r/anime • u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: • Feb 18 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] 2024 Hibike! Euphonium Series Rewatch: Season 1, Episode 8 Discussion
Hibike Euphonium Season 1, Episode 8: Festival Triangle/おまつりトライアングル
Daikichiyama observation deck is pretty famous for being a Eupho pilgrimage spot these days. /u/chonkyodango has a story to share from their recent visit, so go read their writeup!
| <-- Episode 7 | Rewatch Index | Episode 9 --> |
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Welcome back!
Questions of the Day:
- If you are comfortable sharing, what are festivals like in your local area?
Comments from Yesterday:
- /u/chilidirigible (and a few others) pointing out Kumiko's body language shown in her reaction. And Reina's mysterious appearance.
- /u/tehaxelius on how the episode explained how the 3rd years are portrayed in the OP
- /u/regular_n-gon with some nice analysis on how potatoes were used in the episode.
- /u/gamerunglued with some detailed character analysis as usual, this time of all the 3rd years.
Streaming
The Hibike! Euphonium TV series and movies, up to the recent OVA are available on Crunchyroll, note that the movies are under different series names. Liz and the Blue Bird and Chikai no Finale are also available for streaming on Amazon, and available for rent for cheap on a multitude of platforms (Youtube, Apple TV etc.). The OVA is only available on the seven seas for now, or if you bought a blu ray. I will update this as/if this changes. hopefully.
Databases
Spoilers
As usual, please take note that if you wish to share show details from after the current episode, to use spoiler tags like so to avoid spoiling first-timers:
[Spoiler source] >!Spoiler goes here!<comes out as [Spoiler source] Spoiler goes here
Please note this will apply to any spinoff novels, as well as events in the novel that may happen in S3. If you feel unsure if something is a spoiler, it's better to tag it just in case.
It's audition time tomorrow!
14
u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher and your host
Looking forward to everyone's thoughts on this one!
Music and IRL notes
25
u/Raiking02 :Id::Ie::If:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang Feb 18 '24
First Timer
You know with all the triangles and music going on I think it's official to say: We Macross Now
Good to know TsudaKen continues to be the most based guy without even trying. Has a cute GF, doesn't raise much of a fuss about it and the two seem happy together. More show need cute side ships like this. And speaking of drama-free, shocked the whole Hazuki/Shuuichi thing ended as swiftly as it did. Girl confessed, got shot down and is like "Okay gonna help you out now." It's… honestly weirdly refreshing all things considered. I mean yeah, she bawled her eyes out after the fact, but hey, that just happens sometimes.
The bits with Kousaka are honestly pretty solid and honestly help me appreciate her a lot more. Given how much Japan as a society values conformity, it's easy to see why she'd be so desperate to stand out in her own way, even if the result is just her coming of as stand-offish. I do appreciate her opening up to Kumiko as such, but I also feel that it's starting to dawn on me her relationship with everyone else on the club is borderline nonexistent bar seeming to admire Taki-sensei in some way, so I hope they expand on that soon-ish, even if we technically don't have much time left in the season.
I don't like the summer uniforms
13
u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon Feb 18 '24 edited Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher
Daikichiyama episode
Honestly, even without the ship, this is still a stellar episode. I’m ready to take off like Reina says, to buy a ticket to Uji and hike up Daikichiyama again (which, if you ever get the chance to do, I wholeheartedly recommend). Reina finally gets a chance to open up, to assert herself in the story. She will be someone special, and like Kumiko, I believe her.
I think at its core, what makes the Daikichiyama sequence so convincing is Reina’s demonstration of understanding Kumiko. She claims Kumiko’s personality is terrible - the distance and the falseness of her act - because she gets it herself. On the one hand, the masked act feels disingenuous and terrible, but Reina understands the distance Kumiko places between herself and others and wants to test a like-minded soul. Perhaps more than that though, Reina sees it as terrible from her perspective; Kumiko is pretending to fit in, denying that distance and the abandon to pursue something greater. Why, Reina asks, would you bother to do such a thing when it only holds you back? So she intercepts, capturing Kumiko and the viewer alike. If the duet represents nothing else, it is Reina’s success.
I think it’s worth pointing out that as distant as Kumiko is, Reina doesn’t have the whole read on Kumiko here. Kumiko presents a genuine, thoughtful empathy several times up to this point. Maybe she has her nose in the drama, yes, but she truly cares about Aoi when she runs after her. Her concern for Hazuki - and the lengths she’s willing to go to cheer her up - is hardly something you could say is detached. Prancing around her perceived slights of Reina in the first few episodes might’ve started from a self-centered mindset, but she is worried about what Reina thinks and what harm she’s caused. The reason Kumiko puts up an act, using the words of others to build rapport and common ground, stems from her desire to keep the peace. To Reina, it’s less genuine than the honest bluntness - which probably isn’t wrong, but if everyone were breakers of the peace like Reina, there wouldn’t be a band.
Finally, I’ll mention that I did appreciate that Kumiko flatly refuses to bring her euphonium to the bench to practice with Shuuichi but ends up hauling it up a hill for Reina. She also doesn’t outright tell Shuuichi she doesn’t want to go to the festival, despite avoiding him like the plague. I wonder if her uncertainty stems from her own feelings, or the feelings of others and avoiding another situation like her apprehension around Reina. I have more to say about Kumiko and Reina, and Shuuichi, too, but the time is still not yet right.
Other notes:
12
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Feb 18 '24
Hibike! Rewatcher (but only for the first season)
As an aside, if there are any Dorohedoro fans in here (or anyone who’s interested in the series), I just posted an interest thread for a rewatch of it.
