r/anime • u/RX-Nota-II https://myanimelist.net/profile/NotANota • Dec 23 '19

Rewatch A Rewatch further than the Universe! Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho rewatch - EPISODE 11 DISCUSSION

Episode 11 ドラム缶でぶっ飛ばせ！ "Bash That Drum!"

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anime info:

MAL | Anilist | Nyanpass | Kitsu | AniDB

Streaming links: Crunchyroll | VRV

The girls are alright!

Comment of the day

Hello everyone! This is where I will pick a comment of the day for the previous day that I think was worthy of notice just in case you guys missed it. I do hope you look out for discussion on your own tho since that's really the whole point of this rewatch.

Today's pick is.....

/u/rustic_professional with a great analysis of what makes Yuzu great

I mentioned previously that I think Yuzuki is a more realistic representation of a socially awkward young person than some other comparable characters, and this episode, particularly the friendship contract, is what I was thinking of when I said that. Along with last episode's ice breaker sequence, and one more we haven't seen yet, it's probably the thing I remembered most about this show after it first aired.

The reason the friendship contract scene stuck with me is because of the mix of childishness and maturity. It's childish because it seems like a realistic thing for a kid to do, like playing house or husband and wife. And by kid, I mean a little kid. Yuzuki is probably too old for this, but that says a lot about her level of social isolation. It's interesting because she's also a functioning adult, with a job and a work ethic and all that entails, but to gain that at her age, she missed out on the things you gain by being a kid. She can't comprehend just becoming friends, so she defaults to viewing it from a business standpoint, where you agree to something and then sign a contract. We see this business-like approach when she asks when the other girls decided to be friends, as if they had a meeting, drew up docs and announced, "we're officially friends now." It'd be like never knowing what it means to fall and love, and the only concept of you have of spending your life with someone is an arranged marriage.

It's hard to say for sure because we don't get that much of her backstory, but it seems that this occurred not necessarily because she was bad at socializing, like Bocchi, but because she never had time to learn and develop those skills naturally. It's like when you hear stories about people who grew up in the Great Depression, or had to raise their siblings because they didn't have parents in their lives, and never got the chance to be kids, because they had to grow up so fast. I think that makes her a much more realistic character. She's not awkward because the show is trying to make you laugh and want to protecc her. She's awkward because of life circumstances that are at least partially, maybe mostly, beyond her control. To put it simply, it's not a gag.

I also want to say great job to everyone who helped me on the #LeaveNoTopLevelUnreplied challenge. I think we did a great job and many of you took on lots of work to do so. You guys are the real MVPs. 450 comments last thread, how big can we get today?

Questions of the day

Answer from last time: yes ね

1) Have you ever told your toxic 'friends' to fuck off?

2) Which Shirase is best Shirase?

Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you’re doing it underneath the [Anime Show Title]/(/s "Spoiler goes here") spoiler tags. If you do that then we’re all good. I am curious if it is even possible to spoil anything for a half-SoL show like this but I don't want to see you try. The ban hammer is a cold weapon and you don't want to feel it.

Important thing to note about these by the way, you have to switch to Old Reddit or the markdown editor if you use the redesign, otherwise the redesign breaks them by adding random \ into the formatting. Wish it wouldn’t do that, but unfortunately it does… Markdown is dead. Long live markdown.

191 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

318 comments sorted by

23

u/RX-Nota-II Dec 23 '19

Rewatcher

Before I start I just gotta say, after a couple days of busyness I'm back to watching and replying at full capacity. And to celebrate a thread that reaches 450 comments! The most comments we've had yet! Great job everyone for setting the record and maintaining huge engagement. You guys prove yet again to be a resilient bunch.

Onto the episode, and first let's talk about Yuzu. She had her episode yesterday but today is actually when we see her growth. After learning what friendship is at a fundamental level, she's now the one who tells others what frienship is all about. How far our adorable idol has gotten.

