, also known in Japan as ''Yuru Camp'', is a Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series written and illustrated by Afro. Set in and around Yamanashi, Japan, the series chronicles the adventures of Rin Shima, Nadeshiko Kagamihara, and their friends as they travel to various campsites across the country. The manga was first serialized in

Houbunsha is a Japanese publishing company founded on July 10, 1950. It is based in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. History of Houbunsha In 1946, the founder, Yoshichika Koso, proclaimed the vision of establishing Shobunkan to provide entertainment through publishi ...

's ''

Manga Time Kirara Forward is a Japanese seinen manga is an editorial category of Japanese comics marketed toward young adult men. In Japanese, the word means "youth", but the term " manga" is also used to describe the target audience of magazines like '' Weekly M ...

'' magazine from July 2015 to February 2019 until it was transferred to the publisher website and app for manga called Comic Fuz. It has been collected in seventeen ''

tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such as ''shinsho'' (17x11 cm paperback books) and ''bunkobon''. Used as a loanword in English, the term specifically refers to a printed collection of a manga that w ...

'' volumes. The manga is licensed in North America by

Yen Press Yen Press is an American manga, graphic novel and light novel publisher co-owned by Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. It published '' Yen Plus'', a monthly comic anthology, between 2008 and 2013. In addition to translated material, ...

. An

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series adaptation by

C-Station is a Japanese animation studio established in 2009 as an extension of Bee Train Production and chaired by Ryoji Maru, a former producer and production manager for Bee Train. In 2012, C-Station split from Bee Train and in 2013, it was announced t ...

, aired on AT-X from January to March 2018. A short anime spin-off, titled ''

Room Camp , also known as ''Heya Camp'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Afro as a spin-off of ''Laid-Back Camp''. It has been serialized by Houbunsha on Kirara Base since April 9, 2016, and on their manga service Comic Fuz since M ...

'', aired from January to March 2020. A

live action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games o ...

drama series aired in Japan from January to March 2020, and a second drama season aired from April to June 2021. A second anime season aired from January to April 2021, and an anime film premiered on July 1, 2022. A

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...

video game based on the series was released in March 2021, and a

visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...

developed by MAGES was released in November 2021. A third anime season aired from April to June 2024. In November 2024 a fourth season was announced to be in-production.

Premise

Rin Shima, a high school-aged girl, enjoys camping on her own. One day, she meets Nadeshiko Kagamihara, who encourages her to join their school's camping club. Together, Rin, Nadeshiko, and their classmates Chiaki Ōgaki and Aoi Inuyama travel around Japan, camping together and enjoying their daily lives.

Characters

; : :Portrayed by: Yuno Ōhara :An energetic girl who befriends Rin and joins the Outdoor Activities Circle. Her surname comes from a traditional alternative form of the name of

Kakamigahara, Gifu is a city located in southern Gifu Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,225, and a population density of 1700 persons per km2, in 59,736 households. The total area of the city was . Situated in the northern part o ...

. ; : :Portrayed by:

Haruka Fukuhara is a Japanese actress, singer and model from Saitama Prefecture. From 2009 to 2012, she starred in ''Cooking Idol! I! My! Main'' as Main Hiiragi, portraying the character in both animated and live-action segments. Following the series' end, she h ...

:A generally quiet girl who enjoys camping by herself. Often rides her Yamaha Vino moped. Her surname comes from

Shima, Mie is a city in Mie Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 45,073 in 22,511 households and a population density of 251 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Shima hosted the 2016 G7 Summit. Geography Shima is loc ...

. ; : :Portrayed by: Momoko Tanabe :President of the Outdoor Activities Circle. Her surname comes from

Ōgaki is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of October 31, 2018, the city had an estimated population of 161,539, and a population density of 782 persons per km2 in 65,931 households. The total area of the city was . Ōgaki was the final destination fo ...

, Gifu. ; : :Portrayed by:

Yumena Yanai , is a Japanese actress and model. She is signed under the talent agency Irving. Biography Yanai was born on June 21, 2000, in Kōriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. She is the eldest of four siblings, with two younger brothers and one younger si ...