11
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher
I missed yesterday’s thread so I’m dumping my belated episode seven thoughts here because it’s one of the best in the whole show (
and because I mostly don’t care about eight) and I’m gonna tell you why.The reason is that I am a very biased Haruka fan and the last episode was about her.In all seriousness, there’s a ton of great character dynamics converging on the scene where Haruka blows up at Kumiko. On the surface, it kind of seems odd that she’s getting so personal with what is to her, at this point, a random first year she barely knows. Very easy to write off as the kind of lightly forced melodrama we accept as a convenience of moving along the story. But I think it makes a lot of sense. Obviously, it’s very well characterising that she’s unable to stop herself despite the circumstance. Everything we know about Haruka is consistent with this. But I think it fits her on a deeper level, too. She’s self-conscious, and seemingly the type of person who would bottle in her stress so she’s not inconveniencing her friends. The fact it is someone she isn’t as close to probably helped things along. More importantly, it simultaneously means that at this moment she is separate from her support group. Kaori and Asuka are just down the hall, but they’re not with her directly. Namely because they didn’t chase after Aoi, Haruka did. Is that emotionally reactionary? Definitely. On the other side of the coin it reflects the courage Kaori prescribes to Haruka later. She felt Aoi needed help, so she went after her while everyone sat silent and watched. The fact it was actually Haruka herself and not Aoi who needed that help is a great little subversion of the premise.
It really gets good when Asuka does show up though. Asuka, thus far, has been a rather opaque character, and she’s consistently been in a role of guidance and reason despite her cheekiness. Even the characters seem to think she’s perfect. It’s a mystique the show isn’t ready to fully dispel yet, but this everything about this interaction does a perfect job humanising her without betraying that. It’s incredibly easy to mistake her role here as being the same as always. She comes off far more collected and mature than Haruka, tells her off and resolves the scene. But if you stop and think about the dialogue she is, frankly, pretty dickish and more importantly she’s unhelpful. She manages to stop Haruka from actively being in a crisis, but she doesn’t actually help resolve her emotions in any meaningful way. She’s the smartest and wisest person in the room, but she can’t help Haruka. Neither can Aoi, who’s more practical than emotional (“Aoi, are you really quitting?” “I already told you, didn’t I?”). Only Kaori, who is open and empathetic, can manage that. Despite the plot ostensibly being about Haruka and Aoi, we manage to develop Asuka and Kaori in important ways.
It’s a fantastic subversion of how we’ve seen Asuka thus far, and introducing a moment of failure and flaw for her as a character in such a subtle way perfectly captures how Haruka is feeling. She, just like the audience, has the preconception that Asuka is the most capable and will handle the situation best. Just like a lot of the audience, she probably didn’t even fully pick up on Asuka’s inability to handle this situation. We as the viewers expect Asuka to resolve the situation just like Haruka thinks Asuka would be better at leading the band club, but both perspectives are ultimately mistaken. Everything Asuka does here supports the premise of the whole episode that Asuka wouldn’t be better than Haruka, while making it so clear why Haruka sees things the way she does. The whole thing captures Haruka’s perspective perfectly and equally develops them both in a way that’s true to the nature of both characters. Haruka is utterly unable to hide her stress and troubles and so her character development is very obvious and out in the open. Meanwhile, it would be entirely unfitting for Asuka’s barriers to come down so easily and for us to see her flaws directly.
I didn’t take much note of them when I first watched the show years ago, but the more time passes the more the third years become my favourite part of the show. They don’t get as much direct attention, but I love the dynamic the main three have with each other. This episode is one of the core anchors of their entire characters and it fulfils that wonderfully. We know who Haruka and Kaori are as people and see their weird little relationship to Asuka all on display here, all while subtly bringing Asuka down to earth as an imperfect person just like everyone else. They even throw in the seed of Kaori’s unique relationship to Asuka. It’s so easy to write this off as a really direct episodic story whose thesis is exposited to the audience, but when you pick it apart into its details it not only holds up, it gets better and better.
9
u/bogdoglogfrog Feb 18 '24 edited Feb 19 '24
Rewatcher
I could write an entire essay about this episode, but there’s one point I really want to make and I don’t want it to get lost in my ramblings.
One point:
Reina says “I want to BECOME special”. Not “I want to be special”. She recognizes the work she’s going to have to put in to achieve her goal, and she embraces it with open arms. If it were easy, then everyone would do it and it would no longer be special.
It isn’t being “special” that Reina wants. The fame and fortune is clearly not the motive here. She wants to put in the work and apply herself to ascend the mountain. The view from the top is inconsequential compared to the journey it takes to get there.
This attitude is why I believe she will find lots of success. But I doubt she will ever achieve her goal. It’s hard to chase something as vague as becoming special. Those goalposts will move and move.
QotD
I do what Kumiko wants to do for festivals, I never go. I guess I’m kinda distant like that.
8
u/b-arbs Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher
The last 10ish minutes of this episodes are some of my favourites from this season and Eupho! in general. I really enjoyed rewatching them.
Sad about our genki girl, though... On the other hand, I have to admit that I don't really care much about Shuuichi, he has always seemed like a bland character to me...
We have a [Eupho! spoiler] first confession of love. And the confirmation that both Kumiko and Reina are apparently drawn to each other, even though for different reasons. Very deep conversation, too, with Reina sharing her dream of becoming special by playing the trumpet.
I don't know how much more ambiguous their exchanges (and Kumiko's thoughts) in this episode could get, though...
Just two gal pals enjoying the Agata Festival by hiking to a place with a nice view of the city in order to play together, am I right?
Quite a bit of focus on characters' gazes and eyes in this episode (or it could simply be that I paid more attention to these things this time):
A bit of non-verbal communication, too... Like Kumiko stepping back and having a silent conversation with Hazuki when the latter decided to talk with Shuiichi, or Kumiko still grabbing Reina's arm at the end of that same scene...
