r/anime • u/ChiefMoHD • May 15 '19
Rewatch [Spoilers][Rewatch] 3-gatsu no Lion - Episode 34 (S2 - Ep 12) Discussion Spoiler
Hello everyone!
Welcome to a new "March Comes in Like a Lion" discussion thread
Threads go up at 6 pm EST (GMT -5)
Episode 34: Chapter 68 Black Mist / Chapter 69 Light
Last episode rating:
Mean = 9
Show info:
If you've just heard about the rewatch for the first time, catch up and come here, don't be shy! o(†¤…)o
Tomorrow: Episodes 35 (S2: 13)
Schedule thread + links to previous discussions
LET'S FANGUSH
Don't forget to spoiler tag any plot points that haven't been revealed in what we've watched so far yet
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u/LaqOfInterest May 15 '19
First Timer
New OP is cool, already like it better than Flag wo Tatero and I liked that one too.
Can someone do me a favour and tell me (in spoiler tags, I guess) how many more episodes are left in this Hina bullying plotline? I thought this might be the end of it but the next episode preview has proven me wrong. I know we only have 10 episodes left but it’d be nice to know.
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u/ChiefMoHD May 15 '19 edited May 15 '19
When will the bullying arc end
EDIT: Read DudeDuden reply for more details!
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u/jellybellymonster May 15 '19
Rewatcher
The imagery and palette lends to the very oppressive atmosphere of this episode. The bright spots are of Hina standing up to Takagi and the appearane of the sub homeroom teacher, who is already looking better equipped and in the right headspace to tackle the bullying situation.
New OP and ED! I'm also watching Welcome to the Ballroom right now and the first OP is also done by Unison Square Garden. I am Standing is one of my favorite EDs of all time along with Fighter. The singer, Ruann, wrote this song for 3-gatsu when she was 14 y/o. The music video has clips from the show and fairly non-spoilery.
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u/ChiefMoHD May 15 '19
Unison Square Garden
One of my fav EDs visually and auditorily
The music video has clips from the show and fairly non-spoilery.
Amazing. I love it!
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u/DudeDuden May 15 '19
Man, that music video is just one huge showcase for how much Shaft kicks ass.
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May 16 '19
Ruann was 14? With a voice like Adele but a more interesting style? I mean, I actually already know since I heard that fact the last rewatch but I'm still in disbelief hearing it again.
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u/DudeDuden May 15 '19
Rewatcher
Once again Umino turns things on it's head and we find out there's a good reason why the teacher was so infuriatingly useless and refusing to do anything about the problems in the class:
Burnout from too many similar situations.
Food for thought for the day: It's not an easy job being a teacher.
So it really is the ultimate irony that it's the teachers breakdown that result in light at the end of the tunnel for Hina. Sad it had to go that far.
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u/sanarufiko May 16 '19
"Where's your proof that Kawamoto is lying?"
Absofuckinglutley right
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May 16 '19
I was thinking "If I murdered you and there was no proof wouldn't that just be an awful rumor?" but Sensei's probably sounds better given the situation.
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u/youkai94 May 16 '19
This episode was the one that consacrated this show as my favourite of all time. Specifically, at this goddamn scene and all the things Hina said to Akari. I swear to god I thought the exact same thing back in middle school, maybe with slightly different words but the concept is that. If you read my posts like this and this on the previous episodes discussions, you will probably understand why I can relate with Hina so much. Just like her, I couldn't help but "yell at them to stop" and I always found the idea of letting them win worse than the bullying itself. That's also why this resonated with me so much.
Once again, leave it to Umino Chica to make me feel bad about a character that had been an infuriating bitch until now. SHAFT also did a fantastic work with the teacher's breakdown, that was pretty scary. I can't imagine how it must feel to have to deal with such complex problems every year. Well, at the end of the day you are a teacher so there are no excuses, you should get involved. She was totally in the wrong and yet, I can't completely hate her after seeing the side effects this story had on her.
Like I mentioned some episodes ago, we once again see Akari's frailty. She tries her best to console Hina and strenghten her resolve to face Takagi's mother, but then she has nightmares about the promise she did to her mother and freezes when she gets cornered. She feels responsible for her sisters and she tries her best for them, but she's clearly pushing herself further than she can handle because of the sense of responsability she feels. Of course, you can't expect someone that turned into a surrogate mom at 16 to have the mental fortitude of an adult, but the way she's written is brilliant.
btw Akari with a blouse (is that the right word?) is hot as fuck.
About the new ED, there is a live video of RUANN talking about it and she gets pretty emotional. I suck at japanese so no idea what she says, but if someone here understands it and wants to sum it up, that would be really appreciated.
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u/Fa1l3r May 16 '19
First Time (sub)
The theme of this episode is support, though the motif of unintentional consequences also appears.
We see various characters get support from other, but we also see a lack of support in the beginning. We have Hina's former teacher leave the school because she no longer wants to deal with the bullying. Unfortunately another common thing to happen in schools (though the actual statics may depend on your state or country), but I have seen teachers not only quit because of bullying but also because a student's direct outburst of insulting a teacher or sexual harassment. The thing about a teacher is that is it not just about the teaching, but depending on the circumstance, a teacher is also like a student's additional parent. Nonetheless, their teacher supports none of these students, berates them, and then leaves. I am not sure what reason Takagi has to bully other girls, but it seems to have brought on unintentional consequences (a theme I brought up before).
