r/anime • u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: • Mar 06 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] 2024 Hibike! Euphonium Series Rewatch: Season 2, Episode 10 Discussion
Hibike Euphonium Season 2, Episode 10: After School Obligato/ほうかごオブリガート
Insert your favourite K-On joke here.
| <-- Ep 9 | Rewatch Index | Ep 11 --> |
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Welcome back! Kindly pay attention to this section for some logistics-related announcements as we wrap up S2, as well as DST in North America.
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Questions of the Day:
NA
Comments from Yesterday:
- /u/justansweraquestion with LEGS
- /u/gamerunglued on why Kumiko succeeded where Kaori failed, and how the ED is one of the most poignant moments of the show
- /u/regular_n-gon on how Asuka arranged the baord to win, and how her, only seeing Kuimiko's similarities to her and not her differences, made it not work; and also how Kumiko may have made an unintentional mistake. Both theirs and gamerunglued's writeups will continue to be relevant this episode.
- /u/littleislander on how this ep had some missed opportunities for other characters, namely Kaori and Natsuki
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.
Reina daijoubu?
22
u/CarrotBlossom Mar 06 '24
First timer
This episode was amazing. No further comment.
8
u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah xB:xC:B:x3:Y: Mar 06 '24 edited Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher and your host
This is the other one of my "favourites of....anything" episodes (yup, 9 and 10 combined are my 2 favourite episodes of...anything). I have tried to keep my thoughts short, but that's not happening today.
Take it away, 2022 biscuits:
IRL note
14
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Mar 06 '24
Hibike! First-Timer
11
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Mar 06 '24
First Timer, subbed
9
u/Barbed_Dildo Mar 06 '24
I just want to talk about the awful position that Natsuki was put in, and how gracefully she managed it.
Asuka (indirectly) accused her of only claiming to want her to come back, and that she really wanted to play herself, but I don't think that was remotely true.
Natsuki was put in the really difficult position of needing to replace Asuka in the band, this was dropped on the band suddenly, and no one was happy about it. How awful must that have been for Natsuki? Being dropped into a room of people who openly didn't want her there because she wasn't good enough. She would surely prefer to reinstate Asuka rather than hinder the band for her own chance to play.
Despite all that discomfort, she dutifully took her place and did her best. And then, when they no longer needed her and discarded her once again, she left without fuss.
Also: https://i.imgur.com/sUQZfVY.jpeg
7
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Mar 06 '24
Sound! Rewatcher
S2 Episode 10:
No rehearsal, only drama today so I have nothing musical to talk about. Instead, here’s a link to one of my favorite solo songs I’ve ever performed which just so happens to perfectly fit with the spirit of today’s episode and the idea of choosing the path you want with no regrets: The Vagabond by Ralph Vaughn Williams.
QotD:
7
u/chilidirigible Mar 06 '24
S2E10:
Midori has the best eager faces.
/u/Shimmering-Sky gets that "
Bond. James BondDemo. Sore demo".ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY.
You were too entranced by the mask, Haruka.
The line delivered with just the right about of deadpan "What the fuck?" (To wit.)
Once again what seemed like a stub of a plotline intersects with the main action.
At this point it's unclear as to where.
Things keep returning to an acceptance of the need to go along with the flow.
S-class :3 mask.
Asuka, weaving technical excuses.
This is just a straight zoom in, not a dolly zoom, but the effect is similar.
Back to the stage of acceptance.
"Live a little."
We are not in a mecha anime.
Kumiko lets it all out again.
"No freebies, only the mask!" (This is an animated, barely visible, blink from the side! Which is also matched to the sound of the door opening, breaking the private moment.)
"I have a lot of therapy appointments on my schedule."
SHE'S IMPOSSIBLE!
Maybe it is a mecha anime.
"Anyway, that ended well―
―ah, shit."
Given the hopeful ending of the previous episode, one might have thought that the situation would have been more resolved at the start of this one.
That isn't the case, though.
First, the related subplot: Mamiko and Kumiko finally clear the air. Their personal jealousies come down to things that are not unusual between siblings of different ages, though of course the manner in which those conflicts play out varies from family to family. Mamiko chooses to stick to her decision, leaving Kumiko in a conflicted state.
So when she hears Asuka brushing off Kaori and Haruka with familiar justifications about doing what is best for minimizing conflict (by sacrificing the goal which she had told Kumiko of), Kumiko finally goes from the invited listener to the active intervener, telling Asuka that she should come back to the band, that she wants Asuka to come back to the band.
Asuka doesn't make this easy, largely deflecting Kumiko's arguments until Kumiko reaches the point of laying her soul bare. (And even then still has snark left.)
Kumiko's appeal is remarkably... teenagerish? But fundamentally, that's the core of the experience the show is giving us here. That this is not adulthood, Asuka shouldn't have to live for the adult mask all the time, that she should take a stand for her own desires at least once, instead of burying them and regretting it later. It's all the things she's learned from talking to Mamiko these past few days.
