CONTENT WARNING: Happy Sugar Life contains depictions of kidnapping, misogyny, pedophilia, and other objectionable acts. Reader discretion is advised.

Meeting Date: 8/5/2018

Disclaimer: The Herald Anime Club discusses shows as they’re airing. Naturally, there will be spoilers for a given episode. You have been warned!

Samantha Ferreira: Hi everyone, and happy Sunday! Welcome to the Herald Anime Club! I’m Samantha and I’m with L.B. Bryant this week.
L.B. Bryant: Hello!
Samantha Ferreira: This week we’re talking up even more Happy Sugar Life with episode 4: Ravioli, Ravioli, Don’t Break the Brunette Loli
L.B. Bryant: Those thugs didn’t really need their eyes anyway.
Samantha Ferreira: They’re super overrated


L.B. Bryant: So yeah… why don’t you start us off this week? What twisted, screwed up, element of this week’s episode caught your attention the most this week?
Samantha Ferreira: OK… well, how about the fact that our blonde pedo’s MOM, whom he’s LIVING WITH, doesn’t know that her son is a fucking creeper who has literal photos of a little girl smattered all over his wall?
L.B. Bryant: You have no idea how relieved I was when I realized that they weren’t going to insert a masturbation shot at that point. That would’ve pushed me over the edge into ‘nope’ territory.
Samantha Ferreira: … I’m thinking that already took place off-camera. Five or six times after that scene.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, more than likely.
But yeah, that was pretty screwed up.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeeeeah.


As was the teacher who was basically going to the same places when thinking about getting ruined by Satou.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, I actually think they could get more mileage from a narrative perspective if they didn’t have the teacher be a masochist.
Samantha Ferreira: Exactly
It’s like
LITERALLY EVERYONE in this is awful.
Somehow, the murderous pedophile is the “good” route still
Sorry – murderous, KIDNAPPING pedophile who’s grooming a child in her apartment
L.B. Bryant: If the teacher weren’t a masochist, it would make a bit more sense in my mind that he’s trying to find out more about Satou. As it is, his masochism doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Samantha Ferreira: Exactly
L.B. Bryant: It’s like he’s a masochist just to check off a box.
Samantha Ferreira: It’s awfully woefully inconsistent
Given that he was shown to be a sadist originally
…WHY AM I PSYCHOANALYZING A PERVERT?
L.B. Bryant: lol it’s what we do here.
Samantha Ferreira: Good point.


L.B. Bryant: So yeah, that’s my two cents on perverted teacher.
So it seems that Satou and Shio are both hiding some art from each other. In Shio’s case it is that drawing she’s creating in the wardrobe and Satou is dealing with the bloody walls in the spare room.
That drawing of Shio’s was probably the most intriguing thing in this episode.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed.
God, that kid got it the worst
Not only was her dad a monster, her mom was apparently just as awful with abuse
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, she was going to have it rough no matter which parent she ended up with.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed
Also: Satou’s going about it wrong. You don’t use water to get blood out of a wall. You use a strong base – like a paste made from detergent or hydrogen peroxide. That strips it right out of a non-porous material
L.B. Bryant: In today’s episode of Good Housekeeping…
Samantha Ferreira: I had to clean blood when I worked when I worked in a restaurant.


L.B. Bryant: Speaking of blood, am I the only one who is actually a little surprised by how little graphic violence there is in this series? I actually expected this series to be far more violent than what we’ve gotten so far. I’m not complaining in the least. I love the suspenseful nature of this show, I just kind of expected more yandere action.
Samantha Ferreira: I am. The show’s airing on TBS and MBS, so I expected some restrictions. Still, I figured we’d have more peeks into the magic murder bag, so to speak.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, the series is doing a great job of teasing out the story and leaving the actual violence to our imaginations though.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. Though “KNIFE INTO CAMERA” was pretty overt.
That said, I’m still expecting awful things to happen to adorable gay coworker.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, she’s getting a little too curious for her to live.
Samantha Ferreira: Big time. Horror movie 101 – she’s going to:

1) Discover Satou’s awful secret and die
2) Get discovered by a malicious force and die
3) Get fridged somehow
L.B. Bryant: So how long until Satou’s aunt comes into play?


Samantha Ferreira: I have a feeling she’s in one of the bags at this point
L.B. Bryant: Well you mentioned that they had already cast someone for the role so we know she’s alive lol
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah… but she does seem to be showing up in flashbacks
L.B. Bryant: True.
I do think she’s going to come into the story properly at some point though.
Samantha Ferreira: I hope so… but I wonder what she’ll bring now
L.B. Bryant: No idea at this point though I have to say that this series is fast becoming an expert at subverting viewer expectations. No matter how bad you think this series is going to get, it’s always willing to go one step further just for spite.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. This show is a glorious “fuck you” to viewers, for sure.
On that note, what’s the over-under for gay friend to be another murderer/rapist/pedophile/etc at this point? So far, everyone else who’s had more than 10 seconds in the spotlight has been legitimately awful.
Also, what about that stalker guy who just disappeared after episode 2?
L.B. Bryant: As for the first question, my magic eight ball says ‘outlook positive’. For the second question, I have no idea.
Samantha Ferreira: I swear, if this boils down to “everyone’s a yandere now, fam” I’m out. (lol)


L.B. Bryant: Little do you know that they will do that but by the time you realize it it’ll be too late.
Samantha Ferreira: Hehehe, good point
This show is like a car crash
Samantha Ferreira: It’s literally one of the most awful shows I’ve seen in years
But I can’t look away
… … …
I really need to inflict this on people
L.B. Bryant: Somehow I knew it was going to come to that.
Samantha Ferreira: Because it always does?
lol
L.B. Bryant: Pretty much.
Samantha Ferreira: I mean, I made the group watch SEIREN. The episode we said “nope, I’m out” on
That was a fun night, lol
L.B. Bryant: lol
Samantha Ferreira: Aniwho, I’m getting off on a tangent. Any final thoughts this week?
L.B. Bryant: Nopes, I’m tapping out on this series for another week. Seriously, I am so glad I am watching this weekly because I wouldn’t be able to stomach this series in large, marathon, sized doses.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed… I’d have noped out after episode 1. This is one of the most repulsive shows I’ve ever seen, but I can keep enduring for now
But anyway, I think we should end this before we start griping for real, lol
Have a great night!
L.B. Bryant: night!