 https://myanimelist.net/anime/58357/ Plot Summary Spoiled harvest goddess Sakuna finds herself banished from her opulent celestial home to an island overrun with demons. In the untamed wilderness, she must rediscover her birthright as the daughter of a warrior god and harvest goddess by weathering the elements, fighting monsters, and cultivating rice, the source of her power. By her side in this forbidding place is her guardian Tama and a group of outcast humans. Together, these unlikely companions must join hands to tame both the soil and the demons of Hinoe Island. Other Information Type: TV Episodes: Unknown Status: Currently Airing Aired: Jul 6, 2024 to ? Premiered: Summer 2024 Broadcast: Saturdays at 23:00 (JST) Producers: TOHO animation Licensors: None found, add some Studios: P.A. Works Source: Game Genres: Action, Fantasy Theme: Mythology Duration: Unknown Rating: None |
| When I first saw this on Live Charts I initially though "pass", then I saw P.A. Works is doing this and got interested. |
| Here's the first of three shows by P.A. Works this season, and this one's adapted from a game while the other two are original works. While anime based off video games more often end in flops, this one has some prolific players on its production team with P.A. Works doing the animation and Toho being the main publisher. Episode 1 It begins with a dream sequence, and then it's back to daily life in the celestial realm where Sakuna is a princess living the good life having been born to a god of war and goddess of harvest. She's being a spoiled brat at the start whose only job is to oversee the cultivation of rice. But everything changes when she burns the storehouse by accident due to her carelessness and incurs the ire of the goddess and that gets her banished from her homeland. So she is sent to an island full of demons where she has no choice but to grow up seeing that she's nothing but a troublemaker. I can see why the game was popular that it got an anime adaptation by one of the elite studios out there, and once again it has great-looking visuals, and the ending is especially nicely animated that is close to the game's art style. I'm definitely intrigued by this show after the first episode as it sets the stage for some tremendous character growth seeing that Sakuna needs to grow up in the worst way, and being thrown into a place that's the wild wild west will force her to adapt the way she is capable of doing. |
| First impressions: So the MC is a nepo-baby prospering off her parent’s hard work. Until her reckless actions with a group of humans gets her exiled, and now she needs to learn humility, empathy & self sufficiency. Pretty standard folktale/fable set-up. Though the wrinkle of her only knowing her parents by reputation because they vanished when she was still a child makes her more sympathetic & adds a mystery of sorts. And she’ll also have to learn to interact her new human companions (it’s also guaranteed we haven’t seen the last of that bandit) While I’m not familiar with it, the various introductions/explanations & dialogue make it clear that it’s a game adaption. The art is quite good & the character designs are cute but exaggerated (reminds me of Kunoichi Tsubaki) which seems to fit. I’ll stay with it for now because I can see it being entertaining, but it could easily get bumped if/when I have to prioritize my time. |
OhayotakuJul 6, 2024 2:31 PM
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| I wanna say this reminds me of a late 80s to early 90s Disney cartoon movie, but the last time I said that was Fena: Pirate Princess and that was a huge let down |
| This falls outside of my tolerance for character designs. I'll pass. |
| Episode 2 It's off to Hinoe Island, and while it's a dangerous place, Sakuna's parents used to live there as they made friends with the Ashigumo, who took care of the place after they died. While it's a rough place, at least they have a safe place to call home even if it needs quite a lot of maintenance. The tools are pretty old, as not even a great farmer could use these, much less a not-so-good one in Tauemon. And then they meet Myrthe, who is a missionary from a foreign land, and even if her cooking skills need work, she's a pretty helpful person to have around. So in all, Sakuna is learning to live like her parents did seeing that her immaturity had been a big problem, and right away she's starting to grow up. |
| Episode 2 And Sakuna gets to work for the first time ever in her life. It's a great thing that she has her trusty followers and Myrthe to teach her the ropes. As to be expected, she struggles on her first try, but eventually she learns, and it also helps that they came up with that rice song to keep her motivated. They started out with worn-out tools, but Kinta fixed that problem as he's aspiring to be a blacksmith someday. Sakuna's spoiled personality is starting to change for the better, though she still has a lot to learn. But pretty soon she will see that hard work pays off in ways she never imagined. |
| I recall some anime this season talking about how more bountiful rice is than wheat, I can't see how that's remotely possible considering the amount of steps and the amount of water it takes to grow rice |
| Lordy that was more about rice planting than I really wanted to know. What a pain in the lumbar region. I think I'd give up and starve, myself. |
| Yeah, given that what little I know about wheat farming comes to: 1. Plow field 2. Sprinkle seeds 3. Hope it rains it does looks like rice is more labor-intensive. But I suppose if water is plentiful, land is scarce, and labor is cheap, rice does win out. Google claims that an acre of wheat can produce about 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of grain, but that rice can produce 8,500 pounds per acre. And rice is more calorie-dense due to its higher starch content. So I guess it's just a better crop for regions with a lot of natural moisture. |
