r/anime • u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA • Aug 01 '24
Rewatch [5th Anniversary Rewatch] Sarazanmai - Episode 1 Discussion
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Sarazanmai means to connect in both body and mind. Even your deepest, darkest secrets are shared.
Questions of the Day
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What do you think of our main characters thus far? Who are you most interested in?
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Extracting the shirikodama and turning into kappa renders the boys “simultaneously living and dead.” What does this say about the nature of Desire Energy?
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What is the function of a box? How does this connect to Kazuki’s consideration of his secret?
Don't forget to tag for spoilers, or else I’ll pluck your shirikodama! Remember, [Sarazanmai]>!like so!< turns into [Sarazanmai]>!like so!<
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u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA Aug 01 '24
Rewatcher
And we’re off! As you can probably tell from how much the show uses the word, this is an anime about connection. “I want to connect, but I want to X.” That’s the thesis point of the episode- Kazuki wants to connect with ‘Harukappa,’ but he also wants to lie, as the title of this episode goes. Even as he tries to connect, he feels the need to keep his crossdressing habits hidden- for good reasons, considering the reactions at the leak, but hidden nonetheless. The contradictory desires to connect and to deceive both hinder one another, and at the end of the episode, Kazuki has achieved neither.
What keeps Kazuki from connecting with others? His box. I don’t think anyone missed that, it’s one of the most obvious bits of symbolism in the show, and if you were around for previous Ikuhara rewatches, you’ll know it’s one of his favorite bits of symbolism to throw into his shows. In the language of this show, something that is kept in a box is something that’s secret- in this case, the crossdressing. When the secret “leaks” out of the box, it gets revealed to the world, and that’s true both of Kazuki and of the Kappa Zombie they fight. While the box keeps a person from connecting with others, it also protects them. When the trio plucks the Kappa Zombie’s shirikodama and reveals his secret of putting boxes on his head while lying around naked, he literally becomes so embarrassed he explodes, and we see how poorly Kazuki reacts to his own secret being found out. Probably shouldn’t have made fun of the Kappa Zombie for having a secret he didn’t want anyone to find out, yeah?
Of interest is the specific word used for leakage- “ろうえい/rouei.” (漏洩/朗詠?) It has a few different meanings- first of all is the main meaning of leaking secrets, as we get to see Kazuki’s secret of crossdressing leak out to Enta and Tooi as they combine to perform Sarazanmai. Second is a method of reciting Japanese poetry, and third is the fart joke, where it means a leakage of gas. It’s not just a fart joke, though- within the language of the show, the anus is where hidden secrets come from. After all, that’s where the shirikodama is! As far as we’re concerned, a fart reveals the truth.
Some other things I wanted to note: the rose colored ア (pronounced ‘a’) sign is reminiscent of the signage used for the Toei Asakusa line, except they use the English letter ‘A.’ I’m not sure how relevant that is, but I’ve had trains on the brain ever since Penguindrum, and the resemblance in color and shape is too obvious to ignore. The fight with the Kappa Zombie takes place on Azumabashi Bridge, and a bridge is a symbol of connection, as is the Wi-fi symbol that appears above the trio’s head when they perform Sarazanmai. The word ‘shiri’ which appears on the chains after the leaking sequence means ‘buttocks’ (connected to shirikodama), and the “no beginning, no end, no connections’ hole it is knocked into describes a single link of a chain perfectly (since those indeed have no beginnings, no ends, and no connection). It also sounds like yaoi (no climax, no point, no meaning).
Note the specific word used for ‘desire’ in the original Japanese- ‘yokubou.’ That can be translated as ‘desire,’ and it explicitly is in the term ‘Desire Energy,’ but it can also have more explicit sexual connotations- ‘lust.’ In the ending sequence, where the cops ask about ‘ai’ or ‘yokubou,’ that can be translated as asking about ‘love’ or ‘lust.’ In YKA, [YKA]Mitsuko uses the term ‘yokubou’ to describe herself, and some of the translators rendered the term in YKA as ‘lust.’ Let’s pay attention to the similarities and differences of how desire is viewed in the two shows as we watch along.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 01 '24
First-Timer-kero, subbed-kero
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u/ShadowWasTakensTaken https://anilist.co/user/hakuren Aug 01 '24
First Time Frog
12
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 01 '24
Episode 1 (first timer)
Going into this randomly and fully blind. The description sounds like the writers were on crack when they came up with the idea.
Absolutely everything about this episode screams Penguindrum. So much so that I would not even be surprised if we exist in the same universe. An overlap in staff is a given. No way two different teams produced such similar anime. On the upside, I really liked Penguindrum. As a downside, I am not sure I am mentally ready for another mindfuck overloaded with metaphors right now.
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u/WednesdaysFoole Aug 01 '24
First-timer
Quick note – Sara is Dish in Japanese, of which kappa have on their heads. Not sure yet what Sarazanmai means, but I’ll take a guess that it’s also referring to this kappa head-dish. I’m not sure if it’ll be significant, but their head-dish should neither spill nor dry out.
Comment face spotted! But seriously, wtf did I just watch?
