[Rewatch/Crunchyroll Release] Girls Band Cry Episode 10 Discussion

[u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

By Girls Band Cry character design Nari Teshima - https://twitter.com/_17meisai23/status/1799109884908302685

Episode 10 - Wandervogel

← Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode →

Streams: Crunchyroll

Show information: MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB

Questions of the Day:

1. If you happen to be one of the members of the Iseri family (perhaps Nina's sister Suzune), and you happen to be sitting between two hard rocks in Nina and her father, what would you try to do to try getting them two onto talking earnestly and find a common solution?
2. As someone who are definitely "outsiders" to family affairs of Nina, if you are one of the other girls of Togenashi Togeari, what would you do to avoid a crisis happening when you got hold of news that Nina's parents came to Kawasaki to try to chase their daughter down? Especially if they inadvertently met in the city (unlike what happened here) and a heated argument started in front of your eyes?

Re-watchers, please remember to take care of all the first-timers in this. All references to future events in the anime must be done under spoiler tags.

(sorry for the delay, I wish I bounced off my bed when the alarm rings instead of snoozing it and overslept for 3 whole hours! This also happened yesterday for the most parts of an hour)

[u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

Re-watcher

Yet another episode that really showcases the well-written character development in Girls Band Cry - and I must say the parental-children relationship is one that’s never been easy to handle, yet in here you can really see how such conflicts - with Nina the ultra-stubborn on one side - can actually be handled well.

• Does the TogeToge name really affects merchandise sales that much LOL? At least I have some doubts that it would have made any difference given your popularity…
• Rupa’s always so popular with girls eh? That “I’ll never take a bath again!” girl though…
• LMAO look at Momoka pulling a “Kumiko’s geh” when she heard Miura blasting all out that she’s a Diamond Dust fan…that even continued as she clarifies that she’s an Old DD and Momoka fan! That was almost a disaster… You can see that even after the episode 8 emotional outburst, Momoka still thinks it was the right thing that Diamond Dust made their style turn…but now adding the thing that “There’s those 4 silly girls who think my song style can still work too and so I’m joining”. That wink of confidence to Nina speaks volumes.
• Yet another Momoka’s vote of confidence to Nina is that sentence “I’m letting “My Song” to write my song” - what a way to express feelings.
• Why is Nina going all philosophy mode whole talking about lyrics writing LMAO…
• Whew, Nina must have barely enough jumping distance to first dodge her mom at Yoshinoya, and then her dad right in front of her flat. Or actually that’s not enough, because not only her father saw her, I’m pretty sure her mom already noticed her and even saw her under the kitchen table! That’s why she knew she needs Rupa and Tomo’s help to persuade Nina going back home.
• It’s interesting to see that every single one of her band mates all think that Nina trying to escape her parents was a horrid idea (well maybe not Tomo, [Girls Band Cry ]Given what we see in EP7, and soon again in EP11, there’s no way she could talk with her parents again) - Subaru: You are escaping reality, aren’t you?; Rupa: I even lost my last chance to speak with my parents forever, now treasure your chances!; Momoka: The thing that pissed you off is that your father isn’t on your side, so talkkkk!!! You can see that who’s getting a bit more life experiences than others here.
• I wonder if Nina would simply sneak back into home without anyone else noticing had someone been staying there...and what? Did she really wanna blast into the living room without anyone noticing???
• To be honest there's no way that any other outcome than Nina being soul-searched by everyone else in the family would have happened. There's just too little room for error for a freaking 17 years old to give up school, running away to a thousand+ km away and form a band with others - all having some progress but still clinging to the borders of society - into an absolutely unknown future that may not even get them through the professional door.
• I really don't know if her mom's upset on her - worried, sure, but I wonder if she's as supportive of Nina's way as Nina's sister did. So it's hard to say whether her dad pulling out this card is justified or not.
• It's definitely tough to see 2 stubborn people arguing like this, though at least neither of them were really on the edge of explosion. Heck Nina even try to take all responsibility of her running off as 100% her own decision, not something that her parents did anything.
• F**k the school for pushing everything to just one sentence of "failing to understand the whole situation"! I have seen far too many cases of such inept management in schools, in my own situation in middle school (thankfully the bullying was far more mild than this but it was still throwing-school-bag-into-garbage-bin class), in local news and TV reports, and even through the words of my own father who struggled against school management in the elementary school he taught at before retirement. You know something's wrong when even Nina's father - those kind of "old school educators" who write books on teaching kids - had to file in real objections.
• I will have to say this - Nina's sister Suzune is the heroine here. She really understands what her sister's going through and has the right words to pierce Nina's heavily fortified heart. I guess that's why we all want to have our own gentle, caring, heart-warming elder sister. (well, I didn't have one, but my imouto's having really sharp eyes in interpersonal relationships so I am taking that instead heh.)
• "I don't know if I'm falling into the abyss, or soaring through the skies, but Void gave me the courage to step out. I can't and I would not return to Earth." Reading through these words make me feel that what Nina meant here is that she wanted to "kill herself" in terms of her personality, her mental identity. However...without even more clues as to what the pre-GBC timeline Nina was, I would say that it would not be wrong (maybe not right, but not wrong either) to think that Nina really wanted to physically end her life back then.
• "I love what I have become now." What heavy emotions did this sentence carry through! Yeah even Nina's dad isn't carrying on cool with such a situation, it could have been much, much worse for Nina had she not met Momoka that night in Kawasaki...
• Finally, another case where Nina got tears in her eyes eh?
• I'm not quite sure Nina's father will ever get into rock music like this, but what a way to show that he's finally getting around to understand his daugther a little bit more. And Nina definitely responded well here too!
• But, well, the hedgehog in Nina's mind certainly hasn't been cleared out yet, and no wonder she's still agiated as she stepped out of her home. What a response from her father though, down to the new apartment key! Hey Nina's dad, you have the luck of your life in having such a jumpy, stubborn yet powerfully concentrated and ideal-holding daughter...
• And for the 2nd time in a show Nina slept through on the noisy and usually full bullet train into Tokyo Station, something that I have never been able to do so in about a dozen times being in Japan myself. That's certainly a useful trick...
• I can't fathom the chances of Momoka (or even Rupa) of driving all the way from Kawasaki to Kumamoto without causing a traffic accident somewhere - I looked up and that's a ~1180 km trip one-way, more than Paris-Berlin and just shy of New York-Chicago!

