Initial Results: Sonny Boy

Alright, I’m gonna be real honest, I still cannot take this show’s name seriously. I’m sure there is a specific reason for it, but it honestly just reminds me of older people who talk like it's the 1950s lmao. Idk if there’s a slightly different connotation in the Japanese title, but man is it funny.

“Sonny Boy” focuses on a class of high school seniors who, for whatever reason, have been transported to an alternate dimension. Additionally, an unknown amount of these students have gained supernatural powers that allow them to alter reality. At the center of this story is Nagara, an easy-going nobody who appears to not have any powers, but who has attracted the attention of another girl named Nozomi. The students attempt to uncover the strange rules of these worlds while also looking for a way home.

In all seriousness though, an anime like “Sonny Boy” is one that I really get a craving for on occasion. There is, of course, the ever-looming mystery of where they even are and how they got there. Then factor in these strange powers that range from somewhat useful to incredibly powerful, and there is already a ton worth being invested in.

The thing that interests me the most, however, is where the focus of the story and characters often lies. It feels weird to call it this, but with most isekai stories of today, the majority of the time is spent on the main character’s “conquering” of the particular world in which they’ve been summoned. Not only are there a ton more characters in the same situation, the “world” they’ve appeared in is actually more like a seemingly unknown number of worlds, with each actor in it being important to what is happening.

“Sonny Boy” also does not take for granted the implications of being transported into a completely new place with no rules. Quite the opposite, the series is laser-focused on the breakdown of societal norms and how the changing of the rules which govern society affect people’s behavior, or in some cases, don’t. These kinds of narratives are fun because they question the fundamental assumptions that we have about the world, and how easily something everyone assumes is an unbreakable rule can just as easily be thrown out the window.

I am not particularly fond of the way the term “fallen off” gets thrown around as criticism of media, but it does appear as though Madhouse has been slowing down its production schedule in the last few years. How much of that was caused by the pandemic versus general changes is something I am not aware, but needless to say that “Sonny Boy” has not suffered because of it. The animation looks incredible and has a more off-putting style that feels in line with the absurd nature of the show.

Overall, while I can’t say I was expecting a whole lot before I started watching it, I certainly am now. Like I’ve said previously, “Wonder Egg Priority” has pretty much ruined my confidence in making predictions on quality, but I would be genuinely surprised at this point if the show doesn’t end up as one of the better ones to come out this year.

“How do you feel about “Sonny Boy?” Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading!

Originally published at https://animatedobservations.com on August 4, 2021.