A Little Snow Fairy Sugar: Episode 8 Commentary
The Shape of Dreams
A wonderful combination, an episode starring the two characters I favor.
Phil has a nice room set up in the dump for his trio to work in. Also, Jan and Alan are finally verbally named, although it’s not yet known which is which. Currently I expect they’ll remain background characters with no episode devoted to their personal hopes and dreams.
The dedication Phil puts out reminds me of Jean from Nadia: Secret of Blue Water and Tombo in Studio Ghibli’s version of Kiki’s Delivery Service. The difference is that Phil comes off as more realistic. His inventions are scene failing through the trial and error stage. No matter the setback, though, he’s always ready and willing to learn from his mistakes and push ahead forward. He just needs to learn to be careful when others are in the area who could get hurt by a failed experiment.
On the other side is Salt. Dedicated in his studies, Phil is a threat to everything Salt knows about the workings of the seasons. If humans can create rain and wind and snow and aurora, then why would a Season Fairy be needed? I expected Salt to take the conversation in this direction after asking Sugar and Pepper what they wanted to be when they grew up, but he didn’t.
I’m currently liking Greta as well, but Phil’s currently taking the top spot, even over Salt. Pepper is also a good character. She’s what Tomoyo in Cardcaptor Sakura could have been if Tomoyo’s voice wasn’t high pitched, and if she was without some of her more devious eccentricities.
In prior episodes, Phil expressed an interest in Saga in his requests for her to help out with his inventions. It can’t be that she was simply the classmate he came across, or else he would have asked Norma and Anne, too. Maybe there’s something about Saga which places her as more likely to take an interest in science (perhaps a focused study and high grades in school), whereas other students are less studious. I would think Greta might also be a match, but Phil’s disbelief that she would actually accept his request to be at the morning viewing of his invention suggests otherwise (at least as Phil sees it).
As Salt watched over Phil, I imagine he was taken by Phil’s dedication and eagerness. Salt looked at the papers Phil drew up, but I don’t see Salt as understanding the science behind it. Do Season Fairies understand the science behind weather, or is it simply magic to them?
The elder may have taken an interest in Phil as well. I’ll take what Salt said as true, about the aurora being a product of Phil’s invention. Had Salt not said so, I’d imagine the elder may have had a hand in it. Just what is that elder thinking as he sees Phil? And about Saga?
It’s good to see episodes without Greta challenging Saga. While Greta may still take a swipe verbally at Saga (such as in the prior episode), there’s no forced challenge each episode. Greta is a likable rival, without being annoying. It’s also nice to see she’s one of the class, showing up for Phil’s invention showing, even if she believes it’ll just blow up like the rest.
For Sugar’s part, the search for Twinkles continues. How about Salt’s Magic Flower? Did it gain any Twinkle after the hard work her put into helping Phil? What about Sugar and Pepper’s Magic Flowers, for their helping? Maybe they also helped by getting Saga to spend time with Phil, leading to Phil’s invention succeeding. Speaking of their Magic Flowers, will see ever see where Salt and Pepper have each set up home, and see if their Magic Flowers are progressing as Sugar’s is? And will they ever return to Sugar’s place for another bath? I’m sure it’s been a while since either had a good shampooing for their hair.
Just when I thought all the characters had been introduced, a new duo appears at the end. Will Pepper have a good part in the next episode as Salt did this one, or will her episode come later? It is overly common to put these “character episodes” one after another in a series, so it would be most welcome if Pepper’s episode held off for at least a couple of episodes. By the way, if Phil is Salt’s “counterpart”, would Pepper’s be Greta? Will Anne and Norma get comparable screentime? There are still many, many episodes left to go.
