Sunny Recap: Been Caught Stealing

As a seasoned detective with years of experience under my belt, I find myself deeply troubled by this intricate web of deceit and danger that unfolds before our eyes. The characters in this narrative are not mere figures on a page; they’re complex individuals grappling with their own demons, be it fear, guilt, or ambition.

In a slight improvement following its mid-season dip, Sunny‘s latest episode features less of the title character and more yakuza conspiracy elements that have yet to become engaging or thrilling due to their prolonged presentation. An unexpected twist is the focus on Hime attempting to get Suzie involved in hacking Masa’s computer, but we’re left guessing what she hopes to discover. At least it provides some humor – a welcome change from the past. I’ll take the laughter, even if it’s minimal.

In this scene, Noriko initially steals a magazine from a convenience store, or a konbini, but her small theft goes unnoticed. To escalate, she commits a more daring act of theft. The magazine has a suggestive cover, and for a brief moment, I thought it might be a throwback to Masa’s reclusive period, with Noriko buying it for him. However, this isn’t a flashback; it’s happening in the present. After successfully stealing the magazine, she tosses it into a bin outside, where a child quickly retrieves it. She then returns to the konbini and scolds the cashier, warning her to be vigilant. She then pretends to leave without paying, continuing to stare at the cashier through the window as she enjoys her ill-gotten snack. The cashier’s confused expression, similar to one that Jordan Peele often uses in his Key & Peele sketches, made me chuckle too. Eventually, the child puts on an earbud, presumably calling the police.

Following the opening credits, the scene shifts to a police station, not concerning Noriko’s arrest. A detective, sporting a neck brace that limits his movements, is scrutinizing a prosthetic fingertip found in Suzie’s bed, presumably left by Himé or one of her substitutes after kidnapping Sunny from the previous episode. The detective requests Suzie to move her chair so he can keep her in sight due to his restricted mobility. It’s quite amusing! The moment when he seems to think Suzie is reporting a missing person instead of stolen property, and asks for a physical description, feels like it was written for a comedy sitcom and its laugh track.

Suzie mentions that Sunny, who she’s talking about, is primarily white and has large eyes. However, the detective brushes her off after understanding that she’s referring to a robot, despite her clarifying this earlier. Suzie then attempts to clarify that her issues extend beyond just Sunny being kidnapped, as she suspects the yakuza were responsible for bombing Flight 405 and taking the lives of everyone onboard, including her 9-year-old son, in a cold-blooded act of murder against Masa. The detective queries why the yakuza would commit such a heinous crime, to which Suzie responds by questioning if their brutal nature isn’t evident even in his own neck.

I can’t help but share my thoughts, as I often find myself in agreement with you. You know how it goes, a large number of household incidents seem to occur in the bathroom, according to some sources. This made me think, maybe it would be wise to check the lost and found section at your local convenience store, as homebots are frequently left behind, just after umbrellas. I’m not trying to challenge you or make you feel uncertain, especially given our recent disagreements with Detective Neck Brace. It just seems odd for this officer to suggest something that could potentially seem like gaslighting, making it appear as if you’ve misplaced your sense of reality. Despite his apparent reluctance to delve into areas the yakuza might not welcome him, I believe he could choose his words more carefully to avoid causing unnecessary distress.

In a bizarre scene outside, an animated mascot, promoting Japanese pastries with sweet fillings, persistently offers them to passersby using both Japanese and English. Its robotic voice emits a friendly yet intimidating “So delicious!” The character, named Mixxy, is attempting to explain that she must leave because her boss at Ochiba, an upscale cocktail bar, has called, as they are doing a photo shoot and one of the bartenders is absent. This news does not sit well with Suzie who is dealing with a crisis. As Suzie tries to discuss this situation with Mixxy, the mascot gets too close causing Suzie to snap, “Get away, Mr. Dumpling!”

However, the enormous manjū persisted despite being declined, and eventually, Suzie conceded by accepting a pastry. Taking a frustrated nibble revealed a small, white cube hidden within.

If you don’t follow the instructions moving forward, you’ll get a bit of Sunny every hour until all the Sunny runs out! That’s what our friendly mascot is singing.

In simpler terms, it’s puzzling why the yakuza would use a disguise for threatening Suzie when they haven’t shown any interest in secrecy earlier. However, I find it amusing, so I won’t complain. The giant manjū instructs Suzie to be at a specific vegetable stand within 15 minutes, but she grumbles that the place is at least 20 minutes away. This is a common plot device in thrillers, where villains force the protagonist to rush from one distant location to another under threat of severe consequences if they’re late. For example, consider the original “Dirty Harry” and the third installment of “Die Hard,” though the second one might be more popular.

In a peculiar manner, Mixxy seems to be acting unusually, discouraging Suzie from dancing along with the yakuza’s rhythm and insincerely claiming that Sunny is merely a home robot. Suzie reminds him that Sunny’s memories of Masa are her sole chance to uncover the truth about her family’s fate, a fact which Mixxy is already aware of.

“I’m just trying to prevent something bad from happening to you,” she says.

“I don’t care what happens to me,” Suzie tells her.

Suzie doesn’t want to be stuffed into a sweet potato truck without knowing where she’s going, tied up and blindfolded. Instead, this is what happens when she gets to the vegetable stand. They take her to a workshop filled with old robots, tie her to a chair, and try to unlock a laptop by scanning her face, but it doesn’t work.

