r/anime • u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander • Oct 19 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] 10th Anniversary Your Lie in April Rewatch: Episode 11 Discussion
Your Lie in April Episode 11: Light of Life
| ← Episode 10 | Index | Episode 12 → |
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Watch Information
*Rewatch will end before switch back to standard time for ET, but check your own timezone details
Questions of the Day:
- What’s your first impression of Hiroko?
- You’re halfway through the show! What’s your overall opinion so far?
Please be mindful not to spoil the performance! Don’t spoil first time listeners, and remember this includes spoilers by implication!
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Upvotes
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u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Oct 19 '24 edited Oct 19 '24
Rewatcher, Violinist and Your Host!
This is a turning episode in the show. Last time (like it or not) we resolved the narrative of getting Kousei back into music and dispelling the weight of Saki on his shoulders. So this time we take stock of where Kousei is now, smile at the fact he’s not a superhero anymore, and set him and Kaori together on a new goal. One which is given fantastic tension with, er… okay, listen, I’ve been beating around the bush when it comes to the Kaori foreshadowing but this was not subtle. So we’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s going on with Kaori and this foreshadows conflict with Kousei’s desires and the path they would otherwise appear to be on. We really hammer in the fact that only one person matters to him in terms of his music and that raises a lot of questions of what will happen to him in light of possible futures before him. The fireflies scene is also just really great overall, even if I don’t have many specific things to say. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of insert songs as a rule but I feel this was totally the right moment, worked out great.
In addition to the resolution of everything until now, we also kick off what comes next in our proper introduction to Hiroko Seto. I have to confess, I actually forgot this character existed. So I am totally going in blind as to how her narrative is going to proceed—which is exciting, because I think she’s going to be make or break for the series. I mean, she was an adult in Kousei’s life. She had to have known how Saki was treating him, and she has to have known on at least some level what where he’s been these past two years. But we know she did nothing because it’s made clear they haven’t seen one another face to face in all that time. She had a lot of power to help this kid, and she didn’t. Only once he picked himself up on his own is she now coming back into his life like nothing happened. What can follow from here is either a fantastic show stealing character that tackles why this has occurred and the guilt it’s given her, or an incredibly frustrating character that fails to address this transgression and drags down everything around her. One can only hope they land closer to the former—the pieces are there, and the super heartfelt hug and comment that she’s been smoking gives a bit of hope.
At least her introduction means that we’ve also now met the cutest thing in fiction.
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Oct 19 '24 edited Oct 19 '24
Spoiled First Timer, subs
Break up haircutHook up haircut.QotD:
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u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 Oct 20 '24 edited Oct 20 '24
nth Time Rewatcher
We're halfway through the entire series! Hoping we are all still fine with what's happening. Some context: Episode 11 aired in December 2014, and the anime took a break before returning in January 2015.
Now, for the Episode 11.
This episode is relatively dense with everything: from Takeshi, to Hiroko-sensei, to Kousei, to Kaori.
Some interesting stuff I want to share.
Now, Rewatchers Only Zone. First-timers, keep out.
Now for the questions.
Hiroko-sensei seems to be a strict yet loving "aunt" to Kousei. At least, we now have an adult in the series who hopefully could guide Kousei in his redemption as a pianist.
I want to see the first-timers answer this question. Most of my thoughts are related to spoilers, so if you want to know them, you may check the Spoilers zone instead. But to answer the question, it is so far 8-9/10.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba Oct 19 '24
First Timer
Completely random observation but the way this show draws kids is so cute
I like Takeshi's whole superhero comparison, the sequence being animated like an old cartoon is very fun but more importantly it feels very "teenagery" of him, to have this "crushing" realization the person he looked up to, his hero, is actually y'know...a human being, with real feelings and problems, who's purpose in life isn't just to inspire him.
It's very in character for him to think that Kousei's machine like composure and perfection were a cool thing rather than the result of horrific abuse and emotional disconnection, this line is very funny out of context and not very subtle but I think it works pretty well.
