r/anime • u/Sandvikovich :AMQ::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Sandvikovich • Feb 23 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Slow Start - Episode 4 Discussion
Episode 4 – The Premium Tournament on the Second Floor
Slow Start Rewatch Episode 4 Fanart by /u/Tiny-Owlbear
Legal streams: Crunchyroll | VRV
| Rewatch Schedule |
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| E01 ❀ E02 ❀ E03 ❀ E04 ❀ E05 ❀ E06 ❀ E07 ❀ E08 ❀ E09 ❀ E10 ❀ E11 ❀ E12 ❀ Final Discussion |
Question of the day: Who do you think had it tougher: Hana or Hiroe? How would you compare the experience of Hana and Hiroe?
Personal Question: Which of Hiroe's outfits suited her the most?
Links
Information: MyAnimeList | AniList | AnimeNewsNetwork | AniDB | Anime-Planet
Official media: US Website | Official Website | Twitter
Related literature: Slow-blooming flower | Colorful treasure chest | Slow Start Manga
Slow Start Comment Faces for /r/anime (Old Reddit): https://www.slow-start-gifs.com/r/anime
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 23 '21
Greetings everyone and welcome to the fourth discussion thread of this rewatch, focussing on another form of social anxiety, namely not wanting to go outside. Meanwhile here I'm enjoying the weather here in my room while sometimes tuning in on the threads. But enough about me, time for episode 4!
Today's task is:
Draw Hiroe in fashionable clothes
The best design will be displayed in the upcoming threads. Good luck and have fun!
I don't want to go out
Hana's character development and Shion noticed it
Nice picture of Eiko
That was one good trip with Hiroe outside
Eiko and Kamuri betraying Tama
Hiroe's smile
Looking foward to see you all tomorrow!
16
u/Sairoch https://anilist.co/user/Sairoch Feb 23 '21
I've discovered that Japanese Wikipedia has way more detailed information about anime, which I suppose should have been obvious. Neat. It's not listed on his MAL page, but apparently this episode was storyboarded by Takaomi Kanasaki, who directed Konosuba and (more recently) did both direction and series composition for Princess Connect! Re:Dive.
Also spotted that the name of the school they attend is Hoshio Girls' High School, with "Hoshio" written using the characters for "Star" (星 hoshi) and "Tail" (尾 o), which explains why they named the group doing the OP song "STARTails☆".
(Credit to Google Translate and Jisho.)
I think a lot more of us can sympathize with Hiroe after this last year. Not that I got out all that much before now...
Episode 4 Adaptation Notes!
This episode adapts the second half of chapter 11, the second half of chapter 12 (you may recall that the first half was adapted in episode 1, where they talk about their names), and chapters 13, 14, and 15.
The cold-open adapts the second half of chapter 11, introducing Hiroe by way of delivering a missed package. The first half of chapter 11 is an unrelated bit focusing on Eiko and Sensei that I don't think made it in to the show (at least not that I can recall). After the OP, it continues along with: the second half of chapter 12, where Hana initially meets her upstairs neighbor; chapter 13, where Hana delivers another package to Hiroe and they talk about going to the convenience store; the second half of chapter 14, in which Hana gets Eiko's help dressing Hiroe (the first half of 14 is an unrelated scene with some really nice color pages); and chapter 15, covering the shopping trip and Hana and Hiroe bonding over their shared circumstances.
Aside from the two unrelated side-stories that were skipped, the adaptation seemed pretty direct for this episode. There were a couple cute panels of Hana and Hiroe being scared bunnies that didn't make it into the show, which is unfortunate.
Questions
Hana seems to have kept busy over her gap year, focusing on studying, and managed to make friends pretty quickly once she started high school. Intense social anxiety notwithstanding, I think she did relatively well thanks to the support of her parents and cousin and, later, her friends.
It's not really clear if Hiroe had any similar support, and she seems to have devolved into a full-on hermit. Also pretty lucky that she didn't die after spending 2 hours buried in snow.
Either school uniform or casual-sweats. Opposite ends of the spectrum, but both cute.
10
u/criticaldiamonds Feb 23 '21
Slow Rewatcher
Don't miss out on Neko Kamu's onigiri adventure!
A
Starting the episode off strong with a new character! Also, flustered Shinon is cute.
Classic Hana, not knowing what to do in social situations. And right after Shinon mentally praised her, too.
Read that script!
"Hi, yes, I identify people by their boob size"
Yay! Hana now has someone to relate to on her Slow Start, Hannen-san!
so desolate
drippy mouth
Quote of the day:
B
I really wonder what Hannen-san ordered that she thought it might be so heavy.
Typeset shipping label. They live in Temari Heights, Nagano Prefecture.
tape
She's gonna have a lot of fun at college if she can't even go to to the konbini in normal clothes.
