Hibike! Euphonium

I like him.

So I'm eager to see what's gonna happen next.

Gotou is still a kawaii motherfucker

This is really just too much subtext. Comparing Reina to a Yuki-onna, really?

Oh, now they're literally just flirting with each other, lol.

The dudes in this show are real dorks, it's pretty great.

"It's a confession of love." Kyoani plz

Face touching

This show. Is so. Pretty.

edited 26th May '15 1:18:41 PM by majoraoftime

Holee. Heck. I think Kyo Ani more or less prefected the art of yuri teasing, as every segment this episode with Reina just oozed "I'm lesbian, and I like you in that way."

edited 26th May '15 3:45:55 PM by MyssaRei

Man, the (very probable) Bait-and-Switch Lesbians are going to fucking hurt this time around.

Apparently the later books eventually quantify Kumiko's relationships with some of the people around her.

Will that stop ANYONE from thinking that Reina and Kumiko are hot for each other? After THIS episode? NOPE NOPE NOPE.

I hear the subtext keeps on truckin' in the books, though. More "just the two of us" practice sessions and whatnot.

-

I'm thinking the theme of this episode (well, the whole show really, but it really shines through here) is romance. Not just in the "love between two people" sense, but Reina's speech is a shounen hero-esque youth punk rock carpe diem kind of thing. The sort of thing you can really only get away with saying when you're young and reckless.

Kumiko and Reina's date is kind of an extension of the bit where Reina played "Going Home". "Let's climb up the mountain and pour out our song at the top of the world, I don't care how much it hurts." I like that beneath the cool loner girl exterior she's got a gooey romantic heart.

This is a really good show.

edited 26th May '15 4:27:47 PM by majoraoftime

Kumiko apparently sees Asuka as the "Sun" though. Make of it as you will.

Also, if this wasn't a dramatic novel, one could see the final bit with Reina and Kumiko as symbolism, and they were actually doing randy lesbian sex in that secluded spot. :P

edited 26th May '15 5:46:45 PM by MyssaRei

That ending with them playing instead of cutting to the usual closing credits and getting a peak at everyone's night was really well done. It set a great bittersweet mood.

Ah, so Kyo Ani removed Reina saying she likes Taki-sensei, but it was a dead-end plot thread anyway.

The thing about the mountain climb I like the most is that it's sort of thing happens a lot in real life between close friends – it felt pretty true to life. I've definitely had moments like that before. Usually they weren't quite that homoerotic^note  at no point did I compare my friend to a supernatural seductress , but yeah.

edited 26th May '15 5:44:11 PM by majoraoftime

Episode 8

In Which I don't effin care because THIS IS BEST EPISODE EVAAARRRRRR!!!!!! AAAHHHH!!!!

Why are the summer uniforms so different than the other ones? They don't even have the same colors.

Haha. Well now it's not a secret if you confirm it, Goto. :D

Asuka's only love is her euphonium. *cute pout* :( But it means she's off the market, which makes me sad face.

Dead-Eye Kumiko returns. She IS very much aware of the love triangle right off the bat, as opposed to the usual comedies you see.

Gasp!! Kohaku??? Is she baby Sapphire imouto!?

My god this must be the most they have ever talked with each other in ages. As usual, Kousaka takes this date to heart and expresses how fragile a moment it is. She is…. just incredible and strong.

… Shuichi and Hazuki. ….. oh no. I can't watch this. He's REJECTING her!! ;__;

"But I'm always been drawn to that side of you. It WAS a confession of love"— OH MY GOD WHAT!?!? WHAT!?! XD

…… my god this is breathtakingly beautiful…. I just sighed out loud for real! Just….

A tale of love found, and love lost. And after it all, we lie down with music.

I wonder what Kohaku's real name is. There's no way their parents would give the older sister a kira-kira name, but not the younger sister.

edited 26th May '15 6:11:19 PM by HanabiraKage

Kumiko and Reina go on a date, and they skip the ED that ships them

Hazuki got shot down by Shuuichi, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sapphire will take her

Amber, probably

Also the "graduation song" played... is actually a vocal song we've HEARD before from a Kyo Ani series:

Yep.

A TL'd article about the author. She's only 22! Still in university.

That's crazy. I was just reading a study last night that said most authors are first published around 34.

The winter uniforms are brown. I'm assuming these ones are lighter to reflect heat.

edited 26th May '15 6:41:07 PM by majoraoftime

Dude, even the title of the piece kind of fit the scene with Reina and Kumiko. It's The Place We Found Love (愛を見つけた場所).

