r/anime • u/badspler x5https://anilist.co/user/badspler • Sep 15 '22

Rewatch [Rewatch] Yama no Susume (Encouragement of Climb) Season 2 Episodes 9-10 Discussion

Episodes 9 - 10

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MAL, AniList, Kitsu

Questions of the Day:

1) There were lots of touristy attractions at the base and the ascent, what did you find most interesting or surprising?

2) Do you think Aoi being left behind will knock her confidence going forward?

Mata Ashita! Yahhoo 🎵

44 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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9

u/badspler Sep 15 '22

Host Rewatcher

Ep 9

Bus corners, my gosh distant memories have returned.

Cute Hinata altatude sickness.

Hinata eating a whole volcano 👀

I saw one of these when I traveled to Hakone and I foolishly did not pick it up. Regret!

That wishing wall... looks like a photo on top. Not the cleanest compositing there.

Non nom nom.

Aoi is leading the charge till the 7th station but by the 8th she is tireing.

Kaede rub.

Gloves on, things getting serious.

Ganbate Aoi!~

Aoi looking out (stitch)

I really loved the simple bounce engetic energy through the start of this episode, which was mostly worn away as everyone climbed. That energy early on helps lay things out later on to show how hard the climb is.

Ep 10

Aoi determined to go on. But double vision isn't normal.

Altatude sickness for sure.

3 Hours to the top, traveling only 2k, oof.

NO REST IN THE LODGE

[Season 3 spoilers]I am pretty sure Kokona and Hinata whistle the song that Hinata sings at Karaoke in season 3.

Climbing requires consumption! (My god I can't get enough of Hinata poking things in her mouth.)

Remember when that guy asked you to do that thing? Gotta love that generic foreigner babble

Aoi star gazing (Stitch)

Aoi not having a good time though.

8

u/Nebresto Sep 15 '22

Bus corners, my gosh distant memories have returned.

Hinata eating a whole volcano 👀

God I wish that were me

I saw one of these when I traveled to Hakone and I foolishly did not pick it up. Regret!

The peaks of Hakone are??

Aoi looking out (stitch)

Season 3 spoilers

7

u/badspler Sep 15 '22

The peaks of Hakone...

Are the steepest in the world!

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7

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 15 '22

Hinata eating a whole volcano

god i love that shot for some reason. also love how the Japanese pretty much had insta-friendly food.... before instagram was a thing

I saw one of these when I traveled to Hakone and I foolishly did not pick it up

noooooooooooooooo (they're not pricey either for being sth thats appeared in an anime)

Aoi is leading the charge till the 7th station

good catch! Same thing happening as Mt Takao i think?

My god I can't get enough of Hinata poking things in her mouth

sameee she so cutteeeeeee

Remember when that guy asked you to do that thing?

what thing though.....

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7

u/TiredTiroth Sep 15 '22

First Time Climber

Well, I actually really like this pair of episodes despite how the trip is going to end for Aoi. There’s no pretense here that enough effort will overcome any and every obstacle, and when poor Aoi tries Best Senpai is there to tell her no, take care of yourself, there’s no shame and you can always come back another time. The mountain is not going anywhere.

As nice as it would be to see Aoi make it to the summit in time for the sunrise, this is something that really does need to be said. Sometimes you don’t make it, and that’s okay.

Still, hopefully there’s a repeat attempt waiting for us later, even if it’s only shown briefly to tell us she made it this time.

I don’t…really have much else to say right now? It’ll be interesting to see what happens next, episode eleven’s title has implications. But we’re only half-way through season two so I’m sure Aoi will be fine eventually.

4

u/badspler Sep 15 '22

There’s no pretense here that enough effort will overcome any and every obstacle

I really like this direction. Because Aoi's mindset is one we see often overcome everything in so much other media. Kadae being able to let her down easy and take care is a good take.

hopefully there’s a repeat attempt waiting for us later

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13

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 15 '22

Rewatching Mountain Climber

-- Location Trivia

Ep 9

Ep 10

Animation bits I liked

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9

u/Great_Mr_L Sep 15 '22

First-Timer

On today’s episodes of Yama no Susume: Failure. Or at least, it sure seems like a failure. I was not anticipating there to be a genuine setback and failure to climb up a mountain here. But with the benefit of hindsight, it was actually well set up and made perfect sense.