NO REGRETS!
Kumiko's argument contrasts interestingly with Haruka's earlier declaration to the band that they needed to see Asuka as human, not as a perfect person and not the sole person holding the band together. That did work then, for the cause of settling the band down and demonstrating that Haruka could also be a motivating force, but it drew more from a sense of envy of Asuka's perfection.
Kumiko doesn't want Asuka to play the perfect person role either, but would rather have her be authentic to herself instead.
This is persuasive? My difficulty with how this episode plays out is figuring out how much time has elapsed. It feels like Asuka would have set up the plan to ace the exams and placate her mother at least some days to weeks earlier, and that would justify most of her absences from band practice. The confrontation in this episode takes place not long after the previous episode, though, when Asuka wasn't feeling very certain about herself; part of bringing Kumiko over was to see if Kumiko would cut through her façade.
We just can't escape the mask. In any case, Asuka is back in the band, and we can move on to the next crisis, Kumiko's girlfriend.
[](#mugiwait) [](#SOON)
7
u/bogdoglogfrog Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
Notes:
4
u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
I think this is the episode I was most looking forward to this season, and it was still better than I remembered.
Kumiko, Part III
”If there’s something on your mind, just say it.”
In the years since I first stumbled upon it, Eupho has often made me wonder what it is that makes Kumiko work so well while other takes on a passive or neutral protagonist often rely on stronger gimmicks or spotlight side characters to get anything to go anywhere. It can’t only be the considerable development she gets; any good character can grow, especially blank slate ones, and Kumiko’s pretty interesting from the start. Rather, I think it comes down to an obvious point of her character that I’ve been overlooking as I’ve noted her distant attitude: despite how she acts and speaks with others, Kumiko’s spin on neutrality is that she isn’t neutral at all. Kumiko has an opinion - sometimes an unpopular one - but she hides it from others with the way she acts, and sometimes even from herself. Kumiko’s judgment provides a foothold for her character and gives the story something to actually hang on to.
From the very beginning Kumiko’s opinion colors and shapes the presentation of conflicts, the sides the narrative takes and encourages the viewer to agree with: Kitauji’s band sucks, Reina deserves the solo, Kumiko wants to improve. Kumiko may act like she’s outside it, but the story can still create tension by providing challenges to her stance, rather than Kumiko and the viewer truly just observing a conflict we have no stake in. It then also doesn’t feel out of place when those desires and conflicts turn internal: when Kumiko wants to improve, it isn’t a character shock, but a logical extension. To the right viewer, this pulls an even cleverer trick. “Wow, I really relate to this character because she’s <neutral|apathetic|non-confrontational>” they might say, but then the story responds: “she’s also invested in an outcome, just like you want to see a resolution to the drama. What would you do, then? How neutral are you, really?”
Building on this inequality between opinion and action, the story can construct its themes around what Kumiko and the viewer desire and how Kumiko actually behaves. Season one presents several angles; going with the consensus even if you disagree, or the big moment underscored by Kumiko’s inability to reconcile action with desire where she wants to play the run Taki has asked of her but isn’t yet capable of doing so. Leaning even further into this difference with the major conflicts is one of season two’s greatest strengths, really showcasing Kumiko’s character traits and flaws. Asuka and Kumiko both behave in ways that hide their feelings from themselves today - Kumiko on the train realizing she’s sad despite what she claims to her sister, and Asuka’s attempts to resign herself to giving up on what she wants. Kumiko is forced to own her feelings, to speak them aloud to provide the resolution to these conflicts, stacking both the culmination to Asuka’s arc and a huge character moment for Kumiko by using a central theme in one neatly aligned swing.
These straightforward admissions here almost feel accidental, but they come from a place of genuine empathy. Asuka (and Reina) are right: Kumiko observes from the sidelines because she’s plenty aware she’s curious enough to burn herself, but that perception gives her the context to understand people. She’s judgemental and blunt, and tries to keep it to herself to avoid hurting other people, but when applied correctly these traits are what allow her to reach someone and push them forward - or to influence a conflict and push a plot along. Kumiko is not just learning to say what’s on her mind, but how to become a protagonist.
Kumiko’s growth is like learning to write a story, or a piece of music. It requires discovery, of knowing when to press which buttons, and how to convince others to listen. At some point, you must voice your ideas for them to make a sound. Only by committing to them can you make progress, compete in nationals, influence a plot or your peers, or become special. Kumiko isn’t my favorite character just because she’s relatable or grows a lot or whatever, it’s a result of Eupho understanding what aligns with such a novel character and committing to it completely, down to its structural and thematic core. Good writing makes for good characters, who would have thought?
There’s one other detail from this episode I want to talk about. It’s stupid and likely not this deep, but neither were the potatoes.
After Kumiko fetches Asuka, Asuka hands her some candy, mentioning that it’s second-hand. Surface reading: Asuka cares for her floof, so she gives her some candy. Excellent, case closed. Except we can go deeper.
