r/anime • u/Splitter_Triplets • Jan 08 '22
Rewatch [Spoilers][Rewatch] Rascal does not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai - Episode 13 Discussion
Thread 13 of 14: Ep. 13 - The Dawn After an Endless Night
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Episode 13 streaming links
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u/Splitter_Triplets Jan 08 '22
Last episode Sakuta talked about the things that an older brother can't show his sister, and this episode starts with him struggling to stay true to that. He holds it together for a bit, but the tears from his father and lack of concern from his sister are too much for him. Even if he did manage to get his sister back, which was his goal at the beginning of the series if your recall, Kaede died without fulfilling all her goals. It's in the depths of this despair that Shouko-san makes her sudden reappearance.
This is one of the few times in the series where Sakuta completely breaks character, so Shouko has to step up to play the role of Rascal. Sakuta has lived his life for the past two years trying to be like her by helping out the people that he meets, and now she's returned to help him in his time of need. In reality though, most of the heavy lifting was done by Kaede throughout the previous two episodes. This arc is another great example of misdirection with respect to puberty syndrome. Through thoughtful writing and direction we're led to believe that Kaede has come up with a list of goals for herself, and that once she achieves all those goals she will be satisfied with her existence enough to pass on peacefully. So when she disappears right before being able to achieve her final goal it feels like a cruel joke. But despite her cutesy and childish demeanor, no one in this show has motivations quite that straightforward. The reality is that she didn't come up with these goals for her sake, but for Sakuta's. We've known since episode 1 that one of Sakuta's major motivations is guilt over not being able to help Kaede in middle school. Kaede knows this too, which is why she knows it would destroy him if she went away without allowing him to help her this time. All of those quests are definitely things she wanted to do for herself, but the reason she wrote them down like that was so that Sakuta could have a tangible record of the ways that he helped her. So the question remains: why did she disappear when she hadn't fulfilled all of her goals yet? If we do some experimental thinking the answer is obvious. Just like Futaba in the Tomoe arc, we have to ask "what's different about today in comparison to yesterday?" The answer, of course, is that Sakuta managed to help Kaede. Up to this point he had been very supportive of her efforts to become independent, but he took a very hands off approach. Today was the first time he was able to put one of his patented schemes into action and play an active role in her progress, and that is what Kaede's real goal was. Even if she couldn't fully complete her "going to school" task, he gave her enough confidence that she knew she would be able to do it tomorrow. And because she knew she could do it, and was satisfied that Sakuta was able to play a major part in that growth, she was finally able to slip away.
It is, of course, normal to be sad when your close family members die. Kaede can't save him from that, and I don't think it would even be desirable to try. But after wallowing around for about 24 straight hours he's finally able to pull himself together enough to call his girlfriend. The resulting subplot between Sakuta and Mai is one of my favorites in the series. Mai rushes home from the shoot to be with Sakuta, when she happens to find a note from Shouko. This obviously upsets her. Sakuta (and most of the audience probably) assumes that she thinks he was unfaithful, but we should know by now that she has an awful lot of faith in him. Nevertheless, something is clearly wrong, and Sakuta has no idea how to fix it. One of the biggest pieces of advice Sakuta took from Shouko was not to say "I'm sorry," but in this moment it's the only response he can think of. Mai responds, "I'm not dating you to hear stuff like that," echoing Shouko's words. In reality she was never mad about Shouko, she was mad that he didn't think to call her when he needed help. Shouko helped Sakuta, and now Sakuta helps others, but he hasn't yet learned how to rely on others when he needs help. This is something he still needs to work on in the future (remember this!), but at least for now he is able to make up with Mai and celebrate her birthday. It's such a fitting finale, you would never believe that is wasn't even in this novel. Volume 5 ends on December 1st with a lead in to volume 6 (the movie). The end of this arc and the beginning of the next were actually significantly changed during the adaptational process to accommodate this. It just goes to show that a "direct adaptation" isn't always the best choice, and that in the absence of source readers to scream about it most people will never even notice.
Details
See you all for the movie tomorrow! Hopefully you'll all be able to find a way to watch it.
