SANAA / Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa ZOLLVEREIN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND DESIGN
seen from Germany

seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Maldives
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Maldives
seen from United States

seen from Australia
seen from China
seen from Maldives
seen from United States

seen from France

seen from Malaysia
seen from United States

seen from Germany
seen from Singapore
seen from France

seen from United States
seen from United States
SANAA / Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa ZOLLVEREIN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND DESIGN
Keroro Gunso (SGT Frog) is MUCH BETTER THAN I REMEMBERED
Also REGAINING MY WEEB TITLE #4 .3. Hello guys, its been a while ^^;; I’ve been stuck in a rut writing my video on Naoki Urasawa’s Monster so I distract myself by watching more anime ;3; Now typically, I am a big enjoyer of anime filled with angst, philosophy, well structured narratives with a theme to explore. You know, the typical, I wanna be in my feels anime stuff. However this time around I recalled that SGT Frog was reuploaded onto Crunchyroll, and seeing as this was a show I watched ALOT as a child, and finding a high quality upload online was hard to come by until now, I wanted to show this to my fiancé. My mother had first introduced me to this show when I was around 10 - 12 years old, I am currently 29 so we’re looking at roughly 17 - 19 years later to today! Now when I say that this show is alot better than I remembered, I don’t wish to possibly misconstrue you, I’ve always loved this show, I remember (as a child mind you *blushes*) dancing in front of the TV to each of the openings and Endings [This one specifically], collecting all the plushies of the platoon, toys, Gundam models, etc... My entire family genuinely enjoyed this show, so much so that we played it every single day for my little brothers who were infants at the time after buying the first 3 seasons on DVD. I was so into it that even after we passed the DVDs and watching anime online just started becoming a thing, I was watching new episodes every week until around episode 250+ or so (This was around the same time Death Note first started airing, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!) So anyway, fast forward to the present, my fiancé and I have watched A TON of anime together, Hunter x Hunter, Monster, Serial Experiment Lain, etc... So I wanted to take a break from the angst and show her an anime I hold near and dear to me, Sgt Frog. Currently we’re at episode 57, and the last thing I expected out of this show was to cry. Thats right.... THIS SHOW MADE ME F*CKING CRY MAN! And not just a little choke and getting watery eyes, I mean I FULL ON CRIED, had a hard time talking/breathing, tears streaming down my face, I was a full on MESS! If I was someone to wear makeup, I’m sure my face would’ve been a site to see XD
I’m quite embarrassed to be honest, but I have to admit, I realized that despite the show that is engulfed in slap stick comedy, filled with tropes and childish antics, this show has incredible writing sometimes, and I often feel that most of the comedy is what makes the viewers feel so connected to the 5 Keronian troops.
So what exactly made me cry in this show? Well it was episode 51 - The Keroro Platoon Retreats! Farewell, Pekopon, Sir!
The episode starts off just as a lot of episodes would start off, Keroro sleeping around his Gundam models, even holding a model piece in his hand. However Keroro is met by his commanding officer, commanding him and the squad to return to their home planet WITHIN 24 HOURS. Upon relaying the news to the rest of the platoon, everyone but the SGT. truly understands the severity of the situation. Keroro, whos only thought is the punishment he’ll receive for not properly invading Earth, (Pekopon) like a child who has an essay due tomorrow at school crams last minute the information needed to properly invade the planet, while the rest of his squad prepares for their final good byes to the friends and family they have made while on Earth.
The next few minutes of the show follows its usual comedic antics, Keroro arguing with Natsumi about getting his invasion manual back, rushing his chores to study quicker, even accidentally destroying his manual in the process, all the while we as viewers wonders when Keroro will put two and two together and realize what is more important, the fact that he did nothing towards the invasion or the fact that he’ll have to say good bye to the friends and family he has made along the way.
7 minutes into the episode, After wasting half of the day trying to find a way to invade Earth, Kululu comes in with a huge reality check for Keroro, telling him that per protocol all traces of their existence has to be wiped from the face of the Earth, not just physical evidence, but also the memories within the inhabitants of the planet too will be gone.