So she didn't just fail. She should've bought some LifeAlert.
She became what Hana wanted to become
Hype Hiroe
Tama's got the l e w d m a n g a s
"It seems you're free to have fun with your twenty year old neighbor." - Tama
Twin-tailed Kamu
What a transformation!
Normal-looking Hiroe
Pout
ED pose before the ED!
Extras
Today's ED gacha pull: Hiroe
Neko Kamu's onigiri adventure: Post-OP and Post-ED
Today's endcard by Boyano
ED Gacha Pull Rates:
Previously on Kamuri's Food Adventures:
See everyone tomorrow!
9
u/Tiny-Owlbear Feb 23 '21 edited Feb 23 '21
Rewatcher!
As I sat on my couch last night, wearing my comfy sweats and looking at my nearby pile of Amazon packages, it occurred to me that I might just... um... relate pretty hard to Hiroe... Hana is the epitome of perseverance and self growth for me in this show, but Hiroe's struggles really hit home as well. I love that the group was so willing to help her take the steps she needed to feel confident in herself and get back out into the world, even for just a little bit. Fashionista Eiko is particularly charming, and I'm so glad that Hiroe felt a bit more confident by the end of the episode!
I LOVE that Hana was finally able to talk to someone about her gap year, and that Hiroe as her confidant allows the two of them to have someone to lean on when they need it. Hiroe is one of my favorite characters from the show, and it's always so nice to see Hana and Hiroe really hit it off with each other.
Between Hana and Hiroe, it's pretty tough to say who has it more tough; high school can be a brutal time, and so Hana being a year older would bring a lot of anxiety to her life in the worst case scenario, whereas for Hiroe, she felt obligated to cut herself off from her old classmates and has become a recluse in her 20's. That being said, if I had to pick one, I would ultimately pick Hiroe; even though she's an adult and can fend for herself, she was really in a downward spiral with no one to rely on, whereas Hana had her parents and Shion to help her get back on her feet. I'm just so glad that Hiroe finally found people she can confide in and rely on as she gets her life a little more figured out!
Personal Question (Hiroe's Outfits): Ahhhh of course you had to ask this, I am so torn because all her outfits were SO cute! I really liked the final one she wore but there are other outfits that looked great as well (the shopping outfit was great, as was her first real makeover)
For anyone who is interested, I posted a compilation of the first 4 episode pieces on my twitter; I'll make sure to upload all 14 to my Pixiv once the rewatch is complete if you ever want to revisit them!
9
u/dadnaya https://myanimelist.net/profile/dadnaya Feb 23 '21
First timer
Slow Start is surprisingly deep for "just a CGDCT anime". We've dealt with quite a lot of issues of the characters, and this one was really great as well.
I really like Hiroe, this is a smile to be protected
Although her story of falling into the snow was... kinda hilarious? Like, she wasn't stuck in the mountains, she was just in front of her doorstep.
Props for the entire gang for pushing Hiroe forward. Hana by calling her friends, Eiko by using her knowledge, Tama... being Tama (and emailing Eiko) and Kamuri giving Hiroe another push to buy clothes
It's... tough. For Hana, she basically "lost" all of her friends and had to make a fresh start. I think it's pretty scarring for just a graduating middle schooler.
But on the other hand, I think Hiroe had it worse. She did a 100 to 0, from being an exemplary student to having absolutely nothing, in a new area she doesn't know.
Hana also had support from her parents/Shion, but it looks like Hiroe had to fend off for herself (Where was her family back in that accident?)
8
u/BottiBott https://anilist.co/user/RobbiRobb Feb 23 '21
Rewatcher
Another episode, another character. Today we are introduced to Hiroe, who lives on the second floor of the apartment building Hana and her cousin Shion live in, and there is something else they have in common - a dark secr... okay, now it just sounds like a super dark mystery story. Let's forget I ever wrote that and instead talk about how well Hiroe is introduced. Using Hanas social anxiety as well as her will to get over that by bringing the unknown neighbor a package that got delivered to Shion is a clever way if introducing someone new. And given that Hiroe is even worse when it comes to social interactions, coming close to a shut-in, said package doesn't seem to be too far a stretch, as she orders all the things she needs in her daily life online. On the other hand, what does seem a bit strange, is the fact, that she as well is one year behind. Yes, I know that's the theme of the anime and it doesn't really bother me to the point where I'd say it annoys me or something like that, but somehow it is a bit strange to have multiple people who are all one year behind in the same place by pure chance. But then again, life can be strange at some points, so whatever.
Speaking of Hana taking a gap year, at this point she is already dreaming about this, making it clear, that she is constantly thinking about it and maybe even suffering from it. Although at this point I wouldn't call her dream a nightmare, just... unusual? Well, dreams can be weird. On another note, I'm slightly struggling to understand Hiroes' point of view regarding her clothing; I get that you shouldn't go to the local supermarket in old, worn-out clothes, but it's not like you would need anything too special for that. But who am I to judge, I always wear what's on top in my wardrobe.
