Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (novel/manga/anime/film)
Rascal Does Not Dream, known in Japan as Seishun Buta Yarō (Japanese: 青春ブタ野郎, Rascal, lit. “Teenage Pig”), is a Japanese light novel series written by Hajime Kamoshida and illustrated by Kēji Mizoguchi. ASCII Media Works have published thirteen volumes since April 2014 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint.
A manga adaptation with art by Tsugumi Nanamiya has been serialized in ASCII Media Works’ seinen manga magazine Dengeki G’s Comic since December 2015. An anime television series adaptation of the first five volumes by CloverWorks, titled Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, aired from October to December 2018. An anime film adapting volumes six and seven, titled Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, premiered in June 2019. Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out, a second film adapting volume eight, premiered in June 2023. Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid, a third film adapting volume nine, is set to premiere in December 2023.
Premise
High school student Sakuta Azusagawa’s life takes a turn for the unexpected when he meets teenage actress Mai Sakurajima, dressed as a bunny girl, wandering through a library and not being noticed by anyone else there. Mai is intrigued that Sakuta is the only one who can see her, as other people are unable to see her, even when she is dressing normally or attempting to stay away from celebrity life. Calling this phenomenon “Adolescence Syndrome”, Sakuta decides to solve this mystery, while continuing to get closer to Mai and meeting other girls who suffer from “Adolescence Syndrome” as well.
Characters
Main
- Sakuta Azusagawa (梓川 咲太, Azusagawa Sakuta)
- Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa
- Harboring a bad reputation after allegedly hospitalizing three people, Sakuta attempts to keep a low profile until his meeting with Mai prompts him to investigate Adolescence Syndrome. His sister Kaede’s Adolescence Syndrome affected him as well, leading to him suffering three cuts to his chest. Sakuta’s life changes when he meets Mai and helps her overcoming her Adolescence Syndrome, which leads him into getting involved with other girls that suffer the same condition.
- Sakuta is a nice and helpful person, but he is also very snarky. When speaking to others he is incredibly blunt, honest, and straightforward, as well as being prone to lewd jokes. Sakuta is selfless and caring, often willing to sacrifice his time or even his own well-being to help others. His selflessness stems from the Adolescence Syndrome that involved his sister Kaede as well as from his desire to become a kinder person after first meeting Shoko Makinohara. In Rascal Does Not Dream of a Lost Singer, he becomes a college student.
- Mai Sakurajima (桜島 麻衣, Sakurajima Mai)
- Voiced by: Asami Seto
- Tired from the pressures of her acting work, Mai decides to take a hiatus but suddenly realizes people are unable to acknowledge her existence, except Sakuta, who agrees to help figure out what’s happening, all while she continues to get closer to him. She first meets Sakuta at a library, while she was wearing a bunny girl outfit to test if people would notice her. As time passes, more people start forgetting about Mai’s existence until Sakuta himself is left to remember. Sakuta is able to restore Mai’s existence and everyone’s memories of her when he declares his love to Mai in front of the entire school. After that, Sakuta and Mai attempt to start a relationship, which is made difficult given Mai’s acting work. Later, Mai is infected by her half-sister Nodoka’s Adolescence Syndrome, causing both girls to exchange physical appearances. It is only when Sakuta helps both sisters reconcile that they return to normal. Mai is the focal character of the first light novel.
- Personality wise, Mai is levelheaded, polite and very kind: she is helpful, denounces Sakuta’s bad reputation as false and also has a very soft spot for Kaede. While she can be snarky, she is pure-hearted, and sometimes even shy around Sakuta’s lewd jokes. Like Sakuta, she is also very selfless.
- Tomoe Koga (古賀 朋絵, Koga Tomoe)
- Voiced by: Nao Tōyama
- The focal character of the second light novel, Tomoe is a first year student at Sakuta’s high school. She initially meets Sakuta at a park while he was trying to help a young girl look for her mother, which leads Tomoe to accuse Sakuta of being a lolicon. She is very self conscious and asks Sakuta to be her pretend boyfriend so her friends wouldn’t say anything bad about her behind her back. However, crazy accusations start up about her and she eventually falls in love with him after seeing him defend her. Unfortunately, Tomoe’s feelings for Sakuta cause the last day of their relationship to repeat itself. Sakuta confronts Tomoe about her feelings, which she confesses but ultimately he turns her down. Even so, they agree to be friends.
