Another Episodes 1-3 Thoughts

Since Another is not an original work, I’m avoiding internet discussion of this show due to the possibility of being spoiled. Instead I will just jot down some thoughts I had after each episode so I can come back later and see how stupid I was.

If you don’t want to be spoiled I suggest not reading anything remotely related to Another. I learned this the hard way during SOPA/PIPA protest day on 4chan and I couldn’t tell what spoilers were real or not. I don’t really know the relevance or context of what I was spoiled about, except that in my gut it feels like it will hold true. I will not reveal any information about this in any of my posts.

That being said, spoilers through episode 3 after the break.

First, I want to disclaim that I have no knowledge about anything regarding Another aside from what I watch each week. I don’t even know the genre of the original book (which existence I only know of because of the spoiler I explained earlier) so I can’t even say if its just a horror/thriller or if it’s trying to take a stab at being a mystery. Everything said here really is pure speculation.

Nonoka Ai’s character died. That made me very sad. Now I’m going to have wait forever to hear her amazing voice again. Probably in a SHAFT show.

Regarding Sakuragi, I guess she had some death flags this episode, but dying like that was unexpected. Also, how do umbrellas work? Its clasp looked fastened, but somehow came undone just falling down the steps and also managed to expand. We also don’t get a good view of the entire slip scene, nor does the main character or anyone else actually witness it. I can’t really call shenanigans at this point since I still haven’t been able grasp the true essence of the show, but the circumstances are fishy. I guess next week we will find out if we have to worry about a murderer or not.

Speaking of death flags, is it too obvious with the nurse?

Hopefully the ending sequence is not indicative of the order in which characters die. Although it wouldn’t be so bad if Akazawa died last… I’d at least get to see that beautiful pouty face she makes a few more times.

Speaking of Akazawa, what was up with the guy getting all jelly and death gazing Sakakibara? Well, I’d be jelly too if that fine piece of ass was moving away from my hick town…

Finally we get to whether Misaki is dead or people are just ignoring her. Hard to say. They are making it simple to deduce that they could just be ignoring her Sharin no Kuni-style, but at this point there is no real reason to think otherwise.

Things to keep in mind:

• Why does the time (the month) matter for telling Sakakibara the story?
• Why was Akazawa absent? Why are they afraid of incurring her wrath in ep. 1? Further, why was she angry in ep. 2? Then does nothing about it in ep. 3?
• What happened to Sakakibara’s mother?
• Why did the students initially have trouble calling him by his last name? Associated with death?
• Why no creepy doll scene transitions in episode 3?
• Sakakibara in the hospital on April 25th. Starts school on May 6th. Sakuragi dies May 26th.
• Why does the home room teacher mention “graduate in prime health” in the first ep?
• Perhaps Sakuragi slipped on ankle she sprained earlier (ep. 1). But that was almost 3 weeks ago. Why was it sprained?
• Umbrella was forewarned in the ep. 1 cold open. Rest of the sequence could allude to the way others may die.
• What’s up with the dam? Those dams in small towns…
• Sakakibara’s actions go beyond curiosity. Asks Misaki way too many questions.
• Misaki references “my poor other half” in ep. 1. Likes the joined dolls in ep. 2. Reveals cousin died in ep. 3, “attached”.