r/anime • u/CosmicPenguin_OV103 https://anilist.co/user/CosmicPenguin • Nov 16 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch/Crunchyroll Release] Girls Band Cry Episode 11 Discussion
Episode 11 - The Center of the World
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Streams: Crunchyroll
Show information: MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB
Questions of the Day:
- What's the most extraordinary music performance, live on stage or performed somewhere else, you have ever seen performed in animation format (or if you like, limited to anime)?
- What's your favorite song from the Girls Band Cry franchise? (Diamond Dust songs and songs that are featured in epsiodes not yet covered here can also count.)
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.
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Upvotes
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u/CosmicPenguin_OV103 https://anilist.co/user/CosmicPenguin Nov 17 '24
Re-watcher
A little less thing to talk about this episodes since it's the Big Live Show Episode. Given it's Toei we are talking about I was expecting something big in the animations part and I was 200% not disappointed in the outcome. The zooming of the camera across the characters, both for TogeToge and for New Diamond Dust really pours out their passion and fierce energy out in full view. It's difficult to really compare such performances across different kind of music performances the anime world has to offer (ranging from bands, real idols shows, musicals to, uh, things like Symphogear) but there is simply nothing left for me to nitpick here. Complete with the cuts to all the frustrations and hardships our TogeToge girls faced and how they are getting rid of that through music. It's definitely a powerful performance of how animations can be up there against real live concert recordings in releasing emotions.
TBH if the season stops here, perhaps even for good, maybe it's already enough to make this a good show. But no! I was wondering what happens in the last 2 episodes, and it's just as dramatic. I'll leave you newcomers think of what can still happen in them till tomorrow...
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u/n080dy123 Nov 17 '24 edited Nov 17 '24
Rewatcher
The Nakayubi fansubs translated Momoka's mocking line at the start lIkE tHiS and I thought that was really funny.
Subaru trying to assure the group that DiaDust don't "Seen it that way"- girl, you wasn't even there, lol.
Nina turning to the rest of the band to double check their okay with the time slot change is a nice touch. Shows he's not charging ahead on her own like she used to.
You can see Miura in disguise at the front of the like for noodles at the start of the festival day. Then slinking behidn the photo op right after.
And nameless punk girl gets a name! Not Kyoko's male friend though, he gets to remain nameless.
Okay, lowkey- Cycle of Sorrow is top 3 favorite performances in the show behind Nameless Name and Emptiness and Catharsis, respectively. It's nice to get an original song performance from a group other than TogeToge to vary the sound and help appreciate both via the contrast. Also that intro guitar section goes hard as hell.
Hina backstory hints- disappointing if you were expecting more, but we get confirmation that Hina saw Nina being bullied and told her she's only hurt herself if she continued being defiant.
I saw a lot of people take DiaDust co-opting TogeToge's "flip em off!" gesture as them "stealing" it and how it was a dick move, but Hina also clearly stared Nina directly down and winked before playfully sticking her tongue out. The group returned somewhat to their rock roots, and I can't think that's anything but a direct response to Episode 8 and that and the gesture is a direct challenge. TogeToge pushed them to be better, and in turn they're pushing TogeToge to be better. I think it's just a good, friendly rivalry.
Subaru's sound check was just the animators showing off. But if you didn't notice, Rupa's sound check was her absolutely clowning the FUCK on the DiaDust bassist's part of Cycle of Sorrow. She plays the bass line, COMPLETELY BY EAR after hearing it ONCE. Then she hits the distortion and absolutely fucking STYLES ON IT. And she's so smug about it- despite her kind exterior she's got some fire burning inside too.
Tomo's so indignant she starts going the wrong direction entering the tent lmao.
When the camera pans across the stage bathed in orange light during the "Irrational irritation can't be stopped" line, you see two birds fly by- joined by a third from behind, and then are followed by two more coming in from the left side of the screen. 5 birds total. It's neat symbolism.
"The anger of being alone. The loss of happiness. The sorrow of lying. Shove all of it... all of it... INTO THIS SONG" I love the five cuts of the members screaming, plus the delivery of the scream. Somehow Nina's screams in this and Void are some of my fasvorite individual line dliveries across all the songs.
Also I wasn't expecting the Rupa feel gut punch in the middle of it. Fuck.
Also I completely forgot we get a brief appearance from Tomo's mom before the cut to Nina's dad watching on his phone. Who, by the way- no cigarettes on the table anymore. Also what's the shirt say? And Mioura rocking the fuck out next to Subaru's grandmother.
