#nozomi sonny boy

[anquga]

[lycheemeadow]

beloved

[000tragicsolitude000]

Compass - Sonny Boy

pixiv

[prplocks]

♡☆♡ sonny boy wallpaper

reblog if you save ▪︎

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[paeonie-s]

SONNY BOY !!!!

[hak]

it’s been weeks since finishing sonny boy but I’m still not over nagara catching nozomi when she’s about to fall versus asakaze having the power to catch her and still being unable to. im gonna weep

[katydidz]

edge of the world

[nonsenuser]

sonny boy thoughts

i wanted to compile all my thoughts on sonny boy since its been about a week (longer now) since ive binged the whole thing and ive since revisited a couple episodes as well

i wanted to sit and think ab what the story meant to me before going ahead and watching all the video essays on it. i think it touches base on a lot of things through its characters and i found that super fascinating and deeply touching

one spot i would like to start is the ending and the concept of other worlds. the other world is great for people who kind of had nothing in the real world. people like asakaze for example loved and basked in the idea at first. i think hoshi really enjoyed himself too. 

then u have people that seemed somewhat neutral about the whole thing like rajdhani. he eventually becomes "one with the forest" so he kind of finds a sort of peace in being in the other world for thousands of years. 

nagara and mizuho returning to the real world is very bittersweet. nozomi doesn't remember nagara he's pretty friendless atp, and mizuho doesnt have her cats anymore 

but even when they were in the other world, it was a grim thought to know that they would be static beings for thousands of years

this static ness isnt something that is easy to accept for many, i believe rajdhani was able to accept this while asakaze probably never will. if nozomi didnt die, i think she would've come to terms with it too but who knows 

seeing the ending with nozomi and asakaze is the real world was also bittersweet bc they look pretty content. and it makes me wonder if nozomi was the one to have remembered instead of nagara would she have said "lets me friends" like they initially promised? either way i think it was extremely in character for nagara to just, let it be. the ending feels quite optimistic, will nozomi and nagara be as close as they were in the other world? maybe, maybe not but i saw a bit of hope that there would be *SOMETHING* there in the ending 

my most concrete thoughts r ab the ending (which as u can see r not even that concrete anyways) but i cant wait to revisit some of the middle episodes and see what i feel ab those (esp episode 8, a story in and of itself) 

I wrote this like a few weeks ago and im too lazy to proofread but i'll add stuff if i want to. I really enjoyed this anime overall though, not only was it pleasant to look at art style and animation wise, but it has a great cast of characters, great themes, ost and overall good message. It's def a less optimistic ending than my other fave anime (tatami galaxy) but i like the open endedness of it all and it doesnt leave a bad taste in ur mouth its just not brimming with positivity either. But its very REAL in that sense. I would like to think that nozomi and nagara really do become friends again even though it is not as close as they were before, and that is enough for me because im sure nagara will take away from his experience in the other worlds (and so will mizuho).

[gatapirata]

Sonny Boy - EP1

Nozomi, un personaje esperanzador que te moviliza con su convicción.

[cringefailfagcat]

Oh. So. Haru in the sonny boy au right, like how nozomi could see the light, haru hears that song he hums all the time, and it gets louder as they get closer to their world. No one else can hear it until the music box.

Perhaps? Idk what his power should be really. But idk.. its fun to make it tragic lol.

oh my god... yeah just that as like a recurring musical motif for him n returning to their dimension. <\3 that would hurt so bad esp if like. haru hummed the music only he could hear to theo n then when he dies n becomes the music box theo recognises it from the humming n just. breaks bc he lost haru but he got the one part of haru he could have lived without

[tharizdun-03]

Sonny Boy Watchthrough

Episode 1: The Island at the Far End of Summer

Sonny Boy's first episode was great! Definitely get a Lord of the Flies feel, very much about personal authority and ego, order vs anarchy, etc. The second episode will probably dig even more into that. Who knows where it'll go next, but as a stand-alone mood piece, excellent!

Visually, it was great. I love how at first for this scene, for example, you're like, "woah, fish eye lens", but no, it turns out the actual space is distorted. That's awesome.

Also, can I just say? I love this hairstyle.

Themes have already been introduced, and we were quickly introduced to a bunch of characters and how their values differ. For what's really going on, my first guess would be they're all dead, but.  So far, this show, good in my book. Hella excited for more.

Episode 2: Aliens

There were even more Lord of the Flies influences in the second episode, hammering home on the authoritarianism vs. anarchy themes. So far, the show has been most critical of the leaders of the group. Yet it seems to posit the thought that order is still necessary, with all these rules in these worlds (unless that's manufactured by some being). So, potential for lots of allegorical, social commentary here.