Also, Reina climbed a mountain wearing a billowy sundress and strap-sandals with HEELS. This was a date, she was dressed to the nines to impress her date, and the final duet could have easily ended up as hot lesbian lovin', just saying.

edited 26th May '15 6:58:24 PM by MyssaRei

Yeah, that is some crazy subtext.

That little sister is adorable and so are the tuba couple.

"I have seen enough hentai. To know where this is going."

Hehe, Goto and Riko look great together.

Kumiko really does make the best faces in this show. And I also like how she sounds whenever there's something to complain about.

Midori(Sapphire)'s little sister's a spitting image of her. I thought...there was no one cuter than Midori.

A shame things didn't work out for Hazuki. Oh well, Midori's there for ya. Oh, and Kohaku, too. But really, did Shuuichi have to be crushing on Kumiko? I liked their dynamic just fine before this unnecessary revelation.

I really like how much emphasis Kyo Ani's putting on Reina's attraction towards Kumiko. If it's a dream, please don't wake me up.

Speaking of, Reina's really special. No one would even think about hiking in a summer dress carrying a heavy instrument. And she thinks Kumiko's cynical personality is a good thing, when most people would think it's horrible. Yep, she goes against the flow and does it well.

Also, Kumiko didn't want to carry her euphonium to the park because it's too heavy. Well... I think carrying a euphonium while hiking is a much more strenuous exercise. And ya did it with no complaints. Why'd ya do it, huh? HUUUH!?

edited 27th May '15 8:01:15 AM by Diamite

I was kinda bummed they have Shuuichi have feelings for Kumiko after all. *sigh*

But also wow. The yuri is staggering. Is this still subtext or what.

Location scouting for this thing must have been fun.

Heh, that's cool.

Really good episode, Kumiko and Reina scene was indeed beautiful and romantic.

This episode was cute and all but the cutest part was this.◊

Interestingly enough, even without looking at the novels for comparison, some people have interpreted some of Kumiko's body language in the anime to show that she's not as uninterested in Shuichi as she says she is. It takes rewatching though, as well as specifically looking for these — like her the focus on her shoes when Hazuki says she's interested in Shuichi.

That said, it's pretty telling that Kyo Ani is putting a whole lot of gloss on her Kumiko's interactions with Reina by comparison. Presentation-wise, it's like night and day. I think a Pixiv fanart lampshades this too.

edited 1st Jun '15 10:14:18 AM by MyssaRei

Aren't those Hazuki's shoes? I mean, they show Kumiko's, but hers are perfectly still, while Hazuki's are bouncing all around with anxiety.

Still, I think thus far there's a lot of room for interpretation.

Back in episode 2, Kumiko went, "Geh! Shuichi!" when he appeared near her and the trombones. Kumiko wanted a fresh start in high school, deliberately choosing not to pursue schools with better music programs. Shuichi is a hold over from the past, and I think wanting to get away from the past is part of why Kumiko reacts that way.

But that's also not all the time. Her reactions to him in episodes 3 and 7 were pretty neutral. In 4, she says, "You're not getting any!" when he says the food the girls have looks good. (Also when she makes that cross "Huh?" face.)

I think the most curious reaction of hers is in 5, when she's looking for a seat on the bus. She's in polite facade mode up until she realizes it's Shuichi who has an empty seat in his row. And then, she drops it, clicking her tongue, sitting down anyway, and saying that if he doesn't like it (her sitting there), he can sit somewhere else. Given all the times he's approached her, she must know that he's not going to have a problem with that.

I think that could indicate that this is something of a game between them, or at least a game that she plays with him. That and just this past episode 8, when she clearly notices him waiting for her (watch her eyes as she leaves the train) and keeps walking. That said, I can't recall a point where she's actually smiled at him or otherwise indicated that she enjoyed his presence—she's never dispensed with the game, nor does she seem to find it amusing. So it may be that's not what she's doing after all.

It's not surprising to me, though, that people might be more on board the Kumiko/Reina train right now, as that relationship (by which I mean something not necessarily romantic) has a lot more going for it. Shuichi as a character hardly exists outside of Kumiko. Outside of this little love triangle plot, he serves mostly to give insight and exposition into the band's internal politics. Reina? She has her own viewpoints, own struggles and desires. More than that, she represents the kind of person Kumiko wishes she could be—driven, motivated, and self-assured in what she wants. She is the antidote to Kumiko's listlessness and cynicism.

That relationship (whether it turns out to be romantic or platonic) has way more going for it in terms of an intellectual and emotional bond. That's where the heart of the show is, even if you disregard the visuals and the suggestive scenes.