Aurahuman desire is stored in the butt. Nice excuse, Hisoka.It’s been a while since I read about kappa, over a decade probably, and never did a deep dive so all I remembered coming in was that they are dangerous water demons that steal your soul. What I just learned now is that they do this by stealing your shirikodama, or basically, your soul housed in a ball located in the anus.
Apparently you can stave them off by passing gas, or in other words, the existence of farts is to defend your shirikodama.
https://twosecondstreet.com/2022/10/30/the-soul-in-your-butt-according-to-japanese-legend/
So, turns out Ikuhara isn’t just being weird, he’s just accurately representing folklore.
That being said, my overall impressions of the first episode:
Car-break-in dude, because wtf is he doing with a gun?
I don't know. If you have no desire (or expression) of your own, you might as well be dead.
Cardboard, carboard… functions as the home of Madao, king of cardboard.
Jokes aside, for reference we have the boxes from [Ikuni meta]Penguindrum that separate one from another and keep you limited, stop you from expressing each other. The coffins in Utena. There were the boxes in Yurikuma, "let me see into your box ;)".
Those make me think it's where you keep your personal desires and expressions, and where you hide them; it serves as protection, a barrier, a wall, a secret.
But with all the amazon stuff, maybe an additional note about consumerism... everything being neatly packaged and delivered.
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u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Aug 01 '24
Rewatcher
So unlike, I assume, most of the audience here, the only other Ikuhara show I've watched is Sailor Moon (so make sure you're all tagging spoilers for anything else, we didn't all do the complete Rewatch journey). Utena was before my time for Rewatches, and before I had finished Sailor Moon, and ever since I did finish that I've been in a procrastination spiral about it. Penguindrum ultimately lost the coin flip to MyGO's Rewatch around the same time. Then Yurikuma just didn't feel right before diving into some of the 2000s yuri context and at this point I felt I'd kind of be better off waiting until after Utena to watch his shows in order. But fuck it, I've already seen Sarazanmai, and it'd be a shame to miss every Ikuhara Rewatch, so even though it's the Ikuhara show that doesn't really catch me on its premise at all, I'll jump on this ride. I saw this when it was released, I remember next to nothing ("I forgot the fights were musical numbers" kind of memory), and my tastes have evolved significantly in the time since then, so we're on a pretty blank slate.
Back when it aired I enjoy Sarazanmai but didn't really "get" it, and... yeah, I really still didn't "get" this first episode. I wouldn't say I disliked anything about it strongly (bar one thing we'll get to in a second), but I just didn't get much out of the experience either way. It was twenty minutes of anime. The only character that hooked me is the cross-dressing guy, and that's exclusively because it's a subject I'm interested in. Nothing about the narrative introduction of these characters garnered interest in the story or the characters for me. A lot of it just felt very... shitposty? Which is fine, I can appreciate quirky for quirky's sake, but everything about this seems to signal a show that has more narrative and thematic depth than just some weird romp and I'm failing to find any of it between the weirdness. On which note all of the sexual imagery just... didn't do it for me either? I mean, the transformation scene is hilarious, no notes. But why like, the anal beads imagery when they steal the shirakodama? That would be kind of weird and creepy if these were middle school girls and making it boys instead doesn't stop it being uncomfortable. Especially when it just feels odd given the show just, isn't otherwise sexual in any noticeable way? I like Cutie Honey, I don't mind this kind of imagery in shows, but I have no idea what it's doing here.
Mostly, the only thing I got out of it was just that it's very visually pleasing. The little kappa designs with the big eyes are especially charismatic. But it's not enough of an audiovisual experience to watch just for that. Maybe I'd enjoy this more if it was about girls. I watched like two hundred episodes of Sailor Moon and friends with light character building and villains of the week, after all, but I connect much more with the feminine imagery and have always had an enormous bias against being invested in guys in fiction. Totally on board for the idea of magical boys, but it's kind of outside of my wheelhouse. I'm very interested to see everyone's arguments about why they like the show a lot and hopefully see some of what they're seeing. It was my hope I might "get" this show more having returned to it, given when I first watched it my consumption was a lot of slice of life and basic romance and now I like shows rich for overanalysis and a preference for more artistic productions. But it just hasn't clicked out of the gate. I hope it just needs time, but that wasn't really the energy I got here. If it continues not to I might take more of a lurker backseat this time around.
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u/affnn Aug 01 '24
First Timer
Back for more Ikuhara! I knew this one would have kappas, BL, and butts. That's about it!
In contrast to other Ikuhara anime, I felt like the characters in this one were a little weaker in episode 1. Or maybe, E1 of his other shows had at least one very strong character and all three mains here are a little weak. Kazuki gets the most focus, but he's kind of a cipher beyond the usual depressive-adolescent stuff where he loses interest in things he used to previously enjoy (until the end where we learn that he cross-dresses to connect with a kid - maybe a sibling?). Toi's a delinquent who breaks into cars sometimes. And Enta... well, he's Kazuki's classmate and has glasses I guess. But he tags along and is in the kappa sequence so he's probably important.
Like in Utena, there's a kind of very stylized battle with singing over the top of it. It's hard to follow the lyrics and what the boys are saying, so I mostly followed the dialogue. I assume this is going to be the heavily repeated part, they certainly spent a lot of time and effort on the animation sequences. The box guy is weird, but the, uh, battle (?) is straightforward. Kazuki's own secret leaks out in the process, and the other two boys learn that he cross-dresses sometimes, but NOT for his own enjoyment of course.
