Forum - View topicSound! Euphonium (TV + movies + OAV).
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Vaisaga
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True enough, but you know how the whole childhood friend thing works. People involved are so used to the status quo that they don't think much into the relationship until something drastic happens that causes them to reevaluate. That has happened so we'll have to wait and see what changes.
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Galap
Moderator
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This last episode really impressed me.
I like how the whole Hazuki and Shuichi thing came to a close so quickly. He just was up front and said he wasn't interested, which is really the best way to handle that kind of thing. And she didn't freak out or run off or anything either. She just continued her interaction with him, and then vented about it later. That whole thing felt very true to me. As for Kumiko and Kousaka, I was previously skeptical of claims of them being into each other, but now I'm pretty certain they are. And I was previously hoping that it wasn't going to be the case, because I find that most of the time, 'yuri' in anime is handled in a way that's really dumb and silly, mostly just that kind of otaku fanservice stuff. Now I'm actually glad that they're going in this direction, because between Kumiko and Kousaka, I feel like it's the real deal. They're both odd people in different ways, and kind of respect each other for that, while wanting to get to know more about each other. It really captured the Idea that people have a lot of different facets, and they're all brought out differently in their relationships with certian individuals. Just as every person is different, every relationship between two people is unique as well. Both people combine their identities in nonobvious ways to produce something that's interesting in itself. The story seems almost to be as much about the unusual sides of themselves that manifest in their relationship with each other as it is about the band. I also really liked the lines like "you like pain? man that's hot," where there's plausible deniability that it was a joke but it almost certainly was intended to be a ping to see if there was a promising response. I'm really liking Kousaka's character now. Some people really do have that trait that embodies a strong desire to DO things and leave an impact on the world. And to a large extent people who don't feel that way have a hard time understanding that. I must say that I've always found an appeal in from time to time going to places where no one else is, just to admire the location, investigate things, and muse about the reason , and implications about the nature of things that I alone have chosen to come to this place at this time. I can really relate to Kousaka wanting to climb the mountain. Last edited by Galap on Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:41 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Episode 9:
Mm, it looks like there's a rather selective choices based on the performances of the students. There's some obvious names chosen. I think Kumiko did a well job despite not having as much as practice hours as some of the others (like Reina). |
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Keichitsu0305
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Episodes 8-9:
Been away due to back to back cons but nice to see more moe concert anime. I'm pretty mixed with ep. 8 concerning Kousaka (aka Reina) and Kumiko. On the one hand, it's great that the duo are closer and, possibly, have a higher chance at being intimate. Kousaka dreams of becoming a star and traveling so I hope she accomplishes that even if it means leaving Kumiko behind. One the negative side, this is Kyoto Animation. Doesn't matter how much sexual tension (blatant or not), there has never been a canonical LGBTQ+ couple because (and I am channeling Yuri Kuma Arashi here) its hotter for two women not have genuine romantic feelings then to let them explore their feelings. Which brings me to ep. 9 with Kumiko suddenly feeling embarrassed around Shuichi. Midori being upset because she goaded Hazuki makes more since that Kumiko. She outright stated she never saw him that way and vice versa but now the whole cast are pegging the two as a potential couple. Nothing wrong with childhood romance (I'm a total sucker for them) but it simply doesn't work here. Bonus: Asuka is slowly showing more colors that aren't so friendly towards her kouhai and that just makes me more curious about her goals after school. Even if she's a minor character spoiler[and didn't make the cut], I like how Natsuki has grown more invested in her playing. Also, Kousaka giving Kumiko a pep slap(?) before auditions was cute. Small touches like that means alot for my enjoyment in a series. |
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Shikiari
 Posts: 462 Location: Wales |
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Episode 9
Aww Geeze... I can't believe Hazuki didn't make the cut and Natsuki also, I was really warming to her character with her practicing so hard. I'm hoping that Hazuki doesn't use this, along with the Shuichi saga, against Kumiko in the next episode. As for Kumiko, I was pretty nervous during her audition however unlikely she was to fail. The scene with Kōsaka before was also a nice touch to boost her confidence. Still, I've got a bad feeling about next weeks episode... Here's hoping i'm wrong. |
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TRNielson
Posts: 182 |
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Episode 9:
So, auditions have come and gone. Sad to see that neither Hazuki nor Natsuki made it. Natsuki has easily come the farthest, as far as development goes, of the minor characters in the show. Seeing how determined she became leading up the auditions and how much she's changed since the first three episodes has been very well done. I'm hoping that not making the cut doesn't make her bitter. I could easily see her start trying to tear the bass section apart. As predicted earlier (either here or on Reddit), we saw a different side of Asuka this episode. I knew she couldn't be all smiles and jokes, that there had to be more to her character. And seeing her, in Kumiko's words being "too honest", we see more of who Asuka really is. Surprisingly, it was Midori that felt the worse after last episodes events. Whether Hazuki is still upset or just doing a good job to hide it, who knows? I wanna say she was stress eating with her snack after getting off the train, but I say it's too early to make that call. Either way, hopefully Hazuki worked off a bit of steam after judo-chopping Midori on her dome. The first big thing I'm worried about going forward, however, is the Kumiko/Kousaka/Shuichi arc. After what episodes 5 and 8 laid down for Kumiko and Kousaka's relationship, I would really hate for the creators to pull a 180 and have Kumiko end up with Shuichi. Just let us have Kumiko and Kousaka hook up and call it a day. Second thing is the results of the auditions and how that's gonna impact the group as a whole. I've obviously mentioned my fear that Natsuki tries to tear the bass section apart, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the trumpets suffer a similar fate. Kaori doesn't seem the type to hold it against Kousaka that she beat her for the solo parts. But Kaori's fanbase (in particular, little miss blonde kissa$$) probably would have no qualms against trying to get Kousaka the boot. A lot of interal politics could start taking place now. Bad juju leading up to competition time. Sadly, it doesn't seem like any of them will get properly addressed. With the series starting to wind down towards the end (only 3-4 more episodes left), who knows how far they'll take it. |