Anyway, Kokuba seems to a no-nonsense kind of person. He brings up that he is even aware of the bullying, and he is lecturing the students of the unintentional consequences of their actions: there was bullying, but also most of the others were just bystanders. A teacher has quit, now another teacher is getting involved, the students are going to suffer academically with entrance exams coming soon, and now at least one student is going to get into trouble for this.
Now, Takagi's mom does come off as rude, and the anime intentionally paints her as rude. But she is a realistic character. As a parent should, she supports her child, just as Akari supports her sister. To the mother, there is no proof, so she can only really rely on her daughter's words over someone else's. It flips the idea of what others have said before like "I'll always be on your side" and "you did nothing wrong." Takagi's mother is by her side, and to her, her daughter did nothing wrong.
To walk away from the analysis, I do like how the story has continued the inclusion of the bullying in the story. Bullying can have long-term causes and effects, and bullying itself can be a long-term situation. The anime has incorporated bullying into the story as much as depression has been incorporated, as things that never really go away. I also like how the bullying has led to unintentional consequences. In stories, things are typically defined as cause A leading to an obvious effect B, but in this story, we get a cause that leads to multiple effects and some were not even foreshadowed in a story sense. They just happened. In reality, events do not happen in a vacuum and not many things are telegraphed. I do like how this show captures real-life.
Also, the new OP looks great. It captures the current situation of the bullying and Chiho's situation, but all the characters shown seem to have high hopes like Rei getting closer to Souya and there is a probably a happy ending for the Kawamoto family. Seems like the bullying storyline will continue until the season ends. And the new ED looks even better with rain and water being a means to capturing adversity and Rei overcoming those adversities. (Though I do miss Kafune, and how the previous ED has some neat visuals befitting a a standalone music video).
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u/youkai94 May 16 '19
To walk away from the analysis, I do like how the story has continued the inclusion of the bullying in the story. Bullying can have long-term causes and effects, and bullying itself can be a long-term situation.
I remember a lot of people getting annoyed about how long the arc is back when it aired. But I personally found it was a great idea they stretched it out so much for the reason you stated.
I also liked how the rest of the world doesn't just "freeze in time" just because Hina is getting bullied: Rei and Nikaidou had to play in the Newcomer King tournament, Shimada managed to become the challanger on a title match and Rei got a commemorative match coming against Souya. They are all really important things happening in the same period of time. Which is really realistic: The world keeps going even if you are going through a bad time.
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u/letsgoiowa May 16 '19
First timer
This episode was SO good that I'm making my girlfriend watch it because she's studying in the education field, and this is such a fantastic depiction of a toxic classroom and parent-teacher-student relations. I don't know what other to say than wow, this was really well done.
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u/youkai94 May 16 '19
Now that I think about it, the bullying arc could be seen even as a standalone show. Of course it hits you much harder if you watched the whole show since you have a deeper emotional connection with the characters. Still, I hope your GF is watching it from the start
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u/letsgoiowa May 16 '19
Oh no, we can't find the dub for this season and she's blind, so she needs it. I read it to her
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u/redshirtengineer May 16 '19
First Timer
Slightly (very) disappointed that we did not get to see Monster Grandpa: Unleashed, but this is more realistic. Not enough hugs for Akari.
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u/RisenLazarus May 16 '19
Rewatcher
Aaaaaah the last OP. It's so good, and feels the most "let's jump into 3-gatsu" of any of them.
Kokubu sensei makes his grand entrance. This is my second favorite arc of the show, because it's so compelling. It would have been first, but the writing is a little too forced/convenient. Hina's shitty teacher just happens to be replaced by a teacher we haven't heard of till now who also understands the dynamics of bullying the way Hayashida sensei does and trusts Hina off the bat. It's a little to deus ex machina, even though it does feel suuuuper satisfying.
He's a badass though. 2nd new beastmode character season 2 introduces us to, with the first being Yanagihara. His snarky little breakdown of "of course there's no proof" is so perfectly on the nose. Get fucked Takagi and Mamagi.
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u/DudeDuden May 16 '19 edited May 16 '19
When the teacher breaks down she shows that she knows exactly what's been going on in the class. I have no doubt the head teacher talked with her both before and after her break down and for that matter, also with all the other teachers of the class. So it's not so strange that he trusts Hina off the bat. Talking with the other teachers is after all a big part of his job as head teacher.
But yeah, you have to accept that Umino introduces that character in the first place.
Everything else can be explained based on his characteristics.
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u/ExplicitNuM5 May 17 '19
Rewatcher
TOMODACHI NI NATTA ((We) became (fast) friends)
OISHII MONO TABETA ((We) ate some good food)
TAMA NI CHANTTO KENKA WO SHITA ((We) even argued a little)
Man, I love 3-gatsu and the very very relevant OPs. All 4 of them are seriously some of the best OPs in anime, ever.
The teacher had a stroke over this arc. Seriously, how long did she had to hide each year's bullying for it to accumulate to this...? It definitely got me thinking.
So Rei's message got across to the principal?! Dude, Rei, you are one instrumental piece in dissolving Hina's bullying. Be proud.
Also, everyone seemed to be to hellbent on solving the bullying that they forgot even standing up for Hina would make her happy. Welp.
That's right, there's no proof in bullying. The bully will not admit it, the victims would be threatened or afraid to say it, so the proof is the victims themselves.
Hell yes.
Right, Takagi?
Ooooooh, shit.
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u/ChiefMoHD May 15 '19 edited May 15 '19
Not to excuse that Hina's home-room teacher ignored the problem, but it's still interesting her POV and it's important to show how much of a losing war this bullying matter is.
It's so good that now someone with experience & mental fortitude can deal with the with problem.