Review: Sagurare Otome The Animation

When using a well worn element in any work you need something to make it stand out from the crowd or you risk becoming a footnote and ignored. This came to mind when I came across Sagurare Otome based on the doujinshi of the same name. A one-shot episode using a well known premise, so does it flounder or fly?

Mio is working her last day at a massage parlour to leave and live with her husband. With a frequent customer she gets the usual dirty requests but being her last day and wanting just a bit more money she agrees to have her photo take in some lewd scenarios. Now moved in with her husband she begins to make love until he is called away on an emergency. Left horny she has to wait but he brings home an unexpected guest, the very same persistent customer from her massage parlour days and he’s not forgotten her.

This is a fairly by the numbers setup with the element of blackmail though I do like that Mio voluntarily worked at the massage parlour which sets it apart somewhat from the abundance of shows with an innocent housewife who gets NTR’d. I also like how the thought of extra money made her accept the photo request, sometimes just a bit more will make you do something crazy.

There is no hardcore content here per se. There is rape but that is about it, it’s fairly standard rape with oral, forced posing and the like. If you can handle that and the overriding netorare nature you will be fine.

This opens up with a teasing scene in a massage parlour as Mio rubs up against her customer Horii, the light shining off her succulent body she bends and relieves Horiis tension. The photo scene was delightfully lewd with Mio taking up a number of erotic poses before time runs out. I would have loved to have seen more from this setting but it was not to be, it is a fine introduction though and sets up the rest of the episode perfectly.

This initial tease ties into the one large sex scene that escalates over time. As Horii arrives at the house with her husband, Mio, real name Yuzuki is struck with fear. He begins threatening Mio, getting into her head as the fear grabs hold of her and she does anything to make him leave. Offering oral in the kitchen to try and make him go away but he does not relent, he gropes her, grabs her before pulling down her panties and raping her. It’s a very watchable sex scene and the gradual move into more sordid acts made it more enjoyable.

I liked the transition scene where he is fucking her in the kitchen, her mind already warping under the pleasure and he opens the door to see her husband passed out, the fear you could see in her was a lovely touch before she drowns in the ecstasy of another man making her feel good. The tipping point passes as she apologises for feeling good from this man raping her as she is exposed to her husband may be done before but it always elicits excitement for me.

That Mio got herself into this situation with a brief moment of regret in the opening which felt honest is the most worthwhile part. Many times in these scenarios the woman is innocent but Mio working in a place with very sensual acts shows she isn’t afraid of being physical. I also liked that she was wet and horny as her husband had to leave, denying her satisfaction also ties into this.

These positives cannot mask the blandness though. Rape and mind breaking has been used so many times that it needs an extra ingredient to make it stand out and here, I don’t see it. Mio has a nice design but I’ve seen her situation many times and the whole episode bar the opening scene feels by the book with almost textbook progression. It may have worked better in the confines of the original doujinshi but here animated it is lacking.

Visually this is where it was strongest. The animation was smooth for the most part with limited scene recycling making for a pleasing experience on the eyes. Camera angles / shots are standard but do make for some nice shots as Mio gets wet, kneels giving oral or exposing her panties. There is the odd bit of off model movement but it’s minimal.

Mio herself is somewhat voluptuous, she has beautiful breasts but a more natural body that doesn’t appear too curvy but just right. The lighting helps which brightens up the colours and sometimes produces an almost glimmer around the curves, it looks lovely and brings it more to life rather than being a bit flat. This is emphasised in the opening massage scene as the lighting really reflects off Mios lovely body with it accentuating her curves, breasts and overall shapely body.

There isn’t too much to say about this, it’s a scenario that has been played out multiple times and while I enjoyed it I could not rid from my mind the feeling that it lacked that special something to make it stand out. It is short though which saves it somewhat and the visuals do bring it up a notch but I would not recommend.

Studio: BOOTLEG

Release: 2017

Length: 1 episode

Availability: Mandarake, Amazon Japan

5/10