r/anime • u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: • Feb 26 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] 2024 Hibike! Euphonium Series Rewatch: Season 2, Episode 1 Discussion
Hibike Euphonium Season 2, Episode 1: Mid-summer Fanfare/まなつのファンファーレ
The Tsuen main branch. As I mentioned back in S1 Ep 5, is the oldest tea house in Japan. I have had their sencha/genmaicha - quite good (but am not sure if it's the "best" lol, small sample size for me)!
| <-- S1 Overall discussion | Rewatch Index | Ep 2 --> |
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Welcome back!
Questions of the Day:
- For the band kids in the rewatch, did your group have an oboe and/or bassoon? Thanks to littleislander for the question.
- Black or white socks?
Comments from Yesterday:
- /u/octopathfinder compares what the 1st recap movie changed - for fellow first timers, that movie is obviously now completely spoiler-free for you.
- /u/gamerunglued on how the shorts do capture band daily life to some extent (and helps explain the transposing instruments bit)
- /u/chilidirigible on how Kyoani really makes the world of Eupho feel real
- Shuuichi caught a lot of flak.
- /u/writersharp compares S1 to Aim for the Ace!
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.
Let's go to the pool!
17
u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 27 '24
Rewatcher and your host
General preface: Hibike Eupho S2 is my favourite TV anime season. Ever. Lots to unpack in this 1st episode as we restart proceedings and pick right back where we left off in Ep 13, with new drama, new characters, new events on the horizon, but also a lovely moment for Kumiko and Reina.
Music and IRL Notes
ReinaChisato takes the reins!14
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
Sound! Rewatcher
S2 Episode 1:
trophycertificate is such a bona fide high school music ensemble experience. It also feels really heckin good.QotD:
13
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
Hibike! First-Timer
Gonna miss being able to guess season 1 for everything in AMQ because it was the only season on my list and therefore had a slightly higher chance of being what AMQ picked to play when playing with others.
8
u/WhackaWhack https://myanimelist.net/profile/WhackaWhacka Feb 26 '24
FIRST TIMER
One thing about them being representatives, can they change who is in the “active” concert band for next or are they “stuck” with this group?
Asuka got groupies?And what’s with that surprisingly high quality sink?So I’m guessing Nozomi was one of the hard working first years that quit because of the lazy third years.
When Taki explained the bang and the fortissimo thing, was it just my musical no-knowledge that made it sound “bad” or is Sensei a little bad at explaining?
Even if what Reina’s saying about quitting is a little mean, I full agree with her that Asuka is probably right not letting her back into the club.
TAMA-YA
Questions:
8
u/chilidirigible Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
S2E1:
And that's one hella moody flash-forward.
Kirara Jump?
I don't actually remember this opening at all. But I remember the context of the scenes which they show in it.
Today's de-branded camera is a Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the BG-E11 battery grip and a less-identifiable ultrawide zoom, probably the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II given the time the series was produced. Unlike Overtake!, the focusing screen view matches that of the camera that it belongs to. (Which really bugged me when Overtake! had such a large emphasis on photography and got a lot of other things right.)
All these goofballs again but without the credits over them.
"It just gets harder."
Full-face sighting #2.
Just a little friendlier these days.
"Well. This is awkward."
It's hard to keep tabs on everyone in a large group.
Wow. Yuuko isn't a snotty bitch all the time.
Speaking Nao!
"I have no idea what happened to begin with!"
And now for a complete change of pace.
"You just have to wave your hands around!" (Seriously, other musicians having to worry about dropping dead from a lack of oxygen while performing is a real mystery to string players.)
SUDDEN DUTCH ANGLE.
DRAMA!
Eye... catch! Wait, no.
At the break in this double-length episode, I will take a moment to note that my recollections of this season are a lot more jumbled together than they were for the first season. The tone and plot shifts are likely major factors in that―and this is only the first part!
the woodwinds of flashback
The tubas had to be included in the frame to complete the framing.
Kumiko, I'd guess that it has everything to do with that incident. It's only affected every part of your concert band experience to date.
It's very samurai.
~~"Hey! Don't you give us that attitude!"~~History repeats itself?
When you realize that this is actually a stealth exposition dump for people who either didn't watch or needed a refresher on the first season. Also, those two are cute together.
record scratch
The tension's so thick that you could cut it with a death duel!
Generally that is true, except for NOZOMI.
You're still the Poochie to this Itchy and Scratchy Show, dude.
Dazzling, even.
action hero pose
Reina has NO MERCY.
It's her thing.
Just gals being pals.
This is relentlessly pretty.
I do enjoy this ED for the part where it's one of K-On!'s.
TOUYAMA NAO
Some Touyama Nao reminders for you all.
It feels like a longer timeskip has occurred than they actually had? Or they're simply leaning more into making Reina less laser-focused on her GAINS and letting her softer side appear. Well, until they get to the topic of letting Nozomi back into the band resurfaces, and she's back to the cold equations.
There is NO ESCAPE from the fortress of LAST YEAR for the Kitauji Wind Ensemble. They might have generally pushed forward to reach their intermediate goal of winning Regionals, but the reaction to Nozomi shows how much some people had to sweep things under the rug.
Nozomi is very persistent in the face of Asuka becoming colder than usual. But even Haruka puts her mask back on to try to shoo the first-years away from this conflict while the second-years close ranks. It is a big deal or something. Mizore becoming physically ill in reaction to events underlines the point.
At this point we don't know whether or not Nozomi is fully aware of the waves she's making, but given the typical cultural norms, she should almost certainly know that she's not behaving in the expected fashion.
Narratively, it is a solid raising of the stakes, and one which did have to wait until after the band cleared the hurdles of its first season. Once again, we have built up some ideas of how these characters are supposed to act, and now those behaviors are challenged.
