Laid-Back Camp – Season 3 Episode 5 Recap & Review

Campfire and Beef Feasts 

Episode 5 of Laid-Back Camp Season 3 starts with Nadeshiko gathering firewood and heading to the campsite. She wants to start the campfire before Ayano and Rin arrive. At Nadeshiko’s camping spot, Nadeshiko sets up Rin’s fire kit. Nadeshiko notices something off about the wood, so she uses a billhook and a batoning technique to trim the wood down. Then, she places three wood pieces inside Rin’s fire kit to start a campfire. 

After Nadeshiko completes this task, she prepares an Amazake Cookie meal. Nadeshiko takes a bite of her cookie, drinks her beverage, and takes in the beautiful sights in front of her. After that, Nadeshiko flips through her phone’s messages and observes several photos featuring Rin and Ayano. Then, we enter a flashback involving Nadeshiko and Ayano. 

Nadeshiko’s upset because she’s afraid she won’t see Ayano again. However, Ayano tells Nadeshiko not to cry and promises she’ll travel to her place during winter break. Then, in the present, Ayano and Rin arrive at Nadeshiko’s campsite. Next, the three set up Ayano and Rin’s camping equipment. At night, Nadeshiko helps Ayano cook her hamburg steak meal. 

While Nadeshiko’s working on that, Rin plans to cook her beef stew dish. Before we see Rin cook it, we enter a flashback involving Rin and her mother. In it, Rin’s mother helps Rin find the perfect beef stew pressure cooker pot. Next, we return to the present. Simultaneously, we observe Rin and the others cooking and reflecting on their previous baking and cleaning experiences. 

After that, Nadeshiko works on their meal’s presentation and makes the dish look like the Hatanagi Dam. Rin and Ayano react coldly to the dish’s presentation since they don’t want to recall what happened during their trip to the dam. Then, the girls dig into their meals and enjoy the succulent taste. Additionally, each girl states how this meal reminds them of emotions they felt within their group’s distinct experiences. 

After that, we see Nadeshiko and Ayano inside Ayano’s tent. Ayano looks through Nadeshiko’s photographs. Nadeshiko informs Ayano about the experiences she had at the locations in each photo. Ayano reflects on how much of a hassle it was to arrive here. She tells Nadeshiko that she wants to earn money and buy a larger bike. 

Next, Ayano wakes up in the morning and notices Nadeshiko’s up early. She joins Nadeshiko by the campfire and chats with her. Nadeshiko says she loves taking in the morning sights and drinking a hot beverage. Ayano and Nadeshiko visit Rin’s tent and the episode closes with the girls taking a photo of Rin while she’s asleep. 

The Episode Review

This episode’s events went by as quickly as a warm wind’s breeze. While previous episodes carried minor character depth, this one opted to simplify matters, giving folks a cozy, fast-paced camping experience. That’s not to say the chapter didn’t offer layers of complexity though. Throughout this episode, the narrator delivers insight into the tools, techniques, and food items Nadeshiko and Rin utilize here. 

From Nadeshiko’s batoning activity to Rin’s swift search for a suitable pan, outdoor explorers will cherish the small, crucial details sprinkled throughout this episode. Additionally, food connoisseurs will love seeing how Nadeshiko likes to prepare her meals. Nadeshiko’s Hatanagi Dam dish will leave some viewers wishing she’d compete in a cooking show like Cake Wars and others.

Moreover, this episode of Laid-Back Camp will provide certain folks with a sense of familiarity and nostalgia. This feeling echoes throughout most experience-related conversations in episode 5 like Nadeshiko and Ayano’s photo conversation in Ayano’s tent. While lacking meaningful character and story development, this was still a satisfying and relatable episode.

I’m excited to see what’ll happen to Nadeshiko, Rin, and Ayano once their small camping trip concludes.