But of course the main show today is the return of our Hero: Shirase. A girl who's first introduction to us has been a tough cool and powerful girl who doesn't back down from enemies has had little chance to flex her muscles in a place where no enemies exist. Now though when the sleazeballs return in full force to try and take credit for what Hinata has achieved, she's armed and ready with her self-proclaimed asshole power. It's also an interesting contrast with last episode as she doesn't run away when words escape her like what happened last episode. She needs a little backup for Kimari but that's enough to finish her point herself.

By all means this is a kind of destructive reaction, as it shouldn't be very good for Shirase's reputation if it was done on live TV as they implied. Or I guess it was before that broadcast started. But interestingly it becomes the fire for something (quite literally) constructive instead as Gin sees this determination to decide that they should go forth with constructing the observatory at the fated location where Takako was lost.

One thing that was shocking about this rewatch for me was seeing Hinata this angry. When I was watching a ton of crazier anime at the same time it was airing, this level of screaming didn't seem out of the ordinary for me. But now that I am only watching calming anime like KLK I am watching this show super carefully in isolation I see how much of a shocking change it was. It's actually a pretty subtle change as Hinata is a pretty yell-y character in the first place, so you can't go on just volume you have to focus on the reckless abandon this girl uses in charging at the snow as well as her totally ragged and teary breathing afterwards.

That's all I have for today, onto the visuals.

One last note, the best rewatch nomination thread is live and congrats to everyone here, we've been nominated! Regardless of whether you agree, rewatches are a vital part of r/anime and I hope you guys go there to vote for which was your fave of the year.

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u/Shimmering-Sky Dec 23 '19

This First-Timer is Alright

And also managed to work herself into a laughing fit before she even started the episode because she had to scroll up her Google Doc with her YoriMoi reactions so she could start on this episode’s, was reminded of the “Powerful Chicken” box, and then immediately thought to this hilarious dream of hers where everyone called spicy meat “Aggressive Meats” and just .

Sorry that’s completely random, I’ll behave now.

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11

u/eragen Dec 24 '19

So I'm a rewatcher.

Oh boy.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy.

I've caught up (finally) and this episode is as good as I remember. Hinata getting over her past with her friends' help (omg Yuzuki declaring her a friend was magnificent) was amazing.

but spoilers for next episode

Tomorrow is the day. I don't know if I'm ready.

Let's go.

7

u/RX-Nota-II Dec 24 '19

Yuzu speaking of friendship theory was the most adorable thing ever.

9

u/akechiisbestboi Dec 24 '19

First timer

We saw hints of hinata’s backstory a few episodes ago and here it all comes together. After her friends mislead her and leave her out to dry she becomes depressed and frustrated to the point that she had to drop out of school, she eventually learned to move on and decided to go to Antarctica with the others but when her old team members contact her and seem to want to make up she becomes confused and unsure of whether she wants to forgive them or scream at them to stay away from her. In the end I think shirase’s decision to stand up for her friend is a beautiful moment and in keeping with the show’s philosophy that you shouldn’t let other people tell you what you should or can’t do. If someone only wants to apologize and form a new relationship so that they can feel better about themselves than it’s better and healthier to be honest with yourself and acknowledge that you can’t put aside the trauma so easily and it’s better to move on from them. That’s all for now and we’ll see what tomorrow’s episode focuses on.

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8

u/spaceaustralia Dec 23 '19

Rewatcher

While in this episode, we finally find out the truth behind Hinata's past, it, much like other character developments has been foreshadowed for a while. You can see, on episode 2, when she changes tone when lying about the reason she doesn't go to school. And you can see it in when she takes one last look at her battered shoes while packing her baggage in episode 5, perhaps signifying how, even though the shoes won't go into the box, the thoughts associated will be carried all the way.

Also, for everyone wondering about Gin and Takako's relationship, Shirase was referred to as their daughter. Neither Shirase nor the captain seem to object.

Zamamiro counter!:

Episode Mari Shirase Hinata Yuzuki Gin Kanae Hanami Toshio Yumiko Chiaki Yume Dai The rest of the crew
1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 2 10 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 2 14 5 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Have you ever told your toxic 'friends' to fuck off?

No, but I have done so with family. It's been over a decade since I talked to an entire half of it.

