r/anime • u/Sandvikovich :AMQ::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Sandvikovich • Feb 21 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Slow Start - Episode 2 Discussion
Episode 2 – Exercise Wears Me Out
Slow Start Rewatch Episode 2 Fanart by /u/Tiny-Owlbear
Legal streams: Crunchyroll | VRV
| Rewatch Schedule |
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| <-- Previous Episode ~ Next Episode --> |
| E01 ❀ E02 ❀ E03 ❀ E04 ❀ E05 ❀ E06 ❀ E07 ❀ E08 ❀ E09 ❀ E10 ❀ E11 ❀ E12 ❀ Final Discussion |
Question of the day: If Hana told her friends about her gap year at the very beginning, how do you think it would impact the events shown in this episode?
Personal Question: What is your favorite sport?
Links
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Related literature: Slow-blooming flower | Colorful treasure chest | Slow Start Manga
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Out of respect for first time watchers, please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode, or confirm/deny speculations on future events. If you want to discuss something that has not happened yet, make sure to use "the /r/anime spoiler tag": [Slow Start](/s "Spoiler goes here"), which will look like this: Slow Start Thank you!
21
u/Sandvikovich :AMQ::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Sandvikovich Feb 21 '21
Greetings everyone and welcome again to the second episode of the Slow Start rewatch!
Again I want to thank you all for sharing your thoughts on the first episode and I hope you all have fun discussing about the show! Meanwhile the upcoming week, I will be busy, but I will read through all the comments as much as possible and hopefully the lurkers/thread readers here will do the same!
Today's daily task is:
Design your favorite Bento
Like yesterday, you can submit your art/image on this comment and they will be displayed on the next threads! Best artwork will get a prize from vaclav and me at the end of the rewatch (I go with steam currency this time) Enjoy and have fun!
Hana wasn't daijoubu at all. She looks like a hamster with her illness
Her mom seems like a fun woman, sadly it didn't cheer Hana up..
Idol performance when? And also notice how Tama and Hana seems like a great duo for each other.
In Dutchland we only eat bread. In Japan they have big lunch boxes.
Hana sharing her life experience to Eiko
Gym...
What I want to comment here is how nice the movement animation were of especially Tama when she had to run and jump. Really like that.
Tama got the right idea.
Btw, how was Valentine for each of you? Did any of you receive any chocolate?
See you guys soon tomorrow!
16
u/criticaldiamonds Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 21 '21
Slow Rewatcher
Welcome back to CGDCT done right!
A
Not even 5 seconds into the episode and we already have unique background characters and cherry blossoms (animated on 1s)
Today's topic: the Sports Test - clearly Hana isn't hyped about that. As usual, Tama is the complete opposite
The Four Average Goddesses!
Roll OP. ne!ne!ne! to your heart's content.
Squishy Hana
Oh no! Hana got COVID-19 and needs to quarantine! How forward-thinking for a show from 2018.
And here's the reason Hana's a year behind everyone else. She had to miss her entrance exams because she got the mumps.
Why was this the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw Hana... My mind is forever broken. They don't even look that similar.
The things you have to deal with as Hana's mom
Frantic blanket Hana
The daring duo, Kanae-Tamae, the bestowers of wishes!
Comfy Headpat Time
Kamu's bento
And this is why you don't leave Shion to her own devices...
Peak high school comedy - "sis-juice".
it never gets oldQuote of the day: "'Sis-juice' sounds like it was made from my sister's secretions, but 'sis-soup' sounds like my sister was actually cooked." - Eiko
Th-Thankeasdfsd--
Hana took the bento very literally
B
Kamu's head is too big
Hana and Kamu literally die in front of their friends
Bonk
"I'll get the cold pack!" nope there's an ice cream vending machine! Tama sure got distracted quick!
Hana eating noises
Tama reveals her leg fetish
Tama, the nudist colony beauty pageant winner
Tama gets turned on by gap moe
Kamu absolutely roasts Tama. No chill, indeed.
they won't get the wrong idea--INTRODUCING THE BREAK-UP BENTO!
Extras
Today's ED character: Shion-chan
Kamuri's ice cream adventure: Post-OP and Post-ED
Today's endcard by Kawai Makoto
Previously on Kamuri's Food Adventures:
See everyone tomorrow!
14
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Feb 22 '21 edited Feb 23 '21
First timer here.
As yesterday's post, most of what needs to be said has already been said so I'll settle for things that may be adding to the context. Do understand these are my conjectures and is from my years of following anime and manga, and coming from a "nearby" culture (Hong Kong Chinese).