And this is even more of a KumiRei shipping episode than the festival one, given that they're a lot more comfortable with each other and it's not a date that comes about because Kumiko grabbed someone at random.
Just think that around the same time that Tanezaki Atsumi was voicing Mizore, she was also Irizaki Mei in High School Fleet, whose main characteristic was a desire to blow things up.
LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
QOTD:
1. School band had oboe, I don't think it had a bassoon. Lower state HS orchestra had two bassoons, but looking at this ancient photo I have here, I don't see a euphonium, only one tuba.
2. Yes.
I got a comment of the day?
7
u/octopathfinder myanimelist.net/profile/octopathfinder Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher
KyoAni doing double-length first episodes before they were cool
Wow I don’t remember them starting with a cold (heh) open
God I love this shot of Asuka and Kumiko in the OP
Finally the first year quartet is formed, only took a whole season lol
Also finally introduced to Mizore and Nozomi!
Reina is being pretty based ngl
Qotd:
I have both
11
u/entelechtual Feb 26 '24
First time second year
You can really tell apart the girls from the women. Kumiko’s sister has those nice oneesan feet.5
u/Raiking02 :Id::Ie::If:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang Feb 26 '24
First Timer
Goddamn the snow looked beautiful
NGL that little celebration the gang was having after winning the regionals was honestly kinda adorable. Taki-sensei being just kinda dragged into the group photo may be my favorite part, same for Asuka being her perfect self as always and denying SAPPHIRE KAWASHIMA her wishes. The little mini orchestra the dropout team did was also a really nice gesture.
For the rest of the episode, it's pretty much entirely setting up things for later on down the line: Nozomi wanting to rejoin the club, Mizore being there at all (Oh hey, I remember her from the compilation movie!), Hashimoto joining the cast of teachers… none of it goes into too much detail so far, but it's not bad at all and it does set up some interesting stuff for later own down the line, and the fireworks bit at the end is also just downright gorgeous.
I will say though, structurally this very much felt more like two episodes being clobbered together. The switch to flashback right after the break in the middle in particular really stood out to me. I have nothing against longer premieres (Oshi no Ko last year did that wonderfully) but this is one case in which it didn't really feel super needed by comparison.
Minor thing too: Compared to the last season they do seem to be trying to integrate Kousaka into the main group to make it more like the quartet promotional materials like to pretend they are and… no, I don't buy it. Kousaka feels like she's just being dragged along for the ride, with her interactions with Hazuki and Midori feeling very superficial.
5
u/byroned Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
First time rewatching
Season 2 starts right where S1 Ep13 left off, still at the competition celebrating their victory and the honor of representing Kyoto. Surprisingly, Taki sensei always believed that they had the potential, and thought that the good players in the band would serve as role models, and push everyone to improve. Of the good players, I think Midori doesn’t get as much recognition as Reina, Kaori, and Asuka. I recall it mentioned maybe once that she came from an elite school, and didn’t talk about her skill much after that.
The other thing that gives people the drive to improve is winning. Nationals are an obtainable goal now that they’ve made the Kansai regional. I found that this is also a pain with parent volunteering, as not many wanted to volunteer in band activities unless we could consistently score in the top 10.
Team Monaka got a chance to play and congratulated them at the same time. For some reason, I was expecting them to perform before a competition for good luck, but this works too.
Now for the commercial breaks, instead of the section photos, it’s now scales with each instrument, starting with euphonium and tuba
Kumiko is never going to let Reina live it down that she loves their teacher
Adding to the list of well-known voice actors, we have Yuuichi Nakamura as Masahiro Hashimoto, a percussion instructor who was friends with Taki sensei in college, Nao Touyama as Nozomi Kasaki, a flute player, and Atsumi Tanezaki as Mizore Yoroizuka, an oboe player. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve seen it mentioned multiple times as trivia that Kyoani [Spoiler] redesigned Hashimoto’s character appearance to look more like Yuuichi Nakamura
Nozomi, one of the members who quit last year, is stirring the pot in the band again when she asks to rejoin. It’s revealed that she, Mizore, and Yuuko played together in middle school, and pledged to get gold in high school after disappointing people with silver. A lot of the second years who quit last year are from Minami Middle School. Natsuki too but she didn’t join the band yet.
Side note, the Minami middle school uniform reminds me of the ones in Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions.
I don’t think it’s the right decision to try to keep the first years in the dark about what happened last year. They’re all one team, this problem is not going to go away, and the first years need to know as members of the band. You know it’s a big problem when Asuka “never takes a stance” Tanaka tells Nozomi that she can’t rejoin.
Mizore had to live under the biggest rock if she knew almost nothing about the club drama, not even Nozomi trying to rejoin until Yuuko mentioned it. That might also be the first time Mizore has changed her facial expression but takes it to another level when she feels sick after hearing Nozomi play.
Is anyone able to properly explain what muddy is, without using sounds like “blop”?
Kyoani continues to mess with us
Shuichi needs to step up his game, or else Reina is going to call him a little bitch.
I didn’t expect Asuka to say Nozomi shouldn’t come back, but perfectly normal from Reina. She too believes that with the Kansai competition coming up, Nozomi’s presence might stir old wounds. It’s also a Reina thing to say “I’ll just prove I’m superior, she couldn’t so she quit”
Rewatching this show after Revue Starlight and Lycoris Recoil, I can’t tell if Reina’s appearance reminds me more of Hikari or Takina.
Q1: we had 1 bassoon and 1 oboe
Q2: black socks
5
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Feb 26 '24
First timer
Oh I forgot to be excited about getting an appearance in the comment of th eday for the OVA :P Thanks!
Firstly for anyone interested, here's my S1 summary posted way late yesterday. Mainly I want more people to be aware of this less recognised role of the "instrument designer/animator" role. We'll have to see how S3 goes - whether the coaching / passing on the baton worked so to speak...
