Hibike! Euphonium

[Kraco]

As the leader of their section, she should've taken measures to fix the problem, not get randomly pissed and leave to do solo practice. It's funny how the person who was dumped and the quasi-bitch Kumiko were the ones to help, but the cool and dependable Asuka just threw a fit. No wonder she didn't want to be president of the club.

Nah. I'm sure she would have helped if it was something music and performing related. However, Sapphire's issue had nothing to do with anything relevant. Members are supposed to deal with their private issues on their private time. Of course Kumiko and Hazuki would help since they are Sapphire's friends and that's what real friends are for. Asuka isn't her friend, though. You might be correct about it being one of the reasons why Asuka wouldn't want to be the president: Since members might easily imagine it involves stuff it's not supposed to involve, like fixing bloody relationship slumps. People aren't machines, yes, but that goes both ways.

[shinta|hikari]

Emotional issues ARE performance and music related. Haven't you heard them repeat love and death as the cores of music? Didn't Kumiko change from having that yuri encounter?

A better senpai would've helped Sapphire through it. Supportive words, or even harsh ones if delivered with the intention to help, would've been appreciated. They aren't obligated to, but they would've been much cooler if they did. You know, like all other kind and cool senpai characters in a ton of different shows.

Did Asuka getting pissed about Sapphire's problem help any? No.

Asuka didn't want to be president because she was incapable of it. Charisma does not equal leadership. Leadership involves people and emotions, after all.

[Kraco]

The world isn't so convenient there would be shoujo show perfect senpai around for every task. Like you said, Asuka obviously knows she can't handle the stuff that should be unnecessary for a club president, so she declined. There's no helping being the section leader, though. It's not like there would be anyone better around. With her skills and dedication, and being a senpai, it's natural she has some weight also otherwise. But it's strictly related to the band and music, or at least she would hope so personally.

[shinta|hikari]

I'm not asking for a perfect world, nor would I want it. This show is much better with Asuka the way she is because it gives her complexity.

I'm just calling her out for her bitch move and lack of empathy (even fake empathy).

[Kraco]

I'm just calling her out for her bitch move and lack of empathy (even fake empathy).

It's every bit as much lack of empathy to belong to a music band very close to participating in the big competition and let one's private, unrelated (and minor to boot) regrets affect the whole band. If Sapphire's father had just died, I reckon Asuka would have been far more understanding or at least tactful. But this was just bullshit and very immature.

[shinta|hikari]

Immature? They are friggin high school students. Like I said, feelings are relative. A relative's death can mean less than guilt towards a friend for some (I'm like that).

You are stretching (read: changing) the meaning of the word empathy by applying the lack of it to Sapphire. She has too much of it, causing her to feel guilty for her wrong advice to a friend. She was also sorry for dragging down everyone during practice, but she couldn't help it. Where is the lack of empathy in that?

[Kraco]

Episode 10 - HS



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Only a few of those people belong to a music club. The rest belong to a drama club. Or at least they think they do. If this band scores any major victory in the competition, it'll be highly unrealistic.

Reina's lesbian act is quite smooth considering she's apparently in love with a man, after all.

[shinta|hikari]

All the yuri shippers just died after that. I love it.

Those girls acted perfectly human, and humans are disgusting. They are able to say arrogant and scathing things in the guise of anonymity and numbers, but when given the chance to stand up for their words, they falter. Kaori was awesome for doing the exact opposite. Reina will still eat her alive, though. She's friggin' in love with Taki. No way she'll lose.

I like how Taki reacted to the rumors. Despite being awesome, he has weaknesses. He is probably as bad in politics as he is good in music, but he is fine that way. TakiXReina ending.

Good job to KyoAni for animating those scenes to well. No other studio can convey subtle feelings better. If Ufotable rules over action, KyoAni reigns over emotion.

[Buffalobiian]

Playing in front of the whole band was the obvious solution, and anybody should have seen that coming from the beginning of the issue. The only problem is how you execute it. I don't know if Taki saw this problem, or was simply too caught up in keeping auditions private and hoping rumours would go away.

Blatantly calling Kaori to play in front of the class with Reina would have put her on the spot. It would have also destroyed her relationship with ribbon-girl, since the latter basically forced the former to embarrass herself.

Kaori needed to stand up herself, and that happened. Too bad it took so long, but I don't mind drama. That's what this is, after all. If I wanted to listen to endless music I'd listen to a CD.

