2015-06-22, 08:51 | Link #2001 | |
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And superficially, there is nothing objectionable about Kumiko for Asuka. Kumiko is the type to not cause drama. She's a skilled player of the euph even.
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2015-06-22, 08:55 | Link #2002 | ||
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None of this means she wasn't doing her best already.
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2015-06-22, 09:02 | Link #2003 | |
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Correct translation "You(Kumiko) might get mad at me if I say this" (久美子にこんなこと言ったら怒られるかもしれないけど) |
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2015-06-22, 09:05 | Link #2004 | |
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For me young Kumiko seemed to have more passion when it comes to music that how much she has now. And I'm assuming that problem with her senior in middle school that made her lose her passion, although it's true we have yet to see her just before that happened. Maybe her passion when she was very little was just a young kid interest in something new that quickly went away.
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2015-06-22, 09:46 | Link #2005 | |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Making metal ... for fish
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Given the drama she witnessed the year before, she was probably overjoyed to end up with three freshmen who were willing to work; and positively elated to have wound up with an experienced euphonium player. The euphonium is a versatile instrument, with enough range for both melody and solo parts, and the ability to strengthen or augment other sections as a piece requires. Ergo, the reason Asuka is interested in Kumiko, is that Kumiko's presence allows Asuka to not have to do so many "necessary evil" things (Kumiko pulled in Natsuki ... a thing Asuka was clearly incapable of doing, for example,) and get on with the business of playing. And how did Asuka glom onto her in the beginning? Apparently Kumiko must have "euphonium player" tattooed on her face, or something. Midori was unsurprised when Kumiko stated she'd played euphonium in Episode 1; and Asuka said Kumiko "looked" like a euphonium player in Episode 2.
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2015-06-22, 09:57 | Link #2006 |
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I agree with GMT on what Asuka sees in Kumiko.
In addition to that, Asuka might see a good future band leader in Kumiko. Kumiko leaped into action when Aoi left, and IIRC, she was the only person to do so other than the Band President (Haruka) and the VP (Asuka herself). Kumiko also strongly supported Reina, and appears to be the only Band member that has grown close to the new star player. These two facts make Kumiko seem very bold and decisive, at least relative to much of the rest of this band. Kumiko herself is probably one of the Top 10 band members for sheer musical performance - I agree with Kazu-kun on that. Kumiko approaches music pretty seriously, and appears to love it for its own sake. She seems to be very good at making friends, and she tends to get along well with new people. Asuka is probably picking up on all of this, and sees someone who could make a good Band leader one day, or failing that, could still be an useful "glue" person for the band.
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2015-06-22, 10:08 | Link #2007 | |
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2015-06-22, 10:09 | Link #2008 |
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I mentioned this before, but that conclusion you two are coming up with needs Asuka to be someone who cares and works a lot for the band, but does it behind the scenes without people noticing it's her. A kind of well intentioned "just as planned".
While my impression is that she may not really care that much about the band, at least not enough to make her get away from her comfort zone. Her not getting the spotlight seems more like for selfish reasons than actually something she is doing for the band sake.
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2015-06-22, 10:14 | Link #2009 | |
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Regarding her passion lost, I agree that, considering they put it that as a flashback, surely her bad experience influenced her greatly. That's also why I'm assuming she is not doing her best, since it's somehow implied by her characterization that she need to grow (and/or first to go back from where she regressed to) in that department. In fact my speculation is not if she will grow, but if her growth will be beneficial or positive for her as individual and to her relationships. Obviously I suspect that her path is not the one to stand out (-> Reina) but the one more akin to her ( -> Asuka), but to ascertain it she first need to get there, as it seems it's actually happening. That's an accurate analysis, it's just that it like something is missing, like I'm expecting something more distinctive than just that. But that's could depend on my bias for Asuka. In fact the point in which I disagree is the one about Asuka wanting to do just one thing, playing. She is more than that. It was pretty clear in how she acted with Kaori, where despite she seemed detached and even rude in what she did, or did not, was in behalf of Kaori. And that's somehow the key through which I'm seeing her. So in that I can agree with Triple_R that it may be what Asuka is seeing in Kumiko. That potentiality of being a good band leader (or maybe a good XO).
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2015-06-22, 10:31 | Link #2010 | |
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Especially telling is the presence of Natsuki. When we first meet Natsuki, she's always off by the window listening to old Norah Jones albums, or something, (as evidenced by all the sleep she was getting.) If Asuka were more proactive (or cared for much beyond her own interests,) Natsuki would've been whipped into shape already. Instead, we see that Natsuki doesn't get pulled into practices until Kumiko comes along and drags her sleepy ass into ensemble. Here, it's plainly apparent that Asuka is willing to let Natsuki slack off, because she's not really doing anything that'd get in the way of Asuka's playing time.
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2015-06-22, 10:40 | Link #2011 | |
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She could be better, and she will, but she will never be as good as people like Asuka and Reina. The talent they have is the talent of being obsessed, of being really focused on just one thing with little to no regard for anything else. Kumiko isn't like that. She has a wider perspective. And that's not a bad thing. She will never be a star player, but she could make a good leader, something Asuka will never be despite having some leader-like qualities to her.
