Heyooo!! Nostalgia here. I’d like to say I’m an intermediate guitarist at this point, but I was a true beginner with no experience just a couple years ago. This blog shares my whole journey from that state to the stage and beyond, so I love watchind anime series about musicians and seeing just how realistic and relateable it is.
A bit more about my background, I took music through school so I have some experience in music groups like orchestra band, choir, and drum line, and performed solo a few times with the viola at school and piano at church.
Despite all this I had an unfulfilled band dream that was resparked when I watched K-ON!! back in 2014. I had my first band attempted them (me playing keyboard), and the rehearsal went great, but due to different schedules and priorities we never met again. When I first tried guitar in 2017, I tried to make my second band then, but after I found some people and put them in a group chat, it went silent. I did look for a tutor as well, but he discouraged me very quickly and I put the instrument down.
Then in 2020, remotivated and eager to make the dream happen, I picked up guitar again. I found a couple people, a guy from my first band attempt, and a mutual friend who I knew loved to sing, but due to Covid and lockdowns, it took a while finding other members as people didn’t want to commit before meeting us. I thought I found a couple people that year, but when I planned a rehearsal, one cancelled the day before and the other completely ghosted.
But in 2021 after an audition/rehearsal, we found the final members and started worked together, practicing 1-2 times a month, sometimes less if someone was occupied with something like exams. I searched and searched and managed to find a few gigs that were open to taking us newbies. By 2022, I fulfilled my promise to them as we got on stage at a venue and an anime convention.
It was quite tiresome and frustrating for me as it didn’t feel like the other members were making the effort to master their parts so we could learn more songs and do more things, so I said that would be the end, but they wanted to keep it going. I was open to it, but someone else had to take charge as I didn’t like feeling like a nag.
The first guy I asked said he would….and not even 2 months later, I found ads that indiciated he was making a second competing anime band behind our backs. We all argued, all expressed our own frustrations, and while we all kinda wanted to work it out, we ended up breaking up. The guys stuck together and continued (though it didn’t work out in the end), and me and the singer dropped out and went on hiatus.
A few months later, she pushed and urged for me to make another band. I didn’t really care to, I at least crossed my dream off the bucket list and was over it all, but when she pitched us being a duet, I was open to it. She came prepared and she helped me, so I wanted to help her. So we did another round for 4 months, and performed at the convention and at the biggest Japanese festival in Canada.
After that, I put the guitar down again to focus on my Christian faith, but then the pastor of a church plant reached out. They were in the city over and were desperate for musicians, so I was willing to serve. They had a keyboardist and drummer who were being borrowed from another church, but they were planning to move to a morning service in a few months, which means they wouldn’t be able to come. So during the next 9 months, I got to play with a variety of people and also played alone.
So if anyone knows what it’s like being not only a beginner musician but a band member who gigs, it’s me. I share a lot of tips on this blog, along with Japanese music theory lessons, and beginner stuff for Jpop and anime fans like myself.
But over the years, I also started reviewing musical animes, giving each one I watch a score based on the accuracy of the playing and how realistic it is when it comes to progress and the experience. I’m always amazed by how much detail some shows put into the music and instruments, but some are a little too fast and optimistic when portraying beginner musicians.
Since the majority of main characters in these shows are beginner guitarists (Yui, Mafuyu, Kasumi, etc), I tend to be a little more skeptical but quick growth. I think any other instrument, you can certainly pick it up, learn it fast, and sound decent in a few weeks, but guitar is a very technical instrument. Even if you know in your head what to play, your hands may not have the calluses, flexibility, coordination, strength, or precision to do such. I think they set a lot of beginners’ hopes too high, but I understand that these shows are still meant to entertain the general public, aka, people who don’t play band instruments.
Anyways, I decided to give more detailed analysis reviews starting with Given. I first watched it before I built this website, then rewatched it after being in a band. I think I wanted to cover a song from the show and reinspire myself as my spirits were running low. While the band didn’t cover it, the singer (who also watched it) and I covered and performed it as a duet. Anyways. things just popped out a lot more that time around. You can really enjoy the jokes and details in these shows when you are a band musician yourself. I then did a thorough review of Bocchi The Rock as it was airing.