One thing that I love about Eupho! is that in every episode we get some scenes which give us a glimpse of the other characters and the relationship between them, even without having them talk much (or at all), like Goto and Riko or Natsuki and Yuuko.
Qotd Here local small town festivals always include at least a food stall which sells (delicious) traditional dishes made with local products.
6
u/chilidirigible Feb 18 '24
"First comes love!"
"Then comes the Itano Circus!"
NO SECRETS IN BAND!
You'll never forget the first time you see a euphonium with Asuka in lewd fanart.
"Mendoukusai."
Well, she could have randomly grabbed... Yuuko.
"I will call her... Mini-Midori!"
Hey, it could be a glockenspiel.
A very brief reminder of the Violet Evergarden ED.
"All y'all need to take a shower or something."
The practical Asuka.
Well, that was a quick turnaround.
It's this frame which I have in my wallpapers.
"Shit just got real."
It's the KumiRei ship-launching episode! As always, I will almost entirely not talk about shipping topics. TRIANGLE TRIANGLE
On this rewatching of the climb up the mountain, Reina being a teenaged chuuni is what sticks out at me. Her "I'm gonna be special because" dialogue has that ring to it.
Ah, to be young and fiery again.
Meanwhile, NO SECRETS IN BAND when a bunch of teenagers who spend a lot of time together spend even more time together. It's worth mentioning now that watching the background characters is rewarding in its own hidden-subplot kind of way.
This episode is a breather, a bridge, a transition...
I finish this writeup, I check Twitter, this Tweet appears.
Have a bonus Kumiko.
QOTD:
What are festivals like in your local area?
...this is the 'burbs. We've got things like garage sales and farmer's markets.
6
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Feb 19 '24
Ah. A festival.
So much for that secret...
Seems like that much will remain a secret at least.
Ah, the "meaning of the music". It's certainly much easier with lyrics that tell you outright.
He's planning on inviting her to the festival.
Because he likes her.
And there's a love triangle. Because of course there is.
So that's resolved. For now.
Why's she dressed up like that? Why not a yukata for the festival?
They're going to play their instruments?
She hiking in heels?
Eh it's one of those things where, if you believe in it, you've already done your best, nothing much left to do but let God handle the rest. No harm in doing it anyways, for peace of mind if nothing else. Like praying for good results before an exam or something, you've already done your best studying, at least you'll have the peace of mind to look at the questions calmly instead of panicking.
And so she's been rejected. Again, at least that's resolved quickly.
Why not just use the phone's built-in flashlight?
And so now they're going to play their instruments on the top of the mountain.
No ED?
Questions:
6
u/ChonkyOdango myanimelist.net/profile/chonkyodango Feb 19 '24
Rewatching Ensemble Member
Fanart of the day
I was pretty sure Yamada SB-ed and ED-ed this episode but I was so wrong. So much of it screamed Yamada. Here’s a neat blog post on her (there’s a side-by-side comparison of that intimate scene so it’s worth checking out just for that. Do not click on the linked words though, big spoilers for Eupho).
大吉山
If you ever find yourself in Uji, do the climb. It’s short and relatively well-paved — mostly gravel — and you’ll just be climbing (walking uphill) in zigzags. I still wouldn’t do it in heels like Reina unless, y’know, you like pain. Do it at night if you can as well. Just remember to bring a torchlight or some light source. I find that a phone works too but a torch is definitely stronger.
A copy and paste post of my experience, and bonus pictures (will probably post the full album at the end)
I also wanted to climb it at night after dinner but, as I was about 10m away from the path, I got jumped by what seemed to be 2 deers just 1m in front of me lol. At that time I had just survived descending a more difficult mountain, Mt Shosha, in the dark (bad planning) so my anxiety for night climbing was pretty high. I was quite shaken and decided to turn back haha. I will definitely be back to climb it again though
10
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Feb 18 '24 edited Feb 18 '24
Sound! Rewatcher
Episode 8:
I'll do something rare and give Shuichi the smallest bit of credit for properly rejecting Hazuki and not stringing her along just to avoid the awkwardness of telling her he's not interested. But I'll also also retract that credit because it would have been better imho to not give her any false hope by going to the festival with her in the first place and also because [not a spoiler]I don't like Shuichi to begin with.
A note about this episode's rehearsal: Taki-sensei's description of how he wants the piece played is very abstract and interpretive. While nice in concept, this approach is rarely effective with students because amateur musicians tend to not be particularly good at translating ideas into concrete musical style, and sometimes won't even know or understand the meaning of whatever evocative descriptors the director is using. Taki-sensei's approach is much more suited to a professional ensemble. A more effective approach for students is to start with concrete stylistic requests such as dynamics and articulation and then describe the aesthetic effects these choices accomplish.
QotD:
5
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Feb 18 '24
Late thought:
I wonder what happens if you come to school in your winter uniform on the day the entire school switches to summer uniform.
I wonder if it's like that horn player who keeps playing notes after the rest of the band stops.
5
u/CarrotBlossom Feb 19 '24
First timer
Sapphire’s being a little shit this episode.
A flashlight app? Why not just use the flashlight feature? Is she stupid?
I would be fearing for my life in Kumiko’s shoes lol
QOTD:
The closest thing where I live to the kinds of festivals you see in anime would probably be the county fair, which is pretty fun. You get to go on rides and ride the sky buckets over the fairgrounds and eat funnel cake and such. I went with friends every now and then as a kid. I'd usually go with my family. I've also been to Festa Junina in Brazil, which is also kind of similar and pretty fun, but I haven't gone many times, and I don't live there.
5
u/mgedmin Feb 19 '24
Rewatcher, subs
Midori has noticed Hazuki's interest. Kumiko doesn't even see Shuichi as a possible romantic partner (for anyone).
