English Dub Review: Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear “Bear, Appears”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

A distraught kid runs frantically into a dining hall with a dangerous quest. He pleads for someone to defeat the deadly Black Viper and save everyone in his village, but there’s no one willing to answer his call. All the high-ranking adventurers are away, with no word on when they’ll return.

There’s only one person willing to help: a bear suit clad girl named Yuna. The kid who came for help, Kai, is hesitant to take her up on her offer based on her appearance, but eventually agrees to show her the way so she can gather info.

Once they head out of town, Yuna reveals there’s more to her than meets the eye. Her bear-shaped mittens actually hold her bear mounts, Kumakyuu and Kumayuru. With their help, she and Kai (the kid) are able to reach his village quickly. When they arrive, she’s again underestimated, but remains undaunted.

Yuna heads off to slay the beast, and while it takes some doing, she ultimately triumphs.

Back at the village, everyone is shocked and grateful for her service. They feast and party, while also taking time to pay tribute to those they’d lost to Black Viper attacks. Yuna enjoys the festivities, and some eggs in the morning, then heads back to the adventurer’s guild.

After shocking her guild with her deadpan tales of conquest, Yuna takes a break to revisit the real world. Her offline life pales in comparison to the adventures of her alter-ego. Which is a little weird, since apparently she has the stock skills to have acquired a considerable fortune. She chats with her grandpa about sending her parents off on a luxury vacation, and begrudgingly agrees to visit him soon.

Tired of her stint offline, she logs back in for another round of gaming.

Our take:

I was admittedly hesitant about this series, but after this episode, I’m tentatively optimistic. It’s sparkly and lighthearted, and even though it leans pretty hard on the contrast between Yuna’s appearance and her abilities, it has potential. There’s plenty of comedy, but the action isn’t half-bad, at least so far.

At this point, it’s unclear as to how she gets “stuck” in the game. Aside from a single line at the very end of the episode, that this is the world our kigurumi-clad protagonist “now lives in”, Yuna seems to be able to come and go as she pleases.

In addition to clarifying her relationship to the world of her game, I’m interested to see how her personality develops as the series progresses. A 15 year old billionaire with zero interest in the real world (or even a gaming throne) definitely begs a few questions. Will she stay this carefree? Or is her nonchalant demeanor a cover for more depth?

Visually, this series is top notch. The character designs are cute without being too twee, and there’s thoughtful touches that help differentiate it from other comedy series. As per usual for anime, the eyes get special treatment, this time with purple-tinged lines and soft shading. The digital overlays while in the game world are also a nice touch.

As far as animation techniques, the 2D quality seems to be the same high quality audiences have come to expect. The CGI is also excellent. The fire effects in particular, both in attack situations and while the villagers are remembering lost loved ones.  The somewhat unexpected use of distortion on the adventurer’s guild building to indicate the crowd’s reaction to Yuna’s shenanigans lends a nice comic touch.

Overall, I can certainly say this show has piqued my interest. Excited to see what’s to Kuma Kuma Come!