- Rio Futaba (双葉 理央, Futaba Rio)
- Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki
- The focal character of the third light novel, Rio is the sole member of the science club at Sakuta and Mai’s high school and one of Sakuta’s only friends. She initially believed Adolescence Syndrome is a myth until she suffers it herself. Due to lacking confidence in her appearance, a clone of hers appears with a different personality and who posts suggestive pictures of herself online to punish herself. The two Rios merge into one person again when Sakuta helps them both accept themselves and the friendships they have made.
- Nodoka Toyohama (豊浜 のどか, Toyohama Nodoka)
- Voiced by: Maaya Uchida
- The focal character of the fourth light novel, Nodoka is Mai’s half-sister and a member of an idol group. She swapped bodies with Mai due to her inferiority complex, but swapped back after realizing that she did not have to be exactly like Mai. The half-sisters only return to normal after reconciling.
- Kaede Azusagawa (梓川 かえで, Azusagawa Kaede) / Kaede Azusagawa (梓川 花楓, Azusagawa Kaede)
- Voiced by: Yurika Kubo
- Sakuta’s younger sister and another victim of Adolescence Syndrome, Kaede mysteriously began to suffer injuries after suffering online bullying and getting death threats on her cellphone that left her with a phobia of strangers. She only made a recovery after she stopped using social media or going to school. After that, she stays at Sakuta’s apartment, with only her cat to keep her company. She is extremely fond of her brother and frequently climbs into bed with him while he is sleeping. It is later discovered that Kaede is suffering from dissociative disorder. She had forgotten who she was and became a completely different Kaede. She eventually regains her memories but forgets the events of the previous two years. Although Sakuta is saddened that the sister he has come to know has ceased to exist, he nevertheless accepts the return of his original sister and decides to help her regain her old life. Kaede is the focal character of the fifth light novel.
- Shoko Makinohara (牧之原 翔子, Makinohara Shōko)
- Voiced by: Inori Minase
- The focal character of the sixth and seventh light novels, Shoko has the same name as Sakuta’s first crush. She is a shy middle school student who bumps into Sakuta during a rain storm. It is later revealed that she is the Shoko that Sakuta met during his episode, but had moved away to recover from a heart transplant. After Kaede regains her memories, Shoko appears to Sakuta again and helps him move past his grief after losing the Kaede he had come to know over the past 2 years. When Sakuta calms down, Shoko departs, but later returns and declares that she will be living in Sakuta’s house for a period of time, much to the dismay of Mai. It is later revealed that there are 2 versions of Shoko in their timeline, and that the older version only exists because Sakuta will die in a car accident on Christmas day, resulting in his heart being donated to Shoko, allowing her to continue living, hence the reason behind Sakuta’s scars. When Mai sacrifices herself to save Sakuta from the accident, Shoko helps Sakuta travel back in time to fix his mistake and save Mai. She also travels back to her elementary school timeline to mend the problem causing her Adolescence Syndrome, creating an alternate timeline where Sakuta and Mai never meet Shoko. They later reconcile when Sakuta sees Shoko by the beach and remembers all the memories the two of them shared from the previous timeline.
Supporting
- Yūma Kunimi (国見 佑真, Kunimi Yūma)
- Voiced by: Yuma Uchida
- Sakuta’s best friend. He is dating Saki Kamisato but they often argue over Saki’s relationship with Sakuta. He also worked in the same family restaurant as Sakuta. He is kind and friendly, and the only one not affected by Adolescence Syndrome.
- Saki Kamisato (上里 沙希, Kamisato Saki)
- Voiced by: Himika Akaneya
- Saki is Yūma’s girlfriend. She hates Sakuta and wishes he would stop being Yuma’s friend, as his status as the class loner is making Yuma, and more importantly, herself, less popular. However, things change as she helps him with Rio Futaba’s AS case.
- Fumika Nanjō (南条 文香, Nanjō Fumika)
- Voiced by: Satomi Satō
- Fumika is a reporter who is interested in Adolescence Syndrome and believes the scars on Sakuta’s chest were somehow caused by it.
