Sarazanmai

Hakura got to know the real Sara right after the whole kidnapping debacle.

Episode 10:

The penultimate episode. RIP Reo and Mabu but they ended up getting released from their misery as a pawn for the otters. And yeah, Kazuki uses the dishes to revive Enta instead of helping Tooi's brother who already died in the previous episode. But Tooi was taken by an evil counterpart of Keppi and got manipulated by the otter... RIP

Yeah, the Kappa sequence with Reo and Mabu was a pleasant surprise indeed. Too bad both had to die tragically.

Wow, Haruka acted so naturally in front of the real Sara. Maybe he grew out of the fanboyism a little bit after the whole kidnapping debacle?

This is the end, my friend.

Tooi almost cuts all of his bonds, but is snapped out of it by his friends, a reunited Keppi, and freaking Leo and Mabu coming back from the dead. At the end, Tooi goes to juvenile prison before reuniting with Enta and Kazuki three years later. And the post-post-credit scene has the three back to their kappa form for some reasom…?

I'll have to rewatch it a couple times to fully get the message I think… All I got here was something something imortance of bonds something something life will have shitty moments where we'll hate each other but we'll always stick together at the end.

But well, it was a fun and refreshing show, and thankfully not as mindscrewy as I feared after the first episode. Also, Keppi and Sara are weirdly cute in their human kappa form. Leo and Mabu are ultimately tied with Robby and Hatchi for best couple of the season, though I'm waiting to see RobiHachi's finale to judge.

Oh boy that final episode covered a lot of ground. The whole scene with the repurposed title cards is especially brilliant.

Ikuhara's still got it, but god I wish he'd do a proper 2 cour series again. I think Sarazanmai handles its smaller cast and runtime better than Yurikuma, but because there's just less time spent with the characters, it can't reach the heights that Penguindrum did, even though I do think the potential was there.

Edited by Eschaton on Jun 20th 2019 at 5:44:11 AM

I like that end. Looked to me they cqn become Kappa's at will by the end. Since Otters are related to despair, I assume this means Kappa's are Hope.

I just wish more was done with Sara, but I guess that was hard with only 11 episodes to work with.

There's a second novel sequel to thenfirst from what I understand so there's more to do in their future.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Jun 20th 2019 at 6:09:20 AM

A decent enough ending? Kinda hamstrung by the fact that I'm really not sure what the message is beyond "connections good" and maybe "shit happens"

In general I think Sarazanmai's problem is that it focuses heavily on the dramatic side, to the point that the metaphorical side barely shows up throughout most of the show. Like, the drama is good, but I feel like there's a lot here that I'm not getting. Is desire good or bad? What do they even even mean by "desire"? What's the significance of Leo and Mob being kappa? The kappa/river otter dichotomy is also love/desire, truth/lies^note and/or secrets?, and hope/despair, and are those concepts supposed to be related? What was Sara's point?

I mean, I think this approach is better than the penguin show focusing on metaphor almost exclusively, but it's still not ideal. Also kinda weird since I thought the bear show struck a good balance (even if it turned out that a campy allegory isn't a good vehicle for a nuanced discussion of a serious subject)

Starlight is still the best Ikuhara anime

I Want To Connect But I'm Afraid That My Understanding Might Be Completely Off Base?

at least Reo and Mabu got their happy ending together

Haruka becoming a celebrity seems like a fitting end

Everything came really well in this finale even though some parts of it needed a rewatch to understand the metaphor. I think the core connection for the trio and what made them them held well and got across, which is the most vital part of this show.

Keppi was the best and I wish we got more of this absolutely bizarre kappa prince. Certainly won't be forgetting him anytime soon. Though Dark Keppi feels like the most wasted character in that it doesn't really impact the characters beyond facilitating this climax.

Thought there was gonna be "otters = Kappa -> despair/desire = hope/love" because of there being some IRL mythological connection but seems not to be the case.

I think the overall message is supposed to be that even if you and your loved ones aren't getting along/are estranged you should still help each other through times of need? Might be a stretch though since that really only applies to the final episode.

I think the point is appreciating the connections you have but not letting yourself get consumed by your past connections.

In order to connect with something they had in the past lead each boy to make poor choices that ended up hurting them in the long run. Toi sticking by his brother even when his brother had ended up forcing him to discard all his other connections to be by his side and into a world of crime, Kazuki obsession with not being "real family" lead him to disconnect from his family until it hurt Haruka and then choosing to try to amend the connection of the past in an unhealthy way instead of taking into consideration how everyone wanted to connect with him, Enta's obsession with the connection he had with Kazuki in the past when it was broken and becoming desperate to have it restored, then wanting it exactly as it was before.

Even Reo who became increasingly awful in his need to have the "real Mabu" of the past when Mabu was with him all along, suffering to be by his side in a situation he knows he can't change unless he dies. Easily a reflection of the desperation the boys felt taken to the extreme.

The possible future even showcases how there will always be hardship with connections, but it's the choices one makes that decide whether that future will be forever bleak or not.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Jun 21st 2019 at 9:07:28 AM

I actually like this explanation the best. I think it gives a pretty good idea of the show.

I think there's also the idea that hope/despair, love/hate and desire/connections are indissociable and all natural parts of life.

ANN has an interesting podcast about the show and its finale (50:30).

Edited by Lyendith on Jun 21st 2019 at 2:08:43 PM

Finale Episode:

Most of the characters got a happy ending especially with Reo and Mabu and the Otters and Dark Keppi are extinguished for good. Not only that, it was soon revealed that Sara is actually a Kappa Princess and both the Prince and the Princess reunited together. Not only that, while Tooi ended up went into a juvie, he manages to reunite together with Kazuki and Enta while going swimming together and in the meantime, seems that Haruka replaces Sara as the new announcer.

Final Thoughts: Have to admit that it's a rather mind-screwy anime like most of Ikuhara works from what I heard and honestly, it would be nice that the anime can end up in two cours. However, won't gonna lie that this is a rather enjoyable ride from start to finish and that Reo and Mabu dance sequence in earlier episodes? Is essentially my personal favorite part in Sarazanmai so yeh :3

Didn't know I needed Otter voiced by Ainz until I heard the dub.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Jun 22nd 2019 at 4:18:12 AM

Btw, just a random thought...Anyone here thinks the Otter in Sarazanmai are a Hive Mind that share the same thought like Papa/VIRM or not? Because I nearly think as such

Edited by ElfenLiedFan90 on Jul 4th 2019 at 8:51:44 PM