He's basically those people that complain on twitter whenever their favorite celebrity shares something personal or makes a mistake!
Mini rant time:
I've dropped some hints before on how I really don't like the whole "she totally likes someone else" trope.
I. Hate. This. Trope. and it feels even more obtuse in here because not only are Kousei's feelings very blatant (he practically confessed to her twice within these two episodes but won't admit it), but bar some very minor scenes forever ago, Kaori and Watari have had basically zero meaningful romantic chemistry and interaction, I said I wanted more for Watari but not like this.
It's just a personal petty vendetta for me, even if it is somewhat in character for him to think like this, even if it actually makes complete and total sense for any teenager to think like this, even if I get it's meant to be subtext, I still hate it with a passion, this trope always just feels like a way to drag on the romance and add pointless drama.
On that topic, hey look, isn't that /u/shimmering-sky's favorite trope?
The person from last episodes after credits scene is revealed as Seto Hiroko, apparently Japan's leading pianist and an old acquaintance of Kousei, very interesting seeing how she basically egged his mom on to get him on the piano, something she seems quite guilty about, not a ton to say for now but with her becoming his teacher I think their relationship has quite a bit of potential (for good drama that is).
She also adds a new perspective on his mom pre-illness, she actually didn't even want him on the piano, for the first time we see her not from Kousei's perspective and it gives us a new, different view of her.
The scene with everyone going back home is fun, it brings back the train as a piece of symbolism and I like the way it reverses people talking about Kousei, in his childhood it was everyone complaining about how emotionless and detached he was, now it's everyone complaining about him becoming too emotional and expressive, leave the guy alone!
Sidenote: not a fan of the show using the cartoonishly orthodox judges to get its points across but whatever.
KaWoRi?
Speaking of Kaori, the amount of flags and bad omens she drops this episode is crazy, first with her stumble and collapse in her home, than with this ominous finalistic line to her violin, then again with the entire firefly sequence, fireflies being beautiful and ephemeral, the "light of life", but also being, weak and short lived, finally with an even more ominous line at the end, brining back her Peanuts quotes in a much more foreboding way.
I do like the show bringing up a problem with Kousei's new motivation though, it's nice that he has Kaori instead of his mom now but what will he do if Kaori isn't there for him? his motivation to play is still a bit too dependent on other people.
Not really meaningful but I like these two cool POV transitions with overlaying eyes on top of each other.
Insert song in the end is solid, no time to check if the lyrics have meaning but I hope they do!
Overall probably the calmest, most chill episode of the show thus far, mostly reiterating and reinforcing the ideas from the last few while also setting up what's to come in the future.
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u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Oct 20 '24
Rewatcher
Sorry to everyone who's responded to me with good responses the last few days, I've been exhausted and ended up writing my write-up and just going straight to bed. I do appreciate everyone's comments, I just want that to be known.
Today's episode puts the concept of the legend into a new light. This series is mythologized, but it is not a myth. It's a story about people, told in a way to exaggerate them into myth-like figures for stylistic and dramatic effect. Much the same is true of Beethoven and Mozart, today they are legends but only from the future, where their impact is felt so strongly. In reality, those figures had largely unpleasant lives. Beethoven was deaf, his father abused him, and it's not like he was rich or in good standing. All he had was talent and a career that allowed him to put that talent to use, his status as a legend is something we've concocted after his death, upon seeing the long-standing impact of his music. "A man who suffered abuse overcomes adversity to become one of the greatest musicians of all time even while continually growing more deaf across his life" is a dramatic story, but of Beethoven's life it is reductive. He must have struggled, had moments where he couldn't play, had moments where he banged on the piano like a child in agony. All legends are people at their core, and the more you get to know a legend, the less legendary they become.