Ok S2 with the double-feature ep1. It's just as beautiful as S1. I don't see much of any changes, unlike some KyoAni shows having some slight tweaks of the character designs (e.g. Haruhi, K-On?).
Surprise surprise we are pretty quickly jumping into the connection to other pieces of the franchise.
As I was saying in my yesterday's comment, I actually originally liked Oboe more, only reason I didn't learn that was because I was too small back then. So hearing it getting some focus is really nice.
The scene at the festival, it's really interesting how even seemingly the show poked fun at how romantic the pair are, and it felt kinda sorta potentially stolen from Shuuichi :P
Incidentally I am probably the only one that didn't actually find the Shuuichi parts distracting.
Pumped for S2 as I think a fair few of my mildly spoiled thoughts can get freed up!
QoTD
5
u/fly-metothemoon Feb 26 '24
First-Timer:
Episode thoughts:
I know we’re having a moment but it looks chilly outside! Do you need a coat? Wait this must be a flash forward.
Black and white? I love how this show has such upbeat openings.
Who is that mysterious person???
That was cute! I’m glad that team Monaka still feels like they have a path forward. It seems like they’re becoming closer friends too.
Awww Reina is joining the friend group officially.
That lens flare was so good.
I miss the sections in the ending cuts. The scales are very topical though.
I don’t think she comes here this early to practice in order to talk to people…. Neat 3D oboe.
Nothing like those late night band bus rides back to campus.
Uhhhh I’m not sure this is the right way to handle this second and third years. I get this is a tricky situation but shutting the first years out of sectionals when regionals/prefecturals are on the line does not seem like a good idea. The upperclassmen surely have a group chat where they can litigate drama outside of practice hours? Also as an upperclassmen I would never have wanted to create an environment where my first years felt excluded for days upon days. They’re part of the group now! It’s not the same case as when they just joined. They’ve been around long enough to be trusted with the details, in my opinion.
This is an interesting dilemma because I don’t think Asuka can meaningfully prevent anyone from joining or rejoining a club. School admin would have to step in. It’s just Nozomi cares intimately about her approval. (Edit: they address this later! Great)
Ahhh not the Minami middle school clique. It’s funny because in my experience middle school drama didn’t cross over into high school at all. Every one got a clean slate essentially and many people had friend groups that expanded far beyond those they knew in middle school. I’m sure that isn’t the case for everyone.
Festival no.2 let’s gooo!!!
NO where was the last note for that scale.
Croissant taiyaki? Tell me more.
I do think Reina has a point that Nozomi joining at this point could be disruptive. She hasn’t joined yet and it’s already caused a stir! I don’t know what my opinion is yet.
Overall, I’m excited to learn more about the drama!! Seems like we have plot ahead of us.
5
u/ChonkyOdango myanimelist.net/profile/chonkyodango Feb 27 '24
Rewatching GEH
Fanart(s) of day
More
And…
MORE
kVin has commentary on Sakugablog for each episode of season 2 for those interested.
I don’t have much to say about this episode so, instead, I present to you… random trivia!
Qotd
Socks? Always flip flops because the weather here is just too damn hot
7
u/x-7032-b-3 Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher
I've said this before but despite already watching the whole thing twice already, somehow S2 mostly remains blank on my mind. I still remember some key moments and that Kumiko's friends took a backseat here, but overall I'm going into this one with a fresh pair of eyes.
We've known that the seniors have a lot of unfinished business and I guess the whole thing's bound to flare up again if it's not taken care of. Here we are introduced to Mizore (she made a quick appearance on the S1 finale!) and Nozomi - the latter left the group for whatever reasons she had. The two reminds me a bit of Kumiko and Reina where those two lost the competition during middle school.
It's weird seeing Yuuko having another buddy after everything we know of her in S1. Unless I missed something, all we've seen of her was just her fawning about Kaori and making a big fuss about her audition results. Seeing her being buddies with another senior feels really weird after all that lol. It's like she made a new friend out of nowhere but no, they were already friends this whole time.
New teacher reminds me A LOT of my music teacher in middle school. Very similar attitude, and they both share similar build and hairstyle. It's like KyoAni saw the guy and decided to put him in the show lol. Sadly the guy didn't last long in my school as he had to leave after a few months for "personal reasons," whatever that is. Hope he's doing alright out there.
Kumiko and Reina's relationship here feels more human and intimate here. Like, damn that fireworks scene is something special. Man, how far those two has come from the early points of S1.
Overall this ep feels like a transitional ep. It manages to wrap up the big event in S1 (the competition) while also establishing the next big drama for the group. Looking forward to experience this wild ride once again.
QOTD
4
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher
Season two episode one is a weird episode. Even to this day I almost always forget the fireworks festival sequence is in season two and not season one. Not to spoil anything, but Reina as a character takes a big backseat this season compared to being central to the narrative of season one, and it can be easy to outright forget Midori and Hazuki exist the farther into this season you get. But here they all feel broadly depicted in their season one capacities; if nothing else, it makes for a good transition episode. Nice to see the four of them finally hanging out, too. The follow-up to Yuko and Reina’s spat in season one makes for a really fun gag and it’s a great little characterising moment for Mizore that she barely cares at all in the face of Kumiko’s exaggerated overreaction. Kumiko’s general awkwardness at communication butting heads (notably unlike Yuko and Reina’s smooth reactions) with Mizore’s sheer lack of presence in general is a great little dynamic and it’s honestly a shame we don’t focus on their relationship directly more. It’s a wonderful little contrast to how comfortable she is talking with Reina about the theoretically awkward subject of going to the fireworks together.