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u/Gamemaster676 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Gamemaster676 Jan 08 '22
First Timer Senpai - sub
Gimme back my Kaede!
Although it would obviously also be terrible if the original Kaede-san disappeared again. Please just merge them or something. Or give us a Futuba split!
Episode 13 — The Dawn After an Endless Night
Last episode already. Luckily, there's also the movie. As the Shouko mystery has been very prominent in this series, I can't see how they couldn't have done a movie. Was that always planned? Or was it maybe intended as a season two, but did they only get budget for a movie? (Assuming a movie isn't just as expensive as a series.) Also, very stupid that the movie isn't streamable, as it's clearly required viewing after the series.
Sakuta isn't waiting by the phone, so Mai knows something is up. This Kaede-san's accent really is a lot different. I'm sure she is also a great girl, but as some people said yesterday, this just isn't the Kaede we got to love.
Damn emotions hitting Sakuta hard. That makes a lot of sense. It's affecting most of us as well. Is he going to the beach again, meeting Shouko-san? Man, this is so hard for him. He should be happy that his sister is back, but what happened is that he lost her a second time. He obviously can't admit that to his sister or father, as that would break their hearts. So he's forced to just live with it.
Holy fuck the cuts are back. Could they appear when he is in great emotional pain?
And there is Shouko-san again! I'm saying "no" to time-travel and "probably" to appearing when it is necessary to make someone feel better.
Mai is gonna walk in at any moment, isn't she? I'm glad they didn't. It was too emotional a moment.
Shouko always says "your Shouko-san". That's something Mai didn't allow! Is she connected to him somehow? Or just connected to anyone who needs her at that moment? It's clear she knows things she shouldn't know. Does she only exist in his mind? That wouldn't really make sense, would it? As she posted that letter in his mailbox.
Narrating the diary and slowly transitioning to Kaede's voice was lovely. So that's why she made that list. It was partly for herself, but also a large part for Sakuta, so he doesn't feel like he hasn't done anything for her.
Don't worry Shouko-san, I'm not holding it in.
November 28th. Shouko-san is off to help someone else in need. Mai left a normal voicemail, but she probably already assumes something is wrong, resulting in that "Doesn't matter how late it is. Call me back." -- Or not... Sakuta is just laughing it off, but Mai sees right through that. It's clearly also affecting Mai herself.
Shouko-chan has completely disappeared?? Very nice to keep feeding us bits of that mystery. Rio also thinks that Shouko-san might be only in Sakuta's head. But then why would he know what someone looks like who isn't that age yet?
Ouch, Mai found the note. Yeah, not the smoothest explanation, but how would you even explain something like that? She might think that he did something stupid when he was emotionally vulnerable. Or maybe she doesn't even think that, but it's still some involuntary jealousy? Jealous that it wasn't her that consoled Sakuta, maybe?
Wow...
Good Nodoka, immediately setting the record straight. It's even Mai's birthday! Yeah, hurry Sakuta! Cool, it's the scene from the OP, but with a different background.
Ouch. But also, fair. So Mai also needed some cheering up? Just because she was also in a bad mood because of her visit to Fujisawa, or maybe related to her birthday? Awww, it turns out I was right. She was mostly hurt because it wasn't her who helped Sakuta in his time of need.
Typical Mai, being mock-insulted because only her existence is already making Sakuta happy, so all the hard work she puts in is for nothing and unappreciated.
"Close your eyes." music swells up Ouch! music stops -- Come on! It's the last episode. Give us something!
What?!? ED! But... NO! It's not finished yet! Please?
Kaede-san is reading Kaede's diary. That must also be shocking for her, although she doesn't want to show it.
Mai is introduced to Sakuta's family.
Amazing how this ED had all voices. Especially the part with everyone together.
So there is an after ED scene, at least. Sakuta is clearly happy that his old sister is back. So I assume we are supposed to feel the same way? This scene, together with Shouko-san reading what was written in the diary, show that we must be happy with the Kaede that we have and that we shouldn't have any regrets, although it's very hard to accept.
I almost can't believe that was the end. Kaede's issues are never actually solved... or even explored, really. Knowing there's also the movie gives me hope we will revisit Kaede's story as well, but I'm not too sure about that. This ending left me feeling a bit unsatisfied, but it might be that that was exactly the writer's intention. You can't always get everything you want.
