Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo - Episode 8 Discussion / Poll

[Flawfinder]

Caught up with the show. Um...it's not as bad as Kokoro Connect?

Honestly, the transition between comedy and drama is pretty terrible in this show. This episode kept on making me unable to feel sorry for Sorata's failed interview because they kept on cutting the impact with yelling and swimsuits. Keep those separate please.

[FlareKnight]

As to the question, I'd just call it cheap. Before the person can even get into a comfortable groove you blindside them with a question they didn't see coming. There was clearly a personal reason to throw this question at Sorata when looking at his background.

Originally Posted by Flawfinder

Caught up with the show. Um...it's not as bad as Kokoro Connect?

Honestly, the transition between comedy and drama is pretty terrible in this show. This episode kept on making me unable to feel sorry for Sorata's failed interview because they kept on cutting the impact with yelling and swimsuits. Keep those separate please.

I'd completely disagree here. I think they are doing a fine to great job with the transitions. It'd make the series seem really odd if they went "ok here's a drama episode" and then "ok here's a comedy episode." I didn't feel any less sorry for Sorata's interview failure. The damage was still clearly visible under the surface.

[Somnus]

Originally Posted by Flawfinder

Caught up with the show. Um...it's not as bad as Kokoro Connect?

Honestly, the transition between comedy and drama is pretty terrible in this show. This episode kept on making me unable to feel sorry for Sorata's failed interview because they kept on cutting the impact with yelling and swimsuits. Keep those separate please.

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

As to the question, I'd just call it cheap. Before the person can even get into a comfortable groove you blindside them with a question they didn't see coming. There was clearly a personal reason to throw this question at Sorata when looking at his background.
I'd completely disagree here. I think they are doing a fine to great job with the transitions. It'd make the series seem really odd if they went "ok here's a drama episode" and then "ok here's a comedy episode." I didn't feel any less sorry for Sorata's interview failure. The damage was still clearly visible under the surface.

I agree with FlareKnight, I found the transition perfect. Rather, I'd call it a welcome change. Usually this would develop into a full episode or two of FULL DRAMA, and a grumpy Sorata that's a pain to watch. I don't think the point of the episode was to make you feel sorry for him at all.

I can't say how much I'm glad that they portrayed Sorata the way they did. It was easy to relate to, more on point, it'd be damn close to how I would act in a similar situation (Unlike the earlier drama at initially pursuing game design). When he'd gotten back to the house, the interaction between him and Mashiro (with his inner thoughts in between) was perfect. He said it himself "I was depressed", but he wasn't going to take it out on everyone else. Finally

The swimming pool scene was a blatant attempt to cheer him up, and no one was hiding that fact. Again, easily relatable. I've been on both the giving, and receiving end of those situations. Even better, he accepted their kindness and was able to take his mind off of things/find new inspiration. Again, finally!

It's a hard blow to take for sure, and he has every right to be depressed. But for once they (in terms of general anime trends) didn't make a mountain out of a molehill. It's just a bump on the road of life, to which he dealt with and decided to learn and try again.

[Chaos2Frozen]

^
Well said; Another thing I want to add is that they don't even need to make you feel sorry for Sorata- because almost everybody watching this show knows EXACTLY what Sorata is going through when he failed his interview.

[Kyuu]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

^
Well said; Another thing I want to add is that they don't even need to make you feel sorry for Sorata- because almost everybody watching this show knows EXACTLY what Sorata is going through when he failed his interview.

This reminds me of my participation with Academic Decathalon, way back in high school.

One of the events was SPEECH -- and well -- back then, didn't have any knack for speech giving and preparation. So, I flat out sucked. Hell, I finished dead last in the competition (out of 67 or so).

At least, I am far far better at giving presentations today. But man - I can remember that day.

[Flawfinder]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

^
Well said; Another thing I want to add is that they don't even need to make you feel sorry for Sorata- because almost everybody watching this show knows EXACTLY what Sorata is going through when he failed his interview.

Of course I know exactly what Sorata is going through. However, I didn't have my sadness interrupted by a girl who always yells and dumps a pile of swimsuits on me. There's using humor to enhance the mood, and then there's breaking the mood altogether. It's the difference between Love Hina and that awful Kokoro Connect show (shut up, KC was awful )

As for not needing to make you feel sorry for Sorata, have to dispute that. The characters themselves should sell me. Not their situations.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Flawfinder

Of course I know exactly what Sorata is going through. However, I didn't have my sadness interrupted by a girl who always yells and dumps a pile of swimsuits on me.

While that specific exemple hasn't happened to me there's been many times when friends have done wacky things to cheer me up and have myself done wacky stuff to cheer friends up,intrupting my sadness is one thing I expect out of a friend.

So yes,I'd b all for the pool party if I were with the cast

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by jedinat

Am I the only one completely bored/annoyed by mundane dilemmas like worrying about your future/working towards a successful future/getting ready and practicing for presentations, etc.. I mean, this is the stuff I avoid like the plague in real life. *paused halfway through the episode to complain*

While I get where you're coming from, I think these dilemmas are necessary to keep the show sort of grounded. I don't think the drama (including the romantic drama) in this show would work as well if you didn't have the overarching plot of these kids all working towards a particular dream/successful future. Without that, it would be too much generic harem anime comedy.

On the flip-side, though, if it was all about the drama, the show would probably feel too heavy.

So I think Sakurasou does a pretty good job of balancing drama with comedy. There's particular bits that don't do much for me (so I can see where FlawFinder is coming from), but I really get the idea behind it, and so it mostly works for me.


