(L+CR) Hibike! Euphonium [anime]

[HandofFate]

I'm interested in Shinichi, I liked the small bit where his practice paid off, even if its just a background development.

Decent episode. Liked that Kimiko realized the kind of feelings Reina had at the end of the middle school competition.

[Kamieichi]

Originally Posted by BleedingUranium

Wait, what just happened? Where did all these names come from?

Hibike! BD/DVD have Japanese subtitles. Not only the lines, but also the names are subbed with Furigana. Because of that, some names　were revealed.

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[Arya]

Very enjoyable episode. Finally Kumiko realized what Euphonium means for her. And basically this episode covered what I was trying to explain about Kumiko not being up to her potentiality. I like to think that Taki's harshness was deliberate to put kumiko in a corner and force her to face her attitude and so to level up. Because he has been too harsh if we compare it to Shuuichi having similar problems.
That leads directly to the canal moment in which they finally communicate to each other (not really communicate, they played at each other in comparison to Reina's with who she played together) though music but still being apart, concept reiterated during the bridge one. They basically are on two parallel (same) paths that for now are not meant to intersect. They both are trying to overcome their issues by themselves.
It's also interesting how Reina told to Kumiko's statement of becoming special as her that she will be more special, in the same vein of how Kumiko basically said something similar to Shuuichi when he told her he also wants to improve and she replied she then wants to improve more. It's like Kumiko wants to reach Reina, in fact she didn't reply back rising again, when instead Reina still put her goal on top, as much as Shuuichi who is going for his path (he instead raised again, as Reina), as also symbolized by their distance not filled by him reaching her to the other side of the bridge, like usually happens as already mentioned.
I may also conclude that maybe Kumiko growth is not still complete since she is still looking at the moon, that is surely a good step ahead but not enough to cover yet the full length of her path.
In any case surely their relationship is really endearing. Where the strongest among them seems to be Kumiko, despite what it may seems.

Glad to see Reina apologising and Natsuki is enjoyable as usual and Asuka is a beast as expected

[DragoonKain3]

Kumiko and Shuichi are on their way to repairing their friendship -check

Kumiko and Shuichi practiced by the riverbank -check

"Umaku ni naritai!" -double check


So... I was not 'seeing something from nothing' with my predictions last episode, right?

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by BleedingUranium

You're free to your perspective of course, but a little while back we discussed looking at the story as a full story or not, and you were fairly insistent you weren't happy considering all the way to the Nationals as the full story if we only get one anime season. Isn't this just a self-fulfilling form of story analysis?

Different things. I didn't want to consider this season as one of multiple seasons because it wasn't even announced that we would be getting more. It has nothing to do with what kind of story I thought this was, which is what we're talking about now.

[BleedingUranium]

Originally Posted by Kamieichi

Hibike! BD/DVD have Japanese subtitles. Not only the lines, but also the names are subbed with Furigana. Because of that, some names　were revealed.

Oh cool, thanks! Looks like we'll be getting all the names in the end after all.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Arya

I may also conclude that maybe Kumiko growth is not still complete since she is still looking at the moon, that is surely a good step ahead but not enough to cover yet the full length of her path.

I don't think "reaching for the moon" symbolizes that kind of thing. At least, I don't think that's what Midori means. She mentioned it before, and for her at least, it means striving for the top regardless of whether you get there or not. It symbolizes doing your 100% all the time no matter what. It goes in line with Midori's "I'm staking my life on it." Midori herself is always reaching for the moon because that's her way of life.

So, if my interpretation is correct, this was just Midori's way or telling Kumiko that now she's doing her 100%. It's also her way of acknowledging Kumiko as an equal in terms of passion, since Midori uses that phrase primarily to describe herself.

[Flower]

Ep 12

This has had to have been my fave ep of the series. Thus far many of the eps have been just "good" and "interesting" a lot of the time (not always), but Kumiko has always been the most interesting chara for me. I really, really liked how she bloomed in this episode and made an "act or resolve". It felt very real and convincing, and I frankly felt happy for her.

Haak mentioned he was loving the series again some posts back, for me this ep really engaged me and "pulled me in". Excellent, excellent, excellent.

Hopefully they can nail the finale next week!

[BleedingUranium]

Scanning the character list now, some seem odd. Piccolo player was previously Yoriko Saika but here she's Yoriko Souga. I realize there are alternate spellings sometimes, but I can't figure these things out myself. Also, Hitomi-san's first name is Lala? But wasn't she talking to Lala?

Adorable Green-Bow Bassoon girl (Miniko Oka) is voiced by Youko Hisaka! I totally thought so! Probably contributes to her reminding me of a cross between both Mio and "Alternate Mio" from K-ON!'s Listen!! ED.