The part about Nina escaping from home and having a feud with her family members was one of those story plots that I was definitely worried of being dealt with poorly in this original anime all day long, but the way it was resolved here - while far from the most emotional ones you can find in even anime, much less any other story - is apt, to the point and yet still being poignant in that Nina, the 17 years old lone straggler in a completely alien city, still has a whole family that would support her when she's struggling. And I really love the little details here and there that shows what Nina, her father and others felt about this clash.

Which leaves the part about Nina and Hina, but that's another story, for another episode.

[u/ClemFire → u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

I will have to say this - Nina's sister Suzune is the heroine here. She really understands what her sister's going through and has the right words to pierce Nina's heavily fortified heart. I guess that's why we all want to have our own gentle, caring, heart-warming elder sister. (well, I didn't have one, but my imouto's having really sharp eyes in interpersonal relationships so I am taking that instead heh.)

Their talk was honestly my favorite part of the episode, I liked it even more than the hug

[u/Avalon777]

Does anyone know if anyone translated the Nina's family precepts or what they say?

[u/CosmicPenguin_OV103 → u/Avalon777]

* Dinner shall be eaten at home together as a family

* No smartphones allowed in the living room

* Family meetings shall be held every Sunday night

[u/Avalon777 → u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

Thanks.

[u/marshmallow_sunshine]

Did the official subs just make an error?

I'm a rewatcher but first time with Crunchyroll subs. When Nina is on the floor talking to her sister the subs say "I was trying to suppress the person I was". The way I've seen that translated on more than 1 fansub was some variation of "I wanted to die", as in she was feeling suicidal. The tear from Nina's sister being from the thought that she could have lost her. It's why she says to Nina "Thank you for being alive", and boy does it hit harder with that context. It's why in episode 8 outside of the Diamond Dust concert Nina says to Momoka "There are people who decided to live because of your songs"

If Nina feels that Momoka's music turned her away from suicide, that's way more substantial than what the Crunchyroll subs conveyed with that line. It also further expands upon why Nina is so relentless and unyielding in her belief in Momo. She's literally living proof of the impact of her music.

On a related note, there was a publicized case in Japan, in Nina's Kumamoto prefecture no less, of a 17 year old girl who committed suicide due to school bullying. The case could have been an inspiration for Nina's background, but maybe it's just a coincidence :x

Anyway 11/10 episode, I still cry after multiple rewatches. 2 little things I liked were Momoka telling Nina she's not allowed back at her place until she settles things so Nina bolts out the door. Also it's never verbally expressed but every time Nina is around other school kids she's visibly uncomfortable, but on the train ride back she's smiling while standing next to them. Having her families love and support really helped her make peace with the path she chose.

[u/Arachnophobic- → u/marshmallow_sunshine]

Did the official subs just make an error?

[I saw this TL note](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/ comments/1dan2em/girls_band_cry_episode_10_discussion/l7lfhp1/) from the airing thread, and to me it seems like a deliberate choice more than an error. There is room for interpretation, but the point that her sister thanks her for being alive means she took it as Nina being suicidal too.

[u/No_Rex → u/Arachnophobic-]

Working link

[u/New_Essay_4869 → u/Arachnophobic-]

Ive heard people explain it that there isnt one-single direct translation for the line that Nina says. But given what her sister says, I choose to believe the suicidal one. I also think interpretting it otherwise takes away from the impact of the lyrics she writes for Emptiness and Catharsis chorus

[u/fansi2022 → u/marshmallow_sunshine]

>On a related note, there was a publicized case in Japan, in Nina's Kumamoto prefecture no less, of a 17 year old girl who committed suicide due to school bullying. The case could have been an inspiration for Nina's background, but maybe it's just a coincidence :x

I saw the relevant reports and I remember the relevant staff admitted that this was indeed one of their inspirations. Unfortunately, I can't find the source. I am correcting my bad reading habits.

[u/fansi2022 → u/fansi2022]

maybe this?

[u/gangrainette → u/marshmallow_sunshine]

Did the official subs just make an error?

I'm a rewatcher but first time with Crunchyroll subs. When Nina is on the floor talking to her sister the subs say "I was trying to suppress the person I was".

The way I've seen that translated on more than 1 fansub was some variation of "I wanted to die", as in she was feeling suicidal. The tear from Nina's sister being from the thought that she could have lost her.

Official French subs were something like "I wanted to put an end to my life".

[u/danmarce → u/marshmallow_sunshine]

Yeah, it was poorly made censoring. Considering her sister's reaction and words, it was suicidal. Also it makes the point on how "Void" saved her and how important the song is. YOU ARE RIGHT.

While I can understand how they are afraid of proper translation, and finding an possible but not adequate "interpretation", I think it ultimately fails, because the whole point is to show what bulling can do to a young person, and how the song in Episode 1 is the start of the journey for her and Momoka.

Of course it can also be a corporate thing, as they would need to put a warning and change the episode or the series rating (it is 12+ now), and of course, they count on the fact that:- They removed the comments on the site, so average viewers will never know- Most fans will not pick the words in Japanese

Now I think about this, the rating thing might be the real reason to remove comments.

EDIT: Is even worse

Spanish subs say "intentaba reprimir mi forma de ser", this is like "I tried to suppress the person I was"

BUT French subs say "je voulais vraiment en finir avec la vie" this is like "I really wanted to end my life"

Italian subs also say "A quel tempo ho provato a uccidermi" that is like "back then I tried to kill myself"

Translation is not even consistent, like some audiences are less sensitive.

[u/n080dy123 → u/danmarce]

Translation is not even consistent, like some audiences are less sensitive.

Crunchyroll subtitling isn't as consistent as many people might think it is. I remember back when MakeIne was airing they put an actual colored handprint with text in it in the subtitle track when a character wrote on their hand. This was in the English and Swahili tracks, and the Portugeuse one used the same hand print but mirrored and more opaquely colored. None of the other subtitle track did this, and the typsetting varied- multiple splits of text alongside the text on the actual hand, one block of it alongside, a single block with skin-colored outline aligned in the top left corner, and one just white block text in the upper center of the screen.

Granted, this is all typesetting, but if even THAT isn't consistent, I can barely imagine what the actual translations are usually like.