For example, I think that this pool party is the sort of way a group of friends would react to one of the group suffering a major life disappointment/setback. Rather than dwell on it and go into heavy angsting, I think that most people would handle this the same way: Head out with their buddies for a good time to take their mind off of the recent disappointment.

I also think that the interview was handled pretty well. It's true that the "trick question" isn't that hard, but I think Sorata's reaction to it was very believable and pretty realistic. Sometimes you can sort of overprepare for these sorts of interviews, and get so caught up in set expectations for them that the littlest curveball totally takes you off your game.


One final note is that I like how the love triangle in this show is reasonably unpredictable. While I think that Mashiro is the clear favorite, I wouldn't be shocked at Nanami winning it all. So it's great to see a love triangle that's genuinely unpredictable for a change, and where either possible outcome is not without its charms.

9/10 for Episode 8.

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by Flawfinder

Of course I know exactly what Sorata is going through. However, I didn't have my sadness interrupted by a girl who always yells and dumps a pile of swimsuits on me. There's using humor to enhance the mood, and then there's breaking the mood altogether.

That's the point isn't it? How much longer do you want to look at a character wallowing in sadness? I'm certain the message had been made very clear from the previous scenes.

Originally Posted by Flawfinder

As for not needing to make you feel sorry for Sorata, have to dispute that. The characters themselves should sell me. Not their situations.

And yet it's their situation that makes it so relatable for everybody.

And as many people have said, it's not like Sorata's reactions weren't believable at all- I doubt there's much more he needs to do to get the message across.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

One final note is that I like how the love triangle in this show is reasonably unpredictable. While I think that Mashiro is the clear favorite, I wouldn't be shocked at Nanami winning it all. So it's great to see a love triangle that's genuinely unpredictable for a change, and where either possible outcome is not without its charms.

What if it ends up as a threesome ?

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

What if it ends up as a threesome ?

Remember Plan C.

[BladeEntity]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

One final note is that I like how the love triangle in this show is reasonably unpredictable. While I think that Mashiro is the clear favorite, I wouldn't be shocked at Nanami winning it all. So it's great to see a love triangle that's genuinely unpredictable for a change, and where either possible outcome is not without its charms.

While I fully agree that both choices have a certain charm, people tend to have a bias which kind of affects which outcome they prefer, but this would be one romance where either outcome is not totally unbelievable compared to the other. Maybe Chaos is right threesome doesn't sound too bad. Ifind Nanami to have a slight edge over Mashiro, but thats probably because i expect the unexpectedat all times.

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by BladeEntity

While I fully agree that both choices have a certain charm, people tend to have a bias which kind of affects which outcome they prefer, but this would be one romance where either outcome is not totally unbelievable compared to the other. Maybe Chaos is right threesome doesn't sound too bad. Ifind Nanami to have a slight edge over Mashiro, but thats probably because i expect the unexpectedat all times.

Honestly though? I don't want to think too much about it right now because this show is more than just a romance story

[BladeEntity]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

Honestly though? I don't want to think too much about it right now because this show is more than just a romance story

True that, I'm quite content with just the character developments that we have been getting.

[Flawfinder]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So I think Sakurasou does a pretty good job of balancing drama with comedy. There's particular bits that don't do much for me (so I can see where FlawFinder is coming from), but I really get the idea behind it, and so it mostly works for me.

I get the idea fine. But anyone who knows my taste knows that I don't like stuff that try to be intelligent whilst succumbing to mainstream cliches (particularly not the LN ones). Not that I automatically dislike stuff like that, but they rarely impress me because it either feels like the intelligent stuff is tacked on rather than the main focus or it's too preachy for my tastes. I like the messages Sakurasou is trying to get through. What I don't like is the fact that we have a genius autistic girl who can't put on her own underwear, misunderstandings that aren't particularly clever, and do I even have to mention Episode 7? Almost none of them enhance the ideas, but rather distract from them.

I didn't dislike the episode because it didn't have enough drama (because I hated the drama in every episode prior to this due to the music and rain overblowing everything). I disliked it because the humor was lousy and felt artificial. Inviting Sorata to a pool party to cheer him up? Great. Jumping into his room and dumping a thousand female swimsuits on him whilst yelling really loudly? Not so great.

Or maybe I'm just harsh on it because Kokoro Connect gave me a very deep scar when it comes to LN adaptations that tackle "real" issues.

[Miraluka]

Originally Posted by Flawfinder

I get the idea fine. But anyone who knows my taste knows that I don't like stuff that try to be intelligent whilst succumbing to mainstream cliches (particularly not the LN ones). Not that I automatically dislike stuff like that, but they rarely impress me because it either feels like the intelligent stuff is tacked on rather than the main focus or it's too preachy for my tastes. I like the messages Sakurasou is trying to get through. What I don't like is the fact that we have a genius autistic girl who can't put on her own underwear, misunderstandings that aren't particularly clever, and do I even have to mention Episode 7? Almost none of them enhance the ideas, but rather distract from them.

I didn't dislike the episode because it didn't have enough drama (because I hated the drama in every episode prior to this due to the music and rain overblowing everything). I disliked it because the humor was lousy and felt artificial. Inviting Sorata to a pool party to cheer him up? Great. Jumping into his room and dumping a thousand female swimsuits on him whilst yelling really loudly? Not so great.

Or maybe I'm just harsh on it because Kokoro Connect gave me a very deep scar when it comes to LN adaptations that tackle "real" issues.

Its the drama that is sooo badly played that its lacking in credibility and empathy towards characters like Sorata and her depressive friend isn't helping too, and I'm not gonna keep wacthing the show just for the characters that barely have focuss. So, I'll stop watching it, maybe I'll end it someday.