With the success of their performance, not only they were effectually able to corner the Vice-Principle so that he can no longer pick on them (by “thanking” him for presenting them the opportunity and so on and so forth), but the were also able to shed their unapproachable image. Their newfound popularity has their fellow classmates flocking around them, eager to learn more about them and their experience with Kotos. Chika seems to be handling the new popularity better than Satowa, who had the opportunity to make new friends, but because she’s afraid to, she chickens out from an invitation to have lunch with some nice girls.
However their stunt has also drawn the attention of some new trouble, as a notorious classmate Hiro, who has a reputation of looking for time to kill and gets bored easily. While Takezou and the trios were excited to have her part of the club, Satowa and Chika both share doubts about her intention. Satowa was quick to notice how Hiro’s long and decorated nails are not fit for playing, and Chika seemed to have quickly caught on she had applied with troubling game in mind.
It is understatement for us to be incredibly ticked off about Hiro’s intentions. And who wouldn’t be? This girl joins the club with the drive to challenge and create rifts between the friendship and trust they all have in each other. It is such bitchy move, it makes us question, why on Earth would she want to do that?! Unfortunately for Satowa, being the most experienced and famous member of the club quickly became an ideal scapegoat to serve as the wedge to split everyone up. Hiro started off with talking with the trio, making up a comment Satowa made how it’s hard to work with people of lower-levels, and how she’s in a totally different world from them. The trios fell for it, and the next day Saneyasu ends up bringing it up when he apologizes for being difficult to Satowa. But as soon as he said that, he noticed something but was amiss, but it wasn’t until Satowa was absent because of a fever, and after Chika called out on Hiro’s bullshit that it finally clicked to Saneyasu that he messed up and hurt Satowa’s feelings.
Additionally, through her mother, Hiro has also learned about Satowa’s big secret, one Chika had also ended up partially discovering when he went to deliver a handout to her. As it turns out, Satowa doesn’t live in a grand mansion, but alone in a tiny apartment. It’s a secret she didn’t want to share, as she went as far as making sure she brings the instruments they are borrowing on her own.
Now with this development, I can understand if some viewers felt frustrated or turned-off by how the club keeps on being attacked antagonistic characters. But it’s important to realize, there’s actually an important theme going on: Don’t be quick to judge their character. There’s always more to them than meets the eye. This also applies to their club advisor Takinami, who has no filter and a terrible attitude. Some may see him as a realist, pointing out the obvious of how the reason why Takezou and his former club members didn’t make it to Nationals last year was because they didn’t perform well enough. Others will probably see him the type who crushes hopes and dreams. Simply put, he is an incredibly complicated character who can be really hard to read and understand his intentions, until we finally get the chance to learn more about him.
It’s also worth noting, how in a lot of series, when these type of things happens, a lot of times, many characters fall for these drama stunts. So to see the character catch onto the intent and recognize their mistakes and misunderstandings before it gets dragged out is a refreshing change of pace. It also helps because of their faith and willingness to communicate with each other (with some helpful nudges from their friends, in this case Chika telling Saneyasu he just needs to apologize to her), prevents these annoying dragged out conflicts from bearing fruit. Is it cheesy? Yes to some degree, but it also showcases the maturity of the characters as well. They are all good-natured individuals, and their willingness to look out for each other and recognize their mistakes and apologize for it are what makes their friendship so resilient.
Luckily for us, Takezou was able to see past Hiro’s mask by the end of the episode. Look forward to how he responds to this situation. We have an individual who is trying to mess with their club, and and Takezou is not about to sit back and watch like he used to!
Speaking of Takezou, he found the courage to ask everyone if they wish to aim for Nationals together, and made a new sign for their determination! I’m so proud of him! He’s finally breaking out of that meekly shell of his and embracing his role as the club’s leader. He has also taken the initiative to look for opportunities for them to gain experience by competing in the Kanto Region Traditional Japanese Music Festival. The competition will be held in August, and they pick will best schools of seven prefectures and choose a grand prize winner.
Last but not least, the heartfelt moment of the episode was when Granny felt it was the right time to present Chika the Koto his grandfather had made for him. It was his last piece, and had also miraculously survived the vandalism incident. Initially Chika was reluctant to accept it, feeling like he wasn’t qualified for it until he saw the proof it was made specifically for him. But what makes this gift so bittersweet is how Kotos are consumable instruments, they don’t last forever. They wither over times, and the sound will change and eventually the sound will become warped.
Next week we’ll be learning more about Satowa’s situation and her past! I am looking forward to it!