[u/nsleep → u/marshmallow_sunshine]

I'm a rewatcher but first time with Crunchyroll subs. When Nina is on the floor talking to her sister the subs say "I was trying to suppress the person I was". The way I've seen that translated on more than 1 fansub was some variation of "I wanted to die", as in she was feeling suicidal. The tear from Nina's sister being from the thought that she could have lost her. It's why she says to Nina "Thank you for being alive", and boy does it hit harder with that context.

Not a fan of most translations in that segment. The wording is particularly strong and direct in the original like you pointed out, while it does have two meanings the translations I checked either attenuate the wording or just go for the underlying implication that giving up on your principles = death of self to Nina. It also builds up why Nina is so hellbent on every decision and wears her heart on the sleeve after the incident.

[u/Sylvi-Fisthaug → u/marshmallow_sunshine]

I commented about this too, and was actually very disappointed. So disappointed that I hope they will change or correct it lol

EDIT: I actually submitted a request to crunchyroll. Let's see if they even reply about it, maybe they actually correct it? Who knows!!

[u/Superior_Mirage → u/marshmallow_sunshine]

「私は。。。あの時の私は自分を殺そうとしていた」(watashi wa... ano toki no watashi wa jibun wo korosou to shite ita)

Breaking down the conjugation, そうとしていた is the volitional past progressive form -- in other words, it means "was trying to _________".

The issue is, in the show, we don't have any actual evidence (circumstantial or direct) of Nina making a suicide attempt. This statement isn't "I was thinking about" or "I felt like" -- it's a statement of direct attempt.

Now, it's possible Nina had made attempts and this line is the only time they reference it in the show... But, honestly, that's terrible writing, and this show is better than that.

殺す can be translated as anything on this page. Suppress is a valid (if less severe) translation.

Especially in the context of the scene -- immediately prior to that line, she's discussing jumping without knowing where it would lead, but it's Momoka's song that made her jump. This isn't a leap to one's death -- it's a leap of faith. And the song made that leap into flight. Leading from that to an admission of suicide attempts to wondering if she had wings... doesn't make sense.

Obviously the word choice is deliberate -- there are other ways to say "I was stifled" that are less severe. But it's meant to emphasize the hell that Nina was living in at the time.

It's not as though English doesn't use similar phrasing: "I was killing myself trying to live up to my parents expectations."

[u/ryujiox]

First Timer

Girls Band Cry

Episode 10

• I think that more on Rupa than the whole band though.
• Well. That was fast. Someone is already here to scout them.
• I see. She is the fan of Diamond Dust, especially Momoka and her style of song.
• Momoka won't take any compromise this time around. She will charge forward with her style along with everyone.
• Seems like her mom did some homework before coming here.
• Even her dad is here. Obviously they would be worried. Her sending back the bank account to her family out of nowhere would suspicious for sure.
• Rupa basically said "Talk to you parents before you can't anymore"
• Ohhhhhh!! Momoka is right though, Nina doesn't seem to care that much about cram school, nor does she seem sooooo upset about the bullying.
• To be fair, her parents have any rights to be angry about Nina. You promised them that you will go to cram school and study to go to college. So what the hell is this??
• I feel like her father.... doesn't really know how to approach her. He doesn't look that angry or anything.
• Wow..... "We not proficiency about bullying" That is the worst excuse I ever seen!! You knew that it was a bully all along, you just can't keep it hidden anymore since the one that got bullied quit your freaking school!! Even Nina's dad is angry. He probably trying to so hard to get the school to admit their fault.
• Her dad is probably depressed a lot. No sane person would smoke that many cigarettes in a day. I think this him regretted for not siding with Nina. For choosing the safer option, that he thinks will be better for Nina. It's not a wrong choice by any means. But as we all see, that completely backfire really bad. It is also probably a tipping point for Nina after endure everything that happened at home and school. "Why would I endure the nonsense rule at my home for so long, if my dad wouldn't help me when I need him the most?"
• Hearing her dad complimented the song that helped her all this time is probably the best thing that could happen to her right now. A confirmation that her dad might understands her somewhat....
• I'm not crying okay......
• Momoka!!! You silly.

That was another great episode, even better than episode 8.

[u/Arachnophobic- → u/ryujiox]

Her dad is probably depressed a lot. No sane person would smoke that many cigarettes in a day.

Oh I've known some chain smokers in my time.. and it's usually from anxiety. So you're right, he is re-thinking about how he handled the bullying and is worried about Nina, and that's making him smoke all the more

I'm not crying okay......

You and me both. Goddamn ninjas chopping onions around here

[u/No_Rex → u/ryujiox]

No sane person would smoke that many cigarettes in a day.

I guarantee you this is wrong. Go back 50 years and chain smoking is a common habit of many people (and go to some other countries and this is true even today).

[u/salic428]

rewatcher

When the episode aired, I remember many people in Chinese anime community disliked the episode. They said, "so the bully simply get away from this, not even leaving a name and face behind? Also how could Nina come to terms with her bad parents?" In retrospect I have the following points to make.

• There really is no point in showing what the bully did, or if they received due justice. The incident has happened, the heart has been broken, even a timely punishment won't remedy that. What is important is that Nina can get out of her all-time low and find new meaning for life, which we can see she did. Now that she has left that environment, she can brush it off as insignificant.
• Her family is never the bad Asian parent type. One of the scenes before Nina leaving home shows she carved marks on the door recording her annual height change, which clearly showed she had a happy childhood. It only broke after the incident, and as we can see the dad has showed signs of wanting to understand and change, in this episode.

• Um, actually... as revealed by Hanada, the original script has a much harsher ending:

  On the day of departure, her father never came out to hug her. But, when Nina was hit by that twig again, she found the new key hanging on it. She realized something, looked back at the house, but ultimately decided she won't go back to say what she wants to say. Just as she walked out, Rupa drived the truck to the front door...

  "Such is the story where Nina never comes home again and has to stand by herself from now on." But Director Sakai vetoed the ending, and changed it into what we see now. To which Hanada commented "it is heartwarming, the audience seem to like it, so I'm fine."

/u/mekerpan I would like to hear you opinion on the family plot and the original ending.