- Uzuki Hirokawa (広川 卯月, Hirokawa Uzuki)
- Voiced by: Sora Amamiya
- She is the lead singer of the idol group Sweet Bullet.
Light novels
Rascal Does Not Dream is written by Hajime Kamoshida and features illustrations by Keeji Mizoguchi. ASCII Media Works have published thirteen volumes since April 2014 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. Yen Press has been publishing the English version of the light novel since April 28, 2020.
The original title of each volume is set according to the syntax Rascal Does Not Dream of… (青春ブタ野郎は…の夢を見ない, Seishun Buta Yarō wa… no Yume o Minai)
No. | Title | Original release date | English release date | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Seishun Buta Yarō wa Banīgāru Senpai no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ない) |
April 10, 2014 978-4-04-866487-5 |
April 28, 2020 978-1-97-539935-1 |
||
|
|||||
2 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Petite Devil Kohai Seishun Buta Yarō wa Puchidebiru Kōhai no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はプチデビル後輩の夢を見ない) |
September 9, 2014 978-4-04-866808-8 |
August 18, 2020 978-1-97-531254-1 |
||
|
|||||
3 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Logical Witch Seishun Buta Yarō wa Rojikaru Witchi no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はロジカルウィッチの夢を見ない) |
January 10, 2015 978-4-04-869173-4 |
November 17, 2020 978-1-97-531256-5 |
||
|
|||||
4 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Siscon Idol Seishun Buta Yarō wa Shisukon Aidoru no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はシスコンアイドルの夢を見ない) |
May 9, 2015 978-4-04-865135-6 |
March 30, 2021 978-1-97-531258-9 |
||
|
|||||
5 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Home Alone Seishun Buta Yarō wa Orusuban Imōto no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はおるすばん妹の夢を見ない) |
September 10, 2015 978-4-04-865394-7 |
July 27, 2021 978-1-97-531260-2 |
||
|
|||||
6 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl Seishun Buta Yarō wa Yumemiru Shōjo no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はゆめみる少女の夢を見ない) |
June 10, 2016 978-4-04-865891-1 |
November 30, 2021 978-1-97-531262-6 |
||
|
|||||
7 | Rascal Does Not Dream of His First Love Seishun Buta Yarō wa Hatsukoi Shōjo no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はハツコイ少女の夢を見ない) |
October 8, 2016 978-4-04-892281-4 |
May 3, 2022 978-1-97-531264-0 |
||
|
|||||
8 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out Seishun Buta Yarō wa Dekake Shisutā no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はおでかけシスターの夢を見ない) |
April 10, 2018 978-4-04-893585-2 |
August 23, 2022 978-1-97-531266-4 |
||
|
|||||
9 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid Seishun Buta Yarō wa Randoseru Gāru no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はランドセルガールの夢を見ない) |
October 10, 2018 978-4-04-912017-2 |
December 13, 2022 978-1-97-531268-8 |
||
|
|||||
10 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Lost Singer Seishun Buta Yarō wa Mayoeru Shingā no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎は迷えるシンガーの夢を見ない) |
February 7, 2020 978-4-04-912850-5 |
March 21, 2023 978-1-97-531851-2 |
||
|
|||||
11 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Nightingale Seishun Buta Yarō wa Naichingēru no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はナイチンゲールの夢を見ない) |
December 10, 2020 978-4-04-912902-1 |
June 20, 2023 978-1-97-534350-7 |
||
|
|||||
12 | Rascal Does Not Dream of His Student Seishun Buta Yarō wa Mai Suchūdento no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はマイスチューデントの夢を見ない) |
December 9, 2022 978-4-04-913936-5 |
November 21, 2023 978-1-97-537527-0 |
||
13 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus Seishun Buta Yarō wa Santakurōsu no Yume o Minai (青春ブタ野郎はサンタクロースの夢を見ない) |
July 7, 2023 978-4-04-914867-1 |
— |
Manga
A manga adaptation drawn by Tsugumi Nanamiya began serialization in the January 2016 issue of ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki G’s Comic magazine, which was released on December 1, 2015. Yen Press has been publishing the English version of the manga in a 2-in-1 omnibus edition since August 18, 2020.