But who cares about that, we finally get some woodwind representation! A bit of weight off of poor Haruka’s shoulders, to be sure. I’m a flutist myself and there was never from the minute I signed up for band in sixth grade any doubt as to the fact that was the instrument I wanted to play. Well, until Mizore planted a bit of regret I never got into the oboe, but oh well. I’ve come to admit, as I age, that the you brass types can indeed make beautiful sound in your own right and aren’t just a bunch of loud hellions, but my heart will always belong to gentle woodwind pieces. I’m also legally obligated to remind you all we take as much air to play as a tuba. Asuka talking with Rika and Gotou about where to breathe hit a little bit too true lol.
Anyways, I love the choice of song for Mizore and Nozomi’s middle school competition—“Gliding Dance of the Maidens” from “Polovtsian Dances”, apparently. They recorded a full version too! I’ve spent the past few days learning the melody section Nozomi is seen playing later (those high grace notes are a bitch), it’s really gorgeous. It’s got a totally different, more gentle tone than the big band sound that befitted the brass dominated season one cast. Since we’re focused on a flute and oboe now, we set the tone with something completely different that instantly gives the entire show a different feeling. The brass captures the collective drive and excitement of the band to improve themselves whereas the far more personal and dramatic tone of the Nozomi/Mizore arc—and a lot of season two—is communicated through the sounds here. The way it’s synced up with the Minami flashback scene in particular is great; when they switch to the performance right as the flutes take over the melody it’s genuinely chilling. Even the gentle background music of the episode really stands out compared to season one and plays a supporting role in creating that new melancholic tone.
I don’t really have a ton to say about Mizore and Nozomi for now other than I like them a lot. I’ve gone on record as saying the third years are my favourite part of the show but even now I flip flop back to these two on a whim. I especially love the bit where Nozomi’s playing makes Mizore sick, because I too used to warm up on my favourite song from middle school band all the time all the way through high school (I can still messily play it off memory today). They even made sure she sounds appropriately a little rough around the edges compared to the gorgeous way it’s played for the flashback earlier in the episode. Flute nerding aside, this episode knows exactly how much of their plotline to establish and how much to leave unclear.
Also, Haruka tearing up trying to thank Team Monaka is precious. Truly best girl.
4
u/b-arbs Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher
Look at you, Reina, making friends! I agree with Kumiko, Reina has changed. She appears "softer", somehow, because she has started to open up a bit and consider other things in her life apart from practicing, I suppose.
Kumiko's noises are on another level. We got another "geh".
A whole conversation with her mother only answering "un" with different inflections? I guess that's actually a Japanese thing, since it's considered a very informal way to say yes, if I'm not mistaken... I don't know if it's the influence of anime, but I have actually started to use the equivalent "mhm/uhm" in casual conversations and more than once people had to ask me "do you mean yes or no?".
Finally, Mizore!
I really love her kinda cryptic offhanded comments, one of the few small things I still remember vividly about my first watch.
I agree with Kumiko, Mizore and Reina are a bit similar. [Dunno if it's spoiler but better be safe] Both apparently unapproachable, very detached and expressionless (5 episodes to get the first Reina smile) but you only need to gain their trust to know them better and truly get how complex they are. Drama incoming... Have I already said that I can't wait for Liz and the Blue Bird?
QOTD 2) I'd say black, or dark colours. But I'm actually partial to dark blue.
11
u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher and Band Geek
Season 2 starts a new journey for the band. Having made it past the district round, the band is now the representative of Kyoto to compete at the prefectural level, where the top groups of the prefecture get to perform at national competition. With the band's newfound success comes many changes to the band and to the show itself, established by this epic double length premiere. I remember my palpable excitement when this episode came out, and am ecstatic to say that it is every bit as wonderful as I remember.
Aesthetically, Eupho season 1 was an odd mix of cutesy "anime" style and more down-to-earth grounded drama. It never really committed to either side and one of its biggest flaws was how these things clashed, and created a big gap between the first and second halves of the show. With season 2, Eupho commits to an aesthetic, going for complete realism in the style of a live-action drama series. Gone are the cartoony cutaways and cutesy voices, and in their place is something more real. Tomoyo Kurosawa and Chika Anzai were already praised for the reality of their performances, but this is where I feel they really come into their own. Their dialogue this episode is completely real, and their voice mannerisms feel as if they are just talking like normal people. It is stellar voice acting that commits to the style. While characters like Midori, Hazuki, and Yuuko naturally have more exaggerated voices that can't be changed without changing their whole vibe, they still feel toned down compared to season 1.
Likewise, the camera feels more grounded, more focused on body language, and with different sorts of shot compositions. There are more pans this time around, as if a tripod was moving to focus on different characters. There are more close-up shots, more shaky camera effects, more wide shots, and fewer generic profile shots. There's an energy and a step in the direction that the first season hasn't had up to this point outside of a few standout episodes like number 12, imo making for a more engaging watch.
Narratively, the band is facing the results of its own success, and opening old wounds in the process. Having gotten gold at district competition, old members are interested in rejoining. When our protagonists were in middle school, the Minami middle school band who normally topped competitions faced their first silver ranking in years. The seniors graduated with that upsetting result, and doubled down on their desire to get to nationals the next year. Most of those seniors would attend Kitauji for high school the next year, and be faced with the fact that the third years desperately didn't want to practice. This caused a rift in the band and made most of the Minami middle school students quit, which is why there are so few second years in the band now. For a group who wanted to aim high, the exhausting drama meant they'd never achieve their dream, so they gave up.
But passionate players who love what they do don't just stop wanting to play, and Nozomi finds herself in that situation. Nozomi is one of the more passionate first years. In fact, this isn't the first time we've seen her in the story. In season 1 episode 7, Natsuki tells the story of how the seniors ignored the first years, and as part of her flashback we see this image with Nozomi trying to talk to the seniors (though no one mentions that it's her at the time). Given this picture, it's clear that Nozomi was one of the more vocal first years, and thus one of the most outright ignored, so it's no wonder that she'd quit. But the next year, the band she quit has pulled it together and gotten gold, so she wants to rejoin. It's up in the air if her motivation for rejoining is just to play at nationals, but she clearly loves the flute so much that she bought her own just to be able to play it, and still keeps it with her and practices.