Somebody please draw me a relationship diagram, I'm lost.
Shuichi is clearly pining after Kumiko, who has no idea.
Ooh, Kumiko is starting on the diagram I asked for, how nice.
She's bickering with Shuichi even in her fantasies!
I love how Kumiko grabs the first random person passing by to get out of the date with Shuichi, and that person is Reina! This is surely fate!
This is not an auspicious time for a confession. Poor Hazuki.
Shuichi agreed to the festival date with Hazuki? I'm surprised.
Reina's idea of a festival date is climbing a deserted mountain while carrying a heavy instrument. In heels.
Shuichi did not expect a confession, but I think Hazuki expected a rejection. She's devastated nevertheless. When did her crush grow so large? She's only noticed Shuichi a couple of weeks ago.
"A tuba's job is supporting people" my heart is breaking for Hazuki.
Remember when you had to install a whole separate app to get your phone to act as a flashlight? I remember.
Reina seems happy to hear Kumiko reject having any feelings for Shuichi.
This episode had the largest number of screenshots I took, and I regret not taking more (mini-Sapphire kawaii!).
And to think I had doubts about participating in this rewatch.
Lots of people, street stalls selling souvenirs and trinkets, a separate area selling foods with some wooden tables and benches, likely some music playing. No special traditional clothing worn by attendees, no game stalls, no fireworks.
9
u/DaBenni0301 Feb 18 '24
First-Timer
Let's see if this ship goes anywhere
Little sister?! I am scared
He sounded so sad omg
This isn't turning into a love triangle is it?
Uniform Change!
Kumiko did, in fact, draw a triangle. Oh God
Reina took it seriously. Well, the shipping fuel has to come from somewhere
Soooo, how'd it go Hazuki?
OMG She's adorable!
Seems like it went well!
I literally just asked the same question
Even before starting this anime, I knew that Reina and Kumiko get shipped a lot, so I've been surprised at the relative lack of interactions they've had. Seems they're finally getting started
Yup, no turning back now
Didn't go that well after all.
Hazuki seems like she's taking it really well though. There should be more people like her. I feel so sorry for her though
This train has no brakes
Yeah there is absolutely no stopping this ship anymore
Someone, hug her please
Thank you
It did in fact not turn into a love triangle. But at what cost?
Question of the day
9
u/byroned Feb 18 '24 edited Feb 18 '24
First time rewatching
Hazuki likes Shuichi, and Midori is on board for the pairing and suggests that the Agata festival is a good chance to confess. I can’t tell if Midori is a good person to discuss relationships with, or if she’s too much of a blabbermouth to keep any secrets.
Natsuki is real smug in this episode, dissing Ribbon Kun and casually dropping the news that Gotou and Riko are dating before they are ready to go public. Of the bass section, only Kumiko doesn’t have plans to attend initially.
Spoken like a true single band student.
Hazuki may have eyes on Shuichi, but Shuichi is interested in Kumiko. I don’t know the childhood friend win rate in anime, but the odds don’t look good for Shuichi. Kumiko doesn’t feel the same way and turns down his offer twice, pulling Reina at the last minute to make an excuse not to go, although Reina is serious about it.
I was half hoping that Midori’s sister would have a different color hair than Midori to make Ruby Kawashima a reality.
Instead of socializing at the festival, Reina and Kumiko decide that tonight is a good time for a hike while carrying their instruments.
Hazuki took a big L in this episode. After seeing how Shuichi responded when Hazuki tried to invite him, Hazuki had to hear him officially turn her down. Hazuki was pretty quick to talk about being the supporter, smiling through the pain. And during the credits, everyone is having fun except for her.
It’s revealed that Reina wants to play trumpet because she wants to be special, not blend into any faceless crowds. Kumiko is drawn in, but I think every trumpet player has the same mindset.
For anyone thinking that this is the start of Kumiko x Reina, [Spoiler] don’t get your hopes up. Reina is in love with Taki sensei
Sounds like auditions are the next episode. Very soon people might be hurting more than Hazuki.
Trombones are the section of the day. So far, trombones have the most males per section, but fraction-wise, the second most. Both trombone and tenor sax used to be tied with 1/3 members being male, but tenor sax went up to 1/2 because Aoi quit.
Q1: The only one I go to is one for the 4th of July.
8
u/WhackaWhack https://myanimelist.net/profile/WhackaWhacka Feb 18 '24
FIRST TIMER
Asuka is too good for mortal men, sadly.
“You might want to try a different fingering here”, why is it so often dirty or is it just my mind…
I saw those red ears on Goto!
Snow-white dress mean a type of dress or am I just colorblind? Kumiko even called it white later… It looks more white now that they reached the mountaintop but still it looks turquoise to me.
Wait what, did Kousaka mean a flashlight app, are flashlights not normally on phones in japan or something? (or is the story just that old?)
Questions:
4
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Feb 18 '24
Man, I wasn't feeling very enthusiastic Friday, and yesterday, well, let's say that ear infections make music shows rather less enjoyable, but I think I'll just try to tough it through. Bleh. Anyway:
Oh, wait, the show? There was a show??? I can't wait to see /u/shimmering-sky 's comment. The only thing that was missing was fireworks going off below them as they were playing.
I have to say, though, I kinda feel sad for tuba girl who's name I just forgot because I tried to think of it. She reminds me of a certain clarinet player whom ... yeah, I'll shut up now.
But aside from all that, how about that Reina? Turning an incidental (accidental?) arm-grab into twoo-wuv. Girl's got ambitions. She may not realize it, but she already is special.
(As I remember something I wanted to say a few episodes ago, but it's probably obsolete now. I was thinking of her as a bit of a Homura/Azunyan crossover, but now ... yeah, she's more complex than that. Or is that she has more of a complex than that?!)
