Ah, the summer season of anime. It always seems to be a season where we get some of the best anime of the year. And this one looks to be no exception.
Let’s go!
This is a shivering pure love psycho horror story of a girl named Satou Matsuzaka, who has someone she likes. She experiences a sweet feeling when she sleeps with her and thought it must be love. Everything will be forgiven as long as she protects this feeling, even if she tricks, commits crimes, steals, or even kills, she thought.
Let’s get down to the main review.
Art
The art of the anime is really good and of high quality. It’s from a relatively unknown studio or at least I haven’t heard of them, Studio Ezo’la.
The anime uses a lot of fairly bright colors during a normal and cute scene like the ones with Shio and Satou and at the two cafes that Satou worked at.
However, this can be contrasted with the almost grim use of Satou’s red eyes during scenes where she goes into yandere mode. It’s a good artistic choice from the mangaka to use red because red is usually a danger color and also from the animators using the stylistic choice to make her yandere red eyes glow in the dark. The glow really puts the fear into you that she’s either thinking crazy or about to do crazy. Yuno Gasai be proud.
To speak a little more on Yuno Gasai and Satou Matsuzaka, they do share a lot in common with their pink hair and seemly mild and sweet personalities. Pink has always been a color that fairly safe.
So without knowing anything about them prior to the series, one could assume that they’re like every other pink hair, pinkish eyed character like for example Kaoruko Moeta from Comic Girls.
It’s a carefully crafted subversion of pink moe and the contrast between their beauty and their actions makes for not only a beautiful artistic moment but also an excellent story.
Story
I have to admit that I came to this story a little wrong with the first episode which is why I waited a little bit before writing my review.
I came here expecting something akin to Gakkou Gurashi where we had a dark setting but overall fairly positive characters. However, after watching the first two episodes I can definitely say it’s the reverse. We have a fairly positive setting but negative and borderline evil characters.
To be frank in speaking, Satou is not healthy at all. Or at least deluded enough to not realize she’s a hypocrite in regards to her boss in the first episode and her teacher in the second. Her boss and teacher do evil things in the name of their “love” and Satou admonishes them for it but she is no better. While she does care about Shio, it doesn’t change the fact that she kidnapped a little girl off the streets and is keeping her in an apartment from her rightful family. Granted we’ll learn later that sadly Satou is the best Shio’s ever had but it doesn’t change the morality of the situation.
We also catch glimpses into Satou’s past: her parents are dead and she was raised by her aunt who doesn’t really seem to be all there so she wasn’t the best person to be there for a little girl who lost her parents.
We aren’t watching a show with heroes and people to root for. We’re watching a lot of grey and black people show each other what they really are in the dark. It makes for good entertainment that’s for sure.
Characters
Satou Matsuzaka
I initially pegged her as more of a cute girl who did a bad thing for a good reason. Now I’m seeing her as someone far more sinister and manipulative that she appears. And it’s more likely to work with her. No one never expects to be manipulated and blackmailed by the cute perky and sweet girl with pink hair. It just doesn’t match what they expect from you. Satou has a lot of potential to be incredibly interesting in how she approaches future events since she’s already killed someone before for personal gain and her view of love is warped.
Talking about warped love also brings up another interesting thing. While a 2nd or 3rd year in high school(I’m going to assume Satou’s 16 or 17) can love a child they can’t love them in an equal sense. I have to be curious about how Satou views Shio. She can’t possibly love her as an equal.
The only way I can see her loving Shio is either in a maternal sense or in a romantic sense. What I mean by the first one is that Satou hasn’t had anyone that loved her unconditionally without expecting anything from her. And Shio gives her love and kindness without expecting anything in return. And for someone with a crazy aunt, dead parents, and potential issues from being used by the guys she’s slept with, a child’s simple and unconditional love must be a breath of fresh air. That simple love is represented by Satou’s sugar jar being filled by the love Shio gives her.
The romantic sense…has very disturbing implications seeing as she’s raising the little girl that she’ll one day marry. I recommend looking up the definition of child grooming and you’ll find that Satou has finished at least 4 of the 6 steps with Shio…
Shio Kobe
I can’t really say much about Shio other than the curious point where her mother’s face was pasted over in her memories during her flashback in episode 2. I haven’t really seen this before in anime as far as I remember but if I had to hazard a guess there are some things in Shio’s past that aren’t so nice. She’s not as pure as she looks.
