Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru – 11

Shhh, just look at this cute dog and everything will be okay.

I think I would be okay if there was a spin-off show with just Sakurako and Hector sniffing out bones for fun. Like a morbid yet almost slice of life kind of thing where they just have a lot of fun hoarding bones and refusing to solve any crimes attached to them. She loves sweets and she gave Shoutarou the boot so they’re all ready for a genre switch!

Talk about laying the drama on thick. The conclusion of what happened with the three girls was very reminiscent of the confessions in Death Parade – lots of screaming, frantic hand gestures, contorted faces, and projectile saliva. I tend to dislike when a show tries too hard to tug at your heartstrings and evoke certain emotions. Usually it’s sorrow, but it can definitely occur when a show is desperate to shock you. Clearly, we’re supposed to be horrified by all the messed up stuff that’s going on. Now I feel that Shoutarou’s constant shock at Sakurako’s actions wasn’t just a reflection on him as a naive character, but the director’s attempt to constantly remind us how shocking Sakurako’s behaviour is. By having one character always pipe up about how immoral things are, we’re supposed to rally with him and feel the same derision for her ways.

It’s an incredibly forced way to make a viewer feel surprised, and when I am aware that they’re trying to rope me into that feeling I instinctively kick back and the opposite result is achieved. The screaming and soap opera-esque reveals of how the suicide was actually a murder and Hanabusa orchestrated it all was too over the top. I wasn’t keen on the delivery of it all, especially with Sakurako gleefully baiting Hitoe and Minami to freak out by waving bones in their faces.

The delivery was a little too hammy for me, but the underlying story is sound enough. I like mysteries that give Sakurako at least a little bit of time to figure. I mean, things still worked out mighty fine for her, but it took a few guesses before she pieced it all together. What she assumed to be a suicide turned out to be a murder case. Then the plot thickened once she noticed the sphenoid was gone and this was actually a clue leading towards a much more dangerous criminal than an emotional teenage girl.Plus, she almost got stabbed in the end, so at least I can say she’s isn’t perfect.

I also quite liked the way their friendship, which should have been long and fruitful, ended so horribly thanks to a bad decision spiralling out of control. It was great to see the contrast between how they used to be and the state of things now. It was such a slight shift in moods that caused such a huge rift in their friendship. Futaba’s unrelenting depression became too much despite the good times she had with her friends, and she put a huge stress on their friendship by asking them to die with her. They were all a bit worse for wear, but Futaba must have really needed some help and didn’t know what else to do. Hitoe may have agreed at first, but I don’t think she was serious about it. The other girls didn’t quite feel the same, but I can’t imagine it’s easy to reject your friend like that. I don’t even know what I’d do to try and stop someone who wanted such a thing, because then they’d just run off and commit suicide all alone. It’s just one, giant, fucked up situation that tumbled out of control.

 “Hey girl, wanna hang out and like…die? It’ll be fun!”

Sakurako provokes the girls (and even Isozaki) in an almost vicious manner, digging up bones and brandishing them around before waiting for the right moment to reveal who they belong to. There is no warning, no preamble, nothing to prepare them for the shock. She drops the drama bomb and all hell breaks loose for the rest of the episode. It’s no wonder Minami tried to stab her. I actually did not expect that, and I think it was a needed catalyst to cause Sakurako to think hard about what Shoutarou means to her.

She’s undeniably harsh with him, and splitting ties with him when he’s still healing at the hospital and can do nothing but stare at a white ceiling and stew over it is ULTRA BAD TIMING. However, there are so many ticks that give her sentimental side away. First of all, when Shoutarou is stabbed, she calls his name properly instead of Soutarou’s. Now Shoutarou has become of equal importance as Soutarou in her mind. Then, in the hospital, she admits that she actually hates when people die and would be horrified if she ever had to see Shoutarou’s bones. Heck, she even cries! Sakurako is bad (REALLY BAD) at dealing with people, but she is capable of forming bonds with them. She loves being with Shoutarou, and that is precisely why she is doing this to protect him. There’s probably a much better way of doing this, but her action is a sign that she cares about him. Otherwise, she’d keep him close and just let him get killed off by Hanabusa because lol whatever.

Sad girl crying in snow.jpg

Sakurako remains the most interesting part of the show – something I just can’t help but repeat because everyone else is so flat. The way she flits from being a sadistic “bad cop” interrogating people while waving the victim’s bones around to showing genuine concern for those around her is interesting. I never know when she will flip her switch and go from being nice to being a bone addict cackling away to herself about sphenoids while two girls have their entire lives ruined in the background. It’s amazing she can have those two sides and still come across as a coherent, albeit kind of a kooky, character.

This separation from Shoutarou should provide for an interesting reunion in the finale (come on…how could they not meet up again?!). I also think it will be interesting to compare Sakurako and Hanabusa. They both love bones and collect them, but Hanabusa is fundamentally different. He actually wishes harm upon others and looks forward to people dying. Not just strangers, but people he becomes close to. This makes Sakurako looks like an angel next to his motives, and it should be a good way to end the series with us liking Sakurako more. After all, man, she was ruthless this week! So many screencaps of psycho faces, I almost didn’t know which ones to pick!

Clearly the cream of the screenshot crop right here

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.