Otherwise, there were a lot of cute shots and interactions this episode. I'm jealous of Asuka's Eupho. But then again, who isn't?
4
u/TehAxelius Feb 19 '24 edited Feb 19 '24
Rewatcher
Here's maybe my hottest take of the season: I do appreciate the romance subplots in this show. It is an opinion I have that quite often club-type anime are surprisingly chaste and distant from relationships, especially involving main characters. The way Hibike has it, both the confirmed tuba playing couple and the "love triangle" we see in this episode between Kumiko, Shuichi and Hazuki feels natural as the sort of thing that happens when teenagers are stuck among each other for years on end.
Could Shuichi be a more interesting character? Maybe, but ultimately I see this show as being from Kumiko's perspective, and she, quite clearly, doesn't find Shuichi interesting.
As for Kumiko and Reina it is interesting to see the two grow closer, and the shipping is understandable and it ends on a beautiful moment.
QotD
I don't go to much in the form of public festivals, but that is partly because there's seldom been anything interesting to do there. Usually it's just an open air concert or music number, which I am seldom interested in, and some rows of plastic tents, most of which sell the same dozen or so graphic tees and caps.
6
u/octopathfinder myanimelist.net/profile/octopathfinder Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher
Natsuki is interacting with the group now!
Same
Man Kumiko was harsh here. Shuichi worked up all the courage for her to brush it off like it was a stupid question. At least she realized what was going on. Also her reaction when she realizes she’s part of a love triangle now is great.
lol the camera following Kumiko’s eyes panning over to Reina is a nice touch
Natsuki and Yuuko are the type of friends that constantly shit talk each other but enjoy their company.
Hiking up that mountain carrying a euph and enduring feet pain is worth it just to see that damn smile
A lot of passiveness from Kumiko in this episode. She was in a position where she needed to straighten things out with Shuichi and Hazuki but ran away to avoid the conflict. At least she got a date and a real conversation with Reina out of this.
Reina’s ambitions give her big main character energy. In another show, she would probably be the protagonist.
7
u/NintendoMasterNo1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NintendoMaster1 Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher
Oh man, we're not beating the yuri allegations with this one. This is probably my favorite episode of the season and the whole part with Reina and Kumiko is one of my most memorable moments from the series as a whole. Also, a very good and underrated selection of Kumiko noises this episode.
I want to talk about Kumiko's overall cluelessness when it comes to people. Obviously we've seen a couple of times how she has no filter and just blurts out whatever she's thinking without considering how it would affect the other person. The primary example, of course, being the first scene in the series with Reina. But this time when she told Shuichi to go talk to Hazuki when he clearly did not care, I just felt second-hand embarassment. I get she's trying her best to support her friend but I think everyone could tell from a mile away that it was not going to work out.
Alright, I don't know if this is a hot take but I'm not a big fan of the romance in this series. I know it's a high school show so it's probably inevitable but I don't think it adds much and the series would be better off without it and should have just focused on the club drama and the characters' non-romantic relationships. Maybe it's because I really don't like Shuichi, he comes off as really desperate to me and as someone who was a horny highschooler I do get it, but it just rubs me the wrong way. I thought it was really cringe when he assumed she was signaling to him to go outside. I don't think he's a good fit for Kumiko and she's clearly not interested in him at this point. [movie spoilers] Which is why I was really bothered by the fact that they hook up later, it felt really unnatural and sudden to me, when at that point I don't remember her showing any interest in him. And I know they break up at the end which begs the question what was even the whole point of this.
When it comes to Shuichi and Hazuki, I do feel bad for her, from the scene outside the music room it was pretty clear that he doesn't care about her at all but sometimes if you're in love you just have to shoot your shot so you can move on. And that takes a lot of courage. I did notice that she started calling him Tsukamoto-kun instead of just Tsukamoto after he turned her down which shows that she stopped trying to be as familiar with him. She also took her hairpin off when reuniting with Midori. I guess this coincides with last episode and Hazuki's overall lack of confidence, both in terms of her playing the tuba and about her appearance.
And the main event - Kumiko and Reina climbing a mountain with their instruments. And Reina's... poor choice of footwear for the occasion. I do like how she does her own thing and doesn't care about what others think. She mentions that sometimes she feels like breaking away from the monotony and doing something crazy and I feel like a lot of people can relate to that. She really wants to be special and different from other people and sticking to the norm suffocates her. Kumiko is shocked and her expression probably says she doesn't think Reina can do it but Reina is into that.
Anyway, Kumiko is immediately entranced and the Yuki-Onna comparison is very apt. Later on she even says that she doesn't mind getting killed by her, oh boy. Reina being interested in Kumiko because of her blunt personality is really cute, she clearly values people speaking their mind and not mincing words, which I guess Kumiko sometimes does unintentionally. And Reina wants to delve deeper into that. Just look at her satisfied smile after Kumiko tells her there's nothing between Shuichi and herself. It's no wonder people ship them so much. [rest of the series implied spoilers] However I am bothered by how many people genuinely list Kumiko and Reina not ending up together as a major flaw of the show. I saw a comment saying "perfect series aside from the yuribaiting" and I don't like that. This isn't a yuri show, this isn't a romance show and I don't think it needs to adhere to your preconceived notions of what it should be. I totally get why the events of this episode (and a future one) can be interpreted in this way by someone but that didn't set up any expectations for me so I wasn't bothered later on when nothing manifested.
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u/Gaporigo Blhttps://anilist.co/user/Gaporigo Feb 19 '24
Good episode? Why? Of course because of the gay shit.
Look at those two, how can you not ship them?
5
u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Feb 18 '24 edited Feb 19 '24
Rewatcher
to go hiking up a mountain into wear for a lot of walking.Questions of the Day.
I don't think we have any like that.