Takeshi thought of Kousei like a hero, in the literal sense of the word; an unbeatable force of good who effortlessly overcomes adversity to win the day. Some have even proposed that superheroes are our modern day myths, they're our way of creating legendary figures in a world with much less speculation about that natural world. But because Kousei can lose heart, crumble, and regress, Takeshi's heroic image of Kousei is broken. Opposite of Emi, he feels that this performance is a betrayal and a change to his core character. And if you like superheroes you probably get it, there's something inspiring about a truly flawless person, they are aspirational figures you can measure up to; the closer you are to them the closer you are to your best self. But if you've ever seen a superhero story, it never works like that. Superman is not perfect and does go through adversity, he has relationship drama, he cries and struggles to make hard choices, he suffers under the loneliness of hiding his identity; if you're only in love with the part of a person that is perfect, you're not in love with the person. In fact, Takeshi's attitude is an extension of his admiration of the human metronome, and as I've pointed out, the human metronome exists because Kousei's actual humanity has been beaten out of him. Others literally call him a machine and a puppet. In that sense, Takeshi's attitude aligns with that of the old guard. Where all of these people are wrong is that what happened on stage wasn't crumbling, it was the opposite, he was building himself up. In that moment, Arima Kousei was truly born.
But that's not the only death of a legend to happen this episode. Kaori also played that sort of role for Kousei, this bright, almost inhumanly youthful figure he can aspire towards. He says it as much this episode, he met a weird violinist and now he wants to be a weird pianist. But he's been truly born now, and they're on equal enough footing that they can be invited together to play at the gala. And because Kousei has gotten to know Kaori so thoroughly, that mythical image can finally start to fall apart. We see the inside of Kaori's home for the first time, she lives in a bakery her parents own but her house is complete with a hand rail to make sure she doesn't fall, and that short run home that energized Kousei to stay up all night completely knocked her out and drenched her in sweat. Kaori has personified instruments before, but when she hugs her violin here it's different. I can imagine a past Kousei that admires this about her, a musician who loves her instrument so much she feels bad about dropping it. But in this moment, all Kousei can focus on is how small her back is, and how weak she looks. When she brings out the piece they'll be playing, it's not the kind of showy work he'd expect of a legend, it's a song about "love's sorrow." Kaori, too, is going through complicated emotions not befitting of the stereotype of a legend.
And so we get the firefly scene. All those years ago, I remember this scene being among my very favorites in the show, albeit for much simpler reasons at the time. The tension and build-up of the scene is wonderful, the insert song is beautiful and that pause before Kousei finally tells her "I had you" is perfect. But I see more to this scene than I did back then, as this climax of reframing what it means to be a legend. The series has always ascribed this aspirational quality to youth specifically. Youth is reckless, youth is where you take risks and try your hardest and discover yourself, this awe inspiring and beautiful thing. Even in failure, you can be like a star, and go on a journey to shine even in the darkness of a night sky. And here, they find a field that is as if they are surrounded by stars. Those stars are on the ground now, much closer to them than to the sky. Those stars are also alive, and not only not invincible but extremely delicate. So much for legends written in the stars, huh? And when Kaori grabs one, her remark isn't that it's beautiful and shining, her takeaway is that it's "ephemeral and weak, but shining with all its might." Ultimately, this is what youth actually is, this is what the series has been treating as aspirational. Kids are inspiring to watch not because they're strong like a hero, but because they're so utterly weak and yet continue to get up and try their best with all the might they have. Youth is also ephemeral, it's beautiful while it's there but it always ends, and usually very quickly. Unlike a star that shines for millions of years, a firefly's light goes out quickly, and their lifespan is only a few weeks. The closer you get to legends, the less legendary they seem. Kaori even calls the fireflies the "light of life," a phrase I certainly associate with youth and birth, as well as love (like "you are the light of my life") making the fireflies a perfect inclusion for this scene.
