(CR) Hibike! Euphonium Season 3

[Jaden]

Giving the lead part to Mayu was a great move by the teachers.

Her issue is that deferential and conflict-averse nature. Now she gets put in the spotlight and will be envied and praised for her ability.

Kumiko is just wishy washy, only got where she is because Reina is pulling her along. Now she will lose even that, if she can't beat her rival.

This is the good kind of adversity that lets people grow, although I'm sure there will be plenty of tearful breakdowns on the way.

[HandofFate]

really confused me with what was going on.

episode 6 ended with the start of the competition.
then episode 7 starts with 'team monaka' getting gold and the competition is over? I didn't even know there was a B-team where the other members enter together
Been a long time, but what does that mean.

[BBOvenGuy]

Originally Posted by Jaden

Giving the lead part to Mayu was a great move by the teachers.

Her issue is that deferential and conflict-averse nature. Now she gets put in the spotlight and will be envied and praised for her ability.

Kumiko is just wishy washy, only got where she is because Reina is pulling her along. Now she will lose even that, if she can't beat her rival.

This is the good kind of adversity that lets people grow, although I'm sure there will be plenty of tearful breakdowns on the way.

Speaking purely in terms of story structuring, as soon as they decided to hold separate auditions for each of the three competitions they'd be doing, it was obvious that Kumiko would lose either the first one or the second one. Her character arc demands that she come back from adversity to do the final performance alongside Reina.

[scififan]

Originally Posted by HandofFate

really confused me with what was going on.

episode 6 ended with the start of the competition.
then episode 7 starts with 'team monaka' getting gold and the competition is over? I didn't even know there was a B-team where the other members enter together
Been a long time, but what does that mean.

One viewer claimed he used to be in U.S. high school marching band. They had something like B-team, for members who are not good enough. He didn't mention if they held competition for B-team. The scenario is like the high school has Varsity team, Junior Varsity team, and Freshman team. Freshman team has no competition. Junior Varsity team are players who failed to make Varsity team selection, but they still have inter-school competition.

Another viewer claimed he was in the amateur band. He said he was surprised that the people problems are similar in his band and Japanese schools.

Spoiler for speculation on Taki's choices:

Taki makes two controversial choices.
Taki chooses Mayu for the solo part, while Kumiko has confidence for getting the part. It might be similar to the rematch from the season 1. More viewers agree Reina should be chosen instead of Kaori. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6SIyyVyO8I

Kaori is played by a freshman of the music college. Her play follows textbook. Some viewers support her for her articulation. In contrast, Reina's player is the award winning professional player. Her play uses a personal style, by not following the script. More viewers support Reina for showing the mastery beyond the textbook requirement.

This year, Taki eliminates one strong euphonium player(Kanade) by adding two weak tuba players. I think it is a bad choice. Maybe the last year's dud gold hit Taki hard. Last year, Taki added one additional euphonium player(Natski) to compensate the lack of qualified tuba players. The online discussion seems to valid this choice. The tuba players seem to have more opportunities than euphonium players in concerts. Overall, both tuba and euphonium suffers because they did not have place in the classical music. When the giants of classical music composed orchestra, these instruments were not invented. Euphonium players have more disadvantages in the concert environment. Winning national gold might occupy Taki's mind, catering the judges' tastes becomes important. I think his decision hits hard on the students' morale, because Kanade's skill is considered one of the best players in the band.

Now, it is Kumiko's and Kanade's term to make peace with themselves. In their middle schools, they both won the competition against their seniors. This time, they are defeated. It is not because they are not good enough.

[ars89]

Knew this was coming, but that still hurts.

I hope to see Kanade blow up at Mayu, just see what her reaction will be.

[larethian]

Originally Posted by HandofFate

really confused me with what was going on.

episode 6 ended with the start of the competition.
then episode 7 starts with 'team monaka' getting gold and the competition is over? I didn't even know there was a B-team where the other members enter together
Been a long time, but what does that mean.

In one of the episodes of season 1, it was briefly alluded that the prefectures contain 3 categories in the competition:
Category Group A: string 1
Category Group B: string 2
Category Small Ensemble: small ensemble group making up of 25 or less members

In the novels, the Monaka string apparently consists of more members than shown in the anime and took part in category group B, even when Kumiko was in year 1, but it wasn't really touched on much in the anime due to to the small group size for Monaka in the anime.

Only the prefectures contain these 3 categories. For regionals and nationals, there is only category A.

