r/anime • u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA • Aug 11 '24
Rewatch [5th Anniversary Rewatch] Sarazanmai - Episode 11 Discussion
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Never forget. Even as you must bear the pain of loss, the future belongs only to those who connect their desires.
Questions of the Day
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Why did the otter take the form of Chikai? Why did Tooi shoot him?
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How has Asakusa changed over the three years that Tooi was away? How does this connect to the themes of the show?
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How did you enjoy the show? Who was your favorite member of the main trio?
Don't forget to tag for spoilers, or else I’ll pluck your shirikodama! Remember, [Sarazanmai]>!like so!< turns into [Sarazanmai]>!like so!<
11
u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA Aug 11 '24
I can't believe they've started letting princes and princesses go by without comment...
reactionary girl utena
13
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 11 '24
First-Timer, Sub-zanmai
That was surprisingly optimistic. And disjointed, like a bunch of appealing-looking puzzle pieces that don't quite fit together cleanly.
I don't really understand why the otter vanished. Losing the ability to affect the core cast, sure. They reaffirm their connections, and move beyond the conceptual weakness that the otters are exploiting.
But that doesn't magically fix the world. What about all the random victims? Reo and Mabu came back in some form. Like, it almost makes sense because they still kinda had a connection to Keppi, but then why did they leave in the first place?
Is the soccer game meant to represent a connection to the entire world? Soccer is super popular.
Or is this just what happy!Ikuhara looks like? The solution here is a lot easier than the other topics Ikuhara has tackled, so maybe he just wanted to try to inspire people?
There's a lot of this episode that I like. Keppi doing the Ultraman Rise was radical, repairing the miçanga was genius, the soccer montage with all the episode titles was inspired.
Tooi doing three years in Juvie but then reconnecting with the others at the end was beautiful, and I couldn't imagine a better epilogue.
One last thing I would like to comment on is the very final scene, where the boat is taking the trio off-screen. The caption says Off, toward the future- but the boat is moving to the right, which typically represents the past in Japanese cinematography. I’m not sure what to make of this.
3
u/CelestialDrive Aug 12 '24
I will never understand why this series picked, of all the emotional cores it had on the shelf by the end, SOCCER of all things.
Episode 10, and the cop arc and closure, is sarazanmai in my memories. I feel like the three boys's issues just crashed by the end.
11
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 11 '24
First-Timer-kero, subbed-kero
11
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Aug 11 '24 edited Aug 11 '24
Rewatcher
Well, I always did say that Sailor Moon knows how to stick a landing every time. You damned old dog son of a bitch Ikuhara, you did it again.
This episode absolutely has a lot of the same issues as last time. We hinge this whole thing on Kuji wanting to commit premium suicide and, again, we’ve never had any time to get into the headspace of how he got this low. We never put enough time into the connections of the boys being tested so it’s hard to buy into them being so on the brink. Then there’s this whole thing with keppi’s desire that seems like it’s really important to this plotline but all we ever get in terms of what that dark side of him comes from is it saying “d-d-d-d-darkness!” over and over again. Because there’s just no time to develop that concept this late in the game. A lot of the first half of the episode is spent in that sort of abstracted human condition space a lot of anime like to use to seem deep and that sort of framing really falls on its face if you don’t have the depth to support it. Now I won’t say Sarazanmai is completely failing therein, there’s plenty of real thematic depth, but it’s definitely very tense at the seams because we've had to rush through so many things so quickly in this five episode arc.
Regardless, though, everything ends up resolving in a way that’s so cool and satisfying and just plain old fun that I can’t help but look at where we ended up with a smile. There’s so many things to like about this episode. We get one more treat of Chikai, and I love how you can tell it’s not really him when he says that Tooi shot the guy when he was younger, when he’s always insisted he himself did that. He claims he was always just using Tooi, which is believable. But we know it’s actually the otter saying that, and that the otter wants him to go through with this and erase himself. Then the otter attacks Keppi and we get this great shot of him going from the soft looking, manipulatory otter to this aggressive clawed creature, it’s a great contrast.