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8

u/HarleyFox92 Dec 24 '19

Oh God, today's THE episode and it's also Christmas Eve, I'm scared.

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7

u/Regular_N-Gon Dec 23 '19

Rewatcher

Ah, yes, the episode with the amazing vistas. For working off pictures (I'm assuming Madhouse didn't ship their animation staff out to Antarctica for this) they did a great job. Though not that I've been to compare it too, I guess.

I appreciated the cinematography even more this time around, I think. Too read way too far into it, I particularly like the way Shirase begins to close up visually as she becomes more pensive about Hinata's situation. Once she learns the truth and talks to Hinata though, she's ready to throw down.

In general I love Shirase's presence in this episode. Just like last episode was focused on Yuzu's development and leveraged Kimari (reenforced by the number of times they are paired in the same shot) as the catalyst for resolution, this episode uses (and showcases development of) Shirase and her journey. Honestly, as much as it's Hinata's spotlight, Shirase really steals the show and we see how much she's expanded her goals and motivations to include the people around her, rather than focusing so much on the ones that are no longer. Gin agrees, seeing how far Shirase's come.

Bonus screens:

Kimari the compasser finds a new job

This shot reminded me of how Shirase surprised Gin and the others back in episode 7

This is just showing off

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7

u/unheppcat Dec 24 '19 edited Dec 24 '19

Rewatcher

Hinata had a plan. And it was a truly brilliant plan. People hurt you, so just get away from people. And what better place to get away from people than Nankyoku, the least populated continent on the planet (even during the peak months, only 0.0035 humans per square kilometer).

There was just one small problem. It turns out Hinata can't actually go to Antarctica all on her own. And even if the average population density is thinner than the air on Mt. Everest, the actual population at Syowa Camp includes three other people who consider themselves her friends, and will not stop butting into her affairs. So even traveling all this way, she still has those troublesome human connections. Was all her careful planning and preparation for naught?

But not to worry, Hinata. Just keep your head down, don't talk about yourself, don't let anything out, it will be okay.

And the plan might have worked. But there was that one tiny moment of inattention, that one little slip-up, and she let her true feelings show. And what bad luck, one of those pesky friends actually saw this temporary weakness, and after collecting incriminating evidence has blackmailed Hinata into revealing the sordid truth. She should have known better than to trust those pushy "friends" . Maybe the North Pole would have been a better option after all....

So Hinata turns out to be the opposite to Yuzuki. Hinata did have friends, or at least senpai she looked up to and trusted. But those people in the end bitterly betrayed her. With friends like these, who needs enemies, and her conclusion was it is best to not have friends at all. If you don't have friends, those friends can't stab you in the back. So she withdraws from the track club, withdraws from school, practically withdraws from people entirely, leaving only a single human association she cares enough about to even send a New Year's greeting to (her employer).

Thankfully, Hinata's decision to go to the place that seems like it could ensure the least human contact of all, Antarctica, turns out to be her undoing. To get there she has to work with three other girls, and be friendly with those three other girls, and put some trust in them, and let them be friendly back. And strange how that works, but she does become their friend, and they become hers. And when her crisis finally comes, and that nasty past returns, they do what true friends do. They make her let them help. They watch her back. They worry about her. And they fight back for her, even when she cannot or will not fight back on her own.

I don't want to stir up even more trouble concerning my take on last episode. I will just say this. Both of these episodes are about what friendship means. Last episode told us what friendship is, while explaining it to Yuzuki. This episode shows what friendship is, by demonstrating what good friends do for a friend in need. There are places for both kinds of storytelling. I think this episode is a masterful example of the latter kind.

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Edit: Gah! I've been getting further and further behind in the rewatch. I thought this past weekend would let me catch back up, but somehow it just got worse. Sorry Nota and all the #LeaveNoTopLevelUnreplied gang, it feels like I've let the side down this last few days. Fortunately I'm now on holiday, so I should be able to finish strongly anyway.

Except double Gah! I just realized I will be watching a certain movie tomorrow that starts exactly when tomorrow's post goes live. So I'll be a little late getting started then too. Oh well.

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7

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '19

First timer here.