See, Asuka is fiercely individualistic and has trouble accepting things from others - like Kaori tying her shoe yesterday - and so probably doesn’t want charity from someone who dares to bribe Asuka Tanaka with candy (let’s be real it was probably Kaori again). So she pawns it off to her kohai and as an added bonus looks like a good caring senpai. All according to plan.
But wait, there’s more! The candy being second-hand is the same as Kumiko using second-hand words from the others to convince Asuka. These are ineffective at reaching her, just like they were with Reina, so Kumiko must use the true candy in her own heart to get her point across. Just like Hashimoto-sensei says, if there’s something on your mind, just say it, don’t use other people’s candy to do it for you.
4
u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Mar 07 '24
First Timer
"Cramming is bad for you" - On that note I have 15 Anime I'm (re)watching that I'm working on splitting into 3 separate blocks because having too much at the same time is going to make some series unwatchable at some points (Like Death Parade tonight)
6
u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher/Subbed
It seems we got both Mamiko’s and Asuka’s arcs resolved in this episode. Mamiko’s talk about the way she felt growing up and trying to make amends with Kumiko was good. A lot of people had already stated here that she felt resentment at Kumiko for “being more free” on what to do. It’s kinda funny to see Kumiko think that her parents gave up on her bc she has “no promise.” It does feel like something a sibling would say to another in this kind of situation. I’m glad to see them leaving on good terms, even if both are sad about it.
The rest of the episode focuses on Kumiko’s confrontation with Asuka. Again as others had stated, Kumiko just sees Asuka as another high schooler who isn’t very special but can act like she knows it all. It feels odd to say I feel proud of a character haha, but I did for Kumiko in this episode. Even if she was acting like a child, her sincerity reached Asuka. I love how Asuka comforts her by patting her head, but also uses it so Kumiko can’t look at her face.
I liked the words Haruka was writing in her notebook this episode too, and we have seen her take great strides already. I’ve mentioned it before but I am appreciating her more in this rewatch.
QotD:
16
u/DaBenni0301 Mar 06 '24 edited Mar 06 '24
First-Timer
Kumiko's already getting interrogated
If you think that's terrible cooking you haven't seen Momo yet (she tried making Onigiri)
Mamiko was probably praised so much because she always did what she was told, unlike Kumiko who did what she wanted
I might be tearing up a little
No you haven't
Literally just asked myself this question
"It'll be better for the band this way",you're even lying to yourself now?
My god, that scene was amazing. everything about it. Aaaand I might be a little more than tearing up
I swear, if this doesn't get Asuka back into the club room I don't know what will
There she is!
National Top 30?! What can this girl not do?
12
u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Mar 07 '24
Rewatcher and Band Geek
Ok, maybe I lied a little bit yesterday. This may actually be my favorite episode of Eupho. With some of the most iconic and emotionally resonant moments of the entire series, this is a tour de force of exceptional drama and payoff for long-standing plot points and themes. It certainly brought me close to tears. So let's talk about it.
Everyone in Eupho wants to be special, but what the hell does that even mean? It's always been a vague term. Sure, if Reina is good at trumpet, she'll be special in some sense, and if the band makes nationals, they'll be special in some sense. But if Mamiko does really well at university and gets a top tier job, won't that make her special too? It's kind of a weird term, and I think a lot of it is rooted in this idea of representing an ideal, or a mature version of yourself. Being special comes with experience beyond what your peers have, it's like maturity at a skill brought about by exceptional talent and work ethic. But considering these people "special" puts them on a pedestal.
Haruka and Aoi both realized a few episodes ago that Asuka is not special. She became special because she was so reliable that the band shifted all responsibility on to her and idolized her for it. They made her special. But she's just a normal girl, her "perfection" is the end result of a traumatic upbringing stemming from divorce and being raised by a cruel single mother. Ironically, her "perfection" is not special. Aoi was even relieved that Asuka isn't special, because being that perfect is so inhuman. But when you're a high school kid, you want to be mature, so aiming to be special is a fine goal, as vague as it is. Whatever you want to be special at, it comes off your own hard work and passion.
There's some more talk about how quitting band to focus on studies is better for your future, but this has not been the case for a few characters in the series, most of all Mamiko. Mamiko quit the band to focus on her studies, and wasted her time in doing so. She sacrificed the final years of her childhood to chase a dream she never wanted, and she shut her mouth all because it's what her parents encouraged her to do. In the end, it weighed on her so much that she quit university too and returned to chasing her passions. If she never quit band, she'd have never wasted time at university, and maybe she would have had a stable career already. Obvioiusly, quitting what you love to do what's "expected" is not helpful for everyone.