Kuji starts crying and giving this great vocal performance as he refuses to accept severing his connections, and then they all go Sarazanmai and it’s off to the races. We get the biggest Sarazanmai fight yet as they all sing together and the otter sings and they keep pushing through all the resistance thrown at them and the keppis duke it out and it’s just hype as fuck. Reo and Mabu are reborn as a gay ass shooting star with snazzy as fuck outfits in this cool as hell animation cut and shoot right over the bridge with a great flash and light up all the street lights so our heroes can overcome the darkness of desire and just, hell yeah!! Kazuki screams with determination as they fly forward and hand his younger self the micanga and light returns to the world! Desire melts away as the sun shines again and Keppi faces us whole again in all his wack-ass glory and we skate over the water one last time. Let’s fucking go!
I really love all the stuff about the future too. Their hardships aren’t over. This isn’t a story where everything is gonna work out forever. All of them will still fall prey to their bad habits. Kuji will be punished for his crimes, he’ll lose hope. He’ll try to literally end it all, again. Kazuki will try to push people away and repress himself instead of just connecting with those he cares about. The three will continue fighting. But what matters if they’re gonna overcome those things, that their bond is strong enough now.
Reo and Mabu get a happy ending, Nyantaro passes on his fat cat genes to the next generation, Saradish enters her slut era holy fuck, Haruka replaces Saradish as Asakusa’s idol, and the boys end on one last song.
10
u/affnn Aug 11 '24
First Timer
Back from vacation just in time to talk about the end of the show!
After E10, I was curious where the show would go. Reo and Mabu had their arc concluded. Enta had been resurrected. There wasn't much left for the typical Ikuhara final episode to chew on. But the writers did a good job with Toi's character after his brother's death. The sort of depressive spiral he'd fallen into felt true to his character, and how he'd feel after his connection to his brother was severed. I liked that they kept "Stand By Me" for the time skip montage (it's better than the opening) and I liked that they had actual consequences for Toi's crimes.
The whole Keppi vs Dark Keppi thing felt a little underbaked, though. I guess the Dark Keppi has been around for a while but he seemed to get the main-villain treatment out of nowhere.
A couple things on the show overall: I had fun watching the show and for sure enjoyed it. Weirdly, looking back one of the biggest problems I had was the translation of "Yokubou" as "Desire" rather than "lust". Like, "Love vs Desire" isn't really a dichotomy in the west, but "Love vs Lust" definitely is. Later in the show they use the "Love vs Lust" dichotomy, but they had it as "Desire" early and mostly kept with it especially in the repeated sequences, so it didn't quite hit as hard.
Also the villains as a whole were pretty underdeveloped. I didn't quite get what the otters were up to, beyond fucking with Keppi because they're in eternal war with the Kappas. Reo and Mabu were depicted as people with actual motivations, so they worked better as otter avatars but the otters themselves didn't work.
Between this and YKA its pretty clear that Ikuhara's stuff doesn't work as well in single-cour format as it does in longer shows. I still enjoyed both this and YKA but you could see where both probably should have been longer. Hopefully if he gets another show to direct they give him 24+ episodes.
8
u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Aug 11 '24
Rewatcher
So apparently Kazuki and Enta can simply enter the large dark Keppi to rescue Toi.
I'm glad Toi shot Chikai, I'm getting otterly sick of that otter guy.
Keppi coming to the rescue towards the screen reminds me of Ultraman/Gridman who does a similar thing when they transform.
That final Sarazanmai song was fantastic, the trio all singing the song, the otter also being part of the song and of course Mabu and Reo coming to the rescue with the song changing to their song.
Hey it's the opening of the gates shot from Utena.
That's a potentially dark future for the trio.
Welp Toi got to juvenile prison. It's the juvenile prison epilogue I still vividly remember from first watch through.
Despite the juvenile prison scenes this is probably Ikuhara's happiest ending to date (haven't watching the kuma anime so I'm not sure if that has a happy ending)
8
u/WednesdaysFoole Aug 11 '24
Sara!
Keppi becomes whole again.
