First Impressions / Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo

OP2 Sequence

OP: 「君が夢を連れてきた」 (Kimi ga Yume wo Tsuretekita) by Pet na Kanojo-tachi [茅野愛衣, 中津真莉子, 高森奈津美 (Kayano Ai, Nakatsu Mariko, Takamori Natsumi)]

「秋の嵐がやってきた」 (Aki no Arashi Gayattekita)
“An Autumn Storm Blows In”

After last episode, it was inevitable that there would be some fall off, because unlike a certain other series that I need to stop referring to in every other post, Sakurasou doesn’t have so many plotlines going that it can resolve 3+ in a single episode and hardly put a dent in its inventory. No, this week is the start of a new trial for Sorata and co, and that needs some time to build up. Build up it did.

After some amusing hijinks (see my Random Thoughts for more), we were introduced to Rita Einswoltz (Kawasumi Ayako), the busty, blonde-haired babe who was Mashiro’s roommate in England and the former bearer of Mashiro Duty. As a misunderstanding and fanservice machine, you’d think I’d like her, wouldn’t you? Alas, ’tis not the case. Or rather, in regards to Rita as a character, I’m not sure yet. As for her stated reason for coming to Sakurasou, on the other hand, my feelings are much clearer.

Please pardon me while I go on a rant. Rita’s goal is to bring Mashiro back to England because she thinks her talents are wasted on drawing manga. She says that people are waiting for her next painting, and that she should fulfill their expectations. If you don’t like salty language, please turn away now. We all good? Alrighty.

Show ▼

I skipped over a few things, so let me go back. Despite Rita’s stated reasons, I’m pretty sure that whole “fulfill other people’s expectations” stuff is total bunk. From her talk about Mashiro “breaking her” (and perhaps Sorata too), it’s clear that jealousy is at the root here. Rita was so overwhelmed by Mashiro’s ability that she stopped painting altogether, and I think now she wants Mashiro to paint for the both of them. That’s the expectations she’s really talking about.

On the festival, it was obvious from the beginning of this series that eventually, all the residents of Sakurasou would make a game together. Yes, it’s kind of convenient that all the residents just happen to have skills that allow Sorata to spotlight his own limited ones (learn to program if you want to make games, dammit!), but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see the results! Especially since the whole Nyaboron idea that Misaki-sempai talked about at the beginning seemed ridiculous and funny…which is exactly my kind of show! (Seriously, I got some major Aquarion EVOL vibes when she was describing it. In a good way.) I must say though, I like Sorata’s idea. A game that a big group has to “work together to make the story advance” sounds like a very Sakurasou kind of game (and kind of meta to boot). I mean, it’d probably sell like crap, but they don’t have to care about that right now, you know? I can’t wait to see what they make.

Finally, there’s Akasaka (Horie Yui). The Dragon Hermit finally emerges! He was a good burst of pure humour in what was otherwise a pretty speedy and story-focused episode, and one I heartily enjoyed. I’m not sure what I found more entertaining, though…the fact that J.C. Staff has Hocchan bokuing it up on two shows this season, or that of the two, she’s doing a better job on this one (i.e. the one she isn’t the main character for). Her voice is just slightly lower and more terse here, which makes her sound more masculine. Though then again, maybe the existence of Meido-chan is clouding my judgement…

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Mashiro’s busty, blonde-haired ex-roommate stirs things up as Akasaka finally emerges. But is Mashiro really wasting her talent? #sakurasou

Random thoughts:

  • Speaking of Akasaka, we got some tweaks to the OP and ED this week to highlight his official appearance! The funny thing is though, I didn’t even notice that he was in the original ED. He is very, very sneaky.
  • Ohoho, looks like this Miyahara guy is going to be important later on. A competitor for Nanami’s heart, ne? …die.
  • Speaking of, I laughed at how Miyahara was choking Sorata as all the girls were yaoi shipping them. C’mon Sorata, fight back! That was a little too beta of him for my tastes…or in this case would it uke? :X
  • MY MY SABER, HOW YOU’VE GROWN! …though actually, I think Rita is giving off more of a Henrietta vibe. Trying to NTR her friend at a hotel? Yeah, that’s right up her alley. “I’ll be gentle,” HAH!
  • I loved the scene where Mashiro declared Sorata the enemy (and Sensei informed him of her disdain), but best of all was Jin giving Sorata his lady killer title. I don’t know, he needs to be better at closing before he really deserves that. Though he did seem excited when he thought he accidentally scored a foursome, so he gets points there.
  • Tomatoes are a super vegetable? While I’m supremely happy with Hocchan’s performance, I feel like an opportunity was lost here. Can we get a Haruka Tomatsu cameo up ins this bitch or wot??
  • This time Hocchan gets to be the dragon, instead of just crushing on him.
  • By the way, a note on Akasaka: yes, he is a boy. Having long hair doesn’t make someone a girl, people! And by people, I mean Zephyr. I laughed multiple times at this episode, but the absolute funniest thing was seeing Zephyr’s confusion when I told him Akasaka wasn’t a girl. Five minutes of “WHAT…BUT…WHAT…HUH!?!” later and I was practically dying! Well done, Zephyr, well done. Also, *falls off his chair and goes back to laughing*

Full-length images: 08, 11, 17.