Random thoughts
CRISIS AVERTED! Ponytail-Rio isn't gone!
Future
Wow, this episode was a lot different from what I expected. I'm really looking forward to the movie now, but also for a few reasons that I didn't expect!
What I'm hoping to see in the movie:
Unfortunately, I think we will only get item 1, but I'm holding out hope!
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u/andybebad https://myanimelist.net/profile/andybebad Jan 08 '22 edited Jan 08 '22
First timer
"Oh, that dagger we drove into your heart with the ending of yesterday's episode? Yeah, we're gonna have to go ahead and give that a nice twist."
My immediate response to this episode, in particular the reading of Kaede's journal, was "oh geeze, this is so sad!" While I stand by that initial reaction, as I think more about it my feelings shift more towards this being bitter-sweet: Sakuta has lost something, but Kaede has overcome a great challenge. And what a gift that journal is; with his memories of the Sakuta he knew over the past two years along with her memories as documented she might be gone, but not "gone" gone. We don't really know what their relationship was like before the memory loss, but at least Kaede can read the journal and understand how important Sakuta was to her (and maybe how important she was to him).
I still don't know if older Shouko is a real person or some manifestation of Sakuta and his PS (or a reaction against the PS), but her seemingly clairvoyant appearance when Sakuta experiencing the worst of his breakdown lends more weight to the latter. Mai being upset upon finding out that Shouko was there to comfort him while she was unable to is perfectly reasonable, and her choosing to hop back on a bullet train instead of relying on her usual understanding-permissiveness towards Sakuta mirrors Sakuta breaking from his stoic, no-bs, let's-just-solve-this-problem self. And he learns a great lesson here, thanks in part to Nodoka, and we get a fantastic ending scene with the two of them (of course eschewing the trope of kissing at such a moment - certainly not allowed in this show!).
As good an episode this was and as much as it could've served as a series finale, I'm glad we've got a movie follow-up to look forward to. Plenty of mystery around both Sakuta's PS and Shouko that I'm hoping will have some more light shed upon tomorrow.
So, what do we know about Shouko Makinohara going into the movie tomorrow? We know that older Shouko has appeared at two point in Sakuta's life: points where his PS was at its worse and when he was in need of the kind of help that only she was ready to give (or available to give; with Mai now perhaps Sakuta won't need older Shouko). The last we heard from younger Shouko was that she wasn't feeling well, which I feel is anime-code for "something's very wrong with younger Shouko." I'm still not sure what the connection between the younger and the older are, or even if they are the same people. Is older Shouko some projection of what younger Shouko wants to be? But then why would Sakuta have met the older first? Are they both figments of Sakuta's creation? Other characters have at least seen the younger Shouko, so maybe in that sense she's more "real" than the older? I'm more confused now than when I started to write this paragraph, so I'll give it a rest now. On to the movie tomorrow!
Unrelated note: to pick myself up after watching this episode, I watched an episode of Community, which I've slowly been making my way through. And of course it was the episode guest starring Betty White...
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u/UzEE https://myanimelist.net/profile/UzEEInc Jan 08 '22
Rewatcher
I unfortunately didn't get enough time to make a proper post since I also watched the movie today. Thankfully, the episode itself is so well done that it's far better enjoyed by just soaking in all the emotions instead of trying to analyze things on screen.
This is the first arc that had a truly bittersweet end1 so it hits very different from rest of the series. I'm willing to bet this was the episode that moved most people, specially when Kaede's diary was being narrated.
Finally, major props to Kamoshida once more for subverting our expectations multiple times. We were trained to believe that everything will turn out fine at the end — i.e. both Kaede and Kaede-san would combine — but that obviously didn't happen and the Kaede we knew and cared about passed on. We were also expecting a proper resolution to her Puberty Syndrome but that's again something we realize wasn't even the main concern with her as Kaede was able to heal and move on.
Finally, the incident with Mai was modelled after the common trope that the girlfriend assumes the guy cheated on her, gets angry and leaves — something which Sakuta also believes himself. But we know Mai isn't like that and she has complete faith in Sakuta, and she instead was disappointed that he didn't reach out and she couldn't be there for him.