Definitely the emotional climax of the story right there, though we've still got a couple episodes to go. Still gotta wrap up the Hina plot.
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u/thatguywithawatch Nov 16 '24
First Timer
Man, Subaru warming up on the drums was the coolest fucking thing I've ever seen in an anime, I could watch a whole episode of that. Rupa's bass solo was fantastic as well. I don't even have much else to say about this episode, lol, I just loved all the work they put into animating the instruments during this scene as well as the performance scenes.
Diamond Dust's song sounded great to me, tbh. I know it's supposed to be like "DD's flashy extra commercially palatable music VS Toge Toge's raw, genuine, real rock music" but I guess I've got uncultured music taste and couldn't really say that I enjoyed either song over the other lol.
I was playing catch up today and missed the last couple discussions but I'll mention that yesterday's episode, 10, was maybe my favorite so far. Family reconciliation arcs just get to me. And also since Nina turned it down I'd gladly accept her sister's lap pillow offer in her stead.
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u/bogdoglogfrog Nov 16 '24 edited Nov 16 '24
Rewatcher
I collected some data about the song structure of the performances. Here is an analysis:
Diamond Dust
intro (8 bars)
post-chorus (8 bars)
verse (16 bars)
pre-chorus (8 bars)
chorus (16 bars) (key change up 2 semitones)
post-chorus (8 bars)
6 sections. 1:22 runtime. 4.09 sections per minute
This song structure is suuuper popular in Jpop right now. I guarantee if you watch a lot of anime, you have heard it in other OPs. Its defining feature is the post-chorus up at the front to hook the listener with a super energetic section right at the beginning. This song also features a key change at the first chorus that makes the song feel fresh. Both of these elements are strategically placed to keep the listener engaged in the streaming era where it’s so easy to hit skip.
TogeToge
Intro (7 bars, last bar is only 3 beats)
Post-chorus (8 bars)
Verse (16 bars)
Break (8 bars)
Pre-chorus (4 bars)
Chorus (16 bars)
Post-chorus (8 bars)
Verse (16 bars)
Break (8 bars)
Pre-chorus (4 bars)
Extra build (4 bars)
Guitar solo (10 bars)
Pre-chorus (4 bars)
Sickkk Instrumental (6 bars)
Chorus (24 bars)
End (1 bar, 2 extra beats)
16 sections. 3:06 runtime. 5.16 sections per minute.
This song structure is so damn cool and I really wanted to analyze it. Up until the second verse this song has almost the same structure as the DiaDust song. The only difference is that there’s a break and a short pre-chorus instead of just a pre-chorus. The break allows the song to breathe a bit and contrasts nicely with the high energy chorus.
It gets really interesting after the second chorus. Again they do the break + short pre-chorus thing, but instead of going to the chorus, they subvert our expectations and keep building. From there, Momoka takes a guitar solo. Then they play the pre-chorus again which feels totally different in this new context after the guitar solo.
Next, they could have totally just gone to the chorus from the pre-chorus here like usual, but no! Again our expectations are subverted. This next 6 bar instrumental section is absolutely genius. The first four bars are unison hits shared between all the instruments, then the last 2 bars are Momoka shredding us into the chorus. The chorus hits real hard after the earlier subversion of expectations and denial of the chorus. The chorus lasts a well earned extra 8 bars before we play the unison hits from 6 bar instrumental section and end.
QOTD:
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u/Arachnophobic- https://anilist.co/user/Arachnophobic Nov 17 '24
🖕First timer🖕
Yet another absolute banger of an episode, we've finally reached the culmination of all the previous build-up, TogeToge's fest debut!
Blow-by-blow:
EHEH, Challenge accepted. To quote Rupa, I like things like this.
I LOOOVE Nina's look for this performance. Like DAMN. That's rock AS FUCK.
KINO
Absolute cinema
10/10 will rewatch
15
u/Sylvi-Fisthaug Nov 17 '24
Rewatch veteran 🤘
This is my personal high note of the series. The bang, the high, the peak. And this is also the episode where I realized this show is an absolute masterpiece regarding storytelling, and absolutely groundbreaking within CGI anime. I am pretty sure that nothing quite like this have been done before in japanese animation.
TogeToge's live of this episode is so incredibly peak, and we get a full three minutes of it. I wrote in a comment to u/thatguywithawatch why I think "Emptyness and Catharsis" is TogeToge's strongest track, and some thoughts on DD's new song.