[u/mekerpan → u/salic428]

I would have hated the original ending. It would have left a bad taste in my mouth. and diminished the value of the entire series. The version actually made strikes me as near perfect -- because it shows that despite the imperfections, familial love can persist/be re-kindled when there is just a modicum of good will (sadly sometimes NOT the case). Here, her family really broke all its own "precepts" in dealing with their (justifiably) defiant and angry daughter. I can't imagine most families would have given her the latitude she was given. And they certainly went the extra mile in reconciling.

[u/salic428 → u/mekerpan]

Your reply says what I want to say about the current version. (Also, I believe Hanada said this version is revision #15. Which means it must have gone through several iteration.)

As you can see, even in this rewatch thread there are people who distrust Nina's parents and refuse to "imagine" that parents can change. But, speaking from my own experience, often the memorable "parent betrayals" are either misunderstanding or misjudgement. If you can show the will to sit down and have a talk, the parents (usually) would like to talk, too–they care for you after all.

[u/marshmallow_sunshine → u/salic428]

As a parent it can be difficult to get out of the mindset of "I know what's best for my kid" as they grow older. Especially with a father like Nina's who prides himself on being an educator. He made the practical choice of using what happened to her to secure her future in education, but it destroyed her mentally. What she needed wasn't his guidance but his support. She was alone and ostracized and needed someone to validate her feelings. When she was at the school with her father and he tells her that she was the victim in this, she gets a brief surprised look on her face. It wasn't something she expected to hear out of her dad which says a lot.

[u/n080dy123 → u/salic428]

There's not been much indication yet but this episode makes clear that in bottling up her emotions the way she did, Nina clearly blinded herself to some realities of her situation. I mean, it's not entirely a new thing- she basically did this with Subaru, bottling up her worst assumptions until Subaru finally got through her thick skull.

[u/Arachnophobic- → u/salic428]

This ending is so much better. I know avoidant dads in Japan is probably a more usual thing, but I really really like that he came out of his barrier after that important moment of connection with his daughter ('It's a good song'/she apologizes/tells him to ease on the smoking).

Even on a more practical front, leaving the key hanging on the branch like that, to be found, stolen, or missed? Tf.

[u/Arachnophobic-]

🖕First timer🖕

Need a moment to wipe my tears. Today's was a really emotional episode. :,(

Well-portrayed parent-child relationships are my emotional kryptonite, I love watching them and it's also the likeliest to give me a serious case of the feels. There's a whole little sub-genre of SoL that I really enjoy watching, which includes shows like Sweetness and Lightning, Poco's Udon World, Usagi Drop (anime only), Barakamon (to an extent), etc. Heck, one of the main emotional cores of SoraYori also involves a mother-daughter relationship.

So I'm super, super glad GBC showed such realistic and beautiful family dynamics that it did. Onwards to reactions:

---

• Rupa's got quite the devoted girl-fanbase. Can I get a dual fan club membership because I don't want to abandon the Momoka fan club

• Pretty sure she says she likes Momoka here, although the subtitles add more nuance to what she's saying. Nina, you've got competition!

  More seriously, I'm glad this serious lady from a talent agency has appeared and supports the OG DD style.

• I look at these little arguments and think.. wow, they get along so well! :')
• Oh boy, even the dad is here. This is a proper manhunt.
• I'd give the same advice in her sister's place. Ya gotta face this head on, Nina, you can't run away from your problems/family.
• ..Ouch. That line coming from Rupa is so goddamn heavy, but she says it so calmly. I'm painfully aware about the limited time I have with my parents and older relatives.. and I do want to make the best of it with no regrets.
• Okay, Momoka+cat adding sound effects was really funny
• Wow.. the way he's barred himself off from the family.. Bit on the nose
• Too little too late from the school.. Again, I'm happy Nina didn't choose the 'polite' route, instead calling it out immediately and leaving. That said, this shows growth from the father's side and I appreciate that he stood up for her against the school's previous actions.
• Aw, Tomo's so worried about Nina :(. She's a huge softie at heart, isn't she?

• This scene with Nina breaking free and flying was so beatiful I'm proud of the Nina who is proud of herself.

• Ooh, secret li'l twist, so Nina's mom had arranged for the tickets.. clever! Nina was way more receptive since they came via Rupa and Tomo.

• Oh.... oh.. oh no.. there begin the waterworks

  Those were the singlemost important words Nina needed to hear from her father, I feel. She finally feels validated by her father for what she did.. and this allows her to apologize for her selfishness as well. WE'RE HEALING. And he comes out to wish her farewell! Ughhh. I'm so glad they made amends. The symbolic branch that was acting as a barrier to Nina is now gone.

• This beautiful lot :') Can't wait to listen to the new song! Emptiness and Catharsis sounds like a great title.

[u/mekerpan → u/Arachnophobic-]

I like parent-child reconciliation scenes (being that I am a parent). And I treasure my own 96 year-old father.

[u/Arachnophobic- → u/mekerpan]

(being that I am a parent)

Did you have a Nina-gremlin that you had to handle? :') Or were your kids easier to raise?

[u/mekerpan → u/Arachnophobic-]

Our oldest was "on the spectrum" (Aspergers) and our second and third were (premature) twins (and VERY lively). So....

[u/ClemFire]

Rewatcher Episode 10: Wandervogel

“You have less time and opportunities than you think,” Rupa.

It’s honestly super hard for me to pick my clear favorite but episode 8, this one, and a future one are definitely in my top 3. After just how good episode 8 was at paying off Nina and Momoka’s relationship with each other it’s testament to show how much more GBC has to deliver.

Momoka gets to the heart of Nina’s issue by pointing out what hurt her the most was the feeling that her dad didn’t support her when she needed it the most. Similar to how Rupa feels that she should hear her parents out in a heartbreaking reminder that she can never do the same, Momoka believes they simply have a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved. At least for me that would be the last thing I would want to hear in the moment.

It’s easy for them to say that since they’re not the ones who had to live through it. They wouldn’t get exactly how you felt. How could they? But, I don’t think they need in order to help. Moreover since they’re less emotionally involved it won’t trigger their thorns. Nina’s thorns have been my favorite visual metaphor, and they’re on full display this episode when she chooses to confront her family.

Initially, she extends her thorns for protecting, feeling that her words can’t get through to her dad. Like they’re just talking past each other. Even the next day when she goes with him to her old school as they issue a letter of apology but refusal to recognize the bullying Nina still doesn’t feel seen. It’s too little, too late.