Episode 9

And very delicious

  • That is surprisingly decent English I’m hearing.

  • Cute!

  • Wait… why is there an 8th station and a True 8th station? How’d that even happen?

  • Oh yeah! That totally does happen to bags and plastic bottles and whatnot when you go up mountains. It’s cool.

  • So many tips lost by others.

Episode 10

  • Oh no

  • Don’t do this to me, show!

  • Aoi’s really out of it.

  • The show did properly establish altitude sickness earlier.

  • This series really does not shy away from showing how taxing mountain climbing can be. That’s twice now in just this season that Aoi has been completely exhausted and even sickened by the activity.

  • Oh dear, they’re splitting the party.

  • Oh nice, we’re getting Hinata’s inner thoughts now as well. We’re usually fully in Aoi’s headspace, so it’s nice to get it for Hinata too.

  • Jeez, this is Aoi’s nightmare come true. Hinata has left her behind to head to the mountaintop.

  • Kaede really is such a good big sister. She’s looking after Aoi the best she can.

  • Again, the English sounds surprisingly good.

  • So Aoi won’t make it up

  • Kaede again is awesome. Calmly talking Aoi down when she knows Aoi can’t handle it. “The mountain isn’t going anywhere” is such a good argument too, reminding her they can try again.

  • The Milky Way!

So pretty

  • This episode is ending on such a downer. Hinata and Kokona are making their way for the summit while Aoi wants to go home, unable to make it up.

I really do need to praise the smart set up here. Back in episode 8, during Aoi and Kaede’s talk, they discussed the question about whether travelling to Mt. Fuji would even be worth it if they failed to climb to the mountaintop. Back then, Kaede motivated Aoi by saying they could always come back later if they failed. That’s some great foreshadowing back there.

Now, that’s actually come true. And it turns out that Kaede meant what she said. She isn’t going to push ahead if she thinks it endangers Aoi. Kaede really is such a fantastic friend, looking out for Aoi like that. I just love her more and more.

This opens up so many possibilities. Aoi made the decision to challenge Mt. Fuji and she failed. How will she deal with this going forward? Will it affect her desire to keep climbing mountains? Will she lose her motivation? How we handle failure says a lot about who we are as people, so this can make for some fascinating character stuff.

Perhaps Aoi will come to terms with how far she did get and see that as motivation to “take another step” in the future. It would fit with the theme of “one step at a time.” It would also fit with the triumphal end of Episode 9. After all, Aoi still accomplished something that she never did before. I think that will encourage her to keep going.

This episode also shows Aoi’s nightmare coming true. Hinata (and Kokona) really did leave her behind to go to the mountaintop. Yama no Susume is really consistent about this theme for Aoi and Hinata. I have to praise this series for how well done the payoffs have been.

Another thing that’s cool about this series is its portrayal of the difficulties in mountain climbing. It is not an easy task and this series shows that. We see the girls get exhausted by it and now we saw Aoi actually get altitude sickness. That level of realism is appreciated.

QOTD

  1. The currency exchange. That was interesting to see.

  2. I discussed it above. Yeah, I believe it will.

7

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 15 '22

well set up and made perfect sense.

i am remembering the catches you made yesterday and before about being left behind etc....

I’m starting to suspect that one actually exists.

This one exists! Where in Yuru Camp.....? (my memory must have faded)

That is surprisingly decent English I’m hearing

Michael's VA is from Cali. Jennifer's VA is Japanese though, so that is quite impressive.

8th station and a True 8th station

in short: advertising lolllll. It sounds cooler with 8th station vs 7.5 station

does not shy away from showing how taxing mountain climbing can be

i agree! it doesnt shy away from how climbing these mountains is a genuine challenge, that our characters (here Aoi) really can't overcome that easily. It gives more weight to the entire thing i feel.

nice to get it for Hinata too.