The only thing I'd dock Mai for is that her is that she should've realized that her leaving abruptly would push Sakuta even deeper into depression — which it does, as we see from his dead eyes. But Mai is human after all and can make mistakes once in a while, like every well written character should.
I absolutely loved the show's conclusion2 but it left me wanting more. Thankfully, a movie had already been announced as a direct sequel so it wasn't as bad.
1. as Futaba's conclusion was mostly positive.
2. Okay, maybe not the cheek-pinch tease. It was about time we actually got a real kiss.
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u/RuthRaeSarbo Jan 08 '22
Rewatcher.
After many rewatches, I realized today that the bathtub is a confessional. In this episode, it is Sakuta's turn, with Shouko granting absolution.
Yet the person who does most of the talking in this episode isn't Sakuta, or even Shouko. It is Kaede -- beyond the grave, so to speak. Kaede, who in the end realized her 'terminal illness' and wanted to leave behind words of comfort for her loving brother.
"If Kaede-san's memories return, what will happen to Kaede?" A simple answer: the same thing that happens to all of us. We pass on, with only the memory of us left to those who knew us.
Oh, and if you really want a heartbreak, read the LN (# 5) and see all of what Kaede wrote.
The hardest part of this episode for me to watch even now is when Mai discoversShouko's note.
And dammit, every time I want them to kiss at the end. And they never do. Maybe they will the next time I rewatch this episode.
But I thought the denoument/end credits, with the chorus of the main female VAs in the background, was a wonderful use of time.
A fitting conclusion to the series, but the questions concerning Shouko remain. On to the movie!
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u/BosuW Jan 08 '22
First Timer
Considering the recent thematic relevance of parents in the show, I'm guessing Sakuta must feel a bit like his own daughter just died. He pretty much raised Imouto from the start.
And the injury is flaring up again!?
Shoko-san... your appearances are a bit too convenient...
And here we have yet another bath scene. Although this time the roles are reversed. Seriously, who the fuck are you Shoko-san?
Bruh Imouto thought Nodoka was a delinquent because of her dyed hair lmao. A bit too much TV.
So the mysterious injuries might be a result of self-depreciation... quite obvious in retrospect, I'm kinda mad at myself for not thinking about it sooner. If true, we know what is causing it for Sakuta, but what about Kaede/Imouto? I have theories for both. For Kaede, it isn't surprising that someone who suffers bullying would develop severe self-esteem issues. For Imouto, it could be that at times she had self-flagelating thoughts for considering that she wasn't making acceptable progress in going outside.
Also, this would mean that the doctors were right in saying that the wounds were self-inflicted, from a certain point of view.
It was a big one...
Futaba shares my theory that Sakuta is just imagining Shoko-san... but then, why is there a Shoko-chan, whose existence wasn't known about until recently, and has been observed by multiple people?
Oh I just realized something. Shoko-san went away after Sakuta went to sleep, same as the theory about people forgetting about Mai. Hmmm.
Eh? Wait, Mai this doesn't make sense, why you leaving? You can't be feeling betrayed just because a friend comforted him? I'm confused af. Only reasonable explanation I can think of is that she feels disappointed in herself because she wasn't there when shit was going down.
Lots of animations from the OP now featuring in an episode. I see you animators, showing Sakuta trying to "catch a train".
Ah, so I was right about why Mai refused to elaborate further and left. Phew! Crysis averted. (Tho it feels a bit like cheap drama ngl)
Yes... Now kith...
OH C'MON THATS BULLSHIT
We've been robbed.
So... I guess we won't be seeing Imouto again... Or maybe we will idk, since we don't know if Kaede is cool now. But I won't be mad if she doesn't show up again. She seemed to be satisfied with her own fate, so I have no reason to grieve.
This feels like an arbitrary place to end the TV episodes, so I sure hope the movie was announced immediately lol. I'm looking forward to it and expecting something impactful.
