***Note: This review is spoiler free!
The drive to create is scary. Making something means putting it out there for the world to see. Art is, inherently, deeply personal. Everything we create comes from inside of us, and by sharing that with the world, you open not just your work, but, in a way, pieces of yourself up to criticism from the world. Even if people don't mean harm, there will always be someone better than you. Someone more talented than you. Someone who's message means more to more people.
It's easier, then, to let life guide us. To spend each day living how "everyone else
...
does." To never put ourselves out there. To live life monotonously.
**premise:**
The Pet Girl of Sakurasou follows a boy who has never been able to find his place. Or, rather, is unsatisfied with how he lives. When an eccentric girl, Mashiro, moves in with him, however, he's forced to help take care of her, and ends up immersed in a world of art he never dared step foot in before.
Initially, the premise might feel straightforward or cliched. A boy moves in to a house of eccentric problem students, and is forced to put up with their wacky hijinks while discovering himself along the way. The journey is, of course, complete with comedic moments, romance, self-discovery, and every aspect a coming-of-age story of this nature could ask for. Where Pet Girl shines, however, is how it handles and frames its more mature themes about art and self-expression within the context of it's romance comedy/drama framework.
These themes differentiate Pet Girl greatly from other shows in the genre. Beyond a simple romance story, we find an underlying struggle to create. Come to terms with success and failure, and grow as people as we look for a place of belonging. It's hard to push forward when you're struggling where others don't. It's hard to put yourself out there. Pet Girl understands all of these struggles and beautifuly articulates them. If you have a creative bone in your body, this show will be one with which you deeply resonate.
Of course, as with any character-focused drama, this wouldn't be possible without the exceptionally well-written cast of characters.
**characters:**
At first glance, I didn't resonate with many of the characters. They felt like strong representations of various exisiting archetypes, without much to differentiate them from any other "eccentric = funny" type of gag humor show. With time, however, I was proven wrong. I'm NOT a fan of characters who have explicit sexualization as a major character trait. As such, I was very, very wary of the cast in the first two episodes, as I was introduced to Jin Mitaka (who sleeps around with 4 different girlfriends) and Misaki Kamiigusa (who frequently dressed seductively and harassed various members of Sakura Hall, where the lead Sorata was staying). I was very pleasently surprised, however, that each of the characters were multifaceted, complex, and fit neatly together. I was surprised at how well they all complemented each other, notably due to their shared love of art, as well as interpersonal relationships.
In my opionion, one of the most important factors relating to cast chemistry in a romance comedy/drama like this is the web of interpersonal relationships each have with one another. Especially when dealing with trope-y chracters, I feel that a lot of shows fall into the trap of having each character interact the same way with everyone in the cast. In reality, we tend to match our energies to the people around us, and, as a result, different types of relationships form as we get closer and closer to others. Pet Girl absolutely nails this idea. Every time the cast interacts one-on-one, we understand the intricacies of each small relationship. There's the advice-giving brother relationship of Sorata and Jin (who he ends up looking up to), the evolution of the relationship between Mashiro and Nanami as they go from almost cold to each other to looking out for the other's best interests, how Misaki and Sorata are able to act as emotional crutches for one another in times of need, which contrasts Misaki's complex shyness and simultaneous loud, bantering energy around Jin.
All of these relationships feel real, meaningful, and well-developed. They don't come from nowhere, but the moments we see them personally share on screen, as well as their own private backgrounds and experiences.
The cast is, ultimately, where Pet Girl shines the brightest.
Of course, I have to talk about the leads as well.
Sorata is a protagonist I found extremely easy to put myself in the shoes of. Sometimes he's mean. Sometimes he acts irrationally. But I think those flaws make him extremely compelling as a protagonist for the show. He tries his best, and though sometimes he hurts people or gets hurt by others who meant no harm, he loves the people around him and is a solid communicator. I only ever felt a little frustrated with Sorata when it felt that he was intentionally ignoring what was essentially several love confessions from the two primary romantic rivals (though I think ultimately this furthers the theme of choice paralysis and the need to move forward within the show).
