Shirokuma Café - 41 - Lost in Anime

“Slice of Life” may just be the most overused word in anime, but Shirokuma Café really owns it when it wants to.

I’ve said it before, but Shirokuma can be a confounding series to blog sometimes. How do I go about trying to convey why I enjoyed these two chapters so much? We had a very silly Setsubun (continuing PBC’s cavalcade of Japanese – and international – holiday episodes) sketch featuring most of the dobutsu cast, and a very slow and charming chapter dedicated almost solely to Sasaki-san and Llama-san. As I said last week, I can’t imagine another series trying an episode like this, never mind pulling it off.

It’s almost Mamemaki time in Tokyo again (February 3rd), and that beans tossing beans at some poor sap in an ogre mask to drive out the bad fortune and bring in the good. Aside from being a riot for grade-schoolers (we get the two grade-schooler penguins sitting in on this event) it’s a big deal at Shirokuma Café, where Polar Bear never misses a chance to have fun with a ritual. Basically, this is a chain of humor based upon just how ill-suited everyone (except Mandrill-san, of course, but he hates being type-cast) is at being the oni. The build-up here is to Grizzly-san (as I expected) being called in to do the deed – a little too well at first, judging by the reaction. For all his bluster, it strikes me that Grizzly-kun is an astonishingly good sport, considering just how much Shirokuma-kun puts him through. I think my favorite part of this sketch was the finale, which featured Tortoise-san eating the requisite 80 roasted soybeans (one for each year of life, plus one for good luck) and letting out a quietly hilarious belch.

Shirokuma Café seems to be following a pattern that’s common to anime comedy that rely on the mini-episode – closing with the sentimental chapter. The focus here is on the reunion at Sasako-san’s old elementary school. She’s minding the café as Shirokuma-san has conscripted Penguin-san and Panda-kun to help collect dues for the neighborhood association, so it’s only she and Llama-san in the place. He happens to have lived close to the school as a child, and notices her invitation on the counter. I tend the really like the skits that involve Llama-san, because he’s such an irresistibly likable fellow – the perpetually ignored but unfailingly kind old soul who you can always count on.

The absurdity of a Llama and a young waitress having this conversation (especially when he reassures her that she looks much younger than he does) is always the elephant in the room, but their shared reminiscences about their old neighborhood – the bakery, the sento, the matsuri, the park with grouchy old Raccoon-san as the caretaker – are so genuine and so real that it’s easy to forget that one of them is a llama in the first place. That’s the magic of this series, as it is with many in anime – by using absurdity in the premise, they’re able to more observant about life and human nature than most so-called “realistic” series. Most of the characters in Shirokuma may be zoo animals, but they’re far more human than the cast of the vast majority of anime out there. This was probably my favorite Sasako-san chapter of the series, and one of my favorites for Llama-san as well. Another emotional bulls-eye for Shirokuma Café.

9 comments

Highway

January 24, 2013 at 7:02 pm

Maybe the link spammer could use Panda Mama's vacuum to help with his water damage…

elianthos

January 24, 2013 at 9:52 pm

@Highway: LOL
—
http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ToKg4HdaXck/UQFExy-DaSI/AAAAAAACg6w/eb05eUpM5BA/s1600-h/%25255BHorribleSubs%25255D_Polar_Bear_Cafe_-_41_%25255B720p%25255D.mkv_snapshot_07.16_%25255B2013.01.24_22.18.56%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg <—- I died a little petit mort here. I've grown so fond of the fellow it's a bit embarassing. Also, sparkles :,).

Bear urchin! Grizzly rocking those oni tiger striped briefs! Baby penguins train! Red Panda was featured as well. Then came the quiet heartwarming lovely childhood skit. I feel at peace with the universe.
Next episodes titles look promising. Eheh.

admin

January 25, 2013 at 12:13 am

Fucking spammers.

Anonymous

January 25, 2013 at 2:19 am

What happened, Enzo? Was someone trying sell boner pills, LOL? I missed it. I missed yet another pointless endeavor by fellow human beings!

I never understood what's the use of posting spams on blog like this (not putting down blogs, FYI, Enzo). Is anyone really stupid enough to do anything about it? I mean people had enough intelligence to open up an internet browser and get to blogs, right? What can the spammers possibly gain something from wasting their time and effort like that, other than inducing some eye-rolls from other readers, who proceed to move on from their half-second glance at their spams? Awfully pointless endeavor if anybody asks me. Surely there will be more effective way to annoy folks. Anyway I digress… I never get the mindset of Nigerian princes and their victims, so this is out of my league, this way of thinking and life styles. Well, I hope at least the spam products were somewhat related to the Shirokuma Cafe – though they never are, generally.

Anonymous

January 25, 2013 at 2:33 am

I may add, I am in no way defending the spammers, in case anybody gets misaken. They just amuse me with their antics. But I'm sure it will get annoying if you run a site and they keep messing around on your site.

I, on the other hand, am just a reader, looking for a little fun, so they just crack me up with the sheer pointlessness.

admin

January 25, 2013 at 2:43 am

The problem is getting much worse lately. You may not mind, but I don't think most people want to scroll though 10 solicitations to find a comment by an actual reader.

I'm close to the point of resorting to either word verification (which I loathe) or requiring a sign-in to comment. Moderation is not an option, and I'm out of email contact for hours at a time.

Anonymous

January 25, 2013 at 2:59 am

what's "word verification"? Like in extra step of you-have-to-type-in-what's-shown-in-the-text-box in order to post your comment, but can still stay anonymous? Personally I don't see much problem with it being implemented if that's the case, even though you've said that you hated it. Now the sign-in thing can be a bit annoying, on the other hand and I would hate to see some douche to almost single-handedly ruin and invalidate the resounding poll victory not too long ago by voters on keeping anonymous function alive, but oh well. I suppose it can't be helped.

admin

January 25, 2013 at 3:13 am

It's not single-handedly by any means – spammers abound. It's a constant battle sites like RC that require sign-in don't have to deal with to nearly the same degree.

Kim

January 25, 2013 at 1:22 am

Loved the Sasako & Llama chapter, it made me nostalgic about my own childhood (and I agree Llama is one of my favorites, then again so is Sasako).

Shirokuma Café – 41

Guardian Enzo

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elianthos

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Kim

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Lost in Anime

Guardian Enzo

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