For episode 7, basically yeah, it was just mentioned that both the main band and Monaka got gold in their respective categories in the prefectures without further elaboration. Not sure whether we will be getting a Kansai footage as well. There are only 5 episodes left.
If last episode is used for tying up loose ends like that of season 2, and for sure next episode is going to be spent on taking care of the aftermath of the audition, we don't have many episodes left for the finals. I foresee Kansai regionals to take place in episode 10 and also just briefly touched on.

[Master_Yoma]

Well its off the camp again where a lot of things are happening with Kawashima & Tsukinaga and Kumiko & Mayu

[FlareKnight]

Oh boy. That's the drama that's been ready to hit.

Credit to the show. It was fully expected that Kumiko would fall short here. 3 auditions is all great for drama, but there's a good expectation for how this would go to maximize that. Kumiko failing on the second audition and then gloriously punching her ticket from the third one is the way to go. That doesn't mean it failed to land. I still really felt for Kumiko as she had to process this one. Of course the scary thing is that she's got to both handle this and keep the group together. There is going to be unease and disagreement over their president not getting the soli part.

What got me though was Kanade not making it at all. That was absolutely outside of my expectations. They did set it up with the discussion the previous night. But mentally I just have Kanade as part of the group and didn't think twice about it. And for her I really feel bad. Kanade does adore Kumiko and she gets the double whammy of seeing Kumiko not get the solo part AND she doesn't get to play beside her. She'll have to sit on the sidelines praying her heart out that they make it. Only if they can get to that third audition can she battle and earn her way back in.

The little drama with Midori is almost cute by comparison! It's a much smaller, but still emotional thing having her understandable expectations likely get subverted by what was likely said to her.

[scififan]

I doubt about Taki's decision to skip Kanade, but it makes more sense after watched a Youtube explanation.

Spoiler for Youtube analysis by visualization:

According to the visual arrangement, Clarinets are always arranged at the center. So, they are stars of the shows.

2 euphonium + 2 tuba
Orpheus in the Underworld(Orphée aux Enfers) -地獄のオルフェ(Japanese translation: Hell's Orpheus)
Note: The translation is due to culture difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUQIeSNxVGg

3 euphonium + 3 tuba
Marines' Hymn (The Halls of Montezuma) -海兵隊- (Japanese translation: Marine team/Corp)
Note: The translation makes more sense to the people who don't know the backstory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0WpdJ-1jsU

2 euphonium + 2 tuba
Polovtsian Dances- ダッタン人の踊り (Japanese translation: Tartar people's odori)
Note: The difference of translation is probably using catch-all-word for people who don't know the backstory. The music is played during Mizore's and Nozomi's time at Minami Middle School.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftb8v9zlW5M

2 euphonium + 3 tuba
Samba de Loves You
Note: For the concert to be held in February, the band members voted to play "Huntington Celebration" and "Disco Kid." Asuka, the former member, comments the choice is very Kumiko.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8yUZ9Anqjg

3 euphonium + 3 tuba
Final from Symphony in F Minor No.4
Note: The music played by Mayu's former school band on TV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmE6peWUP7Y

In the past, eupho section lacked the qualified players. Kumiko was dragged to the eupho team by Asuka. Winning gold in the first year attracts better players to the school. In the past, the performance includes two eupho players and two tuba players. Then, it was changed to three eupho players and three tuba players. Maybe Taki is experimenting, and he believes his changes will not hurt the upcoming competition. Whether doubling down or not, not meeting the final goal will lead people to doubt Taki's strategy. Niiyama is more straightforward than Taki. She encouraged Kumiko to apply the music college. It means she recognizes that Kumiko has the talent. Taki's decision is shaking Kumiko's confidence, and she will cope with it.

[Infinite Zenith]

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[scififan]

Kumiko's second year can be compared to the third year. In her second year, she was the witness of the conflict between friends. In her third year, she is involved in the conflict.

The playing of firework looks like bonfire. They are surely not singing Kumbaya in the open field.

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[arkhangelsk]

And our Angst Show gets Angstier than ever.

