Kuma Miko

Title: Girl meets Bear
Japanese: くまみこ
Airing date: 3/4/2016 (TV series 12 episodes), 24/6/2016 and 24/8/2016 (2 OVAs)
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life, Seinen
Original creator: Masume Yoshimoto
Director: Kiyoshi Matsuda
Written by: Pierre Sugiura and Masao Iketani
Music by: Shuko Tateyama
Character designer and chief animation director: Hiroyuki Saida
Art director: Atsushi Morikawa
Sound director: Kazuya Tanaka
Director of photography: Mayo Suzuki (T2studio)
Color design: Chie Yoshimura
Editing by: Takeshi Sadamatsu
Studio: Kinema Citrus and EMT Squared
Network: AT-X, Tokyo MX, BSN, BS11, KBS, KHB
Opening theme: "Datte, Gyutte Shite." (だって、ギュってして。 / Well, Because Hug Me.) by Maki Hanatani
Ending theme: "KUMAMIKO DANCING" by Natsumi Hioka and Hiroki Yasumoto
Main cast: HPs:
Machi Amayadori (雨宿 まち)http://kmmk.tv/images/chara/001/p_001.png voiced by Natsumi Hioka
Natsu Kumai (クマ井 ナツ) voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto
Yoshio Amayadori (雨宿 良夫)http://kmmk.tv/images/chara/003/p_001.png voiced by Kazuyuki Okitsu
Hibiki Sakata (酒田 響)http://kmmk.tv/images/chara/004/p_001.png voiced by Eri Kitamura
Etsuko Amayadori (雨宿 エツ子)
Fuchi Amayadori (雨宿 フチ)
PVs:



Synopsis: The manga follows Machi, a middle school student who serves as a shrine maiden at a Shinto shrine and takes care of a bear, who lives on mountain in Japan's northern Tohoku region. The bear, Natsu, has the ability to talk and is Machi's guardian. When Machi explains to Natsu that she will attend a school in the city, he gives Machi a set of trials that she must pass in order to be able to survive city life.

QUOTE (Norren @ Mar 12 2016, 10:12 PM)Kuma Miko - Another one of those "This seems nostalgic, why do I remember this?" titles that I'm pretty sure I binge read a bunch of scanlations of one weekend.
QUOTE (gdpetti @ Feb 01 2016, 10:14 PM)Girl Meets Bear? Ok.....ep'1 is funnier than i expected, for me it beats Shirokuma (use PowerPoint!)

What the...It felt to a little simple anime but what happened during the history lesson. That certainly changed the age limit of this anime. Who is going to tell that to children??
Machi and Natsu are nice characters so nothing wrong in that department. However it was a bit weak in the scene of the quiz. Machi may be a country girl but she can't be so ignorant of the city...
In all a nice anime which ain't for a younger public, even if it looks that way.

QUOTE (nijlandp @ Apr 09 2016, 12:06 PM) What the...It felt to a little simple anime but what happened during the history lesson. That certainly changed the age limit of this anime. Who is going to tell that to children??
Machi and Natsu are nice characters so nothing wrong in that department. However it was a bit weak in the scene of the quiz. Machi may be a country girl but she can't be so ignorant of the city...
In all a nice anime which ain't for a younger public, even if it looks thanow ep'2 had a bit of adult content like those guys teasing Machi, so was fun to see her beat them up after shopping... rather go by herself but realizes she isnt fit for the city life yet, with Natsu's flashback he prevents any long separation

Even if she is not ready for city life, Machi is really determined. Natsu does know he can't stop her from going. She indeed does a good job of beating the two guys up for their teasing .

QUOTE (nijlandp @ Apr 16 2016, 07:53 AM)if she is not ready for city life, Machi is really determined. Natsu does know he can't stop her from going.not as much in ep'3 feeling unenthusiastic after her ordeal, so More reason why DJ Natsu is helping for her dream... Funny how she did Kagura rituals at first to burn fat, dancing and fall into a trance like clubs then a miko outfit contest

Indeed she did a pretty alternative way of doing a kagura dance . The outfit contest had some nice clothes for her. Did anyone recognize the dress which she did not wear ? It seemed to be from love live . Nice hint that she does not want to be an idol or famous. Also it was nice that the ainu were mentioned.

This series right here might be kind of a time killing series, but at least it is rather fun to watch though. So far I have to say that when Macchi doesn't know what something is she tends to overthink it and ends up getting into so kind of problem of sorts. Still never the less, it's a fun watch so far.

