First Impressions / Yosuga no Sora

「トリノソラネハ」 (Tori no Sorane wa)
“A Bird’s Fake Cry”

Either the producers are aware that Sora’s going to be the hot thing that boosts DVD/BD sales or there’s some serious bust-size discrimination going on with the censoring of her solo bedroom scene. I’m thinking it’s the the former due to the taboo nature of a Haru x Sora pairing, but it’s a lot more fun when I assume it’s the latter and demand that smaller-sized girls receive equal treatment. Anyway, given how Nao’s arc concluded last time, I really don’t see any reason not to be sympathetic towards Sora’s situation anymore. After all, it’s clear now that she’s afraid of losing Haru as a brother more than anything else. Yes, those feelings seem to transcend the boundaries of a sibling relationship to the point that Sora will masturbate while thinking about Haru, but that same raw sexual desire is reciprocated in Haru as well. However, Haru is well aware that an incestuous relationship is wrong to the point that he won’t even joke about it. Sora on the other hand I’m not so sure about, but we’ve already seen three alternate routes where Haru ended up with another girl, and she never once let any feelings of jealousy consume her. In fact, Nao was the only person she even lashed out at in any way, and that was due to what happened in the past. As such, I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt on knowing the moral implications of a relationship with Haru, and cast it off as something that developed innocently during their childhood. By no means does that imply I’m completely supportive of an incestuous relationship between the two of them though. I’m simply understanding of how things may have gotten to this point, especially when the two of them seem to know that this is “socially” unacceptable.

Looking beyond what society has dictated is right and wrong, I really like how this arc is developing from the standpoint of two girls vying for Haru’s affection. As I mentioned last time, I was looking forward to how Haru’s decisions would start tipping in Sora’s favor — after he had already started going out with Nao in their stories’ common second episode — and this episode gave me a few interesting looks in that regard. One of which is seeing how Haru wrestles with thoughts of Sora that have filled his mind when she doesn’t make it easy for him. Another is how he’s torn between the idea that Sora’s simply messing with him and that she actually sees him as something more than a brother. In the latter case, Haru’s lie about going out with Ryouhei instead of going out on a first date with Nao seemed to suggest as much, since it showed that he was worried she may not be able to cope with the idea that he’s seeing someone. That scene also helped reiterate that Haru’s concerned about Sora’s feelings as a girl, which seems to be the key difference that’s preventing things from proceeding down Nao’s route. Surprisingly, none of Haru’s decisions were heavily influenced by Sora in any way, and were simply brought upon by his own thoughts of her as something more than a sister. To that end, I couldn’t help but notice how he used his relationship with Nao as the reason why he can’t consider one with Sora, as if he was trying to justify it to himself. That was a pretty stark difference to Nao’s arc when he didn’t seem to have a care in the world about how Sora felt and just tried to get her to acknowledge his relationship with Nao.

If I were to make one minor complaint about this series’ depiction of multiple endings, it’s that it never really gave a sense that there was a critical branching point from one girl to another. i.e. A “flag” as it’s called in eroge. Instead, the change seems to stem entirely from Haru’s personal interest in each arc, and not really anything that was brought upon by the girls themselves. It’s one aspect that I feel could have been portrayed really well given the overlap between arcs (and provide that game-like feel), so it’s a bit of a shame that the stories proceed along as if there isn’t any to begin with. Instead, Haru is just shown to have Sora on his mind more because of a dream he had, so much that he’ll think about buying her a hairpin during his date with Nao. Incidentally, there was a bit of parallelism going on when Haru decided not to cook curry with Nao after he found Sora crying in bed. The circumstances were different, but it sort of mirrored the alternate route where he didn’t even check up to see if Sora was home, cooked the curry with Nao, and then had sex with her. That sort of reflected a decision point in a way, namely whether to check up on Sora or not when he came home with Nao, and is what I would’ve liked to see more of. On that note, I’m a bit wary that Sora may have been putting up an act to get Haru’s attention, but I’m not entirely convinced that’s the case knowing what I do from Nao’s arc.