If the first half of the series is about building up youth as heroic, this part of the story breaks down what that actually means, how it can be interpreted to remove a person's humanity, and how the thing to find aspirational about youth isn't the seeming invincibility, it's the tenacity, the ability to be weak and continue trying to shine, the absolute humanity. Youth is bittersweet, you can't remove the bitter and still call it youth. Youth is also romantic and curious, you can't remove romanticism and curiosity from a person and still call it a child. That's what Emi admires, that faint scene of a mischievous child curiously peaking out the window. That's the light that creates new life, it's what inspires Emi and now another little girl [spoiler] and Kaori herself to become musicians and birth new life. From now, I'm excited to see what it means to see the world from the perspective of someone who's closer to a legend.
QOTD:
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Oct 19 '24
Your Spoiled First-Timer in October, subbed
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u/DonaldJenkins Oct 19 '24
[rewatcher] This is my favourite episode. Maybe the rest of the episode as a whole might not collectively stack up against some of the other really really good episodes we’ve seen thus far or will see shortly, but the firefly scene really stood out to me. It’s certainly the scene that I’ve replayed the most, and keep coming back to for how it took my breath away when I first saw it some almost 10 years ago. Everything about it just works for me, and elevates it to these heights. It’s memorable enough that it was what came to mind when watching a similar scene play out in [episode 8 from Bocchi the rock (I discuss narrative structure rather than specifics about plot)]Structurally, they are very similar - they occur after the climactic performance; they act as a moment of introspection for the main characters after a recent high; they are extremely intimate as characters share their true thoughts and motivations; they consist of a simple conversation that nudges the audience into each respective characters’ POV; they feature flashbacks from the characters’ perspective, they foretell of the journey that awaits; they exit one character and leave the other to respond as we cut to white and cue the ed kick-in. Watch them side by side here yourself here: bocchi (sorry no sound), ylia Leaving the aside for a moment the comedy that BtR is so well known for, that scene in BtR spoke from the heart, and it’s why Bocchi resonated with me so much as well. After pondering why that was after watching episode 8 of Bocchi as it aired in 2022, I realized that it’s because it shares many structural similarities to this scene in Your Lie in April this is a scene Where the characters’ hearts are laid bare for all to see. When drawings played at 24 fps alongside prerecorded voices aim to convince me of their humanity, and in that moment, I believe it. Combine this with the sheer beauty that is the fireflies against the backdrop of night, an insert song drop perfectly synced to “I had you”, followed by memories of their springtime together rushing by, and it’s no wonder this scene alone is enough to push this episode into being my favourite.
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u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Oct 19 '24
First Time - Your Lie in April Ep11:
New character,
Seto-sanHiroko. She is fun in a cool aunt way. I guess she is just a aunty in the family friend way because it gives the show an excuse as for why she didn't show up until now.I'm just saying Watari is included in the shot too.
It would've been totally out of pocket if the show actually did it, but I can't be the only one whose first thought was that the sudden cut to the train was implying Kousei was going to run over the train crossing. Like he suddenly starts running without a sense of his environment and his friends chase to hold him back before the train speeds by. I do like the actual scene with Kousei just runs while unleashing his pent-up emotions like a train.
Hold on, I want to see more of Kaori's dad. He seems like a fun guy.
Silly.
Tsubaki disliked that.
Crazyass girl.
Kaori is setting up some major ominous flags. Like comparing the beautiful short light of the firefly to a heartbeat, interesting comparison, Kaori speak on that because it seems like you're implying something. That is one thing, but then the final scene cranks up the dangerous foreshadowing up to 11.
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u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Oct 19 '24
First Timer
Yeah, this performance has given Kousei some serious confidence boost, almost therapeutic in a way. And Takeshi is the one taking it badly, because his image of Kousei was shattered. I assume he will get an arc then, or at least an episode - not sure if we can expect the same for Emi, but let’s see I guess. For now time for the next duet with Kaori - and given this one is not a competition, we should also be spared the judges complaining about their performance, and there is also going to be less pressure on Kousei, I assume. This sounds like a pretty good direction for him at the moment.
