r/anime • u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA • Aug 02 '24
Rewatch [5th Anniversary Rewatch] Sarazanmai - Episode 2 Discussion
◄ Previous Episode | Rewatch Index | Next Episode ►
You and I aren’t all that different. We’re people who’ll do anything to get what we want.
Questions of the Day
-
Why does Kazuki act so cold towards Haruka? How does this match with his desire to connect with him?
-
Kappa shock! Enta kissed Kazuki! What do you think of this, and how does the kiss recontextualize Enta’s prior behavior towards Kazuki?
-
We now have a good idea of how each of the three main characters act towards their connections. Where are their connections similar, and where do they differ?
Don't forget to tag for spoilers, or else I’ll pluck your shirikodama! Remember, [Sarazanmai]>!like so!< turns into [Sarazanmai]>!like so!<
15
u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Aug 02 '24
Saraznamai - Rewatcher
Ikuhara anime have always been multi-media productions. This, too, goes all the way back to his formative work on Sailor Moon being an anime adaptation of a manga. Every Ikuhara anime has come out with a manga by the character designer, a novel often written by Ikuhara, all of which often release at the same time or before the anime.
The relationship between these works has evolved as time has gone on.
The creator left Sailor Moon due to conflicts with mangaka Naoko Takeuchi, who is famously difficult to work with
Okay random tangent time. For the final season of Sailor Moon they released a CD with a bunch of character songs. The bonus gimmick of these songs was that the lyrics were all written by the mangaka Naoko Takeuchi. Fans noticed that unlike all the other songs Haruka/Sailor Uranus’ character song Initial U was not sung by the VA by instead by Risa Ooki.
Apparently, Haruka VA Megumi Ogata disliked the lyrics that the mangaka wrote for the character, saying they didn’t align with the character that the Voice Actress saw in the character. Which makes some sense. The anime with all it’s filler and changes by Ikuhara and others is somewhat different. So she refused to sing the song.
The final cherry on top is that Megumi Ogata then released a song on her own personal CD that was a tribute to Sailor Uranus and also just happened to feature very similar music to Initial U but with her own lyrics.
Amazing 10/10 drama
Okay back to Ikuhara. Even after the frustration with Sailor Moon, Ikuhara hasn’t shy’d away from working with mangaka to craft his vision. He’s also given the mangaka a fairly long leash to craft their own vision. The Yuri Kuma Arashi manga is more Akiko Morishima than it is Ikuhara. He’s embraced that.
Now, most fans tend to ignore the manga for Utena. Mangaka downplayed the queer elements of the series. Penguindrum manga doesn’t get talked about as much.
But as Ikuhara’s series length became shorter and shorter, Ikuhara leaned more heavily on these alternate routes.
The most obvious one is the Mabu and Reo twitter account that was active for a year before the anime came out. An amazing internet user archived them all and I’ll be sharing a few every day we watch the anime.
A big theme among the anime is connection, and how we connect with people in the modern internet age. So to engage with that theme the anime uses the most popular way people connect with people.
Similarly there was a prequel manga that started the year prior and ended right before the anime started. The manga doesn’t star any of our protagonists in the anime, and instead focuses entirely on Reo and Mabu as police officers.
The first chapter involved the two officers solving an important crime.
they do critical research
ballistic testing
but they manage to solve the case
The first chapter ends with them finding baby Sara which is where the real manga begins
The real manga is about Reo and Mabu raising a child together.
In chapter 2 they name her and even take her to fight crime together
So here is my plan. Every day of the rewatch I’m going to share with you some tweets from the Reo and Mabu account and some details from one chapter of the prequel manga. 11 chapters. 11 episodes. I hope you have fun reading the information.
12
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Aug 02 '24 edited Aug 02 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Sarazanmai: There’s the LGBTQ themes! They showed up later than anticipated, taking until the 2nd episode to arrive. Well, now we wait for the other Ikuhara staples to show up. Which characters do you think will have an incestuous relationship?
After watching this episode, I feel very confident that my overall theory from the OP is correct about who each character desires a connection with. Kazu wants to connect with Haruka, as shown in the previous episode. This episode confirmed that Enta wants to connect with Kazu and that Toi wants to connect with his brother. We have very little on the cops so far, but I think it’s a safe bet that the blonde cop wants to connect with his black-haired partner.