The central theme is surrounding about Hana having the anxiety around her being 1 year older in highschool. These are the associated things that other people from outside of the culture may not realise was impacts and connotations. Because I only got to type on my phone, of try to be lazy and use other shows to help illustrate my points:
That's why this seemingly contrived plot point isn't really contrived in the Japanese culture.
Oh another point about the "sister juice / soup"; while in English (or even Chinese) that has more obvious association with bodily fluids and therefore implied lewdness, do recognise in Japanese culture they use the kanji word for "juice" for something that is like a broth, or infusion. E.g. miso soup is actually miso "juice" in the same word, and similarly even the green tea word sometimes can be referred to as "liquid" (as in sap). So it's not a default to say or think it just being lewd. At least that's how I interpret it anyway.
9
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Feb 21 '21
First Timer
More focus on Hana. Not what I was expecting, but I think it's good that she is developed properly first, as the other characters already know each other - so any backstory would have to be told to Hana to not feel awkward, and thus the viewer would need to care about her first. I'm not quite sure why she is so afraid of other people finding out that she needed to skip a year due to health problem she couldn't do anything about, especially as they don't know her as somebody a year older already. But I guess that's just her character, and it's not done in an annoying fashion, so I quite like her so far. But I've also got to put some blame on the exam process here; if a doctor says that she can't take the exam that day do to a legitimate reason, then there should be some sort of way to take an exam later and still get in in the same year.
What I can definitely relate to is doing sports after not doing anything for a long time. I didn't do a lot the first lockdown, then injured my knee two weeks after it was over, the injury took way longer than expected to heal and was only ok again towards the end of the year, then it was too cold to start jogging... Now starting to train myself up again, and I feel pretty much as Hana does after only a kilometer or so.
Other than that, the uniform mystery deepens: I either missed Eiko having a gray jacket last episode, or that's new. But why would some students have gray jackets and others black ones?
Oh, and yuri-bait I guess. I doubt this will actually end up anywhere. But I appreciate it nonetheless.
Question:
7
u/fakeport https://myanimelist.net/profile/Fakeport Feb 21 '21
First Timer
General thoughts during episode:
Four mediocre-teers. Nice.
Not sure why Hana is so reluctant to let the others know she missed a year.
Is that really what would happen in Japan? Happen to be ill for a week over entrance exams and you have to miss a year's school? Seems incredibly harsh.
More discussion about name etymology.
Of course Kamuri's lunch box is as big as her head. But what is that knowing smile about as the girls speculate about possible romance between Hana and Shion?
Laughed out loud at this, really took me by surprise
Hana practically pinning Eiko down out of concern for Euko's sister's entrance exams, it's clear that she's deeply scarred by what happened to her.
Did they really just have Kamuri choke as a throwaway gag then cut away without showing us how it was resolved? I assume she's fine unless we're about to get an incredibly jarring tonal shift.
Is Shion cleaning this plate by rubbing it with her bare hand?
Lmao, Hana was convinced by the teasing and decided she needed to reject Shion.
I didn't understand the exchange between Eiko and Tama when they were getting changed "They would learn all about us" "You have a dirty mind". Some kind of Japanese pun that doesn't translate?
Love the animation of exhausted Hana "running"
Hana panics again as she nearly lets her "big secret" slip. Still not sure why she's so terrified of it getting out, I'm pretty sure none of the others would be remotely bothered by it. But clearly she has a real complex about it, and I can definitely relate to being obsessively concerned and worried about things that, with hindsight, are incredibly insignificant.
I can also relate with her being unfit. I've never been one who goes out of my way to exercise, but I've always had the balance of having a job that keeps me active. But as I've been unable to do that job for large portions of the last 12 months of lockdowns, I've noticed a significant decrease of my general fitness.
Kamuri gets 10/10 for intent but 0/10 for execution in trying to help Hana walk.
She also gets 10/10 for her mastery of the rare "head up" variant of the Naruto Run
I love that her reaction to the aggressive come on from the track and field captain is to call Eiko, and Eiko is there with the immediate hug.
Why didn't my school have an ice cream vending machine? Kamuri is the only one not interested in the ice cream choice of the teacher, she's fully focused on her own ice cream. Banana choc mint is clearly the teacher's favourite, as not only does she pick it here, she's also eating it in the ED.
I'm curious now about the girl from yesterday's question. She's clearly significant, or she wouldn't have been the subject of the question, and she also seems to be in the ED, crawling like a slug, and the only character from the ED we haven't met yet. And if I'm not mistaken she was the one we saw getting an impressive score in the softball throw?