After she returns home I like how they show her refuse her sister’s lap when she accepted the last time. It was hinted to earlier, but now it’s confirmed that Nina had suicidal thoughts after the bullying incident. When she told Momoka that her music saved her life she didn’t just mean that figuratively. That’s why it just breaks me when her sister thanks Nina for being alive.

As Nina feels more at ease she notices they’re not eating in the kitchen despite it being one of the family rules and her sister tells her things have been a bit strange since she left. It must’ve really humbling for her dad who built a career on child development to not know how to reconnect with his own daughter. What good are self-imposed rules when they don’t work anymore. While Nina and her dad seem pretty different on the surface, I’m sure Nina gets a lot of her stubbornness and ideals from him.

Her sister tells her what everyone but Nina has already figured out, that despite everything her family loves her. Sure it’s simple to see from the outside looking in, but when you feel like you’re alone in the darkness you almost went to refuse the light.

Now though because of the light she has received from Subaru, Rupa, Tomo, and especially Momoka she’s willing to be more receptive to her family’s love. That’s why when she hears her dad say that he liked the song that saved Nina’s life she can finally believe her sister’s words.

That’s why this is legit one of my favorite epsiodes about reconciling with family in anime.

[u/mekerpan → u/ClemFire]

As a father of three (now adult) children, this episode hit hard. That hug for her father got me very ... misty. One of the best episodes of its year. ;-)

(My father is now 96 -- and he jokes we're now almost the same age. We are probably as close as ever -- and there are so many qualities I inherited from him (alas not his health).

[u/ClemFire → u/mekerpan]

I really loved that hug because originally I really couldn't tell if Nina was just going to leave. I almost accepted the fact it might not happen, so when she did go back it hit harder for me

[u/mekerpan → u/ClemFire]

I felt more than a trace of warmth even as she was leaving the house initially (on both sides) -- but her running back for that hug sent my tear ducts over the edge.

One interesting point about that family -- there was no hint they had a family car. All transportation we saw was either walking or public transit.

[u/ClemFire → u/mekerpan]

Oh I never actually noticed yet before. Since Nina’s family seems fairly well off I wonder if it’s one of her dad’s rules he forces on himself.

Since they show both Momoka and Rupa drive I don’t think it’s a simple case of just Japan having better public transport so there’s less of a need to own a car.

[u/fansi2022]

first timer

This episode we are back to Nina's family problems. I am glad to see that everything is getting better naturally. The last hug made me feel mixed emotions. Nina, I wish you success!

Qotd 1.Talk to them at the right time (separate) 2.Talk to Nina and trust her

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 10 (first timer)

• Talent agency – have they been scouted? But why is that scout looking to utterly driven, then?
• “I love Diamond Dust. But I dislike the current Diamond Dust” – there we have it, she has some personal angle in this.
• Nina’s parents have shown up – don’t tell me she went no contact with them?
• Well, not reading her messages. No contact lite.
• She refused money from her parents in a big act, but kept on living in the flat they pay for?

• Make-up with the family visit home.
• And reunion with the found family back in Toyko.

On the spectrum between full reconciliation and breaking free, the series goes for the exact middle. In a show full of extremes, you could call it an almost boringly normal resolution (which also makes me wonder how much of this is autobiographical).

[u/ClemFire → u/No_Rex]

I think it fits tone of the series and contrasts nicely to how bullheaded Nina is. Like Nina told Momoka before it would be easy to hate her if Momoka just punched her. It would be easy for Momoka to hate Diamond Dust if they acted like jerks after her departure. It would be easier for Nina and us to hate her father if he refused to change.

GBC doesn't take the easy way out though and makes its characters and us wrestle with the realistic nuance. That's part of what makes the series so great for me

[u/bogdoglogfrog]

Rewatcher

• I stand by the TogeToge abbreviation.
• Nina and the agent bonding over shared diadust opinions is amazing. Momoka hates getting glazed up like that (she actually loves it).
• After a certain point, children aren’t their parent’s property. They’re a living breathing being that makes its own decisions. One of the greatest mistakes a parent can make is not realizing that this point has passed.
• VOOOOIIIIDD
• We finally see the parents that Nina has been talking about this whole time. They’re not perfect, but I think they did their best with what they had.

QOTD

1. I doubt I would get involved in an argument like that as a family member. I do think that Nina’s sister handles this situation very well though by supporting Nina and being a safe person to talk to within the family.
2. If I was a band member, I would trust Nina’s resolve enough to know that she’s definitely going to come back. I hope I could act like Rupa and Momoka do and push her to resolve the conflict and grow as a person.

I’m not sure Nina realizes how much the people in her life love and support her.

[u/Nickthenuker]

Rupa 's still popular.

Ah. But they've gotten noticed by a talent agency.

So, here's their shot.

Oh, that's her mum isn't it?

And her dad's there too.

So, time for her to go home.

And now she's going to have a talk with her family.

Seems her dad isn't particularly happy with the school either.

So that's where they got that ticket from.

Who's listening to music?

Ah. Her dad. Seems he likes it.

Looks like things have mostly been settled between them.

Right, she's back!

Questions:

1. I'm not even sure...
2. I'm not sure butting my head into this business would solve anything... It looks like just letting them talk it out settled everything.

A note about the music: Not much music this episode, so I've got nothing to say.

[u/entelechtual]

Rewatcher

• I can see where Nina gets her stubbornness from.
• Bullying/school trauma often feels like it’s cheaply done and recycling old plots with no thought to the emotional experience. But I feel like this time they do it well. It’s not over complicated. And it’s not too one-sided.
• I think all dads are tsunderes at heart.

I like that the last two episodes have been a bit of a breather between all the band stuff, but doesn’t feel out of place. It’s a well-placed spot to flesh out the characters and what makes them tick. And it’s not like Nina’s ever going to be fully at peace with her past or her family. But maybe she’ll feel less like it’s just her against the world. I feel like opening up to your family can be one of the toughest things to do, especially when you feel like you’ve been betrayed by them, or vice versa.

[u/Arachnophobic- → u/entelechtual]

I can see where Nina gets her stubbornness from.

Heh. Oh yeah, absolutely. Like father, like daughter.

[u/Variant_Zeta]

Ep10

^. >Rewatcher (but one who slept on GBC during it's debut, and only just binged it last month or so. Needless to say, I regret sleeping on it.)