More so than Sora, the harder thing to interpret are Haru’s tears when he saw her masturbating while calling out his name. At the moment, I’m thinking it’s because he’s faced with the very real possibility he could be in a sexual relationship with her if he really wanted to be, meaning that he has to make a decision between her and Nao now. In addition, he’s realized that he won’t be able to get away thinking that Sora will be fine on her own anymore, seeing as she feels so strongly about him. Another possibility is that he’s just unsettled by what he’s just witnessed and doesn’t know how to deal with the situation he’s in. It may even be because he feels responsible for it, since he is the one who kissed her when they were younger. Whatever the case, this is some pretty deep stuff, which looks like it’ll get even more complicated next time.

 

Omake

Preview

76 Comments

  2. If you compare Sora to Nao body wise and who is more attractive then Nao would win hands down. I just can’t realistically believe that Haru would be attracted to his sister with the body of a 10 year old boy instead of a well built voluptous girl like Nao. It will be seriously creepy if Haru ends up bedding Sora.

    Karmafan
    Reply

  5. Damn you black bars! Lol anyways, isnt that Inchou in the preview? I guess she found out something pretty nasty for her standards when she visits Haru in his house *wink wink* , but as for the majority of us, I guess Twincest is Wincest lol.

    X
    Reply

  6. This episode sure got me frustrated. Haru is being a considerate brother now and the ugly scenes in Ep.8 didn’t happen. I misunderstood that those scenes were part of Sora’s arc because the episode title had Sora’s name on it. (Nao kuraki sora) While Ep.7, the real shared episode only had Nao’s name on it. (Tsumi na otomera) I should have paid more attention to the codes. Now I have to renew my opinions about everyone. On top of that, the complicatedness of the situation makes me confused for both Sora and Haru.

    BTW, that’s some great discussion up there. 🙂
    I’d probably complain about the portrayal of Haru’s thoughts being so one-sided towards the chosen girl in each arc.

    Since this is Sora’s arc, I would say Haru’s tears are because frustration from knowing that Sora loves him that way mingled with happiness because he loves her too. Then he knows it’s a forbidden love, so he can’t help but cry because they can’t be together. He’s crying for both himself and for Sora. I think Haru has been forcing himself to date Nao to try to forget about his more-than-brotherly feelings for Sora. … this is really deep, and I love it for the drama rather than for shipping incest. (I don’t ship incest.)

    Next episode there’s also a not-so-innocent Sora to look forward to!

    Yukiruchan
    Reply

    1. If you’re so opposed to it, why do you watch it? It was clear from the beginning that something along these lines would happen, yet you still watch it…

      I’ve already made my position clear in the comments for the previous episode in a lengthy rant, so I’m just gonna say this: I don’t see incestuous relationships as inherently wrong. The only thing to avoid, if you ask me, is inbreeding due to it’s genetic complications. So as long as they avoid reproduction, I personally wouldn’t see a problem. Which means that, if the relationship itself were to become lawful, then perhaps it should include restrictions such as enforced sterilization or abortion. Of course this is a matter of debate and such laws would be more complicated, but I’m just stating the possibility. Let’s say I simply don’t see any relationship between consenting adults as ethically “wrong”.

      HenDarou
      Reply

      2. True, some people would, but they’d do it regardless of incestuous relationships being against the law or not. So why not grant the law-abiding ones a chance? I just personally think that the law shouldn’t stand in the way of two people’s happiness.

        HenDarou
        Reply

    2. HenDarou is right. Since the beginning of blogging this series, Divine warned potential incest on this show. If you don’t like it; just don’t watch it.

      The anime producer decided to follow the hentai-game closely which i think all good anime producers follow the original scripts closely.

      A lots of us are here watching this anime on a neutral side trying to see how they justify incest as not immoral. Then you are here whining here and there.

      banzemanga
      Reply

    3. Sorry bro, I thought you got the memo that this is fiction and probably won’t make people look like some nutjob after their sisters, as well as the fact that you can actually not read Divine’s post, or the fact that you shouldn’t cry about the wrongs of incest to a crowd that watches a show with an apparent incest end.