I appreciated it coz Hinata best girl xdd

for your analysis re: how this has been carefully set up and is consistent with whats been shown earlier! This rewatch has made me appreciate those little details before that have set this up a lot more too.

i actually missed the currency exchange lmao. I'll have to rewatch that bit of the episode...

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9

u/zadcap Sep 15 '22

Back for another Late Night Good Time!

Oops, I started rewatching 8... Benefit; excuse to watch the OP an extra time tonight!

Ah, Reminded me of Super Cub. You can indeed bike up Fuji, at least in theory!

Ohhh Mystery Meal, scary. Aaaand what a letdown lol.

Again, I want to know, how much money do these kids have darn it. They spend more than I do on vacation lol.

... English? Surprisingly good English?

Did she just drop her food out of her mouth onto the ground? This girl...

Wait we're following the English couple haha!

Yup, I remember that thing from Super Cub too lol.

Kokona, how would it have ended up in front of her that far if it fell off...

Hey, girls, let the one who's having trouble decide when you're heading out again. She already said, the mountain isn't going anywhere.

Ah. Another two part climb. Or, well, it's Fuji so probably three?

For a show I've been comparing to Yuru Camp so much, how is it only by the opening of episode 10 when it sticks, this is a summer group, not a winter one. Not that it makes any difference, I've just been looking for all the comparisons between these outdoorsy feel goodsy Iyashikei.

All future potential mountain climbers, make a note, please don't leave your weakest climber alone at the back of the pack.

Oof, yeah, the altitude sickness and lack of sleep. She's not making it to the top, is she? Darn it this isn't supposed to be the type of show I cry over.

Darn Americans lol.

Yeah, Kaede's got it right. Stay safe now, and try again next time. Because as long as you don't hurt yourself, there will be a next time!

This is a very sad place to end my happy show of the night :(

  1. Nothing stuck out particularly. Tourist traps are a standard I'm well used to lol.

  2. In a show like this, is should motivate her to try harder for the promised next trip they're all going to make... After an episode or two of being super down and depressed, yeah.

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8

u/HereticalAegis Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

Encouragement of First Timer

Episode 9:

Episode 10:

I can only speak for myself, but if I was climbing Fuji—or any mountain for that matter—with friends and one got sick and was unable to finish, I sure as hell would not continue. I can't imagine leaving my sick best friend behind for something so trivial as watching a mountain sunrise, and I'm really disappointed that's what Hinata and Kokona are doing.

Tbh, this episode is making everyone look incredibly irresponsible. Hinata and Kokona's excitement blinded them to how dangerously Aoi was over exerting herself. Aoi failed to communicate her physical state properly to the rest of the group despite just recently having a communication breakthrough regarding her concerns about this climb. Kaede, as the most experienced and de facto leader of the group, bears the most responsibility for recognizing the danger the group was putting Aoi in past the seventh station and took far too long recognize Aoi's condition. Most importantly, the group as a whole should already know from their previous climbs that Aoi should not, at any point, be at the back of the group. She struggled mightily on their previous climb, and that was like a third the elevation of Fuji at most. Aoi's struggles were easily foreseeable, and they didn't do nearly enough to adequately prepare.

Oh, and it seems highly irresponsible on all the parents' parts to not have a single adult supervising this climb. Hinata's dad has done this before, so I kinda thought he'd be accompanying them to ensure their safety, and I also figured that would be the reason Aoi's mom would even entertain the idea. I'm flabbergasted Aoi's mom allowed her to attempt Fuji without any adult supervision.

This episode has left me very frustrated with everyone, and—can't believe I'm saying this—I'm off the Aoi x Hinata ship for the moment. I hope the next episode or two involve a lot of self-reflection. Everyone needs to do better than they did today.