This is the moment when the entire tone of the episode changes, as Keroro finally realizes what is actually happening around him, never noticing for a second how he will have to say good bye to the Fuyuki house hold forever and the memories they made along with it. I normally would like to criticize the show at this point, because a lot of what happens here is just barely unnatural for some of the characters, Natsumi being abnormally nice to Keroro, making his favorite food, the mother being home in time for dinner, helping Keroro with his chores, etc... But I’ll let it slide because the emotional impact it had was probably slightly more significant because of it, and well.... this show is mostly a comedy anyway so I don’t wanna be too harsh haha From here on out, the invasion or lack there of, has completely left Keroro’s mind, the forefront on his mind is that this will be the last moment he spends with them, all the while keeping the fact that him and his squad will leave a secret.
Giroro leaving his unrequited love Tamama leaving the Nishizawas Kululu surprisingly leaving a sarcastic but friendly message to Saburo Dororo and Koyuki saying their final good byes The standard stuff, but this is where the scene and how its presented really takes off
Keroro is presented with the unimaginable task of giving the order to push the button that will completely wipe any traces of their existence on Earth. The rest of the squad follow, and ask Keroro what he wants to do. While it may not have been explicitly shown, but I believe that in the back of everyones mind they wouldn’t have been able to without Keroros order. The loyal and steadfast Giroro, the righteous Dororo and the menacing Kululu all relied on Keroro for the first time in the entire show to make the decision, none of them had it in their hearts to do it, not without the order. Keroro eventually makes the decision to erase everyones memories and all traces of them being on Earth.
Probably because I'm older, But it was less about the fact that they had to leave and more so of the fact that the 2 years they spent on Earth, all the friends they made, the memories they shared was all for nothing as we witness it all go up in the air in sparkly fashion. It was a pretty damning moment, the thought of it made me choke up pretty hard as the scene was presented magnificently, the voice acting, the music, everything set the tone perfectly. However, it wasn’t at this point where I cried, I came pretty damn close though lol Not even 3 minutes passes and the show hits you with another incredibly emotional scene as Fuyuki stares at his globe and remembers the first time he met SGT Keroro
Fuyuki dashes to the basement where Keroros room was, but of course it is now just a normal basement, Fuyuki stares at the fridge which would be a portal to the Keronian Base, but instead finds a lone, unbuilt Gundam Model in the fridge.
Now for those who may not have watched the show, this was the nail in the coffin for me. Keroro as a character is mainly a giant goof ball, where alot of his comedic shtick falls under his unhealthy obsession for Gundam Models, and for his “schtick” to be used in such an affective way, and after holding back my tears REALLY HARD in the scene prior, I couldn’t handle it, the show took the knife out of the wound they already gave me and stabbed me again in the same place. I CRIED, Poured my eyes out crying, I never felt such shame HAHA Now some might be wondering, well what happened next, do they come back?! Well seeing as there is literally 300+ more episodes later, I think we know exactly how this is gonna wrap up, which plays an even bigger part as to me wondering WHY THE HELL DID I CRY OVER THIS! But I digress...
In typical Sgt Frog (Keroro Gunsou) fashion, it turns out that all the Keronians wanted was to provide the platoon a physical check up and nothing more, so all of what they did was for naught, they came back, and everyone somehow, has their memories back, as Kululu resets everything, putting everything back to the way its supposed to be. So all’s well that ends well LOL I’m COMPLETELY aware that I cried for nothing, but DAMN MAN was that scene crafted so well (For a childrens anime) I barely remember what the next remaining seasons are like, honestly I’m kinda afraid of the quality of writing changes after this season, the next few episodes feels a bit different ( I can’t put my finger on it exactly) But I do recall that there will be more episodes like this of such serious nature, so I’m looking forward to watching it again with my fiancé <3 All in all, can’t believe a show like this made me cry, for those who have not watched it, WATCH IT, YOU WON’T REGRET IT.....maybe....probably....hopefully. Till next time, であります! (Dearimasu!)
Me too man....me too..... </3
Fukita Pavilion / Ryue Nishizawa, Shodoshima JP (2013)
SANAA :: Nextmaruni Chair
https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=59329076
https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=57181695
SANAA Chair
Every feminist’s worst nightmare