The Ooi River arc comes to a conclusion in the eleventh volume of Afro’s Laid-Back Camp manga. Rin and Nadeshiko’s friend Ayano soon find themselves joined by Nadeshiko herself, as they take in the sights – and enjoy plenty of food.
This volume contains chapters fifty-eight through to sixty-three.
Rin is travelling by scooter along the Ooi River with Nadeshiko’s old friend, Aya, but they know they won’t be by themselves for long – Nadeshiko is making her way there via rail for an exciting camp rendezvous! From heart-stopping suspension bridges to unique combining trains and local delicacies like “dam curry,”, it’s an outdoor adventure that’ll excite the senses. And when it’s time to settle down around the campfire for the night, one thing’s for sure: Meat’s on the menu!!
This is not a volume to read on an empty stomach, because it immediately starts with Nadeshiko enjoying some food. As tends to be the case with Laid-Back Camp, there’s quite a lot of focus on the food – and that continues to be the case throughout this volume.
We have two different journeys in this volume – one with Nadeshiko riding on trains, and the other with Rin and Ayano on their scooters. Those journeys do intersect, as the girls all meet up to do a spot of camping overnight, before resuming their respective journeys.
So of course that means that there’s plenty of scenery to be enjoyed. There are also a lot of suspension bridges featured in this volume. Some of them are pretty nerve-wracking, but they’ve got to be crossed at some point or other.
Rin and Ayano get the worst of it when it comes to crossing suspension bridges, as a certain one they cross leaves them traumatised. Meanwhile, Nadeshiko has it pretty easy on the trains – although she does join Rin and Ayano to cross a bridge or two.
This volume is all about Rin, Nadeshiko and Ayano’s journeys. The other girls do appear here, but not as part of the main story. When it comes down to to it, though, Laid-Back Camp offers the same experience as it always has: stunning scenery, delicious food, and girls camping in a laid back fashion. Doesn’t matter whether it’s the entire cast or just three of them, Laid-Back Camp certainly lives up to its expectations.
A nice way to cap off the Ooi River arc. Great stuff from Afro here.
Rory Muses 