Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo Episode 3 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

So Close And Yet So Far

After Mashiro barges into his bath, Sorata talks with Jin, who presses him over his indecision about leaving Sakurasou, and Sorata storms out. Sorata learns of the Game Design Competition but only makes posters for the cats, and on Sunday Misaki discovers Jin and Mashiro heading to a love hotel. Sorata tries to punch Jin, is knocked out, and wakes in the hotel with Mashiro, who reveals the outing was research and tells him he is the one with no purpose. Sorata resolves to leave Sakurasou and declares it, angering Mashiro.

• Bath and Jin confrontation

  Mashiro enters Sorata's bath and sprays him with cold water, then Sorata argues with Jin over his uncertainty about leaving Sakurasou and walks out after losing patience.

• Cat posters and Sunday hotel chase

  Sorata makes posters for the cats and refuses Mashiro's Sunday invitation. Misaki learns Jin and Mashiro went to a love hotel, and the pair chase them through the mall until Sorata tries to punch Jin and is knocked out.

• Hotel and decision to leave

  Inside the hotel Mashiro reveals the outing was research and says Sorata does not know where he belongs. Sorata then decides to leave Sakurasou and declares it, angering Mashiro.

Recent Timeline

• Mashiro arrives at Sakurasou (Episode 1)

  Sorata picks up Mashiro, Chihiro's cousin, after school at the station and brings her to Sakurasou, where Misaki throws her a welcome party with a feast and a show of her animation.

• Sorata takes on Mashiro's daily care (Episode 1)

  Chihiro asks Sorata to look after Mashiro, who cannot take care of herself at all. He dresses her, gets her ready for school, and they arrive at school after the second period.

• Mashiro revealed as famous painter (Episode 2)

  When Jin remarks that Sorata still hasn't figured out who Mashiro is, Sorata looks into it and discovers she is a world-famous painter from England.

• Love hotel outing confrontation (Episode 3)

  Misaki discovers Jin and Mashiro went to a love hotel on a date and rushes to chase them with Sorata. Misaki is heartbroken and goes home crying, Sorata tries to punch Jin but is punched instead and faints, and Mashiro reveals the outing was a planned research trip, leaving Sorata questioning where he belongs.

• Sorata's decision to leave Sakurasou (Episode 3)

  After talks with Jin following the hotel incident, Sorata decides he wants to leave Sakurasou and declares it the next day, which makes Mashiro angrier at him.

Character Graph

Sorata Kanda

Sakurasou resident

A second-year general-course student at Suiko who lives in room 101 of Sakurasou and is on Mashiro duty. Feeling that he alone has no goal while everyone around him pursues something, he declares after the love-hotel incident that he will leave Sakurasou.

• Goal

  Says he will leave Sakurasou once his cats find owners, though he still doesn't know what he wants to do.

• Mashiro Shiina (Guardian, Mixed)

  Still on Mashiro duty, but after she tells him he has no purpose, he announces he will leave and angers her.

• Jin Mitaka (Other, Mixed)

  Senior who presses him over his indecision about leaving; Sorata tries to punch him at the hotel and is knocked out instead.

• Chihiro Sengoku (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Dorm adviser who left Mashiro's care to him and dodges responsibility.

• Misaki Kamiigusa (Other, Affinity)

  Upperclassman who drags him out of bed to tail Jin and Mashiro.

• Daichi Miyahara (Friend, Affinity)

  School friend who warns him about picking up more cats.

• Nanami Aoyama (Friend, Affinity)

  Classmate who helps him put up posters to find owners for the cats.

Mashiro Shiina

Sakurasou resident · Suiko transfer student

Chihiro's cousin and a world-famous painter who came to Japan to become a manga artist; she lives in Sakurasou under Sorata's care. After a love-hotel research outing with Jin she tells Sorata he is the one with no purpose, and his announcement that he will leave angers her.

• Complete dependence

  Needs someone to handle her clothing, laundry, room cleaning, hair drying, and waking up.

• Chihiro Sengoku (Family, Neutral)

  Her cousin, who took her in at Sakurasou.

• Sorata Kanda (Guardian, Mixed)

  Her carer on Mashiro duty; his announcement that he will leave Sakurasou angers her.

• Jin Mitaka (Other, Affinity)

  Planned the love-hotel outing with her as manga research.

Nanami Aoyama

Suiko student

Sorata's classmate from Osaka, who works part-time jobs to pay for voice-acting school. She willingly helps Sorata put up posters to find owners for his cats.

• Dream

  An aspiring voice actress who works part-time jobs to pay for her training school.

• Sorata Kanda (Friend, Affinity)

  Willingly helps him put up posters to find owners for the cats.

Misaki Kamiigusa

Sakurasou resident

A hyperactive third-year art-course student in room 201 whose self-made animation became a commercial hit. When she hears Jin has gone to a love hotel with Mashiro, she drags Sorata along to tail them and goes home in tears, wishing she could be the one beside Jin.

• Animation

  Handles the settings, storyboards, animation and editing of her works by herself.

• Sorata Kanda (Other, Affinity)

  Drags him out of bed to tail Jin and Mashiro.

• Jin Mitaka (Colleague, Mixed)

  Her scriptwriter; she wants to be the one beside him and is heartbroken to see him with Mashiro.

Jin Mitaka

Sakurasou resident

A popular third-year general-course student in room 103 who writes Misaki's scripts, though a producer has told him they don't match her talent. He presses Sorata over his indecision about leaving and takes Mashiro to a love hotel as research for her manga.