| I was also amused by the statement that the songs were sung to keep people from bitching about how hard the work was and how that guy over there was totally slacking off. And that the songs were all about how much their backs hurt and how long it takes. So it was generalized musical bitching instead of the specific personal bitching that leads to fights. |
| Episode 4 And here's an episode that explains Myrthe's background as pretty much she wants to see the world for herself, but she's doing so alone since the priest she traveled with died during the journey. So with Sakuna slowly getting into a routine, she needs to improve her people skills seeing that she didn't exactly approach that kappa the right way and that had the other kappas there throwing rocks at her. But she has a chance to improve her relationship with them as a monster attacks and a kappa was injured, and with Kinta's tool, she defeats it. Sakuna continues to learn the ways seeing that her spoiled attitude has gotten herself and others into trouble, and she is being reminded of that. |
| And the alien mothership appears! Yeesh. So many of the story beats in this (including that one) seemed like total asspulls - like they could have been hinted at or foreshadowed in earlier episodes. The crane release could have been mentioned earlier just as an aside for Kinta's presence ("Yeah, I got kicked out for saving this stupid bird back at the temple,") Yui's interest in weaving, etc. Would have given the characters some actual personality too, instead of trying to retro-fit it in post-reveal. But, I suppose when you have a goddess who can just create entire dwellings overnight, who needs well-structured plot lines? "Growing rice sure is a pain in the butt." No argument there. Especially when their field looks like it is barely big enough to feed the group for a week once harvested. Unless they've got a ton more growing in the fields they borrowed from the otter-dude. |
SparkyBobAug 3, 2024 12:41 PM
| Episode 5 This episode is focused on Kinta as he once saved Yui, but doesn't remember doing so, all while Yui does. As it turns out, Yui is actually a crane in her natural form and Kinta only remembers saving a crane not knowing that she's actually Yui. But now she's back in her bird form, but is turned into a human again as some spaceship has arrived giving Sakuna an order. Kinta has personal issues of his own, but he's tackling them. |
SparkyBob said: And the alien mothership appears! Yeesh. I kind of found the show interesting until that point...totally lost me there. Although Kinta has been annoying from day 1 |
| Episode 6 With that, Sakuna has completed the process of making rice with her blood, sweat, and tears, and it's ready to eat. This has certainly changed her outlook as she would then go on and take care of the problem inside the volcano that turned the Ashigumos into mindless zombies, courtesy of that lich monster. Sakuna's character development is really going well as she used to sit back and tell her servants to take care of the problem, but not anymore as she's taking responsibility and understanding the meaning of hard work and its benefits. |
| Episode 7 Sakuna is summoned back to the celestial realm where she sees her best friend Kokorowa once again, all while being informed by Kamuhitsuki that demons are about to infiltrate the place. She offers up some rice, and is given some that was harvested by her mother Toyohana and sees just how superior in quality it is. This gives Sakuna a goal to strive for, but seeing that this was just her first harvest that naturally she has a lot to learn. So after spending a night in her old room that now belongs to Kokorowa, it's back to the island where she brings Toyohana's rice to show everybody how great it can get, and they get back to work once the weather improves. This goes to show that Sakuna's perspective has greatly changed for the better, and that Kamuhitsuki was right to teach her a lesson that she will never forget. |
| It's freaking rice. (Sorry, been living la vita keto for almost two years now. Sometimes I get grumpy. But still. It's just freaking rice.) Also, four years have passed. Is that baby ever going to grow out of that onesie? |
SparkyBob said: It's freaking rice. This is what I don't get about anime, rice is frequently hailed as if it is mana from the gods...in this anime it literally is portrayed that way. It's rice..a decent staple food, but bland and usually needs soy sauce...I mean I love bread, but I wouldn't act like having bread for the first time in a long time was an orgasmic experience...and at least bread has a more robust flavor due to fermentation. SparkyBob said: four years have passed. Is that baby ever going to grow out of that onesie I'm not even sure it's supposed to be a baby...just a mentally challenged weird looking kid...reminds me of Blaster from Master Blaster |
| Episode 8 Sakuna will do anything for a friend as word gets out that Kokorowa had been distributing some tainted rice. Sakuna refuses to believe it, so she sneaks back into the capital to see her, and it turns out that Kokorowa is responsible, and it was all because of her jealousy towards Sakuna as she got to live the spoiled lifestyle, and Sakuna was unaware that Kokorowa was suffering because of it. So when the storehouse with the tainted rice was burned down, Kokorowa tried to defend Sakuna, but Sakuna accepted all the blame and was banished for life from the capital. So it's back to living the life of a rice farmer, but this time Kokorowa ends up joining Sakuna on the trip back as she has a new mission to defeat the demons that are threatening to invade the capital and upon successful completion, Sakuna would be welcomed back. That was great to see just how much Sakuna has grown and is taking responsibility for her actions even if what she's doing is downright reckless as she's doing what she thinks is the right thing rather than what someone else says is the right thing to do. So with Kokorowa now part of the village that everybody has their work cut out. |