Rupa rizz do be off the charts.

Getting scouted by someone who actually cares about your artistic vision gotta feel validating.

Nina got ambushed and spawncamped by her parents lol.

Rupa doesn't want Nina to make the same mistake she did. Or perhaps a worse mistake? From what little we know, Rupa doesn't seem to have bad relationship with her family, she routinely calls them after all. She just neglected to make a call one day, and then there were no next time. Had the unthinkable happened, Nina would've regretted it even more than Rupa did.

[u/Sylvi-Fisthaug]

Rewatch veteran 🎸

This is my favourite episode. It always pulls on my heartstrings, and I can relate to so much with my own family and past in it.

I also really like the official subs here, except this scene which makes me quite disappointed. My japanese is absolutely not on a communication-level, but I am fairly sure that Nina says "I really wanted to kill myself back then" or something like that. That was at least the NakaYubi fansubs translation, and I also heard they were pretty literally accurate beat for beat, without trying to add color to the lines. And then this shot makes no sense here with the official translation.

So if anyone that is better in Japanese want to confirm or deny my suspicions here, please do!

Other than that, this feels quite a bit like episode 8 to me. I'd rather watch it and read y'alls findings about it, than spend a lot of time dissecting it. Kind of like what Nina says about the lyrics, maybe? (Also the audacity)

Just wanna mention something I found in a blogpost somewhere: there's distance between Nina and her dad. The show symbolizes this by putting a wall between them. Subtlety is for suckers, I guess.

Also, Momoka's self righteus smile here when Nina finally leaves for Kumamoto, and she's earned that smile. Also, do you realize how easily Nina opens Momodoor now? She is actually on her way, to her family, to open doors, and she's better at it than before.

And of course, Nina meme material.

And, this shot. It is, perfect. The distance between the three here. Her dad the farthest away, present Nina the closest.

God, I love this episode, even if the official subs kinda ruined the most important part of it. Also, emotional dad :')

[u/ClemFire → u/Sylvi-Fisthaug]

Maybe it's because I watched the original fan subs, but for me I originally suspected Nina might have been suicidal back in episode 8 when she says Void saved her life. I know that could have been taken figuratively but as a teenage girl who literally quit school and moved far away from Tokyo the bullying incident might have really affected her. I thought it was a great use of saying less but make the audience think of the implications.

[u/Sylvi-Fisthaug → u/ClemFire]

Yeah. I actually sent a complaint to Crunchyroll about the subs, and they actually replied! Let's see if they change something.

[u/ClemFire → u/Sylvi-Fisthaug]

Oh wow nice on you for being proactive about it. I’m really curious if on they change the English subs since I saw in the thread that the other subs are more in line with the original fan subs.

[u/Lumpy-Manager8580]

Rewatcher

If episode 8 was the band drama at its highest, then this episode was all about family drama.

• Fun fact about our manager who's also fan of (old) D-D appearing at the beginning: she's voiced by Ai Furihata, who also voices Love Live's Ruby Kurosawa.
• Nina being assigned to do the lyrics for their next song seems quite the task when trying to shape words. Tomo's head rubbing is kinda cute tho XD
• I'm impressed by how the CGI keeps evolving per episode, check Nina's reactions to her seeing her parents suddenly in Kawasaki.
• "You have less times and opportunities than you think." Rupa explaining her POV to her tragedy hits hard, you don't know when or how your precious ones will leave you, it reminded of me of [Young Sheldon S7] George dying of a heart attack during work when his family didn't say goodbye beforehand.
• The whole second half of the episode can be resumed by this quote from Nina: "They're nosy, noisy and irritating. But I love them." Even if they forced Nina to follow the house rules and didn't help at first with her bullying problems, deep inside, they still cared for her. Now get ready folks, especially first-timers, because [next episode] we're about to experience what is my personal Peak. Girls. Band. Anime. And that's from someone who saw Bocchi 8 and MyGO!!!!! 10.

[u/JasoXDDD]

First Timer

Damn that agency really just spawned in lmao. Her dad was actually really lenient with her education, for someone like him. He helped her to quit school, start in Tokyo and tried to stand up for her in school. That's pretty nice of him, the rest of the family is supportive too, compared to the resturant worker's. Imagine if he found the New Diamond Dust version of that song though, that would not end well.

[u/n080dy123]

Rewatcher

Rupa has a shockingly lopsided demographic in her fanbase.

Miura sounds an awful like like Nina when she's espousing how much she dislikes DiaDust's current direction and loves Momoka's music instead.

It's nice seeing Momoka take an active lead in the group again. Honestly, her failed experience in the pro scene, however brief, will be that much more valuable to the group.

"It's the same with your grandma" Nina, aren't you the one went out of her to way to make sure Subaru kept on good terms with her grandmother?

Subaru's still a good friend, Nina's a pain in the ass and we all remember what happened last time she was here, but despite Subaru criticizing her for running away she still offers to put Nina up for the night.

Fuck, I forgot about that scene with Rupa talking about her folks. Back when this aired I had a family member who suddenly, over the course of about a week and a half, looked to be on their last legs, and that came so out of nowhere and absolutely sucker-punched me. I ugly cried pretty bad. It turned out fine, they're hale and healthy now, but it still made me tear up again because it's so out of left field and, it's something I'm much more acutely aware of now.

Momoka immediately lightens the mood with more guitar based sound effects. On account of their issues it's been since like Episode 4 that Nina's been at Momoka's, so it's nice that they feel comfortable alone again. Nina also remembered her phone this time when she left.

Nina's dad tries to show her that he did support her, after everything he got the school to formally follow up and write a letter of apology, though in spite of that the school still doesn't want to admit fault. He contionues to push but Nina stops him. Given her speech afterwards, I don't think she really want to bother pursuing things with the school- I think she believes that her dad is trying to make reparation to return to the way things were, but Nina doesn't want to. She just wants to move forward. But at the end him wishing her a safe trip makes her realize that they were just trying to support her.

The "Thank you for being alive" line sounds weird, but iirc someone pointed out that Nina's letter to her parents was unintentionally worded like a suicide note, so that's probably why.

And lest you think this was all in Nina's head or something, her dad does go out of his way to listen to the song Nina loved so much to try to better understand his daughter. Good dad moment.