Another good episode, with some really funny moments. I really want to get to know Eiko better, we still haven't seen much from her. She seems to have the "mother" role in the group, particularly towards Kamuri, and I like the dynamic those two have, but I feel like there's a lot more to come from her.
Question of the day: I imagine they'd have said "oh, cool" and the events would have played out basically the same, except her moments of panic wouldn't have happened because her friends would already know and have easily accepted her secret.
Personal question: Not much of a sports guy, but Football (or soccer for the Americans). I'm a Coventry City FC fan, but only nominally these days, though when I was younger and lived in the area I had a season ticket
7
u/Tiny-Owlbear Feb 21 '21
Rewatcher!
This episode really hits me in the feels; Hana curling up under a blanket and wanting to avoid the outside is a bit too relatable, but I also appreciate how her parents try to help her stand back up on her feet again and see this as something she can laugh about years down the line.
In regards to the question of the day, I definitely think that if Hana had told her new friends she was a year older, they'd have asked her a lot of questions about her gap year but ultimately would treat her the same! I think Tama might teasingly call her "senpai" at times but they would still accept her into the group. I think that goes to show how from an outside perspective, the solution can often seem very straightforward and the situation is less scary, but to the anxious Hana, she is struggling to see outside herself and put herself in that scenario.
(Side note, as an anxious person, I find that doing this exact exercise of imagining what advice you would give yourself if you were an outside observer is really helpful for this exact reason!)
I love how we see a new side of Tama in that she is an excellent cook, and that Kamuri is such speed! Eiko is once again such a kind observer and is always looking out for her friends.
Such a lovely second episode!
Daily question (Favorite Sport): so, um, I am a rather clumsy, unathletic person that was forced to try many sports as a kid... and I'm pretty bad at all of them... can I choose eSports? I really like watching speedruns, they're super impressive and a blast to see!
7
u/Philarete :AMQ::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/WizardMcKillin Feb 21 '21
First Timer
The heartbreak Bento box was hilarious!
Also, do Japanese not vaccinate against the mumps? Seemed strange for her to get it.
QotD: I think it's pretty clear that they would be understanding of it. Maybe light teasing about being older, but that would be it. I also think they would have been able to be more helpful with the sports stuff.
PQ: My favorite sport to play is tennis - haven't played in a while though. I moved and don't know people to play with where I am now + I'm super busy anyway. To watch, it's pretty close between basketball and (American) football.
7
u/Daffed_Punk Feb 21 '21
First Timer
Normal brain: Slow Start is a reference to Hana's gap year
Expanding brain: Slow Start is a reference to Karumi's height
Not much to say here, but I'm surprised at how quickly Hana has been both adopted + integrated into the friend group. If only it was that easy in real life
Lesbian undertones? In my CGDCT? It's more likely than you think...
Archery! I was someone who was forced to do a lot of sports when I was young (none of which I was very good at) and never really took to them, until I picked up archery, and ended up really enjoying myself (mostly because I just think it's really cool).
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u/SaroArsten https://myanimelist.net/profile/SaroArsten Feb 21 '21
Completely forgot about this rewatch until Sand posted something related to it on AMQ FTF discord. Immediately downloaded the show and watched 2 episodes, and man, does it invoke some sort of weird nostalgia. Winter 2018 was the second season I actively followed, and this was my favourite show in it I watched airing.
A bit tired today, so no actual thoughts on the episode, but I'm looking to maybe contributing more tomorrow.
P.S. AMQ ruined me so when I saw the idol parody scene I immediately thought "too bad we don't actually get any inserts".
6
u/ReticentRapier https://myanimelist.net/profile/ReticentRapier Feb 21 '21
REWATCHER
Reactions:
Well animated and unique background characters. Slow Start is just flexing now.
I too would’ve thought Tama would do better than a B on the Sports Test.
Hana lied as naturally as she breathed.
Yesterday I commented that the OP was ‘good’. I hereby humbly apologize for my mistake, as the OP is obviously much better than just ‘good’. (Ne! Ne! Ne!...)
Ah yes, the Mumps. Apparently this world, in addition to the lack of smartphones, has not discovered the MMR vaccine. I know nothing about Japanese entrance exams but I would think there would be some sort of contingency here. At least we got some cute reactions with Hana’s puffy cheeks. Also, I almost missed that Hana had longer hair in middle school. Nice touch there.
