Yosuga no Sora: In solitude, where we are least alone: The Sora Arc

Our look at the anime series: Yosuga no Sora: In solitude where we are least alone, continues! And we have finally, finally got to the the infamous arc, but before we even start, I want to get this out of the way right now.

The portrayal of close sibling to sibling relationships is something that is part of the anime make-up. It is not part of every single series, but it is something that crops up more often then that. It’s there, it happens, and I’m not going to waste my time hand-wringing over that. This look at Yosuga no Sora was not to point and laugh at the series and its reputation, but to actually take a honest and serious look into the story. To judge the series fairly on what it is. It’s uncomfortable and unsettling, but that what art is sometimes. So join me after the cut as we dive into the final arc of the series: The Sora Arc!

Sora Kasugano: The girl who doesn’t want to be left alone.

 

We’re more than brother and sister. We shared a womb. We came into this world together, we belong together. – Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones)

Now I wrote that little speech at the top because while many anime often play around with close sibling relationships, they are again, often played up for comedic purposes. Even hentai which ‘incest’ is one of the bread and butter genres, normally uses the classic “step-brother, step-sister,” approach to skirt around taboos. It is not often that anime decides to fully commit. Yosuga no Sora however does that, as the relationship between Sora and Haruka is a no holds barred, 100% blood related, brother and sister love affair.

Looking at this relationship and seeing how it develops over the course of these three episodes, and the character development sprinkled throughout the other arcs, it is clear on why this ends up like it does. Their parents killed in a tragic car accident, Sora and Haruka only have each other for support, and while Haruka is a well adjusted and healthy teenager, Sora is week, feeble and has spent far too much time in the hospital. She is an introvert, anti-social and would prefer to stay locked in her room then spend time with people. The only person she ‘lets in’ is Haruka, her twin brother, the other side of herself. With their parents gone, it is left to Haruka to now only take care of himself, but to make sure Sora is alright, safe and happy. It is a responsibility that he never should have had, a duty he shouldn’t have to fulfill.

They may be twins, but Sora is still a young girl, terrified of a world without her brother.

While the initial part of the arc shows Haruka desperately trying to make himself love Nao, even almost forcing himself upon her like she did to him so long ago. It doesn’t work, and Haruka struggles to allow himself to feel something he knows may not be morally right. Sora meanwhile doesn’t, to her, the whole world revolves only one thing: Haruka. He is her life, her reason for being, her entire purpose to exist. The rest of the world, what they say, what they might think, doesn’t matter to her as long as they are together. Sora’s anger and clingyness in the Nao arc ties into this directly. She wants Haruka for herself, she doesn’t want to share him with anyone because to do so would mean that he might go away, and she would have nothing. Sora simply put, doesn’t want to be left alone in the world.

So when you take all of that, mix it together in an environment with zero parental supervision or the guiding hand of an adult. Add in rampant teenage hormones and the hurricane of puberty and ask yourself: Are you actually surprised that things ended up the way they did? The events that happen, while unsettling to many, are believable when you realize the situation and atmosphere these two are in.

Sora’s demeanor changes upon getting what she wants. She is free to finally indulge in her desires.

What happens next, after they’ve confronted their feelings and indulged in their passion is well told. While Sora is happier than ever, knowing she can love her brother and that her love is returned. Haruka struggles with his desire and what people might say. His research in the library and now openly affectionate sister draw more than a few concerned eyes in their direction. And when those eyes follow them home and catch them in the throes of intimacy, well things go the way you expect. Haruka is ashamed, Kozue is disgusted, Nao is sad, and Sora is proud. She has everything she wants, and she pulls Haruka back to her, saying simply. “Look at me, just look at me.”

This all culminates in the finale, where (and credit for this arc to actually address the fact that these two have like no money) Haruka in to be responsible and end things by agreeing to the idea that they should live with separate relatives, drive Sora into a state of rage and attempts to end her life. It is only when Haruka saves her from drowning that the twins decide that their love is more important than what others might say, and they decide to pack up an start a new life in another country, one where they can be together without the judgments of their friends, who are left estranged, confused and in the case of Nao depressingly accepting of what has happened. It is a series that ends on a hopeful note for these two, but one wrapped in a sense of uncertainty about the future, not only for the Kasugano twins, but for the entire cast.

The destruction of her room and the bunny, her last memento of her mother, shows you Sora’s state of mind before the climax.

Overall I went into this arc and left it thinking the same thing: This should have been the entire story. The relationship of Sora and Haruka, from the forbidden taboo, to the genuine emotion and history are probably the strongest out of the four. Seeing this relationship spread out across a whole series, watching them succumb to their desires and attempt to stake out a life, before being confronted by a choice, could have easily made up the whole twelve episodes. It sadly isn’t, but what is shown in the three episodes does the job quite well. This helped by the fact that a lot of Sora’s character is layered throughout the other stories, which allows the switch into her more easy to digest. It very much feels like the mirror counterpart to the Nao arc, but where that story dealt with Sora having to accept that her brother is going to try to rebuild his life, the Sora arc instead has the her coming out victorious with Haruka accepting that Sora is the most important thing in the world, and always will be.

Each arc keeps ramping up the fanservice and sex, and this arc grand finale, with the most sex scenes of the four.

I don’t know if the Sora arc of Yosuga no Sora: In Solitude where we are least alone, is the best arc of the series. However it is the most gripping and thematically interesting. The plot is controversial, the history is tragic, and the characters display a struggle that tries its best to be believable. As always the series is helped immensely by it’s art design and soundtrack, which just submerges you in the atmosphere and feelings. Again, I don’t know if it is the best, or even my personal favorite (I still really like Kazuha’s), but it is the crown jewel of what the story is trying to tell you, and is absolutely the part that people will remember after they’ve watched the entire story. Whether you can stomach what is being shown is up to you, but Yosuga no Sora does it’s best to pull you into that world, and their feelings.

With that, our look at the four arcs of the series are over. Join me next week as I give you my final thoughts on the series as a whole.