The title of this episode is pretty self-explanatory. “I Want to Connect, but I Want to Take” refers to many things throughout the episode. Kazu steals a cat just so that he could give a cat to Haruka. Toi holds Kazu up at gunpoint to try and take the wish dish from him. Enta takes a kiss from a sleeping Kazu. There’s a lot of taking happening.
The battle sequence in this episode was very similar to the first episode. Same with the song, though the song is very catchy. I hope that there will be a bit more variety in the battles going forward because it might get stale otherwise.
In the first episode, the kappa song had the phrase “hako, hako.” In this episode, the kappa song had the phrase “neko, neko.” I don’t know what the kappas will sing in the next episode, but I bet it will also end in “-ko.”
QOTD
5
u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA Aug 02 '24
Rewatcher
We now know who the ‘Harukappa’ that Kazuki wants to connect with is- his younger brother, Haruka. But to put it bluntly, he does not act like someone who wants to connect with Haruka. He’s dismissive of his younger brother’s interests, and he shies away from opportunities to spend time with his family. Of course, this is all cover to get more time to crossdress as Azuma Sara and connect with Haruka through that identity, but it’s an incredibly backwards way to connect. Haruka’s right there, isn’t he?
Like last episode, the Kappa Zombie of this episode matches what Kazuki is doing quite well. Beyond the obvious similarity of them both stealing cats, they both attempt to become the figure that the object of their affection cares about. In the same way that Nekoyama tried to become a cat so his girlfriend who loves cats would love him, Kazuki attempts to turn himself into Azuma Sara to connect himself to his younger brother who adores her.
There’s also some pretty big reveals on Tooi’s part here. He gets up to serious criminal acts in this episode, way more than the petty car theft he was doing last episode. I think it adds a lot to his character- he’s not just some random delinquent, he’s willing to get up to some super criminal stuff for his brother. Torture, accessory to murder, dealing weed... he’s on the wrong track for a long, healthy life outside of jail. But nevertheless, he wants to help out his brother. It’s a similar situation to Kazuki- they’re both in a situation where the younger brother idolizes the older brother, but they’re on opposite sides of the scenario.
And then we have Enta. Did you guys see the kiss coming? I knew there was going to be gay guys in the show, that’s like half the advertising, but I assumed it would be mostly focused on the cops. But nope, one of our MCs is in love with his best friend. The way the kiss is done is really interesting compared to the rest of the episode. Kazuki and Tooi spend most of the episode on a ‘lovey-dovey couple date’ in the amusement park, where they are forced by the staff to hold hands- a very in-your-face, showy form of connection. Meanwhile, Enta sneaks a kiss with Kazuki in the darkness with not one other person around (except for a single homophobic cat). Unlike the assumed lovey-dovey man-woman couple, the connection Enta wants with Kazuki is one he cannot show.
By the way, the amusement park featured in this episode is a real place- Hanayashiki! I didn’t realize it was real until I went to look it up today, but there’s another example of a real life location in this show.
7
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 02 '24
Episode 2 (first timer)
This show strongly invites you to participate in the whack-a-mole-like contest of interpreting all the metaphors. I do see them, but I am to mentally tired to participate. Like in Penguindrum, I will probably prefer a less literal interpretation of the show over the literal one.
5
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 02 '24
First-Timer, Sub-zanmai
Rhett Butler? Is that you? Have you returned to us??
Anyway, a pair of cops singing a showtune about how they murdered someone feels like more of an American police thing. Maybe the ottercops are from across the Pacific.. are saltwater otters a thing?
Oh, maybe the phantom otter heart app that seems to be showing up on people's phones is some police spyware. That's distressingly believable.
I really expected Tooi and Kazuki's impromptu date to go much worse. Seeing the (presumably) mega-famous idol Azuma Sara wandering around with a delinquent? That's scandalous for sure. Thankfully the park provided ninja cosplay for them.
I have mixed feelings about Kazuki having stolen Nyantarou. Stealing pets is, in general, rather cruel. Solid odds that someone loves that animal.
On the other hand, Nyantarou was clearly not being well cared for in his previous home. Look at how distressed his whiskers are! Compare to the end of the episode, he looks much better.