• Feedback

  The only one who answers Misaki's request for comments on her animation.

• Sorata Kanda (Other, Mixed)

  Presses him over his indecision about leaving and ends up punching him at the hotel.

• Mashiro Shiina (Other, Affinity)

  Planned the love-hotel outing with her as manga research.

• Misaki Kamiigusa (Colleague, Mixed)

  Writes her scripts but keeps his distance; on the night of the hotel incident he won't come back, saying he can't face her downcast.

Ryuunosuke Akasaka

Sakurasou resident

A second-year general-course student in room 102 who is already a contracted programmer. He never leaves his room; Sorata starts to ask him how to make a game but drops the question.

• Communication method

  Talks with others only through Maid, the AI mail program he built himself.

Maid

AI

The AI mail program Ryuunosuke built himself. It answers messages on his behalf, and it helps Sorata and Misaki track down Jin and Mashiro.

• Ryuunosuke Akasaka (Other, Affinity)

  Its creator, whom it calls 'Ryuunosuke-sama' and answers mail for.

• Sorata Kanda (Other, Neutral)

  Replies to Sorata's messages in Ryuunosuke's place.

Chihiro Sengoku

Dorm adviser · Suimei University of the Arts High School art teacher

Sakurasou's dorm adviser and an art teacher at Suiko, lazy and still single. She has taken in her cousin Mashiro but leaves her care to Sorata, changing the subject whenever he asks her to take responsibility.

• Family link

  Mashiro's cousin; she asked Sorata to bring Mashiro to Sakurasou and look after her.

• Mashiro Shiina (Family, Neutral)

  Her cousin, whom she has taken in at Sakurasou.

• Sorata Kanda (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Leaves Mashiro's care to him and dodges his complaints.

Ayano Iida

Editor

Mashiro's manga editor, who reached out after seeing the entry Mashiro sent to a rookie contest last year. She meets Mashiro at the school gate, walks her home, and buys her the baumkuchen she wants.

• Mashiro Shiina (Colleague, Affinity)

  Her manga editor, who suggests she try bolder scenes.

Daichi Miyahara

Suiko student

Sorata's school friend, who warns him that if he keeps picking up cats he will never get back to the regular dorm. He shows Sorata news that Misaki and Jin's anime got splendid reviews.

• Warning

  Tells Sorata that continuing to pick up cats will prevent him from returning to the regular dorm.

• Sorata Kanda (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who talks with him about his move to Sakurasou.

World Memo

• Suimei University of the Arts High School

  The school the Sakurasou residents attend, known as Suiko. It is split into a general course and an arts course made up of music and fine arts.

• Sakurasou, the problem-student dorm

  A dorm where Suiko gathers its problem students, nicknamed a den of oddballs.

• Regular dorm and Sakurasou

  Pets aren't allowed in the regular dorm, so Sorata, who wouldn't abandon a stray cat, was moved to Sakurasou. He has declared he will return to the regular dorm once his cats find owners.

• Room layout

  Sorata lives in room 101, Ryuunosuke in 102 and Jin in 103 on the first floor. The second floor is the girls' section, where Misaki (201) and Mashiro live, and boys are not allowed.

• Dorm adviser

  Art teacher Chihiro Sengoku serves as the dorm adviser, but she leaves the residents largely to themselves.

• Everyone's pursuits

  Mashiro draws manga, Misaki makes animation, Jin writes scripts and Ryuunosuke works as a programmer. Sorata alone has no goal and hesitates even over a game design contest.

• Sakurasou meetings and Mashiro duty

  Residents settle matters at Sakurasou meetings. At one, Sorata was put alone on Mashiro duty: waking, dressing and feeding Mashiro, who can't look after herself.

Clue Board

• Jin and Misaki (Episode 2)

  Misaki adores Jin, but he keeps her at arm's length; after the love-hotel incident he refuses to come home, saying he can't face her downcast. Jin's real feelings are still unclear.

• What Sorata wants to do (Episode 3)

  Sorata feels he alone has no goal; he eyes a game design contest and starts to ask Ryuunosuke how to make games, but backs off. Having declared he will leave Sakurasou, he still hasn't said what he actually wants.

• Why a famous painter draws manga (Episode 2)

  Mashiro is acclaimed worldwide as a painter, yet she came to Japan to become a manga artist and says she has no need for that acclaim. Why she chose manga over painting is not yet explained.

• The unseen Ryuunosuke (Episode 1)

  Ryuunosuke in room 102 never leaves his room; even when Sorata tries to reach him, only Maid answers. Why he shuts himself away has not been shown.

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–3

Sorata Kanda was moved into Sakurasou, Suiko's dorm for problem students, after refusing to abandon a stray cat. Dorm adviser Chihiro Sengoku has him bring her cousin Mashiro Shiina there, and since Mashiro can't look after herself, a dorm meeting leaves Sorata alone on Mashiro duty. After a night spent modeling for her manga, he learns that she is a world-famous painter from England.

Surrounded by people who each pursue something — Mashiro her manga, Misaki animation, Jin scripts, Ryuunosuke programming — Sorata feels he alone has nothing. After Mashiro's love-hotel 'research' outing with Jin, she tells him he is the one with no purpose, and Sorata declares he will leave Sakurasou, angering her.

Music Releases

• Kimi ga Yume wo Tsuretekita (OP)
• Days of Dash (ED)