Kamoshida Hajime's "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" tells the story of boys and girls who face a mysterious phenomenon called adolescent syndrome. The protagonist, Azusagawa Sakuta, has not only experienced adolescent syndrome in the past, but also takes action to solve the adolescent syndrome that appears in the heroines in the story. What kind of character is Azusagawa Sakuta? We'll list 10 of his charms, so be sure to check it out until the end.
The charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 1: A boy who confronts adolescent syndrome
In the "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" series, the protagonist Azusagawa Sakuta is the central character who confronts and solves various adolescent syndromes. The story unfolds with Sakurajima Mai, Koga Tomoe, Futaba Rio, Toyohama Nodoka, Azusagawa Kaede, and Makinohara Shoko, and it is notable that each of them acts as if it is their own problem. Since adolescent syndrome is like an embodiment of the darkness in each of their hearts, the protagonist is portrayed as providing emotional support to the girls.
He himself has suffered from adolescent syndrome in the past
One of the reasons why Sakuta acts for the heroines is that he once also manifested adolescent syndrome. However, the main reason is to find a way to overcome the adolescent syndrome that has caused suffering to his younger sister, Kaede, and it seems that he is acting for the sake of his family. However, Sakuta himself cannot leave people in trouble alone, and since the adolescent syndrome is treated as an urban legend, he approaches her in the hope that he can help her.
The charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 2: Living with his sister in Fujisawa City
The story is set in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where Sakuta lives with Kaede in an apartment a short distance from the station. She doesn't belong to any clubs, and she takes care of her younger sister who has become a recluse, and she takes the initiative in doing all the housework at home. She also works part-time at a family restaurant near their house, and seems to be earning a little money to live on. Her parents pay her rent, but it is clear that they manage to make ends meet to a certain extent.
His relationship with his parents is not bad
The reason Sakuta and Kaede started living together is because of the younger sister's adolescent syndrome. He witnesses the moment when Puberty Syndrome causes scars on Kaede's body, but neither the doctor nor her parents take it seriously, calling it "self-harm." Coupled with the fact that his mother has fallen ill, Sakuta decides to live with Kaede to protect her. However, he doesn't seem to harbor any ill feelings towards his parents, and seems to accept that since Puberty Syndrome is just an urban legend, it may not be possible.
Charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 3: He cares for his younger sister Kaede
As mentioned above, Sakuta cares for his younger sister Kaede. As a high school student, he goes to school during the day, but tries to be at home as much as possible, except on days when he has a part-time shift. His girlfriend, Sakurajima Mai, seems to be keenly aware of how much he cares for her, as seen when he gifts her clothes for a girl of her age. He also frequently shows how he prioritizes Kaede, and you can tell he truly cares for her from the bottom of his heart.
When he wakes up in the morning, his sister sneaks into his bed
Although he cares deeply for his sister, there are many scenes in which he wakes up in the morning with her sleeping next to him. According to Kaede, it's to perfect the "way of the younger sister," but Sakuta coolly avoids her and wakes up to a normal morning. Kaede is cute as she sulks a little when he doesn't seem to pay her any attention, but Sakuta's charm is that he never gives up on his sister like that. He listens carefully to her requests and makes them come true, showing what a great brother he is.
Charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 4: A primitive man without a smartphone or cell phone
The "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" series is set in modern society, but Sakuta is unusually not carrying any electronic devices such as a smartphone or cell phone these days. This is also shown in the reaction of Tomoe Koga, who is a typical modern girl, but Sakuta himself is depicted as living without a smartphone without any inconvenience. Although he has had some trouble meeting up on dates, he still uses public phones or borrows smartphones from people around him to keep in touch, and it seems that it doesn't interfere with his daily life.
He threw his smartphone into the sea for Kaede
The reason Sakuta doesn't have a smartphone is for his younger sister Kaede. Her adolescent syndrome is when the slanderous comments written about her online manifest as physical scars, and this is why she wants to keep the internet away from her. Kaede is so frightened that even the sound of her smartphone vibrating brings back memories, so Sakuta once threw his smartphone into the ocean. For the sake of his precious sister, she has decided not to carry any mobile phones with her, and now only contacts him by calling home.
Charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 5: He is blessed with friends
Even though Sakuta doesn't have a smartphone, which is essential for communication between high school students in this high-tech age, he is still blessed with good friends. He has two friends, Kunimi Yuuma from the basketball club and Futaba Rio from the science club, and they met when they were in the same class in their first year. They often walk to school together in the morning, and Futaba Rio is portrayed as someone he can talk to about anything, such as adolescent syndrome.
Kunimi Yuuma and Futaba Rio treat everyone equally
At the prefectural Minegahara High School where Sakuta attends, there are rumors circulating that he committed a violent crime in middle school. However, without paying any attention to such rumors, Kunimi Yuuma and Futaba Rio continued to interact with Sakuta. They saw only the humanity in Sakuta and treated him as a friend, and it is clear to see that they are irreplaceable friends. However, this does not change the fact that he is isolated, and apart from the violent incident, he is also dating Sakurajima Mai, making him known as a celebrity at school.
Charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 6: Crazy about his girlfriend Sakurajima Mai
Mai Sakurajima, the main heroine of the "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" series, has been active in the entertainment industry since she was a child and is also an actress who is popular with all generations. After the incident involving her adolescent syndrome, Sakuta begins dating a famous celebrity. They start dating just after the problem is resolved, but after the incident with Koga Tomoe, the two start dating a few months later. In the story, they are portrayed as being very close, and you'll definitely feel warm and fuzzy watching them.
Enjoying various delusions
Just being able to date a famous celebrity would be enough to make you excited, but it's notable that Sakuta's enjoyment is directed in a different direction. Perhaps it was his first encounter with Sakurajima Mai that triggered this, or perhaps it was just a natural sexual preference of his, but there is something special about Sakuta's words. However, there is no doubt that he is attracted to her as a woman, and it is portrayed that he cares deeply for her.
Charm 7 of Azusagawa Sakuta: His conversations with Sakurajima Mai are interesting!
One of the interesting parts of the "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" series is the dialogue between Sakuta and Sakurajima Mai. Sakurajima Mai tends to act a little more mature, but there are many scenes where she ends up digging her own grave when she tries to treat her like an older sister. Sakuta's personality and sensibilities get in the way, and she shows signs of embarrassment every time this happens. It's no exaggeration to say that Sakurajima Mai is the heroine among heroines, but the person who brings out her charm even more is Sakuta.
He has a unique way of taking things literally
"I'll help you study," Sakurajima Mai says, and while Sakuta understands the intention behind her words, he seems to take them literally, saying, "Yes, it's a love confession." There are many other instances where Sakuta seems to take things literally, which is one of the reasons why the dialogue in the "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" series is so interesting. If Sakuta just carried on with the conversation in a normal way, the series would be just normal. But because Sakuta's charm lies in his slightly twisted side, you can't miss a single word he says.
Azusagawa Sakuta's charm 8: He can read the mood of the situation, but he doesn't
In conversations, Sakuta seems to take things literally, but of course he fully understands their intentions. Sakuta's strength is being able to read the atmosphere but choosing not to, and the show shows how he uses this ability when he wants to escape from trouble. He sometimes makes insensitive remarks to Kamisato Saki, the girlfriend of his friend Kunimi Yuuma, and sometimes doesn't read the atmosphere in order to defuse other situations. He is able to behave this way on purpose in order to understand what is happening in the situation, which shows how surprisingly calculating he is.
Read the mood well in the story with Koga Tomoe
Koga Tomoe's adolescent syndrome was that she would repeat a certain day over and over again. Having experienced puberty syndrome himself, rather than being surprised, he seems to be deliberately behaving in the same way on the second and third days to see if puberty syndrome is the cause. While reading the mood of the situation well, he also carefully analyzes what is going on, and you can see that he is surprisingly calm, right?
Charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 9: He has mental strength
Perhaps this is because he experienced the urban legend of adolescent syndrome, but Sakuta has the mental strength to remain unfazed by anything. He has a mentality of steel, and is able to carry out actions without hesitation, even if it is something embarrassing to him. This is most evident in the incident with Sakurajima Mai, when as she was fading from existence, Sakuta took the bold step of confessing his love to her in the middle of the schoolyard. As a result, Sakurajima Mai was able to safely return to existence, but it's just so cool that he is able to do things that an ordinary person would never be able to do.
He also screams in anguish
Sakuta seems unfazed and uninterested in anything, but that's why the moment when he spills out his feelings is so powerful. As Sakurajima Mai's existence fades away, he meets with her mother to see if she remembers him, but it turns out that even her mother has forgotten about her daughter. Faced with this reality, Sakuta is filled with anger at his mother for forgetting about his daughter and screams out with all his heart. As someone who always maintains a cool and calm demeanor, Sakuta's anguished cry struck a chord with many people, making it a rather erotic scene.
Charm of Azusagawa Sakuta 10: He can act for just one person
There are several reasons why Sakuta confronts Puberty Syndrome, but the story depicts him acting desperately for just one person. He is there for each of the heroines in each story, and helps them think about the mystery of Puberty Syndrome. With such actions, it is only natural that the heroines will be drawn to Sakuta's charm. Sakuta brilliantly solves each of his problems, and we see him develop relationships with various people.
The presence of Makinohara Shoko was a big turning point
Makinohara Shoko, a key person in the "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" series, was a big turning point in Sakuta's life when he was a junior high school student. Because she saved him, Sakuta acts for the heroines throughout the story. Just as Makinohara Shoko saved him, he wants to save the heroines himself, and he acts with that desire, successfully leading them to a resolution. However, at the climax, he is forced to make a big decision, and we see Sakuta being tormented by anguish like never before.
Summary
We have summarized the charms of Azusagawa Sakuta, the protagonist of "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai". He has a mysterious charm that is not found in other works, so it is only natural that the heroines involved are fascinated by him. However, Sakuta's motivation is not just to help people in need, but for another reason. The reason is related to his benefactor, Shoko Makinohara, so please check it out in the story after "Rascal Does Not Dream of First Love".