So that’s all I’ve got. Happy Sugar Life has so much interesting stuff in there that I find myself itching for the next episode.
So until the next episode,
Later Days
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The episode opens with Rufus, you remember him guy that got owned by Gray a few episodes, waking up and remembering what happened.
After the opening we get a quick review of the scores with Fairy Tail in first place with 50 points followed by Sabertooth with 49 points.
Risley and the girls from Mermaid Heel comment that it will be hard for them to come back since they’re in last place with only 43 points but there’s no need to worry because they’ve got…
They’ve got Kagura, who’s voiced by Saori Hayami one part of the beautiful triangle that’s made in this episode.
But Beth(the carrot girl) comments that no one’s seen Millianna on the Lacrima vision for a while. They hope that nothing’s wrong…they are so wrong.
We go to the Rescue Team walking through the Hell Palace towards the exit. They talk about how Arcardios survived and what the Princess, Hisui, is planning. Until they find the exit.
Looks like they’re going to get out.
Who is this?
We flash up to the guys in the palace and Princess Hisui. They basically tell us what we already know. Fairy Tail came, they saw, they owned the Garou Knights.
Now we get the minister of defense, Darton, come up and question why she’s so happy that Arcardios, who was thrown into the Hell Palace with Fairy Tail has escaped since she threw him in there. Darton then realizes that Hisui not Arcardios is the mastermind behind the Eclispe Project.
Hisui comments that the plan that he’s heard about is only a cover plan but the Eclispe Project has another version, phase two. She states if Phase Two of the Eclispe Project doesn’t go into effect then all of Fiore will be destroyed tomorrow.
We head back to the Grand Magic Games(Finally!) where we see Juvia(ah my beautiful water mage) getting attacked by Chelia.
Turns out Chelia wants to fight Juvia because she’s getting all of Lyon’s attention. Aww…little Chelia has a crush. Now for some extra info. Now according to Chelia’s guild card, she’s fifteen while Lyon is twenty-six, eleven years her senior. So unless he wants to date a girl that young it ain’t happening.
Guild Cards are usually cover pages for manga chapters and they explain a lot about the character that hadn’t been seen while they were on screen. After the Grand Magic Games Hiro Mashima did a few months worth of guild cards for all the guilds that participated in the Grand Magic Games
Anyway thanks to Mavis’s strategy Erza heads up to the roof of some building where Mavis strategized that she would fight Minerva, the ace of Sabertooth. However this happens.
Yes! Now it’s Sayaka Ohara vs. Saori Hayami! So awesome. I haven’t seen them go at it since Sekirei(Sayaka played Miya Asama and Saori played Musubi)
I’m giving you pictures but they don’t really do it justice. Imagine epic music and awesome voice acting alongside and you’ll get the picture.
Then Erza and Kagura clash and this happens.
Looks like Minerva’s joined the party and with that Kikuko Inoue joins the party! Three of my favorite female seiyuu about to duke it out. Thanks Fairy Tail!
Wow this is tense. Only pictures can convey this awesomeness.
Then Minerva uses I Ragado to trap Erza and Kagura in spatial bubbles then she uses one of the most badass spells in the anime, made even better by Kikuko Inoue’s beautiful voice.
So awesome but you know what’s better?
They took it like some bosses!
So Minerva changes up her strategy seeing as Erza and Kagura are stronger than she expected.
Oh so that’s where she went. Minerva explains that she’s sucking out her magic and sneers at Kagura and Erza’s anger.
We flash to the palace where Hisui explains that a person from the future told her of the coming threat and to make her believe he told her that one guild will win the Grand Magic Games with an unbelievable outcome.
We go back to the Hell Palace and Natsu confronts the hooded woman who begins crying, asking for their help. As she asks them, everyone notices her voice and she takes off her hood to reveal that she’s Lucy from the future.
Wow we’ve got some good stuff here. See get rid of those Boring Knights and we’ve got some good stuff here. I can’t wait to see what happens from here on out.