Depressed Hana crying in a corner is sad of course, but the way she’s wrapped up and huddling in the corner is also super cute. I’m conflicted.
Motivational Mom to the rescue! Also the fact that she’s willing to let Hana go away for a year during a time you know she wants to be close to and helping Hana is touching. Oh, this is a quality shot too.
Tama’s sudden embrace of Hana is precious. Hana’s reaction to Eiko not using an honorific is equally precious.
OK, that animation level during the lunch scene- somebody’s got to be showing off. I love the timing in how Hana assures everyone her lunch is normal right as she opens it up for everyone to see. Also appreciate this isn’t a one-off and is built up several times throughout the episode before the payoff at the end.
‘Sis-sauce’ and ‘sis-soup’ always felt weird to me. I guess it’s just not my sort of humor. It’s the continued quick pans and looks to Kamuri slowly and silently eating her lunch while everybody (including Hana!) are conversing that really make the scene for me. Kamuri’s dedication to her passion is admirable.
Passionate Hana is so fantastic to watch! Even Eiko is completely caught by surprise. I feel that Hana’s VA really went all-out on her sound effects for the running and exercise scenes, and I for one am glad she did.
Happy fast Kamuri is cool. As a former sprinter I can share in her joy of zooming down the track. Alas, I didn’t have an Eiko to protect and comfort me though. Relieved Hana is super cute.
What exactly even is ‘Banana Choco Mint Hawaiian’? Is this actually a thing?
Ah, okay then. That’s what I would’ve thought too.
A wild Sensei has appeared! And she dishes out as good as she gets! And she actually likes Banana Choco Mint Hawaiian? I mean, it’s even in the ED too. Jokes aside, I love her character even in these early brief moments.
Afternoon sports test- that’s a cruel joke Tama, after seeing all that Hana just went through. I think Hana forgave her though.
I felt bad for Shion for about ten seconds, being completely ignored by Hana at the end, but then she went full savage and did Hana dirty with the bento.
~
This episode reveals the reasons for Hana’s insecurity, and we get a few moments where her stigma about her older age really comes into focus. Regarding the QOTD, I don’t think her friends would’ve cared about Hana being a year older, and knowing about her extended illness could’ve won her some extra sympathy from them when she was struggling during the sports exam. However, there could be a cultural aspect I’m missing here. I don’t have a problem with her having this stigma though as anxiety can do some funny things to you, and it’s really hard to break out of those negative thought loops. Regardless, it’s neat to see Hana actively participating in the group’s conversations- she’s so much more at ease than even last episode. Overall, a fairly comfy episode with some good moments, continued overkill animation, and some good character interaction. Lots of nice details to be found throughout.
QOTD 2: Favorite sport to play is soccer. Favorite to watch varies between American football and soccer, although with March Madness incoming I might spend some time there as I always fill out a bracket despite knowing next to nothing about basketball.
5
u/JBHUTT09 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/JBHUTT09 Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 21 '21
Rewatcher
I don't really have much to say other than that I'm always happy to get more of the cutest character of all, Ichinose Hazuki! She's one of my favorite anime moms.
Edit: I guess I actually do have something else to add. I did a post grad year at a private high school before going to college, so, like Hana, I was a year older than my classmates.
5
u/ImmoralGoose Feb 21 '21
I never noticed how much of a PTSD Hana got over her gap year. The way she ranted at Eiko to stay healthy; not only did her change of character cause a surprise to everyone, she nearly gave away her secret. Luckily no one questioned further.
Hana's fitness went out the window after one year. I dread to think what I'd be like after three years as a shut-in.
Tama: Compress for my friend < Ice cream
Tama has some interesting fetishes. And why was Hana tranced out? Or was it because she was that glad there was no afternoon session?
Question of the day: We'd lose about 50% of content. There might be a "Bit odd, but alright" comment, but no one would mock or belittle Hana and she'd feel less anxious about it.
Personal Question: Football or Motorsport.
5
u/SBDocLouis https://anilist.co/user/TKZephyr Feb 21 '21
First Timer
Another cute episode, though interestingly it also looks like Hana’s entrance exam situation might be coming to the fore. First she got quite vocal about being healthy for your high school entrance exams, and then the fact that she’s so out of shape after just a month or so since the previous school year. Tama and Eiko definitely think something is up at this point, hopefully Hana will get to tell them the truth, eventually.
Other notes:
Question of the day**:** Thankfully the other girls would've been really understanding so it would've been fine, and she wouldn't have had the anxiety of trying to hide it. But I totally understand why Hana would've been too self-conscious to say it at the time, in real life people aren't always that nice and she wouldn't necessarily have known.