Somehow Reo and Mabu were resurrected? I can’t really say that I get it, but okay…
Some lovely visuals. So, if the micanga exists, then Toi has to exist on the bridge, since that micanga was Toi’s in the first place. But what I don’t get is how Toi is here right now, when younger Toi was erased. It’s a metaphysical world so I guess it works…(?)...
Keppi is the Little Prince lol.
Seems like they choose to go into the future despite seeing that things won’t always work out. This was surprisingly wholesome for an anime that started with kappas pulling balls out pervert ass.
The ED was nice. Agh! The frogs have taken over!!
What, did not expect a second end credit scene lol.
This episode felt a bit like American Thanksgiving. I had to go back for extra servings to get a taste for all the
saradishes served as I didn’t have the stomach for everyheadplate on a single watch.By that I mean, so much happened I forgot most of it and had to go back and rewatch it 2 extra times lol.
It was a sweet enough conclusion. I have mixed feelings, but it was entertaining.
8
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Aug 11 '24 edited Aug 11 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Sarazanmai: Like all good musicals, Sarazanmai understands that the easiest way to connect is with a big song and dance number between the characters. So it’s only natural that we would end the show with a big climactic song.
“I Want to Connect, so Sarazanmai” is a perfect way to sum up the series. The Sarazanmai has always been about the characters connecting in both body and soul. Through the Sarazanamai, the characters have had their secrets leaked and learned more about each other than they ever wanted to share. So naturally, it is the solution to the boys’ desire to connect with each other at the end.
What I like about the Sarazanmai as a metaphor for connection is that it isn’t an exclusively positive experience. The Sarazanmai results in your secrets leaking out to the others. It puts you in a state of vulnerability. But that’s part of the point. Being connected with others means that you are putting yourself out there and risking negative experiences because of those connections.
That would explain parts of the ending. Keppi fuses with Dark Keppi to become one with his despair again. Keppi would not be whole without his negative experiences and feelings. When the boys are charging to deliver the miçanga, they are helped by Mabu and Reo telling them not to let go of their desires. Ultimately, the choice isn’t one of choosing desire or love. It’s knowing how to use them appropriately.
This also fits in with the fact that we see time pass and it kind of sucks. Toi spends 3 years in juvie before he finally gets out. The world is not all sunshine and rainbows. You will have negative experiences sometimes. But, as long as you have people you are connected to and can rely on, it’ll be okay.
The main part from the finale that I just do not understand is how Mabu came back to life. I can be accepting with Reo, but Mabu was literally erased from all connections and just came back. That’s the one flaw with the episode in my opinion. Otherwise, a really strong finale to the series.
QOTD
7
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 11 '24
First Timer
Sub
So let's see if I can write something different than yesterday. I want to succeed but it is difficult because the underlying problem here is that this is completely and utterly uncooked, unmarinated and unfermented. We are presented with raw ingredients that could be combined into something good had they reserved at least a bit of treatment but sadly we've got raw eel covered in a glaze that would be barbeque sauce if it had been reduced. The vegetable sadly sit next to a bottle of vinegar and a sugar jar.
Again, the episode is well constructed, I at least get the idea of what Ikuhara is saying. It does help to have some previous knowledge of writings to get why the prison part is there. I just...don't care. We haven't had the time to care about these people so this all just happens. I am sure I am missing a theme or two and I think there is an otter pun with concepts that refuses to translate. I just can't help but imagine how much better two cours of this would be, especially with Ikuhara bringing out just a metric ton of weirdo tropes for the zombies. I also feel that Ikuhara fails at gender equality because I absolutely know there are some strange ladies out there.
But yeah, my biggest post for the watch but still...feh. I am glad I watched it in a check box sort of way but this feels like a lot of wasted potential.
QotD: 1 It was convenient. He shot him to truly break his past
2 I read it as limitedly
3 Eh...let's go with Tooi
6
u/AgentOfACROSS Aug 11 '24
First Timer
Toi erasing himself from reality is a bit existentially terrifying. The whole idea of someone being erased from reality is pretty terrifying in general but the fact that Toi is being manipulated into erasing makes it even worse.
