AHHHHHHHH HOW COULD THEY END IT THERE! OH MY GOD, WHO SAID THAT WAS OKAY?! YOU END IT THERE AND WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FALL!?!??!!??! I can’t believe they just ended the first cour like that. Man, that’s hella of a cliffhanger if you haven’t read the manga ahahaha! But even though I read the stuff, I still think it’s unfair ahahaha!
Oh man, this episode was so beautiful. While there were times the animation did not look the prettiest or the cleanest at times (but was super solid when it mattered!), I sincerely appreciate the decision made to let us see the characters actually performing in great detail (the movement of the strings in particular), and I feel like that made it even better and wholesome to watch. They definitely surprised me with the way they went about pacing the episode, but while the way the ended it was heck of a cliffhanger, I say it was a real solid one that ought to motivate people to resume watching it in the fall. And it was because of that, they could take their time with it.
The first half of the episode focused on Takinami getting under Chika’s skin by telling him they can still perform without him, so drop out. I understand why he said that given how Chika’s injury could (and did) affect the performance, but damnit, I was not okay with the way he went about it. That statement really hurt him, as someone who had been alone all this time, and finally he found a place he belongs and could be a part of. So it’s an understatement why Chika was determined to perform regardless of his injury. And Takezou, who overheard the whole thing wanted to believe in Chika, even though he himself wasn’t sure if he was making the right decision either. In the end, their ability to come together and finish the performance on a high note left Takinami speechless. From the very start, he always challenged and doubted their convictions, but today, they proved how much he had underestimated their strength and resolve by demonstrating that whenever they fall, together, they can get right back up again.
The second half was entirely dedicated to Kuon, and beautifully so, making it my favourite piece we have heard in the show so far! So I appreciate the fact they stuck to the piece without breaking away from it as they have done with some performances in the past. This is definitely the direction I would like to see them keep going when we resume in the fall. And goodness, Kuon is a breathtaking piece, and what better way to enhance it than making it roller-coaster of emotions to watch? Seeing Chika struggle, and undergo a meltdown as he falls out of order with the others, causing the whole team to panic in response and become sloppy made it hard to watch. Chika, was quickly plagued by guilt and frustration, tormenting him for dragging everyone down. There is nothing more painful for him to hear everyone fall apart when he knows they can do better, especially for Satowa, since he doesn’t want to tarnish her performance either. Meanwhile, Satowa is freaking out when she noticed his had was swollen, and becomes distraught about how it was became he covered for her that he got her, and her inability to pull the group together again. As for Takezou, even though he knew about his injury (and had even considered telling the team about it in advance), he decided to put his trust in Chika, and let him perform so they wouldn’t have any regrets.
But the one who sweeps in to rescue the team from their plight was none other than Kouta. (MY EMOTIONS! KOUTA~!) He does so by nailing the part he had struggled with in practice, and it calms everyone down. Thanks to him, they they are able to get back onto the same page, and from there on out, they took what they left had and ran with it. And I don’t know about you, but when they did, it gave me goosebump, and I cried. It was such a lovely moment to see them help each other get back onto their feet, and have such a beautiful finish.
1st Split – Final Thoughts: 7.5/10
Although Kono Oto Tomare had a bit of a shaky start in regards to the pacing and the presentation of the music, they were able to quickly find their footing and have done a really good job faithfully adapting to the series. While there were some occasional re-arrangements of scenes, it still flowed seamlessly without needing to sacrifice important details.
Overall, I must say the adaption so far has been a real solid one, and I am very excited and happy it will be continuing this fall since this series absolutely deserves the twenty-six episodes treatment! There is still so much to look forward to, so if you haven’t started watching this series just yet, this is absolutely one you should check out over the summer so you’ll be set to continue where we left off in the October, Fall 2019! Kono Oto Tomare is a lovely music series with endearing and misunderstood characters of misfits who come together in the Koto Club.
Until then, please enjoy the live performance of Kuon!
BONUS: I forgot to plug this in for Episode 9!
(It has been added!)
Himesaka’s Double Personality