So until next week,
Later Days.
You can ask me as many questions as you want on Ask.fm and you can follow me on Twitter to know when my new reviews are coming out. You’ll also be update on what’s happening.
Finally the Boring Knights are beaten and the great part is Erza vs. Minerva vs. Kagura is next
Side Note: I didn’t have a review last week because you have to be interested in what you watch to write a review. Last week’s episode was so boring I just didn’t feel it.
Just like in the last episode(Just because I didn’t review it doesn’t mean I didn’t watch it.) Lucy starts off the episode summoning Aquarius.
After the opening we get the fight between Mirajane and Kamika. After sealing her with the Purple Paper, Kamika follows up with Red, White, and Yellow Paper but Mira doesn’t even flinch.
So Kamika uses Green Paper, God of Poison on Mira which actually starts doing a good effect. Then Mira starts talking about how magic isn’t meant to kill people instead you’re supposed to protect people with it.
She obviously doesn’t know Zeref…ya know the Death Wizard that dropped Zancrow like he was nothing and killed Hades with a flick of his wrist.
Anyway heading to the next scene we’ve got Natsu vs. Kama.
Looks like Natsu’s on the ropes with Kama’s second scythe which can cut right through magic.
On to the next one, we’ve got Pantherlily vs. Neppa and just like everyone else’s he’s on the the ropes.
Now we flash back to Lucy and Yukino vs. Uosuke and predictably everyone’s who’s seen Aquarius knows what’s about to happen.
Then we get some classic Aquarius and Lucy comedy with Aquarius wondering if Scorpio might be dating another woman.
Now if it was me, I’d get pretty mad if this just devolved into a whole conversation wondering if Scorpio is cheating so thank goodness Uosuke decides to make a move.
Yeah…not really a good move attacking a water spirit with water dude!!
After some figuring Uosuke switches the water from cold water to boiling hot and prepares to fight Aquarius.
However before we get to the good stuff we get this…
Hmmm not bad. Give that girl a record contract! Don’t ask. Inside joke.
Anyway looks like Wendy’s up. How?
Then Wendy goes on the offensive but Cosmos hits back just as hard with Spore Bombs. You know the way this battles goes around in a round robin reminds me of episode 6 of Date A Live 2.
We head back to Natsu vs. Kama when Natsu decides to go in close with Kama with hand to hand combat.
Now we’ve got some side plot filler about the others in the arena wondering about the Rescue Team…it’s not worth caring about. Let’s keep going.
We come back to see Mira walking through Kamika’s field of poison like it’s nothing.
Then Mira tells her that she made a big mistake by separating her from the others because now she can go all out. She goes Satan Soul and you know what she does next…
She eats the poison! Like a boss!
Now as a reviewer I have a responsibility to report the episode as it happens but with Mira fighting Kamika it’s a complete and utter curbstomp battle.
That was easy once she got serious.
Back to Lucy and Yukino vs. Uosuke.
He just heated the water so Aquarius can’t use it anymore or can she?
Someone’s about to get screwed.
Quick flash to Pantherlily vs. Neppa. Panterlily remembers his training with Gajeel and remembers that the strength of the heart makes the blade able to cut through anything and …
Now that doesn’t make sense but hey it’s anime.
Let’s go over to Wendy and Cosmos. Who basically thinks what would Natsu do?
We figure that out in the next scene with Natsu owning Kama in hand to hand combat and Kama asks would he be willing to make enemies of the country and Natsu says…
After that we’ve got totally ownage of all the Garou Knights at the exact same time.
And the episode ends with this.
Now I’m happy here not because it’s a good fight but because it’s finally over!!! Thank goodness now we can get back to the battles happening during the Grand Magic Games. I’m definitely going to love Erza vs. Kagura vs. Minerva mostly because it’s Sayaka Ohara vs. Saori Hayami vs. Kikuko Inoue, my three favorite female seiyuu.
So I can’t wait until next week! Until then
Later Days
You can ask me as many questions as you want on Ask.fm and you can follow me on Twitter to know when my new reviews are coming out. You’ll also be update on what’s happening.
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