 

ED2 Sequence

ED: 「DAYS of DASH」 by 鈴木このみ (Suzuki Konomi)

Preview

130 Comments

    1. I haven’t read the source material, so I can’t say for 100% certain, but everything I have read identifies him as male. Plus, from a genre savvy point of view, notice how every single character is ignoring the possibility like it’s completely obvious that he’s male, which, considering that he does have a few “feminine” traits (long hair, short stature), wouldn’t be the case if there were any doubt. Everything is pointing towards this being a non-issue, like the fact that Sorata is a guy or Nanami is female.

      Call it 95% certain if you want, but that’s just hedging – I don’t expect any surprises.

      Stilts
      Reply

      3. More like I was watching while he was doing this post and I was going like OH HEY IT’S AKASAKA and then was like “Didn’t know he was actually a girl” and then got the whole “Actually… he isn’t” etc. etc.

        Zephyr
        Reply

      5. remember when Yuuko-chan said Sorata is living a harem life with just girls in those house?
        Sorata then knocked on wall for Akasaka next door, saying there are other boys here too

        Hayate
        Reply

      1. Don´t worry, I still can´t accept Hideyoshi Kinoshita is a boy. What the hell is in the head of the authors that create this characters? Not complaining but still, dengerous traps.

        haseo0408
        Reply

  3. List of Sakurasou:
    Show Spoiler ▼

    †Croos†
    Reply

      2. selfcest? hahaha that would be epic!

        Lol, what does that even mean in a literal sense? Homosexual relations with your clone?!? Because making an opposite gender clone of oneself is scientifically problematic- you’d have to deal with the sticky problem of crafting two functionally identical X and Y chromosomes.

        I’m going to assume that the term “selfcest” refers what happens when a voice actor plays two characters who are lovers…hmm looks like we have a new trope…XP

        Zen
        Reply

      4. It’s an expansive term, and kind of means all of the above, but really it’s anytime it seems like someone is way too infatuated with themselves in some way. Which is to say:
        Show Spoiler ▼

        Stilts
        Reply

    2. So Sorata is normal. He’s a bit of beta too (rather too much of a beta). GAH, does that means it’s NORMAL to be a beta? Yeah, I know most “normal”, plain, wimpy protagonists are betas.

      Megas
      Reply

  5. From her talk about Mashiro “breaking her” (and perhaps Sorata too), it’s clear that jealousy is at the root here. Rita was so overwhelmed by Mashiro’s ability that she stopped painting altogether, and I think now she wants Mashiro to paint for the both of them. That’s the expectations she’s really talking about.

    You’re on the right track but there’s something more 😉

    totoum
    Reply

    2. To me that sounds more like Rita couldn’t get over that Shiina was an artist that put her to shame, yet she needed Rita to function every day. Now she feels bad for driving Shiina out so she could have a shot at being recognized or some thing, only to find out she couldn’t make it anyways :X Jealousy, thy name is woman.

      Aex
      Reply

    3. I’m not sure if jealousy is the right word or not. Mashiro says that Rita convinced her to do manga. RIta denies it, but maybe it’s guilt that somehow she got Mashiro to stop painting. Seems to be a general theme though of being too close to genius can “break” those that are just “good”. An episode of Hyouka explored a similar theme. Maybe it’s more of a frustration at seeing someone who can so easily achieve greatness at something you love “throw it away”.

      bear
      Reply

  8. A game that a big group has to “work together to make the story advance” sounds like a very Sakurasou kind of game.

    To me, it sounded more like a Super Sentai Live Show with a visual novel twist. I’m still curious to see the outcome, though.

    Taylor
    Reply

  9. Forcing her to do one now because it’s “better,” or because it would be a “waste” not to do it seems silly to me, especially since she hasn’t had time to perfect her manga skills yet.

    There’s actually quite a compelling argument which says that she will never become a good manga author- because she’s a high functioning autistic who has a hard time understanding specific human emotions, let alone conveying them through comics- very different from the generalized, amorphous, individually subjective “emotions” that are portrayed by the semi-abstract modern art that earned her her fame. That said, there’s also a compelling argument that she can make up for her weaknesses externally, by basing her works strictly upon her life experiences, or through employing a good writer. Meh, it comes back to what you said; she’s young and should be allowed to try everything out…

    A game that a big group has to “work together to make the story advance” sounds like a very Sakurasou kind of game. I mean, it’d probably sell like crap, but they don’t have to care about that, right? I can’t wait to see what they make.

    Maybe the author is trying to use this game as a device to pull out Sorata’s “true talent”- which isn’t necessarily being good at anything besides being a generally agreeable person who can keep other strong and/or difficult personalities (Much like the characters of Sakurasou) together and in line. Perhaps he’s one of those people who make great managers because of their great people skills, and not because of any hard talent per se- I know a few people like that, who were mediocre to downright poor at literally everything in school and college but were quickly promoted into high-paying managerial positions soon after beginning work because of their great people skills. I don’t know, I’m just speculating, but we’ll see…

    That’s like comparing my blogging to Divine’s…though for the record, I’d still totally win! *tsun tsun*

    Lol, compare your writing to Divine’s when you can solo blog 30+ shows a season…oh wait quality over quantity, so you still win…Divine better not see this…XP

    And by people, I mean Zephyr. I laughed multiple times at this episode, but the absolute funniest thing was seeing Zephyr’s confusion when I told him Akasaka wasn’t a girl.

    [LOL] Zeph blogs anime right?!? You’d think that he’d be used to this sort of thing by now…XP

    Zen
    Reply

    2. Ahaha, don’t go actually comparing me to Divine! We have pretty different styles, so not a lot to be gained by the comparison. The fortunate thing is that we each blogged here when we did…I’da killed myself trying to do as many shows as him (since I can’t shut up), and he’d be liable to be bored with as few as each of us do now (he’s mad quick!).