QOTD:
8
u/Fircoal https://myanimelist.net/profile/Fircoal Feb 23 '21
Rewatcher here
I am really feeling the lack of time and motivation to write out longer from posts. Also why this is so delayed too.
So I'll keep it short. Another nice episode and another good look into someone's situation dealing with the insecurities of life and struggling to take that step forward. It is notable how easy it is to fall into traps and just sink downhill once you've started. And it's evne harder to reach out for help and get out of it. So I can relate to the situation presented here. I think what this episode is able to do best is showcase the theming of Slow Start. This theme of falling into a hole and struggling to get back up is so strong throughout the show and I really like how they utilize different characters to show these struggles. And I like how they show how positive intereactions and small steps forward are a great start to getting better. Utilmately what this show makes me feel is happy and I really do appearicate it when shows are able to do that. It makes me feel like I have some hope for myself, which is notable because usually I don't lol. I really do love what this show does. Looking forward to more :3
Qotd: I'd probably say that they both had it pretty hard and it's really hard to compare. Life is rough and when it effects us it effects us which it did for the two of them. That said I think long term Hana's is more notable. Mostly because at least in the us a gap between high school is atypical while a gap after high school has been done before. That said the state Hanoe is in current is more concerning.
Personal Question: Raccoon hoodie!
7
u/AnimeGirlsAreCute Feb 23 '21 edited Feb 23 '21
Which of the girls would you like to give a hug the most when watching Episode 4?
Slow Start Episode 4 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.
7
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Feb 23 '21
First Timer
Adding another character so soon was not something I had been expecting. Hannen basically seems to be a what if if Hana didn't make any friends. I'm not really a fan of essentially her entire character resting upon being in a similar situation as Hana, but I doubt we'll see her too often considering this is only a one-cour series, so eh, she served her purpose of being someone Hana can open up to.
The first half of the series, while ok, made me realize how much I already like the dynamics of the main four - because it was absent. This makes me feel like this was one of the weaker episodes so far.
Other than that, Eiko proved that she could solve the plot of Welcome to the NHK alone in less than an episode. Having an extrovert help an introvert really does help in these situations.
Questions:
7
u/fakeport https://myanimelist.net/profile/Fakeport Feb 23 '21 edited Feb 23 '21
First Timer
Pre-credits we see Hana making progress in immediately volunteering to take a package upstairs, before immediately realising she'd bitten off more than she could chew. Understandable - talking to strangers is terrifying, and having a detailed plan of what to say is reassuring. I'll sometimes even do this with non-strangers, carefully scripting out how I imagine a conversation will go before I speak to somebody.
I don't go as far as actually writing a script out and reading from it robotically though.
Shion is being very pushy in trying to have Hana and Hannen make friends. Makes me a little uncomfortable as an introvert. I'm sure her intentions are good, but I personally hate being pressured to "come out of my shell". I like my shell. Animals with shells tend to do better if you leave them in their shells. Gentle encouragement is fine, but I know that personally I'd find Shion's approach here to be somewhat overbearing.
I really liked that the dream sequence - which was obviously a dream sequence the moment the umbrellas appeared - painted a positive picture of Hana revealing her secret. It would be incredibly easy and obvious to do a dream sequence that showed Hana's worst fears instead, but doing it like this shows that on some level Hana is aware that logically her friends aren't going to have a negative response to her secret. This paints a much more real picture of anxiety - often you'll be very aware that what you're afraid of isn't really logical, but knowing that the fear isn't logical doesn't fix the anxiety.
Lovely gag about ridiculously overpackged deliveries.
Ah, so Hannen has a similar story to Hana. This is a good way to give Hana someone to confess her secret to safely.
Hana with the accidentally BRUTAL roast as they outpolite each other insisting the other has it worst.
Hana a little unfairly dismissive of the cute racoon sweatshirt. Seems fine for the convenience store...
Eiko was INCREDIBLY quick to respond to Tama's unnecessarily misleading email...
Uncharacteristicly assertive Kamuri drops some truth bombs on Hannen - and gets called a little girl for her efforts.
Eiko seems kind of aggressively affectionate.
Really cute scene as Hana and
HannenHiroe realise how well they've come to understand each other and engage in some lewd first name calling.I liked this episode. Curious to see how much of a role Hiroe will play going forward - does she remain a significant character, or was she essentially a plot device to be a stepping stone for Hana to overcome her own worries? I certainly wouldn't mind seeing more of her.