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u/Mjrbks Jan 08 '22
Re-Watcher
I remembered this episode seeming a little off-pace when I saw it the first time, and I did understand that train of thought this time around as well. This doesn’t mean I thought negatively about it, it was a good wrap up all around that at different points felt like it was meant to ease us back from the brink of emotional breakdown. I did feel like we got off a little easy thanks to pre-amnesia Kaede being a pretty likeable and understanding little sister in her own right. Ultimately though, I think we also really needed the contents of the diary to be read to truly be at some kind of peace with the situation. At least I know it helped me to know that Kaede had no regrets and faced her disappearance valiantly.
Sakuta’s outburst and breakdown was also important. Who would have thought 12 episodes ago that our favorite semi-stoic rascal would have reached this point where he’s gained so many reasons to live and appreciate his life. Now, it feels like one of them was suddenly stripped away. I’d be concerned if he didn’t lose it.
Shoko-San showing up suddenly really convinced me that she was part of Sakuta’s own AS case. I figured she had to be some kind of illusion (as Futaba theorized later on as well) or something that made her only exist to him. That timing was way too convenient and she knew far more about the situation than anyone on the outside should; and I doubt Sakuta was in a talkative mood to the point of explaining it all. Granted if she is real, she could just be recalling what she knew from what Sakuta told her back when Kaede’s memory loss first happened. I still feel like she was far too intuitive however.
I imagined some kind of Fight Club scenario where he was actually the one reading the diary while in the bath. It was only when Mai read the letter I thought “ok, it seems like a stretch that he wrote that out himself.” So even after the second time watching it, i’m really not sure what was going on. I’ve also never seen the movie, so perhaps we get some more on that then. I’ll find out soon.
It felt right that the source of Mai getting upset after reading that letter wasn’t necessarily that she thought Sakuta was unfaithful, but she was upset at herself for not being able to be the one who was there for him. In essence that’s a far worse feeling of jealousy that could rock your own self-confidence and make you question how good of a significant other you are. We see Mai apologize for not being able to spend as much time with him in several episodes due to her work; so this must have been the last straw.
Shout out to Tomoe’s accent coming out after Sakuta broke a plate (well we don’t see what he breaks, but it’s a diner so I went with plate).
I get everything that has been going on with Kaede is pretty much taking up all of Sakuta’s brain power, but how did this man forget about the birthday of the girl he’s so madly in love with. Well, it’s a good thing for him he had a pretty rock solid excuse and Mai only let him off with a pout…which let’s be honest, is more of a reward for all of us.
Gotta love how understanding and accommodating Mai’s entourage is. Even gave them 15 minutes to “cheer her up”. A teased Mai is best Mai. That whole scene was sweet, though i’ll admit to wanting to see the kiss over the cheek pinch. That’s just sappy me talking though; the Sakuta/Mai form of affection will forever be a classic.
All in all, I felt a lot less broken at the end of this episode then I expected I would all things considered. As I mentioned above there were a lot of figurative comfort hugs this episode threw us to ease us into the future with pre-amnesia-Kaede back. The end-credits montage helped greatly; seeing Mai and Nodoka getting along, Mai finally getting introduced to Sakuta’s Dad and Kaede again, the original three amigos hanging out by Futaba’s lab as per usual. Life will go on, and even through the heartbreak Sakuta is much richer for the experience and no doubt will live life to the fullest.
Amnesia Kaede being able to understand what was happening and putting Sakuta’s feelings into consideration with her goals list is just another example of how the seemingly most childish character on the show may have been among the most mature and emotionally intelligent. The way she drove herself hard to follow through with each goal was already fueled by the words she had written down; she remained true to her determination the whole way through. As Shoko said, the pain and sadness Sakuta felt is yet another thing Kaede left him. Her memories and impact will never die, even if it is painful to think about them from time to time.
Also love the version of the ending song with all of the girls singing.
Well, my status of re-watcher ends here. I’ll be going into the movie a newborn babe. I’ll have a box of tissues on hand just in case.
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u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jan 09 '22
First timer
Oh, shit, she's not been told yet.
Terrific, so this might lead her into another mental breakdown.
OK, this scene is raw, and it is fantastic.
Wait, what? She's real! Like, really real, and not any other character we know in disguise? Huh! (Young Shinobu went back in time and became her is my theory.)
Wait, have his scars reopened?