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2015-06-22, 10:58 | Link #2012 | |
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About Asuka, I don't know if she has or has not leader qualities, she has the authority, or so it seems, but she fears to use it, but on that I'll write later if I'll be able to define it in a way that makes sense.
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2015-06-22, 11:09 | Link #2013 | ||
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Here is what I think it is - Asuka just wants to play, but she's shrewd enough (and now experienced enough) to realize that just ignoring unwanted drama isn't necessarily going to make it go away. So I think Asuka does spend just a little bit of time/effort supporting, and being on the lookout for, good people managers in the band. Here's an analogy I would use - To Asuka, band drama is like an annoying pest infestation plaguing your home. But pests don't go away just because you want them to. Sometimes you might have to hire an exterminator to get rid of them for you. So Asuka has developed a keen eye for people who might be good at "exterminating" unwanted band drama. Put a little bit of effort into supporting good people managers today, so you have a lot less drama annoyance tomorrow. This is a self-aware tradeoff that Asuka might be making. Look at the people that Asuka has had the most one-on-one conversations with - Haruka, Kaori, and Kumiko. Haruka is the Band President, so she's already in a people management position. Kaori is well-liked and polite/deferential. Kumiko is good at making friends, and tends to get along well with people. These are all people that Asuka can reasonably hope to help manage band drama. So she gives them a bit of support, and a bit of her time. In other words, Asuka is proactive, not just reactive. She's proactive in not wanting band drama. The root is still what GMT said - Just wanting to play, no BS.
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2015-06-22, 14:37 | Link #2014 | |
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This aspect of Kumiko is expanded on when she's hiking the mountain with Reina, when Reina mentions how she and Kumiko are the same in that they're both out of step with other people. She also has the habit of blurting out what's on her mind....which I'm sure has gotten herself in trouble with people in the past. |
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2015-06-22, 14:54 | Link #2015 |
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I agree with Takigan. When you look at earlier episodes, her friendship with Hazuki started because Hazuki pushed herself into Kumiko. And then Saphire was added to the group also because of Hazuki. Kumiko just went there with the flow and was even taken aback in the beginning with how quickly Hazuki was calling her by her given name, for example.
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2015-06-22, 14:58 | Link #2016 |
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I think Takigan and Triple R are touching on the what I see as the big difference between Kumiko and Reina. Yes, they may be soulmates and share a deep bond. But Kumiko is not a true loner. She can still make friends, albeit not as intimate and they may not be on the same wavelength. She doesn't intentionally go out of her way to be a special snowflake who shuns plebs. However, she has a tendency to be distant and feel crowds are a pain. In a way, she is less vulnerable than Reina. One could argue that Reina needs her support more than the other way around.
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2015-06-22, 15:14 | Link #2017 |
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Kumiko has had a pretty good number of friends.
Aoi and Shu are both childhood friends of hers, it seems. There was also that girl, from the different school, that went out of her way to catch up with Kumiko during the SunFes in Episode 5. That girl then asked Kumiko to come along with her to meet another old friend. At her new school, Kumiko is also now friends with Reina, Hazuki, and Midori. Asuka and Natsuki also seem to like her. Nobody seems to be enemies with Kumiko. Even Yuuko seemed to feel comfortable opening up to Kumiko in that one Episode 11 scene between them. I think Kumiko has a mix of "brave smiling face", and mostly private but firm honesty, that appeals to some people. That "brave smiling face" makes her seem fun and/or welcoming, while the firm honesty makes it clear that there's more to this girl than what meets the eye, which can help make her more interesting to new people. The brave smiling face breaks the ice, but then its Kumiko's "terrible personality" that some people seem to like about her. Now, Kumiko herself may not be aware of this. But from an outsider perspective, she certainly seems to me to be a person that tends to draw people to her. Some people like honesty, and search it out, even when it might be unpleasant.
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2015-06-22, 15:26 | Link #2018 | |
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Also don't forget Reina has been doing her thing for years before she started hanging out with Kumiko. Don't assume she's more vulnerable than she really is just because she had a weak moment recently.
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Last edited by Kazu-kun; 2015-06-22 at 15:36. |
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2015-06-22, 16:46 | Link #2019 | |
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Kumiko goes through the effort of socializing but while still being distant with most people.
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2015-06-22, 16:53 | Link #2020 | |||
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Canada
Age: 32
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Currently I'm at 31/64 with names, including two that only have family names (not counting the five family names without faces). Quote:
The problem is in the last three episodes or so is the situation has been changing, and she's dragging her feet really hard, refusing to accept that she can't just stay the same as she has always been in the band's new reality. This is exactly why, in two good examples (her sneaking up on Kumiko and throwing the carbonated water to Kaori) she's exactly the same as she was back in the first episode. But the setting and surroundings have changed, the tone has changed, and even the background music heavily reflects this. Past this, I agree all of with GMT's and Triple_R's Asuka analyses. Quote:
Also, I think you just described exactly what Asuka sees in Kumiko. |
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band, high school drama, music, orchestra |
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