      I guess a lot of people forgot the memos this day and age.

      Gaze of Providence
      Reply

    4. Genetically, if they were normal (as in not twins) siblings the genes should be different enough for no mutations (which is in fact overdramatized in modern portrayal. Serious, yes. But you won’t get a kid with a third arm or something stupid every time you have a kid with your cousin/sister) to occur. But, they’re twins…. Which even I’ll admit makes this more worrisome. Well, that’s only if they INTEND to have kids.

      that one guy
      Reply

  12. If you play the game(eroge), Haru’s personal interest is the flag itself. Exactly as you said, there is not really any action that the girls do to bring about a clear branching plot. It seems that the anime chose Haru to be somewhat close with Nao in Sora’s arc before dealing with Sora rather than a clean start.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    KJacket
    Reply

  13. “Either the producers are aware that Sora’s going to be the hot thing that boosts DVD/BD sales or there’s some serious bust-size discrimination going on with the censoring of her solo bedroom scene. I’m thinking it’s the the former due to the taboo nature of a Haru x Sora pairing, but it’s a lot more fun when I assume it’s the latter and demand that smaller-sized girls receive equal treatment.”

    good stuff 🙂 good stuff.

    outcast
    Reply

  14. why he was crying at the end? because his relationship with his sister is officially screwed over. if he hadn’t seen that, he would have eventually gotten over his dreams of her and his somewhat subconscious attraction towards, pushing it away as just a dream, or just hormones. he might also have forgotten it while falling more in love with Nao.

    however his sister doing this in front of his eyes has irreversibly shaken his reality. he can’t forget this. this image of Sora calling out his name in ecstasy will be seared into his mind, much more clearly than the day he innocently kissed his sister when they were young. this is something he cannot ignore. this is something he cannot forget. he knows current relationship with her is essentially destroyed, and so he falls to his knees in tears, pitying himself and his sister for being in this damnable situation.

    nn
    Reply

  15. Oh well… I am not going to join either side in the wincest right or wrong discussuion.
    But I see Haru is fully fleshed out for the first time, with troubled feelings, conflicting thoughts and genuine care for his sister. This alone makes this arc worth watching.

    ewok40k
    Reply

  16. Poor haru. having a hardest decision that will change his life and others forever.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    hehehee. but whats important here is that how will the story develop. since i havent played the game yet it makes me impatient.

    ♛Croosboy♛
    Reply

  17. Judging by the preview, that cute easy-go-shy girl in the third preview screenshot discovers something she wasn’t supposed to see about Sora and Haru. Since it’s only two more episodes…

    virox
    Reply

  19. Deep stuff indeed, that’s what I like about this series. It’s serious, it places the characters in some realistic situations and dilemmas. That’s one of the things that make this such a great drama.

    HenDarou
    Reply

  23. totally against incest in real world, but I don’t mind in fiction : that’s just a way to sale more dvd, giving some chills to readers. I hope it’ll not confuse them in the reality because for me it’s totally separated…

    clubescargot
    Reply

  25. I suppose the greatest question of all is how to be more like Haru … an average looking male who somehow has some air around him to get pretty much every single female he encounters to fall head over heels towards him.

    Then again, I suppose that’s the great question in every romance anime.

    Stupid RL

    CelestialEssence
    Reply

  27. I’ve never been much of a Nao fan, but I can’t help but feel bad for her. It seems much more unlikely that this could end in a “happy” or “acceptable” ending for her. In the end of her arc, Sora was at least okay with what was going to happen. This could end with Haru breaking Nao, and even cheating on her.

    There was a lot of discussion about Sora having a yandere ending, but to be honest after episode one for each arch Nao seems way more likely to break. Not saying it will happen, just that it seems like it is more likely than Sora was.

