Episode 4 of the Sarazanmai anime has been released. This episode also featured a flashback between Kuji Yuu and his brother Chikai. There are still many mysteries surrounding Sarazanmai. I thought that the flashbacks of the three main characters had mostly finished in episode 4, but at the end there was a bombshell statement from Kazuki that he "hates Haruka." Like Mawaru Penguindrum, one of the charms of the episode is that the otter's theme song plays without skipping a beat in the middle of the episode. In this article, I'd like to share my thoughts on episode 4 of the anime.
A brief synopsis of Episode 4: "I want to connect, but you're not by my side."
Yu's family grew up in the Yaku Soba noodle shop. However, his parents died when he was a child. His parents then cosigned for a friend's debt, leading to the sale of the family soba restaurant. His older brother, Chiaki, gradually became involved in criminal activities and received a gun from Yuri Kamome. Before the family home was sold, his uncle and aunt came over and, while they were sorting through their belongings, Chika arrived with the money, bringing the title deed to the soba restaurant and cash, asking his uncle to take over the business. Meanwhile, Kazuki was shocked to learn that Haruka would be attending Sarah's handshake event tomorrow. Worried that his disguise and connection to Haruka would be exposed, Kazuki asked Yu for help in kidnapping Sarah. At that moment, the soba noodles began to float. The culprit was a soba zombie. Yu transformed into a kappa and removed the soba zombie's shirikodama, which had been trying to boil the noodles in her leftover bathwater. At that moment, a scene leaked: when Chika was a child, in the tunnel where Yuri Umi had been trapped, Chika shot and killed him with a gun given to him by Umi. Then, a scene of brotherly love between Yu and Chika. Learning of his past, Kazuki offered to give Yu a silver plate he had. Tsubameta tried to stop him, but Kazuki said he hated Haruka.
About Yu
Yu played soccer!?
So far, the three of them haven't really seen anything in common except that they all have someone they want to connect with. Then, in Yu's flashback, there was a lot of soccer merchandise hanging in his room. We know that both Kazuki and Tsubameta played soccer, so perhaps soccer will become a key theme going forward.
Is Yu in love with Kazuki in drag?
At Sarah's request, Kazuki, cross-dressed, Yu reluctantly begins listening to the story of Sarah's kidnapping. There's a scene where he blushes at Kazuki's behavior in drag. It might sound strange, but perhaps there's a story in which Yu falls in love with Kazuki in drag, or with the real Sarah? This work also depicts homosexuality, just as Enta's love for Kazuki is, so such a development is entirely possible. I'm looking forward to future developments, including this one.
Otters = Desire, Kappa = Love!?
Up until now, I've considered otters and kappa to be a pair, with otters as a symbol of desire and kappa as a symbol of love. And because kappa and otters are similar, I thought it represented the closeness of desire and love. However, it turns out that kappa may not be a symbol of love. That's the small letters on Asakusa TV. The small letters said that the prince was caught between love and desire. The prince is Keppi. If Keppi is caught between love and desire, then desire = otter. Kappa exist between desire and love, meaning they are beings who can go to either the side of desire or the side of love. Love can be thought of as the opposite of desire. The side of desire exists as the desire field. The field that kappa travels through is the desire field and the world in which Kazuki and the others live. Perhaps they perceive the real world in which Kazuki and the others live as love. In other words, they believe the world is overflowing with love, and when they say that this world is overflowing with connections at the beginning of episode 1, can we think of connections as synonymous with love, and that connections = love?
Kazuki hates Haruka!? Why?
At the end of the story, Ikki says he hates Haruka. Why? The truth will likely become clear in the next episode or later. Let's come up with a hypothesis.
Hypothesis 1: Relationship with Parents
While his connection with Haruka is depicted, Ikki's relationship with his father and mother seems to be a bit shaky. Even when eating breakfast, he's the only one who doesn't eat with them and tries to leave alone. He rarely talks to his parents. In contrast, Haruka is shown to have conversations with them. Perhaps he's jealous of Haruka, who is loved by them?
Hypothesis 2: Haruka's Leg Injury
Haruka's leg injury. If he believes he is to blame for it, then there's no particular reason for him to dislike her. However, Kazuki continues to grant Haruka's wishes after his leg injury. What if Haruka is actually threatening him because of his leg injury, or if he's continuing to endure it as atonement? He's a bit of a nasty older brother, though.
Sarazanmai Anime Episode 4: The End
The mystery remains. Perhaps the two otter characters are somehow connected. We're finally entering the middle of the series. I'm looking forward to the next episode.
Video Discussion
We've also made a video discussing the series, so if you have time, please check it out!
Click here for reviews of each episode of the anime
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