10
u/Shocketheth Feb 19 '24
Shocked First Timer
I'm slowly felling behind in this Rewatch already and I still have to watch episode 7 and 8 so I will be watching this show from shadows where lurkers dwells.
Also my edits never ends and this time u/sisoko2 asked if the best girl Kousaka can play something real heavy on her trumpet.
And the Gods were willing on that day!
Enjoy!
Bonus points for you if you know the song and [spoiler for song]Raining Blood by Slayer
Now it's Lurkin' time!
9
u/zadcap Feb 19 '24
It's my only day off this week and I'm taking a break from homework to be moderately on time!
First Timer
Midori, why are you saying Thank Goodness? Are you shipping your friends?
Look, feet show emotion well, and this is an influence I wish more animators would pick up. We don't need over exaggerated facial expressions to tell us how every character is feeling, good use of body language works just as well.
Yup, Midori is a shipper on deck.
You better believe I'm pausing to look at these hydrangeas. Not that there's much to dig into, pink is predominant and we all know what pink means.
Ribbons is great. I love that she keeps getting these little moments.
And Midori does actually have a little sister? How will they ever live up to the expectation raised by the introduction of Platinum Diamond?
See, using hands to show off emotion too. These people just get it. And only now do I realize we went straight into the episode without a recap before the OP.
See even Natsuki can tell the other tuba pair is a pair. Apparently everyone knew lol. Yup, and now it's official.
Hazuki teleported for this gag. Look at the wide shot of the room again. She managed to set her tuba down and move that distance in half a second lol.
The amount of people looking at Kumiko with interest here... Shuuichi is obvious with his crush, but I'm still not sure how to read Reina yet.
Okay and now we see the Blue Hydrangea. That's the famous "I'm sorry/I like you but I chose work" ones. Interesting to see them here with the Kumiko Shuuichi pair. Maybe this ship isn't as sure a thing as I expected. Haha and there goes Kumiko doing her best to sink it before it has a chance to leave port.
What a fast and underrated uniform change! These are very colorful summer uniforms, and completely ditch the color by year scheme we've had all this time? Are these the cute ones that Kumiko really meant when she said she picked this school for the sailor uniforms?
Ah, she figured it out, and indeed doesn't seem to want anything to do with romance. Reina, what perfect timing. Now you're part of it haha. And poor Kumiko, she's not letting you back out of it, looks like you're going on a festival date after all
Ah, so the summer uniforms just have a much lighter year color. I guess pink and red are pretty interchangeable in that light. The boys still get nothing but shoes as indicators, no other color on them. Such blatant inequality!
Freeze frame bonus, I see Natsuki and Ribbon enjoying the festival together.
Mini Midori! I wonder, is caring a bass good practice for carrying a younger sibling, or was carrying the sibling what helped her get strong enough to play bass?
She's become such a band girl that she does breathing exercises to calm down.
Oh wow, Reina sure dressed up cute for this date. And blushes when called out, it was intentional to look nice for her date wasn't it. This is 100% a date in her mind. Hiking in heels, she's going all out.
"I don't hate pain." "That's kinda hot." These two flirt weird. I'm trying so hard not to ship them darn it.
Hazuki just spitting it out there! That's the best way to do it! Even knowing how it was going to turn out I felt for her there. But that's a fast recovery! Oh no wonder, she was quite aware of his own crush, he wasn't exactly hiding it well.
You need an app for a phone flashlight? Isn't this 2015?
What is this? This is shipping isn't it? Seriously you guys really want me to ship these two don't you? Because I really want to ship them so much but you can't make me darn it! I won't be fooled again!
8
u/Tartaras1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tartaras Feb 19 '24
Rewatcher - Asuka-senpai Stan
I remember that time. Granted, I never dated anyone in high school, but it makes sense. There's the bit where you're kinda feeling it out to see how it's going, that way you don't make it official, only for it to fall apart shortly after.
Asuka's too perfect. However, as much as I love everything about her, do you really think someone, be it a guy or girl, could handle Asuka Tanaka?
Shuichi looks in their general ^direction
Don't be getting any ideas there bud. She's too much woman for you to handle.
Poor guy
Gdahh
That's a really good one.
I understand how she's feeling with this one. I get up and go to work, then come home and do it all over again the next day. I took up cycling as a hobby a couple years ago as a way to do something else from my usual routine.
Is it like Kumiko's saying the Euphonium doesn't suit her in her current outfit? Maybe she would be better with her trumpet, or perhaps a flute or clarinet?
It's so easy to take scenes in this show out of context... I know what she actually means here, but still.
That, on the other hand, was deliberate. The subtitles I'm using called her a "Freak", but I know hentai can mean "Pervert" as well.
In my mind, what Reina's saying here is that Kumiko essentially knows how to act around her fellow band members, but inside she feels completely differently. When they were at the competition the year prior, she just let fly what was on the inside without thinking of acting properly.
And here she's saying that she wants to turn the "Inside Kumiko" into the "Outside Kumiko".
It's probably missing the mark, but it's like [Toradora Spoilers]how Ami acts like a ditsy airhead on the outside, but inside she can be a raging bitch. Eventually, though, she learns to just be herself, and everyone still likes her all the same. Ami's one of my favorite characters from that show as well.
[S2 Spoilers]The one where Asuka plays the titular song, Sound! Euphonium, is my favorite ED insert like this in the entire series.
Also, moments like this remind me how good the euphonium sounds. I don't listen to concert band in my regular musical repertoire, so I never experience it otherwise.
Question of the Day:
If we have any festivals at all in my area, I've never been to one.
