Is the Order a Rabbit?? Dear My Sister

Surprise! Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister plot is fairly simple, in which Cocoa goes back home to help her sister, Mocha who has been introduced in the anime series and mother with their new bakery. With this however, the main cast especially Chino feels a bit cocoa sick in the process and within this Chino reminiscence times before Cocoa mainly delving into Rize before the anime series. On Cocoa's side of things well we get to know more about Cocoa's life before the anime series but with the added bakery element into it but mainly Cocoa's screentime is to do with her family,mainly her sister Mocha, her mother does get some screentime but not as much as Mocha does (let alone the interactions between Mocha and Cocoa are much more prevalent than Mocha and her mother). Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister like many of Manga Time Kirara adaptations has the slice of life element and moe elements down and this movie is no different. Better yet, Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister is like it still kept the essences of the anime series intact even when the movie was going off in something entirely new, in a ways it feels like one entire arc of the anime series taken into one piecemeal hour. LA really liked the interactions with many of the cast members, from Chino talking about her first interactions with Rize to Rize now being the "older sister" to Chino, Maya and Megumi when Cocoa has gone home to Cocoa's interactions with Mocha. The "Dear My Sister" of the title is apt to say the least what with Cocoa wanting to be the older sister to Chino but Mocha is also the older sister to Cocoa when she came home and LA's aforementioning of Rize taking up the "older sister" in the cafe. The anime series touched on this but Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister is all the more prevalent with this as the theme of the movie. The animation done now by doA Animation (previously done by White Fox and Kinema Citrus for both anime series'), well doA for the most part kept to the aesthetic of the Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? with it's European scenery and buildings. The movie's character designs were the same as the anime series but with some level of flair considering what some of the characters go to (as in a festival so some Japanese aesthetic and costumes comes into play). The animation overall was LA expected and returning to Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? even with a change in studio. The voice work, well LA really doesn't need to say much considering ALL the voice actors returned for the movie. The only thing would be Mocha voiced by Ai Kayano gotten a bit more screentime in the movie compared to the anime series but that was a given and Ai Kayano is as eccentric as Mocha as ever. LA's favourite character in Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? and voice actor?, well it's always been Rize and Risa Taneda so yes LA is quite happy that Rize gotten screentime in this movie almost equally as Mocha in this sense. Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister was what LA expected from a Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? movie, but with some backstory between certain characters here with ALOT of interactions and hijinks between it's cast and that only sweeten the deal. Yes LA was satisfied with the movie all things considered, from it's character interactions, slice of life plot and the entire "older sister" theming the movie had going, it was a pleasantly cute experience much like the anime series.

Another relaxing episode of living inside the anime world. The vibe they give out in this movie is almost the same as the original episodic anime, hence why I call it another relaxing "episode". Because there is literally no difference at all except its a bit prettier shading. That doesn't mean its bad and didn't worth watching. Though from my experience, this is like, the most "normal" movie of SoL I ever watch. And what do I mean by "normal"? Usually they go on a big adventure when they make a movie out of SoL. Like for example Wataten where the entire cast go onvacation, or Yuru Camp where its completely original story and the entire cast is adult. See, they usually have something special that distinguish them from normal episodic show. I know I'm complaining about the lack of any "special" story above, but not going to lie that I have a great time watching this movie. Story is your usual SoL plot, no heavy drama and all that. Just a little bit of misunderstanding which got solved very quickly. Every minute is filled to the brim with a comfy and relaxing feeling. On top of that, the art style is also very very cute. This anime have one of the cutest art style ever. What I notice the most is that their facial expression is greatly drawn. I mean its not something grandious that will change the trajectory of anime industry for years to come, but they are enough to satisfy viewer with a lethal dose of cuteness. I pause the movie every now and then because its just that beautiful to look at. Beautiful not only described the character design, but also the environment. The city they live in, mannn if only that kind of city exist in real life I would love to live there. The worldbuilding is very unique because you have this building which looks like they are build in the royal era, and next to that is a person holding smartphone. Fall in love in the direction they went for the worldbuilding. The classic road brick paving, the locomotives and trains, basically everything is so 19th century aesthethic but also modern. I watch this movie in preparation because I want to continue watching the 3rd season after a long hiatus. I'm gonna say this movie greatly served my own personal purpose, a refresher. They include the entire cast in this movie with balanced screentime, which is good cus now I can remember everyone again. This might be my new favorite SoL franchise. That's all I can say, thank you for reading my review :)

I've talked about GochiUsa twice before. And now we're looking at the film. The film came out in '17, after the second series. Now, the real question is how you make a film out of a slice of life series that has no real story and is basically just about moe girls playing around while working at cafes. Story: The narrative is pretty simple. Cocoa returns home temporarily to help at her family's bakery. So, we see her with her family. Meanwhile, the rest of our cast interacts with each other and tries not to feel lonely with Cocoa gone. Which is especially difficult for Chino. It hasall the hallmarks of the franchise. It's endearing, enjoyable, cutesy and has a grand sense of humour. The film is really good about taking full advantage of Cocoa's dynamic with her family and the way the rest of the cast copes with her temporary absence. You won't enjoy the film if you demand involved, complex narratives from your comedies but I don't think most people who aren't Karen do. So, that's fine. About the only real complaint I have is that the film could take better advantage of having Cocoa deal with customers in her family's bakery but it's basically one scene where you barely see her do anything. The film could also show the passage of time a bit better. It feels like she's only gone for two days instead of the week we're told she's leaving for. Characters: There are a lot of enjoyable character moments to the film. Seeing Cocoa interact with her mum and sister leads to a lot of good moments, including a really heart-warming chat with her and Mocha. It's also nice to see how the other characters respond to Cocoa's absence. It just really reinforces what an integral part of the group she is. There are also quite a few good comedic moments that stem from their various reactions to missing Cocoa. The cast remains relatively simplistic but they more than make up for it in entertainment factor and the strength of their dynamics. Art: The backgrounds and nature scenes are superbly drawn. The characters are very standard moe but they still look good, if you enjoy that style. There's also some stuff with plush bunnies and a dream sequence where the visuals are pretty interesting. Sound: The actresses do a great job. Minase Inori, Sakura Ayane, Taneda Risa, Kayano Ai, Sato Satomi, Uchida Maaya and all our other returning actresses perform fully up to the high standards that the series has set. The music is nice and fun. It suits the aesthetic well. My one, minor gripe is that it all sounds like it came directly from the series proper. Which is a bit lazy. Ho-yay: Sharo still has a blatant crush on Rize. Which doesn't come up that much in the film since its more about the familial interactions with Cocoa and her family and the not so familial dynamic betwixt Cocoa and Chino. She really wants to give Chino that rosary and be called Onee-sama in the shoujo-ai trope way. And Chino will say she doesn't need it but take it any way and be happy about it. Areas of Improvement: 1. Have a bit meatier of a scene where Cocoa deals with customers. 2. Have a stronger indication of time passing. A short montage of cutesy scenes would do wonders. 3. Have some film exclusive music. Final Thoughts: This film is pretty delightful. It has its share of strong moments and all the charm of the main series. If you enjoy GochiUsa, you'll definitely have a laugh with it since it's more of the same. So, I'm giving it a solid 8/10.