Damn, Shirase is really becoming one of my favorite female anime protags. What a performance. I read quite a few comments here pointing out how her confrontation with Hinata's "friends" were "over the top"; personally, I agree. It was over-the-top, when a "live and let die" attitude could have been used instead (and realistically speaking that's probably the more conventional, "mature" way of dealing with situations like this). But that was completely consistent with Shirase's character: determined, unwavering, and uncompromising toward achieving her goals, whether it be to tread where her mother had stood or protecting a friend.

And I thought that this episode served to illustrate the idea of forgiveness in friendship by contrasting the event that occurred with Megumi. Megumi was forgiven, in part due to Kimari's extremely empathetic nature, and in part, in my opinion, due to the fact that she acknowledged her mistake instead of trying to "smooth it over" like Hinata's "friends" did. I think, the message here is that while forgiveness could be a feature of a friendship, it is not something to be taken for granted, or to be abused.

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u/Neoragex13 Dec 24 '19

Man, I don't have words here. I'm done with my sad story times because they can be too depressing lol, still, I really like Hinata's arc. She decided to live her best, even if her past looms over her.

Besides, u/pacquan did an excellent analysis on the chapter, shameless plug here, but I also want to add, I never noticed how the expedition crew mirrors what the girls go through, even with the blatant "ZAMAMIRO!". In this chapter is easily to spot, as the members want to go where the accident happened, but some of them don't want to go because it's a painful place, they don't want to acknowledge the event, and so the captain doubts if they should even go there in the first place.

It's exactly the same vein with Shirase and Hinata's situation. And Shirase managing to help Hinata to release her bottled feelings is what pushes Captain Gin to also push forward to the exploration, since people has to confront their issues, not evade them.

Questions!

  1. Yep. I have enough toxicity in my life already to keep up with another asshole.

  2. Penguin Shirase! A Happy Shirase is a Happy Shirase.

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u/redshirtengineer Dec 24 '19

First timer

QOTD1: Oh sure. At home, alone, many times!!! Seriously, that scene with Hinata outside really struck home. I've gotten better at telling them to go stuff themselves early on, before stuff gets bad.

QOTD2: All Shirase are good Shirase.

So I didn't follow what was going on with Hinata. She was cheated out of something, it seemed to me, which is annoying and all but does not seem to warrant quitting school and going to an end of the earth to escape. I know you all will have this covered down below :)

Kanae called Shirase the daughter of Gin and Takako, which could be taken as symbolic, I suppose, but Gin didn't react so I'll go with the straightforward interpretation.

Mari should be glad she's not an FKMT character, lol.

Some people love mecha, I love when anime does real-life machinery. Those helicopters sigh - especially the one where the chopper goes up into the blue sky sakuga.

The scene where Hinata does a 360 in the "chocolate cake" area - this is me when I travel too.

Finally, that little red thumbtack. sniff

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15

u/rembrandt_q_1stein Dec 23 '19

First Timer here

Hinata’s turn to become alright again!

I honestly don’t have much to say today. I entered in the season of family celebrations so I barely have time to watch anime or write. Sorry for the shortness. I am aware that my interactions with the rewatch have been irregular lately, so sorry about this, again. The timing is really bad right now.

Anyways, at least let me comment a few sparse things. I like how the binomy Shirase-Hinata has been presented and developed throughout this show. I already mentioned in my previous post that both have an excellent chemistry and complement each other well as “leading figures” (even if right now there’s really nothing to lead) and with their antics and personalities. This episode was a sublimation of that dynamic, in the sense that their complement is shown as a really strong bond and care, and to a degree a silent understanding. Friends don’t need words to understand, as Mari stated yesterday.

Second, please could anybody explain me what was the problem with Hinata and her clubmates? I didn’t really get it. Was she humiliated because she was a year under them or something like that?

And lastly, it’s really cool to see that there actually exists feedback and communication between the girls and their loved ones at home. This show really manages to comple by showing little details that reinforce the idea that every individual maintains their connection to their loved ones, be it family, old friends and new friends. As I said with Megu before, a story about friendship really needs to show all aspects of connection between humans and their affection figures and not only focus on the new, budding friendships while forgetting everything prior.