First, let's talk about Kanade. I'm not shocked because the show has always portrayed her as playing third fiddle. Not to diminish her because the show is consistent in showing her as a fairly good player, but her seniors have an extra year on top of her and so once the number of seats was reduced to two, that was that.
For the record, a certain percentage of the Japanese audience were extremely unkind to Kanade, and their response shows the difficulties of writing Underclassmen characters in Japanese productions. While most anime downplay the Sempai-Kohai gap or show only the positives, Euphonium plays it either exaggerated (I hope) or straight (I fear that's the case). Characters find it hard to stand out as characters while remaining compliant with Japanese social norms (thus likeable).
Even the part where somewhere it was mentioned that the norm of euphonium players is two and thus the increase to three suggests inadequacy in at least some of the members. FTR, I can't find that section for myself. I do note that Yamaha's guides on this issue recommend 3 euphoniums. It is a place where the author's understanding of this technical detail can validly say something about the character, but I don't think overall the story is trying to make a negative inference for Kanade. At worst the increase to three might have been to cover for Natsuki, which then continued out of a lack of enough tuba players and inertia until Taki decided he needed more bass.

Second, let's talk about Satsuki. Congratulations. To begin with, she played a strong role in creating this situation. Suzume clearly has talent, but Satsuki spent time and effort teaching her well and it paid off. In a sense Kanade didn't so much lose to "Mama" as she lost to Satsuki. Satsuki grew Suzume enough a 4-tuba formation became a viable option, and ultimately Taki went for that choice, thus forcing the choice of a 2-eupho formation. It seems right that Satsuki get her chance for her contributions. Kanade indeed was only a player doing her part while Satsuki was taking on more.

Third, I'd be a lot more content with the result if the winner wasn't Mayu. The show is really showing me Kumiko's point of view, and Mayu is murderously annoying. No possible motive can justify a 17 year old constantly bawling "But but but". I'm watching her through a laptop LCD and I still had to pause the playback to scream twice. Look, Mayu, we all know what the factors are. And you are old enough to know that as Club President, Kumiko has to say certain things. In fact, knowing this is one reason why Kumiko seems less than perfectly credible. But you are old enough to understand the concept of positionally-appropriate speech. Further, Kumiko is forced to tolerate and be polite to your constant prattle because she's Club President, and you are exploiting it.

Anyway, Mayu decides to throw her best, and Taki picks her. Part of the problem is that unlike Reina, there's no sign that Mayu can bat the ball that far out of the park. She's definitely not weaker than Kumiko and the show is explicit that she follows instructions well, but she doesn't have the superiority to be convincing and that's where the noises are coming from. The problem isn't so much the degree of meritocracy in Kitauji, but the margin of appreciation the students are willing to give Taki.

[larethian]

To outsiders her age, Reina may feel like a grown-up, but in reality, she's really still a child. No one is perfect and free from mistakes, more so, your most beloved and loved ones as you see all their faults up close, but still love them for who they are.

Whether Taki is making a mistake or not is not the crux here, but her assertion of "he's just right" doesn't hold water at all, and a strong display of her own immaturity. Far from what she believes in, she's merely infatuated and putting him on a pedestal. To top it off, she has to be a bitch to her bestie in slapping an irrational, judgmental and hurtful label on her as a means of defending Taki and her stand. And in the most contradictory way in my opinion, since I see Kumiko being more of a president than even her predecessors.

Aside from that, we learn from this episode, the majority of the ensemble club perceives Kumiko and Mayu to be equal in ability.

[Dextro]

So I've been keeping this show on the backburner despite it being one of my favourite shows of the modern KyoAni era (and one of my top shows overall) but I just caught up and, like everyone here, I was fully expecting Kumiko to be faced with precisely this kind of failure right from the moment we saw Mayu get introduced playing the Euphonium during the teaser at the end of the last movie.

Now that doesn't mean I didn't feel it hard. It was really hard to watch these last two episodes with Kumiko first getting punched in the gut by the audition, and then episode 9 capping off with Reina's childishness putting her into conflict with Kumiko (as larethian so correctly put it).

As I was watching that scene, and as Reina said that anyone who didn't understand Taki-sensei's choices was incompetent, i could just see the unintended slight she was throwing at Kumiko.

My bet is that Taki has been experimenting with different ways of organizing the ensemble either to appeal to the judges or to try and find that special thing that will get them the win at the Nationals. or maybe he's playing 4D chess and trying to get the group to face their own failings but, honestly, we've never seen the character be particularly aware of interpersonal issues before so it would be out of character to start now. Either way, the end result is that even the third year's unwavering faith in their advisor has started to slip and that means that the group is now weaker as a result. This mimics a lot the situation we got in season 1 thanks to Reina but also the pre-season 1 stuff where the club broke itself apart (which I'm pretty sure was fully intended by the author).