    LaN
    Reply

  28. Finally, wincest arc.

    Lol, Sora manipulated the shit out of Haru, and I believe her masturbating and Haru seeing a glimpse of it was part of her plan. Wiley.

    Also, I believe that Haru was crying because he blames himself turning her into what she is now, like the part where he kissed her when they were younger.

    Also, the “Sora’s legs slides outwards in an erotic manner” animation is reused here, twice if I recall correctly. Also, goddammit censor out of nowhere, well at least it fits with the scene, and not some retarded light or some goddamn steam.

    Gaze of Providence
    Reply

    1. The large headed Akira is the cutest thing in this series :3
      Originally, I thought this story was going to be just about Sora but after watching 9 episodes and like 7 sex scenes, I don’t feel as enthusiastic about Sora’s route.

      Suppa Tenko
      Reply

  30. I think haru is not that very caring to sora.
    if you check out the part where he and nao was planning for a date, youll notice that he crosses out something, which I believe was his promise to take sora out shopping.

    sora’s arc is much more unique than the others imo because unlike the rest, she has a masturbation instead of a sex scene with haru.

    amado
    Reply

  31. sora x haru is the whole point of the series imo. If the producer’s didn’t capitalize this aspect this would be another generic Harem show with good visuals. If they don’t go out with a bang on the sora route, this whole series would be a joke.

    exia
    Reply

  32. I gotta admit, the whole crying thing was about the most emotional invoking thing I’ve seen in this whole series.
    It just can be taken so many ways that you have to understand the heaviness of his situation.
    Very mind troubling the emotion I felt from that scene.

    Omegan
    Reply

  33. Ahh, Sora.. She’s definitely gonna be driving sales. She’s got my monay, that’s for sure. *shameless* I think Sora’s episodes are the only ones I’ll keep. <3

    Haru is one lucky bastard. He's too beast. Like, when someone says beast, he takes notice and looks around.

    Shirt
    Reply

      1. Given how he suddenly realized he lusts for his twin sister, I’m not surprised he started crying… Maybe he was thinking all that restraint is all for nothing since all the seduction wasn’t just all in his head: Sora was really giving the effort from day 1. Poor idiot!

        The Enigmatic Moondogg
        Reply

  38. Do you know why he is crying? Not because of dramatic impossible love, nor because of sudden shame over his lust for his sister, neither tears of mourning his relationship with Nao… I’ll tell you why he is crying.

    …

    HE IS CRYING BECAUSE IT TOOK TEN EPISODES AND BREEDING FOUR SLUTS FOR HIM TO REALIZE WHAT WAS EVIDENT SINCE EP 1.

    GODDAMN YOU HARU I’D CRY MORE IF I WERE YOU YOU OMEGA RETARD MONGOLOID BASTARD. I STARTED WATCHING THIS FOR THE TWINCEST. WHAT I GOT WAS -EVERYTHING- ELSE. FINALLY. HERE. NOW. I’LL GET IT. NEXT EPISODE. MAYBE EVEN THE ONE AFTER. THEN YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR NICE BOAT ENDING. I HOPE IT WILL HURT.

    -B-
    Reply

  41. To be completely honest, despite how screwed up the potential relationship between Haruka and Sora would be, I started this arc determined not to be prejudiced against their relationship based solely on the premise. However, the reason I am against it is because I find all of Sora’s actions to be incredibly manipulative, both emotionally and psychologically. While I find her feelings to be sincere, I can’t tolerate how she is subverting Haruka’s and Nao’s relationship with her lies and tears and guilt-pushing. Perhaps her final scene was a show meant for Haruka to discover as well. If she wasn’t related to Haruka, everyone would just call her out for what she is, but somehow she gets sympathy despite her actions.

    longtimefirsttime
    Reply

  42. I’m enjoying this arc because it has Sora. I’ve been waiting so long just to see how this was going to end. I don’t really like Haru because of his multiple relationships, but see him crying while looking at Sora was kinda sad ;o;

    Lina ~
    Reply

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