FOOD
Creative Staff:
Story/Art: Afro
Translation: Amber Tamosaitis
Lettering: DK
What They Say:
Whether together or apart, Rin, Nadeshiko, and the rest of the Outdoor Exploration Club are connected by the joy of camping…and campfire meals! Kick back, relax, and join the girls as they learn the dos and don’ts of outdoor cooking…!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The joy of camping always comes out in Laid Back Camp. While the first volume just showed how enjoyable in general camping can be, this second volume brought things around to what is most important: food.
The joy of camping includes that joy of charcoal and outdoor grilling. And Laid Back Camp lays it all out there with its bevy of meats and other food dishes. But the centerpiece is, of course, the meat. The delicious, smoky meat over charcoal at a campsite. The manga really highlights the process of cooking at a campsite, from having flames in the right area to having the right equipment to even cook. Sure, you can hang a pot over an open fire…or you can have a small, foldable grated grill. And it’s super fancy and relatively inexpensive! A lot of the tools they use seem to be bought at a discount store similar to Daiso? They’re in high school after all; costs have to be cut where they can.
Laid Back Camp isn’t just about camping and cooking though. A few genuine character moments happened throughout this volume to bring Rin and Nadeshiko closer, including cute little text messages between each other that ultimately culminated in them camping together. Nadeshiko’s tough exterior is being broken through by Rin’s disarming kawaii personality.
In Summary:
You know, I didn’t expect to like Laid Back Camp as much as I have through two volumes based on just the first episode of the anime. But this has proven to be an extremely enjoyable manga that just warms the heart with the characters camping and chilling with each other. Their little trials and tribulations of buying meat, not knowing how to start charcoal, and whatever else is just enough conflict for this to be a, well, laid back read.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: June 5, 2018
MSRP: $13.00
