3ET: Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Why yes, girls. That is a rabbit.

Studio: White Fox

Director: Hashimoto Hiroyuki

Writer: Fudeyasu Kazuyuki (Mahou Sensou, Kampfer)

Main Cast:

Sakura Ayane as Hoto Kokoa

Minase Iori as Kafuu Chino

Uchida Maaya as Kirima Sharo

Taneda Risa as Tadeza Rise

Satou Satomi as Ujimatsu Chiya

Character Design: OkudaYousuke

Music: Kawada Ruka (Senran Kagura, Kiniro Mosaic)

There is a sub-genre that Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? falls into that I rarely pick up. That sub-genre is the one where an all-female cast just sits around and are nice to each other. They are always careful with what they say so no discord can ever be sewn within their group of friends. The small thing that Gochiusa uses to make itself different is that there are rabbits. That's it. There are rabbits in addition to the cute girls doing cute things. There are also tame attempts at comedy interspersed throughout the episode, but not a lot else. And for a show like this to work, it needs a lot else.

That something more could easily come from the best thing in the show, the rabbit itself. For an unexplained reason, the rabbit is the owner of the cafe where the main character, Kokoa, comes to work. He's the grandfather of the first girl she meets, Chino, and is shown working at the bar at night with Chino's father. Is it too much to ask to have the B-side be about the rabbit listening to adult problems at night as a contrast to the innocent girls doing nothing during the day? It would at least be a way to broaden the audience a little bit. You know, if the creators were interested in that sort of thing.

This show is more effective than C-SPAN as an insomnia cure.

To it's credit, there isn't a lot that is morally objectionable with a show like this. There's minimal fanservice, which is a nice change of pace. Though I have to say when my biggest praise for a show is something it doesn't do, that's not a good sign. It's just dull to watch Kokoa meet some new friends, drink coffee, and make vapid commentary on what is happening in their lives. And the girls aren't interesting at all. They are the same archetypes of anime girls that are seen in every other show, just with slightly different character designs. If they had some personality, some rapport with each other, I'd feel like I was hanging out with friends during every episode. Instead, I'm attending a tea party with teenagers who act like they're toddlers.

This isn't the first "cute girls doing cute things" show that I've failed and I'm sure it won't be the last. I don't get angry at the people who watch this stuff, I'm sure they get something out of seeing girls and bunnies and coffee. It's completely inoffensive, and mostly harmless. But, I need a show to be more than inoffensive and harmless for me to pick it up. That's what I get for having standards.