Hibike! Euphonium – 02
…some very thoughtful times ahead…
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…seriously it was a High School Band Otaku’s dream come true. What? I mean, it was an episode filled with KyoAni’s lush attention to detail in character and in background… |
Pleased to meet you, (insert instrument name here)
Just think of it as a Sorting Hat…
Well, for awhile I thought this episode would be all about concert band minutia, what with all the introductions of the various instruments. But, I feel they used these notions as great narrative and character devices. I make a joke about the Sorting Hat, but it isn’t far from how things progressed. We got to see a considerable degree of point and counterpoint between the dozens of character onscreen.
It’s one thing to see your own personality in a musical instrument, but quite another to see the selection of one as a personal standing. So with a bit of column A and some of column B they start to make their choices. Some choose one because that’s what their friends chose, some went the opposite way. Still, others wanted to be with the popular girl, a few made some changes from past choices, or wanted to, and no one wanted to play the tuba, that is until fate stepped in.
That is one heck of a glass slipper, Cinderella…But who is your Faerie Godmother?
With all that said, it’s refreshing to watch this take on club life. We are used to when comedies and some dramas use the genre as a way to express or support absurd characters or eccentric personalities. But typically it’s the formation of a new club that expresses or supports those ideals. Here we have a long established “normal” club. But that doesn’t mean we lose any of the eccentricities, or nuances of other shows. Recruitment is still a going concern, and poaching is as much an art and science as it is a social function.
Asuka stands out the most in that respect. As a third year, she probably holds a degree in the science of member selection; with major concentrations in cajoling and duck blind waiting…At times I really don’t envy Haruka’s job to wrangle her. In a few fell swoops the vice-president captures all of our main trio into her bass ensemble. But is it simply a matter of the right person in the right chair? There was a brief, but palatable, note when Kaori, the trumpet lead, heard Reina’s introductory performance, and that is simply more than the potential rivalry of first and third year students.
I now pronounce you Euphist and Contrabassist….
Pensive, but without the Angst
Growing tea leaves and matcha in Uji
I wish I were musically inclined, then I could use cool words like keys, notes, movements, and the like, to describe how these characters interact. Failing that I will say the give and take between all of them are quite musical. Of course, the beauty that KyoAni brings is par for the course, as is some of the camera work. We get some shots where we feel we are only privy to parts of the conversation. So many shows change locations and time frames with an edit, but the characters speak as if nothing changed. In this respect we are treated to only part of the whole story, with our own thoughts giving us a sense of closure. We get a few echo’s of past decisions, along with future notes that are in the process of being written.
These feelings start with Kumiko wondering aloud if she needs to apologize to Reina. How she speaks is also of interest; her parts of the dialog sound like she’s playing out her thoughts without committing to them. While it’s true that the two of them didn’t see eye to eye on their Nationals prospects in middle school, was Kumiko in the wrong? Aoi also brings quite a few things to the plate after the club voted on their goal for the year. Compete in the Nationals or simply play and make pleasant high school memories. I feel there is a rational behind this in the story beyond the “go big or go home” attitude that competition can bring. On one level it shows us the girl that didn’t raise her hand for either side. On another, with the many times Noburo-sensei called for their affirmative voices, we will see how much those that wanted to compete will keep those hands raised in the future. Not all of them wanted or even thought of an “alibi”.
Perhaps this should read oboe & bassoon…It’s like they don’t even care how non-Japanese anime fans talk on imageboards.
Oh, goodness, this is a story waiting to happen
Optimism on the outside..
…and I’m guilty in wanting to know their story, too…
Well, we could have had an episode that would have been read as a technical manual for the care and feeding of wind instruments. But with deft and flair, we got the better angel of that, and some wonderful character driven story-lines instead. Along the way a charismatic depth of field was established with our principal players. If anyone still compares this to the moeblobby shows of KyoAni’s past, well 1) you’ve over-used that word, and 2) you might have the hate-goggles on way to tight.
I’m incredibly pleased with this direction, and am delighted with how well the show is written and directed. There are quite a few things that started here that I’m anxious to see developed, as I didn’t even touch on Kumiko wanting to play trombone, and her rather detached childhood friend, Shouichi, is going on to play that very instrument. There exists a hefty pick of second episodes that merely function as a bridge between the introduction and the rest of the story. This one did that as well, in an exceptional manner. I’m looking forward to more.
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Where are the kemonomimi?
Sorting hat says hufflepuff.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I noticed that there weren’t many second years in the band, and with the overall quality of the ensemble and the mood about the goal, I wonder if the previous year’s first years got disillusioned and mostly quit.
The vote was one of those examples of honne and tatemae, where many people voted for trying for nationals because that’s what you’re supposed to support. I tend to disagree with Aoi a little about Kumiko’s lack of vote. You can’t say that you don’t like the limitation to two choices, but then give those who reject those two choices a hard time. Yes, Aoi’s establishing an alibi, but I think it’s more the choice of the pessimist, trying not to be disappointed (again). But there’s a lot of space between ‘Nationals’ and ‘Nothing’. And there’s no reason you can’t have fun and make memories while trying to achieve as much as you can. But it’s hard to have fun when people are beating you up over something that you can’t do.
I’m not expecting this show to have some triumphant performance where they go to Nationals. A lot of KyoAni shows do that, but this one seems to be different, seems that it will hopefully be more about learning to accept yourself.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I do wonder how much the lack of the second years is going to influence the story to come. This feels like the writers are showing the plans for a Chekhov’s gun, not the gun itself. But I could be wrong, that makes it interesting.
I love the idea of having a third or even more options, and that is something the can explore with the other characters to some degree.
Yeah, it’s not winning the swim meet as of yet. Like you I’m hoping for a smaller scale of story.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
-sigh-…I was thinking that after this show, i think kyotoani has going to do something brutal or horrifying…hmmm i was thinking of something like…this
Well, I fear it’s not gonna happen…still, It’s a challenge!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…that sort of show is not in their wheelhouse….
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
I’m actually not a big fan of character-based shows, so this episode didn’t move along at the pace I would have liked. However, I agree that the show is still on solid footing, and haters have no basis for disparaging remarks.
Onward!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…indeed…