English Dub Review: URAHARA “Sakuramochi Blues”

Things get dark on a reflective episode that raises the stakes for our three heroines.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Fresh off the revelation that Misa and the talking shrimp have been working against our protagonists all along, episode seven takes a bleak turn. Misa, it turns out, is merely a Scooper in disguise, and the tasty treats leftover from battles that the girls have been eating since episode one are turning them into Scoopers!

Dealing with this new calamity turns the girls against each other as tensions flare. Kotoko wonders if they’ve always been unable to make original content even before the Scoopers came. Mari freaks out about losing her online fans and goes on a Scooper-scattering rampage through town. Rito gets another pep talk from Sayumin.

The episode ends on a depressing cliffhanger. Rito reunites with her two friends only to find that they aren’t themselves anymore – and they’re guzzling down Scooper food like it’s going out of style.

Our Take:

This episode marked a 180 departure from the normal positive outlook of URAHARA. While a little jarring, this certainly raises the stakes and presents some interesting plot points going forward. Many scenes in Sakuramochi Blues were well-done and particularly effective, like Kotoko’s memories of her past, and Mari’s present-day heroics filling her need for adoration. These girls really do thrive when they’re working together and fall apart when they’re separated. I hope these issues of personal and group identities continue to be explored down the line.

I was a little let down by the animation this episode. Several shots were notably off when it came to proportions of the characters. I’ve also given up on Sayumin’s character contributing anything other than motivational speeches to the show.

After this twist of events, I’m excited to see where URAHARA takes us next week.