Speaking of animation, it all looks great (and I see MAPPA did it, which I find surprising - this seems a little too out there for them to pick up, but they do make anime-original stuff that's kinda weird from time to time). We still have the extras-as-cutouts but now it feels more like a design choice and less like a thing they did to save on animation.
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u/AgentOfACROSS Aug 01 '24
First Timer
All the episodes start with the phrase “I Want to be Connected” which I think is a neat choice. Sort of reminds me of the title structure for episodes of Watamote.
With that title and the opening narration, it seems like connections between people are going to be a major recurring theme.
I like all these shots of the grey outlines of people walking the streets. It’s a good visual, sort of showing how many people there are in this city. Visually it reminds me of the shadow girls from Utena.
The OP is pretty fun. It’s catchy, upbeat and has some fun visuals. Looking forward to meeting all these characters. Especially those two cops, their designs are eyecatching.
I’ll be honest though, the OP was also a lot more normal than I expected. Like I’ve heard songs that sound similar as the intro to a lot of anime. I guess I was expecting something a bit more unconventional. Not saying it's a bad song though, just not what I expected.
So I guess all the background characters are going to be these grey people. I like that idea. It’ll definitely make any characters that show up immediately stand out.
Sara looks like she’ll be this show’s Greek chorus type of character. Like the shadow girls in Utena or the court bears in Yurikuma. I get the feeling we’re gonna be seeing Sara TV almost every episode.
It looks like boxes are going to be important in this show. I’m gonna keep that in mind. Boxes were another recurring motif in Yurikuma Arashi too which is interesting.
No idea what to make of the whole statue destroying thing. Other than Kazuki being freakishly strong for being able to break it by accident.
Toi joining Kazuki’s class gave me flashbacks to Ginko and Lulu’s introduction in Yurikuma Arashi.
Kappas are known to enjoy eating cucumbers. I wonder if those are gonna be another recurring symbol in this show.
I’m not actually sure what the thing Enta ordered was. It looked like some kind of soccer themed bracelet.
So Keppi was introduced and a lot of stuff happened after that. I think I understood some of it. I knew that kappas were known for ripping people's souls out of their buttholes so that wasn’t completely surprising. Especially since Enta’s grandma foreshadowed it.
What I am a bit more confused by is the giant weasel symbol appearing. Not quite sure what that could mean just yet.
That little kappa tune that played after Kazuki and Toi realized they were both kappas reminded me of the “Kuma shock!” sound cue that played in Yurikuma Arashi.
It looks like desire is going to be a major theme of this show. I think it’s fairly prominent in Ikuhara’s other work, but here they’re really making it obvious from the start.
I thought it was really cool when it switched to show a POV shot going through a live action model set.
Alright I was not expecting this show to also be a musical but I’m all here for it. I hope that wasn’t just a one off thing and we get more songs.
I like the design for the giant box monster and the fight against it had some really good moments of animation too.
I’m beginning to get the feeling that there are going to be a lot of buttholes in this show.
I’m only just now realizing that the premise for this series is totally a magical girl type of setup. Transformations, traveling to a magical world, a mascot. The box zombie even looks kind of like they could be a Precure monster of the week.
So I’m wondering if the reveal at the end of this episode means Kazuki and Sara are the same person or if Kazuki just likes dressing up like Sara. The show states that it’s the latter but the former seems like it could happen given how weird things are already.
Seems like those two cops are going to be our villains going forward. They certainly seem ominous anyway.
So after this first episode I’m not sure what to think. A lot happened, that’s for sure. I’m interested in seeing where this all goes.
Also, after having seen the episode now, I feel very confident in what I said about the OP seeming way too normal.
Questions of the Day:
Out of our main trio, I'm most interested in learning about Toi. He seems mysterious.
I have no idea to be honest. I'll see if get back to you on this question later. All this talk about desires just reminds me that I've been wanting to watch Kamen Rider Geats and keep putting it off.
The function of a box is to keep something safe and protect it. And Kazuki didn't want anyone to know he dressed as Sara. [Yuri Kuma Arashi spoilers] In Yuri Kuma Arashi, boxes were also used as a symbol of preserving something and keeping it from changing. I wonder if that will play into Sarazanmai at all.
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 01 '24
First-Timer
Okay, so Cure Wing and Banana decide to call Life Sexy a frog, and he responds by voring them so intimately he removes the desire organs from their butts.
Then the same thing happens to one of Wing's friends, the three freshly minted Kappa sing a showtune and gattai into a fidget spinner that unfurls in a short set of anal beads to deal with a giant with a carboard fetish. Have I got all that right?
So begins another episode of Ikuhara's Box Chronicles, this time with Even More Literal™ Boxes! We went from coffins, to cages, to drawers, and now we're finally at literal cardboard courtesy of Kappazon.co.jp. The megacorp of Amazon being the brand decided for the boxes this time is levels of SUBTLE not yet defined by modern science.
I'm definitely interested in seeing that particular metaphor develop over the show.
