Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru – 09
I’m really upset she didn’t get a magical bones transformation scene like Sakurako
Not that you asked for it, but my views on filler are as such: if the filler episode is good, I don’t mind. Go ahead and put a bunch of fillers in a 12 episode show as long as the main story doesn’t suffer. I’m also the kind of person who loves training montages in sports anime just as much as actual competitions so yeah, I’m all for a little down-time between the big stuff.
This episode is distinctly split into two parts. Both are mini “mysteries”, if you can even call them that, which mostly exist to deepen our ties to Yuriko, Shoutarou and Sakurako. Considering that it looks like some crazy shit is about to go down next week, it’s probably a good move to get as as emotionally invested in these characters as possible before they are RUTHLESSLY TORTURED BY THE DIRECTOR. Probably. Anyways, I had a rather good time with this quiet, sit-down-and-talk-it-out episode that lets some other characters step into the role of a detective other than Sakurako.
“Come, child. We must escape into this totally not freaky forest”
The first part is all about Yuriko trying to figure out which painting her grandma wanted to give to her on her wedding day. Sakurako lays out all the possible connections she can think of, but at the end of the day, it’s up to Yuriko to make the decision. There are no cold, hard facts for an issue like this. Her grandma’s painting selection was entirely based on emotions that Yuriko should understand better than Sakurako, by the virtue of her knowing her own kin in a way an outsider could never be able to just study up on. It’s always nice to see Sakurako show a tiny bit of hubris and let someone else do the solving. In fact, she seems to be outwardly very friendly and complimentary towards Yuriko…It’s an odd friendship, and I love that it irks Shoutarou to no end.
I know the whole point of it wasn’t to be a big, exciting mystery, but the final verdict still felt lacklustre. Sakurako tells Yuriko that she should be the one who decides what her grandma felt…and then we never see what connections Yuriko makes. I would think that Yuriko’s thoughts on the matter would be a lot more interesting than Sakurako’s since she has that special connection, but we never get to see it. Which painting does Yuriko think is the real one after all Sakurako said? Is it one of the three or an entirely different one? Is there a super adorable story attached to Yuriko’s reasoning that we’re missing out on? Sometimes letting the viewer imagine the outcome works, and sometimes it’s just frustrating and takes away from the story.
The second part was super cute…in the way learning about an old lady dying from cancer can be cute. Err…you know what I mean! Anyways, I liked that little insight into Shoutarou’s life because the paucity of information about him is startling. He’s one of the main characters, and yet I feel like I barely know him. It was a touching story he told that sounded rather natural, as Shoutarou mentioned it so off-handedly like it was just a random memory he blurted out to make conversation. It was only revealed to have a hidden meaning when examined more deeply.
His memory went from being a sweet ‘lil story about him giggling and eating pudding with his grandma to a story about his grandma stalling for time as she was pilled to the gills with painkillers so she wouldn’t moan in agony when Shoutarou came to visit. Yikes. They’re both touching, but in very different ways. It built on last week’s message of how one story can have multiple truths depending on which angle you choose to look at it from. This one thankfully didn’t result in Shoutarou digging up some bones and keeping grandma in a box somewhere. Other than that, the way this show builds on past themes and re-integrates them in new ways is really impressive.
If I was dying I’d say screw it and just eat pudding all day too
Surprisingly, the story touched not just one heartless woman (i.e. me), but Sakurako as well. She’s getting worse and worse at hiding her feelings as time goes by. First she acts all super nice to Yuriko, and then she goes she worries about her grandma after hearing Shoutarou’s story. Adorable. Truly an adorable episode (it even had a cute dog!). Unfortunately, it really does look like there’s nowhere to go from here but down as Sakurako hints about something more sinister going on. Furthermore, Hitoi looks about as intimidating as a girl toting a goofy weiner dog can be thanks to those butterfly wings. With only a few episodes left, it may be time to finally figure out what on earth all this butterfly symbolism is pointing towards. Your move, butterfly fedora man…or lady. Your move.
*offscreen, Mimi the dog grows tiny butterfly wings as well*
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I feel a sense of confliction.
One the one hand, this was a nice and sweet episode surrounding a number of grandmothers and their stories. Shoutarou got some saddening revelations from details he, himself, already knew. The funny thing about life is you won’t come to know extra things until someone else processes the events themselves.
On the other hand, it’s feels an odd choice to have such a story this late when the series is on its last leg. As we keep seeing in the OP, we haven’t yet met that mysterious figure who caused a ruckus with the arsenic laced painting a while back. A development I’ve been waiting to see for some time but always gets sidelined. Not that the content it sidelined with was bad in any way, mind you.
Here’s hoping nothing immediate happens to Gran. Aside from Shoutarou, she’s all Sakurako has left. But other than that, Gran seems too stubborn to kick the bucket. How amusing it was seeing her scold Sakurako like a child for the extra pudding.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I don’t think it’s such an odd choice. A lot of shows put a more quiet episode right before (or after) a really shocking one to try and create contrast. Getting more attached to the characters and enjoying seeing them happy makes the inevitably downfall all the more emotionally effective. Plus, it’s not like this was a random pool episode…we did learn some stuff about Shoutarou and Sakurako.
The pudding scene was pretty great. She’s still the one with authority in this house!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
This show was one of those “Be quiet, you might actually learn something” lessons for Shoutarou. So focused on the immediate of the pudding, he couldn’t see the real reason that his grandmother went through so much effort to see him: she enjoyed the time with him. And even after Gran pointed it out, and he understood more of the point, he still didn’t understand, it seemed. Maybe he was overwhelmed, but rather than feeling glad that he made her later days happier, which he surely did, he was far too focused on any inconvenience he might have caused, rather than the big picture.
I suppose that playing Shoutarou that way throughout the series is more authentic, but it’s jarring from a medium that typically gives high school students far more wisdom than that.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m hoping he did figure out what Gran pointed out about her actually being happy he came over to talk to her and eat pudding. It might just take some time for him to process. Yeah, it’s not something he should feel guilty over. He should think about how much his grandma must have loved him to be so happy just to see him smile!
Maybe it’s a Japanese thing where you focus more on the worry of being an inconvenience to someone?