Thankfully I think Kumiko has the personality to actually make this work, unlike the situation the presidents that came before her. She already showed some great ability to defuse a similar situation when Reina was pushing a bit too hard on the first years during the SunFes training arc, now she just has to do it while she, herself, is going through the same issue Haruka went through during the first season. An issue caused by Reina at the time, just to add some poetic justice to all this.

[scififan]

Spoiler for personal opinion:

I think Kumiko cannot run away this time. Last time, Kumiko showed her intention to run away, by going to the high school where most her middle school colleagues won't go. She ended up meeting Shuiichi and Reina again. She had to face them and reconcile with them. If I remember correctly, Kumiko and Shuichi are childhood friends. They visit each other's home as their own homes. During the middle school, Shuiichi was talking to his male classmates. Kumiko came to him and asked him if he was going to eat dinner at her home. Shuiichi felt embarrassed and called Kumiko ugly and told her to leave in front of his friends. Kumiko and Shuiichi's friendship fell apart since then. Shuiichi's insult to Kumiko during the middle school is worse than what Reina does to Kumiko right now. She can still get alone with him. In comparison, Reina's disparage of Kumiko seems alright.

Kumiko spent good time with Shuiichi and Reina in the past two years. She just have to figure out how to reconcile with Reina again. For getting advice, Kanade is not a good choice, but Kanade's advice would be better Asuka's advice. Kanade's approach is to vent your unhappiness to anyone(Mayu) who you think does wrong to you(Kumiko). Asuka's approach, from year 1, was to tell someone(Mayu) to take a hike. Asuka was willing to see the club crash and burn, and she still enjoys her music. Perhaps, Asuka's divorced parents shaped her attitude for not taking side. However, she did take side by telling Nozomi not to return to the club. If Kanade is in Asuka's shoes, Kanade will speak out her feeling. It might be hurtful, but there might be a chance to clear misunderstanding. Kumiko's better choice is to learn from her graduating seniors(Yuko, Natsuki, Nozomi, and Mizore).

Reina used to ride the train with Kumiko. Before they became friends, Kumiko often startled by Reina sitting next to her. Now, Reina is avoiding her. The lonely Kumiko reminds me about Mizore at lost. In my head, Kumiko is staring at Reina in the photo. Ttears roll down her face.

Spoiler for going down Kumiko's memory lane:

Then it was time for cleaning. Kumiko, Natsuki, and Kanade were responsible for cleaning the music classroom, while Nozomi and Mizore were assigned to the job of cleaning the windows.

"Do you have any plans for the holiday starting tomorrow?" Nozomi wiped the glass and asked Mizore on the other side of the window.

Mizore: "There are no scheduled arrangements..."

Nozomi: "Really? Then do you want to go to the swimming pool the day after tomorrow? It's at Taiyogaoka Park."


"Swimming pool?" Mizore stopped what she was doing.

Nozomi: "OK?"

"...I will go." Mizore nodded expressionlessly.

Nozomi: "Oh, that's great, then why don't I buy a new swimsuit..."

Nozomi stood on tiptoe to wipe the higher glass. Mizore couldn't help but raise her head and look at Nozomi, and asked with some concern: "Hey, Nozomi."

Nozomi: "Huh?"

Mizore: "Can I invite someone else to come with me?"

The rag that Nozomi was holding with her fingertips suddenly fell to the ground. Nozomi picked up the rag, folded the dirty side inside, and said with a smile: "Hey, It's really rare for Mizore to say that. Who do you want to invite?"

Mizore: "Ririka. She said before that she wanted to hang out with me."

What Mizore said was immediately noticed Ririka. The excited Ririka immediately asked if she could make an appointment with other friends. After Nozomi agreed, Kanade was also included in the outing, and naturally Kumiko was not let go either.

"It's really fun what you guys are talking about. In that case, let's add the two of us." Natuski said, she hugged Yuko's shoulders, making the later look displeased.

Yuki: "How can I be happy here? Why do I have to spend the holidays with you?"

Natuski: "Oh, so you're not coming?"

Yuko: "Of course I will go!"

Natuski: "that's great."

"It's really annoying for you to make such arbitrary decisions." After finishing speaking, Yuko turned to Kumiko and said, "It's so pitiful that there is only one person in the second year. Do you want to ask your usual friends to come with you?"