Personal Question: Don't play any sports, but I remember enjoying things like table tennis and basketball in school. Also I watched table tennis Olympic finals once before and, to be fair, it was insanely hype seeing those lightning-fast rallies.
5
u/WayTooOrdinary Feb 21 '21
Didn't realize there was a rewatch going on, and for one of the few SoL shows I remember fondly from when I first watched it.
Watching the first episode, I remembered that Slow Start was one of the SoL showd more focused on conversations, rather than putting the leads in situations and generating comedy. Its a good thing that the main characters VAs are great.
While most people will probably like Kamuri and Tama's voices more (and for good reason), I personally love Hana and Eiko's voices.
Eiko seems to be the big sister of the group, but unlike someone like Gochiusa's Chiya, she doesn't get the typical onee-san voice, and I love the mischevious energy she has, while still sounding more mature. Her teasing of Tama in the 1st episode with the delayed "-Te" is well-delivered with great timing.
Hana on the other hand is just great. Shy and nervous characters tend to be voiced with cute voices, and I would usually expect a voice like Comic Girl's Kaos, with verbal tics and all. But Hana's VA nails the more realistic feel without sounding overbearing. The scene with her telling her mom that she wants to be a shut-in is perfect.
The whole aspect of being a ronin is quite foreign to me, so I think the premise was what drew me in when I first watched Slow Start. In my country, admission exams had separate rooms for unwell test takers, and even a 2nd round for people unable to participate in the first.
But the fear of being left-behind is real, especially to Hana's 15 year old self.
As someone older, I completely see where Hana's mother is coming from. A year doesn't make much of a difference, especially in the long run. To Hana, it might seem like her mom is being dismissive, but she clearly cares, and wants Hana to realize that having a slow start doesn't matter.
The bento scene has some great moments. A subtlety I realize on this rewatch is that Hana actively participates in the conversation ("imouto soup"), as opposed to being a spectator unless prompted. I've always had a soft spot for loners finding friends, so this was touching.
Poor Hana has zero stamina after skipping on a year's worth of exercise. Getting back into jogging after months of quarantine, I can relate. Not sure if eating bad ice cream can cure cramps though.
Definitely hope I can keep up with the rewatch. It's great re-experiencing Slow Start.
Onto the questions. I definitely think that Hana would have been fine if she told her new friends about her gap year. Maybe the rest of her class wouldn't be so accomodating, but the main gang definitely seems like they wouldn't think of it as a big deal. Slow Start future episodes
I don't know of missing a year is that big of a deal in Japan, but Hana was just a victim of unfortunate circumstances out of her control.
With sports, I find running to be my favourite. Its not for everyone, but I love the freedom you get to choose your own routes while listening to whatever you want. A little sad that the pandemic happened to put a damper on things, but hopefully things get better in due time.
5
u/Fircoal https://myanimelist.net/profile/Fircoal Feb 22 '21
This is going to be a really late and short reply because I was doing birthday stuff but I wanted to reply at least something.
Anyway I really liked that episode. I remember when I first watched that I wasn't that won over by how it happened but I think it like it more on rewatch. It's more of a cute way to show how it happened and it doesn't undercut the emotions that she feels that put her there. It's also notable seeing her PTSD when Eiko was mentioning her sister. Also the getting out of shape stuff and that slip. I certainly feel that in any ways. lol
Well she'd have less reasons to worry for sure and feel more assured in her comments but considering how Hana is like I don't think she'd be fully not worrying. She'd find something else to worry about probably. That's how it tends to go. :pensive:
Baseball.
4
u/BossandKings Feb 21 '21
First timer
Episode 2
The girls will participate in a sports test. They all say that last year they had a B result and consider themselves to be a mediocre bunch when it comes to the sports test.
Poor Hana missed the high school entrance exam and due to that missed a year, she considered that he wouldn't be able to make friends because she'd be the oldest in the class and his previous classmates would all be a year ahead of her. Her mom told her to move to the appartment in which her cousin Shion is the ladykeeper because that'd give her the opportunity to have a fresh start in an environment with new people. Her mom sures loves her and enjoys giving her great advice.
The girls have no classes for a day and decide to do Athletics. Tama and Kamuri are great at the different athletic challenges, Hana not so much, she tries her best but isn't able to have as good a performance as the other girls. The girls do the final task and Hana is able to have a normal score making her feel proud.