In a dramatic scene, Himé’s distinctive melody heralds her arrival, and she steps in, seemingly enjoying an icy beverage reminiscent of coffee. Upon seeing her, Suzie lashes out with an insult and attempts to attack, seeming to forget that Himé is restrained to a chair. The impact of the collision echoes painfully, to which Himé responds in Japanese. Observing this, Himé deduces that Suzie’s obedience to the giant manjū’s commands reflects her affection for Sunny. This assumption leaves me perplexed, given that Suzie has already had her home ransacked by Himé’s henchmen, making her compliance seem implausible. Despite this, Suzie counters with a disdainful remark: “I despise homebots.”

“Despite this, you chose to marry someone who specializes in robotics,” Himé remarks. The term ‘robotics’ sounds interesting and unfamiliar to me, akin to psychiatry, podiatry, or even the less common profession of an exorcist.

Suzie informs Himé that she believes Himé played a part in the tragic event of Flight 405 crashing. However, Himé claims to only have knowledge about the plane crash from media sources. Suzie then queries Himé’s presence at Masa’s funeral. In response, Himé explains, “Unlike you, I held Masa in high regard due to his impressive work.” She goes on to praise him as a forward-thinking individual.

In response to Suzie stating that she didn’t find out Masa was a roboticist until after his death, Hime expresses surprise at how little Suzie seemed to know about her husband of ten years. Hme muses whether Suzie married him solely for the purpose of staying in Japan permanently, or if she fell in love with someone she didn’t truly know due to profound loneliness.

That draws blood from Suzie. “I knew him,” she states.

Himé expresses her hope that what was said is accurate, as it means Suzie must now try to figure out the password for Masa’s computer.

In the realm of cinematic critique, I recently witnessed a chilling scene where the ruthless enforcer, Tetsu, paid a visit to his superior. This encounter followed his cold-blooded act against Botan, Himé’s disloyal subordinate, in the bathhouse just two episodes prior. Intriguingly, another lackey decided to remove Suzie’s translation device from her ear, presuming it would allow for a private conversation between Tetsu and Himé.

“I’m shit at languages,” Suzie adds in English. “But I’ve heard that one a lot lately.”

Making the most of the situation, Suzie shares with Himé the conversation she overheard at the bathhouse between Jin and his companions regarding a woman (a derogatory term for her appearance was used) who aspires to lead within the yakuza. This action provokes Himé to slap Suzie. Later on, when Suzie refuses to assist Himé in hacking Masa’s computer, Himé summons an associate, prompting Mixxy to be called. A threatening call reaches Mixxy while she was slicing citrus fruits for a photographer at Ochiba. Simultaneously, two more thugs show up at the bar. Despite being told that the bar is closed, the men merely smile and decide to wait outside.

Through intimidation towards Mixxy, Himé manages to crack Suzie’s defenses, causing her to feel more fearful than angry. In this moment of terror, she isn’t as enraged as she initially was. Himé then requests Masa’s password from Suzie. In a stutter, she confesses that she has dyslexia, finding it difficult to articulate words aloud. She proposes typing the password herself as a possible solution. Tetsu removes the zip tie binding her wrists. After an incorrect attempt, he uses a drill bit on the back of Suzie’s skull. Following another failed attempt, Himé tells Tetsu to look after her. In a last-ditch effort, Suzie flips Himé off and repeats the gesture along with the phrase “fuck you” towards Masa’s laptop. Surprisingly, this vulgar expression turns out to be the password that unlocks the screen. (“Fuck you” may not have been the primary choice for a password, but it certainly is a strong runner-up to “password123.”)

As a movie enthusiast, let me rephrase the scenario in first person: Himé’s henchmen have deposited Suzie back at her home. At this juncture, the yakuza have no compelling reason to keep Suzie alive, yet they seem disinclined to harm her. The police appear reluctant to intervene on Suzie’s behalf, leaving the yakuza with no pressing incentive to eliminate her. Mixxy is stationed at Suzie’s residence, and she trembles with fear as Suzie reveals she was kidnapped and forced to aid them in penetrating Masa’s computer.

“Mixxy inquired, sounding just as anxious about the possible response as she was concerned for Suzie’s wellbeing, ‘Have you completed the task?'”

“They were gonna kill you,” Suzie answers.

Mixxy replies with a simple “Oh.” Then, she expresses gratitude. However, it’s evident that she knows more than she’s disclosing. Just as Suzie is about to pry further, she receives a call from the police, informing her that they have apprehended Noriko for shoplifting. In case the yakuza might still be after Sunny while Suzie is away, Mixxy is asked by Suzie to remain at her house as a precaution.

Inside prison, Noriko abruptly skips over Suzie’s greeting, inquiring if Suzie had brought her shogi board. When Suzie proposes consulting a lawyer about the matter, Noriko again requests the shogi board. There’s speculation that Suzie wonders if Noriko intentionally got herself imprisoned. However, Noriko dismissively brushes off both the question and her daughter-in-law.

At Suzie’s home, Mixxy gets a call to a temple, where she’s expected. She’s nervous and carries a kitchen knife, similar to what she uses at the bar, on her way to the designated spot. Upon arrival, she finds herself alone, but notices a glow coming from Sunny’s faceplate on a rooftop nearby. The light is flickering, with no signs of facial expressions or activity that might suggest Sunny is active or awake. It seems as if the robot is restarting or in standby mode.

At home, Suzie is drinking directly from the wine bottle, which she often does. She glances at a wall where Zen had recorded his growth over his short lifespan. Overwhelmed by her sorrow once more, Mixxy appears with a malfunctioning Sunny robot in tow. The robot stumbles forward and lands on its face. Although home robots can function without consciousness to stay upright, falls are amusing incidents.

2024-08-07 17:56

Sunny Recap: Been Caught Stealing

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