I'm suspecting the kid with the star on his face, might be different from the rest. Might be the guy who set this all up, as an experiment of sorts. Also, Rajdhani is smart as hell, they're very lucky to have him there.

I also noticed there's very little to no music in this show, it's just ambient noise, which is an interesting artistic choice. 

Most of the drama in this episode was centered around Mizuho and her blue flames, but I'm not quite sure why she didn't just apologize. 

I get that she's sulky, but on principle alone? There was a hint about something to do with some teacher (her having a crush on them was an immediate thought), so maybe more will be revealed.

So far, I'm invested in the sense of being very curious as to what's happening and why, but that's as far as it goes right now. But even with just that, that means it's plenty good in my eyes, and I'm reasonably hopeful Sonny Boy will fulfill its ambitions here.

Episode 3: The Cat Who Wore Sandals

Ah yes, Mizuho's power opens up this kind of social commentary, nice.

Booo

The voice in Hoshi's head having a completely different audio quality is a really cool effect.

I'm still feeling the Lord of the Flies influences here. It's not nearly as brutal (yet at least), but it touches on the same core thematic idea that people are fundamentally fucked up and society's rules are what keep them in check. Maybe Sonny Boy will diverge later on tho.

It hasn't chosen an explicit side yet or anything but it's critiquing institutions and abuse of power, it's critiquing the leaders of this group who force the reclused children back into the caged society even though they were happier alone. So, I'm getting those vibes. 

The fact that Mizuho is the only one with this power that sustains their entire structure, that she was given it without any effort or warrant, and its comparisons to our real-life system. It's pretty obvious it's an evil systemic issue regardless of intentions. 

But again, the show still values order, it still values pragmatism and rationality and everything, so I don't think it's just gonna go anarchy all the way, as cool as that would be. It's a tough thematic nut to crack, but, I'm here for it.

Episode 4: The Great Monkey Baseball

All I could think about was, "what the fuck are you on about with these monkeys?"

What I got from this was the story about that one monkey that supported the rules, and was torn to pieces for it, since the series is all about rules. And the whole talent talk maybe? Other than that, have a hard time figuring out what this contributes to the bigger picture.

Nagara not being able to choose which world to go to, he'll either have to team up with Nozomi to do so, or he's what got us into this mess in the first place, and he has some psychological issues to solve before he can use this power more precisely.

Episode 5: Leaping Classrooms

Nagara's power being revealed to actually create worlds (although it'd also have to be teleporting, cause otherwise, it's useless lol) makes me think it's not just a cause of his running away, but it has to tie into the social commentary somehow.

Don't ask me exactly how, cause that part, I'm still figuring out. So far, its thematic plate is very broad, but I wonder how in-depth it's actually going to go while juggling this many topics. 

Visually, it's great as usual (hence screenshot). Lots of trippy stuff. Need them to go all out with that for the finale.

Episode 6: The Long Goodbye

EP 6 was practically like an ending, and I guess it'll very much prove to be one to the first half of the series. The set-up is probably mostly done now. For what's to come, God knows.

The world in this episode being a film world is a very cool idea (altho, I'll say, Raj being this technical genius who can create an app for anything is a bit of a narrative cheat).

Hoshi is very adamant about saving people with his ark, but I like that when it's shown they can edit themselves back into their world, he does support the project. 

I am still just intellectually invested rather than emotionally, and at this point, I think that's gonna last throughout. But, that's okay, some series are like that. This second half could be very EoE-like, so I'm interested in how it'll switch things up.

Episode 7: Road Book

Even though the last episode kinda indicated that it would switch things up with this second half, I'm not so sure anymore that it'll be a very drastic difference lol. This series seems intent to kind of just keep going as it always has.

Nagara seems to have decided that he doesn't want their drifting to be a mistake, so he's more determined to actually get them out of here, I guess. And the umbrella/bat guy is satisfied with that answer and lets him go.

I think I'm following along pretty nicely, and if I've interpreted how this episode contributes to the bigger picture, it's that the whole Tower of Babel thing being a false hope made Nagara realize he doesn't want that.

Yeah... I've mentioned it before, but, while I'm still curious about the answers, I have little to no emotional investment in the story, and honestly, wouldn't surprise me if most people felt like that. 

I can't imagine that many people were really rooting for these kids to make it back home, cause they're that emotionally invested, but they're just curious about what will happen story-wise. 

Which is fine! Not every story needs to be emotionally investful, but it does mean that there will be a ceiling for me. But, this very much seems like a story Natsume's mostly making just for himself anyway.