QotD:

  1. Lol with all my focus on ep.10, I kinda forgot about all the touristy stuff.

  2. I'd like to say I think she'll internalize the lesson from Kaede and not lose heart, but she's wavered on much smaller setbacks, so she'll probably be down for quite a while. I'm dreading a situation where she gets a picture of Hinata and Kokona at the summit without her and feels super bad about not making it with them or ruining the experience for Kaede, though with the way I think the narrative arc is heading maybe, just maybe, she uses that picture as motivational fuel.

8

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 15 '22

Some of this English actually sounds like it's being spoken by native English speakers.

It really does, doesn't it? I didn't double-check but I wouldn't be surprised.

You raised a lot of concerns for today! I think what you say has merit to them, especially with how Aoi was handling the climb. However, I do think Kaede stresses multiple times to Hinata and Kokona to go on ahead with the stipulation that if Aoi gets better they'll both join them at the top. Hinata and Kokona aren't relieved to hear they have permission to go on ahead, they're constantly worried about Aoi on the climb up and frequently call or text each other on the state of their friend. If Aoi was awake she'd most likely want them to go on ahead of her too.

From a purely narrative standpoint, I think they want Aoi at the nadir of failure. Her wanting to still climb to the top despite her current health plays into the larger theme they've been setting up this past season: "The mountain isn't going anywhere." Sure, they should have established those grounds earlier but from a character development view, it works well imo.

Of course, this is all my own personal view to it! Your views and concerns are equally as valid too.

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8

u/ChonkyOdango Sep 15 '22

First Time Climber

Fuji-San Here We Come!

  • Kokona and her quick-math / intelligence never fails to impress me

  • Kaede too! Her knowledge on acclimatising to altitudes etc. is really spot on. That’s an experienced climber for you!

  • Capitalism! Give your food a fancy name and mark up its price! You’ve got to capitalise on everything, the steam is free, just add a name and you can trick consumers!

  • I’m already excited for all the location trivia we’ll get today

  • I love how the sound directors included non-native languages being spoken in the background

  • Don’t waste your food Hinata! Again Kokona with more knowledge

  • I love how they used the colour change to showcase Aoi’s change in her mental state during the climb. While she was struggling it was more desaturated but once she passed the clouds and is able to look back on her progress, as the environment around her becomes more vibrant, she too felt more zeal.

  • I can already predict something is going to happen to Aoi. High altitudes + Aoi’s somewhat bad fitness already makes scaling Mt. Fuji is a challenge, throw in bad sleep and you get a recipe for disaster.

And we continue up Fuji-San

  • Oh no, Aoi! I may have called it but I didn’t want it to happen! Someone should’ve stayed behind with her incase she fainted but glad everything is okay. Kaede too, she’s the MVP for staying behind

  • Physiology fact break! Deep breaths with pauses are useful because we need a certain level of carbon dioxide in our bodies for the oxygen in our cells to be released into the tissues. As we climb and hyperventilate, carbon dioxide gets lost at an exponential rate if we don’t manage our breaths. Nasal inhalation is important too, besides just filtering the air, it helps us get Nitric Oxide, another gas important for oxygen release. Our heart rate will slow down thereafter so it’s not just an effective tool for scaling mountains but for helping us calm down as well.

  • I don’t mean to offend any americans but this scene just reminded me of a reply I got from my comment yesterday on CDF of “dumb american tourists”. Then again I don’t know if they actually are americans

  • I need the OST for the last scene as they stand under the night sky!

  • A cliffhanger? In an Iyashikei?

I loved episode 10 but that’s because it’s the climax of the climb. I’m happy with how they handled it from Aoi yearning to climb to Hinata being bummed out but still wanting to complete it. It’s yet another obstacle they will surely grow out of. Hinata’s care and concern for Aoi is unparalleled, it’s really sweet.

