- These two episodes are, in my eyes, quite contrasting. Episode 7 has seriously stood out, and has made shown us that the main third-year girls (Haruka, Asuka, Aoi and Kaori) play just as center a role in this show as Kumiko and the others. Meanwhile episode 8 gives us an obligatory episode: a summer/festival/fireworks episode. And it was an episode that was both predictable and unpredictable at the same time.
- I swear I’m psychic. Looking back to what I said about Aoi in the last post, I can see that her studies are way more important to her than playing tenor sax…something that she herself admitted that she was never really any good at. So watching episode 7, which was a very refreshing and outstanding one compared to what we’ve had so far, Aoi’s defeatism (culminating in her quitting the band) has left a serious mark in the band. Haruka knew about Aoi’s indifference’s and yet did nothing to stop her.
- Having never been part of a school club, I can’t speak from a personal point-of-view, but I can imagine choosing to become and remaining to be the president of a school club takes guts. Haruka’s emotions and total lack of assertiveness have let her crumble at Aoi’s decision, and so she takes it out on herself. And it isn’t just her; Aoi and Kaori share her thoughts on what they could have done about the mass abandoning of last year. Asuka is a passionate yuri girl, can lead a marching band, can master the baton, can win over members with her charm and odd sense of humor, and is outstanding with her instrument…and yet she remains neutral. She’s practically perfect in every way. So much in fact that, from around episode 4 or 5, it started to get on my nerves. It’s only been now when it’s seriously started to get to me. I feel so much for Haruka now and while Asuka annoys me now, she still should have been president; her neutrality would mean she can be both nice and mean at the same time. Well……unless Haruka finally decides to get off her behind and starts to be more assertive. Being nice to the members is one thing, but giving them treats for playing well???
- As Kumiko, Hazuki and Midori have been firmly placed into the background at this point, I’m going to be highly controversial and say Haruka (despite the emotional wreck she is) is my favorite girl of the show. I always seem to go for the relatively-normal ones…but at the end of this episode, I was left wondering about her own future in the band. She’s been shoved by her fellow third-years to remain as president, but is it something she truly wants to do? Aoi left because her studies were the most important thing on her mind, but I have a tiny feeling that the band just doesn’t make Haruka happy anymore. I fear that this show is moving too quickly for its own good at the moment, unless a second season has already been decided by KyoAni.
Just all part of Reina’s master plan…
- Even with all this indifference and friction between members, everyone still has time to have a break for the town festival. I predicted that Hazuki had her eye on Shuichi and I was right. Talk about a mismatched pairing…but as predicted, it’s down to the guy to deliver bad news, and for the girl to cry her eyes out because of silly blind adolescent love. So while episode 7 was all heavy on the drama, episode 8 was all heavy on the romance…and was it?! Unexpectedly, and after like forever of being a tsundere, Reina makes a move. After a slight misunderstanding over who to go with to the festival, she and Kumiko end up…well…going to the mountain to play their instruments.
- To be perfectly honest, I don’t know what Reina possibly sees in Kumiko. While she’s been consistent throughout the show, Reina along with the third-years have stood out in the show in terms of quality; Kumiko, Hazuki and Midori just seem…well…plain and ordinary. Which is why I was at odds with Reina’s closing speech: she hates the perfect people who just want to blend in; something that Kumiko seems to have no trouble with at the moment. All of Reina’s cold yet polite attitude in the band has already put some band members at odds purely because they just her to be on the same ‘wavelength’ as them…as in someone who likes the hobbies they do, the food they like, etc. Reina may not have turned into a lone wolf or a teacher’s pet perhaps, but the mere fact that she chooses to be unlike the others means she just won’t be popular at all. But it’s not like she cares. I mean here she is showing off a long white one-piece to impress her beloved Kumiko…
No need for red ribbons and lilies then.
- I can’t imagine what’ll happen in the remaining episodes. I hope Haruka’s self-esteem gets better, I hope Kumiko and Reina do something…else (I don’t know what, but something), I hope Asuka will have some flaw and we’ll perhaps have an episode purely about her (since we know next to nothing about her and who she really is), and I hope Hazuki and Midori just disappear into the rest of the non-speaking band members, because both of them have kind of served their purpose. Or have they?
