After a rather happy and hopeful last episode, we returned to the usual Ave Mujica, dysfunctional girls getting worse each episode! Finally, Umiri got the long-overdue characterization she needed.

When everyone already moving on from CRYCHIC in the last episode, it looks like Mutsumi didn’t get the memo that CRYCHIC no longer exists. That’s why we didn’t get her inner monologue during Haruhikage. Unlike everyone else, she still clings to the old CRYCHIC days. Here I thought they’d have their closure 😞

We also weren’t done with Mutsumi it seems. Mutsumi-chan was only one of the many entities(?) of her DID and by disbanding Ave Mujica Mortis is on the chopping block. So Mortis desperately needs Ave Mujica to be back together.

Mori Minami did not beat the allegation, she is even worse then what I imagined. She wasn’t only neglecting her DID issue, she saw her as a competition. She even saw her as a monster, yuck. No wonder, only Mutsumi’s caretaker was seen during couple of last episodes. The worst anime parent in the season.

I love Umiri’s gap moe shown throughout the episode. During the season she was always depicted as stoic and distant from everyone else, keeping herself out of any drama. It was because of trauma she had we her first band, left alone by everyone during audition is suck, that betrayal.

It seems Umiri is brewing something with Mortis! Can’t wait what we’ll happen next episode!

@rikka@ani.social

We got a rather happy episode this week, ex-CRYCHIC members get to play again together and find closure. Thank you Soyo for being such a great girl for last two episode by being there for Mortis and dragging Sakiko to meet Mortis/Mutsumi.

Soyo is so cute bring cucumbers as a gift, probably the same cucumbers Mutsumi grew at school. We know it withered at the start of the season but now it can produce some cucumber thanks to Soyo, though she isn’t as good as Mutsumi in growing one. A reversal from it’s MyGO!!! where Soyo reject Mutsumi’s cucumber.

Are we finally at the turning point? Is Ave Mujica going to get back and finally get a happy ending? Umiri, our stoic queen, seems trying to, though we don’t know about Nyamu or Uika. Nyamu is too much of an outsider to want to get back unless it has merit for her, and Uika probably still delusional.

@rikka@ani.social

This episode focus more on Sakiko and Mutsumi/Mortis side, with Umiri and Nyamu only got some screen while Uika is nowhere to be seen (I truly fear what she’ll bring, clearly she is not okay)

Raana, the stray cat of MyGO, is able to befriend Mortis by just a single night. Compared to Soyo who had been with her 3 days and nights by her side in her house. We got character development for Soyo, from an egoistic manipulator to a blunt caring friend who clearly cares for Mutsumi/Mortis circumstances.

Sakiko finally adopting her Oblivionis (Forget) persona by forgetting about CRYCHIC, Ave Mujica, and even Mutsumi, pretending like everything hadn’t happened. Now I wonder how the other Nyamu with Amoris (love), Umiri with Timoris (fear), and Uika with Doloris (grief)

We got a little glimpse of Umiri’s side of the story. Umiri only started to care after Taki was upset that Umiri didn’t care about her band, especially Mutsumi/Mortis. Unfortunately, this is the only UmiTaki moment we got, no lovely dovely couple 😔

I love Sakiko, but I fully support Soyo to gobsmack Sakiko after saying that! Please save us Soyo!

@rikka@ani.social

We got the aftermath of the disbandment in this episode!

Umiri was still as indifferent as ever, this was not her first nor probably the 100th band she had which disbanded. This makes me really wonder what kind of characterization she will get in Ave Mujica. Sadly we got no UmiTaki moment 😔

Nyamu also seems to be in a nicer place. She got her connection from Minami and now has been invited to reality shows. She got what she wanted after joining Ave Mujica, though Mutsumi’s “acting” still haunts her, and hinders her from pursuing better chances.

Uika didn’t take Sakiko leaving her that well, like girl get yourself together. I know you were down bad for Sakiko, but please stop. Girl still makes coffee for her non-existent girlfriend, hoping that she will be back.

Sakiko having it hard, she didn’t speak the whole episode except for one sentence, “I hate myself”. She finally gave in to her grandpa and left her dad to live with him. Luckily Tomori and Anon were there to fix and give closure to her CRYCHIC disbandment. Hopefully, she could bounce back in the next episode. We believe in you Anon, bring our girl back

Finally, we have Mutsumi/Mortis, who are in complete disarray. Mortis plan to take over Mutsumi had fired back. She was supposed to save Mutsumi and keeping the band together, but now Mutsumi has gone and the band disbanded. She also try so hard to bring back Mutsumi with no avail. Please give justice to our little girl Mutsumi ✊

It seems that MyGo members now will have more involvement in the story to bring Ave Mujica back together. We got Anon singing the jingle for Togawa Group twice 😂, never change Anon, never change. Also rare Raana finally make a comeback, though only slightly off focus.

For discussion thumbnail @rikka@ani.social

Things seem to be moving fast in this episode, Sakiko was so on edge looking at the state of the new Mutsumi. Please be safe Mutsumi 🙏 (or maybe Mortis)

Which dialect/accent was Nyamu speaking? I always love it when non-standard dialects/accents are spoken in media

@rikka@ani.social

@rikka@ani.social

I’ll still root for Sakiko regardless of how bad she is in this episode. Girl, what you need right now is therapy, you’re still in the first year of high school!

Ah, this episode is pretty crazy. I love how they use frantic music during the conflict at the station and the parallel between CRYCHIC disbanding.

Sakiko really needs to keep her shit together, you weren’t only hurting yourself but also your band member. Now, we lost Mutsuki in the process. I understand you’re in a terrible condition right now, but if you kept this up you would lose Ave Mujica as well.

We were only 3 episodes in, and I don’t know the end goal for Ave Mujica here. Will they disband for good? do they completely surrender to Ave Mujica’s persona and end in a grim way? Or by miracle fix their problem and keep being a band? Can’t wait for the next episode

Yeah, should have made it clear, the main director for hibike was Ishihara, but Yamada was credited as series director

Mine would be anything directed by Yamada Naoko, this includes:

• Silent Voice
• Liz and the Blue Bird
• Tamako Love Story
• Kimi no Iro (if you live in USA, it’ll be in theater on 25th Jan)
• K-On
• Heike Monogatari
• Modern Love Tokyo episode 7 (Modern Love Tokyo is an anthology of love story by various directors, most is a live action drama except episode 7, so you can jump straight to episode 7)
• Hibike Euphonium (Yamada was the series director for 1st & 2nd season, but give the 3rd a watch as well, it’s cinematography best to none for me last year)

Also Look Back, if you’re an artist