Coming into this week, I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to this! It’s one of my favourite earliest chapter of the series. Ugh my heart! I AM LEGIT CRYING RIGHT NOW. Ryuuseigun is such a beautiful piece and I couldn’t be happier with the way they went about the presentation. It really strengthens the punch of emotions when you got the koto playing in the background of Chika’s flashbacks. And sure enough, when Chika’s solo came around, I completely lost it. Chika produces such a gentle sound, that’s why everyone who only saw him as a good-for-nothing, violent delinquent were completely stunned silence.
That isn’t to say Chika carried the performance, Satowa helped pull the group back together when they fell out of sync and everyone was panicking. But their efforts most certainly paid off. They were able to shut up the crowd who had no interest in their club’s fate and successfully managed to mesmerized them. Was it perfect? No, but it was because nobody expecting anything from them that they were able to catch them off guard the way they did. The stupefied look on the Vice Principle’s face was satisfying, and I really hope they don’t cut out what follows AFTER they finish performing, because it’s hilarious!
It was great to see how much characters like Takezou and Satowa have grown in just a few episodes. Takezou strengthened his newfound spine by saying his piece to the audience who were ridiculing them, and Satowa showed us her remorseful side after she had learned about Chika’s past. She may act cold and have a sharp mouth, but when she learns of how hurtful her words are to others, like Chika’s case, where she had made harsh comments about how he doesn’t deserve to play the koto or how she doesn’t trust him carrying her 17-stringed koto (which she today, asked him to carry). She felt absolutely awful, and even apologized to him. And her apology reached him, the smile goes to show how much he appreciated it. It was so cute how he teased her, ahaha! (It was so freaking cute though (and super smooth) how he propped the pocket tissues pack on her head, and didn’t ask her why she was crying. HE’S SUCH A GOOD BOY!!!!!)
Speaking of Chika being precious, I cannot get over how much he cares for Granny. He has really become attached her to, as she has become his mentor and an important elder figure in his life. It’s so sweet how he went to the principle to ask if she could be attend their performance. We later learned her shop has been helping out with the club for years, which makes it all the more special. It’s also worth pointing out how Granny is extremely perspective, especially about the feelings behind one’s sound. She likened Satowa’s a cry of a lonely Dragon, which is accurate to say the least.
And of course it is an understatement to say there were a lot of precious moments that made me cry, and then proceeded to make me cry even harder. One of them were when Tetsuki went out to search for Chika to bring him home to his grandpa, and the other was when Chika smiled for the first time in probably an eternity, and you could see the hope grow in Gen witness Chika laugh and smile for the first time. At moment, he knew there was hope for Chika, and that’s why he told him to find more people he can smile like that with, and use his hands to protect what is important to him.
But most importantly, I think we really need to take a moment and recognize how important Tetsuki is to Chika. The guy doesn’t get a lot of attention because he isn’t part of the club, but damnit he is a character that needs to be recognized for how amazing he is! He is Chika’s one true childhood friend who stuck by his side during the most difficult period of his life. Together with Gen, they saved Chika by simply not giving up on him when he had already given up on himself. It was thanks to their efforts, Chika was able to see there are people who love and care for him, and was able to change for the better.
And now thanks to this performance, as one should expect, this will allow their peers to see Chika in a new light. Next week it’s a start of a new day for the club, bringing in two new characters (one who we have been given a glimpse of today: Koto Club Advisor Takinami), and I can’t wait to start the next stage of the series, there is so much to look forward to!
The last thing I wanted to address was the decision to make a brief transition away from the koto’s sounds around the 16 minutes mark. I am sure there are some who would have liked to just hear the koto own the whole thing, but at the same time, I thought this meshed together really well. I also think think one of the reasons why it didn’t bother me was because of the length of the piece, and how it helped build up to Chika’s solo because it put they were able to focus onto his sound. But if you wish to hear the whole piece simply with the kotos, well you are in luck! The manga actually has a whole CD produced for the pieces it features, so you can listen to it in all its glory, starting at 1:40!