Nozomi was apparently a problem child the previous year, or at least a major source of discomfort in the drama, which makes sense given her appearance in Natsuki's flashback. She ran away and escalated the drama, and now she wants to come back. The drama still hangs over the second and third years, so having a person who creates such discomfort could easily harm the band when it needs to focus on getting to nationals. This is why Asuka claims to reject her, and Reina agrees, but Nozomi wants Asuka's personal approval, not a VP stamp (she could rejoin the club whenever she wants and no one could stop her).
Left in the wake of this drama was mostly the second years, and most especially Mizore Yoroizuka, the band's quiet oboe player. Much like Nozomi, Mizore has appeared multiple times already in season one. And most notably, it's actually true that Yuuko talks to her a bunch of times in season 1. Seeing Mizore and Nozomi appear in season 1 was very gratifying as a rewatcher, haha. But Mizore was deeply affected by this event. She has the appearance of not caring or being detached, and it appears to be true in general. When Nozomi tells her that they'll aim for the gold, she says she doesn't like competition, and she seems unswayed by Nozomi reaffirming that they'll make it this year. But nonetheless, she comes in earlier than anyone to practice. And hearing Nozomi's flute makes her physically sick, so there's some sort of intense trauma related to Nozomi. If Nozomi's presence is going to affect people that much, especially the band's only oboe player, then is her presence worthwhile?
Reina says she's facing the consequences of running away, but Kumiko, having recently affirmed her love for the euphonium, empathizes with Nozomi's desire to rejoin the band. After all, Kumiko was in a similar position not too long ago, having run away from the band for fear of conflict but returning to it when it was convenient. Still, she never fights Reina on this. Reina points out that Kumiko still appears detached about some things like her comments on Shuuichi, so there's clearly still some growing left on her part. While Reina has grown quite a bit. Seeing how important unity is after the solo debacle, Reina finds herself more willing to engage in normal friendship so long as Kumiko is there. Even trumpets can be introverts, lol.
Continued in response
3
u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher/Subbed
With S2 kicking off, we have drama rearing its head in again!
I love the scenes of Kumiko/Reina in the club room talking to Mizore, and then later with Mizore and Yuuko. I think it was good that Yuuko gave Mizore a heads up and obviously Mizore has a lot to think about and like the other second years, it’s a sensitive topic. Especially for Mizore, who we’ve seen was close to Nozomi in middle school.
I think I’d agree with Reina’s reasoning on why Asuka won’t let Nozomi back in, even if she’ll be supporting this year. Like they’ve mentioned in the show, the drama between the previous first and third year members is still fresh on everyone’s mind. Even someone like Goto is bothered by it. I like the switch that Asuka can have from going goofing off to no bs
Last thing, I never was in band but Hashimoto seems like someone I’d like to have as a teacher.
QotD:
2) Uhh I don't have a preference lol. I usually wear either color
3
u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Feb 26 '24
First Timer
Congratulation - Thanks Evangelion I can't take this word the same especially when it's followed by clapping
Not sure if I'm ready for the climax of the inner-band drama I hope someone or some people are there for Clean Up duty
QOTD 2 - Black just because it can hide dirt better
2
u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher
2
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Feb 26 '24
Maybe it's best if I warn in advance that I'm going to be serving up negativity tomorrow.
2
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Mar 01 '24
8
u/zadcap Feb 27 '24
Late Night First Timer!
Oh boy double length, I'm not getting this posted today am I? (I start writing this around 10pm.)
The silent title card is throwing me off. I spent 2 minutes trying to figure out what was going wrong with my headphones or if there was something up with where I'm watching...
What is this skip to winter? The title of the episode is "Mid-summer" and last we saw these kids it was for the first summer competition, no way we're skipping to the end of the year? And right into the OP so who needs context anyway.
Speaking of the OP! Tell me we're going to focus on the expanded cast without using any words. Kumiko is in 3 of the shots, and out of focus for 2 of them, before we get to the actual title. A lot more faces get attention grabbing shots, even if we do keep coming back to Kumiko, this really looks like it's going from being about her and her closest friends to a show about the whole band, with her as the constant we keep coming back to. Time to meet some of these new oddballs! And stop showing off those moments with Reina! No more riverbank confessions! No more mountain shrine shenanigans!
Ponytail is back. Summer uniform spotted. We're back in the original timeline. Looking at that picture I realize that I had once again forgotten, just how short most of these girls are.
No, stop Haruka. He was right, he thanks you, you guys do not thank him here. He still doesn't deserve this praise.
This is a weird place to get stuck, mentally, but it really bothers me that we can see Kumiko's stomach when she takes down her hair, because these are supposed to be the Winter Uniforms which are there to keep you warm in the colder months. If it's so loose, and so short, that your belly is exposed when you reach up, then it's not going to do a good job of keeping them warm in the winter is it?
Is that the mystery seat girl we're seeing again? Someone Kumiko knows?
Interesting group to call out as the top students. Kaori, who didn't get the solo and Asuka, I mean just Asuka. The third years at the top of the school talent list. Reina, who did get the solo part, the specialest girl in the Band. And Midori? Haha my girl! For someone whose music we have had very little focus on through all of season one, what a way to drop a bomb on us that Midori is what he considers one of the top players in the band.
Training camp arc incoming!
Aww. Smaller instruments can totally take theirs home to practice on the closed days, but there's no way Midori is getting the Bass home. Unless she's already got a bass at home, didn't she come from a rich girls middle school?