The friendly relationship between Reina and Omae makes sense when you remember they're middle-school "friends". That awkwardness at the start of the year made it seem like they're quite distant, but really Omae's known her longer than Midori or Hazuki. Reina's in the same category as Shuichi in that regards.

Asuka, despite her falseness, has still got the right attitude. She's in it for herself. Practising to better her own music, for her own sake. The whole "Don't bring that shit (your relationship problems) into the music room" isn't wrong IMO.

I equally like Natsuki's chill factor. She recognises that someone is both more serious and better than her.

Little pipsqueak ribbon-hair needs a slapping.

[Kraco]

Little pipsqueak ribbon-hair needs a slapping.

Yeah, but Kaori needs to be slapped as many times as well. As much as I hate the ribbon sycophant, Kaori still did everything to look cool, yet didn't hesitate a moment to harvest the fruits of the ribbon girl's efforts and sacrifice. Despite her victory, there must be a bunch of people in the band now who find the ribbon girl obnoxious and ruining the atmosphere, a real bootlicker. Namely those people who would want to proceed with the fricking reason the club is supposed to exist for and are worried about the competition. You bet the serious schools, like the one whose invitation Reina refused, didn't waste time in this manner.

[Ryllharu]

Asuka, despite her falseness, has still got the right attitude. She's in it for herself. Practising to better her own music, for her own sake. The whole "Don't bring that shit (your relationship problems) into the music room" isn't wrong IMO.

Eh? Can you clarify this, because this episode showed that Asuka is just as two-faced as Kaori is. As Kraco said, Kaori talked a big game of, "I'm already over it," to garner even more sympathy and pass herself as an angelic rolemodel, but she was practicing the solo parts the entire time hoping this chance would present itself.

Asuka tries to play herself off as the cool, serious beauty, only in it for "the art" and whatnot, but when Kumiko tells Haruka that Asuka went back to the brass section to continue practice, Haruka looks out the window and sees Asuka consoling Kaori and saying something that makes Kaori very happy. That's when Haruka knows she has to do something to stop this shit right now. Unfortunately, Taki-sensei undermines her actions a bit with the new set of auditions.

The seniors are close friends and all have each other's backs. Just as guilty of all the nastiness that happened the last year. The only one of them that actually genuine and looks at the bigger picture is poor Haruka.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't have a problem with either Kaori nor Asuka.

Kaori says she's over it. She's saying that so people won't start shit. What she hasn't accepted yet is that Reina is better than her. She's not into overthrowing the teacher's judgement because she distrusts him. It's simply that she hasn't heard Reina's audition herself to admit defeat. There's no problem with that.

Asuka plays her roles. As a vice-president, she abides by the teacher's decision and doesn't comment further. As a friend to Kaori, she keeps her happy and says hello, "I see you haven't given up yet" etc because that's the path Kaori has chosen. Off the record to Oumae (because Asuka recognises her facade as well), she really doesn't give a shit.

Asuka said "bye" to Haruka, Haruka assumes she went back. There's nothing wrong here. Like Asuka said, what they shared there was off the record.

None of these girls are the problem. The problematic ones are ribbon-girl and the clarinet bunch of fuckheads who actually have nothing to do with this but put their worthless 2c in anyway.

[Ryllharu]

If Kaori accepted it, she wouldn't have spent every night practicing the solo part. When it came out that Reina knew Taki-sensei before, Kaori tells Sqeaky Ribbon girl to not have them spread the rumor, but doesn't do a damn thing aside from that to stop it and continues to practice those parts (or actively starts practicing again, that timeline is unclear). Her attitude definitely shifts when Squeaky Ribbon Girl reminds her of "her dream."

Squeaky Ribbon girl was annoying, but at least she was honest about it. Kaori plays saint in front of the girls that idolize her, while absolutely taking advantage of the dirty work they're doing.

I wasn't talking about what Asuka and Kumiko talked about. I was talking about what Asuka went to go Kaori, that Haruka witnessed from above. Haruka saw it, and when she did, knew this shit had to stop right now.

Kaori has the respect of the band to stop the rumors and actually have them focus on scoring well. But she doesn't do anything to stop it. She practices to take the solo part back instead. Asuka also commands the respect to stop it, but she chooses to improve her own image amongst all the parties while punishing the brass section for no reason.

Haruka is the only one who recognizes that someone has to act, but most of the band doesn't respect her because she's a weak-willed crybaby. Personally, a second round of auditions is bullshit. If the two advisors (because Taki-sensei is only a part of this equation), both thought Reina was better, that's it. This isn't Drumline, ffs.