[ices]

See. All of you was wrong. It's not KumikoxShuichi nor KumikoxReina. It's KumikoxEupho all along!

[Kazu-kun]

I wonder if I'm the only one who felt the episode seemed a bit rushed? No, rushed is not the word. It just seemed like some scenes were cut too short. It was kind of strange. Like every time that it looked like something interesting was going to happen, there was a cut.

I'm sure it was deliberate, but it felt a bit annoying.

[Kinematics]

Originally Posted by ices

See. All of you was wrong. It's not KumikoxShuichi nor KumikoxReina. It's KumikoxEupho all along!

She was subverted by Asuka! Asuka was manipulating the shipping wars from behind the scenes while everyone else was distracted, clearly.

[Kinematics]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I wonder if I am the only one who felt the episode seemed a bit rushed? No, rushed is not the word. It just seemed like some scenes were cut too short. It was kind of strange. Like every time that it looked like something interesting was going to happen, there was a cut.

I'm sure it was deliberate, but it felt a bit annoying.

I was actually feeling that the previous episode. There were a ton of really short cuts that felt like things that were inserted in a Premiere timeline as sort of like, "We want to get this scene, and her reaction, and this response, and this other person's reaction face...", and then forgot to edit the timing to actually feel smooth.

There was a bit of that this episode, too, but not nearly as bad.

[Kamieichi]

Originally Posted by BleedingUranium

Also, Hitomi-san's first name is Lala? But wasn't she talking to Lala?

She is a type of character who uses her first name instead of "I".
It seems Crunchyroll didn't get it though.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Kinematics

I was actually feeling that the previous episode. There were a ton of really short cuts that felt like things that were inserted in a Premiere timeline as sort of like, "We want to get this scene, and her reaction, and this response, and this other person's reaction face...", and then forgot to edit the timing to actually feel smooth.

I felt that in previous episode too, but in this episode I felt that some entire scenes were cut short. Like when Kumiko started to play at home, I thought that was setting up some actual discussion with her sister, but the scene just ended there. I felt something like that happened a few times in this episode.

[Proto]

The point of the scene wasn't to illustrate her current relationship with her sister, but the conflict she felt over people losing their passion for something they used to have.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Proto

The point of the scene wasn't to illustrate her current relationship with her sister, but the conflict she felt over people losing their passion for something they used to have.

I know. It still felt strange if only for dramatic reasons. And it wasn't the only time. For example at the end. She called Reina to talk but then the scene ended there right after they met. I know, we got her realization early, so we didn't need to hear the whole thing again, but it still felt weird because the setup for a talk was there. I don't know, I just felt that kind of thing happened a few times this episode, and it stood up to me.

[Triple_R]

Episode 12 was truly an excellent episode.

All the featured characters had good scenes. Reina, Taki, Shu, Aoi, Asuka, Hazuki, Natsuki, and so on, all had good character moments in this episode. Even Kumiko's older sister had some interesting moments - Both in present-day and also in nicely revealing flashback scene.

But as much as all the other characters came across well during their moments on the stage, Episode 12 was truly Kumiko's episode. Which was one of the main things I liked about it.

This was possibly the first episode in all of Hibike where I felt that the main character truly came into her own, and took complete charge of the narrative. No longer was she just trying to please someone else, or try to fit in, or search out something to care for, or back somebody else up in her dream. Now she had strongly embraced her own very personal dream, a new passion, a new goal, a new motivation.

And KyoAni, to their credit, did a superb job of adding wonderful animation "Oomph!" to some key Kumiko moments in Episode 12.


As much as I admittedly like the more yuri moments in this show, I also think that Hibike's greatest strength is probably with the music/drama side to the show. And Episode 12 delivered in flying colors in that respect.

I might have more to add later, but I'll leave it at this for now.

[blakstealth]

Originally Posted by ices

See. All of you was wrong. It's not KumikoxShuichi nor KumikoxReina. It's KumikoxEupho all along!

where were you when we needed you the most???

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by Kinematics

It also lends weight to Reina's distress at the end, where Kumiko hadn't been answering her phone for multiple calls, and claimed to have been alone with Taki-sensei. Simply being alone with Taki-sensei would of course be somewhat shocking, but being alone long enough to have missed that many calls would be something else entirely.

Don't forget that to her Taki-sensei suddenly changed his decision over Kumiko playing the mentioned part too.

So her mind probably was clouded with: 'They were alone for hours. Doing something that she couldn't pick up the phone. And suddenly Taki-sensei changed his mind and give her another chance after that.... What did Kumiko do to change Taki-sensei mind, while alone with him, for hours....Hey, Kumiko. Kumiko'

Understandably, she was so shocked she dropped the water bottle