REVIEW: ‘Let’s Make a Mug Too,’ Episode 2 – “The Pottery Club is Paradise”

Last week in mug club, viewers met Himeno, a plucky heroine who’s recently moved to the countryside town of Tajimi City. Initially, Himeno seems quite serious: that is until she reveals her rather playful personality and her history with pottery. Because of that, Himeno quickly found herself joining the Potter Club at her school. Now, we’ll see where her adventures as a new member will take her in Let’s Make a Mug Episode 2.

Let’s Make a Mug Episode 2, “The Pottery Club is Paradise” picks up with Himeno in the pottery club. She’s now an official member, and hopefully, will rise to the crafty occasion. However, like a lot of people with passion, she has some reservations, especially since she’s living in the shadow of her skilled crafter of a mother. However, Himeno’s father and grandmother don’t worry about her too much. In fact, they have a good feeling that Himeno -clumsy as she may be- will find her footing… eventually. Even when Himeno gets into a tight spot, she still finds her way through. With the help of her new friends in the pottery club, she’s sure to find her way even quicker.

Still, pottery novice Himeno is determined to craft a positive relationship with pottery, and by the end of this episode, she ultimately does. It’s cute, it’s sweet, and honestly, the way the show goes about the main “problem” for this short is charmingly executed.

Let’s Make a Mug Episode 2 also develops the plot a bit more. This time, it’s a bit more factual, with a ceramics map that’s actually quite neat. Despite living in Japan, I have very little knowledge of pottery. In fact, I’d say that my knowledge begins and ends with the ceramic mugs I’d buy from the local 100-yen shop. It’s quite neat learning about all the different types of pottery and crafting across the country. Plus, all these neat tidbits really help flesh out Let’s Make a Mug Too’s plot, even if this is just a pottery promo anime for Tajimi City. The antics of the pottery club only help make all the pottery fun facts even more enjoyable, especially when the hijinks kick in.

In addition to the 14-minute animated episodes, Let’s Make a Mug Too also includes a separate live-action segment that includes even more pottery. Naturally, these segments feature the main quartet of voice actresses. And naturally… there’s a lot of antics as their voice actresses. Not craftspeople. Yet I found these segments really interesting, especially since I get a kick out of watching people craft.

During this live-action segment, the voice actresses use an electric pottery wheel to make their own mugs. Just like Let’s Make a Mug Episode 2, this brief, 9-minute segment is quite enjoyable, especially if you’re hooked on the anime itself.

A lot of content gets packed into Let’s Make a Mug Episode 2, which is honestly part of the series’ charm. Even though these are bite-sized episodes, I still think viewers will leave feeling quite satisfied. I know I certainly did. While Let’s Make a Mug Too most likely won’t be at the top of most viewer’s lists, I take a lot of comfort in spending twenty minutes or so with the series every week. All in all, Let’s Make a Mug Episode 2 continues to be a delight. I can’t wait to see what the Pottery Club will get up to next episode!

Let’s Make a Mug Too Episode 1 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.