This is hands down, probably the fastest I have ever started crying when watching a show. I mean for goodness sake, it was barely five minutes into the episode when when Satowa saw her mother enter the room when my eyes started to water. And then not even a minute after that, the floodgates burst open and I continued to bawl like a baby throughout the rest of the performance.
Tenkyuu, I can’t put into words how special it is. What a piece. It is simply gorgeous, and I absolutely love and appreciate that they didn’t interrupt the performance like they had with previous ones. They gave us the full eight minutes of glory and it was magical. The way everyone came together, ahhhhh it was such a good feeling! Maybe it was because everyone (and the judges) felt she was in a class of her own, and if anyone were to join in, it would almost feel as though it would disturb the piece. I suppose the best part about it was that nobody expected them to pull it off. So it was very rewarding to see Chika and Sane be the first to prove them wrong! I also loved their part because their collective sound was so soothing. Of course it only got better from there on out when the rest of the group finally come together. It really made me appreciate and understand the the sentiment, “If you consider the 17-string and the solo as the “root and “trunk” of the tree, the first and second kotos are the leaves and blossoms that lend colors to it.” And don’t even get me started on the final note, oh gosh that was so beautiful, what a perfect way to end such a tranquil and heartfelt piece. I am so proud of how far everyone has come, they practiced so hard for this moment!
It was so funny how the crowd was so moved by their performance they were stunned silent. It wasn’t until Mio starting applauding while they were already leaving the stage that everyone followed. It was truly a magnificent one, one they should be wholeheartedly proud of. Poor Kota wasn’t completely convinced since the applause came so late ahahahaha, poor guy. Akira gave them the reassurance but then Takinami being the troll he is was like, “It was so-so”, you ass. Heck, even if Tokise were not to win this competition, they have certainly won my heart because this piece is going to be playing in the back of my mind on repeat for the days or even months to come. I certainly wouldn’t want to be that school who is performing after both Hakuto and Tokise. Not sure if there was, but nonetheless, theoretically speaking it would be a tough act to follow. But while it is a competition, Granny also made a very good point: “…They play in a way that we pay no attention to them (high level techniques) by completely hiding the difficulty of their performance” And this is so true! We always hear about how points can be attributed to the technical difficulty of the piece, but ultimately music is meant to be enjoyed.
This episode was such a treat, and everyone crying was such a big mood. Poor Tetsuki, didn’t bring enough tissues or handkerchiefs to supply the crying ladies ahahahahaha. It was an uplifting finish to see everyone come together to search for Satowa’s mom. Seriously lady, why must you be so hard to find!?!?! Poor Satowa thought for a moment that she had already left, how sad is that?! THANKFULLY, just as Satowa was about to give up, her mother found her. I still can’t believe they decided to end it there though! I thought for sure we would get the full reunion at least!
It goes without saying this is absolutely the best episode to date. I mean this is literally everything you would expect out of a music series. And gosh darn it, I am going to buy Kono Oto Tomare’s CD as soon as I can. Gosh I wish I had encountered the series early enough to have learned about the CD, then I could have gotten the sweet pre-order bonus, but that’s besides the point. The animation was also really nice this week even though there were a couple of scenes that were recycled and some wonky moments, but I mean I expected that much, but overall it was still good! I especially especially loved the opening transition with Satowa at the start!
On the extra note, the group I had mentioned about being cut from the performance line-up in the adaption actually appeared in the audience. (They were the trio in the white uniform on the far left bottom of the screen). That is probably the most we will ever see of them though hahaha! Oh and Mio also had quite update in the Opening sequence as well, it was so cute!
Next week, the results are in, but it is also the last episode. Aw man, I am going to miss it. I am just so happy this show even received an adaption in the first place, the koto is such a beautiful instrument and this is such a wonderful story with amazing characters.
Until next week! Happy Holidays everyone!