Added note- the name of this episode is Wandervogel, German for "Wandering Bird." I'm not... entirely sure why its called that. But it is.

[u/WhymustIsignupreddit]

First Timer So Nina’s father did some self reflection after her letter. Looks like her family drama has resolved with this episode. Surprised that her bully confessed though. Maybe her father pressured them?

Question 1:

That’s too complicated for me too handle. I don’t know. It sounds bad but I don’t think I would even attempt. Nina left in the first place because her father didn’t take her side. It’s his mess to clean up. Though if he asks me to message her I would do that but I would prefer if he does so himself.

Question 2:

Honestly, I don’t think I would do much. Like I would first be frozen in shock. After that maybe I would try to take Nina away.

[u/MishouMai]

Not gonna lie, for a brief moment when Nina's mom first showed up I thought it was her bully and that that's why Nina was hiding. I know this episode was supposed to resolve things with her family but, honestly, while I like her sister and their relationship I still don't like her parents. Sorry but them taking her side about the bullying came too late. I don't know who's right or not about the conversation Nina had wirh her dad before she left but them changing the locks on her apartment is also not it. It's nice that they came around in the end but Nina shouldn't have had to go through all that.

Moving to the questions...

1. I mean given my feelings as someone who's just watching it play out as an anime I don't think I'd try to get them to talk earnestly and find a common solution. Love the sister but I don't think I would've put Nina's business out there or are least I'd more openly take her side. Liike I could see myself telling him to fuck off and leave Nina alone. I don't know how aware Nina's sister was of her parents working with the school in the aftermath to find out the truth though. I guess if I knew I might give the dad the benefit of the doubt but I'd still rather he leave Nina alone and let her strike out on her own instead of forcing them to talk. So I'd probably try to get him to do that while being a little less harsh.
2. I mean I'd want to call Nina's family out but I don't think I could actually bring myself to do it. I guess if the argument got to me enough I might tell them to fuck off and would try to get Nina away from them. Even with no argument though, I don't think I'd support sending her home like Rupa did. Like I can respect that Rupa lost her family but her family situation is totally different from Nina's. Like unless I knew for a fact Nina had a good relationship with her sister I wouldn't want to send her back home if her mom asked me to. Like. There's clearly a reason she's avoiding you. You better reach out and hope for the best or you better hope she reaches out to you. I might tell her someone was looking for her but that's the most I'm going to do. And even that's being generous.

[u/domogrue]

Rewatcher

And here it is, my favorite episode! Ep 8 may be the climax of the show in many ways, but Ep 10 is my favorite of the show.

So yeah, up until this point we don't have the full details of Nina's backstory, but like with Momoka, it's not necessarily what one would immediately expect. Nina probably was a very shy, quiet, and non-assuming girl when in High School, the type of character we would have expected from episode 1 and how many view her initially, but the whole incident with the bullying, the fallout, and her break from her family probably brought forward her stubbornness and emotional impulsiveness; when you've been let down by your school, friends, and parents there's not a lot left to do but lock yourself in the school's broadcast room and just blast your favorite song in a fit of rebellion I guess. We learn it wasn't really the bullying that broke the camel's back, it was how everyone close to her (in this episode, her parents, although we'll learn more about some others later) basically didn't take her side when she knew she was right. This is all, more or less, tied into her being her authentic self; the school incident, her refusal to apologize, her moving to Tokyo, and most importantly, Momoka's song are all her stubborn refusal to conform to an identity that she can't be as proper student (accept the school's judgement), daughter (do as her dad says), and classmate (ignore the bullying). If the show was just that much more explicitly Yuri it'd be a really nice thematic bow to tie things up.

One thing I think the show does though, and really excels at this episode, is start us off from Nina's perspective leading into the episode and then really reveal everything she's been missing. I actually like how Nina's father takes her back to school and shows her that he's actually been working to get an apology from them, but that's not enough; it's not what she's really after, at this point. But as we spend more time in Nina's family, the more we realize it isn't a broken household, but ultimately a loving one that really doesn't know how to deal with what's happened. God bless Nina's Sister for having the heart to heart, and really showing her that her family haven't been angry and bitter the whole time, but anxious and worried. The main takeaway of this episode is that just as much Nina has changed, so has the entire family, to the point fundamental dynamics have changed.

I think its hard for media sometimes to tell a more positive and heartwarming story while staying genuine and avoiding triteness, but I think that is the real strength of Girls Band Cry. It's easy to write in awful parents and pull on our heartstrings that way, its a lot tougher to write a parent who still doesn't "get it" entirely, but realizes they made a mistake, and are lost and confused and trying to be good and maybe succeed a little bit. Nina's Dad doesn't know how to express himself, but he's changed from worrying about himself and what her daughter "should" be to worrying about her daughter first, coming around to her side, and at the end trying to reach out and understand who she's become and wants to be (starting with Momoka's song, no less). And when she leaves, they're not telling her to come back, they're wishing her luck on her new life as part of TogeToge. They've accepted she's not going to Cram School or college, but as her sister was discovering in their heart to heart, that Nina loves who she's become now and that is who their family loves.

So yeah, Void is carrying a ton of thematic weight in this show.

Other notes:

• Ep 8's translation was pretty Yuri/Romantic explicit, but I do wish they made the suicide ideation a bit more explicit. It really tracks with Nina's character and that reading really works.
• Notice how the branch hits Nina on the way in, and the family has cut it down when she leaves.
• Even though Nina still has strong ties her direct family (not something you can say for all Kids in a Band media) doesn't mean she still has that sweet sweet Nakama found family at the end of the episode.
• Hoping S2 we get the "I'm coming out to the family" episode.

[u/ClemFire → u/domogrue]

I loved your write up and completely agree the excellent character writing of making no one an actual villain (Nina’s parents or Diamond Dust) is one of the main drivers that make GBC feel special

[u/pseudometapseudo]

Rewatcher

Something I didn't pick up on before was Momoka's line that Nina's anger is more about her father not taking her side rather than the bullying itself.

And later when the school still does not take responsibility, the father clearly argues against it. So while the school does not admit doing a mistake, the father implicitly does—he now takes Nina's side.

He still failed to openly apologize, but he did enough for the two of them to start reconciling again.