No. | Title | Original release date | English release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai 1 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Banīgāru Senpai no Yume o Minai 1 (青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ない 1) |
October 8, 2016 978-4-04-892480-1 |
August 18, 2020 978-1-97-535962-1 |
|
|
||||
2 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai 2 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Banīgāru Senpai no Yume o Minai 2 (青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ない 2) |
October 10, 2018 978-4-04-912068-4 |
August 18, 2020 978-1-97-535962-1 |
|
|
A manga adaptation drawn by Tsukumo Asakusa began serialization in the May 2018 issue of Dengeki G’s Comic magazine.
No. | Title | Original release date | English release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Petite Devil Kohai 1 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Puchidebiru Kōhai no Yume o Minai 1 (青春ブタ野郎はプチデビル後輩の夢を見ない 1) |
October 10, 2018 978-4-04-912070-7 |
December 15, 2020 978-1-97-531801-7 |
|
|
||||
2 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Petite Devil Kohai 2 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Puchidebiru Kōhai no Yume o Minai 2 (青春ブタ野郎はプチデビル後輩の夢を見ない 2) |
December 10, 2018 978-4-04-912258-9 |
December 15, 2020 978-1-97-531801-7 |
|
|
A manga adaptation drawn by Tsukako Akina began serialization on ComicWalker on August 1, 2020.
No. | Title | Original release date | English release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Logical Witch 1 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Rojikaru Witchi no Yume o Minai 1 (青春ブタ野郎はロジカルウィッチの夢を見ない 1) |
December 26, 2020 978-4-04-913570-1 |
November 21, 2023 978-1-97-537339-9 |
|
|
||||
2 | Rascal Does Not Dream of Logical Witch 2 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Rojikaru Witchi no Yume o Minai 2 (青春ブタ野郎はロジカルウィッチの夢を見ない 2) |
July 27, 2022 978-4-04-913894-8 |
November 21, 2023 978-1-97-537339-9 |
|
|
A manga adaptation drawn by Akuro Yoshibe began serialization on G’s Channel and ComicWalker on April 30, 2023.
No. | Title | Original release date | English release date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Home Alone 1 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Orusuban Imōto no Yume o Minai 1 (青春ブタ野郎はおるすばん妹の夢を見ない 1) |
November 10, 2023 978-4-04-915373-6 |
— |
A manga adaptation drawn by Eranto began serialization on G’s Channel and ComicWalker on April 30, 2023.
No. | Title | Original release date | English release date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl 1 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Yumemiru Shōjo no Yume o Minai 1 (青春ブタ野郎はゆめみる少女の夢を見ない 1) |
October 10, 2023 978-4-04-915372-9 |
— |
Anime
A 13-episode anime television series adaptation, titled Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, aired from October 4 to December 27, 2018, on ABC and other channels. The series was animated by CloverWorks and directed by Sōichi Masui, with Kazuya Iwata as assistant director, Masahiro Yokotani handling series composition, and Satomi Tamura designing the characters. The band Fox Capture Plan composed the series’ music. Satomi Tamura also served as the chief animation director along with Akira Takata. The anime series adapts the series’ first through fifth volumes. The opening theme is “Kimi no Sei” (君のせい) by the Peggies. The ending theme is “Fukashigi no Karte” (不可思議のカルテ), with each arc using versions by Asami Seto, Yurika Kubo, Nao Tōyama, Atsumi Tanezaki, Maaya Uchida, and Inori Minase under their character names. Aniplex of America has licensed the series and it is streamed on Crunchyroll, Hulu, FunimationNow, and Netflix. Aniplex of America released a complete Blu-ray set on November 19, 2019, with English subtitles. In Australia and New Zealand, the series was simulcast on AnimeLab, and in Southeast Asia on Aniplus Asia. MVM Entertainment acquired the series for distribution in the UK and Ireland. Aniplex of America is set to release an additional collector’s set on November 14, 2023, which complies the first season of the anime along with the film Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl.
An anime film adaptation, titled Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl (青春ブタ野郎はゆめみる少女の夢を見ない, Seishun Buta Yarō wa Yumemiru Shōjo no Yume o Minai), premiered on June 15, 2019. The film adapts the series’ sixth and seventh volumes. The staff and cast reprised their roles from the anime.