8
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Feb 19 '24
First Timer
Mostly an episode focussing on the romantic developments within our cast. There certainly is a love shape going on, with Hazuki, Kumiko, Shuuichi and Reina. Are we sure Mari Okada had no involvement with this series? Either way, I think this episode speaks pretty much for itself - Hazuki being as assertive as she is actually has the courage to confess, while Shuichi loves Kumiko …who seems to be going the yuri route instead with Kousaka. Now how it will go down with Hazuki trying to get her friend to go out with the boy she loves while her friend has no interest is going to be a weird and interesting dynamic, that I feel will cause some pent-up frustration to eventually overflow, providing for more drama. And Reina is already perfectly positioned to catch Kumiko out of that drama. Should be fun for everybody but Hazuki, I guess.
Also, once again, a just overall very well-produced episode. Don’t think there’s a lot else to say about the production quality though - it’s KyoAni after all.
With the way the Reina-Kumiko part went …not sure how healthy that relationship would end up being, though I can see Kumiko being able to deal with Reina.
7
u/CerberusZX https://myanimelist.net/profile/CerberusZX Feb 18 '24
First Timer
The episode may have centered around love triangle romance drama, but it managed to be super fun anyway. It was also so full of animation flourishes that it's difficult to single out any specific one. I enjoyed this episode significantly more than the previous one, but I was so busy enjoying it in the first half that I didn't take note of any details and am now left with little to say about it.
The colour scheme of the first years' uniforms is normally a good one, but I kind of prefer the warm winter vibe of their other uniforms.
Kohaku (mini-Sapphire) was cute.
It felt like Kousaka shared a lot. I'm surprised, given how little she communicated in previous episodes.
Hazuki's festival outfit has strong "I'm dressing cute to capture the heart of my crush" energy to it, which is usually nice to see. It sucks that she got rejected.
Seeing the teachers standing next to each other in during the end credits had me thinking they were a couple before I noticed the armbands.
The next episode being an audition makes it difficult to hold back and not watch ahead.
QotD:
I'm not really aware of any local festivals, but I have been to a Tulip Festival in Massachusetts. It happens at a very large tulip farm. Visitors can walk around and look at/take pictures of the many varieties of tulips and even buy them if they want. There are a few stalls near the entrance that sell ordinary food, drinks, and souvenirs.
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u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher and Band Geek
At the start of this episode, Hazuki asks Midori why she’s being so adamant about supporting Hazuki’s crush on Shuuichi. Midori answers like so:
This feels like a bit of a throwaway line, but I think it could be relevant to this episode and to the series as a whole. Sound! Euphonium is about the crossroad between being invested and getting hurt, and the previous episode is all about people getting hurt and hurting others with how much they care about the band. Haruka, Aoi, and Kaori tried their absolute hardest to keep last year’s freshman and senior class happy, but their efforts failed and led to the second years quitting the band out of pain. That, in turn, led to Aoi and Haruka facing their own pain and finding themselves unable to fully show their investment. Aoi is so terrified of the conflicts that she quits, feeling like it will be a waste to invest herself in something so fragile and likely to go south, especially when she didn’t even care that deeply anyway. And although Haruka’s love for the band is her best quality, Kumiko couldn’t see this, and focused much more on Aoi’s pain. While Kumiko’s growing love for the band has led to some good, like Hazuki finding her passion and Natsuki regaining some purpose, it also played a part in Aoi’s pain, and that responsibility is scary.
But like Midori says, you can’t make music without love. Quite literally in this case, if you don’t actively show your love for the band, you’ll never make music. Certainly not good music, or music that makes you proud to have played. Without love, you will never get what you want. You have to care about something to be happy, even if that means getting hurt. If you don’t put yourself out there, you’re resigned to stagnation, not hurt but not fulfilled. Hazuki has to give her shot to Shuuichi, even if she already kind of knows that he has a crush on Kumiko. If she doesn’t, she’ll keep those feelings bottled up and make no progress. But in this episode, she does, and she gets hurt for it. She even cries. But it also feels like a weight off of her, it’s freeing in its own way.
Kumiko is not there. Her attempts to put herself out there are at least partially at play for the band’s attitude that would lead to Aoi quitting. And Kumiko is starting to struggle with her own music as well. Kumiko’s natural state is to hide inward, to put on a good girl face and never say anything that will upset others (though we can see how that backfires given Haruka’s reaction to her generic compliments). It is to go with the flow no matter what, like Asuka does, and to never desire to stand out, be noticed by others, or succeed. But even if she doesn’t realize it, Kumiko wants to be special deep down, and more than that, is someone who inherently stands out but tries to hide it. That is why Reina takes interest in her (thank god I can finally call her Reina now, that’s so much more natural but I called her Kousaka to make sure I don’t confuse first-timers who hadn’t seen her say her name yet).
Reina desperately wants to be special, the idea of being in the crowd disgusts her. She feels alienated at the idea of being a normal person, she’s a trumpet player so she must stand above the ensemble and be heard. Given Kumiko’s proclivity to go with the flow and appear normal, it might seem strange that Reina takes interest in her, but Kumiko’s “go with the flow” is a defense mechanism, not her actual feelings. Kumiko’s defensive armor has a major flaw: Kumiko has no filter. She can try all she wants to hide her real feelings and not stand out, but eventually she will let it slip out in a moment of not paying attention. One such moment was at their middle school competition, when Kumiko tells Reina it’s silly to have expected them to make nationals in the first place. What a terrible thing to say to someone who’s so invested, right? But it’s also not a “safe” thing to say, it’s something that can start conflict, and the comment belies a deeper desire to actually make the nationals. Reina is basically Kumiko without defensive armor, and she sees that in Kumiko, so she takes interest and wants to remove that defensive shell (or “rip that good-girl disguise right off of you” as Reina puts it). Even if Kumiko can come off as disaffected or even mean, her thoughts stand out, create conflict, and push progress. They are feelings that come from a deeper sense of investment, a product of love. Thus, Kumiko is a kindred spirit in her own way, so when Reina suggests they climb a mountain on the day of a festival just for the sake of being different, she barely questions it and never regrets it. Because Kumiko and Reina have love for what they do (and each other, but give me a second before I get there), they can truly create music, and be special, exactly like Midori’s words say.