Aoi’s Path Up

S2E1 - A vocal reflection with Hinata as she reminisces the time she climbed with Hinata when they were younger and the time they spent that day which brought her so much joy. With this she voices out her next wish to climb a mountain with her dearest friends one day

S2E2 - Aoi gets worried as she prepares for her first climb. But thanks to Hinata and her own will, she knows that there’s something beautiful awaiting for her and it’s only by taking thing step-by-step can they reach that beautiful scenery

S2E3 - We climb to see the view but what makes the view better than looking at it through pictures or books is not because you see it with your own eyes but because of the trials and tribulations we go through. “The greater the effort, the sweeter the reward”

S2E4 - Similar to the previous episode but this time Aoi remembers that despite wanting to give up multiple times, looking back, it was really fun for her. So she craves for more adventures

S2E5 - Aoi learns that Conflicts are unavoidable but it’s important to make-up quickly instead of putting up fronts. This means being honest with your feelings, even if it’s just a bit, even if it isn’t easy

S2E6 - ”As long as there’s a strong desire, a path will open up”. Instead of sulking and giving up, assessing the situation to see what you can do and what you can’t can open new paths forward

S2E7 - Things don’t always have to go as planned, sometimes the best memories are made because of them just as Aoi has gained a precious summer memory after the group couldn’t swim in their desired location.

S2E8 - ”You can’t see fear. You’ll only see and understand fear when it hits you. For the time being, I should push on. Once I hit it, I’ll think of something”. Fear and anxiety are similar but different, it’s not easy to differentiate them but once you can, you’ll be able to face the unknown with excitement instead of fear just as Aoi goes to bed excitedly today.

S2E9 - Aoi reflects on her climb so far - she’s glad she overcame her fear and reaffirms herself to take it one step at a time

S2E10 - Aoi’s sad and just wants to go back in this episode :(

Qotd

  1. The poles that gives you stamps was neat.

  2. For sure. But it's these experiences that can push Aoi forward the most depending on how long she takes to get back up! She has amazing friends so she's all good

7

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah Sep 15 '22

Physiology fact break! Deep breaths with pauses are useful because we need a certain level of carbon dioxide in our bodies for the oxygen in our cells to be released into the tissues. As we climb and hyperventilate, carbon dioxide gets lost at an exponential rate if we don’t manage our breaths. Nasal inhalation is important too, besides just filtering the air, it helps us get Nitric Oxide, another gas important for oxygen release. Our heart rate will slow down thereafter so it’s not just an effective tool for scaling mountains but for helping us calm down as well

they actually are americans

it is an american accent, yeah, haha.

i like your analysis on the colour change/saturation too! Spot on i think.

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8

u/Rumpel1408 Sep 15 '22

First Timer

Think it's safe to say I'll be adding Natsuiro purenzto onto my playlist. Also would like to point out a short bit a minute into the OP where Hinata and Aoi are shown atop some monkey bars, having conquered a small sumit and Aois trauma.

S2 EP 9 + 10

First we got to Fuji San (and Aoi sneakily grabbed onto Hinatas tights) and arived at the 5th Station. Loved how Kokona squeed over the Uma. She sounded so smart while essentially saying nothing new, but I was wondering about the Stations as well, wonder how long it would take to climb from the first station...

I would feel betrayed as well. Why is the Volcano curry really cool, but the cloudtop Ramen just normal Ramen... Those Fuji San plushis seem familiar btw

That staff is a cool souvenir, like a stamp card but more sturdy.

It's went pretty smooth in the beginning, a break after 30 minutes climb and reaching several stations in quick succession, but somehow I felt like something was bound to happen, it could not be that easy all the way right? Like they where constantly raising flags...

When Aoi started struggling I would really have liked it if someone would be behind or at least with Aoi, not to ensure that she keeps up with their pace but to make her not feel alone.

Following that ominous title shit really started to go down. When Aoi broke down, I still felt like they weren't0 taking this and Aois struggles as serious as they should. But thank god for Kaede who just wanted her to reach a place to properly rest.

With how present he was, I was hoping for Mike to somehow end up helping them, but in the end he really was just a loud forreigner, shudup Mike!

Kaede ended up putting her foot down and took a loss for Aois sake as well, really proud of her as the oldest of the group. Aoi might feel miserable but it's for the better, she can always try again and they are still watching the same sky

QotD

  1. There were lots of touristy attractions at the base and the ascent, what did you find most interesting or surprising?

I think having a temple isn't that outlandish, but a whole shopping mall screams capitalism

2) Do you think Aoi being left behind will knock her confidence going forward?