During the Aniplex Online Fest event in September 2022, it was announced that a sequel adapting the eighth and ninth light novel volumes has been greenlit. It was later revealed to be two films; Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out, the first film which will adapt volume eight, will feature the main staff and cast of the previous anime adaptation. The film will be released theatrically in Japan on June 23, 2023. Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid, the second film adapting volume nine, is set to premiere on December 1, 2023.
No. | Title | Director | Original air date | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | “My Senpai is a Bunny Girl” “Senpai wa Banī Gāru” (先輩はバニーガール) |
Kazuya Iwata | October 4, 2018 | ||
On the 29th of May, Sakuta Azusagawa wakes up from a hazy dream and finds a journal which describes how, on the 6th of May, he met a senior from school wearing a bunny girl costume in the public library. Her name, however, has been mysteriously erased from the journal. Mai Sakurajima, a teen celebrity, had gone to the Fujisawa Library wearing a sensual bunny outfit that day to test if people there could still see her. However, only Sakuta noticed her presence, but she advised him to forget her once he left. While on hiatus from her job as an actress on commercials and TV shows, she enters school midway through the school year, after the students have already formed their social circles. To maintain the status quo, no one has befriended her and her existence remains largely ignored. However, she has lately realized through experiments that aside from school, there were other areas where people have also become unable to acknowledge her existence. Those areas continue to grow and is becoming an inconvenience. Believing that she has the “Adolescence Syndrome”, an urban legend about special powers that affected his sister in the past, Sakuta tries to help figure out what was happening to prevent her from disappearing completely from peoples’ memories. | |||||
2 | “On First Dates, Trouble Is Essential” “Hatsu Dēto ni Haran wa Tsukimono” (初デートに波乱は付き物) |
Kazuki Horiguchi | October 11, 2018 | ||
Rio Futaba explains her understanding of “Adolescence Syndrome” using quantum mechanics and the Schrödinger’s cat paradox. Sakuta continues discussing with Mai about her situation. Sakuta reveals he learned about Mai’s conflict with her manager (also her mother) from reporter Fumika Nanjo, with the cost of offering a photo of his unusual chest scars. Mai immediately contacts Fumika, requesting the latter not to publicize Sakuta’s photo by offering her an exclusive interview about her decision to return to entertainment – but not through her mother. Mai then agrees to spend a day with Sakuta but denies it is an actual “date”. Before it begins, Sakuta gets involved in a misunderstanding with first year Tomoe Koga over a lost child in a park, during which the two kick each other’s buttocks, delaying his meeting with Mai. When they go out together, Mai makes an appointment to meet with her mother to inform the latter about her decision. However, Mai discovers that even her mother cannot see her, or even remember her. Sakuta then decides to take Mai to a faraway city, in order to see if anyone still remembers, but the attempt ends in vain. At night, they decide to rest in the same room at a hotel. When Mai is taking a bath, Sakuta contacts Yuma and Rio and finds that at least they still remember Mai. Sakuta and Mai sleep on the same bed, and discuss whether Sakuta will eventually forget her, too. Mai proposes to kiss with Sakuta (shown in the beginning of episode 1), but Sakuta chooses not to. | |||||
3 | “The World Without You” “Kimi Dake ga Inai Sekai” (君だけがいない世界) |
Masahiro Shinohara | October 18, 2018 | ||
The next morning, Sakuta reveals he was unable to sleep next to Mai. At school, he discovers his peers, including Yuma and Tomoe – the girl he had encountered before his “date”, have forgotten about Mai, as they have all slept. Rio proposes the school’s atmosphere and sleeping caused the students to no longer remember her; like Schrödinger’s cat, her existence cannot be confirmed by those who refuse to acknowledge her. As such, Sakuta attempts to stay awake as midterm exams approach. However, as he passes days on end without sleeping, he begins to lose his composure, but keeps stabbing himself with a pencil and drinking energy drinks to keep himself awake. While studying with Mai on the third sleepless day, she induces him into sleeping with pills and tearfully bids him farewell, thanking him for doing his best to try to remember her as he dozes off. On the last exam day, Sakuta has forgotten about her. However, his memories of her return upon spotting a kanji they had studied together in his exam sheet, prompting him to run outside his classroom. His memories with her over the past weeks begin flooding in, and he realizes that he loves her. In front of the school, he confesses his affection to her, overriding the Syndrome. Mai appears before him again, and chastises him for his decision. Now recognizable to her classmates again, Mai announces the truth about Sakuta’s syndrome. | |||||
