Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo Episode 4 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

A World Changing Colors

Sorata has finished packing to move out of Sakurasou. At the Tanabata gathering, which ends in rain, Mashiro learns she did not win the rookie award, and Sorata's clumsy comfort only hurts her. Mashiro's editor Ayano then tells him that Mashiro kept her manga's lonely ending, in which the main character leaves the dorm, because she believed it was Sorata's wish.

Sorata hands in a career survey saying he wants to make games and confesses his fears and his admiration to Mashiro. Finding that she has stayed up all night redrawing the ending she really wanted, he decides to stay at Sakurasou. The revised manuscript earns Mashiro a magazine debut, and she asks him to call her by her first name.

• Tanabata and the lost contest

  As Sorata finishes packing to move out, Misaki shows him Mashiro in a yukata. After the rained-out Tanabata event Mashiro learns she did not win the rookie award; Sorata's clumsy comfort hurts her, and he runs out into the rain.

• Manga ending revelation

  Ayano shows Sorata Mashiro's manga, based on their life at Sakurasou with the roles reversed, and says Mashiro refused to change its lonely ending because she believed it was Sorata's wish. Sorata hands in a career survey saying he wants to make games and rushes home.

• Reconciliation and staying

  Sorata confesses his fear of failure and his admiration for Mashiro, then finds her asleep after redrawing the ending she truly wanted all night. He decides to stay at Sakurasou, the revised manuscript earns Mashiro a magazine debut, and she asks him to call her by her first name.

Recent Timeline

• Mashiro arrives at Sakurasou (Episode 1)

  After school Sorata meets Mashiro, Chihiro's cousin, at the station and brings her to Sakurasou. Misaki throws her a welcome party with a feast and a showing of her animation. Chihiro asks Sorata to look after Mashiro, who cannot take care of herself at all, so he takes on her daily care: dressing her and getting her ready for school. 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 that Jin and Mashiro went to a love hotel on a date and rushes to chase them with Sorata. Heartbroken, Misaki goes home crying. Sorata tries to punch Jin but is punched instead and faints. Mashiro reveals the outing was a planned research trip, leaving Sorata questioning where he belongs. After talks with Jin, Sorata decides to leave Sakurasou and declares it the next day, which angers Mashiro further.

• Competition loss and manga ending revision (Episode 4)

  Mashiro learns by phone that she did not win the manga competition. Sorata's attempt to comfort her ends by hurting her feelings, and he runs out into the rain. Ayano reveals she had Mashiro base the manga on Sakurasou's events, and that the manga has a chance of publication if its ending is rewritten.

• Sorata decides to stay at Sakurasou (Episode 4)

  Sorata finds Mashiro asleep after she worked all night on the ending she wanted. Moved by this, he reverses his decision and chooses to stay at Sakurasou, and her revised manga earns her a magazine debut.

Character Graph

Sorata Kanda (Sorata)

Sakurasou resident

A second-year general-course student at Suiko who lives in room 101 of Sakurasou and is on Mashiro duty. He had packed to leave, but after admitting that he wants to make games and handing in his career survey, he decides to stay at Sakurasou.

• Goal

  Wants to become a game developer: he plans to study in the media department and try a game-design audition.

• Mashiro Shiina (Guardian, Affinity)

  Admires her talent and effort; after confessing his fears he stays on as her carer and now calls her Mashiro.

• Jin Mitaka (Other, Affinity)

  Senior who comforts him after he hurts Mashiro on Tanabata night and runs out into the rain; Sorata realizes Jin loves Misaki.

• Ryuunosuke Akasaka (Other, Neutral)

  Shut-in neighbor who lends him game-design books as a farewell gift.

• Chihiro Sengoku (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Dorm adviser to whom he hands his career survey.

• Misaki Kamiigusa (Other, Affinity)

  Upperclassman who celebrates his 'return' when he decides to stay.

• Daichi Miyahara (Friend, Affinity)

  School friend who warns him about picking up more cats.

• Nanami Aoyama (Friend, Affinity)

  Classmate who keeps helping him find owners for the last cats.

Mashiro Shiina (Mashiro)

Sakurasou resident · Suiko transfer student

Chihiro's cousin, a world-famous painter who wants to be a manga artist, living in Sakurasou under Sorata's care. She loses the rookie award but stays up all night redrawing her manga's ending into the one she truly wants, which earns her a magazine debut. She now asks Sorata to call her by her first name.