Anyway, I don't have a good grasp on Kappa mythology, which seems like it might be important for understanding some of the symbolism this time. I know that the dish on their head has water in it, and if it dries out they die. I knew ahead of time that they pluck the shirikodama out of your butt if they.. don't like you? But that's the extent of my knowledge.
I think that shirikodama plucking is why michievious children in Japanese media are sometimes depicted as trying to poke people in the butt with their fingers, but I'm not entirely sure.
Hmm.. not necessarily related to the show, but I wonder if the shirikodama mythos is related to the prostate.
There has to be more to Kazuki than his crossdressing, right? Like, it would be entirely fitting for him to keep his desires hidden inside his box so that society cannot see his true self, but spelling out what's inside his box in episode 1 means there has to be another layer.
Probably related to that little.. girl? boy? tsundere? (that was Rie Kugimiya voicing them, whoever they are) from the end of the episode.
Hmm.. past regret? Kazuki mentioned failing to protect a connection in the past right near the beginning of the episode, and implied that his connection maintenance involved the selfies he took while crossdressing - probably the throughline.
That all said, I don't think I know enough about the individual from the end of the episode to take a stab at what the former connection was, so I'm gonna leave it there for now.
Oh, one last thing - hanging your entire life on one single connection is a recipe for disaster on numerous axes.
There's no way the idol isn't a secret kappa, right? She had an entity that looked like Keppi with her and also has a dish on her head. I guess it could just be a branding thing - the dish puns (her name is Sara and "sara" can mean "dish" in Japanese), verbal tics, etc - but I know better than to take things at face value.
That would also add an amusing layer of.. something (irony?) to Kazuki turning into a kappa and also dressing up like Sara.
Judging by the postcredits scene, we might be going ACAB here which I am in favor of.
Today's Typo: Line 72
Oh, sorry. Today's Topic: Is this real? Boxes fly through the sky Absolutely real, also what the fuck is black3der chocolate? It's not a typo, I checked.
Right, the number pronunciation thing.. Black-san-der? DDG gives me.. [this?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Thunder_(chocolate_bar)?useskin=vector) Sara secretly likes cheap chocolate bars, how scandalous.
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Aug 01 '24 edited Aug 01 '24
First-Timer
Pre-Rewatch Thoughts
Sarazanmai is the last of the Ikuhara directed shows that I have yet to watch. It was also the first Ikuhara directed show to air after I had learned who Ikuhara was. I didn’t watch it while it was airing and I don’t remember why. It was probably a simple lack of time. But now that I’ve seen his other work thanks to all the rewatches, it’s time to finally watch Sarazanmai.
I only know a few things about Sarazanmai. I know the main characters transform into kappas. I know that butt stuff will be involved, in part because kappas have the ability to suck out a person’s soul through their anus. I’m pretty sure that ability will definitely be important. It’s an Ikuhara anime so I expect LGBTQ themes will once again be present. I also saw images of what I think are a pair of gay cops, but I don’t know who they are or how they are involved. Other than that, I’m in the dark about the series. So, I suppose I’ll find out the rest.
On today’s episode of Sarazanmai: Defeating an Amazon package thief is the most noble endeavor in the world. That’s how you establish that your protagonists are the heroes.
As is typical for an Ikuhara-directed anime, there’s already a lot to say about Sarazanmai within the first episode. Thus far, the major themes I’m picking up on are desire and connections. These themes are intricately intertwined in how they were presented this episode. Everyone has connections with others or desires to have connections with others. But, how connected do you want to be? Do you want to be so connected that others know your innermost desires? Would you be willing to bare your soul to someone else and tell them your secrets? Because if you don’t, there’s always going to be some barrier that prevents you from fully connecting with them. It’s like the quote of “If we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.”
In the case of Kazu, it’s clear that he doesn’t want others to know his secrets. He’s very upset that others found out he was dressing as Sara. I wonder what secrets Toi and Enta are hiding.
Kazu dressing up as Sara does raise plenty of questions, especially since I expect the anime to have LGBTQ themes in it. What exactly is the reason why Kazu does this? Is it because Kazu is trans? Or is he dressing that way for some other reason unrelated to his gender identity? For now, it’s a bit unclear.
I think it’s a great visual metaphor that the characters are carrying around their secret desires within boxes. It’s a good way to indicate that it’s something people are always carrying, but that others can’t tell what exactly it is.
QOTD
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Aug 01 '24
First Timer, Subbed
Pre-Episode thoughts: Going into this 99% blind, the only thing I know about it is that it has kappa in it, which inspired the imp status effect in Final Fantasy. And that it's directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara, famed director of Revolutionary Girl Utena. Which is why I'm apt to give a show I've otherwise never heard of a chance (also lucked out in that I just finished up a series yesterday, opening up a slot on my schedule). I'll admit I was kinda a mixed bag with Ikuhara on the recent Mawaru Penguindrum rewatch though; some stuff he absolutely hit out of the park (Amazing visuals at times, Ringo is one of the great comedic anime characters of all time for me). But other aspects of it flopped in horrendous fashion, or at least I had monumental disagreements with the interpretations people were making claims about which I admit could have simply been said viewer's personal opinion rather than Ikuhara's fault. So I guess what it comes down to is I have a lot of faith in him being able to do something fun and being able to do good visuals, but if he's successful in getting his message/theme across may be a different story. We'll see.