4 | “There Is No Tomorrow For A Rascal” “Buta Yarō ni wa Ashita ga Nai” (ブタ野郎には明日がない) |
Shōhei Yamanaka | October 25, 2018 | ||
On June 27, Sakuta proceeds through his day by eating lunch with Mai, who accepts his feelings for her, and encountering Tomoe being asked out by Maezawa, a member of the basketball club. However, June 27 begins to repeat as Sakuta finds himself stuck in a time loop, which Rio attributes to the phenomenon of Laplace’s demon. To break out of the loop, she suggests he try to find whoever is not behaving the same as the day repeats, leading him to Tomoe. While hiding in a desk, Tomoe explains her best friend had a crush on Maezawa, hence her reluctance to accept his confession, and the reason for her to be hiding from him. Sakuta and Tomoe eventually fall on top of each other by accident, angering Maezawa and Mai when they spot the two. Thinking he will have another June 27th, Sakuta wakes up to discover it is June 28, meaning that he must amend his relationship with Mai. Tomoe later proposes she and Sakuta enter a fake relationship until the start of summer break. Sakuta agrees after seeing Tomoe’s distress at the thought of her losing her friends and comparing this to how his sister Kaede felt when a similar occurrence happened to her. Later that night, as Sakuta is trying to figure out how to explain the situation to Mai, Mai surprisingly comes to his apartment and asks why he hadn’t come to explain himself yet about Tomoe. | |||||
5 | “All the Lies I Have for You” “Arittake no Uso o Kimi ni” (ありったけの嘘を君に) |
Norihito Takahashi | November 1, 2018 | ||
Now pseudo-dating Sakuta, he is taken aback when she shows up to work in the same restaurant as him as a waitress. While at work, he asks Yuma if Maezawa is a good person, as he wants to know if he should be feeling guilty for him for what is happening. However, Yuwa instead tells him that Maezawa tried to get into the relationship with Tomoe while having a girlfriend, and that he has spoken negatively of his past partners, making Sakuta feel better. Tomoe’s reputation begins to falter as Maezawa spreads false rumors about her promiscuity while dating Sakuta. Nevertheless, the two go on dates, getting closer to one another. At the train station after school, Maezawa finds and taunts the pair, instigating Sakuta into fighting him. However, Sakuta ultimately humiliates him in front if everyone, and denies the rumors of himself and Tomoe by admitting that he is a virgin. When they leave the scene, Tomoe thanks Sakuta for standing up for her. Sakuta assures Tomoe that they will remain friends upon ending their relationship, with Tomoe assuring that she will do her best to be his best friend. | |||||
6 | “This World You Chose” “Kimi ga Eranda Kono Sekai” (君が選んだこの世界) |
Kazuya Iwata | November 8, 2018 | ||
On July 18, the day before summer break, Sakuta and Tomoe agree to discontinue their “romantic” relationship after a date on the beach. However, Sakuta is pulled another time loop which repeats July 18 multiple times; unlike the first loop, Tomoe is unaware of the cycle. Following a conversation with Rio, he realizes Tomoe has been lying about her feelings, hence the repetition of July 18. After confirming his suspicions in his fourth July 18, Sakuta takes her to Enoshima instead and confronts her, where she admits she has fallen in love with him, but he respectfully turns her down. The following day, it is June 27 once again as the events of episode 4 repeat, though with Mai kissing Sakuta on the cheek while having lunch. While going home, the two encounter a middle-schooler named Shoko Makinohara shielding an abandoned cat from the rain, a doppelgänger with the same name as another girl whom Sakuta had fallen in love with when he was younger. However, the oddity is that the Shoko whom Sakuta had met was older than this girl; she had been in high school during the time Sakuta was in middle school. | |||||
7 | “Adolescence Paradox” “Seishun wa Paradokkusu” (青春はパラドックス) |
Ryūta Ono | November 15, 2018 | ||