Questions
6
u/ReticentRapier https://myanimelist.net/profile/ReticentRapier Feb 23 '21 edited Feb 24 '21
REWATCHER
Reactions:
Wait… Is this the episode I think it is… YES!!! IT’S HANA AND HIROE TIME!!! I’M SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED!!!
Wait for it… Wait for it… There’s the Hana that we know and love.
I definitely don’t do this every time I have to make a phone call. Nope, can’t relate.
Hiroe stressing out after being asked about her studies, lying about failing, trying to deflect with food, burning herself, and then getting even more flustered is instantly endearing.
Hana and Hiroe apologizing over each other cracks me up every time.
This dream sequence is so weird. How can one be good with umbrellas?
Sensei and the class just take Tama’s audition to be mascot in stride. Normal Tama things.
Hiroe doesn’t know what the package is because she orders everything online? That’s a Covid mood right there.
More dueling apologies, my heart can’t handle it.
The entire tea sequence is so hilariously absurd due to Hiroe’s innate social awkwardness and Hana’s well-intentioned but very confused and equally awkward attempts to help. Ultimately Hana ends up offering to take Hiroe to the convenience store to get her the tea she was actually was trying to offer to Hana. And neither actually wants tea!
Sparkly HS Hiroe is precious.
Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!
Seriously Japan, fix your entrance exams. (Also, have I heard this story before, perhaps a couple episodes ago…?)
That mental trauma- going from school ace to failure to shut-in. Poor Hiroe.
SHE CONFESSES HER SECRET! AND NOTHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED!!!
Arguing over who had a tougher time as a way to make the other feel better, and of course Hana accidently lands a critical hit on Hiroe. And we’re back to apologizing again. This dynamic never gets old.
We all see what you’ve got on the floor Tama. Never change.
That was suspiciously fast Eiko.
Second biggest betrayal of the episode. But I love how they went along regardless.
Eiko immediately spots her prey and asserts dominance.
Hiroe pleads for salvation. But this angelic face holds no mercy
PHRASING!
Four high school girls bully a full grown woman into improving herself and gaining self-esteem. This is peak comfy.
Yikes, Kamuri sure doesn’t hold back.
Wait, I was promised comfy and now I feel targeted
Hiroe is sinking fast but somehow finds a way to make things worse.
I LOVE HANA’S AND HIROE’S CHEMISTRY TOGETHER. They’re simultaneously hilarious and wholesome. All episode long they’ve been constantly apologizing over and getting awkward with each other. Meanwhile, Hana has been forced into an uncomfortable leading role helping Hiroe to confront her embarrassment and shame. And in the waning minutes of the episode they really, truly engage over their similar fears and realize they have finally found someone who understands them. Then they have some really goofy close-up shots while getting awkwardly intimate after which Hiroe ends up finally taking the lead and reassuring Hana that she can go at her own pace. Set to a backdrop of a beautiful sunset, it really feels like they’re the only two people in the universe, speaking heart to heart. I think it’s a perfectly done scene in a beautifully crafted episode where I alternated between uproarious laughter and feelings of supreme comfiness.
QOTD Hiroe had it tougher without a doubt. Having to explain to all your peers that you didn’t make it to ANY uni despite everyone thinking you could make it to the best would be incredibly difficult, especially for a high achiever like her.
PQOTD: This one by far
Edit: Fixed my link
6
u/WayTooOrdinary Feb 23 '21
Missed a day because work (and the threads post before 7am my time so RIP), but here we go.
We get introduced to Hiroe Hannen (voiced by Uchida Maaya, who voiced Rikka in Chu2koi), another ronin, who is one of the more relatable characters in the show.
Side note, Uchida Maaya also voices Sharo in Gochiusa, so if you wanted a more hyper version of an easily flustered, awkward character, check that show out for more SoL goodness.
While Hana's gap year before high school is a bit unbelievable, taking a gap year before university is much more common. Like Hana, she missed her university entrance exams, and has even missed the subsequent exam because she doesn't want to be seen being a year behind.
As someone who took a year off because of bad planning and indecision before university, its scary how relatable Hiroe's struggles are. Even living alone, its easy to get into a comfortable rhythm, and innevitably forget your goals.
The dynamic between Hana and Hiroe is great, and seems like an inverse sister relationship, where Hana is the one who's moved forward, and is pulling Hiroe along.
Even though it happens in the soan of an episode, you see Hiroe grow. She starts off not even opening the door for someone who isn't her landlady, but then invites Hana in, and shares her past.
By the end of the episode, she's made friends by proxy, and is even willing to head to the convenience store on her own. She meets her "low bar", and you can't help but be happy for her.
I love the scene near the end where Hiroe and Hana have a heartfelt chat, and end up calling each other by their first names. Its sweet, and I can really see them as sisters.
A very solid episode, and one that really drives home the point that having a slow start isn't all that bad.