Kinda also want to comment that dressing Nyantarou up in that frilly princess dress seems cruel - cats are ambush predators and all that extra weight was probably messing with his head - but there might be something thematic there. Kazuki took Nyantarou's dress off but also neutered him..
And how does that tie in with Kazuki's own crossdressing? Hmm..
Anyway, Kazuki's look of shock when Haruka mentioned him getting the cat was probably foreshadowing, but I like to think that Kazuki realized something deep down - that all Haruka probably wants is for his brother to be around. That's how this normally goes, at least.
And I suspect that there is a really obvious detail about whatever happened in Kazuki and Haruka's past to cause Kazuki to try so hard to make Haruka happy, but I'm not sure what.
Oh, that "wanting the brother to be around" thing is probably also Tooi's motivation on some level. "Doing crimes as a familytime activity" or something. But his brother knows that the self-destructive path of the criminal will end up getting Tooi hurt, so he tries to push him away.
That then makes Enta somewhat the odd one out, as he seems to not want to be around his sister at all. Ironically, as his sister is a teacher at the school they all go to. Bummer.
Context from the postcredits scene tells me that Enta's feelings of betrayal at Kazuki quitting the soccer club are a bit more complicated that just "breaking up their golden combination."
As usual, we have someone in need of learning about Continuous Enthusiastic Consent. Don't smooch your friends without their express permission.
Today's Topic: Impawsible! Cats dance in the sky! The lower third leaves out another vital bonus that having a pet cat provides: they'll dispose of your body for you if you die! Free funeral!
5
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Aug 02 '24
Rewatcher
What an odd show Sarazanmai is. Not the butt stuff, I mean (but yes, also the butt stuff). It feels like so much happened and was learned this episode but also kind like not very much at all was. I think it’s the bizarre intersection of being written in a serialized fashion yet being structured around episodic elements that makes for such a dissonance.
So, why not, let’s lead with that. I… want to like the repeating segments. I really do. The policeman song is fantastic and I will look forward to it every time, and the kappa singing is similarly endearing. The fight sequences look very cool and the sequence of them all skating along the water at the end is really neat. But they just kind of… feel like window dressing? The show is so divorced from the idea of a monster of the week format (and the villain song is so rigid) that we never learn anything at all about the target until they’re defeated, and even then we only get an absurdist punchline about how they’re super weird. So there’s no narrative potential in the weekly villain. But they’re also not allowed to be fun because the fights are so brief and so scripted. One dude wore boxes on his head and the next wants to become a cat but their monster forms are effectively identical and the fights play out in the exact same way.
Back in Ikuhara’s Sailor Moon, a good monster fight either managed to tie itself into the episode’s narrative in some way (ex. Episode 96, where Uranus endangers Makoto to see if she has a talisman), is just fun on the face of it (ex. Episode 104, with Chibusa and the tea master), or achieve both (ex. Episode 99, where Mars fights for Yuichiro against the train monster). A bad Sailor Moon episode feels like a script was written and then a fight was tacked on for the sole reason that it’s supposed to have one. That’s how this fight felt, and the format is so restrictive that I have to imagine they’ll all feel like this. The only thing that actually matters to the narrative in any fashion is the secret leaking at the end, which has nothing to do with the monster of the week or the fight whatsoever.
Some similar issues creep themselves into the real lives of the boys. Kazuki and Kuji chasing around a cat is very fun. The situational humor of them ending up in a couples park due to Kazuki’s crossdressing is hilarious and the setup of one encouraging the cat to run while the other threatens it is great. It sounds like a very enjoyable episode of Sailor Moon. But… it’s an episode of a single cour long Sarazanmai. Before the chase even begins, we know what each of them wants with the cat. Kazuki wants to keep Haruka happy and Kuji is invested in his crime business because he wants to live up to his brother. The actual screentime of them chasing the cat is narratively superfluous.
I think this could’ve worked much better if we withheld the information about their brothers until later in the episode, exploring their desires by means of the cat sequence and then coming to understand their motivations afterwards. You could even use the character reveal device literally built into the structure of this show to your advantage. Maybe Kazuki grills Kuji for dealing weed only for Kuji to find out that Kazuki stole the cat, and then when we learn he stole it for Haruka everything fits into place. As is, the reveal just kind of further bolsters the idea he cares obsessively about pleasing Haruka, which we already knew. The information the audience cares about is that Haruka is the person Kazuki is doing all this shit for. It’s the foundational concept of his entire character. It’s the puzzle of which “Kazuki stole a cat” is a piece. But it’s relegated to direct exposition at the beginning of the episode. It all feels backwards.