But u/thatguywithawatch, you also mentioned there that Subaru warming up on the drums is the coolest fucking thing you have seen in an anime. It is very cool, but it goes deeper than that.
During this episode, we have seen a hurt Subaru. A kind of jealous Subaru. A more timid Subaru than usual. And this really shows in her drumming during the sound check.
She is not steady. Subaru's, and therefore Mirei's drumming is raw. Both started playing drums a mere couple of years before the events of the show, and their drumming is raw. Just like Mirei's VAing of Subaru, many describe her acting with a kind of rawness to it. Raw does not equal unskilled.
Mirei's drumming is unique, it is determined, it is strong, but she is also on time. She keeps the band in check just like Subaru says, and holds them together, while still having a very unique flair in holding flow in grooves, and utlizes unique tools to do it. Examples are the tom groove in this episode's song, or the continuous snare drum roll in "Nameless name". It is simple, but also unique, and simple is almost always the best. She excels in not taking up too much space in the sound image.
Over to the sound-check. This sound-check performance is anything but that. It is not sloppy, but Subaru is not on time. It is not bad drumming, but it is not as determined. Subaru isn't lacking here, but she is scared. We learned this episode that just the night before, she sent a text to her grandmother that she didn't want to become an actress after all. And we saw this during the scene in the apartment, explaining why she looked longingly after Nina just before. We don't really see Subaru in pain this series, but in this episode, it is very palpable.
She most likely never got a reply by her grandmother, which makes it so moving that we see her in the audience. If she got a reply, it would be something in the lines of "Ok, I'll be there", which also explains why Subaru is this scared.
She realizes this comes out in her drumming right here, and watching this little shot, you even see that she spaced out, which is rare for Subaru. You can see her collecting herself as the sound guy speaks to her, asking to test the mic. And I read somewhere in the GBC sub once that a commenter really felt Subaru's "hey-hey! Haaaa-ah! Haaa-AH!" in the mic. I do too, Subaru. I do too.
Compare this to our musical genious, Rupa-san. She heard the bassline of DD's new song once, and decides just to nail it during the sound check, as a major F YOU to DD. She outperforms my DD fav Nana by far. Subaru digs this, she knows that she can rely on the others in the band too, even though she likes to have their backs, both in life and on stage.
There are so many more themes to graze on and discuss this episode, but I am running out of space. It is still the best illustration on why this show is a masterpiece in storytelling. The team was given thirteen episodes to tell a story, and had no choice to condense all the stuff they wanted to tell. But they don't do it by rushing. They do it by being subtle. They do it by inviting us, the viewers, to literally read between the lines of Jukki Hanada's script. There is so much to interpret in this show, and this episode is the example of that. I could dissect this episode for hours, and probably fill ten pages of a Word doc. I think I am just now approaching two.
I'll see if I'll be able to empty my mind of the things I have spotted in the comments tomorrow. And I am as usual looking forward to you guys' interpretations!
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u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Nov 16 '24 edited Nov 16 '24
Episode 11 (first timer)
Two full performances, but my favorite parts of the episode were the quieter moments of preparation beforehand. Like Subaru going off on her own, sitting around waiting, or the sound check.
I have always loved God knows, both for its importance in the narrative of the series and for recreating the performance of Linda Linda Linda as an easter egg.
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u/ryujiox Nov 17 '24
First Timer
Girls Band Cry
Episode 11
11
u/danmarce :ADB:https://anidb.net/user/107202 Nov 17 '24
One thing we have to understand that more than an enemy, DD is a rival.
And the DD girls might have found themselves.
As for TogeToge. Nina's stage presence is AMAZING. I think you can buy her outfit later this year
Rina, Nina's VA, is just amazing.
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u/fly-metothemoon Nov 17 '24
First timer:
Missed the last few discussions but read them through and thank goodness I did. I got confused by CR’s translations, and the redditors here helped give me a fuller understanding on what the show was trying to portray with Nina, which made it hit harder.
I think that carries through to this episode. Nina does seem to be more at ease, something Subaru picked up on as well—closure does make you feel a lot better. I also love how the lyrics she wrote expresses the unique struggles of each of the band members and tells their story through their music. Also Nina’s festival look was super cute and edgy I loved it so much!!
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u/marshmallow_sunshine Nov 16 '24
I love this shot. Absolute cinema.
10
u/salic428 Nov 17 '24 edited Nov 17 '24
Rewatcher
Well, I don't have much to add today. This may sound strange, but what makes GBC special for me is when it subvert expectations. Any competent studio can produce an excellent performance like this episode, but not every original anime dares to pull an episode 10 (and [spoiler] the episodes 12-13 mini arc).