[Kraco]

Asuka also commands the respect to stop it, but she chooses to improve her own image amongst all the parties while punishing the brass section for no reason.

I wouldn't blame Asuka for much of anything in this case. She's been consistent throughtout, only concentrating on music, not any drama bullshit. Of course she's still a human, so she wants to hang out with friends and classmates and such, but what comes to the band club, she doesn't want to do anything but make sure she can do her (musical) part perfectly, allowing no compromises. Such an impartial and professional attitude generates respect among those who respect musical talent and dedication, but I'm not sure she could suddenly use it to make relationship and other emotional problems right.

Haruka is the only one who recognizes that someone has to act, but most of the band doesn't respect her because she's a weak-willed crybaby. Personally, a second round of auditions is bullshit. If the two advisors (because Taki-sensei is only a part of this equation), both thought Reina was better, that's it. This isn't Drumline, ffs.

Considering a good portion of the band apparently cares more about drama, relationships, and social hierarchy than music, there's no helping it. Nobody can order them to forget it and get back to music 100%. If a second audition can shut them up for good, then it's the easiest way out. In the end Reina must have enough self-confidence that it's probably nothing more than a passing annoyance for her.

[Buffalobiian]

If Kaori accepted it, she wouldn't have spent every night practicing the solo part.

Kaori says she's over it. She's saying that so people won't start shit. What she hasn't accepted yet is that Reina is better than her. She's not into overthrowing the teacher's judgement because she distrusts him. It's simply that she hasn't heard Reina's audition herself to admit defeat. There's no problem with that.

-----------------

When it came out that Reina knew Taki-sensei before, Kaori tells Sqeaky Ribbon girl to not have them spread the rumor, but doesn't do a damn thing aside from that to stop it and continues to practice those parts (or actively starts practicing again, that timeline is unclear). Her attitude definitely shifts when Squeaky Ribbon Girl reminds her of "her dream."

That's fine as well. What did you want her to do, slap Ribbon in the face every time she did something? They made regulation in Australia at one point that doctors had to actively go around shutting people up if they made ridiculously (falsely?) good claims about him online. It's now no longer the case because they realise how absurd it was to make you so do.

You're expecting Kaori to go around shutting down people when they're doing things in good faith for her. In the grand scheme of things it might be wise, but I don't expect an individual to do that.

I do not think Kaori ever stopped practising her solo. She practised for the audition, and she never stopped because she has not been convinced yet that she's not as good as Reina for it.

[shinta|hikari]

I agree with Buff. Kaori wasn't doing anything with any malicious intentions or scheming. She was doing it because she couldn't accept it herself, not because she wanted to force the band into a second audition. There was little she could do in that situation. Attacking the people who are concerned for you, especially if you aren't in a position of responsiblity to do so (Prez, VP), is not a good idea socially.

Asuka is clearly two-faced. I don't blame her though. Everyone is like that. You just have to go with the flow sometimes. Even strong people cannot survive when they turn everyone against them, and showing her evil self to everyone would do just that.

Reina's thigh slapping tantrum was the best thing in this episode.

[Kraco]

Asuka is clearly two-faced. I don't blame her though. Everyone is like that. You just have to go with the flow sometimes. Even strong people cannot survive when they turn everyone against them, and showing her evil self to everyone would do just that.

"Two-faced" loses its meaning if everybody is two-faced. I don't see what Asuka did that would earn her that description, anyway. Surely you don't mean she should have stopped talking to Kaori entirely to avoid it? That'd be senseless. She just kept doing what she always had done.

[shinta|hikari]

I'm not referring to a certain situation. Asuka pretends to be a cool and caring person, when in reality she doesn't give a shit. The disparity between her facade and true self is larger than the others (i.e. Sapphire, Dumped girl, Reina).

That said, it's not something I can blame her for. But that still doesn't change the fact that she is quite two-faced.

[Kraco]

Pretends? She is cool by concentrating on music and staying out of irrelevant drama. I don't know why you would call her pretending to be caring. She values her friends like anybody would, but otherwise she's certainly not particularly caring. In the first place cool and caring are not complementary even if not totally opposite either.

[Ryllharu]

Problem is we already know Kaori is as two-faced as Asuka, if not more so. See the episode where she went to visit Haruka at home to tease her.

I'm just surprised that many of you seem to be interested in justifying her behavior this episode and falling for the same act that her worshippers do.

@Buff: What you said and what I said are not the same thing. She not only doesn't accept that Reina is better than she is, she also doesn't accept the audition as a whole. She's doing the exact same thing her worshippers are doing, just pretending she's not.