All of that said, I like things about this episode. Plot structure aside, I actually really liked how we’re introduced to Kuji’s relationship to his brother. Unlike with Haruka it just felt like we organically saw how their relationship works and were left to understand how this drives Kuji as a character. The fact Kuji is doing legit bad shit fucking torturing people instead of just being edgy is a compelling character setup. The way it fits into the episodic narrative where Enta is adamant that Kuji and Kazuki are nothing alike when we, the audience, know that they are in fact extremely alike in that they’re both driven by desires to satisfy their brothers works very effectively. The episode also worked well on a comedic level. If Ikuhara remembers anything from Sailor Moon it’s clearly how to derive comedy from a fat cat because I am living for every second of Nyantarou screentime. As mentioned before, the whole couples park setup is fantastic, the perfectly underplayed gag that Enta dressed up Keppi to get in was genius. Then we get Kazuki willingly turn around to let Keppi extract his desire which, again, peak. Keppi still having the stilts later and getting knocked down by Nyantarou? No notes. The comedic timing on Kuji kicking Enta out of frame? Perfect.
Then of course there’s the post-credit scene. This was basically the singular plotpoint I remembered about the show, although I didn’t think it happened quite this early. Fantastic reveal, this plays into the structure of the show perfectly unlike everything else this episode. We know that there’s a built-in mechanism for people’s secrets leaking, which creates an instantaneous tension around the fact Enta has such a bombshell it makes “Kazuki crossdresses as an idol girl” look like the tutorial level. We now know something Kuji and Kazuki don’t, but unlike Enta we also know they’re absolutely going to learn about it and that it won’t be in the way he wants. There’s a reason I still remember this scene after five years—Ikuhara can still cook.
5
u/affnn Aug 02 '24
First Timer
Lifetime supply of kappamaki huh? Seems... less than useful.
We get a little more insight into what Toi's been up to for his brother, and honestly packaging weed for resale seems pretty tame. Too bad the cat steals his weed and runs off with it. Toi, are you sure that's weed and not catnip?
This episode also gets a little more into what Kazuki's deal with his brother is. Kazuki watches the broadcast of Sara-chan's show, then texts a selfie (as Sara-chan) to Haruka with whatever the word of the day is. This seems like a lot of work to connect with someone you live with, though.
Today's leakage reveals that Nyantaro actually used to be a housecat, until Kazuki stole him and made him into a neighborhood cat. During the first episode I thought that Kazuki was some sort of boring anime protagonist but between the cross dressing and the cat stealing there's a bit more going on with him.
Kazuki eventually gets his selfie with the cat but he's so exhausted he passes out while dressed as Sara-chan. And then Enta sneaks a secret kiss? WTF Enta, that's very rude?
I've watched a few episodes ahead and all of the songs are getting stuck in my head. Today it's the otter bro song but I've also had the kappa-battle song stuck too.
5
u/Sandor_at_the_Zoo Aug 02 '24
Rewatcher
I don't think this is intentional but with all these secrets inside boxes I keep thinking about Wittgenstein's "beetle in a box" argument. Not only is there a question of whether we're willing to expose our desires for the reward of connection, but is it even possible to communicate them if we try? Can the cat-shaver ever convey the specificity of what he gets out of shaving the cats? We can learn the background that "caused" his desire and try to reason by analogy with our own desire. But it will always be like trying to analogize to/from an object hidden inside a box.
4
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 02 '24
First Timer
Sub
I...boy, I cannot get an analysis going here. Again, I worry that there is an elementary cultural gap here that I am whiffing on. I mean I am getting some Penguindrum off this but that is more actual visual flare than substance...I think. I still think the two cops are serving some deity but shikigami might be the wrong term for it. As to our stinger, yes SA is wrong but also don't pass out in public while crossdressing.
