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#Yaku Nara Mug Cup Mo: criminally underrated

###Short Review

I'd originally started watching Mug Cup after seeing an itasha wrap of the show in a random youtube video. Intruiged, I went to watch this unheard of anime and I'm sure glad I did. Mug cup is in the niche subgenre of anime which consists of a cast of 4 cute girls doing some ultra specific hobby. Previously I reviewed hoshizuku telepath on this gemlog which to some extent also fits into this subgenre, in that case being "cute girls do model rockets". Mug cup is "cute girls do pottery". Mug Cup is more towards the laid back, iyashi-kei side of things, and the show maintains a strong tone throughout. I noted a focus on the seasons and their passing, the familiarity of certain locations and environments, and a sense of nostalgia throughout the show.

Although the animation is limited and not particularly flashy, the visuals rarely come off janky or off-putting, mostly due to jun kamiya's directing. There are occainsional pulled back, low angle, locked down shots with geometric framing and the subject centered, which are reminiscent of the style of Yasujiro Ozu. I really like that the show isn't afraid to slow down to a crawl and let us soak in the athmosphere. Though there are comedic moments, this is far from a high energy comedy. I thought the more dramatic  

Another notable aspect of this show's tone is a sense of spirituality. Although it's never front and center, the whole show is tinged with themes of japanese religion, for example himeno creates a set of pottery related to the tradition of presenting offerings of food to the dead. The main character's mother having passed away plays into her arc but also her father's and while the mother isn't physically in the show her presence is clearly felt. That might sound depressing but it really isn't, because life goes on even when we may suffer loss, and no one is ever truly gone. The sound queue (it almost sounds like singing bowls or a singing saw? not sure) which plays when something related to the mother is happening, hints to the audience that although nothing overtly supernatural ever takes place, the ancestors are certainly still with our characters, watching over them. Although there are dramatic elements throughout, it never tips into over the top melodrama. This anime really is all about tone, and I feel 
that it strikes a perfect ballance of nostalgia, melencholly, and yet hopeful optimism, friendship, and personal development.

Like most shows of it's ilk, the main cast are four young girls, but I really liked how the adult side characters are well fleshed out. They're given plenty of screen time of their own, appart form the main cast, talking about their own lives. It really helps the world feel more complete when the older characters and family members are well rounded as well as the main cast.  

There's a lot of focus on the physicality of the pottery making process. I really felt like I could immagine the tactile sensations of clay on a pottery wheel, and the heat of the kiln and so on. The process of creation, and the process of dedication to craft over time, are just as important as the final product of the pottery.

I appreciated even the ending's low key defference, where we expect a traditional character beat himeno and the show itself instead give credit elsewhere, retaining a kind of humility. 

Overall I loved this show, and I think it's criminally under-rated. Strong recomendation if you want to chill with a cast of very likeable characters and learn about mino ware pottery in Gifu prefecture.