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Forum - View topicREVIEW: Happy Sugar Life GN 8 - 10
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16939 |
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I had started this series a while back but never kept up with it. I might have to give it a second go.
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TarsTarkas
 Posts: 5841 Location: Virginia, United States |
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I was actually satisfied with the conclusion of the series. As the reviewer said, we all knew there wasn't going to be a happy ending. But for me, while it wasn't a happy ending per se, I think it was a good ending. Sato died happy I think, and Shio is alive and has a future. Despite what many people may think of Sato actions, I firmly believe it was good for Shio that Sato found her. Shio didn't fall through the cracks, she was never on the street to begin with.
For me this was a story of two broken girls finding and saving each other, and achieving a moment of happiness that they would not otherwise have had. Shōko Hida (the murdered girl), was probably the only good and innocent girl or person in the show. Her only mistake, besides betraying (to some degree) Sato, was stepping into a diorama of the Heathen's song. Once she crossed that line with Sato, she no longer was a bestie. Besides the obvious evil adults, I throughly disliked Taiyō Mitsuboshi. Sure he had his victimhood in the beginnng and end of the series. But with how quickly he moved to the twisted side, I think he had it in him even before bad things happened to him. Asahi's story is sad, but I could never get to like him. He had his obsessive goal, but never asked the question whether Shio was happy where she was. In one way it is commendable to want to find your abandoned sister, but what was he going to bring her back to. Happy Sugar Life was Sato's and Shio's story, and while it was tragic, it had its moments of happiness for the main characters. |
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earl.m
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I don't know. Sato dying before she could kill anybody else seems happy enough to me. The only problem was that it was portrayed as a "redemptive noble sacrifice" instead of getting arrested, having to face the families of the victims that she murdered in court and going to the gas chamber.
I don't understand the people who are sympathetic to characters like this just because they are cute teenage girls. If it were a fat sweaty guy hiding an elementary school girl that he was "in love" with in his apartment and murdering people for wanting to take her away then things would have been perceived differently. Yes, Sato improved the living circumstances for Shio but at the expense of other people. And even if you believe that Shoko "betrayed" Sato that does not justify murdering her. Good grief, the opposite is true: letting the police know that an unhinged teenage girl is hiding an elementary school girl in her apartment is the right thing to do. Shoko was murdered for doing the right thing. So disliking Taiyo - who "may" have had something twisted inside him all the while but never acted on it - but liking and defending someone who manipulates and murders people makes sense how? As for Asahi never asked the question whether Shio was happy where she was ... that does not matter. Minor children - elementary school children - do not get to make that decision. Proof: Shio being "happy" with someone that she knows murders people. Good grief, Sato "loved" Shio because she was young, cute and innocent. What happens when she becomes a teenager and is none of those things anymore? What keeps Sato from realizing "eh, the thrill is gone. I don't like her anymore. That 8 year girl old that I see at the playground is cute and innocent. Will have to do something about the mother to get my hands on her though. And I also have to get rid of Shio because she knows that I have murdered people so when I kick her out she might go to the police." Studies show that female teachers who commit crimes against male minor students get much more lenient treatment from the criminal justice system than do male teachers who commit the same crimes against female minors, including frequently getting off with no jail time. That characters like Satou from this work and Nana (of Talentless Nana) aren't viewed in the same way that Light Yagami from Death Note or Jordan Liebert from Monster are shows why. (As do the people who bash Taiyo in this work ... no one would utter a word against a female suffering PTSD and other psychological issues due to being raped by males.) |
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Ampharos
 Posts: 195 Location: New Jersey |
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I don't understand people who feel no sympathy for Taiyo, considering he's just as traumatized if not more so than Sato. Yes, he's portrayed as possibly having a more sinister edge to him, and yes, he's her enemy, but this is a manga where everyone is horribly broken. Even if you think he's a creep, it's a terrible shame that he was abused into turning out that way after being such a nice guy at the start.
Great series to me, ended just about the only way it could have considering everything Sato did even if you'd rather everyone got a whole bunch of serious therapy. At least there's the possibility that Shio will be all right someday. |
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ThatGuyWhoLikesThings
Posts: 1010 |
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For all that Sato has been obsessed with wanting to feel "pure", her actions at the end of the series is arguably the only truly unconditionally pure act of love she's committed throughout. In an otherwise pretty bleak and in many ways "unfair" ending, it practically shines as a ray of hope for Sato.