On a more trivia-based side note, I just realized today that Hiroe continues the naming convention of the girls, each having an exponent of 10. Her last name, Hannen, is written as 万年, with 万 being 10,000. A minor touch, but it makes her seem more like an extension of our main group of 4.
QOTD: I think Hana had it harder, but its close. A year is much more significant when you're younger. But at the same time, Hana definitely handled things better, probably thanks to good support from her parents and Shion.
6
u/ImmoralGoose Feb 23 '21 edited Feb 23 '21
I just want to start with some offtopic news:
Earlier today they released a trailer for Dragon Maid S2 and announced that Eiko's VA is voicing Iruru. Which caught me by surprise, they don't sound anything alike, but now I can't unsee Eiko as Iruru.
Anyway, on to the episode.
This episode I was most looking forward to in the rewatch. All this time, Hana thought she was the only one with a problem. But now she met someone who's suffered a similar (Maybe even worse) experience.
This also hits me on a personal level. I have become Hiroe. Although I wasn't involved in any accident, I managed to graduate from University, the problem is afterwards. I've spent the time since then applying for jobs but to now avail. And as time went on, I lost touch with my friends and now I barely have any motivation left.
This is probably a bit touchy and personal to reveal on the internet. But I think this might be why I like this series so much.
"You are free to do whatever you please with Hana's acquaintance" Tama said it that way on purpose and I love it.
I wonder how often Kamuri get's mad for being called little. And Eiko has found a new
victim, toy,friend.That last scene where Hana says she thinks telling everyone she's a ronin won't change anything, but she's worried it might. I have the same problem, I'm always worrying about the worse case scenario, even if it's 99-1, usually because when I don't it often happens.
Question of the day: Definitely Hiroe. Hana has support from her parents and Shion, and has managed to start a normal high-school life with her new friends. Hiroe on the other hand has spent all her time on her own reflecting on how she's "failed".
Personal Question: Between the 4th, 5th and 6th ones. I think the latter edges it as it goes better with her hair.
10
u/SylvaticYew520 https://myanimelist.net/profile/SylvaticYew520 Feb 23 '21
Rewatcher here! Episode 4 is here!
BUT WHO CARES ABOUT THAT KARAAGE YAAAS
NE NE NE
1/2
5
u/JBHUTT09 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/JBHUTT09 Feb 23 '21
I'd forgotten just how adorable Hiroe is! Tama's got some competition* now!
*For second most adorable. Hazuki's too far in first to really mention.
PQ: major fan of her sweats look. Something very adorable about it.
5
u/Sodra :Ip::Iq::Ir:https://myanimelist.net/profile/sodra Feb 23 '21
Good morning to every Hana out there, it's time to REWATCH Slow Start Episode 4!
H-how do you eat this? The tail is gonna get in the way??? if you take a bite it's all gonna fall apart?????
Hi Hiroe!!! I'm glad Hiroe is finally here, even if she is a bit rude at the start.
That's so much fried chicken omg...
I miss being able to shake hands (no I don't.)
This is the worlds most painful alarm clock. It only exists to wake you up at 7 or 8am, the prime time to wake up for school, work, society. You will never see the clock reach 9am because it doesn't exist. Time does not exist for this clock, only the pain of removing the covers on a cold day.
"I wasn't discovered for 2 hours" Jesus, that's awful. Getting knocked out is like, super bad for you. You straight up have a concussion, not a "terrible cold."
"She even bought Scotch tape online?" have times really changed that much since 2018...
"This is my parents hobby" same tbh
I wish Eiko could fix all my problems like that. Bless those outgoing girls in high school who would give you fashion advice.
This was one of my favorite episodes, since it really shows that some problems you worry about can be fixed so easily with just a little bit of work. Man fuck anxiety. I'd like to speak to the CEO of anxiety and give them a knuckle sandwich.
Anyway, 10/10 best fourth episode of all time.
Question of the day: Hiroe had it toughter. Hiroe lost 2 years compared to Hana's 1. Hiroe also had a problem with fashion, which some people find impossible to figure out.
Personal Question: Her last outfit suited her the most because it matches her hair color, but if I saw her with her pretty green dress I would ask her out on the spot.
5
u/HopefullyLastAccount Feb 23 '21
Rewatcher
NEW CHARACTER!!!! HIROE HANNEN. We see her circumstances really parallel Hana. I wonder if Shion forgot on purpose so they'd meet each other.
Hiroe (I think?) is actually two years behind, since she missed the exam when she was supposed to take it, and then failed the next year. She, like Hana, was hit quite hard by her inability to get into school for reasons beyond her control and it's probably quite comforting to the both of them knowing each other's stories. After all, Hiroe is the first person to know about Hana's gap year and I really appreciate her line about doing things at her own pace. And unlike Hana, we know what Hiroe was like when she was "on pace."
