First Impressions / Yosuga no Sora

「ソラメクフタリ」 (Sorameku Futari)
“Uncertain Couple”

I knew it was coming, so it didn’t come as any surprise to see this series tread into highly controversial territory by depicting an incestuous relationship. What did come as a surprise though was how none of the censoring seen at the end of the last episode was really present, meaning that Sora was out in the open for everyone to see both with and without Haru. It could have been an attempt to detract from the issue at hand, but if it was, I can’t say it was a very good one since it had the exact opposite effect. In fact, Sora’s bedroom scenes were some of the most risqué and passionate ones to date, because Haru’s was unable to resist his urge to be with her even with the moral implications looming over his head. I mentioned way back in the Fall 2010 Preview that I was hoping the nudity if any would be used in a way that’s relevant to the plot, so I didn’t mind its liberal use here one bit. I’m sure there will be a lot of people who only look at the screen captures and quickly write this entire series off as hentai, but they’d be ignoring the emotional build-up leading towards these sex scenes that would have really got them bustling. There’s no denying that this series target an audience who wants to see “naked girls” to a degree, nor would I even attempt to argue that these scenes don’t boost the series’ popularity. What I will say is that knowing what I do about Haru and Sora’s precarious relationship actually made those scenes even more scandalous than just some “naked girls” would’ve been.

I attribute that primarily to how Haru not only had to carry the burden of keeping that from all his friends as it weighed heavily on his conscience, but also ending his relationship with Nao. He never did break things off cleanly with Nao either, after thoughts of Sora masturbating filled his mind and he tried to forcibly satisfy that sexual desire. If this were some two-part fan-service-oriented OVA, I’d probably scoff off all of the above and Haru’s inability to say that he loves Nao as background noise. However in this series, there’s a much more prominent sense of emotional baggage, after three arcs where I saw the characters in different situations and got to know them better. I have no intention of getting into a moral debate on whether Haru and Sora’s forbidden love should be condoned, so I’ve more or less approached this final arc with no real expectations and just an open-mind about how the producers tackle it. Quite honestly, I find it hard to say how I would handle things if I were in the Kasugano twins’ situation, simply because I’ve never been in it. Once feelings of love somehow manifests itself, standard logic seems to go straight out the window. It’s easy enough for anyone to say that they’d stick to the social norms (as they’ve been taught), but they don’t exactly have the same childhood history as these two fictional characters.

To try and get a better understanding, I like to pose the hypothetical scenario about falling in love with someone and getting into a steady relationship with them for years, only to find out sometime later that they’re a sibling of yours that was separated at birth. Can you confidently say that you’d be able to turn off your emotions with a flip of a switch in light of that revelation? While I realize that Haru and Sora aren’t in that situation, it’s an interesting mental exercise to try and understand where they’re coming from on an emotional level. Most people are likely to have experienced the hypothetical scenario than the one they’re in, so it’s an easier way of wracking one’s brain over how complicated feelings can make things. There are probably tons of answers to that scenario, but what makes this arc particularly interesting is that it presents us with differing ones. Namely, Sora has decided that she’s in love with Haru and she doesn’t have a care in the world what other people think about her, whereas Haru is still wrestling with what’s socially acceptable and will undoubtedly have problems coping with Kozue and Nao learning that he has sex with his sister. Given that they live in a small town, that only compounds the problem, suggesting that if Haru intends to continue his sexual relationship with Sora, the two of them are probably better off moving elsewhere and starting anew. I can’t even imagine how hard it would be living in a place where everyone looks at you funny or overly religious people feels you should burn in hell. As such, I am really looking forward to seeing what becomes of their incestuous relationship in the finale next week, simply because I have absolutely no idea what I would do if I were in Haru’s situation. I get the feeling that Sora won’t be fazed one bit, but it’s clearly a different story with Haru.

 

Omake

Preview

146 Comments

    1. It’s just like Sora said. There’s something exhilarating about leaving it unlocked. <3

      I had such an experience in college whereas we went straight to an empty classroom after our class ended. Was like something straight out of a hentai. The whole idea of possibly getting caught makes you feel more excited. Should try it sometime~ ;}

      Shirt
      Reply

    5. Yup. The players leave the door unlocked so that whoever walks in last can join in~

      Seriously though, I lol’d hard when they just barged right in. It took Sora a good 5 seconds or so to register that two others just came in too lol. Very interested to see how they wrap this up.

      BR_Impulse
      Reply

      2. Yup! That’s the main reason I lol’d. In retrospect, being interrupted at the end at least isn’t as bad as getting interrupted in the middle. It could have been like the situation where Haru was doing it with Nao and then Sora walked in. Haru just continued and kept smiling!