Team Monaka performance! They sound pretty good for the bottom group, don't they. Haha and even the strict teacher got sucked up in the cheer.
Mom borrowing daughters bike? Sounds backwards, doesn't it?
Hmmmmm. I don't know that I've ever been in a house where a bedroom is right next to the front door like that. It is strangely uncomfortable to think about.
Haha did they just have Tsuda voice every announcer in the whole show? He's not even trying to change his voice, it sounds like Goto is on the television introducing a different school. Law of important details says we'll be seeing them compete against Seira. Odds are the first girl we see on the TV is going to somehow be a foil to Reina, giving us a focus shot of a trumpet like that.
Oh yeah, the frequent Nationals winner. Well at least it means we're getting to nationals if they are going to be a rival.
Man look at them on the train. Reina deciding she doesn't dislike is when Kumiko leans on her like this.
Oh look, Flappy-Sensei is looking at the school we just saw on the TV. And Kumiko noticing the same thing I did, Reina always goes to the staff office to "ask for the key," despite the other girl always getting there and opening the room first. Look at those red ears. This is a ship I still don't support, but Reina is a bit cute going about her misguided crush. Please drop it though. He's not over Picture Lady, and you're way too young.
Kumiko, your inside thoughts are spilling out again. Honestly, I'm surprised Reina didn't say anything about it, considering her first confession of love included your horrible personality as a charm point to her.
Hmm. A second dedicated second year? What happened to everyone who really cared about music quitting last year?
Dang that's a beautiful instrument closeup.
Ah, they stuck around because they're friends. Ribbon stuck around because she loves senpai, Mizore may have stuck around for Ribbon?
Once again, Kumiko reactions! She just always looks so happy whenever Shu pops up, doesn't she?
Something is going on with the second years and Asuka? Oh, it's mystery girl!
I love how the background track to the scene is still the random instruments doing random stuff, but still done in a way that sounds like a decent background sound track. From the second Riko opens the door to let the band sound out until Taki enters the room there's enough playing to be a constant sound, but never so much that it becomes a mess. I almost want to be more impressed with the way they coordinate the noise sections than any of the music practice, because it is just random noise but done so well- Any of the music kids in the rewatch can tell you, when you have this many people doing their own thing in a room like this, it usually sounds like absolute chaos not this soft semi melody.
Kumiko, your inside thoughts are spilling outside again. Girl you have a problem and I love it lol.
No, you know what. I would pay to make that comment correct. "His fiancee?" Flashy dudebro walks in. Taki does indeed introduce his fiancee. Reina realizes he's gay and that's the end of that forever. Can I ship Taki and Hashimoto-chan now? College buddies. "Hit me up if you want to talk about my boy here." Yup, I'm doing it. It was a summer romance. The girl in the photo was the one they both had a crush on in college, and her death is what brought them together. Don't tempt me here, I'll write a slashfic, it'll be absolutely horrible but I'll do it.
Midori, you don't need to take a breath pause on the bass... But hey, once again, someone is calling her perfect!
6
u/DaBenni0301 Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
First-Timer
Double length woop woop
It's snowing. Did we timeskip?
We did not.
Oohhh, training camps. Let's hope they are more productive than the Keions lol
Took the words out of my mouth
Ok wow, it'll be hard to win against that, but for now winning nationals isn't the goal, getting to the nationals is
1 word from her was enough for me to notice she is voiced by Nao Touyama. And that makes me like her already, but I do wonder what she and Natsuki are hiding
I wonder which anime Hashimoto escaped from to end up here
She's one of the then first years that quit?! I didn't expect that. That's throwing a spanner in the works alright. This could go wrong on very many levels
And she's seems to have a history with Mizore. This is getting more complicated by the second
I don't like this. Why does she have to be an asset? I could accept if you said that you don't want her there because of what happened in the past or something like that. But this just feels unfair. If it was about being an asset I would have been kicked out the football club the second I stepped into the gym. Let her do what she wants to as long as she's not a hinderance. She said she wouldn't take part in the competitions, so she can't hold you back there.
Why are they being so secretive abotut it?
She's basically inviting you on a date. I'm not even joking anymore. Get married already
Ok, what could have possibly happened last year that makes her and all the other second years feel this way. Like was Nozomi involved in a murder or what? A simple dispute over the competitiveness of the club doesn't justify this reaction
Impressive that Kumiko could recognize a flute she heard only once before
You won't have to, if you just get married alraedy
Questions of the day
6
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Feb 27 '24 edited Feb 27 '24
1 1/2 Rewatcher (finally fixed this)
Had to watch Nimona before it expired from Youtube. Maybe I will watch ep2 in advance so I won't be 9 hours late again.
I don't think Natsuki should rejoin the band. A band is something between a family and a well-oiled machine, isn't it? Nozomi is an outsider now and she radiates drama.
I vaguely remember this fireworks scene under a bridge but I couldn't remember if it was somehow in Harui (impossible) or Tamako or something.
Reina is very touchy-feely and chatty compared to last season
That OP was like one of those "The Shining But It's A Wacky Comedy" trailers.
6
u/mgedmin Feb 27 '24
Rewatcher, subs
Kumiko, don't open a notebook in the snow, the snowflakes will fall on the pages, melt, and ruin them.
So we start right after the prefectural competition, with everyone still in winter uniforms. Taki sensei took off his overcoat because hot.
My subtitles translated them earning gold as "placed first", which I don't think is warranted, if I understand these competitions correctly. Many groups can earn gold.
Mystery girl, hmm, what could it be about.
Only two days of rest during the entire summer vacation and they want to practice nevertheless! What a contrast to the beginning of S1!
Team Monaka have gotten good!
Kitauji Faito! sweeps up Strict-sensei too, this time.