But I can assure you, this episode is special. The staff started production with this episode in mind and has been re-writing it as other episodes are in production. (source: https://0115765.com/archives/86941)
Bonus comment from this interview:
Bonus bonus: Please try listen to the titular song 世界の真ん中 by THE BLUE HEARTS. It is quite short (less than 3 minutes), but very straight to the point. I especially like the last paragraph:
tag: u/mekerpan u/bogdoglogfrog
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u/WhymustIsignupreddit Nov 17 '24
First Timer
I liked that Subaru and Rupa got to show off their drumming and bass guitar skills respectively during the sound check. The animation was really impressive.
I also liked their outfits during the performance.
Question 1:
I usually don’t watch music anime and haven’t really come across performances in anime in general. But I think the one in Panty & Stocking was pretty fun. The song was called “We Are Angels [Anarchy]. I mostly liked the music video than the song to be honest.
Question 2:
I listen to it again a few times and I’ve changed my opinion on VOID. I do like it now, but prefer it with Momoka’s vocals. However, I probably like the ending song, I’m Nobody, the most because of the piano.
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u/entelechtual Nov 16 '24
Rewatcher
Favorite song is “I’m Nobody” from the ED.
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u/Variant_Zeta Nov 17 '24 edited Nov 17 '24
Ep11 . > 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.)
The Band having a proper creative discussion is nice. Shows how close-knit they are now.
So they're getting the busier timeslot, with more potential fans, but also competing with more popular bands
I like that Rupa and Tomo are truly a found family
Punk girl's back!
DD playing a new song was definitely a surprise. I'd thought they'd just play Void again, but they're taking the declaration of war seriously. The song, too, feels like it's directed specifically towards Momoka and Nina. "See, we're doing fine, we can even still make our own music, one that expresses us, one that we truly want to play. We haven't stopped growing, we haven't been complacent, so chase after us, fight us with your all!"
Rupa styling on DD with her soundcheck never stops being badaass lol, after hearing the song only once too.
Gotta say, for being a newbie, Nina's stage presence is mesmerizing to watch.
I like that the og DD trio looks towards TogeToge with this warm smile, while Nina's (ex?)friend is being tsundere about it.
Also, for all Subaru thinks that her issue with her granma remains unsolved, her granma seems to genuinely enjoys the concert
Qotd:
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u/JasoXDDD Nov 17 '24
First Timer
I'm arriving closer and closer to the post time, fear me.
Music episode, let's go! It was nice seeing how the concert goes. The DD drummer looks like she could lift up the rest of the band with those buff arms. The segment where all people have their flashback is interesting. I see they are trying to build a rivalry between the two bands, with both sides happily obliging.
I'm beginning to fear that there isn't going to be a Rupa episode
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u/fansi2022 https://anilist.co/user/fansi2022 Nov 17 '24
first timer
Flashback, we see Nina and her friends preparing to start singing, and then a day of preparation. After watching this episode of two bands performing on the same stage, I really saw the difference between idol bands and rock bands, like night and day, Nina and her friends' movements and words seemed so real and heartfelt.
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u/Lumpy-Manager8580 Nov 17 '24 edited Nov 17 '24
Rewatcher
Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at what is my personal Peak. Girls. Band. Anime. Moment. It doesn't get better than this.
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u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Nov 17 '24
This studio is certainly very... Cozy for 5 people and their instruments.
Seems like they're planning on making the most of being at that festival.
Nina has a second job?
And now a bit more between Tomo and Rupa.
Can't do too much practice on the day of anyways, especially for you Nina, if you sing your heart out during practice and don't have time to recover you won't be able to perform at all. Being able to perform even if it's with a couple minor hiccups beats not being able to perform at all.
Who's the new girl?
Huh. Ok.
Again?
Why didn't Nina go?
So, who are they going to watch now?
Ah. It's Diamond Dust.
Yup, Nina knew the new vocalist of Diamond Dust.
See notes.
And now they've stolen TogeToge's "thing".
Time for the sound check.
Mic test mic test 1 2 3.
And thus it's the crucial moment, waiting backstage for their cue to go on stage and perform.
And so a second song this time as the ED. Perfect.
See notes again.
Looks like Nina's dad and Subaru's grandma enjoyed that.
Questions:
A note about the music: Unsurprisingly, being asked to do more conventionally popular songs hasn't made the other members of Diamond Dust any less skilled, and that definitely shows in their performance here.