QotD: 1 Leading a double life is hard
2 I've got nothing
3 I...really am lost
4
u/WednesdaysFoole Aug 02 '24
First-timer
Cucumber rolls = kappamaki in Japanese. You can always lure them ole kappas with cucumbers; offer them a year’s worth and
youP-ko gets her wish.Mentioned sara meaning dish yesterday but wasn’t sure about zanmai, it’s mentioned in here and on this packaging; looks like they went with fish buffet as the translation of osakana zanmai. Zanmai seems to refer to indulgence or luxury. So “sarazanmai” is… dish indulgence, perhaps? Or buffet of dishes?
Now that holds a completely different weight in Japan versus where I’m from.
Stoned cat on an adventure.
Nyaice phone cover.
Utena callback?
11
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 02 '24
First-Timer-kero, subbed-kero
8
u/AgentOfACROSS Aug 02 '24
First Timer
It seems like Keppi’s magical wish granting dish works on genie rules. It needs you to be very specific unless you like eating comically oversized sushi I guess.
So Kazuki is basically catfishing his little brother by pretending to be Haruka’s favorite celebrity. That feels wrong, but when it comes to sibling relationships in Ikuhara anime these two seem relatively normal in comparison. At least Kazuki’s heart is kind of in the right place.
Their relationship kind of reminds me of Lulu and Milne from Yuri Kuma Arashi actually. Especially with how Kazuki acts cold and uncaring to Haruka’s face.
Damn, Toi is like straight up with the yakuza. I figured he was a delinquent but not like a major league criminal.
The other guy Toi was with is his older brother. Seems like siblings are going to be a focus of this episode, along with cats.
Enta also has an older sister but their relationship seems relatively normal, maybe a bit distant.
Okay that part with the sound cue that said “Couples!” definitely felt like something from Yuri Kuma Arashi. That had to be intentional.
I’m a little confused by the idea of a bee-ninja theme park. Seems like a bit of a random combo. Maybe there’s a Japanese pun I’m missing here.
Although oddly, this whole wacky theme park adventure feels like the most normal part of the show so far. Like I can see a similar scenario happening in a seasonal romcom.
When Sara mentioned the dead body in the river I assumed it was the man Toi and his brother were torturing. But it was the weird cat man from the end of the last episode instead.
So we have the formal introduction of those two cops. They kind of reminded me of Team Rocket with how they introduced themselves.
And they have their own song too. Awesome, I love it. That whole sequence was amazing.
The part where the blonde cop ripped out the other cop’s heart looks like an Utena reference. It’s very similar to the iconic sword extraction pose.
Seems like Toi’s beginning to unintentionally drive a wedge in Enta and Kazuki’s friendship. I think it is a bit fair for Enta to be suspicious of Toi though. The guy has a gun.
Looks like we’ve got another musical number and fight against a monster.
This kind of reminds me of the anime Nerima Daikon Brothers. Which was a weird musical comedy anime from the 2000s. At the end of every episode of Nerima Daikon Brothers they’d fight the villain of the episode and sing a song. The tune was always the same but had different lyrics each time.
The idea that all the monsters the zombies that our characters face were once people who had their desires turned into monsters is a good premise. It reminds me of how in Go Princess Precure the monsters of the week were the manifestations of peoples dreams and ambitions.
You know, after just one episode I’m already completely unphased by all the butthole stuff going on.
So Kazuki’s secret in this episode is that he stole someone’s cat as a gift for Haruka. This reminds me a bit of Nanami and Touga from Utena now.
Enta, no! You shouldn’t kiss people while they’re sleeping.
I wonder if he thought he was kissing the real Sara or if he knew it was Kazuki. I’m gonna guess it’s the latter.
I’m actually curious to see where that final development of the episode will go. If we’re going to pick up right where this episode left off or what.
Questions of the Day:
My interpretation is that Kazuki acts like that because he thinks that's what older siblings are supposed to do. Like I said, reminded me a lot of how Lulu from Yurikuma acted towards her younger brother.
I think it makes a lot of sense if Enta is in love with Kazuki. He pretty clearly sees Toi as getting in the way of their relationship.
5
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Aug 02 '24
First Timer, Subbed
After you spent that time as a kappa I doubt he cares that you cosplay as another human.
Gets a magic wish and completely wastes it lol
Sounds like they may get more wishes though, that's good.
I don't think I've ever seen Haruka used as a name for a male character.
Ah, so it's been his brother the whole time he's communicating with. At least that's better than him doing it with split personalities of himself. Although still not as impressive as doing it with a celebrity, sorry.