Episode 8: Laughing Dog

EP 8 was yet another interesting subplot (best-directed episode so far, holy shit), but also proves to be yet another cryptic puzzle piece in how it could fit into this bigger picture. Not much to do about it either, but keep watching.

Episode 9: This Salmon Chazuke, Forgot the Salmon

My only thoughts on Sonny Boy's 9th episode is that I like that the cats are getting a more active role.

Well, a few more thoughts actually. I'm not sure what the whole twins fighting over one strand of hair subplot was about, that struck me as more metaphorical (somehow)

And then there's also when Nagara said to Nozomi that he had changed because of her, and it was just kind of like, really? In what ways specifically has he changed so much because of her? The character development he's referencing there isn't too coherent to me.

Episode 10: Summer and Shura

EP 10 just continues to trudge along as it usually does. I'll probably finish the series today, so we get somewhere lol. Hope this wasn't it for Nozomi.

Episode 11: Boy and the Sea

I do feel that Natsume let the audience a bit closer with EP 11 (about damn time), big tonal shift, but very much appreciated. I still feel like the narrative is a bit of a mess, but you know, I'll take what I can get. Mizuho leaving her cats behind is the saddest shit.

I do feel like, when it comes to Nozomi, that a lot of her character was to contribute to Nagara's and Asakaze's arcs rather than focusing a bit more on her as her own person. Since she does seem to be really gone, I'd want more of that. 

Episode 12: A Two-Year Recess

Yeah, I wasn't really satisfied with that.

Yes, one of the issues is the lack of clarity. Were these twelve episodes intellectually stimulating? Sure. But we don't really get any explanations, many plot lines aren't addressed, and several character arcs get no real resolutions.

It just came off as vague meditations on random topics Natsume found interesting strung together in random order. I'm not sure I even want to tackle my interpretations on the finale.

One of the things I thought we'd dig into here, was precisely why Nagara and Mizuho decided to go home, she actually asked him this even, and well, the answer wasn't exactly satisfying. 

Nagara's character resolution with Nozomi, kinda getting over his apathy and accepting that hurdles are part of the journey, I guess that was fine. Nice callback to the bird. 

Yeah, just overall, I found it to be a messy work. Maybe I'm just not smart enough to get it. Maybe it comes down to personal preference, I dunno, but it wasn't satisfying to me and I personally didn't get enough out of the series compared to the investment it asked of me.

But again, I'm thankful it does exist and that we can still get unique art like this at a time where the medium is riddled with light novel adaptations and the likes. I want more like this, even if I personally didn't buy into the hype for this one, in particular.

Overall Thoughts: 

I'm happy we still get creative art like this, but, I do not buy into the hype for this one. Un-addressed plotlines, no proper resolutions, just a messy meditation on random topics. Some interesting ideas there, but didn't really come together for me. Music and visuals tho are excellent.

[s0laceins0litude]

SONNY BOY, EP.11

june 8th ✸ p.57 clf6 //58

"*I'm being drained away by time, until someday, I'll become a mere shape. There's no such thing as a soul, and our consciousness is born for no reason, then it just fades away.* Life is an endless exercise in vain effort. But it's precisely because it's meaningless that I think the brilliance of this moment in life is so precious. Because that one moment belongs to that person alone. Nozomi isn't ever coming back. But even so... her will still lives on." - Rhajdani

"No matter how well I've come to understand the psychology of this universe, I can't do anything more for a friend who's crying but sit next to him." - Rhajdani

// This anime is one of those. It goes with Evangelion, FLCL and maybe others I don't have in mind right now -- one of these shows that shut "this makes no sense" guys up. I just take it as it is and appreciate its weird, wild ideas.

[cora-lin]

I'm gonna be writing out random thought trains that I have about this show after watching it. Just want an archive of my emotions and I want to be able to look back and remember the conversations I have in my head about it lolll

MAJOR SONNY BOY SPOILERS!!!

I think a major part of why it was so engaging to connect with this show was because of how easy it is to relate to characters like Nagara, and Mizuho, and to even believe in the light at the end of the tunnel that Nozomi represented. The show has its introspective moments and in those times, it almost feels like they're breaking down the argument on things like regret over past actions, fear of the future, and choosing apathy over caring because it's easier. Despite seeming so closeted and lost at the beginning of the show, and even falling victim to harsh scrutiny and scorn from their peers, Nagara and Mizuho were the only ones who were able to reach what they had originally set out for by the end of the show. I guess Rajdhani counts too, but even he had to take an absence from the island after enough of their efforts had fallen behind. What makes Nagara and Mizuho special is that they are seemingly the exact opposite when the show begins, Mizuho is barely even shown while they're stuck in the school! Yet they are the ones who overcame the impossible and found themselves all together in one piece by the end. Seeing them 'win' over such odds is satisfying because even if it took thousands of years they, who were shut off from the others as nobodies and nuisances, were the ones who found themselves succeeding in achieving their dreams.