| Episode 9 And now, it's crunch time for Sakuna. Kokorowa is quite a big help there as she helps improve efficiency in their farming seeing that previously the rice was rather haphazardly planted. Sakuna and the Ashigumo head on into the lair where they meet up with a bandit that Sakuna knocked off the bridge earlier in the show, but it turns out that the mist there is not ordinary as it has time traveling properties. That guy is back with a vengeance, and can transform into a demon as well, but Sakuna has gotten much stronger as well to defeat that bandit. But they have no time to relax as the volcano has erupted and the village is in its path of destruction. Things have gotten really chaotic, and it's a good thing Kokorowa has joined them or else thing would have gotten even uglier than it already is. |
| Episode 10 The outhouse has been burned down, but everybody is safe, so at least the worst case scenario was averted. As it turns out, this was all because Kaimaru and company took in and cared for an injured rabbit demon not knowing that he was actually one of Ishimaru's henchmen who was just obeying orders seeing that disobedience means death for it. Sakuna nearly loses her mind a couple of times there, first by making an impulsive trip back to the capital at Tama's insistence before Kokorowa's dramatic arrival, and then she nearly killed the rabbit out of hatred before realizing that hate is why Ishimaru became that monster. The old Sakuna would have panicked and lost her mind many times over by now, but Sakuna has matured and fully understood that the outhouse and farm can be rebuilt, and she is given permission to use the Orb of Transformation to make it happen. So now that Sakuna's mind has been straightened, next order of business is to deal with Ishimaru and put an end to all the hate that has made a mess of things. |
| Episode 11 So Ishimaru and Tauemon used to be comrades, and despite his extreme hatred, he does have a good side to him. Even though he killed Kaimaru's parents, he showed happiness when he got a riceball from Kaimaru, all while he also saved Katsura even if the rabbit ended up being used as a spy. Just when it looked like he had turned the corner when he ran away, he was then ambushed by an army of Ashigumo zombies and then consumed by the Homusubi Specter, and after that it was too late for him, and Tauemon had to put him down. So with that, it's onto the final boss as the Omizuchi awaits, which is the one causing all this calamity. |
| Episode 12 Sakuna prepares for the battle against the water dragon Omizuchi, but she's not so sure she can do it after seeing her scarf and weapon break in the latest battle. To stand a chance against Omizuchi, a new Blade of Hoshidama will need to be forged with Tama sacrificing himself to do it. Sakuna doesn't want that, but in the end it's her followers that made the decision for her as Tama agrees to go along with this plan, doing so while Sakuna is asleep. One more episode left as it's time for Sakuna to fight the final boss, but will first need to get over Tama's decision to become her new weapon that she wasn't going to let happen if she had any say. |
| Episode 13 (Finale) And now it's time for the final boss battle between Sakuna and Omizuchi. Sakuna ventures into the dragon's lair with Kokorowa and the Ashigumo, but Kokorowa nearly falls off the cliff as the Ashigumo had to come in to save her. And then comes the battle against Omizuchi. Before they fight, they exchange pleasantries as Omizuchi appears to be somebody who doesn't want to fight. But after confirming that they devoured up her parents, Sakuna's mind is made up to slay the three-headed dragon. But just when it looked like she defeated the dragon, it turns out it has eight heads, and just when it looked like Sakuna was about to bite the dust, Kaimaru's voice reaches Sakuna as it turns out that Sakuna's parents can communicate with her through Kaimaru. And then with what's left of Sakuna's divinity, she calls out her parents and as that broken blade, they rip out the Omizuchi's throat. That battle ended rather hastily, but it ended how it needed to for the most part. Final Thoughts This is a decent show by the standards of something adapted from a video game as while the show definitely has its issues that are commonly found in such shows, the production team, does a solid job in putting this show together after a shaky start. The show has great artwork, incredible character designs, and does a nice job with character development as that's the one thing that made the game stand out. That said, story writing was all over the place, much more so at the beginning, and not to mention the show often gets sidetracked by so many things going on during the show, which is what makes it feel like another one of those shows adapted from video games, all while the supporting cast feels underdeveloped. That said, P.A. Works did a solid job in making due with the hand they were given as the production values are great, even if the story writing isn't up to snuff. Grade: C+ (7/10) |
| I enjoyed the show, but it was certainly nothing ground breaking, not one of PA Works best. The last episode was a decent ending plot wise, but it felt almost rushed 7/10 |
| And I guess we get MORE exciting rice-growing adventures. Of all the shows I thought had stretched its premise to the breaking point in the first season... But now The Clockwork Goddess or whatever she is has decided to grow rice because maintaining all the robots in the village just isn't "real-life" enough for her to write books about. Or something. I confess the plot and motivations seemed a little forced to me. But whatever, it was kind of nice to see everyone again. But is that baby ever going to grow up? |
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