- Genre : Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life
- Studio: Pierrot
It’s fitting that I’m still competing in the Winter Games, since it’s still very much winter here. March 11 is the day we set the clocks 1 hour back for those who take part in daylight savings time. This means the half an hour or so of sunshine I was managing to soak up on work days is going to be snatched away from me for another month or so. Why am I telling you all this? I was drawing a parallel. Just like these Sanrio Boys, my life is eternal darkness.
So far, we’ve been assuming that the Pres’ efforts to take over the lives of these young men have been going on completely unopposed. Since everything was for the boys’ insider point of vu, we hadn’t realized that the people around them may have been picking up on the red flags.
It seems Ryo’s excessively caring family have in fact sensed something, and in a desperate effort to free their young son from this fiendish influence influence, they have bound together to construct a viable excuse to whisk him far away. It’s hilarious that the show itself seems to dislike Ryo, as even episodes that should be centered around him, seem to pay more attention to the other boys and constantly push him to the background.
Accordingly, back to the Pres’ Sanrio cult recruiting activities we went. As previously established, the Pres managed to trick the boys into putting on a play to lure more malleable young students straight into his grasp. I don’t even want to think about what he’s planning to do with all those nubile and innocent young souls, but clearly he seems to want a lot of them.
In the meantime, he is taking a strategic step back and pushing all the other boys to demonstratively overachieve, showing off how responsible, talented and likable they are to everyone on the outside and becoming the perfect unquestioning little ambassadors. It’s generally working for all but Hase’s already fragile psyche is in no shape to take one any additional pressure. The cracks are starting to be visible from a mile away.
The Prez would probably have stepped in to diffuse the Hase situation had he not been so distracted by Ryo. Sei did not get to where he us because he’s lucky. The Prez is smart and infinitely cunning. He knows much better than to apply direct pressure that’s just as likely to backfire as to yield any sort of results. Instead, he’s been sending everyone else to gather intel and waiting for Ryo to come to him instead.
When his patent is finally rewarded one evening, and Ryo confides his family’s plans to move away. The Prez gently shares some comforting advice and generously offers to help Ryo directly with his parents, once more insinuating himself between Ryo and his family, under the pretense of emotional support. Shady!
To further confuse Ryo’s loyalties, the prez gathers up all the boys yet again on his own homes turf, has them do an assortment of rituals under his obvious supervision and throws Ryo a surprise party. This is a power move. Not only does the party planning bond all the boys together, but this simple celebration that requires very little effort on the Pres’ part seems like an enormous gesture to Ryo, securing his loyalty. Hearing those boys blindly recite a painfully soulless rendition of Happy Birthday, has got to be one of the most horrifying moments of the current anime season..
By the end, it seemed that the show is starting to drop the pretense, preparing us for the final grim reveal. We see an armed Hase passed out in the middle of a classroom. Time is running out of him, it may in fact be already too late. During the Puroland episode, they showed up the Prez’ creepy childhood and his overwrought and tightly wound personality which lead me to speculate that he would go off the deepend and just leave an ocean of blood in his wake but that may have been a misdirect.
These latest episodes all seem to be pointing towards Hase loosing it and we now have a very direct affirmation as the camera lingers of Hase’s broken key chain showing us a aphoristically Hase quite literally snapping. The next episode is called IN THE DARK! Make of it what you will!
Predictions:
On it’s going to be so violent. And not funny violent, scary, sad violent….
Plot: Hase’s gonna snap and eventually have to accept the help of his childhood friends (if he wants to live)
Character: The remaining boys will be worried about Hase (the Pres too but for his own reasons)
I know that Astral Gemini, Leap and TPAB, are having a lot of difficulty with this show. I’m not sure if they’re still watching it. I wouldn’t blame them if they weren’t. Some of us need to sleep at night after all!
Here are a few extra pics in case you need more proof that something’s terribly wrong with these Sario Boys!
Irina? Ever think about writing a script for a abridged series? If the writers of Sanrio Danshi lose their nerve, the fans might have to take things into their own hands. Omg! That would be the most awesome collaboration by bloggers ever, if the community did something like this!
It would rock. I love abridged series so much!
Seriously though, couldn’t we make that a reality somehow?
I wouldn’t know where to start. Seems like a huge project but it would definitely be an epic accomplishment
Very true, probably take five years and then it wouldn’t be relevant any more. Still… Something I’ll be thinking about.
but we could put together a vignette. Like a one minute or less joke….
Theirs an idea, or maybe a trailer?
I’m having the same experience with this as with Cheer Danshi: Liked the early episodes a lot, and then watch the whole thing wreck itself in slow motion. CD managed to mitigate the disaster near the end, though it never quite recovered. SD? Blood on the tracks is my guess.
I do hope the childhood friends don’t remain just sad comic relief. I’m rooting for your prediction: for the show, and for my sanity.
There’s no reason to keep bringing them back other than a catharsis arc…
I agree, but all that means is that if it doesn’t happen, they were pointless (from a plot perspective). I’ve seen too many anime surprise me like that. Most don’t, though, so you’re prediction has a good chance.
I hope so! That crown is mine!!! I don’t think there’s a crown…I’ll make myself one if I win
I need to just stop watching the show and just read your review. This is awesome and a fantastic reinterpretation. We seriously need to get someone to make this into a parody of the show.
Oh, and my question would be: “Why does Hase even have other friends at this point?” Seriously, he’s treated them like garbage since episode 2 so why do they even still try and talk to him.
They’re probably worried about him. It’s like addicts, people can tell something’s not right…
What do you mean parody? I simply describe what I see….
In that case, I wish it was the same show I was watching, because what you are describing sounds way more interesting than what Sanrio Boys has become.
You know, I was rewatching 50% off yesterday and I suddenly realized this is what I was doing with Sanrio. I think I’ll pick on show a season and reimagine it in reviews. It’s really so much fun to write