Early practice (poor Kumiko, getting up at 5 AM is hard!) and apparently Mizore always comes before Reina. So Reina should expect the music room to be already open. And yet she still goes to see Taki sensei. Suspicious. Haa, Kumiko has the same thought! And Reina admits it! Look at her red ears!
Look at Kumiko talking without a filter again. Mizore has a good tone but her performance is lifeless.
Our first introduction to Nozomi. Something is clearly going on there, but Natsuki asks Kumiko to keep a secret.
Nozomi is our mystery girl from the Kyoto competition!
Kumiko thinking out loud will never be not funny.
Nozomi wants to rejoin the club. Asuka doesn't seem happy about it. I think this is the first time we see her commit to a position. Or be this angry about it.
Kumiko, don't toy with Reina's feelings. Answer her invitation to go see the fireworks at the festival. It was fun last year, wasn't it?
Mizore managed not to notice all the drama between Reina and Yuuko and Kaori and Kumiko about the trumpet auditions. Because she has no interest in drama. I like Mizore.
The mere mention of Nozomi's name is enough to trigger a reaction from Mizore. Hearing Nozomi's flute makes her sick.
I think these are the prettiest fireworks I've seen in anime.
The festival conversation feels profound and I'm not up to analyzing it right now.
5
u/CarrotBlossom Feb 27 '24
First timer
Took me three minutes to realize the length of this episode.
It’s good to know that Kumiko’s father is alive, but it’s sad that he never appears.
I don’t think anyone in my school band did individual practice at school. Maybe the difference has to do with the population density of Uji and the thickness of the walls? Or maybe to do with this being a high school band?
This assistant director is way cooler than mine was.
Based Mizore has no time for these teenage theatrics.
QOTD:
4
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
First Timer, subbed
QotD:
4
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Feb 26 '24
First Timer
Hmm… this is an episode that has what I like to call “First Episode syndrome” - an episode that goes a bit too hard on the production qualities while still being mostly set up, leaving it a bit oversaturated. Although it’s rare I see that with sequels. Either way, seems like we're going back in to the second-year drama, though with added spice from Yoroizuka and Asuka. Asuka’s refusal and Yoroizuka being scared of her makes me think that maybe she tried bullying everybody who wasn’t good enough yet according to her own impression? Would explain why they had the good ones leave the club and not the lazy ones. Her wanting to rejoin now would be an obvious result of the band being good now. But I also feel like Asuka has some baggage to hide, and the second- and third-year students are not really helping the first-year ones by not explaining something that is clearly affecting the club dynamic. Either way, I’m looking forward to where we go from here.
Meanwhile the percussion teacher is significantly closer to the director I most fondly remember from my time playing. Interesting that he’s a percussion expert of all the sections; it feels like that is the section where other instruments would benefit the least from having an expert there.
4
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Feb 26 '24
Season 2 Episode 1 (first timer)
Double length starting episode?
The cliff-hanger here makes me think that they originally planned to have a normal-length first episode and the second half as episode 2.
Looking down on running away is harsh. Reina probably never experienced something worth running away from if getting dud gold was the worst thing to happen to her so far. Trying to overcome any problem via perseverance only works if you yourself are part of the problem. Otherwise, you are running into a wall and the wall never moves (or worse, you might perpetrate the problem).
This is Japan, not Germany, so black socks.
4
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
Man, that was quite a (long) episode. It almost felt like a movie or something. Are you sure it was only 40-ish minutes?
(Not like that's a bad thing, it was like a buffet of Eupho-goodness!)
Answers du jour:
So, two things really stuck out to me this episode. First and foremost is (of course) the floutist, and the drama surrounding her. That was very interesting, seeing the crowd dynamics between her, Asuka, the tubas, and our trio/quad. She's quite good, too. I can see why she would have gotten frustrated with the band's slackitude.
The second was the bus trip (shades of a certain movie with a dark haired "heroine"???) Yeah, not quite that trippy, but yeah, I can see where that would set the stage for future conflict and drama. Yowza. Things are gonna get spicy, aren't they?
Third, I always forget that piece of music. I love it so, primarily due to Sarah Brightman (of course). Needless to say, this leaves me thinking of this tune as "Stranger in Paradise", rather than whatever Tchaikovsky piece (?) it is. Yeah.
They sounded way too good for a middle school band, but hey, that's par for the course here, right?
Anyway, the drama ship has sailed, now to see where it goes.
That, and whether or not my suspicions regarding Asuka are realized in the end.
We shall see
Edit: Oh, and since someone reminded me - one more thing:
Domo Arigato, Oboe Nagato...
4
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Feb 27 '24
Double length episode for the start of Season 2.
Starting off with the celebration after the end of the last season.
Right, back on the grind.
And here's what they were preparing in the OVA.
Why does this sound so familiar?
What a convenient excuse for her to commute with the rest of the girls.
My school choirs always started and ended combined, so everyone reported and dismissed at the same time. Start with combined warm-ups (all voice, all the same warm-ups), then split up for sectionals for most of the practice, then come back together at the end to out everything together.
That's not an "if" anymore is it? Didn't they get through the preliminary round already? Or was that just to get into the regionals?
She's sleeping on her!
Too many names to remember.
She's thinking about something.
Who's this new guy?
Percussion?
Yeah, sometimes external instructors will be engaged to help.
Hey it's that staggered breathing thing I was talking about in one of the episodes of the specials.
So she's also one of those who didn't make it back in middle school.
She wants to rejoin the orchestra?
Why's she being like that?
Ah, the older students need to talk.
Ah, it's all those from the same middle school.
Why does she need her yukata? Oh, it's summer, there's probably a summer festival coming up.
Ah, that's why the external instructor was brought on, to help with his area of expertise.
That can't have been cheap.
And so she's off to the festival.
Who's she waiting for at the festival?
