Hanayamata – 08
Ah, if they could only stay this good…
Everyone gets, the pre-show jitters, everyone has those unresolved issues. Let’s see how those points work themselves out.
————————————————————————————————————————————
When you climb…
Plump? I’ll let you make the call. Or better yet, let the girls make the call.
Well, I’m glad there was no outright body shaming in this. Instead it was a very casual comment made by an adult, that quite possibly should have known better. But, as fuel for the fire, it burned rather well. Lots of middle school girls get conscious about what is going on with shapes, size, and perhaps too little here, too much there….but all in all I’m glad the whole affair, this episode, sparked quickly and went out with some easy resolution. You’ve gained some muscle, and you need to work on stamina. But that still leaves them with that rather clunky 8-bit chiptuny dance theme. Oi, what was up with that? Why? Why did Yaya do that? Why did they think that was good to dance to, much less listen too. I expected to play Yosakoi Simon with that…
…sometimes you fall…
This was seriously creepy. Just the manic marching…..
But just as you have an outer image of yourself, you have an inner image that can keep you just as entertained. For Naru an anxious failure is or has been pretty much a road block rather than a speed bump. It kept her from making new friends in the past, when she let the better of her negative feelings get to her. And now it’s just compounding on itself. This was the first of the “let’s change the subject” bits they did this episode. When Yaya wanted to bring it up, Naru literally ran away from the issue. The second was Machi cutting Tami off from talking about Sally-chan-sensei. Both created some good drama points, and left the episode feeling very tense. This was the facet I loved about this outing. The pacing provided the tension more than a confessional blow by blow could have.
What do you mean you left the plot device behind?
…or Sally-chan created a portable plot hole? No matter how you cut it, this bit felt so very forced to me. So much that I had to contain it enough to get to it. I can understand the need to have some competing character elements work themselves to some loggerheads. But if they wanted Machi there, why not just have Tami ask. Oh, she did? Yes, she did. Even with the change of subject grope added in. Having the music CD left behind slowed this thing down to a screechy halt.
And even if it set the stage for both Machi and Sari Tomaki to have their scene, why? Why the misplaced CD? Arrrrgh, it fit in almost was well as the chiptune theme. That CD is just poison. If Tami asked in such a way, I’m sure Machi would have made some time for it, despite her studies. She’s shown interest, and she has nice feelings for how it’s effecting Tami. Geez, stupid CD.
But this scene was incredible. It asks all the right questions, and is clipped in such a way to both fascinate and to frustrate. At this point, Machi was pretty much just one note serious, but now we see a few bits of the past to flesh her out. And Sari got in on the action as well. Seems a bit cruel there, doesn’t she.
…and sometimes you fly…
I was actually waiting for this sort of moment. If the ends justify the means, then the means are what create the ends. She was nervous from the get go, not giving herself time to relax, nor reflecting on how far she actually has come from the girl that fell on her face with every single turn, nor the girl who shrunk away from the initial challenge. She wasn’t the person that took this risk when the show started. She has changed a great deal. And it should give her a great deal of confidence. Maybe she should have changed the subject…
But if you fall or fly, you have to climb
Yeah, I know I’m harsh on the chiptune and the odd ass random plot hole that was easily resolved, but all in all a great episode, and a perfect set up for some resolution come next time. I’ve been waiting for some good Machi development, and my patience has been rewarded. What did you folks think?
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 Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I didn’t mind the MIDI standard sound. Yaya could have picked something a bit better, but there are some who like that sine-wave tone.
For my part, I could have done without a major failure on Naru’s part. Have her and Hana make some mistakes? Fine. Have them not ‘win’ whatever the contest is? Fine. But I don’t really see what the show gains by completely humiliating Naru. Are her friends going to be there any more or less for her if she makes a few stumbles or if she f’s up completely? No, that wouldn’t matter either way. It just seemed like they felt they HAD to make her fail, despite her effort, despite her worry, despite her practice. And fail in the most embarrassing manner possible. And it just doesn’t happen that way. So it really took the authenticity away.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I can see the way you present it, but for how the show has been developing her, it really couldn’t go any other way. Naru has always been a character made more of flaws then merits, and this is about taking the painful steps to overcome that.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
I think it is knowing what was so obviously coming that makes it so much more offensive. I can’t tell you how much I squirmed when it happened.
That said, if we change our perspective, it would mean the show accomplished what it set out to do this episode with flying colors. We are meant to feel uncomfortable. We are meant to squirm. We are meant to almost cry out in frustration at Naru’s slip. And that will make the payoff next episode all the more rewarding, when the rest of the girls pick her back up and the audience turns out to be a warm crowd.
Or, you know, the audience could just stare and whisper, further deepening Naru’s trauma. But if that happens we’ll be watching the wrong show.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
This Guy…This Guy Knows….
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I dunno, given how rewarding I felt Love Live! was, without any of that obviously monkeying with the plot, I don’t really know if it does make it “better” or more rewarding. And I certainly don’t know that it’s worth the eyerolling and hit that the show takes from being predictable like every other show.
And that’s on top of it being completely over the top unrealistic. People don’t fall down. They stumble, they might run into each other. But it is really rare for someone to get themselves so out of control that they fall down. I can believe a failure like Mai’s from Photo Kano, where she dropped her apparatus (and they used the exact same reaction shot). But this was just too forced.