"Wow! Then, then, Midori-chan, we're all going!" In response to Yuko's words, Midori-san held Hazuki and Reina with both hands. Among them, Reina was busy wiping the blackboard and didn't hear the previous conversation, so she looked in a state of shock.

"I really didn't expect so many people to go together." Nozomi smiled bitterly.

Mizore: "Nozomi prefers this way...right?"

Nozomi: "Well, I really like everyone having fun together."

"It's true." After finishing her words, Mizore smiled softly, her pupils reflecting Nozomi's figure. She continued: "During the festival, Nozomi asked if she wanted to invite others to come with her, so I did this."

"That's right." Nozomi responded cheerfully, her expression is a little unnatural. In order to maintain the smile on her face, Nozomi held the rag tightly, exposing the dirtier side on the inside.


================================================== ==========================

Since there was cleaning in the afternoon, Kumiko and Reina left school much earlier than usual, and the sky was still quite bright. When the two arrived at Keihan Uji Station, Reina asked, "We're going to the swimming pool the day after tomorrow, right? I was just thinking about what to do with my swimsuit. Last year's swimsuit can no longer fit, so it's time to buy a new swimsuit."

Hearing the keyword "can longer fit", Kumiko couldn't help but touch her chest through her clothes.

Kumiko: "Okay, I also want to buy a new swimsuit."

Reina: "Really? How about we go shopping together tomorrow?"

Kumiko: "Tomorrow? Okay, I'm going, I'm going."

Go shopping tomorrow, go to the swimming pool the day after tomorrow, and meet Shuichi the day after tomorrow. Kumiko wrote down her vacation schedule on her notepad. At this moment, she and Reina suddenly remembered that tomorrow was the day of the Ujigawa Fireworks Festival.

The Uji River Fireworks Festival attracts a large number of tourists every year. Fortunately, Kumiko’s home was in a good location where she could enjoy the fireworks without leaving home, and this gave her an idea.

Kumiko: "Come to my house for a night tomorrow. You can watch the fireworks directly there, and then we can go to the swimming pool together."

Reina: "Is this OK? Isn't it too sudden?"

Kumiko: "No problem. In my middle school, my friends would come to sleepover at my place."

Reina: "Alright."

================================================== ============================


The next day, Kumiko, who was still behind on her summer homework, arrived at JR Uji Station early in the morning. Reina, who was sitting on the bench reading a book, stood up when she noticed Kumiko's arrival. Reina was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a royal blue skirt. She looked like a pretty girl, which made Kumiko feel a little uneasy.

Kumiko: "Sorry for the wait."

"Actually, I just arrived. Compared to this..." After finishing her words, Reina walked towards Kumiko and reached out to touch Kumiko's lower eyelids. The gentle touch made Kumiko's back feel itchy.

Reina: "You have dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep last night?"

Kumiko: "One thing is that I didn't sleep well because I was thinking about a lot of things."

The two took the train to Kyoto Station and came to the shopping area of ​​​​the station's underground shopping mall. The store where they wanted to buy swimwear was located here.

As soon as she entered the store, Reina picked up the swimsuit displayed at the front. It was a black bikini with a simple design, which was quite similar to the one Asuka wore last year.

Kumiko: "Reina, do you want to wear this?"

Reina: "Isn't it cute?"

Kumiko: "If Reina wears it, it will definitely look cute."

Reina: "Your comment is too casual."

Kumiko: "Because it's the truth."

Kumiko responded to Reina and began to browse the swimsuits sold in the store.

"What about this one?" Reina asked. This time she took a white bikini. Compared with the black bikini, it seemed that the only difference was the color.

Kumiko: "Reina, do you like this?"

Reina: "Not really. Last year, Kaori-senpai and Asuka-senpai wore the same swimsuit together, right?"

"What, do you want to try it too?" Kumiko couldn't help laughing at Reina who pouted.

"Like them, maybe it is not bad." Reina agreed, hiding her shyness.

Kumiko: "Indeed, I want to try it too."

"Sure enough, I knew Kumiko would say that." Reina smiled with satisfaction. When Reina handed the bikini in her hand to Kumiko, the latter stretched out her hand to stop her in a panic.

Kumiko: "Ah...but that swimsuit is a bit out of control for me."

Reina: "Why?"

Kumiko: "How should I put it... Well, it's a little too early for me to wear this..."

Hearing what Kumiko said, Reina hung up the bikini and glanced at the swimsuits sold in the store again, ranging from cute to sexy.

Reina: "Ah, this one should suit Kumiko very well."