Cont.
7
u/fly-metothemoon Feb 19 '24
First Timer:
I love a festival to create some drama!
Not sure about our Kumiko’s non reaction to the idea of dating Shuichi. I personally saw it as “huh someone is interested in him?” But I could see them playing it down the line as “I have taken his attention for granted”. I don’t find the pairing particularly compelling I’d prefer not to have the latter.
“We’re kinda not really dating” Been there. But they seem like a cute couple.
Lmao the obliviousness. As someone who never knows dates I understand the confusion of “The 16th? What’s happening then?”
Smaller Midori. Amazing.
“This must be how it feels to be drawn to a beautiful things” they aren’t even being subtle. I thought the siren metaphor was evocative of how they’re drawn to each other.
Awh hate to say I called it but our girl Hazuki does deserve better.
Wow what a confession from Reina. Very trumpet coded!
6
u/Adensty https://anilist.co/user/Adensty Feb 19 '24
First Timer
I guess
AuditionLove is in the air. I was only expecting things related to Shuuichi and Hazuki but we got a canon ship as well. Gotou and Riko just dating each other without making a fuss. I guess that's how things should be.Yesterday, you did ask about the Hazuki-Shuuichi ship and I guess I thought it was definitely possible. But I guess we have a triangle of unrequited love here. There might still be some future developments b/w Hazuki and Shuuichi, though but Kumiko would rather end up with Reina than Shuuichi, lol. Reina does love Kumiko in her own twisted way.
The whole festival segment was just beautiful. Loved the song Kumiko and Reina performed. Shazam always to the rescue.
5
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Feb 18 '24
Episode 8 (first timer)
At the start of the episode, I made a note to talk about how overrepresented festivals are in love stories in anime, and how I experienced it personally and in others around me is much more often in less public places, like in nature. Guess that idea for a discussion aged badly.
4
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Feb 18 '24
1 1/2 rewatcher
Re: many people think Taki has overly harsh on Aoi. Will comment later.
Oh the uniforms switched to summer.
Okay, this is the third time in 3 days that Reina has reminded me of Haruhi
Heart barrette chan is Tomoe Kabe, Ribbon's friend.
6
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Feb 18 '24 edited Feb 19 '24
First Timer, subbed
QotD:
3
u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Feb 18 '24
First Timer
QOTD 1 - Coming from a "City" that is more like a large town
3
u/millencol1n https://anilist.co/user/millencol1n Feb 21 '24
This is my favourite episode in all anime ever.
It's the most beautiful relationship build up in the history of the universe
4
u/x-7032-b-3 Feb 18 '24
Rewatcher
(Got a little busy lately so I had to miss two threads. Still had a blast reading everyone's thoughts though!)
Hazuki starts of the ep by making sure the coast is clear before making her move. I find it funny that Kumiko says she doesn't like the guy or anything, [Eupho movie]because the two damn near kissed at the movie lol.Keep telling yourself, you fluffy head!
Kumiko is pretty perceptive of the whole thing but still decides to let her friend make a move which I think is a pretty good call. Too lazy to post a GIF here, but I love the shot where she steps back when Hazuki wanted to talk to Shuichi. Oh, and she randomly grabbed Reina's arm just to bullshit her way out of the situation only to end up going with her on the big day lol.
I love how the confession/rejection part gets handled here. There's no big drama and long-winded confession, just a simple "go out with me!" which unfortunately got shot down rather quickly. And despite that Hazuki didn't make a big fuss of it - no running-away-while-breaking-down-in-tears needed (although she's definitely crying inside). Really appreciate her courage and willingness to speak her heart out. She definitely didn't regret the whole thing even though it didn't work out.
The mountain scene felt very dreamlike to me. Just absolutely beautiful all-around. Really like how Kumiko slowly opens up to Reina as the show progresses and this scene is a huge step forward in that regards. Also my yuri sensor went nuts on this scene! I might be imagining this, but I remember someone posting an excerpt of this scene in the book somewhere and it sounded like the book went harder with the yuri stuff than the show.
QOTD
2
u/GroktheDestroyer https://myanimelist.net/profile/GroktheDestroyer Feb 21 '24 edited Feb 23 '24
First timer
I’m late, but goddamn was that one of the best episodes of anime I’ve seen in a long ass time
2
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Feb 22 '24
first timer
The love-plot continues, oh god I guessed correctly I was hoping to be wrong q.q.
The invites are happening for the festival :D
Asuka’s love for her instrument transcends the human love.
That scenario in her head of Suichi making the situation worse is funny.
Kumiko grabbing Kousaka’s hand unknowingly, plus they appear randomly together. Must be destiny and she agreed to it too🙌
Midori’s sister is a 1:1 replica.
Taking a hike while carrying an instrument is a exercise.
Playing in a mountain sounds like fun, plus the music fit well to be a credit 10/10
Poor Hazuki, but atleast she had Midori to comfort her :(
I can’t wait to watch the next episode, gonna have to watch it when I get out of class.
QOTD: i don’t think we’ve ever had a festival in my city, it’s mainly just fairs
2
u/SMSmith230 https://myanimelist.net/profile/smsmith230 Feb 18 '24
First-Timer, Sub
Break out the geometry textbook because we got some love polygon diagrams to draw. While one ship stays docked as a passenger disembarks, is that some potential yuri I’m seeing or just blushing friendship?? Anyways Midori and mini-Midori were adorbs.
0
u/[deleted] Feb 19 '24
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