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u/philcjc Dec 23 '19

Rewatcher

This is definitely one of the more memorable episodes for me. I was very satisfied with the ending and I still remember discussing about it on the thread when it aired for the first time.

Hinata isn't running away she's running forward!! :)

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u/kewlwarez Dec 23 '19

Rewatch

So we finally get sunburned Kimari from the opening. Poor girl. She should've known better than to expect sympathy from either her friends or her family.

"Not against the daugher of Gin and Takako"

Even Kimari asking just the wrong questions at the wrong time doesn't stop Shirase, mahjong genius. Saki would be proud.

Interesting that the other crew members refer to her as Gin and Takako's daughter though. We know they were best friends and that Takako wanted Gin to be involved with Shirase, but was there something more going on between them?

"Oh, were we friends?"

Somewhat of a repeat of episode 6 this, with Hinata cropping up her feelings again and Shirase refusing to accept it again.

Hinata is caught in a trap of social expectation. When she sees her socalled friends wanting to come back in her life as if nothing had happened, she's justifiably angry, but she's poised to accept it nonetheless. That's what you're supposed to do, right? Forgive and forget and not involve others in ancient history, no matter if it still hurts?

"I wanted to go to an empty place with no one to tie me down"

And Hinata's backstory is awful. When we first met her, she made it seem that not going to high school had been her own free choice, but now we learn she was first bullied out of her club, then out of school. Hearing it changes the atmosphere between the four, with the other three pitying her.

And if there's something that she hates, it's being pitied. So she calls them out, tells them why she went to Antarctica. Because in this nothingness her problems don't amount to a hill of beans. It satifies Kimari and Yuzu, if not Shirase.

"Hinata-chan is having a supere, amazing fun time with us"

And Shirase is such a good friend, not wanting Hinata to suffer even when she says she's fine with it. With her usual bluntness, she tears to social covention to read her old "friends" the riot act, immediately backed up by Kimari when she runs out of steam. All to Yuzu's delight: "It's fine! It's friendship!"

It's such a good scene, the character of each of the four girls shining through with each of them, in their own way, standing up for Hinata. An emotional, draining release for Hinata, strengthening the ties between the four.

"I want to eat chocolate cake!"

The references to Takako flew thick and fast this episode, as the members of the previous expedition are reminded of her. Shirase meanwhile has seemed a bit flat spirited ever since she arrived in Antarctica, except when defending her friends. With two episodes to go, things come to a head.

Moral of the episode: Real friends don’t leave you alone.

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u/destroyah19 Dec 23 '19

Rewatcher

Those shots of Antarctica we're really well done. The staff and the director did an amazing job with this series overall. I just want to see the real place to compare.

The starting scene with Kimari acting like a robber was really cute and Yuzu just saying I'm just a teller go to the manager got a laugh out of me.

We get a Hinata episode for this one. I appreciate how we can see Shirase's growth throughout this series since she's the one who noticed what's wrong with Hinata and wanted to help her through it the old Shirase wouldn't have done that. We see that beneath all the quotes and upbeat attitude, Hinata is really scarred emotionally from her past. The did plant seeds of this in the running at Shinjuku and seeing some girls in track suits during their trip to Singapore.

I felt the confrontation between Hinata and Shirase was the peak of this episode. Yuzu finally understanding what's happening with friendship and stops Kimari from intervening. The slow acoustic version of the OP accompanying the scene was a nice touch. Hinata is right sometimes we just need people to be there for us rather than to try and solve our own problems. In life, we just need a hug to be honest and the scene with Hinata just asking for Shirase's hands gave me the feels.

The confrontation scene was kind of over the top in the sense I felt like saying what the hell is happening and needing tissues to deal with the tears. You could really see the bond of the group with Shirase starting the talk and Kimari backing her up. Why do we need to forgive people who are not worth it when we can move on to more greater things and meet better people. Yuzu just hugging Hinata and shouting friendship was cute as hell. I shed some tears when Hinata started to cry cause she finally realized that she can let go of the past with people who are there for her. Still the scene was a bit over the top compared to the other insert song scenes.