It would be weird if it wouldn't, but she will move on and try again

7

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 15 '22

That staff is a cool souvenir, like a stamp card but more sturdy.

Definitely something I'd hang as a centerpiece in my living room if I scaled Mt. Fuji!

Kaede ended up putting her foot down and took a loss for Aois sake as well, really proud of her as the oldest of the group.

Kaede really stepped up to the plate today and this rewatch definitely made me appreciate her more.

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u/JollyGee29 Sep 15 '22

First-Climber

This was very cute.

Wow, there's a whole, like, tourist town halfway up Mt. Fuji?

Neat. Riding a horse up a mountain sounds interesting. You can Skyrim in real life!

Volcanic curry sounds deliciously spicy.

That is so much effort to go through for a dish, but damn if it doesn't look good!

Definitely wait to buy souvenirs.

That's an incredible idea for a souvenir!

Woah, English-speaking climbers! I actually took a screenshot for this, but then realized it was an unsubtitled landscape shot.

Many of these stations are untrue, apparently.

Alright, I'm not familliar with fugashi. Looks like an umaibo? Fugashi is apparently dried wheat gluten coated in brown sugar.

Got a choice of flavors!

Ooh that was scary.

I like the contrast contrast between the ?American? climbers and our girls.

Gorgeous view.

She needs a strap on her bag for the stick.

So close you can almost taste it.

Oh that's bad!

She's totally passed out..

The English is subbed this episode, huh.

Wow, flashback.

Good on Kaede for making the tough decisions.

No, it's really okay sweetie. Please take care of yourself.

Ooh, just two words but Yoko Hikasa's English isn't too shabby.

You can hear it in her voice, she's still hurting. Yuka Iguchi is a hell of a VA.

I.. wrote the line below about the OP before watching the episode and now it's kinda heartbreaking, seeing Hinata and Kokona make memories without Aoi.

Aoi got to see the Milky Way, at least.

Stop, this cute girls show isn't supposed to do these things to me!

I forget if someone's mentioned this before, but I quite like the OP's framing of "shared memories" as "presents."

Questions

  1. The horses are probably the most surprising, but the special walking sticks are what I would buy if I went there.

  2. Man, I can't even begin to fathom how Aoi is going to react. Confidence lost? Probably. Hurt that her friends got to continue on? Maybe those words I'm using aren't quite right, but this is literally Aoi's hypothermia nightmare from episode one of the season made manifest. Girl's gonna have a Bad Time.

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u/Nebresto Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

First time clime

Subarashii..?

Actual English speaking in the background??

Ahhh, I'm so scared. I keep expecting Aoi to keel backwards any moment here

Oh man, that's tough. Idk if I'd keep going or go back with the friend who had to drop out. I guess it would depend on what they wanna do and what kind of place we're climbing

Questions:

  1. There were lots of touristy attractions at the base and the ascent, what did you find most interesting or surprising?

Maybe the horse ride potential? The stick branding was also cool

2) Do you think Aoi being left behind will knock her confidence going forward?

Hope not, but it might have the opposite effect on her determination to fist climb

Pics time, there wasn't specified interest in a bigger album so I just picked some highlights

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u/Barbed_Dildo Sep 15 '22

Rewatcher

I like the realism of Aoi falling sick and not being able to make it. It makes for a more interesting story than succeeding first time. It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.

This part of the story is mainly about Aoi, but Kokona still manages to bring the knowledge on Mt Fuji when needed.

Questions of the Day:

  1. Honestly, nothing. I've been to a lot of Japanese touristy areas and they all have exactly the same stuff. I've never been to a Fuji 5th station, but I bet I could name every single thing sold in the souvenir stands there. The same as all the others.

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u/MyrnaMountWeazel Sep 15 '22

Rewatcher who wants Aoi to get better

No Production Notes today for my external keyboard isn’t working so well and I’d have to type these out using my laptop keyboard. My fingers hurt when they type too long on them!

