CONTENT WARNING: Happy Sugar Life contains depictions of kidnapping, misogyny, pedophilia, and other objectionable acts. Reader discretion is advised.
Meeting Date: 8/26/2018
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 welcome to the Herald Anime Club! I’m Samantha, and I’m here with L.B. Bryant
L.B. Bryant: Hello!
Samantha Ferreira: This week, we’re here to talk up Episodes 6 and 7 of Happy Sugar Life: “The good episode” and “Evil Belldandy Appears!”
Though I think most focus will go to episode 7, as that was just a bombshell… which was ruined by the teacher making a mess of his trousers
L.B. Bryant: Agreed. Episode 6 was good but episode 7 really screwed with my head.
Samantha Ferreira: Episode 6 really feels like a build-up to 7 now.
I genuinely enjoyed it, as it was a chance to give Shoko the spotlight, and reveal her motivations
And really built her as a character
L.B. Bryant: Too many “S” names in this show!
Samantha Ferreira: Satou, Shoko, Shoko, Shizuka… just a few!
lol
But Episode 7, holy crap.
I mean… wow
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, I should’ve stuck with my initial gut instincts that were telling me that the aunt was still alive.
And just wow… her character was a trip.
Samantha Ferreira: Oh wow, yeah.
Let it be known… Kikuko Inoue, doing her Belldandy voice, can be the most disturbing 17-year old (oi, oi) in the world.
L.B. Bryant: 17 year old?
Samantha Ferreira: It’s a running joke of hers. In interviews, she introduces herself as 17, which prompts an “oi, oi” from the audience
L.B. Bryant: Ah got it.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah… it’s a bit, actually made it into one of the anime she performed in.
I think it was Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei
Anyway! That’s not why we’re here! lol
L.B. Bryant: The one thing missing from the aunt’s speech to the cop was her opening it with ‘Ara Ara’
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. That would have been perfect.
L.B. Bryant: But at least we learned some things this episode. It seems that Shio and Satou’s apartment isn’t actually too far away from the aunt’s apartment so that opens new possibilities on how the fire eventually starts.
Samantha Ferreira: That it does. We also saw how she gets rid of tails – meet the creepy aunt
L.B. Bryant: Yups
Samantha Ferreira: I’m kind of glad that they opened with the cops, too. I’ve been hoping for that moment since day-1, since it’s like… “OK, where are the cops in all of this with a straight-up homicide?”
L.B. Bryant: Except the cops were still presented as kind of bumbling since they went to the aunt’s apartment – which btw was an interesting fake out IMO – instead of Satou’s murder apartment.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. To be fair, that’s her listed address
L.B. Bryant: You’d think that someone would’ve noticed those girls missing by now.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed.
Also: That teacher just ruined the tension of that scene
Straight-up killed it
Because they kept flashing to him making his goo-goo face and thrusty pants
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, I can see that point.
Samantha Ferreira: Otherwise, it was presented well… right down to creepy auntie opening the door
Seriously – Kikuko Inoue as Satou’s aunt made this show worth watching
She was genuinely disturbing, and really seemed to be a character Inoue went all-out with.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, there was no taking your eyes off the screen during that monologue with the cop.
Samantha Ferreira: Definitely. It was unsettling, in the best ways possible.
The body language and that soulless grin, coupled with Inoue’s the sweet performance? Perfect.
Absolutely perfect
L.B. Bryant: Indeed.
Samantha Ferreira: Was she problematic? Oh, big time… literally everybody in this show is, at this point. >_>;;
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, I’ve said it before but this is absolutely a series that thrives on pushing the boundaries of comfort just a little further out every single week. I don’t think I’ve felt this kind of creepy factor since the first time I watched Higurashi.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. And creepy, it is.
Sadly, our one normal character was cast aside pretty definitively today.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, that is a shame.
At least she’s still alive… for now.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed
On another note: They totally stole the Utena intro, didn’t they? lol
L.B. Bryant: I didn’t notice.
Samantha Ferreira: The little play segment with the shadow people was a pretty big riff on the whole Utena intro.
L.B. Bryant: Ah got it.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah… I did a double-take at that point
Like “They didn’t… did they?”
L.B. Bryant: hehehe
d
Samantha Ferreira: God… this was the episode I got fully invested, wasn’t it?
L.B. Bryant: Looks like it.
Samantha Ferreira: lol
Now… I have to ask about that post-credits scene
L.B. Bryant: I actually missed the post credits scene so you’ll have to fill me in.
Samantha Ferreira: Basically, it features Satou standing outside the apartments in the rain. An unseen person walks over, and invites her into their apartment. Cut to Satou sitting in just her shirt.
L.B. Bryant: Interesting.
Samantha Ferreira: Satou says she wants to repay them for their kindness… then it cuts to her asking “model for your art?”
It then cuts to her modeling, you get some glimpses of an easel with her sketched.
It implies that this took place in her current apartment
But ends with Satou asking “What is love?”
L.B. Bryant: Ah interesting.
No clue what they’re doing with that but I assume it’ll come up next week. lol
Samantha Ferreira: lol no doubt
It just creates new questions, you know?
L.B. Bryant: Oh absolutely.
Samantha Ferreira: So, we’re coming up quick on the climax: what do you think will happen next?
L.B. Bryant: At this point I’m afraid to even guess lol
This series is totally off the rails at this point and I’m just hanging on for dear life
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed, lol.
The trash fire is burning brightly
Any other topics you’d like to raise this week?
L.B. Bryant: Nopes, I think we hit them all this week.
Samantha Ferreira: Fantastic!
Til next time, though, remember: if you’re going to do crimes, have an alibi that will throw off cops and get rid of those pesky friends.
Have a great night!
L.B. Bryant: Night!