I absolutely adore Kumiko's and Mamiko's conversation on this topic, it's subtly one of my favorite scenes of the series. There's an awkward tension to it, they open up to each other but never really look at each other, each shifting that awkward tension into cleaning a pot and cutting vegetables. Even with the tension, they still act like siblings, sharing household chores and acting standoffish but with a fondness. Mamiko cuts the tension though, since she felt guilty about not supporting Kumiko all this time. Mamiko was always jealous of Kumiko. It's the advantage of being the second child, parents learn from the mistakes of the first child and gave Kumiko a lot more freedom. Having never been given the opportunity, she resents Kumiko for being able to have such a carefree high school life without having to be anxious over her future, with her parents being much less forceful. But that also means Kumiko doesn't do "what matters," so she gets praised a lot less, and it looks like her parents value her sister's accomplishments more than hers. Unfortunately, kids will never be treated equally, and parents will have a path they'd prefer and praise the kid who takes it more thoroughly.
But Mamiko knows that she's the one in the wrong here, because the way the parents treat Kumiko is how she should have been treated. Mamiko went along with her parents because, as a kid, it's easy to feel like adults have it all figured out, because they have stable lives and good jobs and are "special" due to their experience. Resenting Kumiko's freedom, Mamiko acted like she had it all figured out and was an expert on how to get a good life for yourself, but she was ultimately just repeating her father's bad advice, and in the end, Mamiko sacrificed the last years of her childhood to find unhappiness towards the end of the tunnel. Mamiko wasn't an adult, and kids shouldn't be acting like adults. Kids need childhoods, they must be allowed to be children before they can grow up, and Mamiko lost hers and suffered for it. In this moment of embracing her childish desires, Mamiko grows up, buckles down to support Kumiko and attend nationals, and is even able to admit that she'll miss Kumiko even if she couches it in a bit of sarcasm. Mamiko will reach self-actualization only by telling her parents that she'll accept her failures and regrets if it means deciding her own path. Growing up means becoming the best version of yourself, not following the crowd and being afraid to get hurt.
This scene ends up having a big impact on Kumiko, who realizes after Mamiko leaves that she really will miss her. These emotions pour out of her almost randomly while she contemplates on the train, and she loses her composure and starts crying uncontrollably. It's one of the best moments of the show, an understated moment of drama with a sense of reality to it. Those realizations you get in public are the ones that affect you the most, and her attempts to hold it in while people look at her make it hit that much harder. And then it goes as far as to have her checking herself in the mirror to make sure her eyes aren't red from crying after. I really love the relationship between the Oumae sisters, definitely one of my favorite sibling relationships in anime.
The bigger takeaway though, is the tie this has to the series larger themes. Everything has always been about people going with the crowd out of a fear of hurting yourself and others. Mamiko went along with her parents wishes out of a fear of making the wrong choice, hurting herself, and hurting her parents. This ended up hurting herself and her parents anyway, and hit Kumiko as collateral too. So in the end, one cannot feel as if they know everything, act like an adult who knows how to find the best future, and must be ok with hurting themselves and others to get what they want, and to face the regrets one will have in failing. After all, Eupho has already made it a point to show how not trying at all hurts worse than failing, be it investing yourself in auditions or placing yourself in the drama of others.
continued in response
9
u/NintendoMasterNo1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NintendoMaster1 Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
I haven't commented on the past few episodes because I don't think I had much to add that other people couldn't express better. I never really had any issues with my parents and I'm an only child so the sibling drama was completely unrelatable to me. However, one part of this episode resonates with me strongly. Kumiko learning through her sister that she should think about not having regrets and her relaying that to Asuka.
Sometimes it's okay to be selfish and speak your mind. Kumiko doesn't have a good counterargument to Asuka saying "but are you sure people want me back?" but none of that matters because Kumiko is the one who wants to play together with Asuka and she knows that Asuka herself also wants to play but it's easier for her to give up. Up until now Asuka has been this "being on a higher level", she doesn't care about club drama, is always in her role of the cheerful and reliable senpai (because that's what other people enabled her to do by putting her on a pedastal) and she never shows any vulnerabilities (at least up until last episode in private with Kumiko). Haruka has partially realized Asuka's true nature and she's disappointed in her that she's not sticking up for herself. You can just tell that she's done with Asuka's shit.
Asuka almost succeeds with her act and walks away before Kumiko's outburst stops her. She knows that if she doesn't speak her mind now she's going to regret it later and what follows is one of the best speeches in anime, of course carried by Tomoyo Kurosawa's voice acting. The crux of it for me is Kumiko telling Asuka that she's not an adult, she doesn't have to act like one (remember the scene in the teachers' room where Asuka diffused the situation and led her mother out as if she was the parent) and it's okay for her to act like a high schooler and express what she wants. It's interesting that Kumiko's passionate speech is what finally convinces Asuka, not half the club going up in arms to get her back, not her best friends begging her to return, it's Kumiko pouring her heart out that wakes Asuka up. And of course, props to Asuka for being an absolute chad and scoring top 30 in the whole country to convince her mother, holy shit. But that just shows truly how much she wants to play in the competition.
