All three Laid-Back Camp Season 3 specials are out now so I got some catching up to do. Once again, I’m bad at getting around to these extras. I’ve normally had to put on my pirate hat for the Laid-Back Camp specials but surprisingly, Season 3’s got added to Crunchyroll last month. Maybe someday, the Seasons 1 and 2 specials will get added in as well. For some reason, these specials are labeled as Episode 13 Parts A, B, and C (hence the different post titles this time around). A bit strange since these specials aren’t actually part of the same episode and Crunchyroll can catalog stuff without an episode number but whatever.
This first special is a series of scenes in which Nadeshiko, Chiaki, and Aoi lose their minds over random stuff while hanging out in the storage closest. In other words, some typical afterschool club meetings for them. The first couple of scenes are some silly food-related scenarios involving Chiaki. In the third segment, Aoi discusses with Nadeshiko how there are two types of campers: those have money and those who don’t. The final and longest segment has the girls looking at some maps and dealing with Aoi’s pathological lying.
I don’t know if it’s intentional but the whole anthology feels very reminiscent of the Room Camp and Inuinu Inuko-san segments from Seasons 1 and 2 respectively. That format seemed to have disappeared for Season 3. I suppose after two seasons, as well as a whole spin-off series dedicated to the concept, this type of scene kind of did run its course. Still, they were a good excuse to see the random shenanigans the Outclub would be up to so I kind of did miss them. Whether or not this is in the intent, I appreciate this episode as a sort of throwback.
Personally, I find the food related stuff to be the weakest parts of the episode but then again, I think I’ve always been biased towards the characters’ financial struggle and Aoi’s lies. I love that Aoi cites Ena as a camper who burns money and picks Chiaki as a camper who can’t. Those are such apt choices that I can’t help but chuckle. A very great spin on Aoi’s lying, and also the best joke in the episode, is Nadeshiko and Chiaki worrying that Aoi is wasting her free time coming up with bits and feeling guilty that they’re not laughing at any of them. Not only is it hilarious to imagine Aoi spending entire nights writing down lies for her to share in the future, it’s also rich coming from Nadeshiko and Chiaki. I mean, all three girls clearly have too much time on their hands, hence this entire special.
Watch Laid-Back Camp on Crunchyroll
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