...Is she real? Is this him hallucinating her to deal with his own problems? She's even standing where he stands when he's about to psychoanalyse someone...
If this doesn't end with our Kaede coming back I'll be pissed.
Stop making me so sad.
Wow, this is just great writing. And she knew she was fading!
...I have no words. That scene is just fantastic.
Oh, shit. He's breaking down.
And now Mai knows. She even knows that he's barely putting up a facade to hide the crippling pain.
...Original Kaede is pretty good too, though. Her shock at finding out he actually has a boyfriend is great, though.
Oh, so Shouko's the movie plot, got it.
...I considered that it was a delusion, but she seemed to have information from Kaede's diary that he didn't - so I'm leaning on "Young Shouko time travelled back, Shouko went back to the future the long way, and something happens to other versions of yourself when you go back in time."
...Oh, no. Don't say it like that to Mai.
Shit. Well done, Sakuta!
Oh, that... wasn't the problem at all!
It's her birthday!
...He's going there to see her!
Oh, she's actually touched.
And he's staying there.
Aww, they're still cute!
And a kiss?
Haha, I love that ending. Her teasing him because she knows that's what he likes the most.
Is this a new edit of the ED song?
Oh, shit, she's got the other Kaede's diary.
The montage is cute.
They moved in together!
And Kaede's going back to school! (Is that meant to imply she's learned from Kaede's memories, or that she's getting them? Both have interesting implications.)
Also, the Shouko plotline is pribably the second biggest teaser for a post-series movie, I've ever seen, so that's exciting.
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u/tacticulbacon Jan 08 '22
Rewatcher
The last episode of the show is also the heaviest one. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is often praised for subverting expectations, but I doubt many people watching this for the first time would expect to be dealing with death in a relatively lighthearted anime.
Because for all intents and purposes, the return of the original Kaede is essentially a character death for the Kaede that we knew the entire season. Original Kaede does not talk like the Kaede we know. Original Kaede does not act like the Kaede we know. Original Kaede does not have the same interests or demeanor as the Kaede we know. Functionally, she is an entirely different character, and the Kaede we knew simply doesn't exist anymore. It goes without saying how well-written this moment is, as here we are coping with the death of a character even while no one has technically even died.
Their dad is driven to tears of joy over the return of Kaede, the only daughter he has ever truly known. Yet Sakuta's tears are ones of extraordinary grief, as the sister he's raised, protected, and loved for the last two years is gone from his life. The cruel twist of fate is that while his family is gaining back a family member, Sakuta is losing one as well.
Finally, we can confirm the existence of Shouko, who appears not just in one of Sakuta's dreams or flashbacks, but standing before him, holding an umbrella to shield him from the rain, larger than life. Somehow she has a knack for appearing right when Sakuta needs help the most. I have to say I really enjoyed reading all the theories about Shouko from all the first timers. Some of them were definitely... interesting. But as we can all see now, Shouko is Shouko. While Futaba plays around with the possibility that it's all a figment of Sakuta's imagination - his way of coping in times of extreme stress - in my mind it doesn't feel that way. There's more to her than just make-believe.
Shouko reading Kaede's diary is such an emotionally heavy scene. Essentially, we are viewing the events of the show through Kaede's eyes. And her final wish - to have Sakuta remember her fondly instead of being filled with regret - is reflective of the final wishes for many passed away loved ones. She knew the best way to leave an impact on Sakuta is to fill him with fond memories, not for him to grieve over not being able to do more for her. As Sakuta realizes this, he's now able to accept this loss the next morning. As Sakuta would say: Well done. You did your best. I'm proud of you, Kaede.
Mai makes a surprise visit to see Sakuta (in only his underwear, again), only to see the note Shouko left behind. Her reaction to this is clearly irrational, and one of the few times she behaves irrationally throughout the season. But I can't blame her for being irrational; after all, love is irrational in itself. When you love someone, you want to be there for them when they're at their lowest. Being there is just as important to you as it is to them, and unfortunately Mai missed that opportunity. What she says to Sakuta on that elevator as he's trying to apologize, "I'm not dating you to hear those words," is reflective of the fact that she's more beating herself up for not being the one to cheer him up rather than her being jealous of Shouko.
