Rascal Does Not Dream Of A Sister Home Alone (青春ブタ野郎はおるすばん妹の夢を見ない) is a the fifth volume of the Rascal Does Not Dream light novels written by Kamoshida Hajime featuring artwork by Mizogushi Keeji. The fifth volume was originally release in 2015 and in English in 2021.
The following synopsis may spoil some aspects of the first four novels in the Rascal Does Not Dream series, if you do not want to ruin those stories stop reading until you have.
Book Four: Rascal Does Not Dream Of Siscon Idol review here!
With the possibility that Mai may be stuck in her half-sisters body resolved it was time for Sakuta to move on to a normal high school life. All the crises' have been averted and everyone's 'adolescence syndrome' have been resolved...with the exception of his sister Kaede and by extension himself. As a bit of a refresher, two years prior, when both siblings were living with their parents and enjoying a normal life as students, Kaede was the target of vicious abuse at the hands of her peers. The onslaught of hatred streaming from her classmates caused her to shut her self in, refusing to interact with anything. The pressure grew to such a level that it triggered 'adolescent syndrome', resulting in physical wounds from words and text. Sakuta at first didn't believe or recognize what was going on, until he saw the psychological manifestations himself. Once he understood the cause of the trauma he begged anyone with authority and expertise to believe him. But they all made excuses, unwilling to believe the impossible. The weight of his powerless created a void in his heart that in turn manifest into three grisly wounds across his chest, hospitalizing him. It was at that point, trying to get to a place of safety, that he met Makinohara Shouko, at the point of complete desolation and ennui. The older girl convinced him that he had the ability to build hope for himself and his sister, that what was important was improving the future not worrying about the past. In the small amount of time he spent with her, he became enamored with her, falling completely in love. He convinced his parents to let he and Kaede live on their own, away from their old lives, to help overcome the stresses of her situation. He enrolled in the same high school Shouko went to, but was never able to reconnect with her.
Skip to the present, more than 2 years later, and Kaede is struggling with her situation and her lack of improvement. She decides, with the help of those around her, that she will work hard to return to some level of normalcy for a person her age. She makes a list of things she wants to accomplish in the last two months of the year. Even though he is skeptical about her chances of meeting all of her goals, he dutifully does what he can to help her. Slowly, through the support of those around her and force of will, Kaede begins to see progress with her list. She is able to travel to the beach near Sakuta's school and have a picnic with Mai and her half-sister. But as they turn to leave, a figure from Kaede's past makes a sudden appearance. Kaeda's reaction to her old friend shocks everyone forcing Sakuta to reveal a secret about her condition.. The next day, due to the physical and mental exertion she went through, Kaede falls into a coma-like state. Sakuta rushes her to the local hospital, unsure of what is going to happen, but fearing that her 'adolescent syndrome' will come back in full force. The uncertainty of what this means for his sister overwhelms him, leaving him helpless and panicked. Just as his own 'adolescent syndrome' resurfaces a lost connection returns, to try and guide him once again to a brighter future. But what will happen to he and his sister as things with their situation suddenly begin to change? Will he be able to find out the truth behind the Shouko of two years ago?
This volume covers the final arc of the anime and is a catalyst to the story. We finally see the extent and truth behind Kaede and by extension Sakuta's past that lead them to the beginning of the series. A lot of mental baggage is unloaded in this volume, particularly Sakuta's fears and regrets. Through him we also see more of Kaede's struggle. Prior to this she was only a side line character, even if her situation was the entire reason for the story over all. But with the lack of external distractions from the slowly growing cast of characters we see the siblings at their most intimate. The vast majority of the story focuses exclusively on the Azusagawa's, with Kaede's difficult path to improvement and Sakuta's concern for the evolution of the situation. The first climax in the middle of the story brings us a twist to the plot that has not been remotely hinted at, putting a nice fresh perspective on the characters and the story over all. The ending sets us up to resolve one of the truly important story lines in the series, the older Shouko.
This volume is a stressful and emotional one to work through. Once we know the deeper truths behind Kaede's situation we are presented with a significantly more complex problem that doesn't exactly have a good resolution. It puts an new perspective on the responsibilities that Sakuta has taken upon himself, in the fleeting chance that his life might return to the way it once was. The revelation also puts his parents current role into better perspective, a perspective less filled with disgust. Up until this point it has been hard to respect the decision to essentially abandon their children, the youngest of which is suffering from severe emotional trauma. They appear selfish and uncaring. Yet, we can now better understand their position and ultimate reluctance to change their lives in the hope of progress. Settle in though, with the next two volumes its only going to be more intense at an emotional level. We are delving into the story that is covered in the first movie and that is some intense story telling.
Book Six: Rascal Does Not Dream Of A Dreaming Girl review here!
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