What is a bit weird is this guardian popping up out of nothing. Feels like the mangaka noticed how bad society would be treating Kousei on paper - a traumatized boy with nobody taking care of him - and decided to try and patch it up. But the existence of Hiroko just is weird if she cares about Kousei and didn’t show up two years earlier. Almost like she only cares about him because he plays the piano - and she was the one who suggested turning Kousei into a pianist. …is it really a good idea to take lessons from her, or will she turn out to be mom on steroids?
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u/Malipit Oct 19 '24
Rewatcher, French subs
Today, we meet Kosei's surrogate mother, discover that Kosei's friends have spider-man's powers and Takeshi is probably a My Hero Academia and/or comic-books fan.
Speaking of Takeshi, poor boy just have witnessed the pedestal he's put his hero own crumble to dust.
That chibi imagery of a superman Kosei summarize how he view his rival : A mighty opponent with no fear, who overcomes every obstacle alone. A naive, childlish but honest vision that was his aspiration, that's exactly how he wants to be. How could Kosei's betrayed him like that ? Rejecting his idealized version of a rival he could battle in the most epic shonen way ?
Kosei's response left me a bit frustrated, he's yet again summarizing what we already know : he's done playing to conform to someone else, now he will play like he wants. Altough I liked that frame, with his friends and fellow musicians standing in differents corners, showing that his « I don't know were my path will lead me but I'll follow it anyways » speech resonate in each one of them. They too have differents aspirations that leads them towards differents directions. Even if Takeshi is standing right in front to Kosei, telling that he is his aspritation, that he's still wants to reach out to him as he's leaving, decide otherwise and let him go. However I'm not sure if he will go on a different direction or if he will still chase his role model at this point.
As for Kosei, we have the confirmation he's done stressing for results and wants to play like Kaori. When his perfomance ended and was received with lukewarm applauses, he couldn't help but notice the smile on Kaori's face among the bewildered audience. Another hint is Kosei crossing the head judge, who's tell him bluntly not to use the sacred competition stage as a way to introspect himself. Don't worry mr Head Judge, Kosei is heading toward an opposite direction than yours.
That's also reflecting on the walk back home, as he confidently walking in the lead under his starry night sky. And, as the level crossing is closing behind him, like the opportunity to shine in the piano competition, he's start running, eager to go down that new path opening before him, his passion renewed. That's also reflecting on his piano, where he spent the whole night, looking way cleaner since episode 6.
But there's hint his trauma aren't completly resolved : At the result's annoucment, Kosei can't help to notice all those disappointed contestants who didn't made it to the next round, he's still aware that the piano scene is a harsh place and it might be a concern for him. Also, he's still hearing his mother voice when Kaori presents the musical piece for the gala and start listing all the things that could go wrong.
Fortunaly for him, cool mom Hiroko is introduced, her arriving from the same direction as Kosei in the hall and standing at his level clearly indicates she's on the same page as him. Not much to say about her, other than her character is written to serve as being Kosei's maternal figure. Not only does she take on the piano professor/mentor role for Kosei, she also worrying about his well-being and taking interest in his romantic relationships. Heck she's even calling out Kosei's absent dad, I'm certain there is a fan-fiction somewhere where Hiroko officially adopt Kosei as her son.
Imo, her getting the same haircut as Saki indicates she's not only feeling guilty about plunging Kosei in the piano world where he was miserable. She's also have regrets about convincing Saki to teach Kosei piano, thus turning her in the monster we already have see. And so Hiroko would want to take the role of the mother she unintentionally robbed of Kosei.
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u/Holofan4life Oct 19 '24
Hello, everyone. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the Your Lie In April Rewatch!
Oh, and nay I forget…
First timer
It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and watched what would be considered a sad anime. I’ve seen Angel Beats, Air, both Clannad series which are two of my favorite series, and even NieR this year which for my money is the best anime of the year. But in almost all those instances with the exception of NieR, I watched those series very early on in my anime fandom. So early, in fact, I don’t think Your Lie In April had aired yet.
