First Impressions – Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Your one hop stop for bunny-related needs

Even I can’t predict which slice of life shows I’ll like since I’m so picky. Not for quality, per se, but for dumb things like “does this show have bunnies in it???”. Clearly an important priority for a connoisseur of anime. Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? promises to bring you the perfect dose of bunnies with a side order of aromatic coffee.

…Except, there are no bunnies. I cannot tell you how depressing it is to find out that this show has zero bunnies. Even the main character is depressed that a cafe named “Rabbit Cafe” is not a rabbit cafe. I guess it makes sense given that this isn’t Japan and rabbit cafes aren’t exactly commonplace, but it’s still a hard pill to swallow. Even Tippy – the rabbit mascot – is not a rabbit. He is a grandfather trapped in the body of a cottonball. It doesn’t even have rabbit ears! I will admit that it’s cute, but that can only tide me over for so long. It’s so depressing that now I look desperately for rabbits in every single scene. Thankfully, they are hidden like some sort of Where’s Waldo game just about everywhere except for the main goddamned part of the show.

Bunny 001

THE ONLY OTHER (LIVE) BUNNY IN THE SHOW. WHAT THE HELL???

Now, onto things normal human beings actually care about – like if the show was good or not. Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka is as fluffy and pointless as it gets, which is wonderful. It’s very successful at being adorable, light-hearted and fun. There’s something naturally relaxing about quiet, old-fashioned cafes where they hand-grind your coffee. It’s a humble family business with not many customers, allowing the girls to spend a lot of time playing around and chatting about this and that. It’s truly one of those shows where nothing happens.

As such, this show weighs heavily on the slice of life side of the scale. It’s based off of a 4-koma, so there’s a lot of jokes but they really don’t stand out. The comedic aspect might make your mouth twitch into some semblance of a grin at best. So no, this is not a show that you’ll be sitting there giggling at. However, it may prove me wrong and get more involved in an actual plot starting next week. By then, they’ll have gone to school and met another cast member. Also, the fact the only rabbit in the show is more akin to a possessed monstrosity is pretty darn neat. Hopefully they explain how that mind transfer process happened and if there’s an old man somewhere with the mind of a rabbit hopping around and nibbling on veggies.

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka- 009Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka- 005Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka- 002

Oh, and I guess there’s some fanservice too

Finally, the fact that the cafe turns into a bar at night sounds really cool. Cocoa jokes about it being a sketchy cover for some illegal information exchange business, but maybe it really is. Maybe! But then again this episode was just about drawing bunnies with latte art and taking baths together so let’s not get too excited.

All in all, you’ve got a show powered purely with moe here. The comedy is just okay, the girls aren’t all that special (or maybe it’s just that Rize is really irritating and it brings everyone else down), and the plot is nonexistent. AND THERE IS ONLY ONE BUNNY. The saving grace of the show are the adorable character designs and my love for the calming environment of a cafe. Have some time to kill? This is a harmless, totally inoffensive show to watch when you just want to melt on your coach and not think about anything. That sounds like an insult, but I’ll be continuing to watch this for that exact reason.

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka- 004

Is she excited to see you or did she just drink too much coffee?

About

A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
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41 Responses to “First Impressions – Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?”

  1. skylion says:

    I think that 4 koma SoL programs are worth their weight in gold, this one especially so. I had a grin on my face the entire time. Why? Well, much like caffeine addiction, one can get moe addiction. And OC can probably tell you much more about states of physiological addiction, but I can say that once hooked, you need bigger doses.

    So while this show did not hit the high as much as it could, I mean, it isn’t Non Non Biyori grade moe; that stuff is serious it does help pass the time very well.

    Latte Art! GOOOOOOO!

    • Overcooled says:

      Yeah, gotta scratch that moe itch. I don’t know how they manage to make doing nothing so watchable, but they do.

      Definitely not in the same tier as Non Non Biyori, but it’s alright. I hear it got a second season, actually, and I’m really excited for it!

      • skylion says:

        Non No was king of making the humor part of the characters. They weren’t just there to make with the jokes. This was their life, and oddball humor is part of it. And then you underline it.

        I think the skill in underlining the humor is where the sow gets tested. And then there is the taste of the audience.

        Nyanpasu!!

  2. Di Gi Kazune says:

    I would prefer if it was “Is the order a loli?”

  3. Highway says:

    I had no idea what this show was before I tried it. It was a nice watch, and I was surprised at all the Lise fanservice. It seems like a less insipid-isn’t-the-right-word-really-but -don’t-know-what-else-to-use version of Kiniro Mosaic.

    • skylion says:

      In comparison to Kiniro Mosaic, It will be hard for me to make a judgment. I always thought the first episode of that show was the best it ever got, and the remaining episodes fell short, but not so short as to be unwatchable. Kotoro-san was like that as well.

      But I think both shows have great sets of distinctions and similarities. Both MC’s very much want people they care about to look up to them, and they go about it in a similar manner. But Gochiusa sets itself apart with some fanservice, and the oddball puffball.

