Ruri Rocks

Ruri Rocks has an alternative title "Introduction to Mineralogy". With a drab title like that, the show likely filters for its own audience, namely those who are into hobby-focused slice-of-lifes and, perhaps less commonly, those who are actually rock enthusiasts. The show begins with Ruri (whose name literally translates as Lapis Lazuli), going on a search for crystals after hearing that they could be found in the mountains. During her expedition, she runs into Nagi, a grad student in mineralogy, who she ropes in to help her in her quest for gems and stuff. The two soon starts going on regular expeditions together, and over timeNagi helps Ruri gain a deep appreciation for rocks that goes beyond the latter's initial motivation of greed. While the title and premise clearly indicate show's focus on mineralogy, the first episode actually threw me off, as the humongous breast sizes of some of the characters and the numerous breast and ass shots made me wonder whether the "rocks" in the title is meant as a lewd joke rather than actual rocks. I was also distracted by the body shapes of the characters which, possibly distorted by the breast sizes, has such an unanime-like stoutness to them that I wondered whether I needed to adjust my TV's aspect ratio. What's undeniable though, is the show's enthusiasm for its subject matter. The characters are practically reaching rockgasms while geeking out over lumps of stones, and that enthusiasm counts for a lot in this kind of genre. The show often succeeds in invoking a sense of wonder about rocks, aided by the strong visuals when showcasing a particularly pretty piece of stone or a breathtaking discovery. It's a show that uses CGI effectively, leaning into the colours, contrasts and sparkles that CGI can be so good at rendering. At times though, I wish the show could have channelled across its enthusiasm in a more accessible manner: some scenes resembles little more than audio info dumps aided by a cartoony power point presentation, and the fun graphics just isn't enough to save those scenes from being a bit dry. In addition, the hunt for gems and minerals can often feel too easy. There's not so much of a sense that the anime is able to make you appreciate the ordinary and the mundane as it is trying to wow you with truly extraordinary finds that seem to happen in almost every episode. Regardless of the rarity of precious stones the characters are looking for, they'll hit the motherload to the extent that they could all realistically become multi-millionaires by the end of the series. There're only so many such events a show can have before its believability tanks, especially when the show in question is meant to be a slice of life. The better episodes of Ruri Rocks often mingles the minerology lessons with human elements, and this is epitomised by the emotional apex of the series in the penultimate episode. The series often returns to the theme of the rocks being threads to the past, and the penultimate episode really drives home that point by tying it to Ruri's connection with her grandfather. Character growth is often a key component of these sorts of shows, and on this front Ruri Rocks duly delivers. The protagonist Ruri is one of those energetic genki architypes, and initially her energy is often disruptive: she's impatient and susceptible to fierce tantrums when things don't go her way. But gradually, like a rock whose rough edges were polished smooth by a gentle stream, Ruri learns to channel her wild energy into focused, dogged, investigative effort thanks to the tutelage of Nagi and her massive rocks. Sorry, I meant massive store of knowledge about rocks. Unlike its subject matter, Ruri Rocks is never going to be eye-catching. You don't really come for the spectacle, plot twists or intellectual challenge. But if you're looking for a laid back exploration on a topic off the beaten track, then Ruri Rocks will be probably scratch that itch. As long as you don't mind pausing now and then to read an on-screen essay about the formation of sandstone or something. Personal rating: +0.5 (decent)

The good: This is an anime about geology and collecting rocks, woot! We haven't had one of those before and it's a fun topic to learn about. The bits of actual science all seem accurate and worth learning. The okay: The art and animation, and sound design are all fine for your average seasonal anime. I do wish they hadn't gone with the "ecchi" style of character design - it's fine in actual ecchi anime, but here it just felt pointlessly distracting. The bad: The writing, the characters and plot were all two dimensional. Unfortunately, this show lacks any real depth or conflict.The characters all get along in every situation, the problems they encounter are quickly resolved without any real thought or effort, and the over-arcing story is extremely basic. Essentially, this is a story in which the characters never face any real chance of "failure" and thus their "success" feels worthless and maybe even unearned. Overall, this is a 4/10 show - boring and lazy writing created a show not worth watching, out of a reasonably good and interesting topic.

My opinion of this anime is extremely biased due to my personal hyperfixation with geology, so take this with a grain of salt. That said, I can recommend this show to anyone who enjoys science, those with curious minds, and for anyone with the heart of an adventurer. As someone who knows a bit about geology already, the information the show presents is rather basic and surface-level, but that did not diminish my enjoyment whatsoever. The combination of likeable characters, beautiful animation, and evocative music makes for a wonderful viewing experience. The story is also quite good. At the beginning of the show, Ruri is rather impatientand naïve, but with guidance from university students Nagi and Imari, she learns a lot of valuable lessons about herself. I don't want to say too much more in fear of accidentally spoiling anything, so I'll conclude by simply saying this: if you like science, and are moved by inspiring stories of discovery and learning, you will greatly enjoy this show.

[Ruri no Houseki] is a cool anime that keeps things simple and easy to follow, mainly focusing on geology. The story moves straight ahead without complicated subplots, making it super relaxing to watch. The characters are really cute and grow on you as the episodes go by, developing in a natural way. It also sneaks in some educational stuff without feeling heavy, making it fun and interesting. It’s the perfect mix of entertainment and learning — chill, enjoyable, and kinda educational. Definitely recommend [Ruri no Houseki] if you’re into anime that’s light and soothing but still teaches you something. ------------------------------------------ Italian version "Ruri no Houseki" è un anime chesi distingue per la sua narrazione lineare e accessibile, incentrata sulla geologia. La storia procede senza sottotrame complesse, rendendo la visione piacevole e facile da seguire. I personaggi sono adorabili e mostrano una crescita graduale e coinvolgente nel corso delle puntate, cosa che rafforza il legame emotivo con lo spettatore. L’anime riesce a inserire momenti educativi senza risultare pesante, presentandoli invece in modo interessante e stimolante. Questo equilibrio fa sì che sia un prodotto che diverte, rilassa e allo stesso tempo insegna, perfetto per chi cerca un intrattenimento leggero ma anche arricchente. Consiglio vivamente "Ruri no Houseki" a chi ama gli anime con un tocco educativo e un’atmosfera calma e piacevole.