Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto (坂本ですが? Sakamoto desu ga??, lit. "I'm Sakamoto, You Know?") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nami Sano. The manga follows a high school student named Sakamoto, who has a reputation for being the "coolest" person among the entire student body. The series has been licensed for an English release by Seven Seas Entertainment. A television anime adaptation by Studio Deen aired between April 8, 2016 and July 1, 2016.
Sakamoto is Dead Theory
So, as anyone else herd the theory that the real story behind this show is the fact that Sakamoto is actually dying? I just read about it but apparently it seems pretty legit! In the manga Sakamoto is seen inside a school locker like a corpse in a casket referencing him dying. If this was the case it would make sense as to why the school would have a freshmen be the speaker for the graduating senior class. Also, Mars migration project was just a lie to cover up his real reasons for leaving. For starters, Sakamoto himself states that it is currently impossiable in perhaps his "lifetime" from Episode 10 while at karaoke. So, why would he get called for such a project if it can't even be done? Not to mention, why would NASA ask Sakamoto of all people and why now? Wouldn't it be smarter to wait until he graduates? And if that wasn't enough, when Hayabusa asks if he had any regrets his answer implies that he has been to the nurse's office a lot of times over. Hayabusa is the only one who realizes the Mars tale was a lie for he even called him out on it and Sakamoto did not even deny it. This all leads to the fact as to why Sakamoto is so amazing. Through the whole show, he hides the fact he is dying by being cool and fabulous in front of everyone. Always being there for others while always living his life to the fullest. Why do you think he never wanted people knowing about his personal life? And through all that, we see the first sign of emotion from our savior Sakamoto. During the last few minutes of the episode as he looks back at his classmates we see him actually begin to tear up. But our Sakamoto doesn't want them to be sad! So what does he do?! He covers his upper face with pie so as to prevent anyone from noticing he was crying...
During Episode 11 he said he had never seen snow on the ground... Could be because he was always in the hospital or similar because of a disease. His farewell address seems to address this too, talking about how you respond to a choice forced upon you by charging straight ahead, and how if you can no longer believe in yourself to believe in your friends, and so on. Basically the whole thing explains how he has been facing death by living. And his talk with Fukase "If it were me I'd jump into the night sea and search for a new continent," is another metaphor for how he approaches death. It also explains why he ignores the advances of all the girls in his class, because he would know that he's not going to be here long so he doesn't want to break their heart. That can also explain why in the opening he puts his jacket on a open human body, alluding to his health.
The song Sakamoto sings in episode 10 is called Der Erlkönig. This song was originally a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and tells the tale of a boy and his father riding towards their farm on horseback. As they are riding through the night the boy beings to see supernatural occurrences happening all around him. He calls to his father but he sadly does not see any of the things his son sees and just tries to reassure him nothing is there, just the fog, trees, and the rustling of leaves. As the father tries to calm his son he screams in agony saying he has been stuck and is in major pain. The father picks up the pace and tries to get home as fast as possible....Finally, after riding through the night they finally made it to their destination, but it was too late. As they arrive the father looks down and sees that his son had passed away in his arms. Now, if we look at this in literal terms the "supernatural occurrences" could be hallucinations from being extremely ill. Especially for children, it is normal for the extremely ill to see and hear things that are normally not there. The father was probably trying to get his son medical attention ASAP which explains the night journey. The reason Sakamoto picked this song is because his relationship with the boy from the story! Like him, Sakamoto also has a deadly illness and feels the need to express his sorrow and grief in the only way he can. And because he never expresses it through his actions in public he does it in song...
Let's hope this is the last edit boys. I was genually hoping someone could prove me wrong but thanks to /u/Skelliie I honestly can't see any way around this theory from being true.. According to Skelliie the lyrics to the OP are actually hinting twords this theory. Here are some lines that were translated..
- "Raise your head and elegantly judge the gloom that grabs your gaze."
- "Go with the flow as you defy with a cool looking face."
- "Hardship is a bouqet that decorates your days."
- "Open those eyes wide and don't look away, from the shining superior new world."
- "As those feelings overflow, be yourself until the end."
- "It will take you to a warm reception in HEAVEN."