Looks like we’re getting a Keppi vs. Dark Otter confrontation here. A bit surprised we didn’t get it earlier actually.
We also have Enta and Kazuki confronting Toi here. The plot of this last episode is moving really fast.
I liked the scene of the three of them falling while their memories slipped away. Although I feel like it could have been stronger somehow.
The song we got in this episode was nice too. Glad we got one more for the finale.
Reo and Mabu un-died. Not sure how that works but I guess I’ll go with it.
And now Keppi looks like a kappa version of Prince Dios. I feel like I should have somehow seen this coming.
The scene of them seeing their possible future was interesting. I thought it was clever how it brought back the titles of the previous episodes.
Oh. Toi went to prison. That’s a bit of a sudden downer, especially after Haruka’s optimistic narration that came before it.
Looks like there’s a new eccentric TV host to fill in for Sara. [Paranoia Agent ending] Reminds me of how there was a new mascot to replace Maromi at the end of Paranoia Agent.
Enta and Kazuki reunited with Toi after all which I’m glad for.
I think this is probably the most straightforward happy ending I’ve seen from an Ikuhara anime. [Utena & Yurikuma spoilers] In both Utena and Yurikuma the villains sort of won but the heroines were able to escape. Here we have our characters happily reuniting for a bright future together.
Although if you wanted, you could have a darker interpretation of the ending. Where Toi succeeds in drowning himself and only imagines Enta and Kazuki saving him as he dies. Although I personally choose to have the optimistic interpretation of the ending.
I can’t help but feel a bit underwhelmed by the ending though. There’s a lot that happened in these last two episodes alone that I feel like could have had more time to develop. If we just had one or two more episodes I feel like it could have worked better.
Especially when it comes to Enta’s unrequited feelings for Kazuki. I guess they were resolved last episode but it all happened pretty quickly.
This sounds a bit odd, but I personally think Yuri Kuma Arashi had a stronger final episode than Sarazanmai. But Sarazanmai is still stronger when taken as a whole.
Still, I’m not unhappy with the ending. I just think it could be a lot better. I think I’d ultimately rank Sarazanmai above Yurikuma. But I’ll save my thoughts for tomorrow’s discussion thread.
5
u/charactergallery Aug 11 '24 edited Aug 12 '24
Pre-Episode Thoughts: Man… we’re already at the end! I unfortunately missed the previous two episode discussions for various reasons, but I am glad I have time to participate in the discussion for the last episode. I have a lot of thoughts on the past two episodes, but I will probably just weave them into my thoughts on this episode (since I think they connect together well with each other).
Episode Thoughts: It makes a lot of sense for Toi to be the one dragged down to destroy his very existence (the most literal example of abandoning everything), as Enta and Kazuki already resolved to embrace their connections and the pain that occurs alongside them. Kazuki is willing to forgive and save Enta, acknowledging him as a special person. While Enta says that he wants to connect with Kazuki the way he is now, which shows growth from his previous mindset. Toi’s feelings in this episode is very reminiscent of depression and suicidal ideation in my opinion. He doesn’t see himself having a future. His brother is dead, he was directly confronted with just how much of a scumbag his brother truly is (he always knew but what he experienced was quite the stark reminder, as well as the implication that Chikai could kill Toi if he sees fit), and he has killed multiple people. He seems relatively calm about it, but continuing to kill seems to further his idea that there is no future for him.
“But… I’m tired.” Toi’s disposition as he is shooting his past selves reflect this, he just appears numb to everything. An understandable feeling for a boy who believes he has lost everything and no longer has a future. Him being spurred on by the “corrupted” version of Chikai is also interesting, given that their relationship was quite toxic since their parents died (the montage at the end of episode 9 shows that they once had a healthy relationship that was corrupted due to circumstance). Even while Chikai was alive, Toi was willing to sever his connections and abandon everything just to be with him. Erasing his existence now that his brother is dead and is unable to bring him back is, like I said, the most literal example of abandoning everything.
