This is a random note to start this post on but I want to quickly address the show’s title. For those who don’t know, the light novels in Rascal Does Not Dream have their own individual titles so naturally, it’s a bit tricky for the production committee and staff to figure out what a TV season encompassing multiple arcs should be called. As iconic as Bunny Girl Senpai is as a subtitle, it’s not the most accurate name for Season 1 as it only refers to the first arc of the entire series. This is naturally a non-issue for the movies as each one adapted one arc. Season 2 meanwhile names itself after the 13th light novel volume and for what it’s worth, I think Santa Claus works quite well as an umbrella term. The actual Santa Claus arc doesn’t happen until the end but given Nene’s overarching presence in the season and her actions being an indirect impetus to all the other arcs, the subtitle feels pretty applicable to the whole package. It’s a minor compliment at the end of the day but it’s something I wanted to note because I was on and off curious about how accurate Santa Claus would be compared to Bunny Girl Senpai.
Moving along with the actual episode at hand, the season finale begins with Sakuta telling Mai that he’s taking a last-minute flight to Hokkaido to try and jog Takumi’s memory one last time. It’s pretty much his only option left to stop Nene from endangering Mai. Ikumi accompanies Sakuta on his travels, even booking the flights and accommodations for the two of them. To be honest, I don’t think Ikumi gets to do enough this episode. Still, it makes perfect sense that she’d be invested in the situation as she did relay her alternate self’s warning to Sakuta in the first place. It’d be lame if Ikumi heard about what happens offscreen like everyone else later does. There’s also a neat little scene where Sakuta and Mai talk about Nene and are able to sympathize with her since they too have each felt lost with themselves at some point.
Takumi greets Sakuta and Ikumi at Sapporo Airport in Hokkaido. While Ikumi contacts her family (who must be very confused as to why she’s abroad), Sakuta shows Nene’s Pageant trophy to Takumi. I expected Sakuta needing to encourage Takumi a bunch to jog his memory but instead, Takumi remembers Nene the second he sees the trophy and I find that more powerful as a result. It’s very effective in conveying how easily Nene slipped Takumi’s memory and how upset Takumi is with himself when he realizes this. With his memory restored, Takumi explains how Nene struggled to find work after graduating high school. He then speculates that Nene must’ve became attached to the Touko Kirishima persona after covering one of the singer’s songs for the pageant garnered her some attention. This pretty much confirms Miori’s theory that Nene was never Touko all along, just someone who’s been trying to assume the alias for herself. But if that’s the case, it begs the question who Touko actually is. Guess that’s another thing to worry about later.
The following morning, Sakuta and his friends fly back home and rush to find Nene before Mai appears at the police department’s event. Nene has already left her apartment at this point but the gang manage to deduce her location and track her down at a parking garage, right before she drives out in a rental car. Takumi tries to jog Nene’s memory, eventually succeeding when he professes his love to her. I had figured that seeing Takumi forget about her again is what made Nene start to reject her own self last episode so it’s perfect that Takumi would be the one that ultimately snaps her out of her Puberty Syndrome. As for Nene, I really like how her character development panned out. For the longest time, she was this big enigma but in the end, she’s as relatable as just about any other major character in the show. I also dig the message her arc ultimately offers. Like, she struggled with making a name for herself and clung onto the Touko Kirishima persona when it garnered some traction, doubling down on it once she got struck with Puberty Syndrome. But deep down, all she really wants is to be someone who is loved and as Takumi demonstrates and as Sakuta points out, she only needs the people closest to her to achieve that.
Having reunited with Takumi and reconciled with herself, Nene gives up trying to become Touko Kirishima and she becomes fully visible again. However, Nene notes that she is not the only Kirishima wannabe so she drives everyone to the police department’s events, where a bunch of invisible Santas have gathered to see Mai. I brought up last post that this show only scratches the surface on how widespread Puberty Syndrome is this season so kudos for making it extremely relevant at the very end of the last arc. Oddly enough, the Santas don’t actually do anything themselves. They kind of just stand in the crowd watching Mai give her PSA. But because they’re invisible, the other onlookers get confused as to why the area is so packed, eventually escalating into a crowd collapse that damages the set. A set of loudspeakers begin to fall on Mai, thereby setting up the accident predicted in Tomoe’s dream, but Sakuta rushes in and takes the blow instead. The injury is seemingly enough to shock the Santa Clauses out of their stupor, making them let go of their Touko Kirishima obsession and become visible to everyone else again.
Obviously, Sakuta is okay in the end but man, is the scene stressful. It happens rarely enough that I forget that this show is actually quite willing to put its characters in harm way if the plot allows it. I was legitimately getting worried whether or not Mai would catch him before he falls to the floor and was so relieved when she manages to do just that. Part of me does think Sakuta gets out of his injury a little too easily. I mean, he gets sent to the hospital but after the doctors check up on him, he’s more or less able to walk off his injury. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s okay but it’s hilariously less severe than Mai being put in a two month long coma as Tomoe’s dream predicted.
Putting that aside, I really like how just about everyone in Sakuta’s circle of friends check up on him, either in-person at the hospital or via phone call. Sakuta is a bit taken aback but it really warms my heart to see how many people have come to care about him since the start of the series. Yūma being one of the paramedics to take Sakuta to the hospital is some good cheeky humor but I have to hand the honor for the funniest checkup to Uzuki. Definitely the best “Little Sister” character in the show and she’s not even related to Sakuta. My only nitpick here is that Shoko doesn’t show up. I don’t care how impractical it would be for her to fly all the way from Okinawa, she absolutely would do that if she hears what just happened to Sakuta.
For the last scene of the episode, we fast forward to March 31st, the second-to-last day before Mai performs at the music festival. Sakuta and Miori successfully get their driving licenses (I just know that Sakuta is relieved that he no longer needs Mai or anyone else to drive him) and the two discuss the festival. Shortly after that, Sakuta catches a glimpse of the Knapsack Kid version of Mai. As you might’ve realized, the story isn’t over just yet and there are still some loose ends that need to be addressed. The music festival is still on the horizon, people still think Mai is Touko even after the disastrous police event, and this season went through its entire run without properly explaining who the real Touko or the other Mai are. It’s also worth noting the curiosity that is Miori. Like, this woman doesn’t seem particularly mysterious but she has been so bizarrely prevalent this season so one has to wonder if there is something in store for her.
Sure enough, there is one last story arc left in the series, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend, and fortunately, it has already been greenlit to be adapted as an anime film for late 2026. It’s kind of surreal that this series will actually get a full anime adaptation. I’m still very used to plenty of manga and light novels not getting such a luxury. And considering that the Rascal anime premiered way back in 2018, I had my doubts if it’d get this far, especially during the nearly four year gap between Dreaming Girl and its two sequels. Needless to say, I’m really happy that the whole story will be adapted. I do think AoButa peaked a long time ago with Dreaming Girl and it can be argued that hardly much has changed when the setting shifted from high school to university. However, I don’t think the series has ever jumped the shark. It’s instead managed to deliver some quality stories for two seasons and three movies straight. It absolutely deserves to reach the finish line and I’m looking forward to see it do so with its fourth and final movie (and I of course hope to cover it once it’s available internationally).
Watch Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus on Crunchyroll
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