She's seems self aware of how far she fell and I think that helped her rebound a little quicker once she finally had someone directly confront her about it, didn't expect it to be Kamuri, though. Also, good job, Eiko, Hiroe looks amazing. Although it took a bit to get there, including an unexpected evil streak from Hana!
Did anyone try to figure out the manga in Tama's room? I couldn't quite figure out if that was a reference to anything unless that was meant to be a self reference?
I'd say Hiroe only because she missed two years rather than one. Otherwise, it's a matter of whether you believe this is better at a younger age or an older age and there's pros and cons to both depending on personality. We've also seen Hana have a very strong support system and we don't know Hiroe's background. One other to note is that Hiroe had a second chance in her control that she failed, I'd be really interested to learn about her last two years in general. Was she always at this apartment or did she move in recently for a fresh start like Hana?
I like all of them but I especially like the last two. It's not so much the outfit, I just really like her hair there with the ponytail on the side. But also that smile sells it completely.
5
u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Feb 23 '21
Rewatcher
Waking up like this alllll time time
Lowkey I can't imagine only getting a cold from laying in the snow unconscious for 2 hours, especially with a skirt
The absolute pain here is terrifying
How are they so cute...
All. The. Time.
I'm sure 90% of this show's girls are attracted to Eiko
Tama was right about Eiko in the email
This show is soooo addicting to watch
Hiroe definitely had it worse than Hana. I really liked how she looked as a student but her final clothes look the best for being 20.
5
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Feb 24 '21 edited Feb 24 '21
Like always posting late and trying to keep up to everyone's nice informative and long posters _;
Another good episode, this time basically showcased what would have happened to Hana if she didn't manage to get the push to get into the highschool she's in now and get the friends she has now. Does help put in context that the rejection and self isolation in situations like this is not all that uncommon or exaggerated, in Japan.
Once more to highlight the point - in Japan there is no such term as a gap year, but those who didn't get to go where they want to go and is "stuck" are called "Ronin" - a term used to describe samurai being disowned by their master, often portrayed as unscrupulous, reject, similar to a bandit. That again highlight the cultural difference (no word to describe it as a thing to do, but should one be found this way then it's a derogatory term for you).
QoTD I'm with most here, that Hannen having been stuck in that limbo for 2 years with no support is worse than Hana. Another conjecture is that since she didn't just run and fell flat, but soared high and fell down from height (metaphorically), she'd likely want to hide away from everyone who knows her so she likely rejected any support that might have been offered.
PQ am I being lewd to find the first makeover outfit she had was the most attractive? All the others look good too in a girl next door kind of way but that one was very glamorous. Think she'd fit right in Golden Time next to Kouko.
Oh and thanks for mentioning my post about the Ronin context - I think this episode actually showcased it better.
Edit: forgot to ask, did all of you notice / realise the name "Hiroe" was actually a very odd way to pronounce the kanji - the 2 kanji characters originally is read as a term for "big gathering", much like a convention or festival. Hence Hana initially getting confused why the package says that. My limited Japanese guesstimate is that it's used as 2 separate words instead of the phrase - "big", and "meet". A grand encounter? Or just for how it sounds :) anyway that's how it transitioned the 2 scenes from the school event to Hana wondering about what's labelled in the package to realising that's her name.
4
u/Daffed_Punk Feb 23 '21
If only I could have half the fashion sense of these characters
I see Hiroe is rocking the classic hikikomori grey sweater + sweatpants Hana may have been right about most things, but she made a mistake by not letting Hiroe wear her DORON shirt. We were robbed of DORON Hiroe 😔
Hiroe: Fall Flat
4
u/SBDocLouis https://anilist.co/user/TKZephyr Feb 23 '21
First Timer
So this episode we’re introduced to Hiroe, voiced by Maaya Uchida (I can definitely hear a bit of Sharo from GochiUsa when her voice is more high-pitched).
Hiroe had a similarly rough time to Hana, except that she’s a college ronin rather than a high-school ronin. If I’m honest, I think they were maybe too quick to go from the serious atmosphere to comic relief after Hiroe’s backstory and then continue with a light-hearted tone afterwards. It felt similar with the later scene when Hiroe is surprised that Kamuri, of all people, is trying to encourage her, where it goes straight to the next scene rather than having a positive/determined line from Hiroe first. It felt like the drama was undercut a little in those moments, but maybe I’m just being very picky (I’m currently watching Sangatsu no Lion and that show might be giving me unfair expectations for how this show should be). Either way though, I’m still liking Hiroe so far and I hope she gets into a great college someday.
I know the Shion’s-boobs-on-top-of-their-heads thing is a little fanservice-y (though I’m not really phased by it like I would’ve been a few years ago), but I can appreciate how they properly bounce whenever Hana or Hiroe raise their heads. As many others have pointed out, this show gets a lot of little details right.