      Stilts
      Reply

  10. ohhhh aoyama will get someone ?! and sorata will somehow get the pet girlfriend? happy ending!LOVEEE CONQUERS ALLL *stupid Sorata* hahhaha shes so not gonna stay in england shell be backkkk even if she goes to england or maybe shoulld just shut the front doooor again! bye rita bye sorata … go read her mangaaa!

    goodstuffs
    Reply

  11. Great episode, and another great post Stilts. Love your little rant about screwing over the expectations of others and whatnot. Once again Sakurasou utilises its very core strength to the max – Using issues very closely related to the general viewer to click and connect with him/her. People with talent or some form of social status often come with a hefty price tag of expectations heavier than a three-tonner, and more often than not even those without such burdens face major expectations from their parents, friends and society at large for a variety of reasons. Rita is a representation of that ATM, though I’m pretty sure she has other reasons for wanting Mashiro back.

    And if anyone deigns it justified to slam Sorata for his final statement, I say screw them. Despite being one of the best male leads I’ve seen this season, he’s still just a student. The animation played out well just how overwhelming Mashiro’s talent seemed not only to him, but to Nanami and Rita as well (interestingly, the subject matter in the painting has to do with the sea – a vast, seemingly endless expanse that might reflect the innermost insecurities Sorata had at the very start or simply implying just how great Mashiro’s talent is). You go, shounen. Make mistakes and realise them, then take action to deal with them. That’s what youth should be. =3

    The humor’s wonderfully on track, and Ryuunosuke promises to be lots of fun as a character despite being a terribly anti-social person. (BTW, I HAVE seen people like him IRL with long hair and delicate features. Did take me several glances to determine that said people were male XD)

    One little thing noted – Jin seems to be having some issues with the student council, and therein could lie another opportunity for development. Been awhile since we’ve seen Playboy senpai in the spotlight.

    P.S: An obviously jealous Mashiro is just so….cute. =D

    Owaranai
    Reply

  13. Personally, I don’t see why Mashiro can’t experiment with art in it’s multiple forms. There is absolutely no reason, why, with her impressive talents, she can’t experiment with multiple art forms, and excel in each of them. She could easily write manga on one side, and pump out the occasional High Art work, as her interest waxes and wane in one or the other.

    Those murals she drew on Sorata’s wall for example, is testament to the wide range of her talents. She could easily gain a reputation as an Artistic Polymath of sorts, whose artistic works range from Manga Art, to Digital Art and Animation, to High, traditional Art. A modern, highly prolific artist with diverse sets of works.

    What I can forsee happening, given her High Functioning Autism, is that she might grow to rely on Co-authors to assist her. This is not unprecedented- there are many manga where the Mangaka collaborates with a Script Writer. Not to mention that a good editorial staff can help her polish on the emotions. It’s not that she can’t feel, but she expresses and reads emotions differently from others. I suspect what Mashiro was doing in her manga was “intellectually” taking what she observes of others emotions, and transcribing it down, but only after considering them carefully, and consciously.

    Andmeuths
    Reply

  16. <3 sorata no baka….

    WOO a super presentation from sakurasou will appear with sorata as the director, misaki/mashiro for graphics, jin for script, nanamin for voice and the newly welcomed guy?? (i believe his a guy, but he is voiced by yui horie so why not have a genderbender character!) ryuunosuke for programming and hardware.. man i can't wait to see something great !

    also this! and this! <3

    also, this is the second time that i will fall for a character, rita oh my… man, i feel like isshiki, the god of chick dig minors!

    I Love Kumin-Senpai
    Reply

  17. …& yet another anime hits that “what’s best for you” BS. I think this kind of garbage was rode to death last decade but that’s just me. They can bring it up every once in a while but it still made absolutely no sense every time it comes about. It always involves purely mindless idealism that runs a plot into the ground.

    But that’s besides the point, although that’s the main life lesson here & all. Yeah, I love art & that why I simply loathe half-ass composition that somehow become these mystifying masterpieces.

    ‘I want to draw a masterpiece in an anime so I’ll just make it as blurry as possible so any glaring mistakes with colors & lighting will just disappear.’ But that’s not even that piece’s problem – half of it isn’t even there, it’s just a blob. If Sorata got lost in that mess, it’s no wonder he bombed his game. Her manga was a 1000X’s better than that.

    Megas
    Reply

  18. doing art myself, i can definitely see the problem with Rita. She doesnt paint anymore because someone close to her is too much better and completely overshadows her. So seeing that person just ditches painting to manga is definitely a sad thing. Problem with Rita is, she likes Mashiro’s painting but not her other stuff. For me, i like the artist’s works, no matter what he does.

    But manga is also an art. Good artist should be able to experiment with different types of art. Maybe this is what Mashiro is trying to do. Maybe because she is bored with painting and wanna try something new. Maybe she wants to be someone who works hard instead of someone that just do stuff with talent. Having talent at something is one thing, liking to do something is another thing. Mashiro can definitely do both at the same time, but then she also need to think about what she actually wants.

    I do think Rita is selfish. You cant decide how people live.

    TakemaKei
    Reply

  19. https://randomc.net/image/Sakurasou%20no%20Pet%20na%20Kanojo/Sakurasou%20no%20Pet%20na%20Kanojo%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
    Sorata no baka. <3

    https://randomc.net/image/Sakurasou%20no%20Pet%20na%20Kanojo/Sakurasou%20no%20Pet%20na%20Kanojo%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
    Credit to Sorata for figuring out how to resolve the situation and is duly rewarded with a smile. Are you really sure she should go back to England after seeing this smile, Sorata?