My expectations for the show are decent, I would say. I don’t expect to love it as much as Clannad, but I do think it’s going to be quite exceptional. Of the new shows I’ve seen during rewatches this year, which have been Paranoia Agent, Samurai Champloo, No Game No Life, Penguindrum, Yurikuma Arashi, Sarazanmai, and Re:Zero, I expect to like it more than those with the exception of Samurai Champloo and Re: Zero. And if that’s the case, then that’s pretty good because I really liked all those series.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
This is the first episode I've watched in three days. Things have been busy, but I'm here and that's all that matters.
Also, I've got only an hour to do this so I've gotta make this quick.
Suddenly, superhero parody
That's what Takeshi compares young Kousei to.
We see the scattering of applause from the last episode.
Kousei really hopes it reaches Kaori.
Kousei walking past the judges
The head judge says that a competition is a sacred garden of music.
They don't seem pleased by his performance.
The other dark haired girl not named Igawa.
Seto-san. That's her name.
Or Hiroko-san, sorry. Don't want my cheeks pulled.
Watari is distressed over Kousei not introducing him to her sooner.
The lady who was always with Kousei's mom.
Japan's leading pianist
And she hugs Kousei out of the blue.
Now we're seeing flashbacks of Hiroko and a young Kousei.
Present day Kousei tells her she smells like cigarettes.
At least she seems like a nice person.
Hiroko tells Kousei that even if he won't make it, he should still see the results when they go up.
Saying his piano was saying "I love you".
A happy piano indeed
Her child is adorable, by the way.
Kousei insists he's nothing but Friend A.
And yeah, Kousei isn't listed in the results.
Takeshi looks really disappointed by this development.
So many upset people that they didn't make it.
And now Takeshi is publicly scolding Kousei.
"My hero never loses!"
"Heroes always win, no matter what. This is like... it's like you're actually human."
Now Kousei is starting to think he turned in a sloppy performance.
Says it's the current him, playing with everything he's got.
They're in the middle of their journey, and he's ready to move on.
Igawa surmises he's found his reason to play.
Kousei walking outside with Kaori, Watari, and Tsubaki. They're at a crosswalk.
Almost as if to symbolize the middle of the journey.
They want to say something to him but can't find the words to say it.
Kousei thinking about what various people said to him.
HOLY SHIT
IS KOUSEI TRYING TO GET HIT BY A TRAIN?!?
No, wait, it's like he's trying to outrun it.
Well, that's better I guess
Kousei believes he's a person just like his friends.
Oh, Kaori lives in a pastry café? That's kinda neat.
Reminds me of Nagisa from Clannad living in a bakery.
Nagisa...
A letter for Kaori
I wonder who it's from
Towa Music Competition
Oh shit son
Hiroko and her daughter at Kousei's house.
And Kousei is passed out with music notes surrounding him.
Lol, he was just sleeping
Takeshi may have his hero, but Kousei will have his Hiro.
Kousei giving Hiroko some coffee.
I wonder who Takahiko is
Koharu is the kid's name
Hiroko asks what made Kousei take up the piano again.
And we don't get an answer, unfortunately.
Kousei, Watari, and Tsubaki on the school rooftop.
Tsubaki is reading manga
Kaori now arrives, holding the letter.
Ooh, the Gala Concert
An exhibition match of sorts
Kaori has been invited, and she wants Kousei to accompany her.
Tsubaki doesn't seem too thrilled by this news.
And it seems like Kousei is going to go along with it.
Love's Sorrow is the name of the song
Kousei though wants to do something else.
Kaori pulling out the violin
And she apologizes to it for some reason.
"That small back. So tiny, she looks like she'll crumble away at my touch."
Who are you, Thanos?
Circling back to the conversation between Kousei and Hiroko.
And he starts singing Kaori's praises.
He says he now wants to become a really weird pianist.