      • Highway says:

        I agree about Kiniro Mosaic, the first episode was a wonderful little story, and the rest was mostly a lot of running gags used over and over again. Kotoura-san I actually thought was very good until the extremely unimaginative final story arc, with all its cliched events.

    • Overcooled says:

      I just watched it because I thought it was about a rabbit cafe and I really, really want to go to one. That’s about it!

  4. Jrow says:

    I like this show, and I don’t even like coffee. Crazy, I know!

    • skylion says:

      I think I might like coffee enough for both of us, so no worries.

    • Overcooled says:

      I’m holding out for them to bust out some tea and cute rabbit biscuits just so I have an excuse to bake rabbit-shaped biscuits later =w= I don’t like coffee either though but it looks so damn good the way they make it that I wish I did.

      • skylion says:

        Hand ground, siphoned coffee of the type that Chino made is out of this world. And they presented it in such a way I could so smell it…

  5. Foshizzel says:

    MY HEART-O!! This was very cute much like Kiniro Mosaic and Non Non Biyori and wow the character designs and voice acting fit so well~

    • Overcooled says:

      So cute! Chino is the best one, for sure.

      Hmm, maybe I should watch Kiniro Mosaic if people are comparing it to this.

      • akagami says:

        Kiniro Mosaic is cuteness overload. My sister couldn’t handle the cuteness-levels, but the Shino ♥ Alice fun~~~

  6. BlackBriar says:

    There was no intention of watching this series at all at first since it looked too cute and didn’t catch my interest but I will admit that after seeing the first episode, it wasn’t so bad. I forgot that somewhere in that sadistic persona, you sometimes have a soft spot for cute things, Overcooled. Like when I was surprised you were into shows like Tamayura.

    Tippy looks more like a cat than a rabbit. And he’s Chino’s grandfather!! That one went over my head! A tank image in coffee? Rize is a military otaku for sure. It’s funny. “Rize” is being played Risa Taneda. The names are almost alike. Not like Ryota Ohsaka playing Ryota in Gokukoku no Brynhildr.

    • skylion says:

      Take a look at the character design, cause this is who else she has played.

    • Overcooled says:

      Haha, yeah, I’ve broadened my horizons to include fluffy cute shows as well. Gochiusa is pretty darn cute too.

      I don’t know why they couldn’t at least give Tippy tiny rabbit ears. Like, at least make them rounded and kind of long. T_T

      I love it when voice actors play a character that happens to have the same name as them. It must feel kind of weird when other characters call out to them.

  7. thorgriim says:

    This one I didn’t see anything on so it was a surprise going into and totally moe cafe coffee overdose! Even those 2 voice actresses.. Cocoa, just fun to listen to her hyperness and for Chino well she is growing on me, though shes not done much, I keep feeling that I’ve heard her in lot more shows.. hehe.

    Overall this series was a fun and silly one, and a show i think ill keep on my list this season, can never have to much moe in your life.

  8. akagami says:

    fuwa fuwa wakku wakku~

    I like how she makes her first impression….
    Cocoa: “taste that makes you feel at home… This has to be instant-”
    Chino: “That’s our original blend.”
    Cocoa: “…”
    U・x・U

    • skylion says:

      Oddly enough, instant coffee is typically a blend. Beaten, bruised, robbed of all value, and left derelict in a can to keep for months if not years…but a blend none the less.

      • akagami says:

        Is it now? I’ve never really drunk (or is it drank) coffee. They all look the same to me, hideous pools of black oil. Then people add cream and it turns to liquid mud. But the base is still black oil, no matter how much coating you put on it.

        • skylion says:

          I enjoy it from freeze dried garbage (first thing in the morning, I could care less about taste, in fact the more awful the better) to Madagascar Lemur Poo beans. Only not so much that last thing.

          • akagami says:

            Is that that high priced coffee that is made after some animal eats it and then poops the beans out?

            We have this pre-packaged pod coffee machine that magically spits out coffee in 10 seconds. Though I just use it to give me instant mix hot chocolate.

            I find there are three general groups… the ones who like the fast food coffee, the ones who swear by Starbucks and the like, and the ones who go “you drink that?” and brew/roast their own coffee.

            • skylion says:

              Yep. It’s not bad at all, just over priced.

            • Highway says:

              My wife loves coffee, but doesn’t drink much. We’ve had machines for drip, cold brew, espresso, Tassimo (early pod things) and Keurig (the current individual winner), and her favorite out of all of them is… french press.

              I don’t drink coffee at all. If it tasted like it smelled, I might. But it doesn’t.

            • skylion says:

              If you even like coffee to the least extent, try a cup brewed by the method that Chino did, the vacuum press. Soooooo delicious.

            • Highway says:

              I haven’t liked it at all. Just like I don’t like beer at all. And I’m surprised my wife hasn’t wanted a vacuum brew rig. Maybe next year for Christmas…

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