:Chiaki's friend and member of the Outdoor Activities Circle. Her surname comes from

Inuyama, Aichi is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 73,420 in 31,276 households, and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . The name of the city literally translates to "Dog Moun ...

. ; : :Portrayed by: Sara Shida :Rin's cheerful classmate. Her name comes from

Ena, Gifu is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,777, and a population density of 96.7 persons per km2, in 19,820 households. The total area of the city was . Geography Ena is located in the Tōnō region of south ...

. ; : :Portrayed by: Yurina Yanagi :Nadeshiko's older sister. She loves driving. Often drives her Nissan Rasheen. She is a big fan of "Moped Journey" by '' How Do You Like Wednesday?'' and owns all the

DVDs The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

of East Japan ( ja), West Japan, and Overseas ( ja). ; : :Portrayed by: Kaho Tsuchimura :A substitute teacher at Motosu High School. She became the Outdoor Activities Circle's advisor as she prefers clubs that are not busy most of the time. She drinks alcohol a lot. She is first met by Nadeshiko and Rin during their camping while she is camping with her little sister. She drives her Suzuki Hustler. Her surname comes from

Toba, Mie is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 17,741 in 8328 households and a population density of 170 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Toba is located on the northeastern tip o ...

. ; : :Portrayed by: Honoka Kitahara :Minami's younger sister, who commonly camps with her. The Outdoor Activities Circle girls originally assume her to be a boy. She lent her Nissan Lafesta to her sister in Izu camp. ; : :Portrayed by: Anna Ishii :Nadeshiko's childhood friend from middle school. Often rides her Honda Ape 100. Her surname comes from

Toki, Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Gifu Prefecture, Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 58,567 in 24,485 households, and a population density of 500 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Toki is known as one of ...

. ; : :Rin's maternal grandfather. He loves outdoor camping, and he is the one who inspired Rin to begin camping. Often rides his Triumph Thruxton 1200R and drives his Honda Acty Van in manga and anime /

Toyota HiAce The (pronounced "High Ace") is a light commercial vehicle produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. First launched in October 1967, the HiAce has since been available in a wide range of body configurations, including a minivan/M ...

in drama. He first appeared in anime as the old man who camps alone who Chiaki met when she was scouting for a campsite. His voice actor is also the narrator in the anime, which could mean he is the narrator himself. His surname comes from Shinshiro, Aichi. ; : :Rin's father. He goes to work with a moped. In the anime, he first appeared in a special OVA episode where he borrowed a three-wheeler motor scooter

Yamaha Tricity The Yamaha Tricity is a tilting three-wheeler motor scooter made by Yamaha Motor Company. It is part of Yamaha's LMW (Leaning Multi Wheel) offering along with the Niken. Three Tricity models have been developed: 125, 155, and 300cc models. Th ...

as a substitute for Rin's moped which was being serviced at that time. Often drives his

Subaru Forester The is a compact crossover SUV that has been manufactured by Subaru since 1997. The first generation was built on the platform of the Impreza in the style of a taller station wagon, a style that continued to the second generation, while the ...

. ; : :Portrayed by: Ayumi Mikata :Rin's mother. She went camping together with her husband and father (Rin's grandfather) in the past. She used to ride a

Yamaha SR400 The Yamaha SR400 (1978–2021) and SR500 (1978–1999) are single-cylinder engine, single-cylinder, air-cooled, two-passenger motorcycles manufactured in Japan by Yamaha Motor Company as a street version of the Yamaha XT500, with a Motorcycle#Moto ...

. ; : :Portrayed by: Yūsuke Noguchi :Nadeshiko's father. He loves eating. ; : :Portrayed by: Eiko Yamamoto :Nadeshiko's mother. ; : :Portrayed by: Aina Nishizawa :Aoi's mischievous younger sister. ; : :Aoi's grandmother. ; :Portrayed by: Jun Hashimoto :Ena's father. ; Narration : ; : :Mei's friend. ; : :A new member of the Outdoor Activities Circle.