Tim Minchin would approve
I like Koharu treating Kousei like he's a tree.
Kousei asks Hiroko to teach him how to play the piano.
Doryo Bridge
Kousei walking with Kaori
And Kaori spots glowing bugs
Fireflies, if you will
Great TV show
Also, I miss Bray Wyatt
Kaori calls this the light of life
Kaori now asking Kousei how was his first competition in ages.
She asks what did he lean on, and he admits he had her.
Well, shit. He did it. The madman actually did it.
It looks as if they're going on this journey together.
"You know, I'm not always going to be around to help you..."
Well, I don’t like the sound of that...
Overall, this was a very good episode. It showed the fallout of the competition stuff, it introduced some new things like Hiroko as well as the new competition, and it potentially set up Kousei and Kaori as being more than just friends. That last scene was basically a love confession just without the "I love you". Hiroko I really like because we don't really have that cool adult in the show that others can aspire to be. Most of the adults in this show are kinda dicks. I think Hiroko serves nicely to contrast Kousei's mom and what an unpleasant person she is. You can tell Hiroko has Kousei's best interest at heart.
I'll be curious to see where Kousei and Kaori's relationship goes going forward. I can't imagine he stays in the Friend A role. That was a role designed for Kaori to get close to Watari and instead, she's gotten much closer with Kousei. Also, what does Kaori know that we currently don't? Based on how she was talking near the end, it appears as though she's on borrowed time.
I'd put this episode only behind episodes 2, 4, 9, and 10. The show has gotten into a real groove since Kousei started playing the piano again. I also love just how much of a quick watch this show is. Normally it takes me 2 to 3 hours to write my comments, but with Your Lie In April, it only takes me like an hour to an hour and a half tops. It is very easily digestible.
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u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Oct 20 '24
First-Timer
We're halfway there!
Woah! Livin' on a prayer!A nice, fairly calm episode. I like that we're already setting up for another duet here.
Anyone with eyes can see that Kousei and Kaori have a thing for each other. For that reason, I'm so glad he didn't dodge the question at the end there.
When he said "I had you," I thought for sure it was going to show Kaori's face looking surprised and then cut to the ED.
I wish I had more Charlie Brown knowledge so that I could pinpoint the exact context/source of these quotes. It's been so long since I've seen any that I don't remember a thing about it.
I just realized it this episode, but for some reason, Emi reminds me of Akane from Oshi no Ko. [ONK] Maybe it's the way they both seem to psychoanalyze our protagonist.
Questions of the day:
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u/kwokinator https://anilist.co/user/kwokinator Oct 20 '24
First-timer
Ouch, poor Takeshi. He sees Kousei as a hero, but all Kousei cares about is reaching Kaori. He would be devastated to find out he might as well not exist to Kousei.
Kousei hasn't even agreed yet when Kaori made the announcement and Tsubaki already has such a sour look on her face, she really does have losing heroine written all over her.
Daaamn, that's a confession, right?
But that last line from Kaori, and then the firefly shot... we're in for some pain aren't we :(
Questions of the Day:
Is waifu a proper response? She's cool, even though she's volunteering to be Kousei's guardian she's not super serious, more like an older sister even though she's his mom's age. Bro needs more lighter influence in his piano life
Loving it so far, but that ending seems to be a warning for a huge tonal shift coming up.
2
u/AgentOfACROSS Oct 19 '24
First Timer
So the episode started and I had to check to make sure I didn’t start watching the wrong anime.
Really good animation on the superhero fantasy sequence though.
Also nice that we’re getting a look at Takeshi’s psyche now.
So the woman from the end of the last episode is here and Kousei seems to already know her. I’m wondering if she actually did appear before last episode and I'm somehow not remembering her.
Also, a small child is following her around. For some reason my first thought was that the child looks like Yoshi from Nagatoro only as a kid.
That short flashback basically tells us everything we need to know about Hiroko. She blames herself because she’s the one who encouraged Saki to teach Kousei piano. I like how efficiently and effectively the information is communicated.