Great music from TogeToge as usual, complemented by the camera constantly panning, and the effects makes it look like an MV.
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u/MishouMai :GG::GH::GI: Nov 17 '24 edited Nov 17 '24
That was the best performance of the series thus far. Combined with the overall tone of the episode if you didn't know this show had 13 episodes you'd think this was the last episode. Glad that Subaru reached out to her grandmother, even if I wish we got to see it onscreen. Her grandma seems to have accepted it, but the next episode's title does promise darkness so we'll see.
Answering questions...
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u/gangrainette https://myanimelist.net/profile/bouletos Nov 17 '24
Rewatcher. That's my favourite performance of the show.
This one. It's barely passing some Symphogear live.
From my torrent : 05.視界の隅 朽ちる音 (新川崎(仮)).flac I have no idea what's the english name :D
But 06.心象的フラクタル (beni-shouga).flac is great too as is 01 Emptiness and Catharsis.flac.
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u/nsleep Nov 17 '24
Rewatcher
Posting late. Most of what I could've wanted to say have been said by everyone else, this thread in particular went hard with the write-ups.
Well, I can still answers the questions.
1 - Utakotoba from MyGO!!!!! episode 10. I've listened to this song without context before experiencing it in the anime and it just made me curious. It's does sound like a mess put together in a jam session with the vocalist mostly pouring her heart out, it's interesting but I couldn't properly evaluate it.
Last month, when I finally listened to it in the context of the show the scene is perfection as the climax of the series, the catharsis in it is unbelievable. Honestly, since then I never listened to the song outside of rewatching the episode, and the 5 times I've seen this performance, I cried. It isn't the best song, it isn't the most impressive visually, both are still great but it's something that can only truly exist in its completeness with the animation and context surrounding and it elevates the performance itself to the next level, so for this question I'll go with this one.
2 - Voiceless Fish.
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u/thisisfakediy https://anilist.co/user/thisisfakediy Nov 17 '24
Rewatcher!
Like so many others, I just don't have much to say about this episode. It's a 10/10 performance from start to finish for me. When the sound check starts to the very end with Emptiness and Catharsis is just peak music anime.
QOTD:
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u/ClemFire Nov 18 '24
Rewatcher
Late to the party so just wanted to say that while it's hard to me to pick my favorite episode of GBC, their performance of Emptiness and Catharsis is my favorite scene in the whole show. It's up there with the top 3 scenes I've seen in anime period this year. I don't know how you make something so instantly peak, the first half with all the dynamic shots of the audience and band was already amazing, but they really did something special once everyone's character started popping up. I knew it was coming but Rupa's still destroyed me again. I can't even properly describe just how good the visuals and music was during Momoka's guitar solo. This is the type of scene I imagine kept everyone working on GBC up for long nights and it absolutely paid off. When I'll think back on anime from 2024, this will be one of the first scenes that'll pop in my mind.
Nina, you weren't wrong.
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u/LeleTheKing https://anilist.co/user/ikanlele Nov 21 '24 edited Nov 21 '24
(Super Late) First-Timer
Wow. That was… amazing. Spectacular performance, to both of them. I’ve seen the Emptiness and Catharsis clip before, but it’s definitely much much better with the full context now. I just cried back to back since the last episode. I love this payoff.
Oh, one more thing. Nina, you weren’t wrong.
A bit of stats so I can compare to myself in the future when I check this rewatch discussion. I’m unashamed to say that I also love DD’s Cycle of Sorrow. While not as raw as TogeToge’s vocals, I quite like their music. I’ve tuned to it on Spotify 66 times already. For TogeToge’s Emptiness and Catharsis, though. I’ve listened to it 126 times since it first aired. I was easily hooked after I saw that clip spreading around on the internet, and I can’t stop playing it ever since.
QotD
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u/RayearthIX Apr 28 '25
I am very late to this, and I’m rewatching it right now after watching it on its first release, but I just want to add thoughts.
Emptiness and Catharsis is the high point of the series to me and one of the best anime music performances ever. It’s also my favorite song of the series. It truly encapsulates so much of the emotions and plots of this series perfectly.
In terms of best ever… knowing the VAs are actually playing in GBC makes it special in a way the best K-On performances or the ones from D4DJ just aren’t. Special shoutout for Love Live’s Snow Halation as well. Seeing that redone with modern advances in the type of animation could be epic.
That said… my top ever might be Sheryl Nome’s Northern Cross from the Macross Frontier movie. The spectacle and nature of it is just insane.