Media

Manga

The series began serialization in

's ''

'' magazine in July 2015 until 2019 when it was transferred to the new website and app Comic Fuz. Seventeen volumes have been released so far.

has licensed the manga for a North American release, and released the first volume of the manga in English in March 2018.

Anime

television series adaptation, directed by Yoshiaki Kyōgoku and produced by

, aired from January 4 to March 22, 2018, on AT-X and other networks.

Jin Tanaka is a Japanese anime screenwriter. He has served as the head writer for anime such as '' Go! Princess PreCure'', '' Kirakira Pretty Cure a la Mode'', '' Laid-Back Camp'', '' Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club'', '' The Misfit of Demon K ...

supervised the series' scripts and Mutsumi Sasaki designed the characters. The opening theme song is "Shiny Days", performed by Asaka, while the ending theme song is , performed by Eri Sasaki. The series was released on three Blu-ray Disc/DVD volumes between March 28 and July 25, 2018, each containing an additional

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

episode.

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...

co-produced, financed and streamed the series. The season received an English dub, which was released on Crunchyroll on August 2, 2022. A second season, new film, and short anime were announced to be in production in October 2018. The short anime, titled ''Room Camp'', aired from January 6 to March 23, 2020. The series is directed by

Masato Jinbo is a Japanese anime director and screenwriter. Since 2014, he has directed multiple series, including the adaptations of ''Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya'' and '' Chaos;Child''. Biography Jinbo was born in Tokyo and graduated from . He worked at ...

, with Mutsumi Ito handling series composition, and Mutsumi Sasaki as character designer. Yoshiaki Kyōgoku is credited as supervisor, while C-Station is returning to produce the short anime. The theme song is "The Sunshower", performed by Asaka. A special episode was bundled with the series' Blu-ray Disc/DVD volume on May 27, 2020. The second season aired from January 7 to April 1, 2021. The opening theme song is "Seize the Day", performed by Asaka, and the ending theme song is , performed by Eri Sasaki. The film premiered in Japan on July 1, 2022, with returning main staff and cast members of the television series. A third season was announced in October 2022. It is animated by Eight Bit and directed by Shin Tosaka, with Masafumi Sugiura handling series composition and Hisanori Hashimoto designing the characters. The third season aired from April 4 to June 20, 2024. The opening theme song is , performed by Kiminone, and the ending theme song is "So Precious", performed by Asaka. A fourth season was announced to be in production in November 2024.

Live action

live-action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...

television adaptation of the manga was announced in November 2019. Actress

portrays Rin Shima, with Yuno Ōhara, Momoko Tanabe,

, and Sara Shida respectively playing supporting characters Nadeshiko Kagamihara, Chiaki Ōgaki, Aoi Inuyama, and Ena Saitō. The drama premiered on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...

video game based on the series, titled was developed by Gemdrops. The game is described as a "virtual camping adventure" and is available in two versions, one set at

Lake Motosu is the westernmost of the Fuji Five Lakes and located on the border of the towns of Fujikawaguchiko and Minobu in southern Yamanashi Prefecture near Mount Fuji, Japan. Lake Motosu is the third-largest of the Fuji Five Lakes in terms of surface ...

and another set at the Fumoto Campgrounds on

Asagiri Plateau The is located at the southwest base of Mount Fuji in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The Asagiri Plateau is richly utilized for its pastureland and many dairy farms are situated along it. The elevation of the plateau is generally aroun ...

. It is available for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

, and Android, and supports the Nintendo Labo VR Kit and

PlayStation VR The PlayStation VR (PS VR) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. The headset works with the company's PlayStation 4 video game console and is forward compatible with PlaySta ...

accessories. The ''Lake Motosu'' version was released on March 4, 2021, and the ''Fumoto Campgrounds'' version was released on April 7, 2021. Characters from the series appeared alongside other ''

Manga Time Kirara is a Japanese magazine published by Houbunsha serializing mainly four-panel ''seinen'' manga. Issued on the 9th of each month, it was first published as a special edition of Houbunsha magazine '' Manga Time'' on May 17th 2002. The first indepen ...