        BR_Impulse
        Reply

      1. Hopefully, not something along the lines of “I do this every arc!”.
        In my opinion, Haru needs a day job.

        In response to Divine, I doubt that Sora doesn’t feel the societal norms pushing her in the opposite direction. My contention is that her fixation on Haruka is precisely the reason she doesn’t care; her responses to any hint of Haruka leaving her show this is true. It’s not like she doesn’t have friends, but when it comes down to it only Haruka matters to her and no one else. Sort of a kind of “Screw you society, where were you when I was little?” moment.

        Unlike Sora, Haruka feels the pressure mainly because he doesn’t have an outlet like Sora. There’s also the mental gender difference, but I think the outlet is the main difference in the reactions; he’s adjusted to society normalcies and such so having to turn his back toward it to act rather primal-y towards his sister is such a major shift it takes him so long to commit to it.

        thenightsshadow
        Reply

  3. Hehe, today’s episode is soo hot :3
    I feel like I want to play the visual novel just for Sora’s route but too bad there is no translation of it, and a VN without a story to understand is just CG hentai.

    Suppa Tenko
    Reply

  7. Morale – general attitude. “Even after the loss, the team’s morale was high.”

    Moral – desirable in a social or religious context. “Most people don’t view incest as a morally acceptable activity.”

    quigonkenny
    Reply

    2. i think it’s possible for siblings who AREN’T raised together to fall in love, potentially. but i think it’s less plausible for siblings who were raised together like haru and sora to experience mutual sexual attraction, because of things like the westermarck effect and the innate biological incest-avoidance mechanisms shown by almost every mammalian species. however, anime is anime…it rarely has too much basis in reality anyway. ;]

      nolee
      Reply

      1. well at the beginning of sora’s arc, it showed sora finally freed from the hospital(it was in haru’s dream but probably true), and haru did say he was making up to sora cause she was stuck at the hospital before(again could just be haru making up an excuse but I think its probably true)

        amado
        Reply

      2. That’s not particularly true, inbreeding is only avoided in animals which chase off their offspring once they mature.

        Those that live in packs and groups are prone to inbreeding if the dominant male dies and the offspring takes over.

        EroThraX
        Reply

  11. To be honest I don’t watch this show and I don’t think I’ll ever watch this show.

    I’m here because you put NSFW and I want to check out some boobies like everyone else here 🙂 LOL

    Everyone's Opinion
    Reply

  12. LOL “GOTCHA BITCH!” xD

    So, the whole idea that I’ve been through something like this before brings me to the thought, how the HELL will he get out of this one. ME? I got my ass tow up. lol Tis the perks of growing up with a mother who grew up in a black family. ;D

    omg Sora was so hot. I wouldn’t be able to get her out of my mind either the way she handled Haru. It was as if she was the pimp!

    I’m so watching this again.. Just because.. >>”

    Shirt
    Reply

  15. I enjoyed the non-brooding Sora in this episode. It was nice to see her genuinely happy. Although, Haru has mentioned that people were questioning their relationship and Sora just sort of said she didn’t care what people thought. Don’t get me wrong I really think this mentality is very admirable, but it’s not what Haru needed to hear in order to be comforted. Despite it being Sora’s way of doing things, she could have at least comforted him a little. Haru looks like he could break down at any second. Haru also made it painfully obvious to Kozue what was going on.

    Also what’s up with Nao? I know if she didn’t reject him the story would probably turn out differently, but she was all over him throughout all stages of life and now when he pushes back she says she doesn’t want this.

    LaN
    Reply

    1. She didn’t want to have sex with him in the way he was wanting it. She wanted it to be for love and not to satisfy his comfort sex. Have to remember she didn’t felt right after having sex with him when they were much younger. If she had allowed him to have sex with him back at that hotel. He wouldn’t be thinking of Nao he would be thinking of his sister.

      Silentcid
      Reply

      1. It is true that Haru came off like a terrible person there, and the setting was … gah. But I don’t think Nao is aware at that point that Haru has more than brotherly interest in his sister, does she?

        LaN
        Reply

  16. this is kinda like what was happening in the manga.
    in the manga, sora was starting to help him by cooking food in one chap, then she collapsed in her room because of her sickness(and no, haru didnt go to her room when that happened so he didnt take care of her and he didnt push her button “on”).

    im now very interested on how this will end, from the preview I can guess that they will go to the lake to be “reborn”.

    amado
    Reply

  20. This just gives another reason for the government officials to justify the ban, though I must admit, this episode did get me by surprise. How the heck did AT-X air it without getting themselves in a mess?