For a story that stars a 15 year old serial killer whose in a reciprocal romantic relationship with a 8 year old and the many, many, many triggering contents you'd expect such a story to have (and it does, absolutely), I would never expect this to be a standout title for me in recent years. For all it's bleakness and occasional schlockyness, it's shockingly smart, not to mention incredibly empathetic towards it's very twisted cast. I wish more anime was willing to take more risks like this, and no, not in a Redo of Healer sort of way. I love this story, and I wish more people were able to get past the problematic premise and protagonist, although I also totally understand if they can't. That being said, I never read the manga, and I hear it's not particularly important for those who have watched the anime anyway. At best you're missing out on a cool but not strictly necessary backstory for Shio and Asahi's mother, but if there's more than that, I'd love to know. Heck, I might just read the manga anyway. |
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earl.m
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No. Such. Thing. Exists. At. All. How on earth can an 8 year old be in a reciprocal romantic relationship with anybody!?!? Even if said 8 year old has the benefit of a normal intellectual, psychological and emotional development that is the product of a stable productive background (which IS NOT the case here)? And yes, this would absolutely still be the case if she wasn't a serial killer. And yes were the 15 year old a fat sweaty male - serial killer or no - instead of a cute girl I wouldn't have to state this because it would be self-evident. |
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ThatGuyWhoLikesThings
Posts: 1010 |
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I'm not talking about the legality of consent, in which case no she *obviously* can't legally consent, I'm talking purely the emotions at play in the story, but sure go off I guess |
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TarsTarkas
Posts: 5841 Location: Virginia, United States |
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I did say the above about Shoko, and there was a point about the song analogy. When Shoko was hanging out with Sato, she did not have her two feet in her world, she was in Sato's world. A world of evil, crazy, and insane people. When Shoko betrayed Sato's trust after meeting her aunt, she lost any kind of influence over Sato. After burning her bridges, Shoko should have just gone back to her safe "school life", but she didn't; and that is a mark of goodness for her, but also sadly of her obliviousness to where she was at. This is not a story of what should be, it is a story of what is. A story of broken and twisted people living their lives. Most countries and societies have people like this living on the outskirts of society, with the rest of the normal population oblivious (or blind) to them. And perhaps not as dramatic as this show, but who knows, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. I am not making anyone like Sato, but I liked her. In a way, she was the simplest of the show's characters to understand. If you tried to harm her or take away the things she wanted, you were going to pay. And there really is no sense in bringing the police, social services, and family services into this as they have no bearing to the story, except in the denoucement at the end of the series. As for Taiyo, I'll admit I could be wrong, but the more you become a danger to society, the less your victimhood becomes relevant. Considering how fast Taiyo went from 0 to 100 on the crazy scale, I find it hard to believe he was actually that good on the inside before everything happened. I actually thought he was going to murder Shoko in his room. This is a story of crazy, broken, insane, and evil people, so people's mileage will vary, but it is nice to discuss. |
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Gem-Bug
 Posts: 1217 |
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I mean, you're still saying it's Shoko's fault that Sato murdered her...? |
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TarsTarkas
Posts: 5841 Location: Virginia, United States |
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When you disregard the posted warning signs, when you leap over the security barriers, and when you jump down into the lion paddock at the zoo because you want to pet the lions; well yes, the lion was responsible for mauling you to death. But we all know there was more to it than just that. |
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Blanchimont
 Posts: 3456 Location: Finland |
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Taking concern for someone in a situation like Shio is the normal reaction for a normal person, No, the fault lies solely on Sato... |
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TarsTarkas
Posts: 5841 Location: Virginia, United States |
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Never said her actions weren't good or normal. Sato was solely responsible for murdering her. We all know that and we all know why Sato murdered her. We all know that she didn't deserve to be murdered. Hey I get it, no one wants to give even one nano-molecule of responsibility to a good girl and innocent victim. But in real life, reality is far crueler. Honking your horn and yelling in a brief moment of anger can get you killed. We have tons of people out there that never think what comes after. It is not that they want to go to jail, it is just that the future consequences of their actions never have enough time to pop up in their brain. Sure, they are solely responsible for murdering you and you didn't deserve to die for a brief moment of vocal anger. But by your own actions or agency, you brought yourself closer in orbit to your killer. Both things can be equally true. Shoko was done in by her naivety, but Sato was solely responsible for killing her. Not going to say anymore, considering how hot this topic is, |
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Gem-Bug
Posts: 1217 |
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This is all correct up until that last sentence, which sounds pretty facetious and reads similar to someone blaming a sexual assault victim for what they were wearing.
Of course there are consequence to every action we make, but you're really grabbing the worst-case scenarios here. Shoko wasn't road-raging or jumping into actual tiger enclosures despite warning signs. She was attempting to do the right, normal thing without knowing just how far Sato would be willing to go to protect herself.
More than one person disagreeing with what you're saying doesn't make a topic "hot". |
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a_Bear_in_Bearcave
Posts: 514 Location: Poland |
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I don't think Shoko had such obvious reason to believe her friend will outright murder her. Sato herself has clearly struggled with it afterwards, so it was not really obvious think she'd do without blinking. Besides, Shoko probably thought she will be able to convince Sato eventually of the obvious (to Shoko at least) solution, and after she failed, it was too late anyway.
Nonsense. Satou and Nana are themselves child victims who are trying to do what is best in relatively understandable way. Satou met an abandoned girl on a street, which explain unwillingness to risk the girl and her love was clearly shown to be pure, and she was clearly regretting the murder of her friend. Nana was basically an child soldier of her country on almost suicidal mission for peace, who initially had good reason to believe her government lies, and starts to doubt them later as she gets new evidence. On the other side, Light was never a victim, just arrogant tyrant who never cared whom he harms along the way, and enjoyed suffering of innocent who opposed him. Jordan, as far as I've read Monster at least, went far in his crimes beyond making place safer for him and his sister, plus he's not really treated in same way as Light from what I've seen. If people perceive some character differently than you do, it might be not because they're hypocrites who don't care about sweaty males, but because those characters are in different situations in those stories than in your hypotheticals. |
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Chiibi
 Posts: 4829 |
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In the end, Satou learns to stop being selfish....which is a step towards what real love is. So that is indeed a good conclusion.
I'm only grateful Asahi made it through since he was my favorite. Hope he can live a better future. 
By the way, I love Kagisora's art so much He has other manga that are unlicensed and ADORABLE. Google 'Kami-Yome' for much sweeter, less twisted story.
Ah ha....she's seventeen, actually. They were more like two abused children who don't understand romantic relationships at all playing "house", imho. Though Satou having THAT much affection for such a young kid who both looks and acts like a baby is....incredibly bizarre on her part, not gonna lie.  I think it would be a better series if Satou just wanted to adopt Shio and play "mom" instead. But that does tone down 'twisted unhealthy relationship' that ironically draws people in.
Last edited by Chiibi on Sun Jan 30, 2022 4:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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