For the last episode of Sorairo Utility, Minami notices the stalk in her tea cup is facing upright, leading her to believe that she’ll be very lucky for the day. This naturally gives Minami a new boost in confidence and prompts her to see if she can finally get par in golf for the first time. The only issue is finding someone to hang out and this is where Minami’s supposed luck begins to feel questionable. Ayaka is busy with a collaboration, Haruka is preoccupied with practicing golf with her father (darn shame we never see or hear him), and some of HAM’s other friends are unavailable for one reason or another. Funnily enough, the few characters that are available have an asterisk to them. Like, Hina is technically free to hang out but that’s provided that Minami can somehow fly all the way to L.A., where Hina is currently training. The three old guys ended up being available but that quickly and hilariously backfires when their backs break once again (unlike these characters, that joke will never get old for me). In the end, Minami reluctantly accepts that she’s golfing solo.
I was curious what takeaway Minami would have with this experience. Being an introvert myself, I admit that I am partial to when an anime character prefers to enjoy their hobby alone. It’s partly why I really like Laid-Back Camp, for example. That said, I actually did expect Minami to decide that solo golfing isn’t for her. With how excitable she is and how much she enjoys Haruka and Ayaka’s company, it just doesn’t seem like she’d prefer to be alone. Evidently, that is the path the show goes with. Minami manages to have a lot of fun by herself and, as Haruka later points out, she may actually fare better at golf when she’s not fretting over her performance versus someone else’s. But at the end of the day, it’s just not same as when Minami is with her friends. Definitely the most telling moment is when Minami finally achieves par. It’s a very satisfying moment but not having Haruka and Ayaka present for when it happens is a huge bummer so it’s understandable that Minami isn’t as happy as she should be. There’s also some good humor made with Minami struggling with her loneliness. I particularly had a good laugh with her talking to Penkichi like he’s some imaginary friend of hers. The cut to onlookers staring at her in disbelief is just great.
There’s a post-credit scene where HAM notices an ad for an upcoming scramble golf event. Seeing as the girls are discussing what they want to do next, I suppose this scene is meant to leave the door open for a sequel. That said, there is no announcement for one so the staff is probably just testing the waters. I wouldn’t mind getting more Sorairo Utility. It’s a bit light on story but it makes up for by being a fun time with the main characters playing golf in a myriad of ways and it does a darn good job expanding on the short film into a more full fledged TV show. While there are probably bigger shows out there this winter, this was a neat one to spend the season on.
Watch Sorairo Utility on HIDIVE
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