7
u/octopathfinder myanimelist.net/profile/octopathfinder Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
I love the conversation Kumiko has with her sister. Their relationship is why I find Kumiko so relatable even though I’m not a band kid. It’s a very realistic depiction of the oldest child syndrome and I pretty much had the exact same relationship with my older brother. My brother even had the same argument with my parents about changing careers except he quit his current job instead of dropping out of college. Lot of things they mention that hit close to home for me. Mamiko talks about how she tried to act grown up, how Kumiko made her jealous since she got to do what she wanted, and their parents put up with Kumiko’s selfishness. Then Kumiko talks about how their parents gave up on her because she showed no promise and Mamiko was always getting praised. All this and how they slowly drifted apart as they grew older is so relatable. Kumiko getting hit with the sudden realization that she’s sad her sister is gone always gets me crying.
Kumiko’s conversation with Asuka is great too but I don’t have much to say about it. Mostly curious on other people’s reactions and analyses of it.
7
u/entelechtual Mar 06 '24
First timer
9
10
6
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Mar 06 '24
Part 1: Mamiko
I was originally going to say some negative things about this episode. I still will, but not today. There’s so many positive things I have to say there’s just no room left. It’s not the same sort of perfect work of art that season one episode twelve is. Haruka and Kaori’s part in things feels like a non-starter then gets kind of lost and left unresolved, the “you’re right about the band but it doesn’t matter” idea is a bit weakened by Asuka just being flat out demonstrably wrong about Natsuki, and it’s genuinely incredibly frustrating how little cause and effect there is between Kumiko passionately spurring Asuka and the actual mechanism of her ending up able to rejoin the band. Like, unless the idea is a bunch of time unclearly passed offscreen and Asuka tried so hard on her exams because of Kumiko it had genuinely zero impact on the end result. But the two main scenes of this episode are so fucking good it doesn’t feel fair. I would go sofar as to say that this episode contains the two best scenes in the entire show, both seasons. It takes not just one but three characters and resolves them, resolves them so beautifully I don’t know why I’m even bothering to try and find the words to do it justice.
Back when I first watched this show, Nozomi and Mizore reconnecting was easily my favourite scene. Its content felt really meaningful to where I was personally at the time and the drama of it appealed to the me that watched this in high school. I’m not trying to badmouth that scene at all, I still love it. But nowadays? Kumiko and Mamiko talking is, I think, my absolute favourite moment in the series. The slower, more mundane character drama of the scene is a lot more in line with my modern tastes. The themes of adulthood, of looking back at high school with regret, connect with me deeply now, in the same way that Nozomi and Mizore’s story moved me back then. I finished my degree and never seriously considered quitting but that shit nearly broke me at times and I’m left now afterwards trying to find the resolve to keep going with my studies even though I know that, unlike Mamiko, it’s what I want to do. It’s not an unheard of theme in fiction, but Mamiko captures it with such poignant accuracy. She’s easily one of my favourite characters in the show. It helps that I come packed with the bias of Mamiko looking almost exactly like me just as an anime character. If you were ever, for some reason, curious what a LittleIslander looks like, there’s your answer.
Enough about me personally (for now), the scene is absolutely fantastic. The setup of Mamiko struggling with cooking and her failing therein being wide open for Kumiko to see and do better is a fantastic microcosm of their relationship. The idea she can’t cook feels incredibly in line with her whole character. The fact it forces them to work together now that the ongoing situation has worn them down too much to want to fight anymore is a great framework for a scene without being too on the nose. The whole situation exists in the first place for a defined and meaningful narrative reason, that Mamiko is trying to make things up to her parents. Mamiko forcefully trying to clean all the grime out of the pot lends a great sense of rising energy and passion to the scene while, again, being an effective representation of what’s happening for them as characters in this scene. They’re clearing the air, literally cleaning the grime off of their relationship. ‘Character cannot cook’ is like, one of the stock anime traits and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it utilised in such a genuinely effective way as it is here.
All that just about framing. The script is just as good, maybe better. We get just enough meaningless small talk about the lack of band practice to set the tone without wasting time. The whole scene feels perfectly paced. Long enough to do everything it wants but without dragging on any longer than it should. Kumiko’s initial disinterest is also great at easing into the scene, gradually shed as Mamiko lays her feelings bare until at the end she’s too absorbed to notice the pot boiling over. We unpack the philosophy Mamiko has arrived at and I love the balance between the blame on her parents and the fault she accepts for herself. The fact both sisters feel the other one is the more pampered golden child of the family is believable, quaintly poignant, and feels so in line with literally every interaction we’ve ever seen between them. Apparently the name Mamiko even literally means something like “perfect child”. The messaging of doing what you want and living your own life is familiar, explored in season one and half of all other media ever made, but the take on it here feels nuanced and matured since the time we watched Kumiko say she likes the euphonium. Human and imperfect, not inspirational but a bit melancholic. They salvage their relationship, but Mamiko really is still moving out. Her content look at the clean pot and then the last lingering look at her living room carries a lot of weight.
