From the creator of Yuru Camp, comes another work of tourism propaganda. "mono" features an entirely new cast of characters (with some familiar cameos), taking trips together, exploring Yamanshi, Shizuoka, and the surrounding environs. They eat lots of food and get involved with the occult (what...). I loved this series, but as far as story goes... was there one? It felt like they completed lost the plot pretty early on. It was supposed to be about a couple girls taking on their senpai's legacy to continue the cinematography club, but it pretty much just devolved into a travel anime where the characters visit a bunch of real world locations and showcase the local cuisine and scenery.
And what the hell was all that occult stuff about?? There's a specific character who's got a mysterious background connected to shrines and exorcism. They encounter ghosts, and characters get haunted. How does this have anything to do with film making... or travel??? It seems maybe like just the personal interest of the author. It worked though, and provided for some funny setups.
Am I complaining? Nope. But then again, I lived in Yamanashi for half a decade and the nostalgia I have for the area is crazy. I visited quite a few of the real world locations they visited like Katsunuma, and the wineries, but never got to explore a lot of the others (can't believe I never actually got to go to the wine tunnel when I lived like 30 minutes away) - and now I want to book a vacation to go back and continue where I left off. So, did this anime achieve exactly what it was aiming for? Probably!!
9/10 from a very biased former Yamanashi JET.
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