• 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, Affinity)

  Kept a leaving ending because she thought it was his wish; now asks him to call her Mashiro.

• 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 keeps helping Sorata look for owners for the last two cats and wonders whether he really wants to leave.

• Dream

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

• Sorata Kanda (Friend, Affinity)

  Searches for the last cats' owners with him and asks whether leaving is really what he wants.

Misaki Kamiigusa (Misaki)

Sakurasou resident

A hyperactive third-year art-course student in room 201; her new animation draws a million views in three days. She shows Sorata Mashiro in a yukata for Tanabata and celebrates when he decides to stay at Sakurasou.

• Animation

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

• Sorata Kanda (Other, Affinity)

  Welcomes him 'back' when he decides to stay.

• Jin Mitaka (Colleague, Mixed)

  She wants to be beside him, while Jin feels he cannot match her talent.

Jin Mitaka (Jin)

Sakurasou resident

A popular third-year general-course student in room 103 who writes Misaki's scripts. When Sorata runs out into the rain on Tanabata night, Jin comforts him, letting slip that he loves Misaki but cannot bear the gap between her talent and his own.

• Feedback

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

• Sorata Kanda (Other, Affinity)

  Comforts him in the rain on Tanabata night and treats him to ramen.

• Mashiro Shiina (Other, Affinity)

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

• Misaki Kamiigusa (Colleague, Mixed)

  Loves her but cannot accept the gap in talent; he says he will keep struggling until he can stand beside her.

Ryuunosuke Akasaka (Ryuunosuke)

Sakurasou resident

A second-year general-course student in room 102 who is already a contracted programmer. Though he never leaves his room, he lends Sorata game-design books as a farewell gift.

• Communication method

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

• Sorata Kanda (Other, Neutral)

  Lent him game-design books as a farewell gift.

Maid

AI

The AI mail program Ryuunosuke built himself, which answers messages on his behalf. When Sorata complains that being near talented people tears you to shreds, it tells him to say that only after reading the books until they are in tatters.

• 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 leaves her cousin Mashiro's care to Sorata and receives his career survey.

• 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 receives his career survey.

Ayano Iida (Ayano)

Editor

Mashiro's manga editor, who suggested she base her manga on life at Sakurasou. She shows Sorata the manuscript and tells him Mashiro refused to change its lonely ending because she believed it was his wish.

• Mashiro Shiina (Colleague, Affinity)

  Urged her to draw the ending she truly wants; the revised manuscript will run in the magazine.

• Sorata Kanda (Other, Neutral)

  Takes him to a cafe and shows him Mashiro's manuscript.

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 once packed to return to the regular dorm, but decided to stay.

• 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 and has a magazine debut lined up, Misaki makes animation, Jin writes scripts and Ryuunosuke works as a programmer. Sorata has written on his career survey that he will study in the media department and make games.

• 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)

  Sorata learns that Jin loves Misaki but cannot bear the gap between her talent and his own; Jin says he will keep struggling until he can stand beside her. Where the two will end up is still unknown.

• Sorata's game-design audition (Episode 4)

  Sorata says he will study in the media department and try a game-design audition. Whether he can make it is still unknown.

• 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. Her revised manuscript has even earned a magazine debut, but why she chose manga over painting is not yet explained.

• The unseen Ryuunosuke (Episode 1)

  Ryuunosuke in room 102 lends Sorata game-design books as a farewell gift, yet still never shows his face. Why he shuts himself away has not been shown.

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–4

Sorata Kanda was moved into Sakurasou, Suiko's dorm for problem students, after refusing to abandon a stray cat, and ends up on Mashiro duty looking after Mashiro Shiina, dorm adviser Chihiro's cousin, who can't take care of herself. Learning that Mashiro is a world-famous painter pursuing manga while he has no goal of his own, Sorata declares he will leave Sakurasou.

But when Mashiro loses the rookie award, her editor tells him that Mashiro kept a lonely ending in which the main character leaves the dorm because she believed it was his wish. Sorata hands in a career survey saying he wants to make games and confesses his fears and admiration to her. Seeing that she redrew the ending she truly wanted overnight, he decides to stay. Her revised manga earns a magazine debut, and Mashiro asks him to call her by her first name.

Music Releases

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