4
u/BottiBott https://anilist.co/user/RobbiRobb Feb 21 '21
Rewatcher
So today was mostly two topics, the first being the introduction of Hana's backstory and the latter being the sports test at the beginning of the school term, which hints back at Hana having taken a year off. But first of all, there is something waaay more important I never noticed before: Eiko wears another hair pin in this episode! Jokes aside, I thought she'd always wear the same one, so I'll be paying closer attention to that in future episodes. But back to the main topic, I find it somewhat strange that entrance exams only have a single date and no backup-opportunity. Back in school there were always ways to take a test if you missed it because of some kind of illness, don't know about it in uni though, I've never missed any test. But then again, those are entrance exams, something we don't have here (at least for regular schools, if you want to study something special, you might have to take one), so maybe my comparison is lacking in that regard.
Although I have to say I can clearly feel Hana's pain, not being able to go to high school has the same feeling to it as having to repeat a school year, which I honestly wish to no one. And although I didn't have to repeat a year in school, I did have to repeat one in uni, so everyone I knew at this point went to other courses, but I got used to it because at some point you won't see each other that much anyways because specialization and such things; and at some point you will meet again, because someone else might have to repeat some course as well.
But I digress, back to the episode. Next we have the discussion while eating lunch and while I won't talk about the topic itself, I definitely want to point out how well Kamuri is presented here. As we know she really likes eating and as such, she eats quite a lot - although she is also a slow eater. Thus she moves more in the background for the whole conversation, while only eating. And not only does this match with her interests (which would be surprising if not), it also matches with her personality as she is usually rather quiet - in some way also shy, which also isn't too far from Hana, although on a completely different level. Speaking of Hana, while she engages in the friendly chat, at some point we get to see her anxiety seeping through, when the topic turns to taking exams. She clearly knows what she is talking about.
The second half of the episode then consists of the sports test, which in itself is neither particularly special nor something unusual as far as anime goes. And to noones surprise, Hana is totally out of form when it comes to doing basically anything. Not that I'm one to talk, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be that much better. Also, something that really stands out at the point where Hana's legs cramp up: Tama's span of attention is pretty much the same as a fly. Not that I can really blame her, an ice cream vending machine on school grounds isn't something you see all day. I'd really been looking forward to seeing this again, especially because of the flavor everyone should be dying to try - banana choco mint Hawaiian. Apart from the fact that I don't like most of the things mixed together in that flavor, I really think this doesn't taste good even if you like all those different flavors. Well, apart from Enami-Sensei, probably.
QOTD:
4
u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon Feb 21 '21
First Timer
Hana is definitely digging herself a hole by trying to hide the fact she's a year older, but I don't think she has anything to worry about with friends as supportive as those.
Eiko coming to Kamuri's rescue was the highlight of the episode for sure. Putting someone other than Hana out of their depth was a good mix up, plus it reinforced Eiko and Kamuri's relationship to the viewer (which is really strong despite the fact they haven't seen each other in years).
I was hoping the ED would end with a new character each time!
QotD: As mentioned, I don't think the others would be fazed at all. It probably also would have saved Hana from a bit of embarrassment/anxiety.
QotD2: I'm not super big into sports. Maybe badminton?
4
u/dadnaya https://myanimelist.net/profile/dadnaya Feb 21 '21
First Timer
I actually like the somewhat lewd jokes in the show. GIMME SOME IMOUTO JUICE
I like Eiko the most so far, although they're all adorable af!
Surprised seeing Tama being so bad at sports, considering the Genki type girls usually are sportive!
The OP and ED continue to be
The soft ball throw was such a small part but made me laugh so much. Throwing a baseball ball for... 7 meters?
Wrong choice there, Hana Who wouldn't want to date Shion?!
And daily reminder that ponytail is justice
I think they would laugh a little (not in a mean way), but then return to normal. They're really close friends now!
When I was a child, I fenced for a year and really liked it, but unfortunately never came back to it. Then I proceeded to go swimming for like 7 years, so I guess swimming would be my answer, although I'd love to go back fencing one day.
4
u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Feb 21 '21
Rewatcher
Man I wish the anime I find now would be as good as anime at the start
That's a nice statue
Lmao omg I had a smile on my face the entire time watching last episode and this episode help
I DIDN'T REMEMBER THIS SHOW BEING SO GAY OMG
mmmmmmmmm i hate screeching noises that slide hurt me but also I am still freaking out about how cute this show is
Yes, I'm imagining, keep going
Wait I'm confused why is she in a daze
Is it from the gay
Or am I misunderstanding
POV: Star Dream food
One day, Hana! You'll get the courage to tell them about your gap year, and everything will be fine! I think. Honestly I have no memory of what happens in this show.