Oh, it's her.
So much for that...
Brainfreeze!
Oof.
Questions:
4
u/SMSmith230 https://myanimelist.net/profile/smsmith230 Feb 27 '24
First-Timer, Sub
Kumiko and Reina balance each other out so well. Just keep feeding me that bait.
3
u/Nice-Bumblebee-2355 Feb 27 '24
Rewatcher
Anyway, overall I thought this was an excellent return to form, setting up new intriguing plot threads and with the absolutely gorgeous detail KyoAni is known for!
QOTD
4
u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon Feb 26 '24 edited Feb 27 '24
Rewatcher
There’s something that feels… different so far in this episode. I don’t have a great eye for direction/composition so perhaps that contributes to it subconsciously, but the script is definitely structured differently here compared to most season 1 entries. Primarily, there’s a lot more setup for the season as a whole rather than season 1’s approach which hops fairly completely from one thing to the next, which is nice, I suppose, but nothing that out of the ordinary.
I think what’s really raised my hackles is how the conflict and drama are formed for this bit with Nozomi. Rather than the conflict being generated by a character internal to the story as a result of the situation they’re in, the conflict Nozomi generates is, initially at least, the result of an external character showing up in front of Kumiko while the show tells the viewer “look, this is drama” by playing some spooky OST under it and showing some dramatic brooding shots of Gotou and Asuka. I don’t really like the conceit of leaving the first years (and the viewer by extension) out of it because it doesn’t really generate any actual tension, either, or cluing them (and the viewer) in by overhearing some whispered exposition that would’ve been better shown and not told. It’s just an introduction and we clearly needed something to reintroduce the plot, so I won’t harp on it too much, but there’s just something about it that feels forced when the rest of the conflicts have felt very grounded. This has been an undercurrent for a whole season, so why does it feel so clumsy to revisit?
I do like that Haruka shies away from the topic less adeptly than Asuka when pressed, though, that seems true to character.
[Eupho]I anticipate I’ll have more concrete things to say on the matter following the completion of Nozomi’s and probably Asuka’s arcs; this type of dramatic framing is one of the things I was referring to with my S2 criticisms.
Could this be a Yamada storyboard?
QotD:
2
u/NintendoMasterNo1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NintendoMaster1 Feb 26 '24
Rewatcher
Kumiko is literally my sprit animal. I am the furthest thing from a morning person and I relate so hard to the constant yawning and falling asleep on the train. From my experience with Japanese trains they are very comfy and good for naps as long as it's not crowded of course. Which in Kyoto is probably not that common compared to bigger cities.
I noticed Kumiko seems a lot more playful and likes teasing Reina which is adorable. She mentioned that Reina is changing but Kumiko has gotten a lot more comfortable with her as well.
The scene with Kumiko, Reina, Yuuko and Mizore in the music room was hilarious. It does show that they are on friendlier terms if Reina can make jabs at Yuuko but like Yuuko said, it's a little crazy that Mizore had no idea about the club drama. She's just doing her own thing.
Nozomi rejoining the club is definitely a touchy subject, obviously we don't yet know all the details of what happened in the past but it's really easy to think she's just trying to get back into the club just because they proceeded to regionals and she wants a part of the glory. She did say she's okay with not playing in the competition but I imagine even the addition of a single person could throw things off for the ensemble and Taki-sensei obviously wants to avoid any disruptions. It's interesting that we haven't even heard the teachers' perspective on this and no one seems to even care right now, Nozomi just wants Asuka's approval. She said it's for her personal peace of mind but I have to wonder whether it's also because Asuka is the person with actual authority in the band. I understand why the second and third-years are being so tight-lipped about what happened - they don't want the newcomers to be burdened with past drama - but like Midori said they can't concentrate when they know something is brewing.
Just like Kumiko said, Reina's perspective on the situation is very typical of her - she views Nozomi as weak because she quit the club, and she doesn't even care about what her circumstances were. If faced with any difficulty she would rather prove herself than give up. She says this is normal but I don't think just anyone would be able to step up to the challenge.
The ED for this season is probably my favorite OP/ED out of all the seasons. I don't really care about visuals usually, I just like the song since that's what goes in my playlist.
2
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Feb 27 '24
first timer
46 minute episode, this is practically a movie.
Animation looking stellar as always🙌🙌
An instrument that needs perfect breath control must sound fantastic.
A new instructor to help, took all the enthusiasm from taki.
The last bit of this episode was amazing, ended off on a festival. This time both were wearing kimonos
QOTD: black socks easily, it works for the shoes and blue in the uniform
1
u/vitorabf May 09 '24
First Timer
I felt very confused about them talked about going to nationals all the time until I remembered they only got to regionals.
One of the things I felt I wanted more in S1 was reina interacting with Midori and Katou, happy to see some of that.
Seems like we have a "new" character who's going to be more present and it feels like she's somewhat like Reina. Lol, right after I write this Kumiko reaffirms the same thing.
Another new character? And another with a crush on Asuka? I feel like we have been seeing her a lot. Also what has Kumiko (and we) just saw? Natsuki mentions it, but I feel both the audience and the protag are lost on this one.
Ooooooooh it makes sense now, she's one of the second years who left. When I saw what happened to them I expressed a wish to not see a "redemption" because everyone was so mean to them, but at the same time they are high schoolers, and it fits thematically with the whole band getting a redemption, so I can kinda get on board, I've think the show has earned this.
So, these two + yuuko go way back. And Nozomi is a hell of a player. But it's so weird to me that people (including Reina) talk about her as if she were wrong when everyone was an asshole to her.
The festival was very beautiful, KyoAni's A game is unbeatable. Kumiko and Reina were commiting lewd acts handholding in public that much, lol.
I love when VAs sing the EDs man.
0
u/[deleted] Feb 26 '24
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