This year was full of surprises for me, including ones that let to triumphs and joys, wake-up slaps and re-examination of attitudes. If I count summarize 2021 in two words, it would be “rebirth” and “maturing”.

Sometimes, both require pain, sacrifices and quite some reality checks. They can be a product of interpersonal conflict, existential or survival stress, but either way may lead one to explore the most underdeveloped and shunned aspects of their personality and lifestyle. All in all, though I believe it is always for the best that we embrace change as the natural state of things, for being too persistent to positive illusions and ideas that don’t serve us anymore can make life more stressing than what it can already be.

For one, its presentation is a surprise on its own. An unorthodox and bold approach that is more reminiscent of literature, as well as some 00s adult anime, such as Texhnolyze and Lain. But that aside, it explores topics such as existence from a philosophical point of view, intolerance and dogma, anarchy and authority, man-nature relationship.

The story starts as described: in a school that has been transported and isolated to another dimension, with several students suddenly gaining superpowers and the school descending into anarchy. No need to write more on plot, it is best experienced. I will note this though: do not be misguided by the mystery genre to believe that SB is a whodunit or a mystery narrative with explicit answers to each and every enigmatic situation or circumstance. It is neither.

It should be emphasized that a significant part of the plot is composed of allegories, not unlike works of Kunihiko Ikuhara. Those draw inspiration from various ideas from branches of social science (such as political science) and literary works (e.g. Robinson Crusoe).

By no means is one required to have read them to understand where the anime comes from, but it is imperative for one to march with the mindset of paying more attention on why something is shown rather than what is shown, i.e. on subtext. Expecting too explicit answers will only lead to disappointment and frustration.

I will not dig too deep in thematic exploration, but will note first of all that is highly iconoclastic, bringing into questions many aspects of human experience and society, such as religion. It is also a fundamentally nihilistic anime, but one that turns out to be oddly empowering and positive. Rather than depressing and bleak, it turns out to be cathartic, didactic yet bittersweet.

To elaborate a bit on the statement, let us take the assertion of moral nihilism, which is that nothing is intrinsically moral or immoral. Though many would assume that a person that espouses such a belief tends to be unscrupulous and even sociopathic, the thing is, such a belief could be used in a beneficial and productive way for mankind in general.

Realizing the total subjectivity of our values can make us more understanding towards the big picture, more compassionate towards individuals that would otherwise be brushed off as "Others", and can also help us realise how our lifespan and potential is wasted away in favor of collectively building Towers of Babel.

Sonny Boy is unusually beautiful, and harmonious in direction. Characters look as if rotoscoped (not sure if they are indeed), with mostly natural expressions, builds and movements. Scene transitions never get abrupt, the pacing is slow but smooth (and quite comforting, especially if after having watched a more fast-paced show) and animation is fluid. There are some art shifts throughout the show, and quite some cinematic shots (including some with nice “denpa”).

Many backgrounds surprised me much, as they reminded me of some 70s style anime, such as Future Boy Conan, or canvas paintings, not unlike initiatives taken by quite some other experimental anime (e.g. Texhnolyze) to include panels inspired by works of real-life painters.

Sound does not falter behind, and in fact it could be the true glue of this show. Rather than loading scenes with overwhelming noise, a great deal of Sonny Boy has no music (outside key moments), which I found to be a refreshing change and helped me with interpreting and paying attention to the show without being distracted by too many sensory stimuli.

I am getting increasingly fond of this show as days pass. The ending was among the most oddly cathartic if bittersweet experiences I had in a while.

It also made me happy to see that creators dare to tread into the less-walked paths of animation, to deliver something that could face scrutiny and alienate a fair part of its audience, but it will definitely change some others for years to come. I am not sure I totally espouse its beliefs, perhaps outside moral nihilism, but I can totally state it appealed to both my intellectual and emotional sides, both the more detached and the more compassionate ones.

I look forward for more such works, and can only hope that at least a few of whoever decided to read my review is inspired enough to try, and perhaps to appreciate this unique seasonal.