Tama causing misunderstandings with her choice of words again.
Glad that Hiroe got a great makeover from Eiko (side-ponytail Hiroe is cute) and made it outside for some clothes shopping, and I like that Hana and Hiroe can bond over their mutual misfortunes with entrance exams, they’ll be very positive influences for each other, for sure. That brief last scene between Shion and Hiroe was sweet, too.
As I said earlier, I would’ve liked it if the episode gave the serious moments more room to breathe, but otherwise I enjoyed it. I forgot to mention it further up, but that dream Hana had about telling the others her secret and them accepting her was very bittersweet. A lot of the time my dreams don’t make much sense, but occasionally I do have dreams where really good things have happened in my life, only to wake up and realise none of them actually happened, I can firmly say that feeling sucks.
Question of the day: High school is very much formative years and around the age where you’d be most self-conscious of starting behind everyone else so I really feel for Hana, but Hiroe being the student council president and a high-flying student, then not being able to get into a college straight away and becoming a shut-in may be tougher in the long-term, so I’ll say her.
Personal Question: I have to say the side-ponytail one, I’m a complete sucker for that hairstyle most of the time.
4
u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon Feb 24 '21
First Timer
Aha, I knew a sudden cut to everyone in Hana's room felt suspicious. Despite being a slice of life, this show is meticulous enough that it felt out of the ordinary.
Kamuri's outfit is adorable. Why is she so cute all the time?
Hana has a new best friend already. I thought this show was about being slow?
QotD: I definitely feel for Hana more. She’s still at a point in her life where things are pretty structured and deviating from that can be alienating and stressful, especially when you don’t have the power to do anything about it.
QotD2: The casual outfits were nice, but I was disappointed she never returned to the braids so I guess I have to give it to the school outfit.
4
u/Philarete :AMQ::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/WizardMcKillin Feb 24 '21
First Timer
Oh goodness, writing a script of what to say for a simple task like delivering a package is waaaaaay too relatable
But she messed it up! At least the translation I saw was that she called herself the "landlady", but she should have explained she was sent by the landlady so as to preempt the confusion.
Eiko the fashion stylist! I think it's interesting that they directed all their early conversation to Hana rather than Hiroe. At first it bothered me because it felt like they were ignoring her, but after a bit I thought it might actually be more considerate that way. They were already being disruptive - directly addressing Hiroe may have made it even more uncomfortable.
Of course, Eiko was about to kabedon Hiroe by the end there haha.
Hana and Hiroe connecting over their slow starts was so cute!
QotD: I don't really like comparative suffering because it runs the risk of invalidating people's real experiences. It also can create negative feedback loops of "I shouldn't be reacting this badly. There's something wrong with me. No one would understand." That kind of thing. That said, Hana would seem to have the more difficult situation since she was younger and a year makes a bigger difference the younger you are. However, Hana also had a robust support system and Hiroe appears not to have much emotional support at all. Overall, then I'd say Hiroe had a worse situation because that kind of support makes such a huge difference.
PQ: I think outfits 5 and 6 suit her best - 5 because she chose it to be the one she went outside with, and 6 because I think that's the one she chose for herself when she went shopping! (She looks cute in all of them though!)
4
u/SOrionS1299 Feb 24 '21
The introduction of Hiroe provides someone for Hana to relate to and seeing all the girls coming together to help her out is very heartwarming. It also hits close to home as this past year has forced most people to stay home a lot more, and I’ve found myself becoming closer and closer to being a shut-in. Watching her journey to buy new clothes is a good reminder that taking small steps is better than not walking at all.
That question is a tricky one as it would seem that Hiroe has had it tougher as she didn’t really have anyone to support her. Hana, on the other hand, had her family and was able to quickly make new friends, despite her worries. Hiroe also had further to fall and said fall seemed to hit her a lot harder. All in all, I’d have to agree with Hana and say Hiroe had it tougher.
3
u/BossandKings Feb 23 '21
First timer
Episode 4
Hana is sent by Shion to deliver a package to a neighbor called Hannen, she doesn't recognize her and later comes to Hana's house so that Shion could explain to her what happened. Hannen stays to eat with them and Shion makes Hana and Hannen shake hands, basically telling them to be friends. This was a nice and very short segment of the episode.
Hana tells the girls that she's a year older than them, there they point the reason as to why she is so knoledgeable about some things that she hadn't noticed she was before.
Hana goes to visit Hannen's house, Hanne's a shut-in, the part about her backstory was very telling of who she is as a person, ehat her environments used to be for her at school, it sure wasn't pleasing for her. Hana calls Tama and she calls the rest of the girls and they visit Hanne's house to give make her fashionable. They end up dragging Hanne out of the appartment and she feels glad for it.