    Screenplay this episode is penned by Shimo Fumihiko again.

    Besides the obvious belief-straining trope of every cute foreign blonde managing to speak perfect Japanese upon arriving in the country, the Rita arc is one of the best arcs so far in the story.
    http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AliensSpeakingEnglish

    Interesting to see the anime is hinting at Miyahara's crush on Nanami already, when he doesn't really appear till later on.

    Akasaka's androgynous looks is a minor running joke throughout the series.

    Before, Hocchan was mostly known for doing cute girls (and most with over-9000 HNNNG factor), now she's doing two male roles in one season. Perhaps she's attempting to switch styles when she still could so that she may still be receive constant work even if future directors decide one day that she's getting too old to play cute girls.

    Could be a lucrative piece of business, considering how the female seiyuus for Naruto and Luffy are still going strong after all these years. 🙂

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  21. I was rather surprised when Akasaka showed up in the OP. His hair color really contrasts so much with the others and I wondered whether this was some kind of mistake at first.
    I never would’ve guessed that THAT is the Dragon. Admittedly, I thought he would be some overweight dude with glasses, so when he nonchalantly showed up I felt like someone smashed a pie in my face.

    As someone who happens to have talent for certain things, this episode reminded me a lot of some discussions I had myself.
    People kept expecting me to follow that particular path because it would be a waste otherwise, and I couldn’t help but get angry at Rita when she spouted the exact same words.
    This whole “people are expecting this of you” business sets my teeth on edge. She makes it sound like Mashiro is obligated to paint and exist for ‘the people.’
    In my case I had simply no real interest in the subject. I enjoyed it for a while, but it wasn’t something I ultimately wanted to do, despite the whole world telling me otherwise.
    Now Mashiro on the other hand still seems to have at least some interest in painting, it’s not like she actually hates it. But maybe there are certain reasons why she stopped, which will come up later.

    At the end of the day, just let her do whatever she wants, for heaven’s sake. It’s her life, after all. If you can’t stomach that someone else is simply better at something than you.. well, though luck. Life is unfair. Always has been, always will.

    Apart from that I did end up liking Rita, though I’m not really sure why. I suppose because she turned out differently from what I imagined, something this show does rather often.

    Access
    Reply

  22. An episode with some real heart.

    Stilts, this is for you.

    Being an artist is exactly like having a fear of heights and putting yourself in an exposed, precarious very high place to do
    your art (note, I generalize art here as a person’s unique creative expression). You’re fine doing it as long as you do not
    look down. As a matter of fact, to perform it successfully, you must not look down; you must be oblivious to your
    surroundings. If you do look down or back, you’ll wobble, lose your balance, and fail, utterly.

    Stilts, ten years from now, after you’ve published a couple of best sellers (I’m not trying to patronize), you’ll never be able
    to write at the level you’re writing at here on this site. (I’m not saying you wont be able to blog/post, etc.)

    It’ll still be you, but it isn’t the you we know now.

    But, in the future, someone may look at your work here and develop an admiration for you based on this past effort. But they
    haven’t met you. (If) they meet you, they would have a picture of you that is (not good or bad) terribly dated. They may expect
    you to be that person. Well, we (all) know you won’t meet their expectations (not good or bad).

    IMHO, that’s what I see in this arc that’s starting with this episode. This is the dilemma Sorata has placed himself in.
    At first, he looks at his wall (yeah, he appears to complain about it, but I believe he appreciates how lucky he is), then
    at Mashiro’s serialized manga and sees her future as she is now. But the mistake he makes is not admiring her past
    work, but not understanding that it’s her past work, a significant part of who she is, but not Mashiro as she is today.
    He develops an admiration for Mashiro based on her previous art and thinks she should return to this pinnacle of her life.
    He may believe that it would be selfish of him to not encourage her to return to England (the drama part of the arc) —
    he wants to selfishly support Mashiro — right, so he concludes that she should return with Rita to England.

    Mashiro is at that height I spoke of; she’s oblivious (with Anime exaggeration) to all but her art. It’s dangerous to look back.
    If Sorata brings Mashiro into his dilemma (because Mashiro has developed a trust for him) by convincing her to return to
    England, it would be devastating for Mashiro personally, and for her art.

    Looking forward to see what happens next (is Rita a new member of Sakurasou now?)

    Again, I could go on. There’s a lot of meat in this series’ writing and execution. And the story telling¹ is great to watch!!!

    ¹ Of course I mean fanservice, what else could I have meant :).

    mac65
    Reply

    1. Amen, brother. A great comment–and not only because it talks about me for half of it! (Though that is one of my favorite topics :3)

      The one thing I disagree with is about looking down. Yes, art is very much like ascending to a very high place despite being afraid of heights – it’s putting yourself out there for judgement and scorn despite the fact that nothing can wound quite so much as a blow to an artist’s creative soul. That said, the thing that makes art so fearsome is that it’s like ascending to that high place, and then looking down. Art is about confronting your fear, embracing it, and deciding to care, to put everything of yourself into what you do and use that art – whatever it is! – to change people.

      The rest is spot on. Looking down is one thing, and looking back another. You can look back to be sure, but to seek to return to that past? Trying to do so will destroy any chance you have of creating art. That’s the threat to Mashiro here.

      Oh, and for the record, I look forward to the day when I can look back at all of my past work – here, my first novel, etc. : ) – and be thoroughly ashamed of how terrible I was. That embarrassment will be a sign that I’ve truly made it, and what a glorious feeling that’ll be!

