Sequel to Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Genre(s): Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Drama
Age-Appropriateness: 13+ (minor profanity, suggestive themes)
Platforms: None (BD release in June 2020)
Episodes: One 1 hr. 30 min. movie
TheAwersome Rating: 9.0 / 10 (Everything from the series but better)
Premise: Sakuta Azusagawa is in his second year of high school. His blissful days with his girlfriend and upperclassman, Mai Sakurajima, are interrupted with the appearance of his first crush, Shouko Makinohara. For reasons unknown, he encounters two Shoukos: one in middle school and another who has become an adult. As Sakuta finds himself helplessly living with the Shoukos, the adult Shouko leads him around by the nose, causing a huge rift in his relationship with Mai. During all of this, he discovers that the middle school Shouko is suffering from a grave illness and his scar begins to ache and bleed again…
TheAwersome’s Thoughts: Holy Hannah this was an amazingly excellent capper to those loose ends the series left. Something that I’ve always loved about this series is that it portrays a happy romantic relationship and the dealings thereof. Thus, I was very happy to see that the obvious wrench getting thrown into their relationship was handled in a mature, understanding way by people who do truly love each other, and not just “yeehaw drama fest a la Reality TV” that I’m so tired of seeing. It’s so refreshing to have “They get together” not be the climax of a romance series.
Please secure any hats, glasses, or phones before departing, because this movie is a Black Diamond roller coaster of emotions. Because all the characters are so very human, we get quickly and deeply connected to them. Coupled with beautifully artistic and painfully accurate depictions of their struggles and grief, everything gets really close-to-home.
TLDR: Beautiful topper to the series.
As is the case more often for anime movies now than ten years ago, the movie is canon and continues the story. So, if a Season 2 rolls around you’ll most likely want to watch this before picking up the next season.
I’d liken the emotional pain from this movie to the sore muscles you get after a day of skiing or a similar activity. While painful, it’s also a reminder of good times; the pain makes you appreciate the whole experience of living that much more. There are so many excellent and small “show, don’t tell” moments in this movie that really help you connect and feel what the characters are going through while adding greater depth to the characters themselves, specifically Mai Sakurajima.
If I had to pick something negative about this show and the series, it’d only really be the pseudo-science explanations for the paranormal things that happen. Specifically, slapping the word “Quantum” on things and calling it a day. Thankfully they don’t spend too much time on it, and there’s only one instance where the paranormal feels a little too convenient, but it’s not distractingly so.
At a Glance Anime 