Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure - Reviews

I liked Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure. I have also watched Rilakkuma and Kaoru. One should not expect the two to be the same, which is quite obvious in their plots and story. While they take place in the same universe, featuring reoccuring characters (Kaoru, Tokio, Hayate, etc.), they are not the same series. "Rilakkuma and Kaoru" was written by Naoko Ogigami, who is responsible for the show's more mature theme, dealing with topics that adults would be familiar with, such as difficulties with work, love, alienation, losing friends as you grow older and apart, etc. Naoko Ogigami is able to blend comedy and drama seamlessly, as evident if one looks at her directorial works and movies.

On the other hand, "Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure" was written by Takashi Sumita and Makoto Ueda. The tone is lighter, given that the setting this time is a theme park and focuses more on younger characters. That's not to say there are no older characters given focus. Kaoru makes a reappearance, as well as the delivery man Hayate. And new characters introduced include the theme park worker/theme park idol, Suzane. I have seen people take issue with the animation, which I think is unfair. Yes, the stop motion is less detailed than in Rilakkuma and Kaoru (background characters do not move, for example), but the animation for the main characters is well done as always. I also love the different animation styles they employ, like 2D animation for the video game sequences. They did the same thing in Rilakkuma and Kaoru, using different styles, like for the horror movie Kaoru watched.

The voice acting and the music are still amazing. And just because Theme Park Adventure is less serious than Rilakkuma and Kaoru, it still deals with messages of loss (the theme park is one that will be shutting down soon), time moving forward, the clash between parental expectations and what children want to be when they grow up, etc.