    Alvord12
    Reply

    1. Actually, i think it should, but probably wont, have the opposite effect. Theres ACTUAL story drama here , depicting situations that have occurred in different ways, and not just ‘thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump’ every episode with no emotion outside of sexsexsexsex. I think it should mean more than just ‘harmful’ material when its something that is this well designed. However, many people cant seem to handle it and go ‘omg sex! its so horrible! We totally do not reproduce like this. zomg! I never want my kids to do that!’ (not referring to incest here).

      As for the incest, we can get into a long debate for eternity about this. Its like slamming a revolving door, you get no where. I will say one thing though, if you simply siding with the ‘its horrible’ because of either social norms or because of so called ‘mutation’ that is possible.
      1) So your saying if the world were to suddenly flip upside down on this issue and the social norm was to breed with your own family and breeding outside was considered to be ‘against your family and society’ that you’d be perfectly fine with it?
      2) There is no direct scientific results to support the theory. Going back in time, how do you think Native Indians in North America survived so many years in such small tribes? Nobles used to inbreed in order to keep bloodlines pure. While some claim nobles were weak, i think ANYONE who has so much money that they pay other people to move them around and do work for them will naturally be weak. It also doesnt help that Nobles didnt exercise much so they always appeared in poor health as a result. There really is not enough evidence to support either side, and as a result this has turned into the debate it is today.

      Society should learn to just stop caring what other people do when they are alone. This long debate has taken up far too much time and energy… I dont even know why I bothered with this… (I guess im just that bored 😛 )

      Also, Sora Smiling, for like the first time the entire series, makes this entire Arc WORTH IT.

      noobiesnack
      Reply

  21. Wow, the thing that really needed for Sora to stop being so cold, distant and spoiled, and became cheerful, playful and useful was for Haru to acknowledge her, and it extended greatly after both of them confessed to each other…Oh yeah, with hot twin sex on the side.

    Gaze of Providence
    Reply

  24. Speaking of a scenario about 2 people in love but later find out that they’re siblings, a certain shoujo manga come into mind which addresses the issue quite well:
    Tsumi ni nureta futari (Kitagawa Miyuki) << is really deep but too soapy sometimes
    Plot includes Show Spoiler ▼

    Sora and Haru’s situation in a small village without parents and Nao easily backing off almost pales in comparison to above manga but is interesting nonetheless. (Because Sora is cuter lol) I hope there’s a lot of drama next episode. Somehow the OP already sort of spoiled it all but I’ll be looking forward to it. 🙂

    Class president surprised me by barging in instead of going OMGWTF to Nao and leave the cellphone in front of the door or peek into the doorhole or something. Who goes barging straight into H scenes? (except well, parents and love rivals?) Every arc someone has to do something irrational.

    Yukiruchan
    Reply

    1. Who goes barging straight into H scenes? (except well, parents and love rivals?) Every arc someone has to do something irrational.

      Agree. I thought it was a bit weird that Kozue’s train of thought would be, “I must go inside! …Even though I know there’ll be a huge awkward moment if “it” turns out to be true.” Well I guess curiosity got the better of her/she felt she had to do something about it, it might have been better for ALL of them if she had just left well enough alone though.

      Sora
      Reply

      1. True true. Barging in just puts everyone into a weird undesirable situation. She should’ve left them alone and talked behind their backs if she was opposed to the idea. Come to think of it, Kozue has been being nosy earlier in the episode too. She looks like the type that thinks incest is immoral. Maybe she’s thinking “No! It’s forbidden! They must be exposed if they are really doing it! They mustn’t get away with it! They must go to hell! I must destroy their happiness just because!”

        Had Nao been the one to barge in, it might be a different because she’s considered a love rival. Maybe the writers are trying to redeem Nao by making her act decently.

        Yukiruchan
        Reply

      2. Why doesn’t anyone in anime lock their door? And actually I bet that she just rushed in cuz deep down she’s jealous and wants some Haru loving as well, hell all the other girls get an arc!!!

        GP
        Reply

  25. Have you guys heard of the Tokyo Manga and Anime ban? Tokyo’s ban on anime, manga and games featuring “virtual crimes” or which are “likely to interfere with the healthy development of youth” has passed after the DPJ agreed to support it.
    The revised law now demands a restriction on sales of anime, manga or games which “improperly glorify or emphasise” illegal sexual acts, such as rape, groping, BDSM, voyeurism, exhibitionism, etc., by extension including underage sexual activity as well.
    One mangaka stated “I was bluntly told the other day “because of the Tokyo ordinance, please stop using high school students [in your manga].” Depending on the label it seems you can’t even draw school uniforms…”

    Soon anime like this will be no more, though i find it hard to believe that stuff will just disappear alltogether, with the internet and whatnot. Who knows.