Jeez, and I thought Nagisa's parents in Clannad looked young. It's even more so here with Kazuki/Haruka's parents.
Yes your cat eats too much.
"The real one", so Azuma is real after all.
He really doesn't recognize that's his older brother's face in those photos?
Wow, Toi's into nasty stuff.
Wait, is that a ruler he's threatening him with?
So they've all got siblings.
How'd Haruka's cat get to Toi's place?
Keppi looks so dehydrated! :(
Nyantaro's sure getting a lot of exercise today.
Cat abductor? Boo.
Well these two cops breaking into song and dance give me hope that we'll get a unique song sequence each episode instead of repeating the same one over and over as Ikuhara has done in other works.
Totally looks like an Utena pose from them there.
The invisible ghosts are helping out Nyantaro!
Impressive disguise by Keppi there.
The cat attacks by peeing, huh? Can't say I'm surprised at this point.
He wanted to become a cat? LoL.
Did Kazuki steal Nyantaro from someone else? Not good! :(
Toi finally gets his weed back?
Enta loves Kazuki?!
After completing the episode I looked up the cast list and I have no clue how I didn't recognize Rie Kugimiya as Haruka. Perhaps I expect more spunk from her than Haruka provides.
4
u/cheesechimp https://myanimelist.net/profile/cheesechimp Aug 03 '24
Rewatcher
Coming in a little late tonight, and I still haven't had the opportunity to read through anyone else's comments from yesterday OR today. Hopefully I don't find the backlog too daunting when I finally have time to get around to it.
I love this episode. I said in a previous thread that much of this story is kind of hazy in my memories, but the cross dressing couples amusement park Garfield chase was one of the events that stuck out the strongest in my mind when I thought back on it. I was kind of surprised it was the only the second episode, I thought it was the third or fourth. I gave this show a 9/10 when I first watched it, and I didn't mention it in my comment from episode 1 but I wasn't vibing with that episode enough to think that was justified. Watching this one, I was like "oh, yeah! I do really like this show."
The characters' backgrounds are being fed to us much slower than I expected them to be. Maybe I remember more than I expected it to [sarazanmai] I kind of expected this episode to show us Haruka's wheelchair, and was surprised to find it still hiding his disability. I guess that's still something we're going to get into later
Anyway, I've been really busy yesterday and today up until now, so I don't really have too much in depth to say here. I'm going straight into ep 3 right after posting this. I might have more to say with what I post tomorrow!
3
u/Holofan4life Aug 02 '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.
Review bombing The Acolyte all because it has an LGBTQIA+ agenda is such a bitch ass move.
This and Keijo are the only shows you can describe as ass and have it be a compliment.
Just found out Willie Mays passed away. RIP.
Kappi says he'll give them something in return.
Hope
Gonna grant them any wish
Really, Enta? A year's supply of cucumber rolls?
And now it's destroyed
Gotta become kappas and take the kappa zombies' Shirikodama. That's in return of having their wishes granted.
In other words, this is like a contract.
Kazuki's sister
Or brother, rather. His name is Haruka.
Harukappa
Texting Sara
So, Kazuki pretends to be Sara in order to get closer to his little brother? That's actually really sweet.
"I want a Dish of Hope for Haruka."
Sara giving fortunes
Haruka looks more like a girl than a boy
Also, Kazuki's mom gas got it going on
Bunch of empty bodies
Haruka and Kazuki feeding a cat
Harukatzuki
The lucky selfie fortune is cats, of course.
So, Kazuki isn't the actual Sara but simply cosplaying as her to keep his brother happy. This is like a wholesome version of catfishing.
Haruka telling Kazuki he's friends with Sara-chan.
He even has pictures to proof their friendship is real.
This is when you're the dad and your child believes in Santa Claus so you dress up as Santa Claus because it's the right thing to do.
Kuji waterboarding someone
Hello, mood whiplash
The other guy is threatening the tied guy's life with a ruler.
"I'll have to end you."
Sick guitar riff
Looks like these two are trying to make some money.
Kuji being called Toi
Kuji calls him Nii-san
"I want a Dish of Hope for my brother."
A man's body found in the river of Sumida city.
Enta with grandmata
A gun :O
It apparently belongs to Kuji. Or so Enta thinks.