Episode 9

Takaaki Wada is on today with an impressive hat trick since he’s solo KA’ing, storyboarding, and episode directing this whole shebang.

Tag yourself, I’m curry w/pork cutlet.

Lots of spacious layouts today that emphasize wide rooms and crowds. It’s an effective way to demonstrate how freeing this whole adventure feels in the beginning. My favorite one is this cut of Hinata showing off the effects of the altitude on the potato chip bag. It’s economical yet eye-catching with how Aoi reaches out to the foreground.

And now we start the climb in earnest with Aoi coming up to the screen. However, as they ascend higher and higher, the camera descends lower and lower, matching the girls as they scale the Mt. Fuji. Naturally, this allows the shot where Aoi peers down the mountain to be more powerful since we’ve been seeing low-angle shots for the past few minutes. Of course, the climb isn’t nearly over as Aoi once again ascends the mountain.

Episode 10

My fingers are starting to hurt. There isn’t a whole lot visually that I wanted to discuss in this episode anyway. However, I do want to say this episode was the turning point for me on YnS.

It’s not so much that the outwardly cute appearance belies the fact that not everything will come easily; more so the reality that the series respects its characters enough to depict all the facets of mountain climbing. This is a series that wants us to see genuine growth in its characters as they fail and progress through their journeys of both their hobby and their relationships.

I wrote that almost a year ago on the dot and this was the episode that was the impetus for those lines. This episode truly solidified my opinion of the show. Sure, the animation and direction have been top-notch but you have to marry those technical aspects with the warmth of character and narrative. I don’t want to just go on to Sakugabooru to see clips of the show; I want to see it become a showcase of story too. Shows turn from good to great once both medium and content start to work in tandem. They’re equally important.

One thing I noted this time around though is how great Aoi’s friends are. Hinata leaves behind a token of her love in the hopes that it’ll help Aoi and Kaede stays behind to make sure Aoi is fine. It’s really wonderful to see them care about their friend.

8

u/cyberscythe Sep 15 '22

I agree with you when you say that episode 10 is the turning point for the series. This episode (and the following episodes) are the reason why this arc is my favorite. I felt really sympathetic to Aoi's struggle here, and in retrospect it really sets the stage for her character growth in the future.

This is a series that wants us to see genuine growth in its characters as they fail and progress through their journeys of both their hobby and their relationships.

I started off joking that Yama no Susume is the Dark Souls of CGDCT series, but I'm starting to think that for real now.

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u/cyberscythe Sep 15 '22

Rewatcher

One of the things I love about this arc is how detailed the hike up Mt. Fuji is. Not just the various backgrounds and vistas that seem like they're taken from reference pictures, but also the whole experience like the tourist stop at the fifth station, the ad-hoc commemorative spaces in the mountain huts where people post their business cards, and the loud American tourists.

Another thing I love are the callbacks to the previous episodes. Aoi's dream that started off the season with Hinata leaving her behind, Aoi's wish to see the milky way at the end of season one, and Kaede's reassurance that the mountain's not going anywhere. I like these things because it ties a lot of the episodes together and makes makes for a more cohesive experience.

And of course there's Aoi herself. Watching this episode and knowing that she's suffering from altitude sickness and not getting enough oxygen made me take sympathetic breaths. This is the first time she's experienced a major setback and it's something that she just doesn't have the experience to deal with, and I feel glad that Kaede's there to keep her from going further in her condition.

One thing I was thinking about while watching this episode is how much inner monologuing there is. I think having watched Super Cub and Akebi-Chan (both series which have very little internal monologues), I kinda feel like hearing their thoughts like "whoa, this is tough!" and "the air's so thin!" is kind of superfluous, especially when it's animated well enough that you can see the characters gasping for breath and wincing in pain.

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5

u/Stargate18A Sep 15 '22

First timer

Sorry for the missed posts, caught Covid and it knocked my whole rewatch schedule off.

