Sonny Boy - Reviews

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Ebonyslayer's avatar
Jan 21, 2022

SPOILER ALERT since this covers some story parts.

Sonny Boy was one of the anime I was curious about back when it came out last year. And now, after seeing it, I can say I enjoyed to a point. The reason being is that Sonny Boy, from what I can tell, is a deconstruction of the Isekai genre. The reason being is that the protagonist is not overpowered, didn't have a shitty past life, and even after being isekai-ed, is not trying to build a harem. Nagara is a pretty normal kid, though he is a bit of an introvert.

And even though I have heard and not read the series, it seems like the show was influenced by Drifting Classroom.

The worlds the characters visit have their own rules and dangers. Which makes the show feel episodic in its own way. And there are 9 main characters that get the most screen-time, which is a lot considering there's only 12 episodes. Just stick with the characters you're more interested in, since that's the most simple way to enjoy an anime. The pacing can also be a bit slow, since the anime deals with social and self-actualization themes.

I liked Kunihiko, since he's been trapped in the worlds way longer than the other characters. He even ended up turning into a dog, which I thought was interesting. His episode even makes me think of Casshern Sins, with all his classmates dying from a gemstone disease. Even Kodama, the girl he liked ended up turning into a gemstone. Not going to lie, I was intrigued by Kodama, the blue eyed girl who can make soup geysers.

The character designs are also simple, which may not appeal to specific audiences. I was fine with them, even if they weren't really flashy.

To be fair, I don't consider myself being really into the Isekai genre, even though I grew up with anime like Digimon, Spirited Away, Inu-Yasha, and even Bleach.

So I don't think I can appreciate this anime as much as other people, though its still more enjoyable than most modern Isekai.

6/10 story
7/10 animation
7.5/10 sound
6/10 characters
6/10 overall
trashcan007's avatar
Nov 3, 2023

A weird-a$$ show with little to no explanation. Get your favorite hallucinogen or weed out for this one. Maybe then you can understand it. Anyone with a grip on reality will hate this.

Painfully slow and boring. Lame characters. Lame plot. No real redeeming qualities. 1/10. #Dropped

0.1/10 story
1.9/10 animation
1/10 sound
1/10 characters
1/10 overall
miraitte's avatar
Oct 23, 2021

What an extraordinary journey this anime takes you through in only 12 episodes!! One of my favorites of the year, and a fantastic example of how to handle deep, philosophical and complicated topics in a thoughtful way, without sacrificing your characters or the pace of the story for dramatic value. It's not legendary or groundbreaking, but it is definetly a little gem of this year and certainly a work of art.

10/10 story
9/10 animation
10/10 sound
8/10 characters
9.5/10 overall
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nkate's avatar
Mar 9, 2023

I don't understand what people don't like about this. I considered not giving it a perfect score so as not to be a suck-up, but I didn't really see any flaws.

It has really left a lasting impression on me, which is hard to say with so many animes coming out each season, one after the other, a lot of them resembling each other.

I read someone complaining of it being too slow and that it got boring after some point. I guess they were expecting more action-wise, but if you paid attention to the dialogues, it's actually kinda hard to keep up with everything that's happening (in a good, "I want to re-visit this" kind of way).

Their situations throughout the series are observations on human behavior but kinda through a metaphor, the most obvious one in an early episode, where they compare their disadvantage in the social structure depending on the power that they got (or lack thereof), and how it's the same thing in our world, with people being born wealthy or poor.

The characters are likable, with all their imperfections as human beings. I think it's a very realistic outcome of what would happen if a group of teenagers suddenly drifted into such a dimension (at least Japanese teenagers).

The animation is really beautiful. Or maybe it's just my thing, but it definitely fits the story.

Music? Very nice.

Loved it and am slightly disappointed that it doesn't have a manga, to move through it at a different pace.

10/10 story
10/10 animation
10/10 sound
10/10 characters
10/10 overall
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weebbaddie's avatar
Dec 16, 2022

i was actually surprised how much i enjoyed sonny boy, especially after reading the reviews and seeing how much people didn't like this show. i definitely have to say that this show is for a certain type of person, if you're looking for something easy to enjoy and fun this one is not for you. sonny boy is a show that makes you question reality and what it means to be alive. and if you're a deep thinker and analyzer like me these kinds of shows just really hit deep. there were definitely some holes in the plot and character developments but considering this is under the "abstract" tag i don't think these are meant to be the focal point. i was also surprised by the animation and soundtrack, the songs are actually well written and sound amazing. i have the soundtrack saved and i listen to it all the time. this show also looks visually stunning, so even with a shaky plot this is still a show to be watched!

6/10 story
9/10 animation
9/10 sound
?/10 characters
7/10 overall
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