mono

Marinate1016★ 9

So, has enough time passed for me to be able to say I like Mono more than Yuru Camp? I know that’s sacrilegious to say with Yuru camp’s prestige among CGDCT series, but I really had such an awesome time with Mono and connected with its characters in a way I never did with Yuru camp. Part of that’s because this follows a photography/videography club which I can relate to way more as a photographer than camping trips, but I also just think the cast is simply better here. An, Sakurako, Sacchan, Haruno sensei and Kako just have an amazing dynamic. Every interaction iscomedic gold and they truly feel like a group of best friends trying to see the best that Japan has to offer. This was such a cozy watch and I’ll miss my girls. Obviously everyone’s opinion will vary on whether or not this is better than Yuru camp, probably depending on how much you enjoy camping, but it really doesn’t matter. The show’s amazing and they both have their strengths. This season we actually got two travel oriented shows in this and Zatsutabi, while this one didn’t lean into the preparation, planning and execution aspects of travel like ZatsuTabi, it did take us to some really cool places around Japan where the girls got to experience a lot of the local culture, food and of course take some awesome photos. I really could just watch 100 episodes of the girls going to a different place every week and just trying new foods or making a video of them skating down a mountain. It’s such seemingly mundane situations, but they feel so fun because of this cast. The supporting characters outside of the main trio were a riot too. Haruno sensei is basically a big sister figure to the girls, and her friends like the totally not Kuroneko ™️ influenced Kurokuma and the free spirited Kako, stole the show whenever they were on screen. I actually wouldn’t have minded a few more episodes focusing on just the side characters. Especially Kurokuma, whose recurring ghost gimmick was funny as hell. You have your obligatory Afro-sensei yuri teasing between Kako and Haruno which I enjoyed, they have a really sweet relationship and encouraged each other a lot. They’re both mentors to the girls as well and motivate them to pursue their dreams which I enjoyed. My only complaint with this one is that for a series that’s supposed to be following a photography/videography club, there’s little focus on camera stuff! The first episode sets it up, the girls get an action camera and then it just sort of becomes an after thought. The girls will go to a place and explore and then at the end, if we’re lucky, they’ll remember to record it, but until the final episode of the season I feel like videography/photography wasn’t as big a part of the story as I’d have liked. Even with that though, I loved this show because of how good my girls were. They truly brightened my day every Saturday. I have to give a special shoutout to studio soigné for the job they did here because this show had NO business having the levels of sakuga it had at times. I mean why the hell are some of the best animated scenes of the season, coming from MONO of all things! People often think of battle shonen when we talk sakuga, but don’t sleep on the wholesome slice of life stuff, there’s some great direction here that takes the show to the next level. The character designs look great and the voice acting is top notch with Koga Aoi’s An performance being my highlight. We truly ate good this season with all the slice of life CGDCT series and Mono was a huge part of that. I’ll never be able to thank Afro sensei enough for this series, I think it connected with me on the level that most people connected with Yuru camp. I always felt kinda compelled to force myself to like that series as much as everyone else because of how loved it is. Not saying it’s bad or not good, but it didn’t hook me like Mono has. This was a special watch for me and I’ll definitely miss it. Mono gets 9 cups of shaved ice, out of 10

FlowMAL★ 6

Mono started with tremendous promise, captivating me with its distinctive premise centred around a “cinephoto club” (cinema and photography) and exploring intriguing photographic techniques such as 360-degree cameras and timelapse photography. This fresh concept, combined with occasional slice-of-life and comedic moments, initially set it apart and offered a unique and engaging anime. However, as the show progressed, it gradually shifted its focus away from this promising concept and instead leaned heavily into generic slice-of-life territory, using photography merely as a backdrop rather than the main theme. While the slice-of-life content still had its charm, it lacked the spark the show originally promised. It felt like therewas a significant missed opportunity, considering how strongly the anime had initially established itself in the opening episodes. I found myself wishing they’d returned to the creativity of the early episodes, which felt genuinely inspired. This shift also impacted character development. The five main characters had distinct, lovable personalities with potential for depth, yet the show didn't fully utilise this. Conversely, the supporting characters were disappointingly two-dimensional and forgettable, significantly detracting from the overall appeal. Comedy-wise, Mono generally offered average humour while occasionally providing genuinely funny moments. Many of the slice-of-life scenarios were enjoyable, although certain scenes, such as an overly drawn-out video call in episode 7, felt unnecessarily tedious. Despite these shortcomings, the anime did excel in its music. The opening song was nice, and the ending song was great, complementing the overall mood of the series. The animation and art are also excellent, especially for such a new studio. Overall, Mono is a decent watch if you're looking for a casual slice-of-life anime, but it falls short of its initial promise. Perhaps my expectations influenced this disappointment, but it remains hard to shake off the feeling that Mono could have been something truly special; it teased greatness but ultimately played it safe.