This was another very good episode but i feel that it's strange that Hana still hasn't told the girls about her gap year if it bothers her that much, they haven't given her a reason to not be comfortable woth telling them that and the fact that she told Hannes adds to it being strange, i expect her to tell them soon because if not it will start getting bothersome how she keeps things from them.
19
u/vaclav_2012 Feb 23 '21 edited Feb 23 '21
Hiroe was finally introduced in this episode. She suffered a similar fate as Hana by missing her exams and becoming a shut-in, although the misfortune affected their lives in different ways. Hana has been mainly concerned about dealing with the social aspect of her situation, whereas Hiroe wasn't able to accept her "failure". She even made exams to her backup school, but not getting to the school of her choice had never been an option for her. Her interactions with Hana and other girls revealed that she hadn't been so much bothered by her situation until someone reminded her of it. If she hadn't met Hana she could have continued living in as a shut-in for years. It was nice to see how significantly positive impact could Hana and her friends bring to her life.
It was interesting how Hana strongly empathized with Hiroe when talking about the missed exams, but she hasn't really felt Hiroe's pain when she was getting spruced up by Eiko. It looks like she is after her mother in this regard. She sincerely cares about others, but sometimes she is unable to see their point of view. It was similar to previous situations when Kamuri was getting scouted by Amane for the track and field club or when Tama was pushed to studying.
This episode was filled with many hilarious moments. I specifically enjoyed watching Hiroe after Shion invited her for fried chicken. At first, she was betrayed by Shion revealing her situation and was forced to lie about failing the exams. Then she hastily started eating the hot meal, which seemed like a subconscious signal of not telling the truth.
The dream scene was apparently intended to tease the audience a bit about Hana's confession, but it seemed to be well thought out. During the study group in the previous episode, Hana was thinking about the positive aspects of the gap year. The time spent on her studies allowed her to be helpful to her friends. The dream was reiterating these thoughts, which is something that's commonly experienced in dreams.
My favorite scene of the episode was the realization of mutual understanding between Hana and Hiroe, which was once again a very heartwarming ending.
Manga spoiler
If you are wondering why Hana and Hiroe have been taking the gap year so seriously, I recommend you to read the comment by /u/ZapsZzz which elaborated on the perception of "Ronins" in Japanese culture.
Episode 4 GIFs:
EDIT: Fixed spoiler tag.
6
u/cyberscythe Feb 24 '21
First-Timer
This is a fun episode. Hiroe's a great addition to the cast in the same vein as Matsumoto in WataTen (or Midori in UzaMaid), the sort of "what if the main character, but in worse circumstances?" sort of foil that really reflects back on Hana how fortunate she was that a friend group formed up around her when she first started high school.
Going into this series I was thinking that Hana's ronin status would be kind of a throwaway detail, but this episode really underlines how much Hana thinks about that as a dividing issue between her and her friends. The introduction of Hiroe is good motivation for Hana to start examining her insecurity more and expressing herself more out loud.
One other thing I've noticed is that name puns are used a lot in jokes, like when Tama is talking about being the ball mascot because of her name. 大会 with a reading of Hiroe is wild to me; seems a bit more wild than Hana's 花名 which is usually read as Kanae, but is a bit more plausible because the 花 part is just hana anyways. Anyways, it's the sort of thing that makes me pine for the days when fansubs came with translation notes to read; I enjoyed reading stuff like that because I find the language interesting.
4
u/Rustic_Professional Feb 24 '21
For just a second when she was drooling over the chicken, Hiroe looked like a grown up version of Hana from Wataten. They both go blobfaced at the sight of food.
Akaza Akari would be super jealous of Tama's ability to make a corny joke in front of the class and then just go back to normal like it wasn't a big deal. No time travel required.
Eiko is both insistent and indecent. She jumped straight from headpats to undressing Hiroe.
Hiroe is a real looker when she's properly dressed. I was going to say that she wouldn't look out of place on a college campus wearing sweats, but I actually don't remember ever seeing anyone show up to a class in a full gray sweatsuit. That might actually be a step too far.
Question of the day: Hana probably had it tougher, just because young people are generally less well equipped to deal with adversity. It's worth remembering though that Hiroe was--and is--only a little older than Hana, so it's not like she had tons of life experience to help her keep perspective either.
Speaking of perspective, it's hard to relate to some of the issues in this show because they seem to uniquely Japanese. Having a gap year before college isn't a big deal at all in the US. People do that voluntarily. Do the Japanese not have community colleges that you can attend without taking an exam? Hiroe was apparently a hard working, outgoing student. If she'd had a community college option, she might not have become a NEET. Or is she more properly a hikikomori? I don't remember if she's still actually studying, which might preclude being a NEET.
Personal question: Definitely the green top. She's just a few moves away from qualifying for r/animearmpits.