'' characters in the mobile RPG ''

Kirara Fantasia is a Japanese magazine published by Houbunsha serializing mainly four-panel ''seinen'' manga. Issued on the 9th of each month, it was first published as a special edition of Houbunsha magazine ''Manga Time'' on May 17th 2002. The first independe ...

'' in 2018, as well as in collaboration with Akatsuki's mobile baseball game '' Cinderella Nine'' in 2019, as well as in collaboration with Happy Elements's mobile role-playing game '' Merc Storia'' in 2021. A

, titled , was developed and published by MAGES, and released on

and

in Japan on November 11, 2021. There are no announced plans to release the game in other regions. In February 2022, Enish announced the first mobile game for the anime series, which is set to be released that year. In July 2022, pre-registration for the game was opened, with the title being revealed as . In November 2022, Enish delayed the game to 2023, stating that it was "for better game content and quality improvement". In April 2023, Enish revealed the worldwide release date of the game to be on May 24. In May 2023, the game was delayed again to June 15, with the game's producer Atsushi Sanada stating that the third delay would help in improving the server stability due to the high number of initial downloads pre-release. Upon its release, the game was revealed to be available for download on PC. In March 2024, a mobile puzzle game based on the anime series, titled , was announced. It was released on Android and iOS on July 25, 2024.

Other media

A voice drama based on the anime series, titled , was released on the voice drama distribution platform Mimicle on June 16, 2023.

Yumiri Hanamori is a Japanese voice actress. She used the alias – her given name spelled backwards – in her debut, "The Second Audition". Career Hanamori became interested in acting during her second year in high school. In 2015, she served as the 62nd pe ...

Nao Tōyama is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with the agency Intention. She was a member of Arts Vision. She debuted as a voice actress in 2010, and played her first leading role as Kanon Nakagawa in '' The World God Only Knows''. She is ...

, Sayuri Hara, and

Aki Toyosaki is a Japanese actress and singer. She had her first major voice acting roles in 2007, voicing Amuro Ninagawa in '' Kenkō Zenrakei Suieibu Umishō'' and Su in ''Shugo Chara!''. She was named "Best New Actress" at the 4th Seiyu Awards in 2010 f ...

reprised their roles for the drama. Toshihisa Kio wrote the scenario, which depicts Rin and the members of the Outdoor Activities Club going on a weekend camping trip one winter day to do

stargazing Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers ...

. A drama CD based on the anime series, titled , was released in Japan on June 28, 2023. It follows the members of the Outdoor Activities Club creating a manual, with Rin and Ena's assistance, that features the appeal of camping to recruit new members and secure a new large clubroom.

Reception

The English release of the first three volumes of the manga were included on the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

's list of 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens. The manga was also nominated for an

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...

in the category " Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia" in 2019. In November 2019, ''

Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...

'' named ''Laid-Back Camp'' as one of the best anime of the 2010s, describing it as "the ultimate comfy, slice-of-life anime", and

listed it in their "Top 100 best anime of the 2010s".

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

also listed ''Laid-Back Camp'' among the best anime series of the 2010s, stating that it is "a wonderful celebration of nature and friendship". Patrick Lum of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' listed ''Laid-Back Camp'' as one of his best ''

iyashikei is a genre specific to Japanese works, primarily manga and anime. It is a sub-genre of slice of life, portraying characters living out peaceful lives in calming environments, and is intended to have a healing effect on the audience. Shaenon K Ga ...

'' anime series. The anime significantly increased local tourism for the places featured, with several campgrounds reporting their number of visitors tripling.

References

External links

List of ''Laid-Back Camp'' chapters
at Comic Fuz
List of ''Laid-Back Camp'' volumes
at

* {{Comic Fuz 2015 manga Anime and manga set in Japan Camping in anime and manga Houbunsha manga Iyashikei anime and manga Seinen manga Upcoming anime television series Yen Press titles