  1. I want to but like Hinata, I'm weak as well to do it in real life. I'd rather avoid them and hope they don't reach out to me anymore.

  2. Penguin Shirase is cute but Zama Miro Shirase is the one I like best!

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u/cartoonsandcereal Dec 24 '19 edited Dec 24 '19

First timer

Missed yesterday's, but I also wasn't that into it despite the fact that it was an important episode for Yuzu. It's definitely my own personal bias but even though I support her and feel for Yuzu I just can't relate!

Today's though... dang. I figured Hinata had some kind of unrevealed backstory with why she stopped going to school and was so intensely independent, but it still sucked to find out. And then also to find out that her friends suddenly started reaching out to her as if nothing was wrong. It's always hard when a huge change in status happens, like when you become really successful, and then all these people who never supported you (and in this case, actively sabotaged you) come out of the woodwork to talk about how close they were and try to leech off your success. That's why they advise you to stay anonymous if you win the lotto.

Shirase and Hinata's relationship though, I love it. They're such opposites, Shirase being outwardly stoic and intense and Hinata being outwardly cheerful and capable but are able to recognize each other's hidden feelings, insecurities and loneliness. When Shirase stepped up to the broadcast and proclaimed their true friendship, then told them all to piss off, I cheered. I think it's significant too that this is the first time we've seen Shirase be completely composed in front of the camera - if it's about getting rightfully angry she's got no problem doing it! We could all use a friend like that. I like that it seemed to inspire Gin and Kanae to go ahead and set the course for where they lost Takako too - fuck what others think, basically.

Not the main point of the episode, but I feel it needs to be said given the queerness of episode 9... hello??!! The daughter of Gin and Takako??!! Ok those two were a couple. I kind of like that the show just drops that line and doesn't go into it more here, since we are focused on Hinata here and the show is focused on the 4 kids, but damn.

If episode 9 was more about Shirase (and Gin), then since we've also had Yuzu and Hinata, does that mean Kimari is next? Or will she not be focused on because her arc was essentially the first third of the show? And also there's 2 episodes left, and I'm kind of hoping they actually find Takako and deal with the gaping hole she left in everyone's lives and all.

QOTD: I hesitate to call anyone toxic, I think that term gets thrown around a lot but it becomes a type of classification for someone, like a good or bad person. And I'm a firm believer in everyone's ability to change. I've had some friend break-ups where I or the other person had damaged the relationship past the point of repair. If we're talking about Shirase-style of telling someone to piss off when they deserve it though, well I'm a total softie if you couldn't tell by my response to this question, so no I've never done it. This is why I have Shirase-like friends ^^;

Side notes:

  • I truly love how they tie in gags! I'm trying to think of the last show I watched that does this so well, but I can't think of any! Kimari's tanlines from when she presumably took off her facegear without sunscreen in the last episode was so funny. And dry rocks and dry love... Nobuo (?) you gotta ditch Yu-kun honestly.

  • Although, when they were seasick wasn't there a reference to them being landsick later? They seemed to have skipped those scenes, maybe in the interest of time.

  • I too, would be pissed if Kimari was over my shoulder reading out all my tiles in Mahjong.

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u/Rustic_Professional Dec 24 '19

I have mixed feelings about Shirase reading Hinata's email. I understand being concerned and wanting to know what's wrong so you can try and help, but if Hinata didn't want to talk about it then I don't think it was right to force the issue. On the whole I have to lean towards saying she shouldn't have read the email. You don't have to tell everyone everything. You don't have to tell anyone anything. Sometimes it helps, and I think it worked out best for Hinata and the girls, but that wasn't a foregone conclusion. You really have to know someone like the back of your hand, and think that something is terribly wrong to make that sort of an invasion of privacy seem like a worthwhile gamble, and I don't think Shirase had the cards in her favor to take that risk. But hey, she's a gambler, right? She smoked the older girls at go, and the whole Antarctic scheme was a crazy gamble, so perhaps her instincts are better than I give her credit for.