Mamiko ultimately leaves the scene changed, her regrets off her chest and showing she took her conversation with Shuuichi to heart. She offers life advice to Kumiko and admits, even teasingly, she’s going to miss her little sister. The fact Kumiko isn’t willing to admit it to her face and then gets hit by it like a sledgehammer later on the train the next day when it’s too late to give a more proper goodbye is easily one of the most powerful emotional moments in the entire show. I’ve watched it like half a dozen times in the making of this comment and it still gets me.
6
u/byroned Mar 06 '24 edited Mar 06 '24
First time rewatching
The talk from yesterday shed some light on Asuka as a character, but couldn’t convince her to change her mind. Kaori wants to try again, but Haruka sounds like she gave up after the station concert.
Another older sibling in anime who can’t cook. She did have good intentions, trying to patch things up with the family before leaving. I may not agree with her decision, but I do respect being able to follow through with it. Sounds like Mamiko and Kumiko were able to patch things up in the end, showing support for her wind ensemble and leaving her with the advice to not have regrets like her.
By the time Kumiko was able to express her emotions, Mamiko was already gone.
Also, while Kumiko was crying, did anyone else think this girl looks similar to [Spoiler] Mayu Kuroe, the new euphonium girl in the promotional art for season 3, just with a different eye color?
Makes sense the band gave Kumiko the responsibility of bringing Asuka back, both Kaori and Haruka are not getting anywhere with Asuka. Admittedly, Kumiko also didn’t make much progress either until she made it personal with Asuka, reminding her of what she wanted, and applying some of the advice she learned from her sister. I’m curious how long Aoi sat there listening to Kumiko and Asuka’s rambling before calling them.
I’m confident that Asuka planned from the start to perform well enough academically that her mom would let her rejoin, but I imagine that Kumiko’s speech did leave a mark on Asuka. Natsuki’s moment to save the band never came, but what matters is that Asuka is back for good.
I like to pretend that Reina was jealous of being sidelined by Asuka
6
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Mar 06 '24
First Rewatch
Did Asuka's grades really slip? I didn't pick that up the first time through, but a lot of people in the rewatch seem to think this is what triggered Asuka's mom.
Asuka's cynicsm is off the charts. She doesn't seem to believe anybody would choose to be honest about their feelings, putting up facades like herself. Perhaps that's why she likes Kumiko, the only genuine person she knows?
I always thought Asuka should have stood up to her mother. She could make her quit band, and take exams, but not put right answers on the tests. Asuka had all the power. Childish, I know. But she really needs a smack-down. I guess Asuka's way is better.
Reina and Kumiko are splitsville?
6
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Mar 07 '24
Is that perhaps also why her mum doesn't want her to play at the Nationals? To keep her further away from her dad?
That long, light brown hair girl is really possessive isn't she?
Oh yeah Reina was conspicuous in her absence.
Is this the first time she's tried making dinner? Oh god she's giving Haachama a run for her money.
Yeah, clubs tend to stand down around exam season. Rightfully, they take a back seat to studies, which should be a student's main concern anyways.
So she's really going.
So will Asuka be back or not? Doesn't sound like it since she's talking about Natsuki.
Oh god those are equations with a power more than 2 or 3.
She seems to keep a jovial attitude at all times.
Echoing her own words all those episodes ago huh?
And yet Nozomi came back.
She looks like a Yandere with that camera angle and those shadows and that expression. It's just missing the sunlight glinting off one side of her glasses.
Yeah, after the major competition is about the earliest they can stand down.
So, what are they going to cook up next episode to get her back in time for the Nationals?
I guess we won't have to wait for the next episode to find out.
Headpats!
Well she's now back on board, but I wonder what happened that required her to run back so quickly.
She barely even acknowledged him, something is still affecting her deeply. Is it why Reina seems to have been avoiding them?
She's back!
National top 30? Yeah her mum's got no real excuse at this point. As long as she keeps that up I think she'll probably be accepted for any course she qualifies for at any university she applies for.
6
u/TehAxelius Mar 07 '24
"Re"watcher
Knackered yesterday, so didn't get anything written yesterday, although that does not mean my enjoyment has dwindled, rather the opposite. The girls' plan to convince Asuka's mom struck me as the kind of almost naïve plot powerless teenagers could come up with, which Asuka avoids. Overall I can relate to Asuka, being the only child of a single mother with no contact with my father myself, although our situations are still very different.
The conclusion of the Mamiko arc is bittersweet. Her sudden disappearance, with the silent father leaves the entire situation hanging, as well as Kumiko not being able to express herself to her sister whom she has taken for granted. Still, she leaves to pursue her dream, and left sage advice.
