Ibnu, my fiancee and an absolute geek, has tried several times to raise my interest into anime. He picked the wrong series. Until today I cannot understand why he loves Gundam. Edric, a co-worker, did a better job. He introduced me to Shirokuma Cafe, and I instantly fell in love.
Shirokuma Cafe (しろくまカフェ, literally means Polar Bear’s Cafe), a Studio Pierrot’s adaptation of Japanese manga series by Aloha Higa, is amazing. It features no gigantic robots, shooting action and twists. Instead it brings you cute personified animals living and interacting in human world.
The first episode began with a panda, named Panda, who looks for a job to avoid being vacuumed by his mom. The search led him to a cozy cafe run by a polar bear, named Polar Bear. There he met another regular customer, a penguin, named Penguin. Panda finally got a job in a zoo. It was a part-time acting job, and he acted as… Panda.
Yea. I know. ^.^v
As a slice-of-life show, it has little plot and character development. The strength lies in its music, animation and–top of all–slow-paced voice acting. Every element fits well into the overall tones it generates: Quirky, calming, relaxed, charming and sometimes too funny.
No complexity you will found here. Even I, being not too familiar with Japanese humor, can laugh at the puns Polar Bear always throw in each episode.
Shirokuma Cafe’s Best Scenes
Shirokuma Cafe’s OP
You can find more info about Shirokuma Cafe on its official website.