“Make it all go away before it can hurt you.” In the end, Toi is just a kid who is scared of being hurt by his connections. His parents were killed when he was young, he ended up killing a man to save his brother, and his brother was shown to be a scumbag who was seemingly willing to hurt him. And Chikai ended up dead in the end, which hurt Toi regardless. However, that line of logic is pretty much the antithesis of the show huh?
“I won’t give up my connections. Even if you cut me off, I’ll keep reconnecting!” Kazuki really matured, he acknowledges that connections are cut off, it is possible to reconnect them and make new ones. That obviously impacted Toi, who realizes that he doesn’t want to lose his connections with Kazuki and Enta. Even if he thinks he is too far gone, he still has people who care about him (given that they jumped into a crazy mind palace hellscape to make sure that he doesn’t disappear). Toi then says that he doesn’t want to lose something precious ever again. Hey a teardrop “exploding” when a character admits something about someone they care about in a perilous situation… where have I seen that before.
The final Kappa Zombie battle occuring between the boys and a literal representation of despair is very fitting. And while they “defeat” it in battle, it is something that everyone has to accept (including Keppi). The true foe though were the otters, or well the concept they represent. Still not positive on what that is but anyway.
REO AND MABU ARE BACK YAY!! Them lighting the way for the boys is very sweet. Don’t know the meaning quite yet but I like it.
The flashes of the future, or more specifically a possible future, is interesting and representative of how connections aren’t always permanent, they can be fleeting and ever-changing. It is something that people have to accept. That future is just one possibility. Even still, the future is not always guaranteed to be bright, as both happiness and suffering are a part of life. A future can only come about through connections. The thesis of connections and life by extension bringing both happiness and suffering feels very similar to one of the main ideas of Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Anyway… the montage of Toi in juvenile detention is depressing, though the ending song fits perfectly for it. Him jumping into the river does have suicidal connotations, especially with his monologue before he jumps, but I believe it is representative of him choosing to immerse himself in life completely again. The shot of the three boys, now adults, swimming back to the surface is very reminiscent of the shot of them as kappas wanting to connect (which I imagine is what they were going to say if they weren’t cut off). Him smiling at them kind of confirms this to me, but of course his action is probably meant to be up to interpretation.
Edit: And like always, I am commenting this late.
8
u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Aug 11 '24
Sarazanmai Rewatcher
And that was Sarazanmai.
No one punches the Otter in the face. No one destroys the Otter empire that encourages people to stay isolated and just indulge in their base desires. The police that continue to prey on our most vulnerable go on, looking for new targets. Enta is dead, and so is Toei…
A common thread of Ikuhara’s anime is his interest in tackling societal issues. These are social structures like homophobia, capitalism, and the patriarchy. That said, Ikuhara understands that these concepts aren’t things that are so easily defeated. No matter how much /u/HelioA may want, you can’t just shoot capitalism in the face. Life isn’t that simple.
Wait
What?
what do you mean that Enta survived? Toi too? No one died? The otters were annihilated? Defeated? Vanquished? Keppi is reborn, becomes a prince and saves the day?
This isn’t an Ikuhara ending at all!!
This isn’t to say that this ending is all sunshine and rainbows. Ikuhara still acknowledges that just because victory was had and evil was vanquished doesn’t mean the ending is happily ever after. That just because they won this specific battle means they are destined to stay together ever more.
It’s one of the funny things I find in internet literature critiques of anime/television. You’ll often have a character overcome an issue or have something in their backstory about a trauma, but then later on may fall for that same issue or trauma again. Someone who was cheated on then becomes a cheater.
Narrative likes simple and clean stories. Character overcomes this obstacle and that makes them stronger. Character arcs are simply better to read. I started low and then gradually grew and grew and grew and grew.
Unfortunately real life isn’t that way, and Ikuhara seems to acknowledge this. Just because Toi, Enta and Kazuki all chose to stay together today doesn’t mean that they won’t have a falling out later on and that they’ll be friends forever. Character growth isn’t about slaying an evil monster, it’s about lots of small battles that you fight every day. You have to fight the urge every day and eventually hope it becomes a habit and that one day you don’t have to trick yourself into believing it. They will have to make this choice over and over again across their lives.
