WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 11 of Laid-Back Camp, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Ever since Nadeshiko and her friends witnessed the New Year's sunrise together, it's been a great year for camping. Now, the girls are throwing an outdoor birthday bash for Nadeshiko and Aoi (who share a birthday), and they've got Ms. Toba coming along as a chaperone. So far, so good.
Nadeshiko and the gang are headed to the Izu region for camping, and Rin in particular is looking forward to visiting Izu's many geospots, or unique natural landmarks and features. Poor Nadeshiko slept through half of them, but now the best part of the trip has arrived: setting up camp and cooking great food. Nadeshiko is wide awake for that.
It's Time To Set Up Camp
The Izu region is packed with gorgeous vistas and fun activities for campers, and Nadeshiko and the crew are taking full advantage. In fact, Izu is dotted with dozens of quaint hot springs, and once the girls find one close to their campground, they eagerly pay a visit for a nice, warm soak on this chilly March evening. As they warm up in the Dogashima Hot Spring, they behold Sanshoujima Island, the home of a tombolo (a sandy isthmus) that they intend to visit soon. And now it's Rin who's sleeping through the adventure; she got up early for the trip and keeps nodding off during all the fun parts. Warm water will definitely lull her to sleep, but the fun isn't over yet.
With everyone warmed up, it's time to set up camp for real. There is plenty of room out here, with just a couple of other parties in this entire campground. Rin is tempted to just curl up in her sleeping bag but finds the energy to show a fascinated Akari (Aoi's younger sister) how to easily light and fuel a campfire, such as with pinecones and twigs before moving on to small logs. The campfire is nice and hot, which means it's time to start cooking. This is the part everyone's been looking forward to.
Bonding Over Some Deluxe Seafood At Izu
Everyone is well-prepared for this camping trip, from warm clothes and campfire kindling to a variety of mouth-watering ingredients for a late dinner under the stars. In particular, Chiaki and Ena made sure to get some deluxe spiny lobster and Shimoda-dried alfonsino fish, with Ms. Toba pitching in financially. With a bubbling pot of broth and oil, Aoi adds eggplant, Chinese yams, shrimp, young corn, paprika and more, and once some seasoning is ready, the final product is ready to eat: Chunky Ajillo in an Earthenware pot. It's a slam dunk, and the girls later add the alfonsino to make a second, even better dish -- acqua pizza. It's a real treat for the tastebuds and a fine way to mark Nadeshiko's and Aoi's shared birthday.
Everyone's sleep schedule is getting erratic, though. Chiaki, Aoi and Ena are tired and retire to their sleeping bags. Rin, however, has caught up on sleep and wanders off on her own in the morning, including the Sawada Park geospot and a hot spring that she gets to herself. In the moonlight, an energized Nadeshiko spends a little time with Ena and comments that she always lived along the coast, so Izu's own coastline feels like home. She's also aware that Ena works at the convenience store close to Nadeshiko's home (she needs a way to afford camping, after all).
Finally, Ena remarks that camping with everyone has inspired her to apply for a moped license, so she can visit other campgrounds with her dog and explore new regions of Japan's wilds. It'll be a great time, and once again, group camping has brought out the best in everyone. Sleeping in a tent in a forest sounds simple at first, but Nadeshiko and her friends soon learned that camping far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life can bring people together and inspire them.
