As Kumiko’s third year progresses, the adults are starting to stir. Whether it’s her dad or her teacher, Kumiko tenses up, expecting to be harshly scolded for her utter lack of plans or goals for The Future.
She’s surprised when rather than scold her, her father simply communicates to her that he won’t force her to get into something. She can choose what she wants to—she just has to choose.
Like many if not most young people near the end of in high school, Kumiko fears the unknown—the uncertainty beyond the structures of school, band, and the Nationals that have defined her existence thus far.
Change can be scary, but it invariably results in new possibilities. Kitauji lost the Nationals with their existing system of having one audition for all big competitions (prefectural, regional, national). Shuuichi, demonstrating that he’s gotten more comfortable with his VP role and supporting Kumiko, suggests the Seira method of having three auditions: one for each competition.
Reina and Kumiko agree that this will keep those chosen in the first audition from getting complacent, while giving those not chosen the chance to improve and secure a spot in the second or third auditions. It’s a change, and it comes as a bit of a surprise to the club when it’s announced, but it looks like it could yield positive results.
The one most concerned with the audition system is Kuroe Mayu, who makes a big deal out of not wanting to take anyone’s spot (knowing full well she’s at worst a match for Kumiko’s euph skills). There’s also the upcoming Agata Festival.
Shuuichi invites Motomu to give the kid some more social interaction, but when Mayu suddenly invites Kumiko, Kumiko declines, saying she has “plans with other friends” when in that moment she has no such plans. Still, they play the soli meant for euph and trumpet with Mayu playing the trumpet part on her euph to expected near-perfection.
Speaking of plans, Kumiko is only able to forget about her career plans so long when her meeting with Michie-sensei arrives. But like her dad, her teacher doesn’t scold her. In fact, she questions Kumiko’s assertion she’s “passive” when Kumiko says she doesn’t want to decide on something without having any goals. She only warns her not to let indecision breed laziness.
With everyone asking everyone else to the Agata Festival (Kumiko also has to turn down the first-year basses) we learn that one reason Kumiko declined everyone else could’ve been because she was keeping herself available for Reina’s sake. Sure enough, Reina asks if Kumiko wants to come over to her house on the night of the festival.
Kumiko agrees without hesitation, and they meet up wearing their weekend best, having put thought into their clothes and hair for one another. After a delicious dinner, they hang out in Reina’s pristine room and chat about the future. Reina asks Kumiko what would be wrong with her going to music school, but Kumiko still isn’t sure.
Then Reina turns on her fancy stereo and plays the piece they’ll be performing: the soli of euph and trumpet. While the piece has an epic air about it, what with its four movements representing the seasons, there’s a fundamental clarity and simplicity to the piece. The soli in particular gives the sense of winter coming, but the pleasant light of autumn remains.
Reina switches the music off and asks if Kumiko will play the soli with her in the studio, saying if she can play with Mayu, she can play with her. In the studio, Kumiko remarks how good Mayu is, but Reina likes Kumiko’s playing better.
As they play the soulful, forward and backward-looking soli, the warm and soft euph playing beneath the crisp, bright trumpet, we see embers of the festival popping in the night air, as their friends and bandmates enjoy the festival together.
Just like their friends must feel a little melancholy at the end of the festival, the piece probably ends too soon for both of them. That’s why when the two go on an evening walk together, Reina asks if Kumiko will come to her place again and Kumiko is happy to. It’s as crystal clear as the river beside them that they have the most fun when they’re together.
Reina also asks if Kumiko truly won’t pursue music school, and it’s revealed why she’s been so persistent: she’s scared they’ll stop seeing each other after high school if they don’t have a practical reason to do so. It’s a sweetness and vulnerability that belies her strict drum major persona at school, but that’s the point: it’s a Kousaka Reina that’s only for Kumiko.
Kumiko playfully laughs at Reina’s worries, while acknowledging that there’s a possibility things could turn out as she says. However, she believes far more strongly that they’ll be all right. When Reina asks why, Kumiko asks Reina if she thinks they have something special together. “Of course I do,” Reina replies, and that’s why Kumiko knows they’ll be all right.
Whatever the future holds for them, there’s no reason Kumiko and Reina can’t keep holding hands in it. After a couple portraits of secondary characters, it was time for Hibike to return to its dazzlingly magnetic core couple, and in this it did not disappoint. Bravo to Kurosawa Tomoyo and Ansai Chika for more stellar voice performances, and to the KyoAni team for pulling out all the stops to bring them to life.
RABUJOI - An Anime Blog 