    Kurudesu
    Reply

    1. It’s a bit absurd to make it illegal to have an anime girl in school uniform have sex, but it’s perfectly fine to put a live girl in a school uniform and show her having sex. Talk about double standards.

      Znail
      Reply

      1. Well, it’s pretty much an anti-otaku move. After all, the main supporter of the bill is a right-wing conservative nutjob. Not only that, but he writes freaking rape novels. That, and the ban only counts for the typical otaku-media: games, anime and manga, with movies and novels being completely unaffected…

        HenDarou
        Reply

    2. Oops, forget the obvious extension of this law.
      Assault, battery, murder, speeding etc are also illegal, so any games involving those would also fall into virtual crimes category. Bye bye fighting, first person shooters, racing games etc…

      Znail
      Reply

    3. That’s pretty crazy to ban highschool and that whole theme. What I do agree on is the ban on rape and child you know what. A ban on that actually does have a good purpose. Fictional or not, you wouldn’t want kids growing into adults reading or watching those kinds of things. Than there is that whole debate on how manga is perceived as purely fiction by the reader; one of those “it only happens in manga” situations and I agree this is how people will think about anything inappropriate in manga or anime, but their are those one or two crazy people out there that are influenced in a very bad way that can’t tell fiction from reality.

      otomeja
      Reply

      2. Another interesting thing is the rather thin line between a live action movie with a lot of special effects and an computer animated anime. What if they have a ‘virtual crime’ in a live movie and that scene is totally made up of special effects, then that must fall in the same category as an anime doing the same.

        And we got the other side of the coin that is even more disturbing. If ‘Virtual Crimes’ are illegal, then just put live action version of the scenes that would be an issue for a game.

        Znail
        Reply

    4. Well, even if they ban this things they will eventually come back, that’s what always happen with bans. Instead of doing that they should invest more on education and morals. But ban something is always cheaper.

      LoL
      Reply

  26. So if Nao has sex and spends her life trying to make up for it, she’s a slut. But when Sora starts screwing her brother at every opportunity, it’s awesome? Oh the the double standards.

    fragb85
    Reply

    1. Nao rapes young Haru without his consent + has sex in Haru’s house which Sora would be coming home any minute without the door locked: she’s a slut.
      Sora may have seduced Haru first but Haru was OK with it and they do it in their own house where nobody is supposed to be barging in: different.

      Yukiruchan
      Reply

      1. Right, Nao has been guilt ridden for what she did. Then Haru initiates sex with Nao when she wasn’t even thinking about it. Nao has to be a slut.

        Sora attempts kinky thrilling sex everywhere, including felatio in the class, and sex in their doorstep. Not slutty at all.

        Thanks for proving your double standards.

        fragb85
        Reply

      2. uh the class part was haru’s imagination

        and like Yukiruchan said, it was in their own house, no one should just barge in.
        and it was her who had raped haru not the other way around(unless your referring to the kitchen part)

        amado
        Reply

      1. Um Nao and Haru were both probably too young to understand that

        1: Nao being troubled by here parents marital problems and feeling unwanted and/or like the source of said problems or a third wheel to her parents relationship comebined with the fact that Nao was probably becoming sexually mature (if not mentally) and not having a good outlet for the raging hormones and a burning desired to be wanted led to here advancing on Haru and initiating sex.

        2: Haru genuinely liking Nao but not understanding it in a sexual manner so he didn’t have a basis or perspective on which to react when Nao “forced” the issue but didn’t not want it by his own admission.

        So IMHO Nao is not a slut. A slut is a person that places no importance on sex beyond the physical gratification and will have sex with anyone for any reason.

        When someone dresses “slutty” they are being overly sexual and “acting like a slut” normally means someone is being overt with their actions about “getting some” towards the persons they want sex from.

        Nao only ever wanted Haru. She isn’t a slut, she probably had “daddy issues” and Haru fulfilled her need to connect with a person that was kind to her and it just happened in a sexual manner instead of it being a strong friendship.

        Sora on the other hand is a spoiled brat that is suddenly happy she get to be sexually gratified from her brother for whom she has carried a unrequited love for in a weird way because he was the only boy in her life that she ever wanted to acknowledge because she lost her parents and didn’t want to look at anyone else to fulfill her needs. Like I said she is spoiled.

        Partially it probably is because Sora is becoming sexual mature, but having no one else in her life to talk to or who would help her understand that, while she might think she loves Haru, it doesn’t have to be sexual.

        The fact that she always wants things on her terms but doesn’t consider how Haru might feel about stuff gets to me. That and the fact that that Haru likes to keep his shirt on during sex but never seems to understand that if you have sex in a accessible area don’t be surprised if someone finds or sees you. 😛

        Overall I just don’t see how Nao is considered a slut. She is a busty insecure teenager with guilt issues and still just wants Haru to love her. A slut wouldn’t care or would screw Haru’s friend Ryouhei to make Haru jealous, and would never turn down the forced love hotel sex Haru tried to give her.