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
When doing a series of high-speed movements and turns like that? You most certainly can fall down. However, that doesn’t appear to be what happened to Naru. It looked to me more like she suddenly had a trauma-flashback when she looked at the audience, causing her to lose her grip on her naruko and collapse.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
“High speed movements and turns” significantly overstates both yosakoi and what they were doing. There’s ONE turn in the routine, and it’s not where they were.
I’m calling it out for what it was: A cheap and lazy drama device.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
In which we all hold court about the cheap plot devices. Let the discussion continue…
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Ya I’m kinda with you on this, they didn’t have to make Naru get completely humiliating, Yes I was hoping for the stumbles, the mistakes, and the running into each other, because it’s their first time doing the dance in-front of people so I was expecting some mistakes. But as far as Completely humiliated Naru, falling down might be a bit much because you’d think they practice the basic move enough that this wouldn’t be the case. But no amount of practice can prepare ya for the actual live performance. Did she really fall though? of is it for dramatic ending effect?
As far as more rewarding, humm I can see that, They build up to fail, but the rewarding bit would be to see Naru get back up, over come her traumatic fall all on her own. And Yes when she had a few mistakes I was squirming as well, I kept saying..ok ok don’t fall don’t…ugh! nooooo! Naru! tsk…anime.
I just took it as maybe this is how Machi joins the team, see them fall, sees Tami upset, so steps in to basically make them awesome and 100%, kinda I’m just doing this so you guys wont fail. or something hehe
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
There is absolutely nothing wrong with those thighs. When the student council president approves of them with a playful pinch, you know all is right with the world.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Oh, goodness yes. A playful pinch is worth sooooo much.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Yes them thighs are fine, i personally…(wispers) personally approve….I mean uh um. anyways, Woot glasses-chan is actually very playful! yays! though too soon for best girl… yet!
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
I think the forgotten CD played a more significant role than just getting Machi on the scene. It was a major point where things went wrong, and it threw everyone off-balance. Just like everyone’s nervous inability to sleep, everyone running late and rushing to get to the train, Hana’s face being unusually red (is she getting sick?), the lost CD was another bit of foreshadowing that something was not going to go well at this performance, as well as perhaps helping cause some of that failure.
How what happens next is handled will be crucial.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Yep like they say.. “when it rains it pours” or “What could go wrong will go wrong..”
But getting Machi to show up, ehh i feel the same ish as skylion, I mean she was already invited, Silly-chan was going to be there so she didn’t want to go, So to make her go without silly-chan… ok sure… I’m halfway ok with this. those sisters….
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
Leggo my comment, spammy.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I didn’t like this episode at all. In fact, I don’t care much for the entire series.
This is a show about dancing–so show us the girls practicing their dancing and not just the few seconds we get per episode if lucky. Sure, you’ve got to show the developing personal relationships and all that stuff. I’m fine with that. But you’ve been skimping on the dancing! So they’re finally performing in public and what do we get? A few seconds showing them dancing, some static shots and lots of shots of the audience. Why not show us them dancing and how they begin to lose control of their choreography? That would make Naru’s stumbling and falling more realistic.
Okay, I realize animating the dancing would be costly and they’re no doubt saving the budget for the climatic dance at the end. Still, giving us so little dancing in a show about dancing just rubs it in our faces that this is a low budget anime. If you’re going to make a low budget SOL, pick a theme that shouldn’t have a lot of action animation.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
They have never stated that this would be a show about dancing. It was a show about five characters and it has a dance clue in it. It’s a focus, but it’s a very soft focus at first, getting more defined as we get to this point.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
I’m guessing you throw quite a few tables when watching K-on? I mean going into this show that is the first thought that came to my mind.
“this show is going to be just like K-on..” so I was sorta prepared for this to happen going into this series.
why spend money here when we will get one at episode 12 or something, I’m pretty sure their holding out for a awesome end! maybe…
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Well this episode for me wasn’t too bad, It’s sorta what I was expecting, all the things I sorta wanted and then some. Failing big time because of nervousness, First times performance, and all the extra forgetful, and being overly excited. I was hoping for a slight mistake here and there, but they gave me more so thanks for that..poor Naru.
Anyways Best part of this episode though.. Machi development. Need I say more?..Okay I will. First of all I Did not make the connection or bother looking it up, But I knew Silly had to be related to Machi, I pointed out a few weeks ago with fosh saying..
“how is Machi going to join the group? i mean she has the same hair style….same hair style.. wait a minute.”
And in this episode it finally hit me.. Sisters(right before she told them..”she’s her sister! i knew it, that hair) oh man I was close.. So yeah that was a half surprise. But anyways! Machi! please put this group back together, your smart you know how to make this happen for the group, I’m counting on your glasses-chan!~
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I actually spoiled myself on the two of them being sisters a few weeks ago, which isn’t too big a deal. What is the bigger deal is the animosity between the Sari and Machi.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Having finally heard the full version of the OP, it really is a great song. Unlike a lot of anisongs, the second verse really extends the first. Too many of them are either straight up copies of the first verse or go way overboard changing things. In particular, whoever wrote and/or performed the bass part really carries the song. I knew that from the first part in the show, with that driving note at the end of the first verse before the bridge, but in the second verse, rather than being that pushing forward note, the same part settles down to a low foundation, really grounding the song before it launches into the second chorus and the middle eight. Then in the last chorus, it echoes the melody line just enough. It really is a brilliant part all the way through.