**This review has a section (highlighted by tags) that contains spoilers.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is a rom-com slice of life anime, so it’s a good watch by default, right? Well, not quite. This genre has a shtick for being oversaturated, particularly with many poor productions. Why should you watch Sakurasou in particular, over the many other rom-com slice of life's? Well, read on to find out.
Sakurasou does one thing especially well that makes it stand out among its competitors, and that is its character dynamics. That is an aspect of it that is simply fantastic. As such, this review contains a fairly lengthy discussion
...
of the plot, which I will highlight with spoiler tags.
The main characters of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo are Kanda Sorata, Kamiigusa Misaki, Shiina Mashiro, Aoyama Nanami and Mitaka Jin. Already, Sakurasou can be seen as a highly unique anime. With 5 characters that are all equally important to the story, the audience gets five times the character development than most rom-coms. However, the story technically follows the adventures of Kanda Sorata, who has been banished to Sakurasou (“Sakura Hall”) due to the regular school dorms not allowing the keeping of cats. As he cares deeply for his cats, Kanda ends up biting the bullet and chooses to live at Sakurasou. There at Sakurasou, he lives with other would-be delinquents. And so, the relationships between the five characters at Sakurasou would serve as the backbone of this anime’s story.
Presumably, this should already be heaven for any rom-com slice of life lover; after all, there are five main characters and 24 episodes. The real thing that does it for Sakurasou, however, is the romance aspect of the anime. And by “doing it”, I mean doing a disservice. The romance in this anime is quite horrid, honestly. This is especially hard for me to say as I thoroughly enjoyed literally every single aspect of Sakurasou, except for its romance.
I’m going to be discussing the story in mild detail, so if you don’t want to be spoiled at all, skip to the [endspoiler] tag.
**[startspoiler]
My first problem is Misaki’s relationship with Jin. Due to the nature of the anime and the nature of Misaki’s personality itself, her quest for love was simply a joke; I never really took it seriously. Whenever she cried after her numerous failures, I did not feel sympathy for her, nor did I feel emotional as a viewer. Misaki’s love struggles never really had any weight to them, and they even got resolved fairly quickly (as if to further undermine them).
The other problem: Aoyama and Kanda’s relationship. Oh boy. This relationship single-handedly “ruined” Sakurasou for me (not really ruined, but it basically kicked my pairing hopes in the nutsack). I personally rooted for Aoyama and Kanda to get together throughout the series, but man was THAT wishful thinking. Before watching this series, I read many posts touting Sakurasou as being “the bad kind of predictable”. And I certainly see why now. Right from the first episode, you could already see Shiina x Kanda being established. Them getting all touchy-feely so early on, the sexual innuendos, the peeping moments… it was all meant to be from the very beginning. So why then, did the writers decide to create a second relationship branch in Aoyama x Kanda? It makes zero sense to me, and Sakurasou’s execution of the pairing itself made just about the same amount of sense. The entire time, Kanda is as blunt as a block while Aoyama is as pitiful as a bug. It was just painful for me to watch Aoyama each time she tried to confess to Kanda. Her constant failures were just really disgusting, and especially so since I’m one of the viewers who prefer Aoyama over Shiina. Not by much, because I do love Shiina as a character, but some preference nonetheless. Aoyama’s unrealized love was truly cringe-worthy; two especially disgusting moments were when she confesses her love, only to play it off as “good acting”, and when she gave a half-ass confession to Kanda after her audition. Seriously, it’s like the producers were purposely getting my hopes up simply to laugh at me afterwards. Two times, we were supposed to get Aoyama to finally confess to Kanda, and for Kanda to (more than likely) go out with her or reject her. But, we get the worse-case scenario; Aoyama’s love is never realized! As I have said before, the chemistry between Aoyama and Kanda really pissed me off not only due to how poorly it was coordinated but also by how unnecessary it was. The producers did NOT need to include a second girl for Kanda; this isn’t a harem anime. Shiina would have been good enough, and the story could have simply focused on Kanda x Shiina being realized. However, just as this anime put the final nail in the coffin when it came to pissing me off with Aoyama x Kanda, episode 23 came about: the graduation episode. And boy, let me tell you. This was one of the greatest episodes in anime history; I’m just going to say it now. The emotion displayed in this episode by all the characters (students, school staff members, Sakurasou residents included) was simply unreal. This scene does not necessarily make you want to cry. However, you can sense the genuineness within each characters’ sadness, their speeches, and their feelings for each other. Instead of being a giant cheesefest, the producers of Sakurasou actually managed to make the graduation episode an honest-to-goodness emotional episode. And I felt it. However, I found myself asking: "Why wasn't this the final episode?"