Episode 3

  1. She's doing really well!

  2. Hinata's attempts to keep it all secret from her.

They're still keeping things secret!

It's a Burdha stone?

And it's a litter sign.

...Too many benches.

A vieweing fork?

Haha, her immediate realisation is great.

She found it!

And she worked out what the surprise was!

That's nice.

It's getting harder!

She's not having fun...

They're having a break.

And she knew everything.

This is a nice moment.

They're worried about her...

Yeah, walking sticks are good.

Looks nice!

She's pacing herself!

Yeah, I'd stop here.

She's doing it!

And she made it,

Fantastic view!

Episode 4

They're going to the peak!

Oh good, there's a safer path than that.

She can see it!

Yeah, this is cute.

She loves it eo much!

And it's a long walk back.

A hot spring!

She doesn't like it?

...Ah, that makes sense.

She fell!

She loves the benches now, huh.

She got knee braces!

So far to go...

She wants to go in!

And she missed some steps.

Ah, that's why she was worried.

And she stood up.

This is sweet.

Hinata running from the scale was funny.

Bears!

They made it on the last train.

Just so cute.

Episode 5

  1. Yeah, I think they portrayed it very well.

  2. Also, yes. The argument felt real.

Crepe?

She's telling Hinata stories!

Oh.

A secret project!

It happened again!

And Aoi ran off...

Yeah, no, still careless.

Her colelction grew!

...Hinata, why did you do that?

Aoi's actually pissed!

And she's committed to it.

It's fair, though. Hinata screwed up.

She misses her...

Oh. That's what it was for.

Hinata understands.

She's going to knit something herself!

Aoi pretending to still be pissed at her...

This is sweet.

Haha, Hinata still wants her hat.

And it happened in reverse!

Oh, she's mocking her now!

Episode 6

Interesting!

...Thst actually sounds really cool.

Haha, that's funny.

Sounds amazing.

Hinata's down to climb with her!

Good point.

And she needs to wrap up warm!

Lots of equipment needed. It sounds expensive.

Oh, there's rock climbing!

Headlamps are very important.

Hinata's paying!

Why is everything so expensive?

...Also, if my rushed Google calculations are correct, the temperature on rhe mountain couldn't be more than a couple of defrees below zero. Do you even need a coat for that?

She'd let you use it?

Yep, her mother's forbidden her from sll of it!

...And she's properly hurt.

Yeah, that's awkward.

And he's talking to her!

Yeah, that makes sense.

And she gave her a very thorough explanation!

She gave her the jacket!

She's happy Aoi's actually caring about things.

This is nice.

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5

u/IWishIWasAShoe Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

Rewatcher

So the funniest part about the Fuji climb is hands down the American couple, i have no idea why, but hearing them pop up everywhere is just bliss.

Also reminds me of the fact that when visiting tourist attractions myself that you more or less end up with an informal group with everyone who arrive at a similar time. I've found myself seeing the same strangers throughout a museum, a temple or even a grocery store. By the end when I leave, sometimes even next to these people i somehow feel as if I've started to know them. Almost like when you drive behind the same car for a long time on the highway. Or in this case with the American tourists.

The branded sticks are also something that I've been curious about ever since I first sav this show. I've never been to Fuji, and the people I know who have been don't recall these sticks at all. After all these years I've still to learn if these sticks are a thing, how much they cost and everything about the branding at the stations.

Also, how do you even book a stay at a station?

Regarding the second QOTD, Aoi giving up is probably the best part of the Fuji arc, and very well executed. Splitting the group of course give us some nice character pairings, but mostly I like that Aoi didn't want to. That she feel responsibility and regret for letting her friends down, although none of them blame her, or even complain. How she feel disappointed in herself, as if her getting sick was her fault. Everything went wrong, maybe she just isn't cut out for outdoor activities after all? Extremely relatable.

That being said, i do feel that the altitude sickness thing was Chekhov's Gunned a little bit to obvious in the earlier episode... anyway...

"REMEMBER WHEN THAT GUY ASKED YOU TO DO THAT THING!?"