      Stilts
      Reply

  23. I fully agree with you on your opinion on Rita. I really dislike it if people, whether they teachers, parents, whatever, use the argument that one has expectations to fullfill, and that you had better do something everybody likes than something you like. It’s easy for them to say that, because they’re not the ones have to do it for the rest of their life. Idealistic as it may be, I’d say it’s better to try and do something you enjoy and fail, rather than get into a slump and do your little tricks that everybody likes like a circuspony and be miserable for it.

    So really, I do hope Sorata, before he does something stupid that hurts Mashiro (the mail he gave her showed that he does understand her feelings to some degree) at least talks to her before pushing her into something. There’s a reason Mashiro switched from being a succesfull painter to a manga artist, after all, and it might give him perspective to know that.

    The conflict introduced in this episode actually kind of reminds me of Rin’s route in Katawa Shoujo, btw.

    Also, Akasaka was hilarious this episode. What a rude brat he is in real life. And damn, I really didn’t notice him in the opening before.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  24. Lol, for people who say that Mashiro should just do whatever she wants without caring what other people are expecting of her work… Let me give you have simple analogy.

    Say for example you created one of the greatest survival horror video game series of all time, and your loyal fans have been following you for years. Then all of a sudden you decide to change that series into an action-oriented game- Are you telling me that your long time fans have no reason to get angry and demand that you go back to your ‘roots’ =p ?

    Chaos2Frozen
    Reply

    4. OK, why can’t people understand that people DO WHAT THEY WANT because they want to do it & vice-versa.

      I don’t want to brag but I’m an awesome mechanic. I just installed a SC on my z06 2 weeks ago & I’m damn proud of it. When I was in HS, I worked on cars enough that I had everyone I knew just convinced that I would go to school for that line of work, heh. I actually HATE working on cars, & I’m not joking in the least bit. I only do it because I don’t feel like giving my cash to some over worked under paid half-ass fill-in-the-blank when I can easily do the job myself. It’s been like that for the last 24 years.

      I don’t know about Mashiro’s motives but I had enough of other people trying to force you to do something. Fans can say want they want. Family & friends can say want they want. How old is Mashiro. You act like she giving up art FOREVER – & if she is, IT’s HER DECISION, PERIOD!

      I can play devil’s advocate too. It won’t make any sense though. Mashiro should go back to art. She owes it to all her admirers & all whose dreams she have crushed with her undeniable talent. It really doesn’t matter about her reasons for leaving the art world so suddenly to take on something so ridiculous as drawing manga when her true talent would be wasted – which is the most important factor.

      Bah, I couldn’t even do that right. I spent 17 years of my life skipping about in the art world & the only archaic notion I’ve learned is that you need the heart & drive to work on a piece if you want to do it justice. That can apply to just about anything you do. If you don’t have it, then the only person you’re letting down is yourself.

      Why can’t people understand that when it comes down to it, YOUR LIFE IS YOUR OWN. But all my experiences over in that part of the world always made it clear that the opposite was true. I guess it’s just a Western vs Eastern philosophy thing.

      Megas
      Reply

      2. I’m with you on this. I myself am a firm believer that one should make their own decison on what they want to do in life. Perhaps its because I myself pretty much had things decided for me since I was young. I scored As in Arts & Designs and Maths & Sciences when I was in secondary school. I wanted to pursue arts further since I enjoyed it and was good at it, but my mom insisted that I go for maths and sciences because it was consider more “prestigous”. In the end things did not turn out as well and I had to take a different path from what I always wanted till now. Its something i’ve given my mom abit of stick about, and even she herself has some regret that she did not let me choose what I wanted.

        I had the exact same thought as Stilts with the “F*** That!” @ Rita’s insistence that Mashiro should go back to painting. To me, you should be doing something you enjoy instead of doing something just to satisfy others. I know real life isn’t so ideal that you can always do what you enjoy and be successful. Things may not work out regardless of how much effort you put in or wish. But even if you fail, at least you can look back and say you gave it a shot doing what you always wanted to do.

        Euzio
        Reply

      4. @ Chaos2Frozen

        You’re not wrong, or rather, I see your point. It’s all a matter of perspective with these things, after all. Yet let me give you the guideline by which I judge such things.

        If an artist stops in the middle of a work – this being more common among writers and comic artists – then anger is understandable. The understood compact between artist and their audience is that they will finish what they started – to do otherwise is to break it, at least in my mind. That’s why, to me, it is nearly unconscionable that I would leave a series only partially blogged…in agreeing to cover one, I feel like I am binding myself to its fulfillment. This is also why I’m hesitant to cover 2-cour shows (this being the first one ever, unless you count Rinne no Lagrange), but that’s another matter.

        That said, Mashiro finished. People have no more right to expect her to keep making paintings forever than everyone here did expecting Divine would blog forever (and, might I note, no one did…if there was a harsh word said at his exit, I didn’t see it, though that’s probably for the best since I’d have to kill em). Unlike with novel series or manga, every painting provides an opportunity to stop once it is done. Mashiro picked one and bowed out. She did it with as much class as is required in that world. From there, the decision is hers.

        She made it. Let her stick with it, says I.