The last episode (24) made it seem as if there was still plenty more for Sakurasou to cover. It introduced two new characters, and it was the start of a new year; everything was fresh. We were going to see Kanda and Shiina being isolated from the other main characters for the first time, and maybe even having their relationship furthered. We even got a glimpse of the two new members of Sakurasou, and they are not bad characters in the slightest. All in all, the producers had quite a lot of quality material to work with if they wanted to create another season. So why didn’t they? After I finished watching all 24 episodes of Sakurasou, I was left wanting more. The series didn’t really “end” at all; why start a new chapter if you're just going to cut it off right away? The ending makes no sense to me. You could say that this is a sign that the producers are thinking of a second season, but there hasn’t really been any news yet. It’s just wishful thinking as of now.
**[endspoiler]
In every other department, however, Sakurasou excels.
Story [9/10]: Probably the most important aspect of an anime, Sakurasou has an exceptional story. While its romance is admittedly weak, as previously discussed, it doesn’t take much away from the story. There were quite a lot of aspects of Sakurasou that I had a critique for, and yet I found myself excitedly watching every episode regardless. I constantly wanted to find out what would happen next, and I was definitely held in suspense during many moments throughout the anime. The moments of drama, in particular, gave Sakurasou such great depth.
Art [10/10]: One of the absolute KILLER aspects of Sakurasou! The art implements a fairly unique style, using mainly warm and bright colors. Most animes have art that uses colors and shades from a generic palette, which causes them to look to look very similar to each other; Sakurasou strays away from this. All of the characters are drawn nicely, along with all of the minute details in the animations being perfectly executed. However, if there was one thing to really set Sakurasou apart, it’s the art used to portray Shiina Mashiro’s artistic virtuosity. As the viewer, I was able to completely comprehend the extent of Shiina’s skill due to Sakurasou’s magnificent art. Not to mention, whoever drew Shiina’s drawings was quite talented themselves.
Sound [10/10]: The only proof I need to verify the greatness of Sakurasou’s soundtrack is the fact that its OPs/EDs are among my top-played songs on my iPod. Initially, I wasn’t really feeling the first opening; it sounded somewhat generic. However, after listening to it multiple times by virtue of watching the anime, I fell in love with it. The openings completely portray the mood of the entire anime (and the openings very cleverly display the fantastic art style, too). The second ending in particular went very nicely with the characters dynamics at that point in the story.
Character [10/10]: Sakurasou’s characters truly give it that extra dimension. For a rom-com, all five main characters are surprisingly deep. Throughout the story, we get to learn of all of their backgrounds. What makes them so amazing is the fact that despite vastly contrasting upbringings, all of the Sakurasou residents are accepting of each other. There is never any sense of dislike or resentment among them, and they are all genuine friends. That chemistry between them is what makes them so special to watch.
I thought long and hard about my final rating. Admittedly, there are quite a few problems with Sakurasou, such as its romance. However, for an anime that has left such a huge impact on me, Sakurasou deserves nothing less than a perfect score. Along with other viewers, I have been left wanting more. Few other animes have managed to make me feel this way. And while I was watching it, Sakurasou provided countless laughs and a fair share of quality drama. Never was I bored at any moment while watching the series. The greatest thing about Sakurasou, however, is the fact that it manages to meet and then exceed the standard expectations of a romantic comedy slice-of-life anime; it truly is a fantastic production. Rarely can anyone recommend an anime of this genre as a must-watch for anime enthusiasts of all kinds, but that is exactly what I’m doing with Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Japanese: さくら荘のペットな彼女
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
24
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 9, 2012 to Mar 26, 2013
Premiered:
Fall 2012
Broadcast:
Tuesdays at 00:30 (JST)
Producers:
Frontier Works, Genco, Media Factory, Animax, Mainichi Broadcasting System, ASCII Media Works, Sony Music Communications
Licensors:
Sentai Filmworks
Studios:
J.C.Staff
Source:
Light novel
Duration:
23 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#6062
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#110
Members:
1,280,290
Favorites:
26,200
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 384 / 399
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Your Feelings Categories Dec 18, 2013
**This review has a section (highlighted by tags) that contains spoilers.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is a rom-com slice of life anime, so it’s a good watch by default, right? Well, not quite. This genre has a shtick for being oversaturated, particularly with many poor productions. Why should you watch Sakurasou in particular, over the many other rom-com slice of life's? Well, read on to find out. Sakurasou does one thing especially well that makes it stand out among its competitors, and that is its character dynamics. That is an aspect of it that is simply fantastic. As such, this review contains a fairly lengthy discussion ... Apr 30, 2013
"Everyday was the same. Deep down, I felt bored. I wanted to blame someone for my being bored." - Kanda Sorata
The very first line in the anime coming from the protagonist himself. Frankly, I felt exactly the same after watching the first dozen episodes of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo. J.C. Staff, a studio which animated numerous titles such as Toradora, Zero no Tsukaima, Toaru Majutsu no Index, now it's Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo or in English, 'The Pet Girl of Sakurasou'. Story? Kanda Sorata was told to move to a place called Sakurasou, a dorm where the problem students dwell in. One day, Shiina ... Feb 2, 2015
"Over the last three years here at Sui High, I've made many dear friends. And what allowed me to meet them... was a student dorm called Sakurasou." - Misaki
The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. When I first read the little summary of it on MAL I got the horrible feeling in my stomach it would be very sexually forward with a lot of fan service and very little plot/char. development. I thank God today that I'm terrible at guessing plots to anime, and I will take this second to simply say "I apologize" to the writer for having low expectations. Because I could not have possibly ... Nov 3, 2012
Once in a while, it's nice to be pleasantly surprised. Going into something with a synopsis like Sakurasou, I honestly wasn't expecting much, but the end result was nice way to finish such a great series like this.