Shoko begins to regularly visit Sakuta’s house to take care of the stray kitten she found, as Sakuta agreed to take care of him for now. During a trip to the library, Sakuta talks with Rio about Shoko when he notices she has her hair up and is without her glasses. After meeting up with Mai, the couple spot Rio entering an Internet café; when Sakuta tries to call her to find her in the building, Rio answers the call, but they spot the Rio in the library without a phone. As such, they corner her and she admits that there are indeed two concurrent Rios in synchronic existence. The Rio from the library goes with them to Sakuta’s apartment, where she suggests the duplication is a result of two personalities that move via quantum teleportation. The other Rio also supports the idea, but believes she knows why it happened. During a conversation with Saki, Sakuta learns that Rio has been posting risqué photos of herself on social media. | |||||
8 | “Wash It All Away on a Stormy Night” “Ōame no Yoru ni Subete o Nagashite” (大雨の夜にすべてを流して) |
Shōhei Yamanaka | November 22, 2018 | ||
Rio explains she has struggled with her confidence about her body; while a part of her enjoys the attention, the other dislikes having her appearance be the cause of it, leading to the former manifesting as her clone. Realizing the other Rio was posting the images online while in the train station with Sakuta, Rio receives a threatening message from an unknown user trying to extort her and asks Sakuta to go home with her. That night, Sakuta convinces Yuma to visit and the three play with fireworks on the beach before making plans to visit the fireworks festival. The next day, the Rio at Sakuta’s house runs away, forcing him to search for her in the rain; he finds her at school, but collapses from a cold. In the hospital, the clone of Rio confronts Sakuta about a picture they took on the beach with the other Rio and Yuwa, and explains she desires to cease to exist, as the other Rio leads the better life. However, Sakuta reassures Rio about being herself. She later calls her other self and agrees to go to the festival, unifying them once again. | |||||
9 | “Sister Panic” “Shisutā Panikku” (シスターパニック) |
Daisuke Tsukushi | November 29, 2018 | ||
The new school term has begun, though Sakuta, who has been barred from going on public dates with Mai due to her agency’s policies, is unable to find her. Upon spotting her on the street, he discovers she has swapped bodies with Nodoka Toyohama, an idol and Mai’s younger half-sister. They agree to live with their predicament, with Mai assuming Nodoka’s activities, and vice versa. As the two try to adjust to their new lives, Sakuta learns the siblings harbor a grudge toward each other because of expectations levied on them by their respective parents, with Nodoka especially resentful of having to live in her older sister’s shadow. During a video shoot, Nodoka collapses in what is typically a routine act for Mai, as it proves to be too overwhelming for her. Mai later gives Sakuta the key to her house and orders him not to open a certain cabinet. At Mai’s house, Sakuta comments on Nodoka’s effort, and while she is bathing, he approaches the cabinet. | |||||
10 | “Complex Congratulations” “Konpurekkusu Konguratchurēshon” (コンプレックスこんぐらっちゅれーしょん) |
Norihito Takahashi | December 6, 2018 | ||
Sakuta finds an aluminium box inside Mai’s cabinet. When he returns home, Kaede greets him in her school uniform, while Mai gives him tickets to Nodoka’s idol group’s upcoming concert. Although Mai excels in the performance, Nodoka is distraught when she observes her mother praising Mai, something she did not do with her. At the beach, Nodoka attempts to run out to sea and drown herself, before Sakuta catches her and tells her that Mai does indeed love her. Back home, Nodoka demands an explanation, so Sakuta gives her the box he found on Mai’s cabinet, which contains letters she wrote to Mai when they were younger; Mai explains she read and kept them to motivate her through the stress of her work. She adds Nodoka’s mother has worried for her happiness as she tries to live up to expectations, urging her to pursue her own goals. As they embrace, the two revert to their original bodies. Rio proposes the phenomenon is a variation of quantum teleportation from Nodoka wanting to be like her older sister and possibly Mai’s jealousy for her. In an after-credits scene, Nodoka moves in with Mai following an argument with her mother, while Mai’s relationship with Sakuta goes public. | |||||
11 | “The Kaede Quest” “Kaede Kuesuto” (かえでクエスト) |
Kazuki Horiguchi | December 13, 2018 | ||
