Never ever trust the word of a large-breasted woman.
What They Say:
“Leaping Classrooms”
Nagara and friends use his power to survey new worlds in an effort to get back home. Meanwhile, the others students discuss the bombshell from Ms. Aki that some students were able to use their powers beforehand, and that may be what set them adrift.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
In some ways, it seemed like every episode of Sonny Boy was less important to its overall plot than the rest. This episode may be the turning point. The series has been laying the foundation in the midst of its episodic storytelling, setting up Nagara’s power, the concept of students having powers before going adrift, and introducing Ms. Aki at the end of the previous episode.
Now that those factors have converged, it’s time for all parties to focus on the chief concern of getting back home in earnest, and thanks to Ms. Aki’s instigating, that manifests as banding together to vilify Nagara. All it takes is the idea that some of the students could use their powers back at school for a few people to put the pieces together and decide that Nagara must’ve used his apparent power of transportation to leave the class stranded in these mysterious worlds while making himself into someone more important than he ever would’ve been in normal life. Once mob mentality kicks in, Nagara’s arguments have no hope against impassioned antagonism.
Ms. Aki has quickly risen to the rank of most enigmatic character in this story. We don’t know much about what she was like at school, but we’re immediately informed that this is a very different side of her. Given all the unknowns involved in the situation, there’s no real telling what her story is, or who exactly she even is. While she paints Nagara as the villain, she similarly paints Asakaze as the hero, something he doesn’t seem especially enthusiastic about.
The nature of the powers of each of the main characters is brought into question, and the hidden truths behind them all are likely crucial in bridging the massive gap in understanding both the events that brought the class into this scenario and those that have occurred since then. It’s heavily implied that few if any of them are as they appear. Ms. Aki evokes the name of “God” in explaining her arrival, which becomes relevant in several discussions between characters throughout the episode. Although he doesn’t give it much attention, Nagara appears to hear the voice of God himself, which is appropriately Kenjiro Tsuda, just as it is in other series airing recently and concurrently.
Nagara is faced with an incredible trial. He was always uncomfortable around others, and now not only is he the center of attention but one surrounded by animosity and accusation, claiming he was not only malicious but sought out that attention. His few allies are comprised of a subset of the more levelheaded characters in the cast. Mizuho isn’t the most likely ally to anyone, but in addition to the development of her relationship with Nagara in previous episodes, it’s not surprising to see her go against the crowd, especially when it means standing in opposition to a smear campaign much like the one she endured.
In Summary:
Even as the series edges more toward plot-centric material, it becomes more abstract than ever. If the series ever makes perfect sense, it almost certainly won’t be until it’s all over. Until then, and probably even after, it’s up for any number of interpretations, its symbolism of varying obscurity ripe for analysis. All of these factors make it exceedingly difficult to judge on a weekly basis, but even if it can be more opaque than would seem beneficial, I’m invested enough in the story that its unassuming style must be successfully engaging on some level. And even if it’s a slow burn most of the time, brief moments like this episode’s diving are undeniably breathtaking, perhaps assisted by the juxtaposition against its status quo.
Grade: B-
Streamed By: Funimation