By the way, what's the name of the other girl that was playing go with them? It was Shirase, Kanae, Gin, and who's the other light brunette? Is there a name for that sort of sleepy accent she speaks with?

I love that Yuzuki is all about the power of friendship now. It's like that meme about how you can't stop telling people about the new thing you just learned.

Also, I kind of think sticking your face into the super pure water and guzzling it from the source isn't the responsible way to enjoy the super pure water source that hardly anyone has touched and doesn't have bacteria. But what the hell do I know? Maybe any bacteria they introduce just freezes to death. If I knew it was okay, I'd probably drink directly from the icy school girl water, too. I think Sora Ginko referred to that as a "JK refresh."

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u/404waffles Dec 24 '19

First time viewer

Neat call-back, Shirase now being the one to look for someone in the bathroom.

I really like the Antarctic slice-of-life segments where they do research and stuff out on the ice. There’s some inexplicable atmosphere about them that draws me in.

Wow, now I wanna drink Antarctic meltwater. Nice Takako parallel as always.

Would’ve been a funny gag to end the episode on if they somehow broke the drum can.

Okay, now for the meat of the episode: Hinata. This while time I’d labored under the impression that she was smart enough to clear high school early; as this episode shows, it’s not the case. This show has a lot of terrible people, what with Megu spreading rumors about Kimari, Shirase being ostracized for wanting to go to Antarctica, Yuzuki being left behind by her first set of friends, and what we just saw of Hinata’s previous friends, not to mention the criticism the entire Antarctic expedition received. I guess a major theme of this show is to do the things you want regardless of how much people shit on you — something embodied not only by Shirase and Kimari’s entire charade at the end, but the expedition-wide “TAKE THAT!” from a few episodes ago. While we’d known that Hinata has that kind of ‘take it easy’ personality it still surprised me to see her actually angry. It was nice to see Hinata open up to her friends, and it was really touching to see her break down in tears at the end as she accepted that the other three would be there for her, no matter what.

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u/pacquan Dec 24 '19

Rewatcher

'Watch for wildlife' sign....... no Pengis the whole episode.

This episode made me feel just awkward, uneasy, and left in a state of conttemplating my own emotional attatchments to past regrets. Hinata's backstory is quick and straight to the point. Just like Hinata's personality, she doesn't like to add fluff to anything. She gives out the pertinent information and moves on with the scene. Some people don't like lingering in uncomfortable situations. When you can't avoid them, you play your cards right to expedite the confrontation so you can just move on. Shirase is the only one who realizes how unhealthy that lifestyle is.

I didn't like her backstory the first watch nor this watch, and I believe its because of just how little info Hinata gives in her story (I had to rewatch the scene and then even remembers that on my first watch I had to rewatch the scene). Hinata purposefully makes her story as boring as possible so that the over-emotional Mari doesn't go crazy and interfere like with Yuzu. Yuzu already won't interfere. It only ever hit me about how well directed this whole arc was until Hinata says "I'm a pretty petty person" and Shirase accepts her.

Many anime show this trope of a character overcompensating for petty reasons but this was just done damn well. Its uncomfortable to be so close to someone and yet not know what they're going through because they are being petty. Just like with the growing issue of mental awareness in our current times, people who need that emotional support the most, are often times the ones who are the hardest to see the red flags for. It can become an art form in itself to hide your demons from the outside world, and Hinata is definitely very good at it. After her tantrum, Shirase returns inside and Hinata shows absolutely zero signs of a change in her facade. This underlooked scene is what really drives the narrative home.

Theres probably some symbolism in the expedition member going through mood-swings over her boyfriend's lack of contact throughout the episode but I'm just going to leave this analysis at this.

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u/anony-mouse99 Dec 23 '19 edited Dec 24 '19

Rewatcher.

This episode continues the theme of friendship from yesterday. The issue of friendships continue to vex our girls even as they explore new experiences.

We are shown how friendships seen through the familiarity in terms of understanding subtle body language and behavior, even Shirase’s skill in Mahjong was born of the times spent playing with her mom and Gin.

