Yuru Yuri review.

yuru yuri, hajimaru yo!

Akariiiin~
Hai!
Yuru Yuri, hajimaru yo!

(review based on TV seasons 1/2/3, also spoilers, ish.)

The appeal of moe is inherently escapist.

The enjoyment from enjoying this type of show almost certainly comes from escapism. These shows are a relief from reality to provide a simple narrative and an abstractification of human interaction.

Yet this may not necessarily be a detractor for a show. Narrative is expression, and this includes expression of this kind of story.

While I will give a score in this review, I stress that the true value of this storytelling is in the eye of the consumer. The emotional impact to you will always be the most important, and that may depend on many different but perfectly valid reasons.

So, what is Yuru Yuri and what are it's qualities?
Yuru Yuri is a Slice of Life comedy moe show, that follows a main cast of 4 and their daily antics. Y'know, like every other moe show in existence. The show has some differentiating factors though. Yuru Yuri is more explicitly 'yuri' than many other shows in the genre.

best ship KyoYui - official art btw, Namori is epic

The show also has a really odd surreal comedy sense, which I felt landed pretty well.

Akariiiin~

Many scenarios also are surreal and abstract, with huge sections of the story being in dreams or stories told by the characters. In a different type of story, this may undercut the tension or stakes, but it seems to be used well in this show; the characters are the only thing that really matters, and the "realness" of the plot matters less so. The characters in Yuru Yuri are competently put together, with distinctive personalities. This doesn't mean they are without problems, however. Sakurako's interactions with Himawari('s oppai) just come off as extremely dumb and trite. The personalities are also not especially faceted, with all supporting cast characters having pretty much only one distinctive trait.
The writing is generally competent, with interactions generally comedic and expressive.

The show doesn't try to be anything significantly more substantial than a relatively standard moe show. Its competently made, but enjoyment is almost certainly dependant on willingness to partake in this fantasy.

Season Breakdown!

Season 1 is pretty good, introducing the cast of characters. Produced by Dogakobo, the animation is decent, and character art is good, but not exceptional. Comedy generally works for me.
Best Episode: 11
2.5/4

Season 2 is a notable step up in production quality (still produced by Doga Kobo). The animation is significantly better, and so is the character art. The character art looks extremely sharp and consistent. The good sakuga and art allows an engaging experience. The OP and ED are both fantastic, with great art.
Best Episode: 12
3/4

Season 3 is kinda bad. New studio now, on TYO Productions this time. New style now, horribly overanimated and overdrawn backgrounds. Many scenes are overdirected to the point of not being funny. Wacky 3d orbits and rotations in perspective, but they look garbage. Writing feels stunted, audio quality is bad. Keeps some core appeals, but has none of the good production and visuals of Doga Kobo seasons. Character art isn't as good as Doga Kobo's season 2, especially bad is the new design for Yui. Also added are these odd digital gradients that just don't look right? idk. A new director, series comp., and writers lead this new season, likely causing these changes. There are some exceptional episodes, however. Episode 8 being an example, having an exceptional "silent" section with no dialogue, only music. The scoring in this episode matches and evolves with the scenarios, to great effect. Comedy is a significant step down, removing the surrealist comedy aspects, as well as removing the AKARIIIIN~ HAI! YURU YURI HAJIMARU YO! gag. Rest in peace, you will forever be remembered. Not my favorite season, despite having the highest MAL score. Not a fan. Oh, the OP is pretty hype though.
2/4

Conclusion!

Yuru Yuri is not a masterpiece, or even that much "objectively" better than any standard moe show. It is just a fluffy moe experience, and that's ok. I quite enjoyed it, and would recommend if it appeals to your aesthetic sense. Cute yuri girls are cute.

2.5/4

Waifu Pick: Toshinou Kyouko
OP/ED pick: S2 ED