        IMHO the slut is Motoka, but she isn’t part of the main story so people don’t see here actions as anything but comic relief.

        The incest issues are really the fault of Haru for not telling Sora like it is. He probably feels extra guilty that he had a healthy childhood (Nao sexing him up at a young age non withstanding) and Sora being totally infatuated with him while all the time she has no one esle in her world but doesn’t seem to try and talk to Sora for fear of making her ill again but at the same time getting off on the “siscon” aspect of having sex with Sora.

        Haru really needed to be a real older brother or parent figure towards Sora before things advanced so far but instead always gave in to Sora’s demands just because she was sickly. He should have know better having been exposed to the world in ways Sora really hasn’t been and him taking on the role of a parent for her means He could have figured things out by talking to Nao or maybe even Akira as far as how to address these issues. Hell he could have talked it out with Sora and the if they were still feeling in love with each other it would be based on that understanding and not guilt or carnal desire and then they could face the world honestly and be free from bad feelings or regrets.

        undermined
        Reply

  27. Today’s quote should be: Lock the frickin’ door! I guess Haru’s the same in all arcs, except this time he didn’t ‘continue’ when he got caught…Also why Haru decided it’d be alright to read books regarding incest out in the open baffles me. He was practically asking to be caught D:

    “feel” really went all out, this was the most intense episode yet. In comparison to all the other girls, I don’t know I feel the development of this relationship was the most realistic of them all despite it being incest. I can’t believe next week’s already the end, its kind of sad that it was so short but I also can’t wait to see how they end it. Damn I wish Sora’s arc was translated in the VN instead, its the only one I want to read to detail. I could only understand the gist of it from the voiced dialogue. Hopefully someone’s written a summary of it somewhere…

    Sora
    Reply

    1. I’ve tried looking for a summary in English before but couldn’t find one.
      You can google ヨスガノソラ　穹　ネタバレ for a summary in Japanese.
      It spoils the fun though, only one week left 🙂

      Yukiruchan
      Reply

      1. I’ve actually “played” the VN, so I know what happens so don’t worry I won’t exactly be spoiled not that I really mind it 🙂 Its a shame that there isn’t a detailed summary/translation though I’d much rather read it in my native language for obvious reasons.

        Sora
        Reply

  32. This is more awful experince for haru than the last story with nao. not only Nao see it but also kozue as well. i wonder how it feels to ha Sex with the near they same appearance of your self. it would be really strange.

    ♛Croosboy♛
    Reply

  34. In my point of view as long as the two ppl are truely in love with each other then damn the society norm, what each of us do with our own lives is none of anyones business. We only live once, so we should all enjoy life the way we can make ourselves happy.
    If incest is bad then u telling me that just go find someone else thats not family but u have absolutely no love for them, get marry and be miserable for the rest of your life is way better than being together with someone who u truely love even thou they are your family.
    So we are comparing being miserable and obey society norm to being truely happy in love but damn the norm.
    Sad to say I rather be happy.

    anxx00
    Reply

      1. Like what someone had already say there is no direct scientific results to support the theory, saying incest make unhealthy babies is like saying a black cat cross your path or broke a mirror for 7 yr of bad luck, is just nothing more than rumors and urban legend to me.
        Show me definite secientific proof that incest make bad babies then i think otherwise.

        arixx
        Reply

      2. Although a small gene pool has a higher chance of mutation, it is only a real problem when a whole family line is created on incest. One time stuffs like this are perfectly fine genetically.

        If anything I’d say its Haru’s fault for only wearing underwear all the time at home and wearing those snazzy clothing :3

        Plus there is a species of Walrus that has absolutely no gene variety because all but like 6 of them got wiped out yet 50 years later they are doing fine.

        Even if there ish a mutation, its probably going to end up as Vayne Aurelius, the mana of wishes.

        Suppa Tenko
        Reply

      3. Arixx, I guess I have to explain how basic genetics works to you for you to understand although I better make it simple. A baby gets half it’s gene stuff from each parent. Two siblings have their gene stuff randomly generated from their parents. If they then have a child then it’s 1-in-4 that the child get a specific matched gene from the same grandparent.

        That may not sound too bad, but you need to remember that most bad genetic disorders or random mutations are latent and only show up if you inherit it from both parents. Now if any of the grand parents had any latent genetic disorder of any kind then it’s a 1-in-4 chance that the incest child will get that specific genetic disorder (they may carry more then one after all).

