Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 review: An emotional rollercoaster that explores the journey of overcoming anxiety

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 is an emotionally resonant installment that completes the first major story arc of the season. The episode delves deep into Uzuki Hirokawa’s struggles, as her usual happy-go-lucky demeanour undergoes a drastic change due to her self-doubt.

While this also affects her idol group, Sweet Bullet, the friends decide to stick up for one another, enabling Uzuki to overcome her anxieties. This helps create a short but impactful character arc, delivering a message of moving forward despite facing countless uncertainties in life.

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Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 delivers a cathartic resolution to Uzuki’s Puberty Syndrome

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3: A brief synopsis and narrative review

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 majorly features two of Sweet Bullet’s performances during the Idol Festival. In the first one that takes place at Odaiba, Sakuta and Mai attend together, only to find that Uzuki has lost her voice and is unable to perform.

Later, the members of Sweet Bullet also discover that Uzuki is set to begin a solo career, putting their dream of reaching Budokan in peril. While Nodoka initially struggles with stepping into the shoes of their leader, who had been everyone’s ray of hope till then, she is determined to support Uzuki in her time of need.

At the next performance in Kanagawa, while Sweet Bullet performs with great energy despite Uzuki's absence, rain soon brings their show to a halt. Though the group tries to keep singing along with the crowd, the situation gets more and more dire.

Touko as seen in Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 (Image via Studio CloverWorks)

Right then, Sakuta spots Uzuki in the crowd and speaks to her. While initially beating herself up for seeing Budokan as an impossible dream, Sakuta reassures her that the rest of Sweet Bullet feels the same way, but continues putting in their all to eventually reach the big stage. This convinces Uzuki to reach out to her friends and join them in completing the performance.

She later announces that she will be going solo but confirms that she will continue working with Sweet Bullet to achieve their dream of singing at Budokan. Uzuki then returns to her original personality, having overcome her Puberty Syndrome.

By the end of Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3, Uzuki withdraws from school and bids farewell to Sakuta. Meanwhile, the mysterious Santa Claus girl, Touko Kirishima, appears behind him and confirms that she was the one who gave Uzuki her Puberty Syndrome that allowed her to read the room.

While Uzuki’s story in Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 may not be as memorable as Kaede’s or Mai’s, it still achieves its purpose of drawing fans into the turbulent mind of an anxious singer. Throughout three episodes, the series deconstructs the various elements related to Uzuki’s anxieties, before finally giving her the means to solve them in the latest installment.

Though initially disillusioned and uncertain about both her personal and professional lives, Uzuki can stand back up thanks to Sakuta’s guiding hand and the unwavering support of her friends, who share her dream of reaching Budokan. Thus, marking the return of the franchise to its episodic format, the Lost Singer Arc neatly wraps up within a few episodes.

The anime never tries to make Uzuki the star of the series or allow her struggle with Puberty Syndrome to steal the spotlight. Rather, it simply invites fans to experience the rollercoaster of emotions alongside this side character.

It succeeds in this effort, thoroughly engaging fans before ingeniously tying her story into the main focus - the Santa Claus, Touko Kirishima.

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Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3: An overall production criticism

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 stands out on the production front, with Studio CloverWorks doing what it does best and enhancing the emotional depth of the story.

Along with the lighter visuals and color palette that have been consistent throughout, the clever use of CGI during Sweet Bullet’s performances makes their movements seem much more natural and realistic.

The songs are catchy and optimistic, aligning well with the narrative’s progression. Finally, Uzuki’s voice actor, Sora Amamiya, shines in bringing the character to life, accurately portraying both the joyful and anxious sides of the singer.

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Final thoughts

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3 concludes Uzuki’s character arc - an incredibly relatable portrayal of anxiety. In addition to making viewers care more about this side character, it perfectly leads up to the main story revolving around Touko Kirishima.

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Also read:

• Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1 review: Sakuta re-enters the world of Puberty Syndrome in an intriguing slow-burn opener
• Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 2 review: A thought-provoking installment that sheds new light on herd mentality
• Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 3: Release date and time, where to watch, and more

Edited by Bharath S