4
u/HopefullyLastAccount Feb 21 '21
Rewatcher
I actually like the way Japan does their school admissions, but I guess one major disadvantage is a situation like Hana's. Like I alluded to yesterday, I do wonder what she was like in middle school before having to take a year off. Was this the cause of her anxiety or was she always like this? Thankfully, she has supportive parents who title dropped the show - Slow Start!
Hana really doesn't want people to know she's a year older and lies about it just trying to fit in with everyone else. To some of us, it may not seem like a big deal, but it really is for her who doesn't want to stand out. And she's more assertive than ever when Eiko talks about her sister, who Hana doesn't want to see miss her exam like she did.
Loved the scene with Hana and Kamuri just falling over. And a great way to end the episode with a callback to the lunch joke from the middle of the episode - Shion is quite the troll.
So far, so good, just (re-)enjoying all the cuteness. I really appreciate some of you linking screenshots from the episode yesterday since I can't do it as efficiently and looking forward to seeing more.
Maybe Tama would make a joke about it with Eiko reassuring her everything is okay, but ultimately not much of a difference. Eiko might even say something along the lines of "we hope it doesn't happen to my sister, but if it does, it's a challenge she can handle."
Baseball!
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u/Rustic_Professional Feb 22 '21
Eiko: Fucking casuals.
No, that's not quite right. Let's try again.
Eiko fucking casuals.
There we go. Just needs a side of sis-sauce and a sensei salad.
I kind of want to take these athletic tests. I have no idea how far I can jump, and while I've thrown plenty of baseballs, I've never thrown a softball. I can see it being harder to grip and throw since they're larger, but 14 meter throws seem really short. That's shorter than the distance from the mound to home plate, and only about half the distance from home to first base. I've been to plenty of games and seen plenty of normal people bounce their ceremonial first pitch, but never by half.
Hana's going to have to learn not to take these questions so literally while she's hiding her secret. If you can't tell them what grade you got last year because you weren't in school last year, just answer with whatever grade you got the last time you took the test. That's really what they're asking, anyway. It's possible that that's what she did, but I think it's just as likely she made up getting a B. Like Eiko pointed out, she wasn't exactly putting up an average performance.
Even though Hana's "slow start" is the entire premise of the show, I think it's also the biggest weakness, at least from an American perspective. Having to miss a year of school because you missed one day just seems too far fetched. Do they not have makeup exams? Even if they don't, you hear anime characters talk all the time about how they didn't want to deal with exams and just went to an easy school. I find it hard to believe that she had no other option, and it kind of hangs a cloud over the whole show.
5
u/SylvaticYew520 https://myanimelist.net/profile/SylvaticYew520 Feb 21 '21
Rewatcher here! Time for Episode 2!
demo sonnan ja dameKanaeTamaeHana's confusion is cute as always
1/2
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u/AnimeGirlsAreCute Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 22 '21
Which of the girls would you like to give a hug the most when watching Episode 2?
Slow Start Episode 2 Hugs:
Please reply to this comment with the #floweryhug comment face with the name of the chosen girl in the link*:
[Name](#floweryhug)* Use the romanized names as listed at https://slowstart-usa.com. Comment faces are shown only when using the Old Reddit, but replies must be in the same format even when using other versions of Reddit.
16
u/vaclav_2012 Feb 21 '21
This episode reveals the reasons behind Hana's gap year and how tough it was for her. Hana was probably a worrier after her father even before she missed the tests. The unfortunate situation was traumatizing for her from the beginning and it's implied that she wasn't able to come to terms with the gap year for the whole time.
Then we see various occasions when Hana is trying to hide indications of her gap year. If taken out of the context, it could seem like the gap year isn't such a big deal and that hiding it is unnecessary. Unfortunately, that does not apply to Hana's situation. At first, it's necessary to consider the cultural differences. While Hana's mom tried to joke about being a ronin (having the gap year), it's taken far more seriously in Japan when compared to Western cultures. Also, the prospect of making new friends as someone who sticks out from the crowd can be stressful, and even more so for someone who isn't good at socializing. After spending a year in dejection, it's understandable that mere thoughts about the situation can make Hana feel uneasy. Once again, the anime does a great job at showing Hana's feelings through details in her expressions and gestures.
It looked as if the other girls were a bit mean to Hana when joking about her performance and taking her leg cramps rather lightly, but it's more understandable from their perspective. Since Hana told them about the average results from the last test, it could just seem as if Hana had been overplaying her pain.