At a press conference, Mai elaborates on Sakuta’s role in her life and influencing her decision to return to acting. However, in the same press conference, she urges the public that she wishes for them to respect his privacy. Inspired, Kaede decides to organize a list of goals she wants to accomplish by the end of the year, which include answering the phone, going outside, and going to school. Sakuta receives a letter from the Shoko from his past. With Sakuta’s help, Kaede begins to achieve each of her goals, with Mai helping her accomplish her goal of answering the phone. Confident, she is able to step outside their apartment with Sakuta’s help. As the days pass, they eventually manage to go to the park, and the beach. While playing at the beach, she runs into Kotomi Kano, her childhood friend, yet she has no memories of her. Sakuta reveals that Kaede has lost her memories of her past. | |||||
12 | “Life is a Never-Ending Dream” “Samenai Yume no Tsuzuki o Ikiteiru” (覚めない夢の続きを生きている) |
Kazuya Iwata | December 20, 2018 | ||
Sakuta explains Kaede’s condition to Mai and Nodoka: due to the cyberbullying, Kaede started to experience dissociative amnesia. Worried about her, their mother suffered a mental breakdown, making her unable to accept what had happened to her daughter, and Sakuta received the scars on his chest. When reading a note Kotomi left for her in the book she had loaned to her, Kaede collapses as her past recollections slowly start to return, though at the risk of forgetting her current life. The Azusagawa siblings try to go to Kaede’s school, but the trauma returns when Kaede spots other students. Instead, the two visit a zoo to cheer her up, with Sakuta gifting her a year-round pass to visit the zoo’s panda exhibit. At night, Sakuta tricks Kaede into believing they are taking a shortcut home, but instead leads her to the school. With no one around, Kaede is comforted by the trip and proclaims she is ready to attend school again. The next morning, however, Kaede’s old self has returned at the price of her recent memories. | |||||
13 | “The Dawn After an Endless Night” “Akenai Yoru no Yoake” (明けない夜の夜明け) |
Hidetoshi Takahashi | December 27, 2018 | ||
While visiting Kaede in the hospital, Sakuta breaks into tears and regrets his inability to save the life she just lost, causing his scars to reopen. An older Shoko, whom he had met when he was younger, treats his injuries. As he is bathing, she reads entries from Kaede’s diary that she began writing shortly after her initial memory loss; expecting to regain her old memories and Sakuta to respond negatively, Kaede created her list of goals to provide him with happy recollections once she reverted to her past self, further devastating Sakuta. The next day, Sakuta spots a note left by Shoko before finding out both versions of her have disappeared entirely; Rio suggests Shoko was an illusion created by Sakuta. Mai frees up time to visit Sakuta at home, but storms away angrily when she finds Shoko’s note. Sakuta promptly follows her to her filming location, stunning her. On an impromptu date, Mai apologizes for not being there to help him through his crisis, to which he answers he is simply happy to have her by his side. In a post-credits scene, Sakuta and Kaede pack their bags at the hospital when he thanks her and she states her interest in going to school, knowing she is no longer alone. |
Notes
- ^ The original title of each volume is set according to the syntax Rascal Does Not Dream of… (青春ブタ野郎は…の夢を見ない, Seishun Buta Yarō wa… no Yume o Minai, literally “Teenage Pig Does Not Dream of…”)
- ^ ABC listed the series premiere at 26:20 on October 3, 2018, which is October 4 at 2:20 a.m.
- ^ All English episode titles are taken from Crunchyroll.
Rascal Does Not Dream | |
青春ブタ野郎 (Seishun Buta Yarō) |
|
---|---|
Genre | |
Light novel | |
Written by | Hajime Kamoshida |
Illustrated by | Kēji Mizoguchi |
Published by | ASCII Media Works |
English publisher | |
Imprint | Dengeki Bunko |
Demographic | Male |
Original run | April 10, 2014 – present |
Volumes | 13 |
Manga | |
Written by | Hajime Kamoshida |
Illustrated by |
|
Published by | ASCII Media Works |
English publisher | |
Magazine | Dengeki G’s Comic |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | December 1, 2015 – present |
Volumes | 7 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Sōichi Masui |
Produced by | Ayako Yokoyama Yūichirō Kurokawa |
Written by | Masahiro Yokotani |
Music by | Fox Capture Plan |
Studio | CloverWorks |
Licensed by | |
Original network | ABC, Tokyo MX, GTV, GYT, BS11, Mētele, AT-X |
English network | |
Original run | October 4, 2018 – December 27, 2018 |
Episodes | 13 |
Anime film | |