As everybody else on this planet, I have an opinion. As many people do too, I like to write about it. Share it generously. And I am excellent at keeping score (mentally), so I will try tallying up my fondness of things according to balance.

Sarazanmai

Japanese folklore is fascinating, so I am automatically drawn to related entertainment. This time, it was kappa in the series Sarazanmai. Kappa are fascinating and probably some of the more well-known creatures. They often have tortoiselike shells, webbed fingers and a dish on their head. They are also very fond of cucumbers and live near the water. Generally, I have seen kappa be depicted moreso as mischievous than actively harmful, but with all these creatures their behavior is definitely on a spectrum.

Sarazanmai is a series by director Kunihiko Ikuhara, whose Penguimdurum series has similar vibes to this one, who is clearly quite the eccentric fellow. The main characters are three boys in middle school: Kazuki, Toi and Enta. Kazuki and Toi are best friends, Enta transfers to their school. However, all three have their own secrets that they hide from the world and each other. After a chance encounter with the kappa prince, all three are also turned into kappa to defeat otter zombies and earn dishes of hope which can fulfill their own wishes.

It is quite the chaotic story that would have probably benefitted from a longer runtime to spend more time with the boys and learn more about their backgrounds. However, even with all of the things that are happening at the same time, the otter zombies are created by two homoerotic and homoesxual policemen that work for actual otters, it is clear this director has an idea of how everything should come together.

Something that really shows the director’s vision, is the way the fights are being depicted. The kappa prince can only turn the boys into kappa by extracting their shirikodama. According to Wikipedia, the direct translation of this is “buttocks-wee-ball” and according to folklore it is to be extracted from the anus. In the series, this is a recurring action, much like a magical girl transformation sequence, complete with sound effects. The policemen also have their own sequence whenever they spring in action which is also highlighted by a not so subtly sexually implicit sequence. To top it off, each zombie also gets their shirikodama extracted from the anus which results in a thick stream of water that then engulfs our kappa boys. You can probably imagine the ambiguities that is depicting.

Even though the above may sound off-putting, when the series is focusing on the boys it is very heartfelt and has some important lessons to teach. The balance between the more eccentric antics and sincere parts is actually quite well-done and I did get invested in the characters. Thus, I would rate it as a fun experience to learn about Japanese folklore in a modern look and learning some important lessons on the way.