Keep in mind this is my first review. I'm not going to dive into why I picked numbers for each category because I find it pretty repetitive, but more strictly my enjoyment and impressions I have towards this anime. So by all means, I'm no expert in anime, I just watch what seems enjoyable for me. One of Sakuraou’s most redeeming factors is the atmosphere from the characters/ setting. ... Jul 21, 2015
"This area feels weird, it's been throbbing hard since that time."
-Mashiro Shiina, Episode 12 My god, everyone seems to have a total hard-on for this show. Why? Nearly every previous review for this shit has been a 10. Is there something I missed while watching this? Seriously, what's so amazing about it? So characters: you got your generic numbnuts male protagonist who's usually too fuckin' scared to say what he really means, a schizophrenic or something, a generic tsundere, the generic sex-crazed pervert character, and some other annoying chick. Sounds great already! The setting: 1700's France? No, fuck you, it's a school. What did you expect? Ok, to be ... Mar 27, 2013
So, just to get this out of the way, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is a high school, romantic comedy drama based off the light novels of the same name whose main draw comes from the characters and how they interact with each other. To be completely honest, when I first heard about Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo before it even aired, I fully expected it to be a “weird-girl harem comedy”, and the first couple episodes really did nothing to change that opinion. However, as the show progressed, I found that I never could have been more wrong.
The story revolves around Kanda Sorata, a ... Apr 5, 2013
From all the Slice of Life, Romantic Comedy last year I've seen, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo was by far the best.
But that in of it self doesn't say much about the Quality of the show, does it? Let me first sum up my overall impression/emotions with the show. I laughed. I cringed. I was touched. I felt connected. And I recommended it despite it being just another JC Staff School Anime. ... May 10, 2013
Well, I don't normally go out of my way to write reviews.
But wow... This show deserves it. Within the first four minutes or so I thought this anime was going to be typical Harem or some annoying romance that attempts to sway you by overly cliche one-liners and pompous ass shots, but oh how was I wrong. **NO SPOILERS** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story: ... Mar 26, 2013
Sakurasou.... where to start. I am a huge sucker for romantic school kind of animes but MANY times I was unable to find the right kind of anime. There were many many animes which just got dull and boring straight from the start. But Sakurasou had me captivated and eager which made me wait every week for the new episode to come out. I even wanted to learn Japanese just so I could watch this anime raw!!!! (Which means i get too watch it faster :D) This anime, like many kinds of anime had its up and downs. And it was these ups and downs
...
Feb 10, 2013
Every journey begins with the first step.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo (also known as The Pet Girl of Sakurasou) is an anime series based off the light novel with a manga adaptation also written in the works by Hajime Kamoshida. The story tells of a group of young people and details the lives of them, especially Sorata Kanda the main protagonist who recently got kicked out of his school dorm after picking up a stray cat. Thus, he moves to the Sakurasou dormitory where he meets Mashiro Shiina, a strange girl with a very talented skill. Thus, let his new life begin! The story of the series ... Apr 30, 2013
So. Finished The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, one of the most anticipated animes for the first quarter of 2013. My thoughts on the first episodes told me nothing but, "Just another echii/rom-com, you've seen this all before". Usually my brain is correct when it comes to watching animes for the first time.
