The auditions are in full swing and this time around we get the joy of watching Aya and Sawa up on stage. We also get to see a bit of Kaoru and the twins, but they weren’t the main focus and as much as I wanted to see their performances, I’m okay with them getting the shorter end of the stick because the former (as being the biggest rivals to our main characters) were the ones to watch.
I’m actually pretty impressed that we got three little back stories in this episode! We already had an episode dedicated to Aya early on which was a pretty heavy hitter, but it wasn’t until now that I realized that we actually haven’t seen a lot about her life pre-Kouka. Personally, I don’t think I was the biggest fan of jumping back to her high school crush, but it did make for a nice conversation in the hallway with Sawa. Yes, you’re going for the role of Juliet who “gets” and falls for the boy and you have no experience. But there are countless roles, Tybalt included, who kill, want to kill, and get killed despite never have experienced that themselves in real life. It That conversation was great! I loved it. Friendzoned or not, there are plenty of roles out there that you’ll have to embrace without the experience.
And yet! I’m really happy they continued her flashback to the conversation on the roof with Yano! Even if Aya didn’t realize it at the time, it was still able to evoke emotion from her. When we were first introduced to Yano, I was really hoping that she’d be a friend and was pleasantly surprised when that turned out to be true! But even more surprised when she practically confessed to Aya. In the moment Aya was probably just thinking that she was just cheering her up, but they were genuine Aya! Someone really did fall for you! And to watch her realization on stage, that was so nice :^). It wasn’t as big or elaborate as Ai’s, but to see how she played on those emotions and became more confident made me smile. I’m gonna have to side with the teacher here and I’m rooting for you! At this point, I think Ai’s your biggest rival, so I hope you’re able to pull ahead!
Another little backstory we got was Sawa’s and if I’m honest I’m quite frustrated about it. I’m happy that we got to see a little bit into her life, but it really just felt like a tease! She’s one of the only characters that hasn’t gotten her time in the spotlight and I think she really deserves it! What is her past with being a ballerina? What are the emotions she experiences? How did she come to play such a bitter Tybalt!? And what a great Tybalt it was… I just feel really bummed that we haven’t had the chance to learn more about her (but here’s to hoping that it will still come!)
The last backstory we got was another one of Sarasa’s as she’s the only one who hasn’t performed yet. I’m actually kind of glad that the whole thing didn’t focus on her trying to take on the role of Tybalt. Rather it helped to sort out some feelings about her getting into Kouka and Akiya. I love the shift of her moving away from Kabuki and still being able to be on stage again. I loved the conversation at the aquarium as she talks about being one of the smaller fish in the ensemble, but eventually growing to become the elegant stingray who gets to play Lady Oscar. That whole moment was just a treat to watch! Also, good job on her for asking Akiya instead of the other way around. I hope they continue to support each other in accomplishing their dreams!
And so, we come to the end of another episodes. The series is getting ready for the season finale and they’ve likely saved the best performance for last. I’m excited for the next episode to come. Not only will we get to see Sarasa’s Tybalt, but we get to see Andou’s Romeo!