Rina chose a white-based bikini with a neckband. The swimsuit was embellished with bright yellow flowers, a ribbon was added to the chest, and the swim skirt on the lower body was made of layered lace.

"So, this is what Reina will wear." Kumiko picked another swimsuit of the same style, but the flowers were dark blue, which gave people a very mature feel.

After confirming the size, the two went to try it on. Reina took the lead and opened the door of the first fitting room. She took off her sandals and turned around and said, "Let me know after you finish changing."

Kumiko: "Alright."

When Kumiko slowly put on her swimsuit and sighed secretly over her undeveloped breasts, Reina had already finished changing. Kumiko poked her head out through the gap in the door curtain, and saw Reina opening the door curtain with no hesitation. She was wearing a swimsuit, revealing her soft skin and curves that were usually hidden under her uniform, and Kumiko couldn't help but admire her.

Kumiko: "So cute."

Hearing Kumiko say this, Reina lowered her gaze shyly. To hide her embarrassment, she pushed her long hair behind her ears.

Reina: "How does it look Kumiko? Let me see it too."

After Rina put on her sandals, she opened the curtain of the fitting room where Kumiko was. She stared expressionlessly at Kumiko who had changed into her swimsuit. Being in the same room with a beautiful girl in a swimsuit, Kumiko, who recognized this reality, felt a strong sense of dissonance.

Kumiko: "Well, Reina?"

Seeing Kumiko covering her body subconsciously, Reina burst out laughing.

Reina: "It's great, it suits you very well."

Kumiko: "Really...really?"

"Well, it's very cute. Let's buy this one." After saying this, Reina pulls down the curtain.

Startled by Reina's action, Kumiko came back to her sense, while keeping her smile.

Kumiko: "What's going on with that momentum you had just now?"

"I just said what I thought of." Reina's words and the sound of changing clothes came through the thin wall next door.

Kumiko: "I'm not cute at all."

Reina: "What? Kumiko doesn't agree with my aesthetics?"

Kumiko: "That's not what I meant."

"I'm not one to say polite words." Reina responded in a nonchalant tone. While wanting to see the expression on Reina's face next door, Kumiko resisted the urge and kept pondering what Reina had just said in her heart.


================================================== ========================================

After buying swimsuits, the two went to the food court in the underground mall to eat crepes. Kumiko ate the tuna cheese flavor, and the warm crepe and the faint scent of eggs stimulated her taste buds.

Kumiko: "What kind of flavor does Rina eat?"

Reina: "Tiramisu Chocolate Strawberry."

Kumiko: "It looks delicious."

Reina: "Do you want a bite?"

"Okay" Kumiko took a bite of the crepe handed over by Reina without hesitation. The combination of sour and sweet strawberries wrapped in fresh cream and chocolate chips made Kumiko almost want to buy another one.

Reina asked about Kumiko's troubles, and Kumiko explained the reason for her insomnia: She and Shuichi had known each other for so many years, and the relationship suddenly changed from friends to lovers, which made Kumiko a little confused.

Kumiko: "I really don't understand the difference between Like and Love." .

Rina took out a ballpoint pen and drew the Venn diagram taught in math class on a napkin. She carefully explained "De Morgan's Law" to Kumiko, who was not good at mathematics, and asked Kumiko to substitute A for Like and B for Love, and pointed out that Kumiko's thoughts about Shuichi were the intersection of Like and Love.

Reina: "Likes and dislikes can also be represented by this chart."

Kumiko: "What do you mean?"

Reina: "Like and hate, like or hate, neither like nor hate... It's all like these."

Kumiko: "It feels a bit scary to draw feelings on a diagram like this."

Reina: "What do you mean?"

Kumiko: "Use number and words to simplify these messy things. Originally, some things didn't mean that way, but they will feel different because of the change in form."

Reina: "You mean, words can influence people's thinking,"

Kumiko: "That's probably true, although I don't quite understand."

Reina: "This is what Kumiko would say typically."

================================================== ======================================

When Kumiko and Reina returned to JR Uji Station, crowds of people came to attend the Uji River Fireworks Festival. They had to find a way to take a long way back to Kumiko's home. Reina brought a box of foreign confectionery from a well-known old store to Kumiko's mother Akiko. As for her father Kentaro, he only said hello lightly, as if he didn't know how to get along with his daughter's friends.

Although they had eaten something on the way back, the two of them still ate the noodles prepared by Kumiko's mother for dinner.

