HaruChika – 03
The best part of this episode wasn’t even new in this episode, except for Miyoko
holding the metronome
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The search for more club members continues, and Haruta continues to mine the ranks of those who have given up music for trauma. |
Slight Misfire
geh! Put on some clothes!
I’ll get this out off the bat: This episode didn’t really do it for me. It’s not that it was a failure, but it felt like it got away from the things that the show had been doing well, the interplay between Chika and Haruta, and the solving of more brain teaser puzzles. Instead of that, this one focused on trying to convince Maren, a former saxophone player, to join the band. Like with Miyoko, he has given up on it due to a family trauma. Unlike Miyoko, this wasn’t a “solve the puzzle” answer, but was a “let’s show him he’s wrong about his birth parents” answer.
It’s a contest, except it’s not.
The main thing that kinda left me cold this episode was the huge asymmetrical information gap. It really diminishes the discovery of any solution when it comes out in the end that the solver knew about it all along. So when Haruta and Shunya admitted they knew all about Maren’s issues about his adoption, it instantly deflated the little bit of air that was in the balloon. But even before that, it was really not my favorite episode, mostly because Chika felt sidelined. And maybe a lot of that was Haruta’s knowing everything going on, or because they had to get through a lot of story, which didn’t leave time for that natural interplay between those two. Instead she was replaced by Shunya, which just is not a good trade.
This wasn’t the worst idea, but the execution was sorely lacking.
No punch, no creativity, no originality
A short post this time, because the show was the show, and it just wasn’t that interesting. Maren’s issue wasn’t interesting as presented, just angsty. The whole thing was predicated on him sticking his head in the sand and not wanting to find out more. And honestly, he’s not that interesting, either to look at, or to talk to. Plus he spent the whole episode standing around being moody, but not even as the center of attention. In contrast, Miyoko was a lot better character, and I hope that this is a temporary dip, and not the start of a trend.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I liked the play mostly because when they acted it out, they made it actually look like they were in a secret hideout. It was a nice touch.
But I wasn’t as keen with the stuff about Maren either…Although for slightly different reasons.
I felt like everyone knew everything about him, except for us (the audience). We know he was having issues when his real family started to suddenly contact him after ostensibly abandoning him, but why would that make him quit the sax? That has almost nothing to do with his past family. With Miyoko, it was very clear what her problem was and why that made her give up the oboe. I felt like Maren’s problem wasn’t well-explained since everyone in the show secretly knew everything about him already, so no one bothered to probe deeper.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yes, there was a true connection between Miyoko playing the oboe and her brother passing away with nobody at his side. So there was a direct reason why she would feel guilty and give up the oboe for that. With Maren, it was just a “My adopted father plays the saxophone, but now I find out that my birth parents still love me! Oh waily waily waily!” I mean, why don’t you freakin ASK why they gave you up for adoption? And doesn’t the crisis for most adopted children come when they realize that the others DIDN’T love them? This was just a reasoning fail all around.
I’ll disagree a little with ‘everyone’ knowing about Maren. Chika and Miyoko didn’t, as far as I could tell, which is pretty much the only reason I am not more annoyed with it. Chika is our main character, so there shouldn’t really be anything she learns that we don’t.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Pretty much a dud episode. As said Maren giving up the saxophone because he was contacted by a member of his birth family who had given him up for adoption made no narrative sense.
And Haruta is too much of a know-it-all character. It’d make for a more interesting show if he made a major mistake soon and it’s Chika who solves the mystery. Then the audience would be in some doubt about his solutions in the future until an episode ended and we find out if he was right as usual or wrong again. Come on, anime crew, put some narrative tension in your mysteries.