        Stilts
        Reply

    5. Your analogy is simple, and not really relevant. A game series with a continuing plot stopping half-way is a lot different than a painter putting down the brush. With a game or manga stopping, the story is left unfinished. With painters, that just means their last painting was their last painting. There’s no continuity outside of style and theme. They can be viewed out of order with no real effect to popularity. Plus forcing someone to work on something they no longer care for will undoubtedly see a decrease in quality, and that will make fans just as upset as if that writer/artist stopped entirely. If someone wants to stop, the should stop. If it’s a series, then make an ending, otherwise, be done and move on. Better for everyone that way. All good things come to an end, so end them on your terms.

      Aex
      Reply

  25. I want to talk about the ED, Whatever happens during the episode it feels like the song is a perfect fit it can feel uplifting yet the start of the song can feel sad depending on what happens.

    Genorain
    Reply

    1. Indeed. That’s one of the reasons I love this J.C. Staff crew. Proper use of OPs and EDs are a big sticking point for me…they’re not just afterthoughts, they’re part of the whole package, the whole story being told! Their proper use (as was the case in Kyoukaisen…gods I refer to that show a lot) is a constant source of joy for me!

      I will give props to Sakurasou, though. They managed to find an ED that seems to fit almost any episode. That’s an impressive feat right there, my friends. Well done.

      Stilts
      Reply

  26. Ohoho, looks like this Miyahara guy is going to be important later on. A competitor for Nanami’s heart, ne? …die.

    lol’d

    But that will be interesting twist right? A little jealousy on Sorata’s part will be a nice thing to see. xP
    It will also help him knowledgeable and appreciate all the things Aoyama’s doing for him, and also for Sorata to be aware of the things he might lose if he keeps playing dumb.

    Jhacks
    Reply

  29. Sorata is missing the point again, do things that you are interested in, not things that you have the talent, but not the interests. Sorata literally contradict himself by saying that Shiina should go back to the art world. He has no talent in game programming but he still pick it up and enter a contest.

    A game/anime by Sakurasou directed by Sorata, looks like the fun have just started. One have to be special enough in their own way to be in Sakurasou. Jin, what have happen between you and the student council?

    Tingster013
    Reply

    1. There are several sub-themes going on here. What you said is the obvious one. The other is the eastern way of thinking that you NEED to do what you’re best at, for the greater good of all, no matter what you feel. But it’s seriously ironic that Rita & Mashiro are from the western world – where YOU is the priority, not US.

      Megas
      Reply

    2. That’s what pisses me off about Sorata’s line of thinking. People should do what they WANT to do, not what other people think they should do. Otherwise the world would look a lot like the world of PSYCHO-PASS where people take aptitude tests and do what they have the highest aptitude for and not what they dreamed of doing. The fact that people can make mistakes and still be happy chasing their dreams is what makes life beautiful and is a theme that was an underlying part of both Nanami’s intro arc and Sorata’s game pitch arc last episode. What Sorata doesn’t realize is that despite Mashiro’s immense artistic ingenuity, she’s still is a girl that has dreams and aspirations. As was best said by Mashiro this episode, “Sorata no baka.”

      On a side note, why must they make Nanami so damn cute? I’m getting worn down by the presence of these two female leads. X_X

      Annyms
      Reply

  30. Oh lookie, it’s another one of those “I’ve come to take you back” plots, and this arc will end with the dude begging the chick to stay no doubt, amirite?

    I’m just gonna continue watching this show now for some Nanamin action and hopefully see her get some love from the alpha-ish (atleast he’s aggresive!) guy in her class.

    I’m enjoying the show, but I’m not a fanboy, I can see flaws when they surface, milked out plot model.

    Mike
    Reply

  31. The episode was okay, probably the second worst episode after episode 7 (i think everybody agrees it’s the weakest episode so far), it had its moments (the sheer surprise as to what the blonde was up to and the implied poignancy behind her relationship with her, and the idea of the sakurasou band making a game together hit the nail in the head for me, can’t wait for the moment when the game comes out!!!), but overall it was bugged down by the sheer cliched faulty view by The Japanese of the americans (american girls aren’t so carnal like that, even if they are they won’t make it obvious!!!, and i expected Ryuunosuke to be a more interesting character…he was terribly as stereotypical character given his traits and forte, i could feel for the teacher, i wonder what he would have done if he had been in her shoes….seriously!!!)

    On another note, that Miyahara guy is probably one of those secondary characters that would get the short end of the stick in a love triangle (especially when faced with the MC and a girl that doesn’t love back), but given the nature of the series, who knows? maybe it will be able to pull a surprise on us in this matter (remember True Tears? the situation is kinda similar, right?)

    KingofConquerors
    Reply

  34. Please correct me, but in the examples we’ve been show of Mashiro’s fine art work, there wasn’t a single person in them, all land/sea-scapes. Her manga is about people and their interactions, and that’s what she’s interested in now.

    SmithCB
    Reply

  36. I spent all the episode (mentally) screaming at everyone that Mashiro’s dream wasn’t their decision to make. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought that. Even though I didn’t like her having Rita the English girl be voiced by the King of England herself was pretty cool.

    Wait Akasaka is a guy!!!

    xephx
    Reply

  37. Another episode that has some great Misaki stuff in it. She just cracks me up with her energy and manerisms. I wonder if the will ever get around to dealing with her feelings towards another housemate.