But it's funny how they show what rose-tinted goggles can do to a person's hopes and dreams, they literally give Rajdhani a monologue about it lol. The world looked so dark and gloomy when they returned, almost to the point that you kind of miss the eternity world that they lived in before. They were basically immortals living in the present, and the apathy that results from such a state showed in their demeanor too. Nozomi didn't remember what happened, obviously ):, but Nagara seemingly took this to the chest and accepted it. He had a funeral for his Nozomi, he cried for his Nozomi, and he had just spent months recovering from having the bear the weight of a concept that had been completely wiped away for two thousand years of his life, death in an eternal world. He understood that he probably wouldn't wind up as her friend again, but Mizuho (fucking based ;-;) spoke the most true-to-heart advice she could have possibly given him in the time of his processing how that interaction would affect him. She told him, "If you're even a little bit of the same person as you were when we got on that island, you'll do just fine". She said this because it's that which got them the relationships they had with each other anyway. It was the molding of their personalities that brought out the best in each of them, and knowing he still has that ground to stand on in Mizuho, who knows him and their past, and vice versa for Nagara as a person besides her pets that she could truly rely on, makes you realize that this future, this world that they find themselves in after all their hard work has passed and the powerful emotions of drive and dreams have waned, is enough for them. At least that's how I see the ending, and it's what makes my heart feel so full seeing them have each other to validate everything they worked for as well.

Sonny Boy

(HALF spoiler-free… no major events spoiled except for a reference to the ending and kinda telling references to the progression of the plot)

I just finished Sonny Boy last night and the amount of pure content I feel right now is so crazy. The pacing of the show felt like an eternal walk in the park where you’re focused on nothing but the view of what’s presented around you. I haven’t had a show make me so invested in character’s actions and decisions like this in a long time, and while at some moments it can seem random, their growth and development flows as seamlessly as time moves in the show. Two-thousand years pass within the show’s time, and they go from wearing their personality trope on their sleeve to becoming so human despite the inhuman place they live in.

I think the show did a great job of depicting the huuuuge number of ways people cope with growing up, and you can even align how it feels to go from being a middle schooler to a second year high schooler with the different worlds the characters reside in throughout the story. You can even go specific and make out how it feels to have a large friend group when you’re younger to having your close knit best friends as you get older. You can legit even make out individual characters personalities’ growing and shaping with age despite them never truly growing up due to the nature of the world. I don’t know how you depict both how eternal life would effect the human mind while also using it as a foil for those same characters graduating and moving on to high school.

AND THAT ENDING AGAGAFACAUAGSUSNM

The most important questions they knew you needed answered right the fuck away once they made it back and they said BADABING TAKE THESE NUTS INSTEAD BUD. And then you’re sitting there like ): what the fuck man

But then 🤭♥️ AYYYY MARIA (by Joan Sebastion) they give you nice and cuddly answers to make it be like hey its gonna be okay dude

“Nagara”

HOOOOOOO IM SOBBING

To stay true to your values, to of course stay true to yourself but acknowledge your shortcomings. Do your best to pay back the consideration that’s given to you. Chase after your dreams and please please please don’t get tired and give up or run away. Their last encounter before running off as the song plays them out… omfg… my besties for the resties are okay, they know it’s gonna be tough and it might not be all that in the end but nothing is more important than trusting and loving yourself through it all. Be kind to yourself and try to let yourself follow whatever motivation that is that you can see, and with that, even when it’s dreary you’ll be able to find solace and content in the fact that you trust yourself enough to believe in the path you chose. No matter what anyone says you ultimately get to make those decisions for you, it’s why some characters outright refused Ms. Aki, they didn’t want someone else telling them what their lives meant. In the end of the day, those who follow may or may not find reach their stars, but who knows better where you would like to go than you (:

I loved this show so much.

[mikanviola]

don’t say goodbye

[hak]

I do still have thoughts about Sonny boy and probably will for a while but I kind of am glad Nozomi and asakaze are together and happy in the new world because it kind of clarifies how the hardships that the “this worlds” gave made them face their demons much quicker in a way and nozomi just hated how asakaze refused to face his own demons/ran away from them. it makes sense that the new world just erases that for them bc otherwise they do seem like a really solid match personality-wise lol. it also is just another echo of “nothing that we do changes the world” and maybe in that universe they really just do get together and it’s all fine bc it’s not like what happened in the “this worlds” really made a difference anyway

[jade-doodles-questionmark]

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