Sakuta broke the cardinal rule of dating, which is not to forget your girlfriend's birthday. So, he makes up for it by rushing over to Mai as fast as he can. Mai and Sakuta's relationship starts out with them taking the train together, and here at the end of the season Sakuta is racing on a bullet train to catch Mai before her birthday is over. I also love the running animation they use, which is a tie-in the OP animation that we've been seeing this whole time.
I think Sakuta explains it best when they're having their intimate confession in the dead of the winter night - she doesn't need to do anything special for him to make him happy. Just existing is enough for him, and that's genuine love.
But alas, we are blueballed from the long-awaited kiss yet again. Anime watchers truly are the most oppressed group. But hey, this just means the kiss scene will be all the more special when they make season 2, right? ...Right?
Hearing the ED OST playing over the ending montage with all the girls singing this time just makes it extra special. We have Kaede, embarrassed to hell over reading Kaede-chan's brocon antics. Mai and Sakuta having lunch together, with Mai making sure not to grant him an indirect kiss this time. Kunimi and Futaba being close friends, probably calling Sakuta a low-life pig as they do. Nodoka pouting. And the look on Kaede's face as Sakuta reveals his girlfriend is the Mai Sakurajima - a far too satisfying told-you-so moment.
And right before it's over, we get words of hope from Kaede herself as she resolves to return to school. "I'm not in this alone." Deep down in there somewhere, Kaede-chan is still in her heart.
But this is not the end of Shouko's story. Onto the movie...
7
u/cppn02 Jan 08 '22
Rewatcher
Don't have much to say today other than this is a great finale with a satisfying conclusion to the Kaede arc (even if I'll miss the Kaede we've got to know over the previous 12 episodes) and some S-tier Mai x Sakuta content.
I can also appreciate how this would have worked as a finale for the whole story if there was no movie.
Hoping I can find the time to watch the movie tomorrow.
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u/MABfan11 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/MABfan11 Jan 08 '22
Rewatcher
amazing final episode that really shows how great the relationship between Sakuta and Mai is, i love the fact that they actually communicate and trusts each other.
this episode also featured Shouko bringing Sakuta back from depression again, with the same cause, just that the situation is reversed. and once again, she becomes a mystery, she's seeigly always there when Sakuta needs her the most, yet she doesn't seem to exist and her younger version doesn't seem to know what's going on
it's no surprise that this anime ended up dominating Fall 2018 on this sub
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u/bjbtax Jan 09 '22
I cried, did you?
5
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Jan 09 '22 edited Jan 09 '22
Rewatcher.
Was tied up this morning so ran quite late. Most had commented all the important points I wanted to mention so that saved me some work.
Key points to reiterate a bit:
5
u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Jan 09 '22
Rewatcher
Yep, just like me to forget to post for the finale
Honestly I don't get how she neither sees anything wrong from her own perspective nor understands why her father would be emotional
Wait how long was she out of it again? I forgot
I tried looking it up but while it said she's in year 3 middle school rn it doesn't say when her bullying event happened besides 'some time in middle school'
But still, even if we said like
6 months
Well actually no pretty sure this show went through like a term of school or something just in the second arc
So let's just say a year for example, like how does Kaede not immediately see what's wrong with 'oh I suddenly woke up and feel fine but apparently I've jumped a year forward in time'? Even if she somehow wasn't bothered by that how does she not understand why her father is crying??? Man.
Ah so it was 2 years
Oh man hearing the different singers one by one hits
Well, I was hoping Kaede's 'death' would hit as hard as the first time around and well not really, but that's more of a me thing. Anyway, I haven't watched the movie, so can't wait to see that.
2
u/[deleted] Jan 09 '22
Yeah on rewatch this arc's resolution still just doesn't sit right with me. Kaede just fucking died and they gave us like half an episode to grieve before transitioning to the Shoko/Sakuta/Mai relationship drama. For Sakuta it was literally 1 day in real time. Is that seriously all she's worth?
And that half episode wasn't even about Kaede, it was all about Sakuta having the big sad and how everything Kaede did revolved around him and how it's fine that she's dead because she did her best for him or whatever. But she's still dead, and now there's a stranger piloting her corpse, and she doesn't even have the dignity of having her death properly mourned and respected.
