This was a surprisingly poor episode, as, though somewhat predictable, it noticeably failed to logically transition from the rather meaningful narrative inferences that were filtered into the last several episodes to the subsequent developments that were found in this one, instead illuminating a disappointing reversion within numerous aspects of the established narrative, as though the conclusion of the first arc was merely an intentional attempt to portray a misdirection from the true nature of the narrative‘s progression. As such, I felt that several of the dramatic complications, aside from the immensely tedious manner with which they were introduced, were illustrated, rather than suitably complex, as a concoction of startlingly rudimentary contrivances. This, of course, wasn’t at all beneficial to the effectiveness of this episode or the foreshadowed progression of the story, as it appears to indicate the possibility that truly meaningful developments will be withheld until the conclusion of the show approaches, which, though rather expected for this particular genre and the romantic elements within, is certainly an approach to storytelling that far too heavily adheres towards the conventional constraints of a quasi-triangular romance.
Sorata’s slightly romantic dream was a nice touch, as it illustrates that his interest in Mashiro is slowly developing. However, one of the most disappointing elements within this episode is the stagnancy of Sorata and Mashiro‘s inevitable romance. Aside from Sorata’s dream towards the beginning of the episode, their previously natural progression has been partially reverted, as Sorata is apprehensive of her slowly developing independence; to the point where he directly indicates a preference towards Mashiro’s older self, which, in itself, would be a suitably complex reaction, but, rather than these subtly felt fears remaining subdued, he’s actively attempting to constrain her ability to display meaningful growth, which is considerably selfish. At the very least, it was a slightly more nuanced complication in their relationship, so I hope it doesn’t continue to be filtered into the narrative in a similar fashion to many of the excessively overwrought dramatics that have been increasingly strewn into several of the previous episodes.
The most compelling insight within this episode, by far, was the subtle development of Mashiro’s emotions, as she’s gradually displaying a softly-spoken maturation and a particularly satisfying desire for a heightened self-sufficiency, most effectively illustrated by her determined attempts to cook for Sorata. This methodical evolution was also alluded to by the thoroughly noticeable contrast in her voice’s intonation between the early portions of this episode and the latter half. I’m hoping that Ryuunosuke and Rita are provided with a slightly more significant focus as the story progresses, since their typically comedic interludes have definitely become the highlight of each episode.
Sorata was quite unlikable throughout this episode, as he’s childishly deflecting his momentary failure and subsequent anger onto Mashiro, which, of course, was highly inconsiderate. I did, however, love Mashiro’s closing words, in which she emotionally reacts by clutching her chest and yelling for him to get out of her. This moment, once again, illuminated a particularly interesting development of her emotions. As such, though I am usually intrigued by Sorata’s flawed characterization, his thoughtless tendencies were far too prevalent, as his compulsory response to Mashiro‘s miniscule mistake displayed a distinctly selfish affectation that had seemingly been discarded as his character developed, which, in turn, induced a sense of pointless tedium within his characterization, as though it was solely illustrated in order to heighten the dramatic nature of the story. This is indicative of rather weak execution within the narrative, and I’m hoping, though it appears somewhat unlikely, that this intermittent flaw will disappear altogether as the story proceeds, since it’s a tiresome contrivance that only serves to temporarily cripple the effectiveness of the show.
Sorata and Aoyama’s “moment” towards the end wasn’t effective at all, since, as usual, it was incredibly one-sided, and, above all, it illustrates a certain naivety and nearly deliberate obliviousness from Aoyama that’s becoming needlessly repetitive and quite intrusive. Of course, Aoyama’s involvement is highly unnecessary altogether, due especially to the mutual feelings between Sorata and Mashiro, but it appears increasingly possible that this exceedingly predictable dynamic will vaguely linger until the conclusion of the story arrives, unfortunately. As such, due to Aoyama’s seeming awareness of Mashiro and Sorata’s entwined emotions, her hopeful attempts to essentially go on a date with him were quite desperate, illuminating, yet again, a potentially intentional attempt to constantly delude herself into some tenuous dismissal of the thoroughly obvious, as it should have been perfectly clear that he wasn’t viewing their momentary rendezvous as anything but a friendly obligation.
Though I typically find Jin and Misaki’s relationship to be one of the most intriguing aspects of the narrative, their complicated emotions are becoming increasingly tedious and unnecessarily perplexing, particularly Jin’s altruism. I also don’t really understand what Jin is hoping to accomplish in thoughtlessly providing Aoyama with a pair of tickets to a play, as it only appears to be an intentional sort of motivation for Aoyama to invite Sorata on a “date”. Of course, that would be a considerably understandable gesture under normal circumstances, but, given that he seems to have fully perceived the subtly flourishing romance between Sorata and Mashiro, it solely feels as though he’s carelessly compelling her towards further attempts to intrude on a relationship that will inevitably result in heartbreak for her.
The humor, for whatever reason, has been greatly diminished in favor of repetitive and largely unconvincing dramatics, which, as expected, doesn’t exactly complement the typically enjoyable nature of the show. For example, Sorata’s momentary berating of Mashiro, though slightly realistic given the context, is a development that only isolates Sorata as a character that hasn’t significantly grown throughout the entire show, despite several elements of maturation that were filtered into his characterization during the latter half of the previous arc.
The stale direction was one of the weaker aspects within the episode, as, for the most part, it failed to properly convey the appropriate emotions during several sequences, save for Mashiro and Sorata’s conversation at the end, which was impressively handled. As such, throughout much of the episode, the interactions were poorly framed and visually uninspired. The new OP was quite enjoyable and visually interesting, as well as a slight improvement over the last, especially since it essentially solidifies the foreshadowed perception of Mashiro and Sorata’s eventual relationship. The ED, on the other hand, though decent, wasn’t nearly as impressive as the first.
All in all, Sakurasou disappointingly followed one of it’s best episodes with what was easily one of it’s worst. The narrative, hopefully temporarily, has deteriorated in a rather disappointing and significant fashion, due largely to the contrived and wholly unnecessary adherence towards the conventional dynamics that were present at the beginning of the story, displaying a noticeable flaw in narrative execution, wherein a plethora of narrative stagnancies and absurd complications are repetitiously filtered into the story following nearly every single meaningful development within the various relationships, particularly Mashiro and Sorata’s. Unfortunately, the continuously stalled nature of several threads within the narrative alludes to the considerable potential for a monotonous arc and a rushed conclusion, in which the inevitable relationship between Mashiro and Sorata isn’t even partially established until the very end. |