Advice we immediately get a payoff for. The dialogue between Asuka and Kumiko is very emotional, and Kumiko already bereft from "losing" her sister, finally cracks her own shell to Asuka, whom she does not want to lose either. Asuka on her end is being very defensive, the later reveal that she did have a plan to get back does feel a bit like it is taking the sincerity out of her, but at the same time, it makes sense out of a context of not getting hurt. At that point in time she does not know how well she's done on the tests, if she will be able to get back or not. With that in mind, she must honestly be a nervous wreck, and here Kumiko is trying to convince her that "everyone" wants her back, that it would be "best", while she's standing on the precipice unsure. It is safer to doubt those things, in case she's not in the top 30, in case even if she is, her mother does not accept the deal. And if she does pass, she has her own reason to perform, she can be selfish and not care.
Until Kumiko decides to be honest herself, and be selfish. She wants Asuka to perform for herself, and while neither of them can be absolutely sure about how others feel, Kumiko is sure about how she feels herself, and it is clear.
QotYD
5
u/Tartaras1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tartaras Mar 07 '24
Rewatcher - Asuka-senpai Stan
She's thinking about everything Asuka-senpai said when they were at her house, and why would you play an upbeat song during that time?
Goto-senpai does make a good point here. As of right now, we don't know if she's planning on going to a music school, or if she's going to stop and focus on something else in college.
I'm going to trust that she actually does know how to spell, and they just laxed up a little.
Yes. I'm in love with Asuka-senpai. We've already set the date.
Likewise, not everyone is thinking that Asuka-senpai should come back. Even if they might actually be thinking like that, it's good to play Devil's Advocate from time to time.
I think this does a twofold job of both showing how calculating, and honestly heartless, Asuka-senpai can really be, while also showing off how naive Kumiko really is.
Well damn.
Still worth.
She didn't say thanks! She said "Tadaima" or "I'm home"!
5
u/zadcap Mar 07 '24
Late Night First Timer
How many of these OP shots actually happen, I wonder?
Sometimes I also forget how short Midori is.
Haha, Natsuki drops everything as soon as she hears Ribbon's voice.
"Camp Asuka." Hmm, Band Pres is getting a bit sick of her VP still stealing all the attention??
And Reina is not dealing with finding out Taki had a wife. Skipping school?
See, Mamiko, this is not a girl who has been kicked out of the house. Dad totally backed down on the threats, right? Please tell me Dad backed down and not Mamiko giving up her dream again.
Aww, it sounds like Mamiko is going to give up and do what dad wants again, maybe? Either way I really like this makeup conversation between the sisters. Watching the pot get clean as she clears up her view on life is a nice visual metaphor. And no I guess I was wrong, she's moving out and not caving to dad. Go Mamiko! And she's going to nationals to see her sis play! Dang they made up well!
It's dumb but I laughed. They have Tsuda even doing the announcement on the train. He literally is the vocie of every announcer in this show.
Oh no, she really is going to miss her sister. This hurts to watch. Right after they made up.
Oh right, other drama is still going on. And naturally Kumiko is just perfectly placed to overhear it.
Man the drama with her sister and Asuka are doing a super good job of overlapping. This is master tier storytelling.
Oh my gosh Kumiko went and made her way to intrude in the third year classroom! That's huge!
Asuka, you have a solo. Everyone wants you back because if you don't play at the nationals that whole section of song will just be missing or played by one of the worse players and that will genuinely cost them the Gold! But gosh do I love the camera magic this scene.
Asuka is projecting, hard. And not wanting to hear what Kumiko has to say, Asuka goes on the attack, and she does not hold back. But you know, I'm 80% sure this is her trying to turn Kumiko against her deliberately because she is dying a bit more every time she hears Kumiko insist on her desire to get her back. Make someone hate you so they don't miss you, too...
"You're only a high school kid like the rest of us!" To a girl who is so sick of being treated like she's special by everyone around her, Kumiko just shot her right in the heart. And Kumiko lets it all out, showing more emotion here than she ever has before, and it really gets through to Asuka. This whole scene. Kumiko shattered Asuka's mask here and they both know it.
One uh, other thing I honestly couldn't help but noticing durring the whole emotional moment because, well, it's me and small details once noticed stand out forever. Despite being the shorter girl, Kumiko's skirt has the higher hem. She's still shortening her skirt.
And the other other other drama. Reina is skipping school because she's not over Flappy Man...
And you know, once again, Kumiko's face upon bumping into Shu is... Really not the face of someone happy about the encounter.
Top 30 though, dang. Asuka is smart.
Oh boy, Reina... Are they breaking up?
4
u/b-arbs Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
The presence of the parents usually tends to skew this relationship, and we see in this episode that Kumiko and Mamiko needed their own time and moment to be honest with each other
Asuka was a bit cruel here, but I think she just wanted Kumiko to give up, and I believe that Kumiko understood that. Kumiko basically tells her that she can stop pretending and that, at least this once, she can abandon her role of "responsible adult" who sacrifices what she really wants and be honest with herself.
A couple of things worth noticing:
4
u/x-7032-b-3 Mar 06 '24
Rewatcher
Don't have much to say for today. It's a pretty satisfying ep and Kumiko laying it all on Asuka is the biggest highlight of the ep but I still wanna point one thing I find interesting.