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Vaisaga
Posts: 13230 |
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It makes more sense than you seem to think it does. Kumiko and Shuichi have been together for a long time. It's natural for them so she never gave it much thought, much like one doesn't normally put much thought into breathing or walking. But now others have put into her head the idea that there's something more there. Now she's actively thinking about that possibility, and it may result in her noticing something that was right under her nose the whole time.
I think it was a given Hazuki wouldn't make it. She's just too new at it to pass such a strict screening. At least she has two more years left. Hazuki didn't even realise she didn't make the cut because she was too busy being happy for the others who made it. I don't think you need to worry about her holding a grudge.
She wanted to know what Shuichi's weiner tastes like 
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5436 Location: Iscandar |
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I am cool with homosexual couples, but why the need to have Kumiko and Reina becoming a couple? The moment they shared in episode 8 was very intimate and special. But that does not mean that they have to end as a couple.
I will be happy with how Kumiko and the other characters end in the last episode as long as things make sense. |
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Darkmagick
 SubscriberPosts: 466 |
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I think it's a cumulation of frustration over many, many shows. After all, it's quite a frequent thing to have major female characters in a show share many shippable moments before then hooking them up with much less interesting male love interests. (To be fair, the reverse is also common, with major male characters having shippable moments and boring female love interests.) KyoAni is particularly bad about playing up the yuri moments without ever taking that extra step into actual yuri. Beyond the fact that it's just a straight up tease, and thus frustrating, it kind of feels like whitewashing everything heterosexual. It leaves a kind of bad taste. The yuri content is "hot" and will drive up disc sales, but actually having genuine romantic connections between girls is "wrong" - that sort of feeling. That is probably the general feeling of frustration that is driving everyone for being so incredibly fierce on this matter. As for me personally...I feel that the interaction between Kumiko and Reina is some of the most genuine-feeling development I've seen of any couple in anime, be it hetero, yaoi, or yuri. It doesn't feel like it's been fetishized for the sake of a male audience - it feels real and natural. It's caused me to become incredibly invested in their relationship despite the fact that I'm generally more of a yaoi sort of girl. On the other hand, a relationship between Kumiko and Shuichi is, quite frankly, boring. It's the childhood friend romance. We've seen it a billion times before, with a billion different variations, and it takes some serious effort put into development to make it feel unique again. That effort isn't there - not to say effort hasn't been put into the show, not at all, but the focus has been put mostly on the relationships between the girls. To sell me on Kumiko/Shuichi, they would have needed to spend some of the time they showed Kumiko and Reina blushing over each developing that relationship instead. But they didn't, they just established "they're childhood friends" - in fact, they've done a very good job showing a relationship of friends between them. While Shuichi clearly has a crush, Kumiko hasn't shown the slightest inclination towards him at all - so shoving a romance between them into the last 3 episodes would feel incredibly forced. Such a development would be very disappointing, especially considering the poor track record already racked up by anime, and worse, it is boring. That being said, it's quite possible I'm jumping at nothing. In this particular episode, it feels like Kumiko becomes so flustered because the idea that she'd like Shuichi came so completely out of left field for her - she inherently starts doubting herself because she considered it so little before. Especially since Hazuki, who she considers a friend, said that she "had no awareness" of it. And naturally, it looks that way to Hazuki, because Kumiko and Shuichi are so comfortable with each other - something Hazuki, who does like Shuichi, wants but would be far too nervous to do. So to her, the two of them appear to be an already established couple. ...That turned out way longer of a post than I planned. Whoops. Last edited by Darkmagick on Wed Jun 03, 2015 5:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Keichitsu0305
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For me, this reminds me of Tamako: Love Story. Two childhood friends, a boy and a girl, suddenly fall for each other. More specifically, Junior falls for Tamako and most of her friends insists that she's been blind to their romance. Yeah, Kumiko and Shuichi are hetero childhood friends and could have a romance. But, there has never been any indication that either of them view the other that way. It literally wasn't until Hazuki went on a date that Kumiko started to worry. In my view, it feels like the show is trying to stick to the status quo of a boy and girl can't possibly be just friends. It's fine for Kumiko to explore her feelings but would she be liking Shuichi cause it came naturally or because society dictates this was bound to happen? Also, the chemistry between Kumiko and Kousaka has been more prominent. Them ending up together sounds more plausible than Kumiko falling for Shuichi but, I've seen enough KyoAni (and slice of life anime in general) to know that will never happen.