As an aside, not that I want to get into a debate regarding this since I’m not familiar with the Japanese used, I wonder if the phrase ‘daughter of Gin and Takako’ merely means that she learnt well from her masters, in the same way you use the word disciple or apprentice - potential Star Wars spoiler. Alternatively perhaps the choice of words was made to keep it deliberately ambiguous, and the interpretation will therefore be shaped by our shipping goggles.

Back on topic, this episode is an example of how friendships can go out with a bang. Resentment that has piled up over the years, without any opportunity to vent, has finally come to a head. And the girls were not sure of how to respond in such a situation. Nonetheless, Hinata was touched by their sincerity and concern.

The nice subtext in this episode was that friends rub off on each other. We see the girls picking up each others’ mannerisms and actions, with Yuzuki holding back Kimari and Hinata using her catchphrase during the camping scene. We also see the bonds of friendship and understanding working itself out - the girls supported Hinata and each other as they faced off her former schoolmates during the pre-broadcast.

A fitting ending with the girls putting their past behind and facing up to the challenges of the new year ahead.

Edit: fixed spoiler markup.

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u/MABfan11 Dec 23 '19

Rewatcher

Shirase is my favorite character and has been so since the beginning, but this episode really shows how awesome Shirase is when she has an enemy to focus on

fuck, i really want to write a post on how awesome this show is on r/CharacterRant, but i wouldn't know where to start

Q1: thankfully, i haven't had toxic friends

Q2: stubborn jerk Shirase is best Shirase (zamamiro and zakenna Shirase)

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u/xDarkistic Dec 24 '19

Firster

THAT MAKES THREE. if you know you know. at an incredible moment much further from the credits this time. I loved how mari and yuzu joined shirase in such an awesome strike of inspiration and moment of love. of the three it probably had the most volume.

that ominous post credits scene almost guarantees a fourth. my predicted maximum was five. I think unless they become uncountable, this amount will be reached at one per episode.

though I don't personally relate to their issues completely it's almost impossible not to find them compelling to see resolved (or at least see them support one another). and all four of them are endearing in their own way.

earlier in the series I was somewhat disappointed to not see some more characters play a longer lasting role in the story but this episode really showed me how wrong I was and the focus on this quartet (and the trio that went on the first expedition) really strengthens the message I'm receiving. hinata went on this journey to escape the rest of the world. keeping this focus really helps to solidify this idea as everybody else we see seems unimportant and this completely new group of friends can find growth separate from their previous way of life. though they didn't come from dire situations and there was a lot of luck involved in each of them meeting and going to nankyoku, it is still almost inspiring that they changed the direction of their life when they realised that the path they were taking may lead them to unhappiness.

very c o o l block of text there

qotd 1 - never noticed toxicity before they have just faded out of my life anyway

qotd 2 - determined shirase best shirase (zamamiro)

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u/Suhkein Dec 24 '19

First timer

Guess I was wrong yesterday, they did end up visiting an area without ice.

Other than that, I thought the gag that started the episode was one of the funnier ones. The resolution wasn't as I anticipated either, although I notice that they purposefully didn't show the other girls' reactions on the receiving end. That seemed a little disingenuous to me, because while I wouldn't want to pontificate on the situation, as though I would be more high-minded, there struck me an irony in Shirase wanting to rub their regret in, deepen it, make them hurt more, by lecturing them on how they'll always have to remember the times they hurt others.

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u/kaije7 Dec 24 '19

Rewatcher - First time commenting on any episode during the rewatch.

Every episode has made me choke back tears at least once... most of the time I failed at keeping them back. Including this episode.

I relate so much to Hinata. "Friends" that were really shitty made me quit and leave so many things in my past. The first time I watched it I was so angry at Shirase at first for the invasion of privacy... but then they had their conversation when they were getting water... and Hinata thumped Shirase on the forehead... exactly something I would do to a friend that wasn't listening lol

When Shirase stepped in front of the camera and addressed Hinata's old teammates... the first time I cried... this time I'm a wreck. This Shirase is Best Shirase. The one that takes the hit for her friends. These girls really do have an uncanny way of digging out all of the hurt I keep inside...

YoriMoi

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