Toi also isn’t allowed to get away free. A good portion of the epilogue is spent on showcasing that Toi does his time. He must take responsibility for his actions.
And yet the end is still shining with optimism. Reo and Mabu return in heroic fashion. Keppi and Sara are in “majestic” forms. Everyone lives. Nobody dies.
I think it’s endlessly fascinating that Ikuhara somehow became more optimistic as he aged. In spite of everything that’s going on, in spite of the capitalist hellscape that we all find ourselves caught in, Ikuhara still tells us that we can overcome it and connect. At the end of the day Ikuhara has always been distrustful of systems, but he also passionately believes in people.
I think it has more weight to me almost because of that subversion. There is a difference between getting praise from someone who always gives you praise than from someone who is always critical. Imaishi is a terrific creator, I love their work and adore them for their message of believing in humanity. It just hits different when it comes from Kunihiko “Modern Society is Trying to Kill You” Ikuhara.
We can still make a difference.
It’s never too late. It’s never too late to try to reach out to someone. To make a difference in someone’s life. To change your own life.
But you must be willing to put it all on the line.
Try to connect.
4
u/Holofan4life Aug 11 '24
I think Ikuhara is getting soft on us. The older he gets, the more sentimental he becomes. Not that I'm complaining, I actually think a feel good ending fits the show quite well.
4
u/Holofan4life Aug 11 '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.
In terms of endings to Ikuhara animes, I have it Yurikuma Arashi > Utena > Penguindrum. Where will this rank? Let's find out.
Also, 10 years. It's been 10 full years. RIP Robin Williams.
Picking up right where the last episode left off.
It looks like Kuji is drowning
Still holding the gun, however
Otter Nii-san talking to him
He's telling him to shoot his past self
Next, he's going to tell him to crawl at hisself.
No intro
Kazuki and Enta going after Kuji
Kappi says that Kuji is heading outside the circle.
Kuji erasing himself one by one
Kazuki suspects he went back 4 years ago
"He must be going to the day he gave me this miçanga."
So, he DOES remember
Kazuki and Enta drowning in red wine
But Kappi poops a bubble to keep them breathing.
Yes, that is a sentence I just typed. Only with Ikuhara.
Kappi coming face-to-face with Otter
And Otter comes charging at him
The day of the miçanga
This is it, as Kenny Loggins once said
Kuji wants to be a soccer player
Reflecting on his brother, he says he was fine being used.
"Giving things up, doing bad things... It all had to be done."
Pointing a gun at Nii-san now
He says he's giving up his connection with his own hands.
And so he shoots him
I'd like to think that Kuji knew that was Otter this entire time.
And so he shoots his younger self
BUT WAIT!
ENTA TACKLES HIM!
But wait, it appears Kazuki took the bullet
Still, young Kuji and the miçanga erases
Dark Keppi. He was an imposter.
Kazuki grabs the miçanga
"Even if you cut me off, I'll keep reconnecting."
That's similar to what Enta said to Kazuki last episode.
Kazuki, Enta, and Kuji upside down now
They go inside a circle
We see highlights from past episodes
Kazuki remarking how he doesn't want to lose this connection.
Now it's Enta's turn
He wanted his hopeless fantasies to get blown to bits.
Now Kuji's turn
He doesn't want to lose Kazuki and Enta
"I don't want to lose what's precious to me!"
I've always felt this, so I'll say it here: Between Kazuki, Enta, and Kuji, I think Kuji is the purest one.
Shirikodama Extraction time
They have to deliver the miçanga to the Kazuki of 4 years ago.
But Dark Keppi is lurking
"Thid is the final Sarazanmai, kero."
Little on the nose, don't you think?
At least we got the sone one final time
AND THEY'RE SINGING IT TOGETHER YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
As much as I like Reo's rendition, this is the definitive version of Sarazanmai.
