An anime trying to make mountaineering popular

When I first watched Yama no Susume, it was quite obvious that the anime was also trying to get young people to go visit the mountains... and what can I say, it worked. If it wasn't for Yama no Susume, I wouldn't have had any interest in Mt. Fuji. But it's not just Fuji on these girls' minds, as they venture up many a mountain for fun.

If the first season wasn't a bunch of short episodes, I probably wouldn't have picked it up; I was watching short series' on my lunch break at the time, and Yama no Susume was one of the few short anime that looked remotely interesting.
The second season switched to a more "normal" 24 minute episode length, which I was sceptical of, but it worked out very well. The third season focus a lot more on Aoi and Hinata's relationship, whilst also continuing to teach a little bit about mountaineering along the way.

English Name:

Encouragement of Climb

Japanese Name:

ヤマノススメ

Studio:

8bit

Episodes Watched:

49/49

Posted on:

28/Mar/2019 at 18:44

It's all about having fun in the great outdoors

When I was growing up, my family would take me on walks in the countryside pretty much every weekend. Whether it was in the peaks or along the rivers, I hated it. I couldn't stand being outside.

Fast forward a few years, and I'm still not one to go out for a walk every weekend. But when I do, I enjoy it. The thing that makes it better? Being with someone else.
That's what Yama no Susume portrays so well. Whenever any of the characters are out on their own, they don't hate it, but they enjoy their time much more when they are with their friend(s).

The majority of this anime is about friendship and enjoying yourself, even if what you're doing is popular with most other people, and I think that's why I like it so much. No nonsense, just a few friends having fun.

Keeping it simple

Yama no Susume is all about simplicity. A few characters which are developed quite well, a common goal and ambitions which is easy to understand, and a fair few throwbacks to older episodes/seasons which aren't hard to notice.

My favourite scene from season 3 is Aoi, and friends, singing the opening to season 2. The entirety of episode 4 was good in season 3, but the karaoke scene has to be the standout of the season, as it harps back to the better OP song. S3's OP wasn't bad, but Summer Present was just so much more upbeat, and more fun to sing along to.

Along with the series itself being simple, it also makes it very easy for the viewer to follow in the anime's footsteps. Quite often they would explain how to get to the location they are at in the episode, or how to set up the equipment they're using, etc. in a very simple to follow manner.

There isn't really much to say about Yama no Susume in regards to the story, characters, etc. The characters are all quite laid back, and what you'd expect from a Slice of Life, and the main story is simply "they want to climb mountains". 

One could talk about how Aoi and Hinata's relationship is very well developed and leaves it up to the viewer to decide how close they are, especially after the scene where they're sharing secrets, but that's all for speculation, and has nothing to do with the show.

That's it for Yama no Susume. Next up is the one I've been waiting all month for, Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita! But that's for next time, so until then じゃね!see ya