Let's Make a Mug Too 2

I'm genuinely shocked. I can't believe that they made a more powerful follow-up to a POTTERY ANIME of all things. As the perilous artist's journey continues, it doesn't make for an explosive innovative entrance. Unless you consider the VAs getting in the POTTERY ANIME BRANDED GOVERNMENT VAN to be innovative, I guess you can call it a default 10/10 :3 Nay, Let's Make a Mug Too! S2 (henceforth Yakumo S2) continues the artist's journey. If you have no idea what that looks like, allow me to present a crude 3-step method of how to get into professional art: 1. Develop interest and passion for your medium. 2. Get good. 3.Enjoy the craft as you're a true professional. Yakumo S2 focuses on steps 2 and 3 because Himeno isn't the central focus of the story this time. It focuses on the motivations for the main cast. From dealing with circumstantial setbacks (Mika) to upholding family legacies (Touko-senpai), the cast of characters discover the true meaning of pottery... Something that I couldn't be fucked to tell you what that actually means lol. Honestly, I felt like that point was just to generate faux depth for the story. From what I could gleam into, the essence of pottery is no different than the rest of the crafts like painting or even drawing anime frames. It's just the methodology (hands-on vs using a pencil vs using CG for anime) that's different. But that's okay, this IS a show designed to be light-hearted and easily digestible from the ground up. Even though the character development can seem like a mega-miss because of how short-lived it really is, the themes and overall development are perfect for the half-length episodes. The show gets their points across with a clean cut every time. And golly gee, Jim. The story does feel excellent as always. Through the expressions of the characters and what they make, you can feel that sense of progression happening between seasons, even if it isn't explicitly shown. ------ "But what about the specials, Mr. Chips901? It was the only reason why you rated S1 so high! Is it the same this time around?" Why yes, wayward reader. I'm so glad you asked. Yes, the specials take it a step further, ranging from appreciating history to the VAs making a piece of pottery that they can feel proud of. One immediate difference I noticed was the dichotomy of appreciation from people who regularly watch anime vs the town of Tajimi. As mentioned above, the town REALLY liked Yakumo for how well produced and faithful it is. Not only do they have an anime branded government car, they also went as far as to say that the town would showcase some of the pieces that the VAs made! Needless to say, it startled VAs for just how good of a job they did. In contrast, both AniList and MAL rate this show as a mid-to-high 6, meaning that the casual audience probably expected someone to die. On the history side, all I can say is that for someone to be designated as a Living Treasure, you would have to stand at the very apex of the craft itself. Like, they talk about one ancient gigachad who singlehandedly recreated an ancient pottery style FROM A SINGLE FORGOTTEN SHARD. It's a feat that's more impressive than whatever I'll be able to accomplish in my weak bloodline... On the side of VAs producing a pottery piece, that's where things get a bit more interesting. How do you judge amateur work? Well, you'd judge by what you can see. But if that's all you can see, then that's a pretty shallow and casual take on it. Professionals take it a step further by judging the shape of the idea itself, being able to see the underlying potential in one's work. This doesn't apply too much to Yakumo, since the VAs received professional help in realizing the end result, but hey. Y'know what they say, it's the thought that counts! For the most part, the VAs made an earnest effort to create something memorable. To that extent, at the advice of the expert helping them, they created something related to their interests. While two of the VAs' creations were simple and clear, one VA tried to make something abstract, and the other... A butt with T H I C C legs and heels. I shit you not. That VA said something like "I didn't like how [the butt piece] turned out. The butt ended up being more masculine and thicc in nature," despite receiving professional help with shaping such a piece. It was at that point that I knew Yakumo S2 was a 10/10. ------ Sometimes, you just gotta take a step back and enjoy the little things. When you're drinking something delightful out of something handmade, there's something inexplicably special about it. Yakumo S2 successfully captures this, even if melodramatic for what it is. Pottery itself still continues to not be intrinsically exciting, but as stated in my previous review, it's all about having fun with the creative process. Yakumo S2 gets a 10/10 simply because they did an excellent job at showcasing what they wanted to showcase, be it the continuation of an artist's journey or the butt. They did such a good job that creating a competing pottery anime of the same calibre would be very VERY difficult. It's one of those cases where less ends up being a lot more. Should you watch Yakumo S2? Obviously, my answer is a resounding yes, both anime and specials. As usual, if you're just grinding anime for the sake of completion, you'd only disappoint yourself as you can only see this as a write-off. On the flipside, it is more pottery and then some. It is the pursuit of inspiration itself. For me, I'll always look back on this anime with a peculiar brand of fondness. It'll always bring a smile to my face no matter how hard I critically think about it. If a colourful anime mug can be that evocative, how could this show be any less than a masterpiece? In conclusion, Yeah! Let's make a mug too! 10/10. Until next time.