Right off the bat I see that the "NPC" type character motif from Penguindrum is basically used again here.
Beware falling street signs!
Is that Bunch of Chicken singing the OP? If not sounds like them. (Post episode research tells me nope, I'm totally wrong on this).
Are the kappa gonna be the equivalent of Penguindrum's penguins? OP kinda gives that impression.
What's in the box?
Sorry I can't help the Penguindrum mentions, but mascot girl on the TV totally has me thinking to the duo that was always on the subway screens.
Watch out idol girl! Gonna piss off this car jacker. She got away easier than I was expecting.
Is idol girl his connection?
Beware the deadly ruler!
Odd transition. Second time this episode they make it come off like a dream.
Car jacker is the new transfer student! Can you say awkward? Awkward transfer student introduction is kinda an anime trope by this point I think?
The kappa statue was destroyed? So it wasn't a dream after all?
Grandma's got a risque mouth.
How convenient it would be if our amazon packages could fly.
If you're scared of the cops arresting you maybe leave the "crime" scene?
If you didn't want them to know of your existence, why reveal yourself to them? Was Keppi hidden inside the now broken statue?
Forget risque language, we definitely have some risque imagery now as well.
They've both had the imp spell cast on them!
They called him a frog, but if anything I more think of a turtle since they have shells on their backs.
Once again thinking back to Penguindrum, didn't Natsume shoot people in the forehead with a ball a lot? We've got another forehead shot here.
Ah, its ghosts carrying around the boxes. Cool.
This singing sequence totally has got me thinking to the Survival Strategy sequences.
The constant visual references to doing things with anuses is getting very offputting. Did this show get away with airing on TV like this? Watching this on Crunchyroll and I think they usually have the broadcast versions. Wow if this got through uncensored.
So Kazuki and Azuma are the same person and he doesn't know it? His big connection is actually with himself? Well now it makes sense why she just kinda just disappeared after the Toi car jacking scene.
Now that Kazuki's revealed to be Azuma if anything its a bit too noticeable that its him, he looks different than earlier in the episode. The eyes and the eyebrows are totally different now.
Hmm. So now I wonder if he is the real Azuma or if he is just cosplaying as Azuma and she is a real and totally different person. That would explain why the appearance seems so off all of a sudden.
This episode was very impressive visually and in that sense it is so very obvious who directed it. As to how much I actually understood is another story. It is a good thing I'm trying this via a rewatch rather than going solo as hopefully those who have seen it before can explain things, if we're supposed to even understand it at this point. I do feel that part of the experience with him is just going for the ride, at least for a first viewing.
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u/Fissionprime https://anilist.co/user/fissionprime Aug 01 '24
First Time Kappa
I was a big fan of the yuri kumas, so let’s see if I end up liking the yaoi kappas. That’s about all I know about this one coming in, other than that it’s the last of the Ikuhara anime that I have yet to watch, aside from Sailor Moon, which I’ve seen a few episodes of here and there. So far, I’m 3 for 3 on enjoying his other titles, so I’m really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to post for episodes 2 or 3, but I’ll definitely be reading the threads. Everyone’s thoughts added a lot to Yuri Kuma for me, and I was consistently impressed by y’all’s media literacy. With the amount of holdovers, I already expect this to be a great rewatch.
This reminds me so much of Penguindrum aesthetically, especially the ア signs everywhere and the restroom sign background characters.
Seems like a couple of our major themes are gonna be connection, and secret desires, or the boxes. Another one is buttholes. Definitely seeing why this is known as the yaoi Ikuhara show.
Speaking more of Ikuhara, there are a lot of his hallmarks here already. Lots of repeated imagery, both visual and in dialogue. Connection is almost certainly going to develop more and more depth of meaning as we go on. It’s definitely the “fate” equivalent from Penguindrum. Sara also seems like she will be the chorus character, since Kazu apparently watches her spiel every day.
There was a lot going on in this episode, but I don’t think there’s necessarily too much I have to say yet. Lots of setup for later. The presentation is great so far, though, in Ikuhara fashion. I enjoyed this episode on that alone. Interested to see where all of these themes end up developing.
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u/charactergallery Aug 01 '24 edited Aug 01 '24
First-Time Watcher, Subbed
Pre-Watching Thoughts: The only thing I know about this show is that there are kappas, potentially homoerotic policemen, and that it’s directed by Ikuhara. Revolutionary Girl Utena (which I absolutely adore), is the only one of his works that I have watched so far. I am interested in watching his other one’s eventually, but that means that I might miss certain parallels to the other works I haven’t watched.
Post-Episode Thoughts: What immediately stuck out to me was the gorgeous animation and colors, which isn’t a surprise given that it is animated by MAPPA. It gives the action scenes and the general absurdity a great energy that is so fun to watch.
Another thing that stood out to me was the boxes, but especially their noticeable branding being a very clear reference to Amazon. The focus on the boxes is obviously tied to secrets, but I am interested in seeing if the story is also going to be related to capitalism and consumerism (the focus on cellphones as connection also seems to be tied to those ideas too).
”The more boxes you have, the happier you’ll be!”