Akiko: "If there's something you don't like to eat, Rina, don't force it, right?"

Reina: "No problem, I'm not a picky eater."

Akiko: "That's great. Shuichi hates tomatoes. He still forced himself to eat the noodle, an he ended up with an upset stomach."

Kumiko choke instantly. "Let me tell you, it's been a long time since Shuichi came for dinner." Kumiko couldn't help but complained.

Akiko: "It doesn't feel like that long, it's still a recent thing for me."

Realizing Kumiko couldn't hide her panic, Reina bursted out laughing.

Akiko: "If you want to eat more, just tell me."

"Okay, thank you." Rina nodded slightly.

Kumiko was eating noodles, and her feet somehow touched Reina's bare feet, while Reina looked at Kumiko with eyes full of smiles.

================================================== ====================================

"We can just sleep in the same bed." Because Reina said. So, Kumiko didn't prepare to sleep on the floor. She got into bed. The last time a friend came to stay at home was when she was in junior high school. Kumiko couldn't help but miss the feeling of sharing a bed with another person.

Kumiko: "If I oversleep, Reina will wake me up."

Reina: "What if I oversleep too?"

Kumiko: "In that case, let's hold hands and be late together."

Reina smiled softly. As her eyes gradually got used to the darkness, the sound of air conditioning running came to her ears, and Kumiko turned over slightly.

Reina: "This is the first time."

Kumiko: "What?"

Reina: "Like this, spending the night at a friend's house."

Kumiko: "Okay."

Kumiko, who was originally lying on her back, now turned to sleep on her side, making eye contact with Reina beside her. The distance between the two was closer than expected, enough to hear Reina's breathing clearly.

Kumiko: "What kind of child were you when you were in elementary school?"

Reina: "I always feel that there is not much difference from now."

Kumiko: "I can imagine."

Pictured in her mind the image of young Reina carrying a schoolbag and showing an indifferent expression, Kumiko couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't imagine what a weak Reina would look like, strong and beautiful. This was the Reina Kumiko knew, and it had always been the same since she had known her.

Reina: "I don't want to force myself to accomodate to other people. Saying I hate something that I like, or saying I like something that I hate, it makes me feel like I'm killing myself to accommodate others. It makes me feel like a fool."

Kumiko: "It is what Reina would say."

Reina: "Because... I really can't agree with this approach. Isn't that what Kumiko think?"

Kumiko: "I don't agree with it either. However, if you don't do this, you will easily lose friends."

Reina: "Is it really necessary to submit to others just because of this..."

Kumiko: "After all, it's hard to spend time alone in school. In the end, it's a matter of choice, whether you want to be alone or to act with someone. Of course, it's best to find someone you can be honest with. ”

Reina: "I feel like Kumiko won't be worried about not being able to make friends."

"There's no such thing." Kumiko smiled bitterly.

Under the quilt, Kumiko and Reina's wrists touched. The body temperature coming from their sides made Kumiko feel very comfortable, and her consciousness gradually blurred.

Kumiko: "When it comes to who I want to be with, I probably don't think about it as seriously as Reina does."

Reina: "Okay?"

Kumiko: "Well, I don't hate having to cooperate with others. As for having to insist on my own opinions, that's not my style either."

Reina: "I think I can't be like Kumiko."

"Both each other..." The whole person's consciousness seemed to be far away. Kumiko, who couldn't resist the sleepiness, couldn't even rub her eyes.

"Kumiko?" Reina's voice now sounded like there was a layer of membrane between them.

Kumiko, who wanted to respond to Reina, could only make some unclear sounds.

"Good night," Reina murmured.

[KitsuKyouno]

Mayu win the Euphobowl, that the only victory that matter
I hope they lose the competition again

[Ragashingo]

I think that might have been the very best episode of Sound! Euphonium. Why? Because Kumiko is being torn between her philosophies in believable ways:

• She truly believes in the new way Kitauji deals with picking talent for competitions and that the previous way of seniority and popularity were unfair and were suppressing the club's chances of winning. In their first year, Reina was clearly better than Kaori. It was the right choice to make on technical grounds.
• But now, as president of the club responsible for more than just playing her best, she can see and feel the discontent roiling through the club at the switch of eupho soloists. Popularity does matter. That is clear to her by the way things are going wrong even as she defends Kitauji's meritocratic ideals.