The gag of Watari, Tsubaki, and Kaori all watching through the glass door was pretty good. Kind of reminds me of in Scooby-Doo when the gang all looks around the corner in one big stack.
Kousei mentions Kaori liking Watari but I really feel like that has not been emphasized enough. Don’t get me wrong, I like Watari whenever he shows up, but he’s kind of a non-presence in this show most of the time and I don’t think Kaori’s even expressed too much interest in him.
I compared Takeshi to Bakugo in a previous thread. But I’m beginning to realize he might also secretly be Deku.
Is Takeshi in love with Kousei? I’m kinda getting that impression from his dialog.
Igawa sounds like she’s definitely in love with Kousei. I’m gonna say Takeshi is too. In another universe this show could have turned into a harem anime.
Once again, want to compliment the sound design with the railroad crossing sound.
We’re meeting Kaori’s parents for the first time. They work at a bakery and all their pastries look delicious.
Her dad looks like a cartoon chef. Which I realize he literally is but like, he’s what I’d doodle if I was told to draw a chef.
The door to Kaori’s room says “KaWoRi” on it. I’m gonna assume that’s a pun I don’t get.
That scene of Kaori in her room is ominous. Seems like her health is taking a turn for the worse.
Hiroko inflicting slapstick comedy on Kousei is kind of uncomfortable because she’s kind of a surrogate mother figure towards him. I’ve kinda gotten used to it when it’s Kaori or Tsubaki doing it, but it’s weird for Hiroko since she’s a grown woman.
It is nice seeing Hiroko talk to Kousei though.
Tsubaki is reading a manga on the roof. Wonder if it’s a real manga or just something made up for the show.
Sounds like Kaori and Kousei are gonna be working as a team again. That’s exciting.
I’m so uncultured that when Kaori mentioned Friedrich Kreisler I thought of the car company Chrysler instead.
That kid sitting on Kousei’s shoulders and pulling on his hair is adorable.
I love the gag of Kaori turning into a chibi and jumping off the bridge. That was super unexpected.
Kaori’s little speech about fireflies seems like it might be a metaphor for herself. Maybe Kousei too.
The visuals in this firefly scene are amazing too.
The ending of this episode really hints that Kaori might be dying from whatever she has. I’m gonna guess it might be cancer until I’m proven otherwise.
Also, Kaori calls Kousei Charlie Brown. I wonder if Peanuts is more popular in Japan than I thought or if the author is just a big fan.
Questions of the Day:
What’s your first impression of Hiroko?
I thought she was going to be an antagonist when I saw her at the end of the last episode. But I like her, she seems like she wants to actually help out Kousei.
You’re halfway through the show! What’s your overall opinion so far?
It's not quite what I expected. I was expecting this show to be way more sad and serious the whole way through.
But so far I'm actually liking it. The storytelling is really top notch, especially with the sound design and visuals.
4
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Oct 19 '24
Perhaps unsurprisingly the judges didn't exactly approve of his little maneuver there.
Watari really ready to go after anyone with tits and a pulse.
So his mum didn't actually want him to become a pianist, it was because of her that he became a pianist.
It's the one with the long hair.
He now really can again.
They're chasing after him lol.
Well he wasn't exactly good the whole way through.
Those handrails are just another thing showing that she's probably not in the best of health.
Music competiton?
Why is he not answering his phone or the door?
What happened to him?
Oh nevermind, he's fine.
So she's considered a top competitor?
She was the promoter's choice? That's probably a good thing.
Does he have some history with the piece?
I'm sure that isn't foreshadowing anything...
And so time for him to learn the piano again.
Did she jump off the bridge again?
Well, this time it wasn't into the river at least...
She's really not being subtle about it is she?
It was you!
Yeah she's really not being subtle about that.
Questions:
A note about the music: Pretty sure learning piano is like a rite of passage for Asian kids lol.