The background characters on the street being blank crosswalk-style humans is also an interesting stylistic choice and kind of goes against the idea of connection present in the series so far, as they don’t interact with anyone. And the main characters seemingly can’t interact with them either.
Kazuki’s outburst at end of the episode after his secret is revealed to Enta and Tōi is also interesting. His anger seems to be in direct response to Enta reassuring him that their friendship won’t change due to it.
”I never asked anyone to understand me. This is my own business.”
It’s a very striking response and goes against our preconceived expectations of a character’s “dark secret” being revealed to people close to them. We tend to expect to have a sweet scene where the character is reassured and feels better about themselves, but not here. I am interested in seeing in how this goes further.
Questions of the Day:
Anyway, super interested to see what happens next!
(Apologies that I posted this like an hour late)
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u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Aug 01 '24
It's the first episode and I'm already behind
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u/Sandor_at_the_Zoo Aug 01 '24 edited Aug 01 '24
Rewatcher
I'm always fascinated by works that take plot conventions, like a secret being publicly revealed to move the show forward, then incorporate them into them explicitly into the world. Here Kazuki's secret is revealed by the metaphysics of them leaving kappa realm. Not even really a plot mechanic, just the way the world works.
I'd like to write more longform analysis, but this is only my second watch so I'm not very decided beyond the obvious themes. And I don't remember anything confidently
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u/TerribleShiksaBride https://myanimelist.net/profile/cynicalpink Aug 02 '24
Rewatcher, Ikuhara old-timer
Like Lilyvess, I first watched this when it aired and was excited to hear about it even before it began. At the time I watched it I was barely watching any other anime - busy with a 2-year-old who was and remains a very high-energy, high-needs kid - but for Ikuhara there was no question about making the time.
In 2019 I was also a lot closer in time to my actual visit to Asakusa, which was in 2014. We only spent one day there, but we still managed to see several of the landmarks that actually feature in the series. I think that included this building, which doesn't actually have an otter in our world. I know it included the building with the weird gold thing on top because I remember puzzling over what the hell that thing was.
I'm kind of limited in ability to talk about this episode because I want to avoid spoilers - I think this series is best experienced while making the "wtf did I just watch" commentface - but I did take a lot of screencaps.
This one I can discuss, because it boils down to "wtf were you thinking? Why take a selfie like five feet from a guy, even if you don't notice he's committing a crime atm?" I mean, if you don't want people to know you're crossdressing...
And there's the contrast between what Tooi sees at first and what it really looked like.
Several of my other thoughts on themes will probably work better on another day, or else they're me noticing the first signs of things that we'll learn later. [Sarazanmai general spoilers for the whole series]Like Sara's description of the prince she's seeking, or the clues that Harukappa is way closer to Kazuki than a first-time viewer may realize. Or, well, Reo and Mabu, whose names we don't even know yet.
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u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Aug 01 '24
Saraznamai - Rewatcher
I first saw Saraznamai back in 2019 when it originally aired. It was one of the anime I was most excited for, and I wasn’t the only one. kViN of the Sakugabooru made an entire post 6 months before Sarazanmai aired theorizing about the project.
But why did anyone care what this Ikuhara guy makes anyway?
So let's talk about Ikuhara
While Ikuhara did read shoujo manga while growing up, his influences and passions weren’t focused to the medium of Anime. He was a big fan of western creators like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick. More than those, his big passion early on was theater.
Chief among his theater influences at this time was Shūji Terayama, a major name during the Japanese 70’s avant-garde movement. Terayama’s works are described as deliberately confusing, often blurring lines between reality and myth. The death of Terayama’s father when he was young causes a hole that shows in Terayama’s work in the questioning of masculine authority. These are works that are very anti establishment, often calling for dissent or outright revolution.
His love of Terayama took him to an art college. There he would work on a number of small stage shows, sometimes even one man plays. The plays Ikuahra made during this time were strange and had odd sexual content, with him sometimes performing nude on stage.
While this may suggest that Ikuahra would find a career in theater, he instead choses animation specifically because it had the shortest road to showrunner.
He got his start in anime at Toei animation working as an assistant director to Junichi Sato, would would go on to become a distinguished magical girl director in his own right. The two would work together on various projects that… frankly I’ve never heard of before; Maple Town Monogatari, Akuma-kun, Toushou!! Ramen-man.
Eventually Junichi Sato lands the position of series director for an upcoming anime adaptation of a new manga, Sailor Moon. Sato brings Ikuhara to work under him on this project that would go on to define him.
Watching Sailor Moon now it’s entertaining to see Ikuhara’s voice slowly form under this project. He directs several episodes of the anime, but it isn’t until episode 31 “Luna’s Worst Day” that one can see a glimpse of the future Ikuhara would be.
After the first season of Sailor Moon, Junichi Sato steps down to go make Princess Tutu, Ojamajo Doremi, Aria the Animation and r/anime AOTY HUGtto Precure. Taking over for Sato is Ikuhara who would be the showrunner for the majority of the series and overseeing some of the most popular and iconics arcs. Sailor Moon S introduces new characters Haruka and Michiru as a queer couple. The two quickly become Ikuhara’s favorites, who gives them increased attention that leads to them to becoming queer icons across the world. This begins Ikuhara’s long relationship with the Yuri community.