        Now, in nature this might actually be a good thing as it reveals hidden genetic problems so that they can be weeded out. In fact, if you practice incest in a family for several generations with no problems then you can be pretty sure you carry no inheritable disorders. But that aspect doesn’t change that it is an enormously increased risk of genetic problems with incest.

        Znail
        Reply

  37. Lol Oh Divine, most of this post was you trying to say

    “I’m only reviewing it! I am not pro-incest and I’m not pro-hentai! I’m also not saying I don’t like the fan-service! But I’m not watching it just for the fan-service! but err..well..Just read the review damn it!”

    Haha. We know your not a pervert Divine. Very good examples though. I can’t wait to watch the episode myself. Sora actually seems very cute in this episode.

    Rin-kun
    Reply

  41. lol… Haru, you are such a womanizer… at least lock your door or remember to get your phone?
    oh well… the emotion is clearly there, I can see where Sora is coming from… Haru is actually pretty good of a brother for caring his sister (up to a certain point)
    This somehow reminds me of myself;yourself…
    Hope to see a somewhat “good ending” next week

    jrj
    Reply

    1. I truly hope that you’re trolling. Ishihara is a disgusting, hypocritical, corrupt, old, perverted, right-wing conservative anti-freedom of expression nutjob. Not only that, he writes rape novels himself!

      HenDarou
      Reply

      2. Rather spineless than corrupt, hypocritical and hateful. Oh, well, the DPJ supports it, as well, so they aren’t much better. I personally cannot see any benefits comming from this, care to give me some examples?

        HenDarou
        Reply

    1. Sora did mention that they were “special” because they have been apart for so long.. Not really sure what that was supposed to be as in physically or just when they were younger.

      TheUltimateBlogger
      Reply

      2. Well… Actually I kind of think to have a point. If you watch the ending, it shows both of them comically almost drowning at the lake, only to be saved by Nao floating to the surface. That might be foreshadowing in a way…

        HenDarou
        Reply

    1. Probably when she was saw reading those books on incestrous relations and maybe she was thinking was that had an interest in it.(Since Haru was caught red-handed deep inside his sister) Giggity giggity

      Itachizame
      Reply

  51. The world had to populate itself somehow lol. I don’t really care about incest being an issue. If that’s your thing, I’m not gonna starting mouthing off that it’s wrong because who am I to say? So what if your kids have birth defects? If that’s the case, you should just ban everyone with a disease from having kids. Yep… totally okay for people with AIDs to have kids and pass on the virus. Mutations a A okay with me! One day we’ll have X-MEN!!

    Honestly, I think Haru and Sora make a cute couple. Maybe that’s just the drawings haha

    Tama
    Reply

  53. Well, I’ve already argued why I don’t see such a relationship as wrong, in terms of ethics and logic. Well, this time, let me appeal to emotions: No matter the genetic relationship they’re in, I would not want to get in the way of a relationship if both truly love each other.

    Aside from that, this episode was pretty damn tasty, both in terms of the obvious and in terms of story development. The good thing about “those scenes” was that they showed the passion they have for each other.

    HenDarou
    Reply

  54. I can’t wait to see the next episode. The main argument against incest seems to be that the only result will be children with birth defect, but the thing is that unless you are against abortion or live in a region with access to modern medical technology, that’s not even really a problem. Genetic defects do not appear all the time. Also we have the ability to fix some of those defects even before birth, and if the defects are so bad that the life of the child will simply not be possible, then you can abort the pregnancy extremely early.
    Remember people we are the only species on this planet which can flip the bird at natural selection.

    Ayle
    Reply

  55. There are those of you who believe that incestuous relationships are OK either because the hereditary defects they’re more likely to pass on can be corrected with medical technology or because there should be no barrier to love.

    This is wrong.

    If this relationship were real, their progeny would be more likely to suffer, and you will be paying for it indirectly (through taxes, higher insurance premiums, etc.). I’m all for the freedom to do whatever the heck you want, provided you don’t hurt anyone, but this type of destructive behavior DOES affect our society. Do you want to pay for someone else’s bad choices? What does it say about a person who is willing to risk having his/her kids suffer from some genetic defect?

    Promoting this behavior is also a slippery slope. Should we not try to minimize this sort of destructive behavior? And yes, I realize that “destructive” is interpreted differently by different people, but there are some clear cut boundaries.

    Also, in response to some other comments:

    We are not actually not excluded from natural selection; it’s still happening to us, but its manifestations are not easy to record, visualize, or predict.

    Just a side note: it has been suggested that there is/are gene(s) that make you less sexually attracted to your immediate relatives (those of you who study genetics/evolution can probably elaborate more).

