth town go largely unnoticed, thus creating only specific moments of the series which I would say is even worth watching. The divination aspect stays with the series throughout its runtime, and it's an ever-looming concept that's thankfully fully a part of the whole series, but at the same time, just like the show's other parts, doesn't get fully realized, thus relegating all of the show's unique elements to feel more like gimmicks than absolute necessary components of the main story. Overview: + Manages to integrate unique elements well +/- Largely still moe-blob based +/- Unique elements however don't feel fully realized - Throwaway episode at the end Characters: The girls in these types of shows are usually only ankle deep in character. And to be honest, Meirochou doesn't do anything that different. Chiya, as the main character/girl of the series, can be summed up in just three words. A feral child. Raised in the woods, Chiya adopts the cheerful genki persona while adding a twist of woodland qualities by consistently showing off animal-like behavior whenever she interacts with the other characters in the series. Her goal in the series is to find her mother, and, as expected of a short adaptation of an on-going series, does not happen. (Gotta keep the readers reading.) Beyond wanting to make friends with everything and trying to find her mom, there's really not much to say about Chiya. Admittedly the fact that she has a motivation is commendable enough for a character in a moe show, but again, this is a case of "They could've done more." The other three girls, Kon, Koume, and Nono, can also be summed up in just a few words. The hardworking fox, the witch, and the shy one respectively. All three of these girls bear similar character depth as Chiya, and as far as characterization goes, only goes as far as a backstory to give the audience a little bit of a better understand for as to what is motivating these girls to move forward on their journey to become first rank Uraras. Again, there's really not much to say here. They're all cheerful friends with one another as expected, and the show's lack of conflict or its use of laughably easily resolved conflict in such a bright and cheery show make the viewing experience of these girls surprisingly dull. The rest of the cast is relegated to the side and feature other girls/women who act mostly as comic relief or unreliable mentor-types to add a little more variety to the character types that we're given in this show. You have the one who stands up for the law, the yuri fangirls, one who's a sadist cause why not, and a troublesome teacher. Again, nothing too special, nothing really worth mentioning beyond this tiny, tiny paragraph, so we're going to move onto art. Overview: +/- Typical moe cast Art: Produced by J.C. Staff, Urara Meirochou has some pretty standard art for the company's track record. Characters are drawn in your typical cutesy art style, the color palette is bright and shiny to give off that colorful and cheerful feel, and characters are given exaggerated faces complimented with background changes to signify comedy and other moments like those. They also put the characters' faces dangerously close together so often to the point that I swear they were going to kiss at least once or twice. While the show's normal art has nothing too terribly special to mention, Urara has another style situated in the show's more unsettling moments when they feature the show's more mysterious component of gods, spirits, and divination. The art for these scenes are done with mesmerizing patterns and unsettling shapes and colors combined with a much darker color palette when compared to the rest of the art that I can't help but feel like wanting more. It's not fantastic by art or animation standards, but these scenes really had me intrigued by what this series could've done with these concepts. They don't use this style very often, and I really would've loved to see more of this contrast just so the story could've had a bit more oomph to its established lore. Overview: + Contrasted artstyle from its normal art +/- Rest of the artwork/animation is standard fare Sound: The OST is nothing special. Admittedly while both the OP and ED each have parts to them that are catchy, nothing about them screams memorable. So in my opinion, not worth the time. Personal Enjoyment: Urara Meirochou was a moe blob that I thought would have potential and was something I saw as something that could be potentially interesting. I was wrong. While there are parts of it that I liked, the show largely didn't have much of itself to be interesting, and I got bored of it pretty fast. Regardless of how often they weaved the divination concept into the main story, very few things about it stood out to me. Did I like this series? I feel neither joy nor sorrow about this series. Meh is about all I can say to explain it broadly. In terms of specifics however, I like Kon as a character. I don't know why; she was just that one character that I liked. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of foxes and her entire character is wrapped around that concept (quite literally because her name is the sound that they believe foxes make). What didn't I like about this series? In terms of specifics, the two yuri guards that pop in as comic relief. Characters whose entire character revolve around fawning over one character and how great they are shouldn't even be called people. I hate them and the series would be much better off without them. Would I recommend this series? Eh...watch if you want is all I can say. Honestly, the time spent watching this series could be better used on watching something else. Meirochou doesn't really fulfill any kind of niche that other shows can fill, and you could find most if not all of its elements in other better shows. Is Meirochou a bad show? No. Is it a good show? No. Is it ultimately worth your time? Well, if you ask me, no.