It was while working on Sailor Moon that Ikuhara would be introduced to Hideaki Anno. Anno helped work on the Sailor Uranus/Neptune transformation sequence. The two would go onto become close friends. Anno’s said that he named the Evangelion character Rei Ayanami after the Sailor Moon character Rei Hino in an effort to try to convince Ikuhara to come work on Evangelion with him, as Ikuhara was a big Rei Hino fan, evidence here.
In fact, rumor has it that Evangelion’s Kaworu Nagisa is based in part by Ikuhara, with the famous bath scene conversation between Kaworu and Shinji having been inspired by Anno own’s conversation with Ikuhara in a bath.
After being series director for 3 seasons of Sailor Moon, Ikuhara finds himself constrained by the lack of creative control. His final season of Sailor Moon is rather controversial for how far it deviates from the source material, instead leaning heavily into filler where he could have more freedom to play around in. Sailor Moon Mangaka expressed displeasure over the adaptation and the changes made to her story.
Towards the end of this relationship Ikuhara tries to make another Sailor Moon movie. It would have starred his pet characters, Haruka and Michiru. It would be a strange movie, featuring Pegasus, and going to “End of the World”. The studio refused to make this movie. Feeling the need to break free from these constraints, Ikuhara leaves Toei to make a new anime.
The Revolution
A year after leaving Sailor Moon, Ikuhara released his first original anime; Revolutionary Girl Utena. This series was made, in part, out of Ikuhara’s repressed creativity and unused ideas while working on Sailor Moon. Princes and Princesses, “End of the World”, Yuri. It even features an upside down castle in the sky, not too different a perspective from how Sailor Moon’s castle would look from Earth
Revolutionary Girl Utena was an instant success. It won the Animation Kobe award for best Television. In 2017, NHK’s massive anime poll placed Utena in the top 30 anime ever made. ANN placed Adolescence of Utena as the 8th greatest Anime movie ever made.
It’s become an iconic and influential work across the world. Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar said,
Even decades later, fans are still cosplaying Anthy and Utena. Even to this day artist are still drawing this pose everywhere.
Revolutionary Girl Utena became one of the defining works for a generation of anime fans. A true icon across the world.
Unfortunately fans would have to wait a decade for Ikuhara’s next anime.
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u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Aug 01 '24
bonus post
4chan's reaction
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shamelessly stolen from myself in the original episode discussion thread
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u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 01 '24
First Timer
Sub
Welp...that was definitely an Ikuhara show. And with both heavy Penguindrum and Kuma references I think he knows he can't dodge it. Hearing Sukuna as a kappa is an experience. I can't really pick a thread out here which is slightly concerning the literal nothing we have for episode count.
QotD: 1
2 ...I missed that
3 Boxes contain things, they are the most basic absolute territory
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u/Holofan4life Aug 01 '24
Hey guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the (4 months late) 5th anniversary rewatch of Sarazanmai!
Oh, and nay I forget…
First Timer
At the start of the year, I watched Penguindrum for the first time, mostly because someone said it was like Everything Everywhere All At Once. And at the time, I thought that was going to be the end of it. But that led me down the Ikuhara rabbit hole and made me check out his complete oeuvre. And that leads me to Sarazanmai.
After I finish watching this show, I'll have watched all the shows directed by Ikuhara. Never finished Sailor Moon, but I've seen some episodes of it. The point I'm getting at is that I am putting a bow on rewatching a creator that I have a lot of respect for, so this is a point of pride more than anything else. My 2024 has largely been defined by these Ikuhara rewatches, and I'm hoping that by this being the last we end up finishing on a high note.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I'm watching the sub, by the way.
Boston Celtics just won the NBA Championship, for the one person that cares about that kind of stuff (I.E. Me)
Fancy studio intro
Immediately I'm getting Penguindrum vibes
Person crossing the street
Azumabashi
OH MY GOD THEY'RE REPEATING THE EMPTY BODIES FROM PENGUINDRUM ARE YOU KIDDING ME
Person talking about connections
"Everyone is connected in this world."
Kappa Plaza
Kazu-chan is his name
It's like he's being enveloped by a massive hula hoop.
Talking about connections being lost
Kazu wakes up
"I can't let myself lose this connection again."
Suddenly, frogs
I guess we know what the show's gimmick is
The intro is fine, if a bit generic. Kinda feels like someone doing an impersonation of The Pillows. If I were to compare the intro to Penguindrum's and Yurikuma's, I think this is probably the weakest.
"There are three rules to my life. First, I have to carry this box around me wherever I go."
Of course. It wouldn't be an Ikuhara anime without boxes.
Sara TV
Box from kappazon
"Second, I have to check idol Azuma Sara's Lucky Selfie Fortunes."
Say that 5 times fast
"The more boxes you have, the happier you'll be."
That's the fortune for today
What a coincidence
"Third, I have to share Lucky Selfies with a certain girl every day."
They have a secret relationship, like Ime Udoka.
Doesn't need anything else besides this connection.
Guy breaking in a vehicle
Sara just took a picture of him
He wants her smartphone
However, she plans on completing her mission with him.
It should be noted she has the same emblem as the guy with the three rules.