The episode did a spectacularly good job of showing us opinions on both sides. From random periphery first years to members of our core cast like Hazuki and Shuuichi voicing differing opinions. It did such a good job of laying out both sides that I can't pick one. Both are right... which is crazy to say because they are also mutually exclusive. They can't both be right!

There is a solution. It's actually Kaori who showed it to us in the first season. Kaori still had the support of the club even after the 2nd audition against Reina. Despite Reina clearly being the better player. Talent vs Popularity was about to tear the club apart. Popularity was going to win out and leave the people insisting on talent to fume and quit, but then Kaori gave up the spot in a graceful way that defused the situation. Kumiko and Mayu need to figure out how to do that. Kumiko needs to accept Mayu's read of the situation. That a newcomer taking the part of the popular club president will be dangerously disruptive. Mayu needs to be more forceful in her beliefs and go to Taki and respectfully decline the solo part with the reason that it will harm the club as a whole.

Meritocracy is a good ideal to have, and respecting it does a lot to dampen down most popularity squabbles. But personal grace and a higher level view of the greater good needs some consideration, too. The band will not achieve national ranking if everyone is upset. Is the goal to have the best talent up on a stage all mad at each other, or is the goal to win? Winning requires the best talent, yes, but it also requires teamwork and happiness. As mutually exclusive as Meritocracy vs Popularity/Club happiness are, they are at the same time reliant on each other. Maybe your best people are always your best people, but you are competing against other extremely talented schools, and your best people won't be better than their best people if your club is in turmoil.

Which brings us to Reina and to some extent to Taki.

Reina has always seen talent as the ultimate decider. She has softened a little over the years, at first she didn't have a clue that beating people negatively affected them, but when push comes to shove, she still goes with talent. If Kumiko had been obviously better than Mayu, I think Reina would have been unhappy with the result. Even if it went against Taki. But given this "easier" choice where the players were of the same talent, of course she will side with Taki. Reina is also being incredibly stubborn to Kumiko. Hurtfully so. Reina has never been even close to perfect, socially. She has benefited a lot by being the best musician and then having everything else fall into place around her. That's not happening this time and she needs to compromise. She won't win Nationals no matter how good she plays if everyone else is upset. Not to mention she risks losing a friendship. That "you failed as President" comment to Kumiko was just wrong, and Reina needs to answer and apologize for it.

And Taki... I largely supported his choices in the Reina vs Kaori standoff in the 1st year. He let the entire club see what he saw and there was such a difference in talent that he was obviously in the right. But was his almost complete silence also the right thing? Did he not see the cracks in the club back then? And, more importantly, does he not see them now?! The club is about to have a meltdown if something doesn't change. But he hasn't led. He hasn't explained. Is the club crashing and burning at the next competition acceptable to him? Does it fit with his dream of achieving great things on his dead wife's behalf? Because that's where things are heading right now. Largely on a swap between two people of equal talent.

I hope all these things work out with something more than Kumiko just getting better and winning back her soloists spot from Mayu. Kumiko, Mayu, Reina, and Taki all need to change course. Kumiko appears to be doing so. It looks like she is going to actually question Taki for the good of the club. Now, Mayu needs to go with her gut and step down. Reina needs to realize that she is part of a team. And Taki needs to wake up and start taking some responsibility for the stability of the club.

[Master_Yoma]

Well everyone a little depressed after the picks of who will play and who out but got to hand it to Kumiko steeling her self for not being the soloist

[BBOvenGuy]

I hate to be the contrarian... or on the other hand, maybe I don't ... but I found myself agreeing with Reina more than I disagreed with her.

When you're in a middle-management position, which is effectively what the president, vice-president, and drum major are, it's your job to support the leadership's decision in front of the troops. If they see you being negative or argumentative, then they'll feel like they have permission to be that way too, and the team's entire structure and cohesion begins to break down.

If you disagree with the leadership's decision, then you take it to the leadership privately and hash it out, which is just what Kumiko did. I'd been waiting for her to do that for half the episode.

Now, did I agree with Reina on everything? No. She lost her temper with Kumiko, but that was very much her stubborn nature at work. It will sort itself out in time.

Mayu is not going to give up the solo part on her own. That would let Kumiko off the hook. If Kumiko is going to play the solo at Nationals - and we all know she is - then she will have to find it within herself to get the job back. She wouldn't be the hero of the story if she didn't.

[larethian]

https://x.com/hayaya0303/status/1797183695755059666

Spoilers

Spoiler for ep 10 info

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