    Karmafan
    Reply

  38. “Millions of people are waiting for your next painting. Please fulfill their expectations.”
    Yeah, that’s not the cheapest line ever or anything. /sarcasm

    Shiina’s talent is art, not painting. She might be more of a painter right now, but she’s damn good at everything art. She has the talent to do whatever she wants in the art world, and the support to do it when Sorata pulls his head out of his ass. I hate it when talented people are treated as commodities instead of human beings, others saying they owe it to the world to use their talent. What about what they want? They don’t get to be happy because they’re geniuses? F— that sideways. No one can say Rita is doing any of this for Shiina’s sake right now, Rita just wants to benefit others despite what Shiina wants and convince Shiina that this is what’s best for her. She is coming off as having tunnel vision on Shiina’s paintings, ignoring the possibility that Shiina might have found something better. Me, I’m all for letting people call Shiina and Sorata greedy if that means Shiina is free to find her own path. Sorata, wake up fool!

    I apologize for the rant, and good day 😛

    Aex
    Reply

  42. – Nanami seems to have gotten used to Sakurasou and things. While she reacts negatively to Sorata being hugged by Rita in her bottomless pyjamas, she doesn’t freak out about it and is surprisingly calm. “I think you are getting along a bit too well”.

    – Why is their classroom full of trolls?

    – “Sorato is an enemy”, “Sorata no baka”, hahaha.

    – I’m pretty sure that Sorata isn’t going to turn around and start trying to convince Mashiro to go to England, despite that cliffhanger.

    moridin84
    Reply

  43. I’ll admit, I’ve always held those who would develop actual feelings for a 2D character with a little bit of contempt.

    Then I saw Ryuu-kun, and now I can see where they come from.

    Anomalous
    Reply

      1. Oh, I know Ryuu-Kun is “Ryuu-Kun” and not “Ryuu-San”, “Ryuu-Chan” or “Ryuu-Tan”. I know he has a penis but it’s ok because he’s cute. And smart. And awesome.

        The gender I am attracted to is “cute”.

        Anomalous
        Reply

  45. The ending is over dramatized to hell and seriously, what’s up with Sorata’s comment at the end? Is that supposed to be a cliffhanger or something? I’m not going to argue with whether to pursue one’s “dreams” or fulfilling expectations because quite honestly, both sides have valid arguments.

    Entrav
    Reply

    1. ZAM! The man has a point!

      That said, didn’t Akasaka refer to them as a vegetable in the show? My Japanese isn’t all that great, but I thought that’s what he said, and I was just referring to his line. Wouldn’t be surprised if I misheard, though.

      Stilts
      Reply

  49. there’s always two sides to this argument eh

    on one hand, not appreciating your own talents (fully) and realizing them seems like you’re stepping on the hard work of others, who could be working as hard as you and never get to that level. (of course, i wasn’t talking about mashiro really, i never really see her as giving up painting, she’s still doing it)

    but then, you are you. who is to dictate what you do. frankly, when rita claimed she gave up painting (and blames mashiro indirectly for it), i hated her for a moment.

    yumeruhime
    Reply

  51. Seriously, didn’t Ryuunosuke know he could have turned off the volume of his laptop when he was using it in class?: But one would retort, “it’s animeee!!!”(duh!!)

    KingofConquerors
    Reply

    1. I don’t really think that was the problem, I mean yeah he could of muted it, but the main importance was he was only in class for the requirement which just enraged the teacher (plus no one has seen him in a long time 0_0)

      Dualash
      Reply

  53. just when im losing my enthusiasm in this series, (reasons are; shiina’s almost expressionless character and MC’s annoying voice) ryuunosuke finally appears and it quickly disappeared too after i got to know that HE is a guy. darn it.

    ryuuzaki
    Reply

  55. An extension on my earlier post. . . Mashiro IS painting – and in Japan (the picture at school), so Rita’s arguement is suspect. In addition, I’d have to agree with the original rant ‘up top’, that people are gonna dump on you how it’s your duty to (insert duty here). That’s easy enough for them to do (plus complain about how you do it if you try). I’m willing to listen to people and get their opinion, heck there might even be something original there, or a way of looking at things I hadn’t considered, but the final decision is mine. A bit of a minefield, that… Changing subject (again), maybe Sorata’s strength is manager/coordinator. Look what he has to work with. Storylines (Masaki), graphics (Mashiro), voice (Nanami), Jin, Ryuu. You have a corporation right there, and you need a coordinator. Just sayin’.

    SmithCB
    Reply

  56. Yeah, I’m in agreement with all of you. It’s not like Mashiro picked a change in vocation to something that would prevent her from going back to painting, like ultimate fighting or manual labor, something that would possibly harm her hands. She’s just doing a different visual art, and like SmithCB says, still painting!

    Highway
    Reply

  57. These last 2 episodes have sucked a lot of fun out of the show for me. I don’t mind ‘serious’ being introduced into a show if done right. However, this ‘serious’ to me looks like poorly disguised stupidity.

    Mashiro is right, Sorata is stupid. This isn’t a ABA exam, boy. Hell, it isn’t even True\False!

    Sorata only has one task.. make that two tasks. The first task is the most important. Support Mashiro in whatever she does! If she wants to be a painter, support her. If she wants to be a mangaka, support her. No matter what, it is her decision to do what she wants with her life. All Sorata has to do is be there for her. The second task is even easier: Keep Mashiro in Sakurasou. She doesn’t have to go back to England to paint as she is already doing it in Japan.

    Sorata has no obligation to give into Rita’s demand and try to convince Mashiro to return to painting and England. If he does without talking to Mashiro, he is merely projecting his ‘wishes’ on to her. So her painting hit you emotionally or whatever, fine. But no matter what, it is not up to you to convince Mashiro to return to painting because you had a moment. You’ve lived with her for how long and you still haven’t asked her why she left painting, her family, and England to come to Sakurasou. How about before trying to convince her to do something she clearly does not want to do, have a talk with Mashiro.