    Drha
    Reply

    1. I remember studying that a little. As some sort of ‘built in’ mechanism we typically aren’t attracted to relatives but also because of how we grew up with them and were socialized. In cases where say, half siblings didn’t know they were related and were attracted to each other, part of it may just have to do with the fact they didn’t have any of the societal or initial impressions of “this is family”. In the case of Haru and Sora, it’s not like it didn’t come without a switch from “family” to “intimate” (not to say I support incest but still).

      Oddly enough, while we’re naturally not attracted to family we tend to be attracted to people who remind us of family (part of the reason half siblings are drawn to each other?).

      As for the genetics/inbreeding bit, this is what I know. Having a kid within the family line isn’t going to automatically equal a kid with a defect. However, it does make possible genetic problems in the bloodline WAY more likely to occur and become a problem. That’s part of the reason you have purebred dogs like Golden Retrievers have a history for hip problems over Gold Retriever mutts. Sora and Haru are twins which makes the possible genetic issues worse.

      And lastly, I agree the ‘progeny’ would suffer but not strictly because of the genetic possibilities but the stigmatism that would be attached to them. And even if Haru and Sora were to move away, pretend they weren’t related (which is hard to do with official records, marriage license being impossible for them, etc.) and have kids, imagine if the kid found out one day that mommy and daddy were actually brother and sister. Twins to top it off.

      Acerbus
      Reply

      1. I agree about the Genetic part. I read a little bit and it even appeared on Wiki. In the context of inbreeding, they say that it’s effects does differ in regards with the size or frequency of the population. For small sized population, as long as those children born with heritable birth defects, die and didn’t have the chance to reproduce, the overall effect would be the decrease of frequency of defective genes in the population. Which is unlikely for large population since it’s harder to control and monitor who’s defective or not.

        But it’s not really all about defective genes why Incest is a taboo. There is a social element behind it. There was this anthropologist who interviewed a tribesmen, asked what does it feel thinking about marrying his sister. The tribesman said it’s not worthed since you don’t get to meet with other people which will help you in your life.

        Well it’s not exactly the same wording. If you’re interested, you might want to search “Incest taboo” at wiki or other sites. 🙂

        kabayongtao
        Reply

      2. I didn’t mean to imply that their kids would automatically get some heritable disease; there is just a greater chance of it happening (and as Acerbus noted, the chance is even greater when they are twins). And while it may not be as bad as some autoimmune disorder, their ‘progeny’ would still inherit a phenotype that can potentiate into a disease (ie hypertension -> cardiovascular disease).

        As for the social aspect, human beings had to get here somehow. That meant inbreeding was common early in human history, but evolution favored those who ‘married’ outside their families (there is a genetic advantage to marrying outside your family, as your kids will have a more diverse innate immune system – in short, their bodies can better fight off different types of infections).

        And yes, there are worse things out there, but that doesn’t mean incest should be condoned. It’s understandable that tribes to resort to it, as they have no choice, but we do.

        Drha
        Reply

      3. Sora and Haru are fraternal twins, meaning they are genetically as similar as regular siblings, so it won’t make it any worse.

        Children who were born from incestuous relationships are usually at greater risks of having health problems because while most families do actually carry several harmful mutations in their genes, many of them tend to be recessive ones, and having a relationship with someone who is genetically very close will increase chances of inheriting a pair of bad genes and having manifestation of certain diseases.

        There is a theory that says humans have genes that prevent them from being attracted to others who they grew up with as a family for many years when they were young because it has been evolutionarily advantageous that way, but I don’t believe that it’s proven. It does somewhat make sense in Sora and Haru’s case though since they were apart for a long time during their childhood.

        It’s difficult to condemn people for this though because it goes into the territory of eugenics. I’m not going to go up to an ugly couple and tell them “hey, you can’t have kids”. As for the kids suffering from social stigmas, they have changed over the history and condemning incestuous relationships is a stigma itself.

        Enough of complicated IRL talk though. As far as anime goes, I’m all for Haru x Sora and Kyousuke x Kirino.

        Seijin
        Reply

    2. I’m not sure where you’re from, but in a nation of financial bailouts, obesity and environmental destruction, twincest is nothing in terms of bad mistakes other people end up paying for.

      Anyways, Sora is a little nicer this time around, but I still don’t like her. She still has the porcelain doll attributes. Although this time around, it’s more like porcelain sex doll.

      As for the Tokyo ban proposal, I always believe that censorship is a cop out, regardless of what country it’s in. The powers that be do not trust their populace to behave maturely in certain situations. As an adult, I would like to make my own decision. And folks, let’s not forget that these anime are shown late night. In my last trip to Tokyo, I rarely caught any shows because I couldn’t stay up late enough.

