“Let’s Katou-chan!”
Impression
Yet another smart decision from Taki-sensei. A few weeks ago, I mentioned the prospect of auditions to cull the members of the concert band itself, but it looks like they’ll be instead used to select the participants for the upcoming national competition. I would like to think that this time, there was a lot less focus on the opposition to this decision because it’s pretty much the correct one to make. As it’s a competition, the right sort of idea would be to tackle it with your best players, so that you have the best chance of winning. Or else there’s little point in competing in the first place. The old system, which apparently gave seniors priority is definitely a reason why Kitauji has never made it far in the past. I was hoping to see a bit of the audition this episode, but we’ll have to wait until next week it seems – and when it arrives, it’ll be a chance for us to see just how good certain members are, and whether their skill has any relevance to their commitment. Aoi-chan seems resigned to not passing for example, but Natsuki-senpai is fervently practicing and hiding her talents. I hope they finally show us what both Natsuki and Reina are actually capable of when it’s their turn to audition.
As for our quartet of girls, three of them ought to have no problem. Kumiko and Midori both have experience, and Reina should be focused on whether she’s good enough to earn a solo part, instead of whether she’s good enough to merely pass the audition. But Hazuki, as a beginner on an instrument already strongly represented by Asuka and Gotou, is in trouble. I’m not sure exactly how much culling Taki-sensei wants to do, or how far above the member limit the band currently is for the competition, but if the going gets tough I genuinely don’t know whether Hazuki will be able to make it. It’s great that she’s discovered the joy of playing in ensemble (and she will later learn how crucial bass is for keeping tempo and rhythm) but I’m not sure whether this can be converted into results quickly enough – the dynamic nature of the piece they’ll be playing implies that skill is needed, after all. It’s a good aspiration for Asuka to want her to step up as a regular this year, though – they used Midori as an example, but Reina is an even better one in that her skill is now a threat to some of the other trumpet senpais. And it doesn’t seem like the trumpets are as friendly amongst themselves as the basses are.
It seems almost obligatory to write a paragraph about shipping and the current status of the various ships out there. Kumiko got adorably nervous over Reina again – and consciously or not, she delivered back the same line Reina told her last episode, complete with a smile. And Reina blushed! She blushed! My dreams are coming true! These two are so cute together! It’s developing at a snail’s pace, but it’s happening nonetheless! I’m looking forward to the day when they eventually call each other by their first names instead of Oumae-san and Kousaka-san. The other ship that set sail was Hazuki and Shuichi, oddly enough. In yet another proven case of the tenet that ‘the childhood friend never wins’, Kumiko feels nothing for Shuichi at all – but in saving her tuba twice he’s found an admirer in Hazuki!
A lot of the recent drama and tension over the Sunrise Festival has come at a cost of great Asuka lines, but all of that came back in full force this week. And great lines in general. I mean, Asuka won the day with “I’m Tubacabra. You were born to blow me” but other contenders were exchanges like: “It looks more like the tuba’s carrying you”, to which Midori replied, “Kumiko-chan, you said that out loud.” And when questioned on her loyalty to Tuba-kun despite playing euph, Kumiko dejectedly goes: “They won’t make a euphonium in the series.”
Kumiko is cute in the Tuba-kun outfit too!
Kazuki and Shuuichi? Hmm, well, I already wanted to learn more about them as individuals, so I welcome such knowledge in the form of a “duet”! Musical mates, best of friends or even a real romance? I’ll take any and all! 😀
I recently began watching the greatness that is Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru and I’m wondering if we’ll see Kousaka share some similarities to a certain someone. Did she get outcast by her peers for being talented in many cases?
If so it was probably to a lesser degree, but might Kousaka also be blushing over Kumiko because Kumiko’s the first person to ever really pursue friendly relations, despite either previous conflicts or changes in classes and schools? As for Taki-sensei, I wonder if she’ll be “working” with him eventually for the sake of the club like that same certain someone was working with Shizuka. Oh the possibilities!
I want to learn more about Hazuki as well, but my interest in Shuuichi ends at wanting to see a range of displeased reactions from Kumiko whenever the two meet 😀
Reina is often by herself, yes. But we just don’t know enough for now – we don’t know what she was like back in middle school, and the trumpet section she plays in doesn’t seem to be overly welcoming by nature. So far, she’s unfortunately not been in the spotlight as much as I think we all would like – contrary to how the OP and ED portray the four of them together all the time. But at least Reina has been warming up to Kumiko much faster than Yukinon would!
I ship HazuIchi, period.
That line made Sapphire went fangirled on Kumiko, and made me laugh at the same time. Still can’t get enough of the former Seijo prodigy who’s playing contrabass yet has cuteness. Asuka has yet again into her sermons with her kouhais like the usual, she’s just fired up when it comes to everything regarding the ensemble.
Behind those wacky stuff was we already discovered why Kitauji hasn’t been into the National Ensemble competitions for the past ten years while the other schools from different parts of Japan had entered the said competition, so I think Taki-sensei was very ambitious on Kumiko and co to test themselves by meet the musical style on their own by an audition (and he has even called the “cute demon”).
This week for me was more Hazuki-centered than what I have mentioned in the episode because she did her very best just to master the tuba and I think with the help of Kumiko and co, Hazuki began to realize about what the right instrument she was played right now.
Like the version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” by the way. And what Kumiko said at the end of every episode, “The next piece has begun.” 😉