Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

I learned last year that this got several movie sequels that, outside of Blu-Ray releases, didn’t really come to the west. While I was already planning to rewatch this show after learning that, a few months later a new season was announced, and I decided to hold off until closer to the new release.

Now I remembered the romance side to this being lighter past the first story arc that the show derives its name from. We should address the title real quick, do not let it deter you from watching. The bunny girl costume is barely in the show, and while some of the dialogue is on the horny side it is generally in a joking manner, with there being practically nothing visual in that vein.

Instead we get more of a sci-fi mystery show, with every few episodes revolving around main character Sakuta helping someone who is experiencing puberty syndrome. These are phenomena in which something seemingly impossible occurs, usually with some explanation based on quantum mechanics. The first arc revolves around Mai, a TV star/model disappearing due to no one observing her as she takes a hiatus. It’s explained like Shrödinger’s cat, which is that she is disappearing because people are choosing to not recognize her anymore. I’m skipping some explanation, but in general these stories are tied to some of the difficulties of growing up and personal problems. It generally steers towards the lighter side despite this drama.

I really enjoyed each group of episodes, they’re largely standalone with some overarching elements which makes it nice to watch over a few days. Each person’s problem is resolved in 2-3 episodes, and the developments that happen more in the background help provide some cohesion between arcs rather than them being entirely separate. On the romance side, Sakuta and Mai navigate their relationship as they deal with the consequences of the puberty syndrome cases. I wouldn’t call this a romcom first show, though if you get it recommended as one that’s not necessarily wrong either. Just don’t expect the couple to be the main focus.

Overall it was really worth coming back to this show. I enjoyed the psychological aspect of what was going on and how a person’s worries manifested themselves, as well as how they came to terms with it. The final arc also helps give some closure to the original case, though I expect the first movie may address that further based on what I know about it.