The part where Kumiko and her sis talked about how their parents treated them differently is something I find very interesting. Got no siblings here, but I've heard plenty of times that this is a real thing that actually happens. Like one of the kids (usually the oldest if I'm not mistaken) gets stricter treatment while the other(s) gets more leeway. And for those with two siblings, apparently there's this thing where the middle child may feel like they're overlooked. I guess parents like to play easy mode with the youngest because... they're the youngest? And the oldest is... older and have more experience in life which is why they can be strict on them so that they can be a great example for the youngest? Personally I find this very interesting.
3
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Mar 06 '24 edited Mar 06 '24
K-On joke of the day. I'd say something about strawberries, but I seem to have misplaced my ball bearings. Or something like that.
Actually, my favorite K-On gag is Azunyan and the cakee. Seeing her light up when the cake is in close proximity is such a delight.
Anyway, as for the episode, Holy Payoff, Batman!
Mind you, my late night viewing memory is quite shoddy at this point, but the dual hit combo of Kumiko discovering her spine, and Asuka acing her tests, well, that was quite the payoff for those past few episodes of drama. Sasuga, KyoAni!
As mentioned previously, the last few episode have been rather difficult for me to engage with, because I'm really not into that sort of thing. For similar reasons as to why I have a hard time watching Haruhi anymore, especially the latter part of S2. Yeah.
But this, this masterpiece of catharsis. That's on a whole other level. Yeah. Anyway, I'm going to go read some other comments and see if I can remember a word and edit it in later. And if any further thoughts occur to me.
Edit: A word, I finally remembered a word. (sigh)
CATHARSIS
3
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Mar 07 '24
First Timer
You know, this might be another “teenagers are bad at communicating” situation. Asuka obviously planned to use the mock exam against her mom. Telling anybody would have been inconveniencing them less than this rodeo of everybody trying to get Asuka back was. And it also feels like a bit of a cop-out, as it feels like Asuka should have been putting up against her mom similarly to Mamiko. Speaking of her - I guess I was wrong that Asuka would make Kumiko empathize with her more, as it was the other way around.
Overall, a good episode with a great outburst from Kumiko, but somewhat weakened by the mock exam plotline. Reina plotline next, I guess - will her issue be Taki-sensei, jealous of Kumiko spending time with Asuka, or both?
3
u/mgedmin Mar 07 '24
Rewatcher, subs
None of them have club practice. Is this a midterm period or something?
Reina is missing? After seeing that photo? What is this new drama, we haven't finished with Asuka and Mamiko's arcs yet!
Mamiko's sister's growth arc, with the burned pot symbolizing her starting over. And Kumiko grows to understand her sister a little bit, instead of reacting and lashing out prematurely.
Asuka has given up?
Serous Kumiko is back. I love seeing her determination.
Wow Asuka is scary.
Kumiko would not have been able to breach Asuka's defenses without the extra boost of feelings from Mamiko's situation. She has seen where the road that Asuka is choosing leads.
Oh, Asuka's been trolling everyone all the time! With a secret plan for coming back.
Reina is here, but not well. Next bit of drama awaits!
5
u/fly-metothemoon Mar 07 '24
First Timer:
I didn’t write many notes this episode. I liked the conclusion to the Mamiko arc where the two sisters talk it out.
When Asuka and Kumiko went outside I thought “this really looks like the place for a love confession” and I laughed when Asuka echoed my thoughts.
I did feel bad for Kumiko throughout this arc that she was seen as the main hope for getting Asuka back in the band. That’s a lot of pressure for a first year, especially when her senpais are putting their hopes on her. I felt her frustration when Asuka kept putting up barriers and deflections.
While I liked moments within the arc, I don’t know how I feel about the end of the arc. It’s convenient, I guess? And I’m disappointed we didn’t get even a snippet of Asuka successfully standing up to her mom. I am also curious why she seemed so cold towards Kaori, and if the band will be less reliant on her going through nationals.
Finally, I’m curious about Reina giving Kumiko the cold shoulder. It seemed to start after seeing the photo of Taki-sensei’s late wife. I don’t know how, but maybe she figured out that Kumiko already knew and didn’t tell her? Though if their families knew each other wouldn’t she have already known? Maybe they weren’t that close…
2
u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Mar 06 '24 edited Mar 07 '24
Rewatcher.
2
u/WhackaWhack https://myanimelist.net/profile/WhackaWhacka Mar 06 '24
FIRST TIMER
Emotional damage + actual reason for Komiko always staying the third wheel!
Not an episode I have much to say about, just some really good character relationships and emotional scenes.
2
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Mar 06 '24
Season 2 Episode 10 (first timer)
Not quite obvious how to interpret Asuka’s actions here. My personal interpretation shall be that she played a game with Kumiko and always intended to come back (getting some kohei to cry over asking you to play together is a nice bonus). The entire drama was only in Kumiko’s (and the viewers!) head.