Uh huh. I'm sure that if a guy did that to Kumiko, he only wanted to be her platonic friend and nothing else. 
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meiam
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Pleasantly surprised they didn't use the audition results for a cliff hanger. Now, I love Reina, she's just an awesome character, but I don't like her getting the solo part because this means the next few episode will be her getting bullied and that'll be extraordinarily boring. Unless of course it end with her beating the crap out of the bullying girl
Glad Tuba girl didn't get in, would have been so ridiculous that someone who started music a few months ago made it. The other euph girl had a really interesting development as a minor character, the handling could have been less heavy handed at the end, the flashback were very unnecessary, but were getting into nitpicking territory. Kumiko and Shuichi… sigh, really? It just feel so forced, might as well just duck tape them together. I mean his only qualification is being the only male character of similar age. That's it, aside from that the only moment the two of them spend together was Kumiko getting ticked off by his mere presence. They could potentially salvage this by having Reina being lesbian and Kumiko being straight, that could lead to some very interesting moment. But yeah, that ain't happening. |
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Vaisaga
Posts: 13230 |
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Tamako Love Story was a thing of beauty. You can't say Mochizou sudden fell for her, because he loved her the whole series. The movie focused on Tamako realising just how important he is to her as a result of both his confession and the possibility that he was leaving. Her friends might have given her a push in the right direction, but that she returned his feelings was something she realised herself. Same thing here: Kumiko's friends might insist that there's something there, but it's not like she's going "They say I love him so that must mean I do!" She's thinking about things properly and will come to her own conclusion.
It's pretty clear Shuichi does, which is why he invited her to the festival in the first place. Even Kumiko realises that's why he asked her. They've been friends for a long time, so obviously there's something they like about each other else they'd have cut ties a long time ago. |
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Angel M Cazares
Posts: 5436 Location: Iscandar |
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I agree that Kyoto Animation has used yuri undertones as bait in the past, but Sound! Euphonium is making its characters feel so realistic that I am inclined to believe that they will treat the Kumiko-Reina relationship in a realistic way as well. They may end up as a romantic couple, but I want to trust that the producers would go that route because, realistically, it makes sense, and not simply to please yuri fanboys/girls.
I feel this way too (although, assuming your use of the word couple refers to romantic couple, I do not categorize Kumiko and Reina as a couple). But I am bothered by the assumptions that Sound! Euphonium will inevitably succumb to fetishize and/or bait yuri, or pair up Kumiko with the male childhood friend. Sound! Euphonium seems like a smart show, unafraid of defying silly anime conventions. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15503 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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My thoughts echo a lot of others already. Kumiko actually seems to be questioning it, which does make one worry if they have used the yuri pair simply to bait and then switch. One should bring up Tamako Market, the other KyoAni anime that had a kind of battle between heterosexual childhood friend and homosexual love interests. And really the entire movie was about Tamako trying to figure out her feelings. I would say we have started seeing that now, but it is worrisome that compared that it has kind of come out of nowhere, while there has actually been build up to the other. Of note was that Kumiko called Reina by her first name, that things are moving in a direction. Plus yeah, the alternative is kind of boring, not nearly as interesting as what the building blocks they have.
On another topic. That look in Asuka's face when she found out that there was romantic interest causing problems in the band. |
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Vaisaga
Posts: 13230 |
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This is hardly something only KyoAni does. Pretty much any "cute girls doing cute things" show will do that unless it's openly defined as belonging to the yuri genre. It's just that normally there are no male characters at all. Though from what I hear Shuichi had a lot more screentime in the novel, so I would think a lot of his scenes were cut to give the girls more focus. Because people only want cute girls. But they still gave him at least one scene per episode and there is a foundation set there. It's just a bit easier to miss in light of how overt the stuff between Kumiko and Reina has been. At any rate, I feel bad for Shuichi. No matter how it turns out he's destined to join the ranks of Yuichi Tate and Yuuno Scrya as the target of legions of yuri fan hatred. |
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