It's finally started! The most anticipated work of this season! Sarazanmai! The previous season's Noitamia was The Promised Neverland, which created a storm of emotion, but this season's Sarazanmai has a confusing development that reminds me of Mawaru Penguindrum! I'm looking forward to seeing how the story will develop in the future! This time, based on the hints that appeared in the first episode and the OP, I will speculate on what the meaning might be! !
A thorough analysis of the first episode of the anime: the main points and main points of the story
The world is full of connections. This story begins with these words. The main plot of the story is about Yasaka Kazuki, Kuji Toyoi, and Jinnai Enta, who became kappas by Keppi, the first heir to the throne of the Kappa Kingdom, fighting Kappa Zombies in the Desire Field and extracting their shirikodama. The word "exploitation of desire" has come up throughout the story. And in Sarazanmai, there is a story about connecting bodies and minds.
A thorough analysis of the first episode of the anime: Connections
This time, in the Desire Field, they exploited the desires of the box zombies who were collecting boxes. The contents of these boxes contained important items for the people they wanted to connect with. Let's start by looking at the contents of the boxes of the three people.
What's in the box
What's in Kazuki's box is Sara's outfit. And Enta's is a friendship bracelet. Kujitoi's is actually only shown briefly in the first half. What's in the box is a gun.
People Kazuki wants to connect with
So, who are the people he wants to connect with? The answer came out during the OP song.
In this scene, each person's person of interest appears.
Kazuki's is Haruka, a girl who frequently appears. In Sarazanmai, in the scene where it is revealed that he has been taking selfies dressed as Sara, he also says, "This is just a connection between me and Haru Kappa!"
People Enta wants to connect with
Enta is Kazuki. This one had a soccer story from the beginning.
People who want to connect with people far away
As for the person far away, we don't know who he is yet, but since the person on the otter (desire) side had a gun, he must be someone on their side.
So what happens to people who are not popular for connections?
In the last scene, at the otter police box, "Those who cannot be connected... Let's open one more door now." The otters are also exploiting desires. Perhaps those who cannot be connected have become zombies.
A thorough analysis of the first episode of the anime Who is Sarah?
Sara and Kazuki in drag are different people
It turns out that Kazuki in Sarah's costume sends a selfie to connect with the spring kappa.
However, the depictions of Sarah and Kazuki are so different that even their eyebrows and pants are different colors. Sarah probably exists separately. So what kind of person is Sarah?
Who is Sarah?
She has a plate on her head, and the more boxes she has, the happier she is. In other words, it can be interpreted that the more opportunities for connections she has, the happier she is. And under the lucky selfie fortune, in small letters, it says, "I'm looking for my prince. His characteristics are a nice voice, a nice smell, fair skin, and a dish that's not a frog." In other words, isn't he a kappa stuck in a cap?
A thorough analysis of the first episode of the anime: The meaning of A is love
In the final scene at the otter police box, there was a scene where they asked, "Desire or love?" When they asked about desire, there were three heart and otter marks. When they asked about love, there was one. And after that, they said, "Desire exploitation!" Desire and love are expressed in pairs, with a composition of desire-otter, love-kappa. In other words, isn't that sign of A representing love? Also, at the beginning of the Asakusa TV, the world's... A is shouted. It is also written that he shouts out love in the center of the world. In addition, the motif of the kappa legend is said to be the otter, and it is thought that love and desire are close at the same time.
Comprehensive Analysis of Episode 1 of the Anime: The Meaning of Sarazanmai
Sarazanmai seems to have various meanings. First of all, it is three plates (sarazanmai) because three kappas fight. Also, if you look into the meaning of the zanmai part of Sarazanmai, samadhi (originally read as sanmai, but now read as zanmai) is a transliteration of samadhi and has also changed to mean "having equal minds". Today, samadhi refers to doing something with one mind.
Comprehensive Analysis of Episode 1 of the Anime: Preliminary Knowledge about Kappa
In Sarazanmai, the otter is the symbol of desire, and the kappa is the one who exploits that desire. In this story, Kappabashi was where Keppi was sealed away.
The origin of the name Kappabashi is that, during the Bunka era about 180 years ago, Kappagawa Taro, who could not bear to see that the drainage in this area was poor and even a little rain would cause flooding, spent his own money to start construction of a canal. The kappas of the Sumida River, who saw the construction work not progressing, were moved by Kawataro's good deed and helped him night after night. It is said that people who saw the kappa had good luck and their business prospered.
In Sarazanmai, the motif is the friendly and loyal kappa, and the story goes that they exploit the desires of otters.
The shirikodama is also an essential part of kappa folklore. Originally, the kappa would wrestle with humans and remove the shirikodama from the loser. As in Sarazanmai, it refers to a fictional organ located near the anus. It is said that a person who has had their anal glands removed becomes a spineless person.
A thorough analysis of the first episode of the anime: Basic knowledge about otters
On the other hand, otters are a symbol of desire. In the past, otters were considered to be frightening creatures that tricked and deceived humans, and were called kawaoso, meaning frightening creatures that lived in rivers, and this name later evolved to be called kawauso.
It is also said that otters are the model for kappa. It is said that Kappazaka in Shinjuku Ward got its name because a nearby otter was mistaken for a kappa.
Also, in the Japanese dictionary "Kagakushu" (established in 1444) from the mid-Muromachi period, it says that "Otters grow old and become kappas." Perhaps in Sarazanmai, otters will become kappas for some reason.
A thorough analysis of the first episode of the anime, also on youtube
This analysis article has also been uploaded to youtube. If you are interested, please take a look.
There are a lot of things I don't understand, but it's very interesting!
I'm really curious to see what happens next in this series!