QUOTE (nijlandp @ Apr 19 2016,2:58 PM)kagura dance . The outfit contest had some nice clothes for her. Did anyone recognize the dress which she did not wear ? It seemed to be from love live . Nice hint that she does not want to be an idol or famous. Also it was nice that the ainu were mentioned.
QUOTE (Kid-Wolf @ Apr 22 2016, 11:21 PM)it is rather fun to watch though. So far I have to say that when Macchi doesn't know what something is she tends to overthink it and ends up getting into so kind of problem of sorts.Also ep.4 when other villagers talk about that contest, embarrassing her xD but Hibiki's rough debut is more hilarious... Still yup the idol outfit looks inspired on Love Live, possibly more popular than even IM@S:CG lately (S3 this summer)

Machi does wear the outfits however like during the procession. So she does show she appreciates the trouble the villagers took for her. Hibiki's entrance was indeed fun to watch.

QUOTE (nijlandp @ Apr 27 2016, 10:13 AM)Machi does wear the outfits however like during the procession. So she does show she appreciates the trouble the villagers took for her. Hibiki's entrance was indeed fun to watch.outfits aren't wasted' but they were showing brand new clothes around, a really tsundere Hiiko x Yoshio even denser... Ep.5 was great how Natsu tried teaching to read between lines, the bear beats them at common sense (lol adult Machi)

So now we get to see why hibiki was nice to machi. Her reaction to machi finding out was really awkward though. Also fun to see how the village use natsu as a deterent for bad behaviour.

QUOTE (nijlandp @ May 1 2016,02:35 PM)now we get to see why hibiki was nice to machi. Her reaction to machi finding out was really awkward though. Also fun to see how the village use natsu as a deterent for bad behaviour.so while keeping such tradition they plan to revitalize the village, ep'6 felt more awkward how she struggles at a Mall... terrified of this bookstore Hibiki told but especially, Natsu regretting his 'hard mission' for Machi almost (╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻

Machi at the mall was indeed fun to see. To have her being so afraid of things makes it even more silly to watch. Did she really never see an escalator?
Some things in this episode felt odd: do Machi and Natsu live apart from the rest?

QUOTE (nijlandp @ May 14 2016, 08:41 AM)Did she really never see an escalator?

Some things in this episode felt odd: do Machi and Natsu live apartThinking about it makes sense if they're together since childhood, trusting Each other more than even her relatives... also she's uneasy with new electrical stuff in ep.7, but its Kikase ritual went well (delayed english subs so I saw spanish)

It felt like Machi is too self conscious about what other people thing if she lives in the countryside. The problem is that if she wanted to go to the city she has to get used to that part though.

Although she did panic and rand up the down escalator, so that one should get a pass, I mean I'm sure some people would of done that in a total panic to begin with.

QUOTE (Kid-Wolf @ May 15 2016, 07:42 PM)Machi is too self conscious about what other people thing if she lives in the countryside. The problem is that if she wanted to go to the city she has to get used to that part though.Also in ep.8 from cooking cold rice happily to end tricked by Yoshio, making her work at a supermarket was hilarious... So panicked imagining fears like its boss as a RPG dragon, even with Hibiki's help' Machi only depresses costumers too

Machi does indeed have trouble with electrical appliances. Her way of using the rice cooker is pretty typical. That ritual was fun to watch. Natsu's speech was completely useless as nobody has listened (the one he was talking to was too busy with writing her own ideas of the speech. Nice one from Machi on that part). Also the important treasures part was very good with the appliances.

QUOTE (nijlandp @ May 22 2016, 06:26 AM)Natsu's speech was completely useless as nobody has listened (the one he was talking to was too busy with writing her own ideas of the speech. Nice one from Machi on that part). Also the important treasures part was very good with the appliances.overall yes this ritual was pointless looking at their attention lack, after all most of them are old and didn't understand it... they were so bored to either sleep or think something else, anyway he did a good job despite Machi almost Ruins it

Episode 8 was indeed fun. Machi really is not suited for a job in front of a crowd. It felt a bit sad too. She does try her best but it sure is a big lack in her youth that she lives in a village and never went to a place with lots of people

It makes me wonder if she's going to be forced to go out to the beach, or a place where a lot of people hang out and just do some people watching. I mean that might actually be something that might happen if you ask me though.