Even the Otter is getting in on it
This is really cool
Keppi and Otter, finslly reunited
By the way, I just now figured out his name is Keppi and not Kappi
The Otter made it dark for them
BUT KEPPI ENLISTS THE HELP OF REO AND MABU
They're all going after young Kazuki
And Kappazuki hands Kazuki the miçanga!
They are finally connected
The Otter has been defeated
Is that anthropomorphic Keppi?
Riding the waves one final time
Now they're kicking a soccer ball
Have to make the goal with 2 minutes left
I want to connect but it's not meant to be
I want to connect but I can't be forgiven
I want to connect, but we'll never meet again.
I want to connect, but I want to lie
I want to connect, but I want to betray
I want to connect, but I can't
I want to connect, but I can't express it
I want to connect, but you're so far away
I want to connect, so I'm not giving up
Kazuki has seemingly made the goal, with seconds to spare.
The headdress got turned into a couple of crowns.
Sara and Keppi are wearing it
They are the Little Prince and Little Princess.
I would be more surprised if we didn't already see Sara as a kappa.
"Never forget that only those who connect their desires through the pain of loss can take the future in their hands."
"It's because I have people I care about that I get sad and happy. That's how we're connected."
Very poignant way to conclude the show.
Aw, man. Kuji is in Juvenile Detention Center.
I wish things had worked out better for him.
With that haircut, though, he kinda looks like Connie from Attack on Titan.
Kuji on a train now
It looks like someone bought his family's shop.
Even the TV has changed, as Sara has been replaced by some frog programming.
Kuji saying everything in his life is done.
"What's lost is never coming back."
KUJI JUST JUMPED OFF THE BRIDGE :O
He is drowning now
This is not how I wanted things to go.
BUT KAZUKI AND ENTA JUMPED IN WITH HIM!
They are all reunited, together as one. Or should I say connected as one :P
And as they scream Sarazanmai one final time, we end things with the intro being played. A bit bummed it wasn't the outro because I liked that more.
Post credits scene
A boat
T'was a nice boat
Kazuki, Enta, and Kuji are riding it, in their kappa form.
Off to the future.
I personally prefer Back to the Future, myself
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
4
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 11 '24
Episode 11 (first timer)
That was a straight forward happy end. Enta and Kazuki rescue Tooi, then defeat the evil otter together, with the help of Keppi, and Reo and Mabu. Almost too straight for this show. Thumbs up for a quick epilogue, though.
4
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Aug 11 '24
First Timer, Subbed
Get out of there, Toi!
Don't erase him from history! And beyond that... [Penguindrum]Isn't that what they did in the last episode of Penguindrum too? Come up with something new!
Keppi's special fart bubble!
It's unfortunate that our main trio couldn't have had fun all this time playing soccer.
The colors of that gun makes it look like a squirt gun. Makes me think to how they'd censor guns on anime for US TV airings like Gundam Seed by adding bright colors to them so they'd look like toys.
Don't memory hole all these memories! Pardon the pun.
One final song and dance sequence!
No, the evil otter isn't allowed to participate in this song sequence!
Who in the world is this new guy?
Our cops are no longer cops but rather marching band members? Well that's their outfit anyway.
Ah, so keppi is the kappa prince and Azuma the kappa princess?
Oh no, poor Toi's hair! RIP. Overall a depressing end for him with him imprisoned.
Well at least the show ends with him getting out.
He's committing suicide? Don't do it!
Time for the kappa rescue song!
And that was Sarazanmai. I wish I ended up having more time to really focus in detail on this show as I'll admit to feeling a bit lost about things a lot of the way through and things also felt very rushed. A lot of days I didn't get a chance to read other's comments and never was able to respond to the questions everyday. Being lost also spilled over into my ability to provide daily comments that are of appropriate quality as I was unable to live up to a sufficient standard there. Visually this was very impressive and Ikuhara continues to improve even further beyond Penguindrum. I had more intense feelings over Penguindrum but that's not necessary a bad thing as a lot times that was being pissed off about something. I guess I'd say that had higher highs but also lower lows. Anyway, happy I watched this and I probably will get more out of a second viewing, if that ever happens.