Seishun Buta Yarou wa Randoseru Girl no Yume wo Minai

This movie felt like an old friend. It's been years since I've watched the ending of the series, and I've skipped two movies in between, but watching it was an easy return to what I enjoyed about the Bunny Girl senpai. (I refuse to call it the Dreaming Rascal series, I only do watch it for Mai.) This movie had an air of finality around it. Sakuta's family arc has come full circle, and Sakuta is ready to move to the next level with Mai. I really like the poetic echo of the call back to the first arc of the series, with Sakuta experiencing Mai's"adolescence complex". Switching places meant Mai got the chance to save Sakuta, if she wanted it. Really, this was a good place to end the series, even if it has several novels remaining and it is ongoing.

This movie probably resembles the perfect middle ground between the three movies that have come out after the series as it is better than the second movie " Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out" but not quite as good as the first movie " Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl", which was phenomenal. Returning to this series always feels like embracing a warm hug, but there's also a lingering sour aftertaste and an underlying sense of dread that a catastrophe is looming, making it hard to fully enjoy the movie without feeling apprehensive. On paper this probably sounds like abad thing, but it's really not cause that's what makes the Bunny Girl Senpai series so different and intriguing. I'll be the first to admit that it can get extremely confusing to follow along with the various cases of "Adolescence Syndrome", and numerous resulting timelines, but the movies tend to manage to clean up after themselves by the conclusion and get to a coherent ending which makes sense and at the same time builds up to whatever is next. This movie continues directly from the previous one, advancing the plot and answering open questions. While the last film centered on his sister Kaede, this installment shifts the focus back to Sakuta, who experiences "Adolescence Syndrome" as he disappears and relies on others, particularly Mai, to save him. A significant portion of this movie also addresses Sakuta's family and their issues, delivering a wholesome conclusion that complements Sakuta's experience with "Adolescence Syndrome." This resolution felt satisfying and well-integrated into the story. This movie shows all characters that have become a staple to the series and manages to stand on it's own. There is a bit of everything as there also are romantic scenes between Mai and Sakuta which transmit a feeling like their relationship is evolving and they are ready to take further steps and becoming serious as a couple. One critique I have is that many of the side characters receive little to no screen time. However, it's commendable that almost all of them make an appearance, even if it's just for a few seconds or in the background of a scene. It feels like even if they did not have an important role in this movie, their existence is acknowledged, which is nice. If you're a fan of the Bunny Girl Senpai series, I am fairly certain you'll enjoy this movie. It follows the familiar formula, blending supernatural elements that get super confusing at times with the usual characters and charming interactions between Mai and Sakuta, creating an enjoyable viewing experience, which left an overall positive feeling. I very much recommend this one.

This movie shouldn't exist. This is a testament that Seishun Buta Yarou fans will like anything the franchise produces, no matter how bad it is. We really can't go any lower than this. At this point, you may wonder if they are actively trying to make a bad anime to test if the fans will still enjoy it no matter what. Firstly, there's a serious problem with the plot: nothing happens. Whenever you watch a movie, you expect something to happen, otherwise why waste 1 hour on this. But no, bunny girl can go without it. For the first half, it's just the same characters sayingthe same things, interacting in the same way they have been in previous installments. There are no new characters, no development and not even a memorable scene to justify the movie. You could say it's just like a slice of life which the point is to see the characters interacting and living their lives, without a need for an overarching theme, but the problem is it doesn't work when the characters are insufferable and there's barely any variation in their interactions from previous installments. Firstly, the main couple is absolutely awful. Mai and Sakuta are already bad characters by themselves, but they are even worse as a couple. Every single interaction is embarrassing, the desperate attempt at deadpan humor always falls short, the contrived romance is pathetic. Sakuta proves over and over again that he is a pitiful, deplorable little man, and yet he is portrayed as mature and dependable. It brings back the point of the self inserter who wants to believe a high tier girl like Mai will fall for a ne'er-do-well. Futaba is just spitting flapdoodle about quantum mechanics, saying it may be the cause of the adolescent syndrome at hand (wasn't it always like that? What's new?). Koga's role is to say Sakuta has baito and to call him a baka (have we not seen it before?). Toyohama appears for literally no reason. The only character who barely has a development is Kaede who starts to progress after the prequel events. In the second half of the movie, we finally get to see what it is about. It's about Sakuta's mother. There's just a little issue: why would anyone care about this character that was never important, nor was her relationship with Sakuta and Kaede? It's just a side character without any depth. The result is melodramatic scenes which the viewer can't empathize with, producing a cringeworthy effect. It's just paroxysm without buildup. Finally, there's a major misfortune in the announcement of this feature, Sakurajima Mai is used as bait. The teasers portray Mai and her kid version like it's a crucial point in the story, but she is actually just a side character in this piece. Art and animation are the same as the prequels, which is subpar and uninspiring. For the sound, the most they could do was a new version of Fukashigi no Carte. Ketsuron, a film that tries to keep the same quality as other Bunny Girl Senpai titles, which is substandard, but fails at it. This film settles a new low bar, overcoming the second title, Seishun Buta Yarou wa Yumemiru Shoujo no Yume wo Minai, and becoming the ultimate mark of Seishun Buta Yarou fiasco as a franchise.

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