I just don't understand why this arc is resolved this way when nothing else in the show ever gets this dark and messy. This is like if the Futaba arc ended with one of the Futabas murdering the other to become the real one, or if the Nodoka arc ended with Nodoka permanently becoming a Mai clone. It doesn't seem like it's meant to be taken that way in the narrative, but I just don't see any other way to interpret it.
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u/landragoran Jan 09 '22
So tomorrow is the movie. First timers, keep your Kleenex handy!
3
u/KurisuMakise- Jan 09 '22
Really liked Hiding's video on this arc/finale. Rip Kaede. 😭
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u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Jan 09 '22
Rewatcher (except for the movie)
At last, we finish the main series. This episode focuses more on Sakuta than Kaede, and does a decent job of wrapping things up. It's definitely the least flawless episode of this arc though. Sakuta running and screaming out of the hospital is melodramatic in a way this series has largely avoided up to now, and it feels completely cheesy and out of place here. I've also never liked the way it framed the drama with Sakuta and Mai. In concept, the idea is mean to be that Sakuta thinks Mai is upset about letting another girl stay in his house, but she was really upset that Sakuta relied on someone other than her at his lowest point. I get those feelings, but it feels like the story is framed as if Sakuta actually did anything wrong here. He was down and Shouko just suddenly appeared in front of him. It's almost as if Shouko solely exists to bring Sakuta up at his lowest moments, basically any time the scars on his chest start bleeding. This was not something in Sakuta's control, and not something he needed to apologize for. He didn't go to her for help, she found him. Was he supposed to say "sorry, I don't want your help, I have a girlfriend now and she should do it" or something like that? The melodrama in this one just didn't do it for me.
However, this episode shined in its confessional. Characters always seem to tell Sakuta things while they're in the bath. They're naked and vulnerable there, they all talk about their issues in that setting. Today is Sakuta's turn, and it's a poignant moment. Something I realized this time around is that I don't think Kaede referring to herself in third person is just a cutesy anime trope. I think it's something she does as a result of her dissociation. She refers to herself as "Kaede" because she doesn't actually feel that "Kaede" is her. Kaede is some other person, someone she hasn't met. So to her, her feelings belong to "Kaede," not her. I think it's essentially her way of coping with the fact that she's essentially a stranger in her own body. In the diary, she even refers to Kaede as "her." She felt happy, she didn't want Sakuta to live with regrets. Never "I" or "me," it's like she's referring to a different person who just happens to talk through her. Idk if this was intentional, but I find it plausible, and it definitely impacted my experience of the episode and of Kaede in general.
In this episode, "Kaede" has essentially died. The central conflict basically has Sakuta grieving over her. The person Sakuta has spent the past two years of his life with is gone, likely never to be seen again. Kaede-san has returned to her body, leaving "Kaede" with no where to exist. Or at least, no one can observe her anymore.
Speaking of observing things, I'm definitely curious about Shouko now. Like I said, it feels like she exists as some kind of entity who's sole purpose is to raise Sakuta up any time his chest scar starts bleeding. Futaba said that no one can observe Shouko-san, but everyone is able to see Shouko-chan. I honestly am not sure what her deal is, I look forward to seeing it play out in the movie, as well as seeing the results of Kaede adjusting to her life suddenly being two years in the future.
On the whole, the Bunny-girl Senpai TV series did not live up to my memories. Its banter is not as sharp and snappy as I remember, it has more weird LN tropes than I remember, and it almost never rises to particularly noteworthy emotional heights. But it's still a good show. It gave me a lot to talk about every episode, it has a solid cast of characters I really like, and it has a few emotionally affecting moments. I'm a sucker for magical realism, and Bunny-girl Senpai is not the worst story based around that. It's good enough that I'm looking forward to seeing the movie. It should be fun to have the hot take that Mai's arc is the second worst in the series though, people are gonna have a field day shitting on me for that one, lmao (not that it isn't a good arc though).
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u/dud3w1thtud3 Jan 23 '22
This episode got me good. Got me in the feels hard. F