Mashiro is a character that I'm sure will divide people. I personally loved her. She is a character with very, very strong convictions, but lacks any ability to take care of herself. That said, I think that throughout the show Mashiro's growth in this area is actually pretty strong, and she serves as a phenomenal love interest and driver for the growth of other characters in the show. I wish the show pushed fan service with her a little less, but her characterization is pretty strong.
**plot points:**
The non-character driven plot points of Pet Girl are relatively straightforward and what one might expect from a show within this genre. Though at some points events within the show felt a bit contrived (a LOT of major events like auditions, deadlines, and important meetings tend to happen on the same days in the show), and the final challenge faced by the team felt a bit ...out of nowhere, plot points are generally good and acts as a solid foundation which underscores the stronger elements of the show and allows the characters to breathe and grow (which I believe is the show's strongest element).
There are cliched tropes and elements within the plot, as well, and though I think the ending feels a bit contrived and has elements that feel like they are 100% out of a TV show and not real life, it get a pass because of how it lets the characters express how they feel (notably, in one of the best speeches I have ever seen in an anime like this. It was extremely beautiful).
Ultimately, the plot points in the show aren't anything special, but they don't get in the way of the phenomenal character growth and beautiful story the show has to offer.
**visuals:**
Pet girl doesn't have an extremely distinct visual style. Though there are certainly extremely pretty moments, there are also moments where the animators animate extremely stiff running, biking, or other moments. They wisely picked where they spent their budget, but it shows a little bit.
In a show like this, however, the visuals aren't extraordinarily important, though I don't feel like they add anything like in Your Lie in April or A Lull in the Sea. Ultimately, the animation is average.
**sound:**
The same can be said for the sound design. The footsteps felt good, the clacking of a keyboard while typing felt good, the sounds of pencil against paper while drawing felt good, and nothing felt super out of place. That said, this show definitely did not go the extra mile with its sound design. There weren't hundreds of different footstep sounds used based on location, or different rain sounds depending on what materials in shot were getting hit, or anything like that. Just average good sound design.
As for music, I really liked a lot of the tracks used in the show. They always felt situationally strong (often associated with the emotions of the main character at any given time) and never felt out of place. They strongly communicated the vibe of each scene. Though I personally felt that some tracks were somewhat overused, and none of them were exceptional at setting a tone by themself without the associated visuals and plot, they were solid. The music is, again, pretty average for a show like this.
**conclusion:**
IF YOU HAVE EVERY CONSIDERED MAKING ANYTHING ARTISTIC, PLEASE WATCH THIS SHOW!
Its themes were extraordinarily interesting and I loved how they were tackled. These guys are inspiring, have a beautiful story, and will always have a special place in my heart. This story makes me wish I lived at Sakura Hall. The dorm with all the troublemakers who make amazing things.
The Pet Girl of Sakura Hall got a high 8/10 (Very Good) from me!
Dec 26, 2023
Sakura-sou no Pet na Kanojo
(Anime)
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***Note: This review is spoiler free!
The drive to create is scary. Making something means putting it out there for the world to see. Art is, inherently, deeply personal. Everything we create comes from inside of us, and by sharing that with the world, you open not just your work, but, in a way, pieces of yourself up to criticism from the world. Even if people don't mean harm, there will always be someone better than you. Someone more talented than you. Someone who's message means more to more people. It's easier, then, to let life guide us. To spend each day living how "everyone else ... 
Feb 7, 2023
Chainsaw Man
(Anime)
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I'll be the first to admit, I went into chainsaw man with the expectation that I wouldn't be the biggest fan of the show, since, from what I know about shounen, it never really seemed up my alley. BUT! I had heard incredible things about CSM, so I wanted to give it a shot as my first big shounen. There were many places where chainsaw man defied my expectations! But also many, many moments where the show fell flat to me.
**premise** the premise of chainsaw man actually interested me a lot. Though the concept of "man turns into chainsaw to fight monsters" seems kind of silly ... |