    I actually misjudged Namai when she moved in to Sakurasou so maybe I’m misjudging Rita. To me, Rita is a selfish little child who isn’t beyond manipulating people to get her way. Mashiro has no obligation to return to painting for Rita, her fans, or for anyone. Maybe she left because of this ‘obligation’ crap being spewed by those around her. Rita is acting like she lost a toy, found it with someone else, and now wants it back. She just rubbed me the wrong way right from the beginning.

    A child doesn’t get to tell another child “I know what’s best for you,” or “You need to meet others expectations of you.”

    Sorry if this unorganized, writing it while dead tired.

    rh75
    Reply

    1. Sorata only has one task.. make that two tasks. The first task is the most important. Support Mashiro in whatever she does! If she wants to be a painter, support her. If she wants to be a mangaka, support her. No matter what, it is her decision to do what she wants with her life. All Sorata has to do is be there for her. The second task is even easier: Keep Mashiro in Sakurasou. She doesn’t have to go back to England to paint as she is already doing it in Japan.

      Err what?

      Since when is his task “supporting Mashiro in whatever she does”?

      You’ve lived with her for how long and you still haven’t asked her why she left painting, her family, and England to come to Sakurasou.

      She decided to come to Japan because she wanted to draw manga. If she has more complicated reasons then that… there’s not a chance in hell that he’ll be able to drag it out of her :p

      moridin84
      Reply

      1. You’re thinking too hard just like Sorata.

        What Mashiro does with her life is up to her and no one else so all he has to do is support her decision, no matter what that may be.

        By thinking that Mashiro should return to the art world he is needlessly complicating things.

        rh75
        Reply

    2. I can’t put up spoilers but you are misjudging Rita,not to say I agree that Shiina should go back to England but Rita’s reasons are definatly not because she feels like “she lost a toy”

      totoum
      Reply

  58. Honestly I left this episode feeling similarly about Rita. The girl really annoys the hell out of me. I’m sure the main reason she’s come this far is to punish Mashiro for having the nerve to chase her own dream. Mashiro “broke her” so now she has to paint for the rest of her life.

    I figure until we actually make a world where people have to do a certain thing, Mashiro can do whatever the heck she wants.

    FlareKnight
    Reply

  60. Consider an analogy of Rita as a musician who loved classical music and wound up living with a child prodigy. The prodigy decides that she want to write Jpop tunes for anime. She’s good at it but not great. Rita knows that the prodigy’s classical works will be played for decades, if not forever, but her Jpop will disappear a season or so after the anime airs. The prodigy has a right to do what they want but Rita also has a right to try to convince her to do what she thinks is right also.

    Mashiro, OTOH, may be doing the manga thing because she realizes she can generate emotion through her painting but only as it relates to physical reality, but she doesn’t have the ability to do the same with emotions related to human interactions. She may feel she’s reached an impasse in her art. Manga is a media that is ideally suited to mix the two. Her problem is that she needs to experience those emotions and interactions to have the basis for adding them to her repertoire. For all we know, she may go back to painting once she has.

    bear
    Reply

  62. I am seeing quite a lot of people giving Sorata too much flak. Sorata himself said that it’s Mashiiro’s choices to do what she wants since it’s her life and all. However she cannot expect him to fully support her either because he’s also confused at what he should do. He’s someone who is trying to accomplish something big and works really hard. Mashiiro on the other hand is someone who does have that accomplishment. He’s human so in one way, he understands that Shiina wants to do something she enjoys but at the same time, it’s also hard for him to deal with it as he’s someone who tries really hard but so far have been knocked down continuously.

    For example, you try very hard to become a very good author but you so far in life have failed over and over again. This other person who is close to you have succeeded and yet he/she wants to do something else. It’s understandable that it’s his/her decision but can you really fully support him/her to the best of your abilities when she/he already accomplish something that you cannot but he/she decides to leave it? Humans are full of contradictions but that what makes her a complicated being. We say we want to support something but at the same time our internal struggle causes us confusion and pain.

    Sorata’s internal struggle is very similar to Jin. In Jin’s case, he feels that he can never be as good as Misaki and feels that he cannot be close to her. There’s a sense of inferiority. He cares for her but he also have his own internal struggle. In Sorata’s case, it’s also similar To Jin but the difference I believe is that he does not fully understand that part of him yet while Jin already knows his complex.

    Misaki and Mashiiro are in the same situation in that they are both extremely talented individuals who have in a way already accomplish what they can do. So they don’t “care” too much about Ambitions and are seeking what they think is important to them. In case of Misaki, she wants Jin’s realization of her feelings for him. Sorata and Jin on the other hand are lacking the successes that Misaki and Mashiiro has and that’s part of their internal struggle to meet each other.

    There’s also the case about the teacher. She’s a hard working student in the past but what causes her to become the way she is now.

    Silver
    Reply

  63. As much as I am amazed by Mashiro’s talent for painting shown by the single picture that was so immersing for everyone (I am guessing she’s kinda impressionist?), IT IS ARTIST’S BASIC GODDAMN FREEDOM TO CREATE WHAT (S)HE WANTS IN ANY WAY (S)HE WANTS!
    Also, can’t but feel sorry for Sorata who fully realises that Mashiro going back to UK would have her leave him forever… and yet choses what he thinsk is best for her. That he is probably wrong, is irrelevant…
    On another note, I realised (again!) I watch too much anime when:
    I had hilarious flashback to Sora no Otoshimono and Chaos asking “What is love?”

    ewok40k
    Reply

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