Usually. My brain was dead wrong when it came to this one. The thing I love about being me is that despite how cliché some romantic comedies are, I always finish them, no matter what. But this time I didn't need to power through it, and the season finale just made me want more. The ... Nov 28, 2014
The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is my favorite romance-comedy anime from the past couple years, for a couple of reasons. At first glance, the show seems like the usual perverted fan-service-shit everyone’s grown accustom to these days as the first two episodes are filled with a beautiful clueless girl walking about blindly and nakedly around a teenage guys house with lots of ecchi moments (original huh)... However, I decided to not drop the series and I'm glad I didn't, because upon watching more of the show, I found that the story goes on it's own path, away from the generic rom-coms story (pretty well-written for
...
Jun 1, 2013
i don't like reading novel like reviews so i'll keep this one short, i'm not going to deal with the background of this anime but rather straight to my opinion about it.
One word to describe Sakurasou is DISAPPOINTING, I remember getting exited while watching the first part of this anime but after sometime, Shiina Mashiro's cuteness just wear out, there is nothing else about to watch in this series besides her which made it more disappointing because her character didn't get any real development in the end. Another disappointing character is the male lead Sorata. It may be my personal preference but ... Mar 24, 2013
Bueno, how should I put it.......well, I'd probably say that this anime is good at the start of 2013. It is safe to say that this anime ended in episode 23 and it is safe to assume that episode 24 would just a filler since there were spoilers already indicated either from the forums, light novel, manga or from MAL's character info. So, this anime more like intensified of what was about the situation about the people of Sakura Dormitory or more popularly called "Sakurasou." So, without anymore BS, here are my ratings for each of this anime's category.
Good 7: Story- Thought the anime it ... Mar 21, 2013
I started watching this anime fully expecting it to be just another silly light-headed boyish comedy full of gratuitous skin flicks and fanservice. I admit, my hormones made me do it. If you just want a short summary, though, hear me out on only two more statements: This is a story about a kindhearted teenager who cares for, and slowly falls in love with, a savant. And I'm still surprised to say it's the only anime that has managed to pull any tears out of my eyes.
Yes, the show does start out with the immature titillation that we all came for. Yes, the comedic timing ... Mar 17, 2015
Sakurasou is an anime that is more than the sum of its parts. If I were to break down Sakurasou into its most basic ingredients, I wouldn't be able to claim that any of those ingredients are particularly brilliant. However, the wonderful hot pot created when all of those ingredients are boiled together is one that is unique and unforgettable.
Story - 9/10 The premise of Sakurasou is generic enough, but the story grows beautifully from its humble beginnings. Containing multiple story arcs, each with enough plot and character to facilitate being an anime alone, Sakurasou almost resembles a battle shonen in structure. Various arcs centered around ... Nov 28, 2014
Sakurasou no Pet na kanojo is one hell of a ride. And it's definitely a hidden gem among all the generic slice-of-life animes out there and is lies among the best of them in my opinion. Its beginning may turn away many viewers due to its more than revealing shots of the characters, but please try to stick with this anime because you'll be rewarded with an alien-like yet relateable cast, amazing accompaniment of music, and a splash of colors swirling around the screen that's bound to give your eyes orgasms.
Seriously, please stay with us at Sakurasou. * WARNING * There are spoilers below and I ... Mar 31, 2013
To be brief, this anime was a lot better than I though it would be. The beginning sets it up as a cliche harem series having the main character surrounded by different over-used archetypes. I soon found out that my assumption was wrong and the show greatly develops. Although it deviates away from a crappy harem show, the story behind it is still mediocre at best, and I have seen many like it. It is a story about bonds and friendship and all that jazz. However, there are still a few elements to it that grabbed my emotions. Later in the show the theme of
...
May 8, 2019
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is based off of a light novel and manga by Kamoshida Hajime. In late 2012, early 2013, JC Staff put out an anime based off of it. It's tough to judge anything in advance based off of that since JC Staff has worked on great anime like Flying Witch & Yami No Matsuei as well as mediocre anime like Toradora and rubbish anime like Puni Puni Poemii & Voogie's Angel. Only the future will tell where this one falls.
Story: Sorata is a student who's found himself banished to Sakurasou, the dorm where they put all the problem students. He's there on account ... Apr 22, 2014
"Don't judge a book by its cover." Something we are all guilty of doing on a regular basis. Who can blame us? We're human. We are quick to judge, are influenced greatly by first impressions, and will easily discard great potential investments without a second thought. Despite this deficit of reasonable evaluation, humans are also great beings; we are able to look back and realize first impressions can be capable of grievous deception.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo (The Pet Girl of Sakurasou) is not really a romantic series. It is also not really a comedy. Though it has bits of both of these elements, ... |