Released in 2018, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is a supernatural romance anime that gained popularity due to its intriguing story arcs. With all the supernatural and mystery elements in the series, here’s Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai's ending explained.
So far, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai has released one TV anime adaptation, followed by a 2019 movie, and most recently, the 2023 movie titled Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out.
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Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Explores the So-Called Puberty Syndrome
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai follows a not-so-ordinary high schooler named Sakuta Azusagawa, whose life changed when he met the former actress Mai Sakurajima wearing a bunny girl outfit.
Mai was wandering in the library, and only Sakuta could see her. This incident led to Mai and Sakuta's peculiar relationship, as they both tried to solve the mystery of the so-called puberty (adolescence) syndrome.
It turns out that puberty syndrome is manifesting not only in Mai but also in other characters like Koga, Futaba, Kaede, and Shoko. It is up to Sakuta to help his friends and prevent the worst from happening!
What Is the Puberty Syndrome in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai?
The puberty syndrome is a rare and mysterious phenomenon, treated as an urban legend in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.
However, the characters in the anime are afflicted by this urban legend in different ways due to the sensitivity and instability they feel and experience during their adolescence.
In Episode 1, Mai Sakurajima was afflicted with the syndrome after she decided to call it quits in showbiz due to her relationship with her mother, who’s also her manager.
She suddenly became invisible, and Sakuta was the only person who was able to support her.
It was also revealed that Kaede, Sakuta’s younger sister, is also afflicted with the syndrome.
But its effects were different, as Kaede suddenly got hurt with random cuts despite not doing anything. It manifested in Kaede after she felt depressed at school.
It did not end there, as Koga, Sakuta’s junior, also suffered from the same syndrome.
In Koga’s situation, the syndrome allowed her to make future simulations, trapping Sakuta in a time loop where he couldn’t date Mai.
Futaba, Sakuta’s close friend, also gets affected after she finds herself split into two.
In the 2019 movie, it was also revealed that Shoko, Sakuta’s first love, was also affected by the syndrome, leading to a series of future simulations.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Anime Ending Explained
Even though the series premiered years ago, some still can’t understand how Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai ended. The finale of the TV anime ended with Kaede recovering her memories in Episode 13.
She is then shown leaving the hospital with Sakuta, and she hopes that she can go back to school after knowing that she's not alone anymore.
Apparently, the panda-loving Kaede from the beginning of the anime is the outcome of her dissociative disorder. It caused Kaede to manifest another personality, which locked away her previous memories.
This means Kaede started from scratch with Sakuta after they moved in together. It also explains why Kaede is so attached to her older brother.
Now that Kaede has returned to her original self, she has lost all of her memories of living with Sakuta. This hurt Sakuta the most, who can't believe that his sister doesn't remember anything they shared in the past two years.
But with Mai on Sakuta's side, he manages to recover and look on the bright side instead.
Eventually, Kaede was able to overcome her terrible past and her other personality had no more reason to exist.
To make things more intriguing, Shoko Makinohara, Sakuta’s first love who mysteriously disappeared, saved him after his wound opened and he realized that the personality Kaede created was gone.
Shoko made a cameo in the finale as her story was then featured in the film titled Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl.
With Shoko back in the picture, Mai felt upset that she had to find the note Shoko left for Sakuta. Although Sakuta informed Mai of everything that happened, she still felt angry at what she discovered.
The couple made up after Sakuta followed Mai to the film set. The two bonded at a shrine and apologized for all the misunderstandings they had encountered. It showed that their relationship has evolved once again.
The ending of Season 1 was closed nicely with all the relationships fixed. But it left fans curious about Shoko’s role in Sakuta’s life and all the mysteries surrounding her.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai 2019 Movie Ending Explained
In the movie sequel to Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Shoko Makinohara’s back story was finally revealed.
She is Sakuta’s first love, prior to Mai’s appearance, and the reason he had to enroll at Minegahara High School.
However, Sakuta failed to meet a girl named Shoko at school, leading Futaba to believe that she didn’t exist.
Shoko made an appearance in the anime, but surprisingly, her form is different in that she became a middle schooler, contrary to the Shoko that Sakuta met before.
The young Shoko was revealed to be suffering from a heart defect, and she had little time to live.
One day, Shoko was contemplating her life while doing her assignment. That’s when the puberty syndrome kicked in, as Shoko managed to simulate a future inside her dreams where she received a heart.
Shoko had three simulations, the first one ending in Sakuta’s death due to a street accident.
Sakuta’s heart was then given to Shoko, allowing her to go to college, where another syndrome triggers Shoko to create another simulation.
The second simulation has gotten more complicated as Mai sacrifices herself in order to prevent Sakuta’s death.
Her heart was then given to Shoko, who eventually married Sakuta in the future (although it was only mentioned in the novel).
The third simulation begins, as Shoko feels guilty for Sakuta’s grief and sorrow following Mai’s death.
This time, Shoko ultimately decided not to involve herself with Sakuta anymore in order to prevent Mai and Sakuta’s deaths.
She also decided to not worry about her life and accept whatever happened. She was then shown finishing her assignment, preventing the syndrome from kicking in.
In real life, middle schooler Mai signed up for a movie that raises heart disease awareness. It encouraged people to sign donor cards which helped Shoko receive a replacement in time.
The movie ends as Mai and Sakuta see Shoko running on the beach. They were able to recognize Shoko due to the fuzzy memories they had of her during the simulations. As such, all three of them had a happy ending.
Meanwhile, the 2023 movie focuses on Sakuta’s sister, Kaede, and the events that happened after her discharge from the hospital. She wants to go to Sakuta’s school, but her brother believes otherwise.
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