I recently did a re-watch of this show. The purpose was to make an AMV using the show, which you can find here. I had enjoyed the show before, but I was a bit concerned that I liked it mostly because of its novelty. It is quite visibly and tonally different from most other shows I have watched. I was concerned that, under further inspection, these quirks would be no more than flash and mirrors. Surprisingly, I liked it just as much as I did previously. I may have even appreciated it more than I did the first time I watched it. I hope that I can explain why I enjoy the show so much and convince you to give this show a chance.
What is Sonny Boy?
Sonny Boy is about a group of students who have “gone adrift”. Our lead, Nagara, and his classmates have been transported outside of their normal reality and manifested various powers. Sonny Boy is a story about exploring various worlds and trying to find a way back home.
Misconceptions:
Sonny Boy is not your typical anime. This is immediately apparent from its art style. This is further cemented by its storytelling style. It is in this second way that I believe people misunderstand this anime. I have previously covered this in my Serial Experiments Lain review, but this anime also suffers from the idea that “If you don’t like this anime, you just don’t get it”. I want to make this clear:
You do not need to “have a very high IQ” to understand Sonny Boy.
This misconception comes from the show’s confusing nature. What you need to understand going into this show is that you are going to be confused. THAT IS OKAY. You are supposed to be confused. Some may be more or less confused than others, but you need to want to be confused. To question things. To apply the allegories of the show to your own life.
The Pitch:
You should watch Sonny Boy if you want to see beautiful art and hear an amazing soundtrack. You should watch Sonny Boy if you love fantastical worlds shrouded in metaphor. You should watch Sonny Boy if you want to see realistic, yet powerful character development. You should watch Sonny Boy if you are looking for a reason to care, searching for the meaning of life. Because above the story which we are told by the show, we are prompted to reflect on our own story.
—SPOILERS BEGIN—
Characters:
Sonny Boy has a strong cast in general, but the standouts are Nagara, Nozomi, and Mizuho. Each has character development throughout the season.
Nagara -
Spoiler, click to view
When it comes down to it, Sonny Boy is a story about Nagara beginning to care about his life. At the start of the show and in flashbacks, we see many examples of Nagara’s general apathetic attitude. He ignores a dying bird at the school gates, he turns away from Nozomi and her confetti on the roof, and he lies on the floor doing nothing after going adrift. Throughout the show, we see many other This Worlds. I believe them to be real, but they also have a symbolic value. Their confusing rules and unnatural environments represent purposes for living that Nagara has seen and discarded. They are not why he keeps going, and this is reflected in their differences from the real world. Spoiler, click to view
Much of this attitude change can be attributed to Nozomi, who is a compass for Nagara in many ways. She helps him find his purpose and at the same time her compass ability helps him find his way back home. When Nagara and Mizuho return to the real world, things are mostly the same. Nagara falls back into who he used to be. Mostly. In the finale, Nozomi (without memory of going adrift) catches him watching a bird at the train station. Though all else may seem the same, Nagara has undergone a subtle yet incredibly important change.Nozomi -
Spoiler, click to view
Nozomi has compass powers. Nozomi acts as Nagara’s compass. Not the most subtle symbolism, but one executed extremely well. Her journey is one of three phases.Spoiler, click to view
True North - Just as Nozomi reaches for the light in the first episode, Nagara reaches for Nozomi.Spoiler, click to view
Magnetic Interference - Her trajectory changes considerably around episode 6, when she learns that she is dead in the “real world”. Because of this, the human compass loses her way. Luckily, she is not alone. She helped Nagara find his way. It was only right that he returned the favor. Spoiler, click to view
Triangulation - In episode 10, Nozomi dies and leaves behind a compass. Where Nozomi led Nagara in the first phase and Nagara led Nozomi in the second, Nozomi and Nagara worked together in this phase. They were finally able to reach the light.Mizuho -
Spoiler, click to view
Mizuho has a good arc about learning to let people in, but mostly I just like her because she’s really funny. Her interactions with Nagara, her cats, and Yamabiko are super sweet too.__
Odds and Ends__
With how Sonny Boy is set up, the overarching story is mostly about the development of the characters. So, I felt like throwing out a few of my thoughts on the different episodes.
Spoiler, click to view
Ep 1 - This releasing early is what got me into the show. I particularly liked two scenes: Nagara and Nozomi falling in the darkness, and the ending credits showing their new world outside of the darkness.
Ep 2 - Mizuho is awesome, so is Rajdhani.
Ep 3 - Probably one of the weaker episodes for me. I believe that is because the black curtain world is not that visually exciting, although the concept is interesting.
Ep 4 - I unironically love this episode. We need more made up baseball history in anime. Everyone’s least favorite well-endowed teacher arrives.
Ep 5 - Fishing scene is beautiful, Miss Aki sucks.
Ep 6 - The earth ship scene is incredible.
Ep 7 - The tower allegory never grows old. Goodbye my sweet prince, Rajdhani.
Ep 8 - I feel bad for Yamabiko. Those sores looked disgusting.
Ep 9 - “All that’s left is a gaping hole”. When the dude killed himself my jaw dropped.
Ep 10 - Not a fan of Azakaze.
Ep 11 - I started tearing up at the funeral. I can’t believe nobody came except for Raj. Also we’re in space now!
Ep 12 - Escape scene is breathtaking. Great song, great visuals. I understand why Nagara and Nozomi don’t happen, although it hurts me to see Nagara alone again. Hopefully he and Mizuho stay friends.
---SPOILERS END---
Conclusion:
Sonny Boy is a great show, but you need to want what it offers. If you are not okay with being confused or if you are looking for a show to watch in the background, this isn’t the show for you. But if you give yourself up to the experience, I think you will really appreciate it.