      As for Nao and Kozue walking in, that should’ve triggered the “mega happy ending.” This is the scene where all the girls have sex with Haru at the house.

      Gambler
      Reply

    2. Im totally with you there. I was so embarrassed for them, hell I admit to even covering my face! Of course I had to quick rewind and watch the scene again. I’m so waiting for next week to see how they pull out of this mess.

      randomlurker
      Reply

    3. I fell on the floor laughing my head off at that scene. My heart jumped a bit too when I saw that. Kinda reminds me of a full hentai that had the best ending ever… although it was a cliffhanger. Lustful stepmother or something like that, all I remember is the final scene the father comes home from his business trip and finds his wifes ring sitting in the ashtray while his son and wife are getting it on in the upstairs bedroom which he’s heading up to get some rest. I’m pretty sure it would have shown the same reaction in that series as Haru and Sora did. I thought it was more funny than dramatic. Epic facial expressions FTW though!

      darknile77
      Reply

  59. sorry to sink nice boat, but not one in sight this arc… Nao got over Haru (she got enough sense not to barge in and even tried to stop Kozue), and Kozue wasnt even interested in him, she acts as self-appointed morality guardian. Lawful stupid is stupid.

    ewok40k
    Reply

  60. Typo, mid paragraph somewhere in the middle:

    However in this series, there’s a much more prominent sense of emotional baggage, seeing as we’ve [seen] three different arcs with the characters in different situations and have gotten to know them better.

    Infected-Monky
    Reply

  64. Not sure of what i think about this brother-thing, but i do like Haru and Sora as a couple because they look so cute together. I don’t think Sora really ‘loves’ Haru, she’s just scared of losing someone else. Her parents died and she has no one else to count on, maybe she thinks that the only way Haru will stay with her forever is if they start dating or something.
    And it’s kinda funny how japanese sleep on the floor like nothing’s wrong. XD

    Lina ~
    Reply

  67. I don’t know why people are judging so hard an anime that in the end is only ficion. I mean, we aren’t talking about real life people, there’s no reason to judge it as something terrible. I don’t mean I’m ok with real incest, but judging something fictional has no sense.

    LoL
    Reply

  70. I loved this episode. My favorite scene was Haru’s face showing the, “AWWWW DAAAAMNNNNN I’m FUCKED!” look. Sora on the floor doggy style and she looks up with the, “Huh?!” look. Freakin’ gold and hilarious, I know I’m desperately waiting for the last episode for this. I’m not big on incest in rl, but anime/manga wincest works just fine xD.

    darknile77
    Reply

  71. Very Nice episode!

    And looks like the news of the ban even reached here! Oh well…
    I do believe people here wanted a “School Days” ending? But as I know, that’s not gonna happened. As I know Yosuga no Sora is originally about how Haru got seduced by Sora. Twincest is it’s major and main storyline. Yeah I know it’s sick, but they were able to do it because the only thing that prevents incest in a family is “familiarity” of the people involved. When your not familiar with the person, say a female, you’ll more likely develop sexual feelings for her rather higher than brotherly or sisterly love when your a member of the opposite sex.

    And it’s not like Haru’s got no more morals. He was worried where his relationship with Sora would end up. I do believe he genuinely loved Sora as Sora does Haru. And remember: Sora’s flashback showed that it’s Haru who sowed the seeds for this relationship in the first place.

    But still people who are educated with “norm” in mind would think “Filthy!”, “Defiling!”, “Disgraceful!” But the real question to ask is, “Are they regretful of their love?” I do believe in the end that as long as the two who are involved are inlove and willing to sacrifice for that love, then we are not in the position to say otherwise. That is one of the basic blocks of democracy, something Ishihara doesn’t understand.

    TheUltimteBystander
    Reply

  72. WOW, I don’t even know what I was expecting anymore, but this has far exceeded my imagination. Just amazing. Like, holyshit. If this was real life it would be down right disgusting imo, but hey, it’s ANIME! SCREW THE RULES, WE’VE GOT TWINCEST!!! HELL YEAH *shot*

    Well in all seriousness, the parts without sex were the heartwarming ones. It was very enjoyable to see Sora liven up and become more cheerful thanks to her blossoming relationship with her brother. She endeavored to change herself for his sake, and went from a selfish pampered princess hikkikomori to a cute and caring girl. All the sex kinda distracts from that though, not that I’m complaining.

    FlameStrike
    Reply

  74. I suppose I’ve been brought up in that frame of mind that incest is soooo wrong. Even though it was a story, it got my mind thinking how wrong it was that I wanted to keep watching the outcome of it! Though I can’t blame them due to the separation for prolong time. My heart goes out to Kozue and if she will ever recover from it!

    Comito
    Reply

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