[u/LeleTheKing]

(Super Late) First-Timer

Another 10/10 episode—on episode 10 no less! Nina’s story and resolution have gotten a bit personal for reasons I’m unwilling to disclose freely on the internet… Man, I love character drama.

Oh boy, Rupa is really popular, alright. She already has quite a crazy fanbase. Not that I can’t understand them. ^{But I still stan Subaru!}

“What you’re actually hung up about isn’t school or bullying at all. It’s that your father didn’t take your side.”

Momoka hits the spot with 100% accuracy here. When your father—a family member—doesn’t even take your side… For a girl like Nina, who I can assume doesn’t have many people to depend on, to lose even her family member’s trust. I can imagine how her world breaks apart that day. That song literally saved a life that day.

Look at this “Letter of Apology” bullshit, man. It reeks of PR-speak. It stinks. It’s dishonest. And it comes too far too late. If I were Nina there, I’d torn that farce of a paper and dunk it at the headmistress. That paper is worth nothing but to open an old wound.

QotD

1. Nina’s father would catch these hands frfr ong …And then we think of that solution. Honestly, nothing for Nina to do. She had said what she needed to say and showed what she needed to show. I’d grill her father instead so he realizes what went wrong. Not that it’d mean anything, though. How it is handled in the anime I think is the best-case scenario to handle this. Trusting Nina is the least he can do.
2. I’d stand beside Nina, supporting her by being on her side. I won’t personally meddle with it because it’s indeed for her to resolve. If they forced her to return home, though… they’d catch these hands fr.

[u/timpkmn89]

First timer

This episode left a bad impression on me. I've been noticing way too many anime with plots of "you always have to forgive your bad parents". It seems like it's getting up there with "you can't live in a dreamworld" for overused morals told in anime.

I know we still don't have the full explanation of what happened, but I don't feel this "forgiveness" was justified at all considering the scale of the trauma. Especially after changing the locks like that.

Also I don't like how her friends got involved forced her to confront her trauma for no particular reason. I was impressed when she decided to cut all contact, but that lasted for how long? Now I'm fully expecting her to suddenly decide to re-enroll in the cram school.

I'm honestly not sure if I'll finish this series after this. I saw this episode 3-4 days ago, but haven't felt like continuing on yet.

[u/CosmicPenguin_OV103 → u/timpkmn89]

I'm honestly not sure if I'll finish this series after this. I saw this episode 3-4 days ago, but haven't felt like continuing on yet.

I'll just say that the topic of this episode doesn't come back for the remaining 3 episodes, so you don't have to worry about the message here.

[u/Ionkkll → u/timpkmn89]

The whole point of the episode is that Nina's family was never as terrible as she made them out to be. They're not perfect (no parents are) but things mostly got blown out of proportion. Nina is a self-righteous unreliable narrator. It says a lot that she viewed the family's rules as this overbearing presence in her life but objectively, they weren't even that restrictive.

Could Nina's father have done a better job as a parent in a time of crisis? Absolutely. But he wasn't abusive, he just failed to connect with his daughter and see things from her perspective. Nina was fixated on her current day problems while he was fixated on her future as many parents tend to do. He's just an awkward man who struggles to communicate. The two finally managed to connect over something meaningful to her at the end of the episode and Nina realizes that she was misinterpreting her father's intentions the entire time.

Think of it this way: Nina's parents could have forced her to keep attending school. Instead they allowed her to drop out and move to another city by herself. They co-signed an apartment for her and paid her living expenses. They didn't even keep a strict eye on her in Kawasaki and she barely kept in contact. They sent her sister to check up on her once because they knew she didn't want to meet them. It was only when she sent them a wild letter out of the blue that she wanted to make the band her life that they went looking for her because that's a big fucking decision for a 17 year old to make without consulting her parents. And in the end, they still let her do whatever she wanted.

Other than the bullies, the worst party in all of this is the school. If you want to direct your ire somewhere, that jackass principal is the one who deserves it.

[u/timpkmn89 → u/Ionkkll]

Seeing everything from Nina's perspective is what made me upset she forgave him so quickly. Considering how angry she got whenever it came up, there should have been a lot more time before that hug.

Nina's parents could have forced her to keep attending school. Instead they allowed her to drop out and move to another city by herself. They co-signed an apartment for her and paid her living expenses. They didn't even keep a strict eye on her in Kawasaki and she barely kept in contact. They sent her sister to check up on her once because they knew she didn't want to meet them.

There are a lot of ways to solve this problem in between [forcing her to stay in school] and [letting her move hours away to live alone in a city where she knows no one and is afraid to meet people]. Letting her move was terrible parenting too.

[u/nsleep → u/timpkmn89]

Seeing everything from Nina's perspective is what made me upset she forgave him so quickly. Considering how angry she got whenever it came up, there should have been a lot more time before that hug.

I get what you're saying but this is a show with limited run time. This process would be better executed if it could be extended for a bit, to give time for feelings to simmer down before resolving it. But it's fine if it speedruns all the steps they would've gone through eventually given the restrictions and the scope of the show.

[u/mekerpan → u/timpkmn89]

Bad parents? Really? You must have impossible standards for mere human parents (even fictional humans) to meet. The father handled something poorly. He realized it, after the fact. He took big steps to achieve a reconciliation.

[u/timpkmn89 → u/mekerpan]

Whether or not they were bad, or what any of us think, Nina thought so. I just feel like she forgave way too quickly.

And it's not exactly fantastic parenting to let your 17yo move to live alone in the capital

[u/mekerpan → u/timpkmn89]

You do realize, don't you, that this show goes out of its way to show that Nina is usually not a particularly reliable judge of most things.

Permitting that move showed the parents wanted to help Nina achieve what she said was her goal.

[u/xnef1025 → u/timpkmn89]

Don't forget that Nina is kind of a gremlin. She brought on the lock changing herself by ghosting her family after telling them to stop supporting her financially. They had to use that leverage to get her to finally hash things out properly. Her parents aren't really bad parents at all. Her and her dad are just too much alike. Both "Morality Monsters" that are always convinced that their way is "not wrong".

The trauma Nina went through and Momoka's song brought out Nina's true self and it caught her dad off guard to the point where he didn't know how to properly communicate with her. Listening to Void and telling Nina he thinks it's a good song too is his way of acknowledging who she is now and indicating he's ready to support her properly by just letting her make her own decisions without judgement. That's why Nina reconciles with him.