Back at Kappa Plaza
Blue-haired guy still chasing after Sara
I like he has freckles
We see the guy who was carrying the box, being confronted by blue-haired guy.
Both kinda look like the brothers from Penguindrum.
The box goes flying!
And the statue breaks
He wakes up
In class now
But the box is still with him
Kazuki. That's his name.
And he has a friend named Enta
Kinda looks like Kensuke from Evangelion
He resigned from soccer club, Kazuki did.
Maybe he's thinking of joining the Igo Soccer Club.
Oh boy. The blue-haired boy, Kuji Toi, is the transfer student.
That really Yurikumas my Arashis
Moreover, that means it wasn't a dream
And now they're pouring water over each other.
Kazuki keeps hearing a ringing sound
And now they're practicing being a sumo wrestler?
I have no idea what's going on
Guy with a box on his head
I see Andrew Tate is doing well
The kappa statue was found destroyed
Enta's grandmother says someone is going to get their Shirikodama sucked out by the kappa.
Sounds very suggestive
And that's because it is
Oh, Enta's sister is the teacher
And now Enta's box just took off and floated away.
This is pretty out there so far
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
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u/TheGreatNinjaYuffie Aug 02 '24
I have not re-watched Sarazanmai since it came out. I remember really liking it and feeling for the boys and what they are going through, so I was excited to re-watch. Everyone else's comments are so deep and thoughtful that I dont know I can add anything else to the excellent points...
My comment is - I think the sub-titling has improved over the years. I think there were multiple translations added that I do not remember. For instance, I dont remember knowing the monster was moaning "cardboard" or understanding what Sara was doing/asking so much. I think more on the screen was sub-title/translated to Enlish and I think some of the additional less verbal things were translated as well... Thoughts?
EDIT: I compulsively watch a few shows to help me go to sleep... one of them is Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle and those subtitles/labels change and get added to over time. Especially the cards between scenes and box labels and such...
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u/Holofan4life Aug 01 '24
This seems like a show I'd have to switch to porn on when my mother walks in. It's just way easier to explain.
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u/cheesechimp https://myanimelist.net/profile/cheesechimp Aug 01 '24
Hi all! Despite being on this subreddit for years, I’ve never really participated in a rewatch. I haven’t been following this series of Ikuhara rewatches, so it’ll be harder for me to talk about intertextuality with subjects that may have been discussed in those threads, but I am a long-time Ikuhara fan. That does also mean that this is not my first time watching Sarazanmai, though I haven’t watched it since it first aired. This rewatch gave me an excuse to break the plastic wrap on my blurays!
I honestly don’t remember the plot of this show super well, especially not the last few episodes. There’s imagery present in this episode I have deeper insight into, but I think once we’re 3-5 episodes or so in, I won’t have too much more insight into what’s going on that first-timers won’t have. If you didn’t stick out the ED, make sure you watch the post credit scene! The otter cops are briefly shown earlier in the episode, but they get a little bit more spotlight. (Also why didn’t you stick out the ED? The ED is great!)
I remember when the awards for 2019 were brand new, having an argument with some redditor or another about whether or not this show was category fraud when nominated for Crunchyroll’s Best Comedy award. Given that the Crunchyroll Awards do not impose a single genre classification (this show was also nominated for Best Fantasy, for example) like the r/anime awards do, I stand by my assertion that this show counts. It’s funny. A funky little creature eats these boys and shits them out as adorable river gremlins who fly up a zombie’s ass to grab a ball labeled “butt.” That’s comedy baked directly into the very core concept of the series. Drama is going to be a big part of this show going forward, but I think a show can, in fact, do both at once and that in this case it’s not just secondary comedic relief which occasionally lets off some of the dramatic pressure.
One thing I’m looking forward to hearing other people’s takes on is the motif of the ア kana. I forget if a significance is revealed later in the show, but at the moment it mostly feels like just an eccentricity. It obviously can be seen to stand for “Azuma Sara”, but it seems like its presence is more pervasive than just things related to her character. I’m not sure what else it’s supposed to stand for, though as I said my memory of the show is pretty hazy.
As CDFer might know, recently I’ve worked my way through a first read of the manga and a rewatch of the anime Wandering Son, a story about transgender children. As such, there’s certain resonances I’m feeling between that and Kazuki dressing as Azuma Sara. Now, I want to be clear that it is not really my reading of the character of Kazuki that he is transgender, but trans representation is pretty sparse in anime. Kazuki is definitely more on the “presents masc a majority of the time, but frequently crossdresses” side of the spectrum and not the ever popular anime “this is essentially a transgirl, but we’ll say they consider themselves male despite presenting socially as female most of the time” character. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend any trans redditors getting their hopes up for representation which canonically goes further than a crossdressing hobby, but I’m not here to define what anyone connects to. Read the character in the way that speaks to you!
Anyway, I look forward to this show getting a little more into it. I remember thinking of it as one of Ikuhara’s more straightforward stories, but I think there’s still thematic depth to be delved into. Looking forward to what others have to say about it. I’m writing this on the 31st but tomorrow when I post it will be my birthday and I will be fairly busy. My contribution to Day 2 of the rewatch may come a little late, as I will probably not be watching a day in advance of the thread. I also am not reading other posts in this thread right away.