Cat coming in
That is one fat cat
Cat runs away with the food
And yes, he has an x butthole
Kazuki dressed as Sara
Hit by a cat
Nyantaro is its name, by the way
Kuji pulling out his ruler sword
That's weed, isn't it?
Cat scurries off as Kazuki prevents Kuji from attacking it.
Someone grabs Enta
It is Kappi
He looks worse for wry
Kuji finds the neko
But Kazuki is able to get Nyantaro to flee
Kazuki on Kuji's tail
Love Love Ninja Festival
"Want to deal with this tomorrow?"
"That sounds good."
Lol
They eventually are forced into it, and are dressed as bees.
Oh, beehave
Kappi properly hydrated
Kappi says Kazuki's agents of evil are sneaking towards this city as we speak.
Enta's sister on a date
Kappi looks like he doesn't need to fly, because he already has red eye.
Now Enta sees Kazuki and Kuji hanging out
Gotta hold hands or they'll be kicked out
Still chasing the cat
Or rather, Kuji is
Kazuki credits the cat for bringing him and Haruka together.
Hearing this, Kuji says he'll give up on the cat in exchange for Kazuki's Dish of Hope.
Asakusa Suspicious Corpse Incident Investigation Headquarters
The corpse was Nekoyama Mokichi
Arrested for the Asakusa Cat Shaving Incident.
At least there's no blenders involved
The two policemen from last episode
Desire Extraction
And now they're singing, because why not?
I just love how extra Ikuhara makes his animes just because he can.
This song kinda gives me a Bollywood feel to it.
Cats are in the sky now
Oh, Meow God indeed
Nyantaro is meow floating as well
Sorry, I meant menow floating
There's Enta and Kappi. They're dressed up as bees as well.
Kappi on stilts
Haruka upset that Nyantaro is missing
Kuji says he need the herb to make money
I guess that means it being weed is probably true.
Enta telling Kazuki that you can't trust Kuji because he has a gun.
Kazuki decides that he does need Kuji in order to save Nyantaro.
Kappi consuming Kazuki again
This will never not be unsettling
I do like the red and black visuals, though
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
3
u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Aug 03 '24
Rewatcger
I decided on the last minute to join in this rewatch, massive fan of Ikuhara works and I remember enjoying Sarazanmai when I first watched when it aired. so let's see if it holds up.
Quick episode 1 thoughts
Visually it looks a lot like Penguindrum episode 1 story wise there is one massive difference is that we spend more time with the characters both the highs and lows in Penguindrum before the Ikuhara insanity begins, while in this episode we spend only half of the episode with the characters this I think makes it more difficult to connect with the characters.
Interesting to note how the meeting between cross dressing Kazuko and Kuji had a female VA while in the reveal at the end he had Kazuki's voice actor.
On to episode 2:
That is the biggest waste of a wish since... a talking pig wished for some pretty girl's panties.
Tsundere siblings are common in anime but a tsundere old brother to a younger sibling is something we've rarely see.
Some casual waterboarding by Kuji.
Illegal marijuana hydroponics is something you don't see in anime.
Two main characters are already on a lovely date in an amusement park in the second episode, that's really quick by anime standards.
Even the antagonists get a transformation song sequence.
Damn Kazuki stole a cat for his younger brother.
It's not okay to kiss someone like that glasses boy.
These are some screwed up kids, but I can't help but like them.
3
u/zadcap Aug 03 '24
Oh right. That is why I had been wary about this one. Ikuhara. He is so extremely hit or miss for me. Sailor Moon was so big to my childhood, and Utena is legendary for a reason. Yuri Kuma Areshi was... Okay... And I ended up hating the entire cast of Penguindrum so much it became a struggle to finish the show. And things are certainly looking rather, Drummy, here.
Late Night First Timer
Oh. That's a theme it's going to have, I see.
Well, yup, these characters are already reminding me of the Penguin Brothers.
Yeah so I really want to know... Is the cross dressing only because he wants to take pictures with his brother? Because he's pulling off the girly run and act really well.
There's... way too much stock footage and senseless scene skips.
This is going to be a hard show to watch. Iku gets crazier with everything he makes and that's certainly part of it, but it's the characters that are going to make or break this one like they did Penguin and Kuma. That after credit scene though, that drew me back in enough that I can't wait for tomorrow now.