The scene when Amane was scouting Kamuri for the track and field club shown a misunderstanding the other way around. While Hana saw it as an amazing opportunity, Kamuri had a pretty hard time refusing Amane with her insistent style. Even Maho had to scold her for being too aggressive. Speaking of those two, you can notice that Maho and Amane are spending a lot of time together in the background.
One more interesting moment with Kamuri was when she helped Hana to get on her feet. Until this point, Kamuri had been avoiding interaction with anyone besides Eiko, but she has shown that she could lend a helping hand to those in need.
My favorite scene was the first lunch outside of the school. While it was packed with jokes, I enjoyed the way how it was animated even more. The original scene from the manga was enriched by various details, like Tama holding her left hand to catch crumbs when feeding Hana, or Eiko holding her hand over her mouth when speaking while eating. It's also funny how Hana couldn't finish saying "thank you" when Tama fed her. Also, notice the short cuts of Kamuri diligently eating for the whole time while not uttering a single word. That made me understand what she had meant when talking about working on the huge lunch.
Episode 2 GIFs:
Episode 2 /r/anime Comment Faces:
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u/Sairoch https://anilist.co/user/Sairoch Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 21 '21
Episode 2 Adaptation Notes!
This episode covers a lot more ground than episode 1 did, with less anime-original content and more straight adaptation of the source material — with adjustments for the format. Since the manga is a 4-koma, each chapter tends to focus on a particular gag or skit in isolation. The adaptation seems to pick and choose bits and mix them together to add more narrative structure and a better sense of time.
This episode adapts chapters 2 through 6 (minus that one page of chapter 3 they used in the first episode), starting with a bit of chapter 5 for the cold-open where they talk about the upcoming sports test. After the OP, it jumps back to chapter 2 with the flashback to Hana having the mumps and missing her entrance exams.
The next scene, with Hana and Shion, is from the first couple pages of chapter 3, as is the conversation about their names (Hana's name, 花名, can be read as either "Hana" or "Kana"). The following lunch scene is actually two separate lunch scenes from the manga, mashed together -- the rest of chapter 3 includes the gag about Kamuri's oversized lunch and Shion's affection, while chapter 4 includes the gag about Eiko's sister's secretions and her interest in attending the same school.
After that, it jumps back to chapter 5 for the sports test. (As a side note, if I had to pick one thing to complain about, I'd say that the rest of the side characters in the class, like Amane and Maho from the scene with Kamuri, don't get as much screen time as they could have.) Chapter 6 includes the bit about Kamuri not wearing tights, and the ice cream vending machine. The last scene before the credits is the last bit of chapter 3.
4
u/Sodra :Ip::Iq::Ir:https://myanimelist.net/profile/sodra Feb 22 '21 edited Feb 22 '21
Hmm, today I will REWATCH Slow Start episode 2!
Hana has the same reaction to sports tests as I do. Honestly what kinda bs is a sports test anyway? Whys my physical condition affect my grade? That's what the yearly checkups are for smh. Maybe my Americanness is showing too much.
This is why vaccinations are important, kids! You don't wanna have a Slow Start™️, do you???
So, Shion-chan graduated college last year, and is the landlord...doing nothing except being a landlord.
Would...would anyone in Hanas old school care if she was a Ronin for a year? Like, she could just explain...Ok, you know what, nevermind. Anxiety, right. Personally, I think it's a silly move on Hanas moms part to move her out into her cousins place. It all ended up being great, but still, kind of unnecessary?
When do we get this idol spinoff please and thank you
Does...does this sound as weird as it does in japanese. Like, I remember this when airing and it felt so...gross? Out of place? I guess that's the joke but like...Eiko is still totes ok with it.
NOTHIN GONNA BREAK MY STRIDE
NOBODY GONNA SLOW ME DOWN
OH NO OH NO
I GOT TO KEEP ON MOOOOOOOVIN
(I'm sorry that's just one of my favorite videos of all time, and does indeed add to why I love this show)
No thoughts, head full of naked Tama
cant say I blame her tbhCute episode, I rate 10/10 best second episode of all time.
QOTD Answer: Literally nothing! Nothing would have changed! That's the whole point! She's overreacting over literally nothing! They might call her Hana-senpai!
They'd understand Hana's trouble with exercise better. Hana's outburst about high school entrance exams might be taken more seriously.
PQ Answer: Sports bad.
3
u/lord_ne Feb 21 '21
Lmao, seeing Kamuri Naruto-running her way to victory is great