While I grew up on anime, I really haven’t watched much in my adult life as I try to be productive. I started watching a bit more for the sake of this blog, but really lost interest last year (2023). Now and then, I’ll still check Crunchyroll to see if any new musical animes came out as I at least want to keep some articles updated. They also tend to be pretty light-hearted as opposed to supporting and promoting dark and sinful themes.
So more recently, I noticed that Sound Euphonium released Season 3. I was so excited to see how that series would end as the previous season was touching but ended on a losing note. And then I happened to have noticed this series as well. I haven’t heard a single thing about it, which is different than the hype that I felt came from Bocchi the Rock finished airing.
So right after finishing that series, I started watching this one. I assumed I was just going to add it to the Musician rates Animes with Musicians article, but 2.5 episodes in, I realized I had so much to say and figured I could write an article analysing it. I ended up going back to rewatch the first 2 episodes so I can write it in detail, but the rest I went in blind.
This series definitely has more of a story behind it, so I’m including certainly details that I feel may be vital to the story as I go along, and it can be a good refresher if you watched it already and want to remember what happened so you can understand what I’m commenting on.
So far, I really like it. Quirky characters, deeper topics like financial issues and the conflicts that happen within a band that leads to people leaving or the group breaking up. I know a band will be formed, but I really have no idea where it will go otherwise, but I’m excited!
*I considered waiting til I finished the season to publish this, but since I’m quite occupied working on other things atm, it may take days or weeks til I complete it. I’m kinda late to the trend anyways haha*
So here we go!~~
Episode 1
The show starts with Nina, a 17 year old who left her hometown on the countryside to get to Japan. She doesn’t know her way around and then her phone does. She manages to get to her apartment but the rental office closed so she didn’t have a key to get in. Her neighbours offered her a place to stay, but she opted to leave her stuff outside and figure things out herself.
She ends up at a cafe where she charges her phone. Her family called and her mom appears to be questioning her abilities, giving us a sample of why she left. The character, while remaining calm vocally, is clearly feeling something else as we can see streams of red and black expelling from her body. She then scrolls on bootleg Instagram and sees that her favourite artist is performing near by and runs to catch her.
As she comes around the corner, we catch blue streams expelling from someone as they start to play guitar. Nina appeared in black and white, looking like stone, but once the singer starts to sing, it’s as if she is freed. Despite it being a crowded street corner, Nina has her spotlight on the musician.
Afterwards, Nina attempts to talk to her, clearly nervous but seizing the moment. She lets her know that she is a fan. Momoko says thanks, but then continues to pack her stuff facing the other way. I was worried this would be one of those ‘don’t meet your heroes’ moments as she didn’t seem to pay much mind to her huge fan, but I gave the benefit of the doubt as she has her equipment to deal with.
But then Momoko asks if she would buy her CD. for 1000yen (works like $10). Is this a sales pitch from a greedy artist or a test? Once Nina shows her willingness and starts searching for money, Momoko smiles and just takes 100yen (works like $1). We then see their different personalities as Nina is more strict about the payment but Momoko laughs and is happy to have such a fan.
We then come across two musicians challenging Momoko for the spot. Momoko stands up for herself, and then walks off. Would have been peaceful until she stuck her middle finger up, and the two run away. They tend end up at a restaurant, and Nina explains her situation in more detail to Momoko, and how she was lied to by her uncle on where to live. While Kawasaki has a bad rep, they both don’t mind the area, it is where they met after all. Nina then asks if she could sign her ticket from her band (Diamond Dust’s) canacelled concert in her city.
As Nina is eating, I could tell Momoko admires her young fan, as weird or stubborn as she is. After NIna finishes her meal, Momoko asks what she’s going to do. Nina says she’ll figure it out but not sure how. Momoko ends up inviting her over, saying she ‘always takes care of her fans’, which is so sweet.
We then get to Momoko’s home. She informs Nina that the place is cold as the heater doesn’t work, as she opens up a somewhat troublesome sliding door. The two engage, Nina saying she’s never held a guitar before but would like to play, and Momoko sharing that she moved to Tokyo at her age, 3 years ago. And then drops the bomb that she is returning to Asahikawa tomorrow.
She shares that she’s moving back and quitting music. Nina is upset as as she thinks her music is amazing, but Momoko accepted that she has no choice and not everyone can make it big. It’s hard living off my music earnings and thus spends all her time at her part time job.
I already love that this series is going to touch on this topic as most series I’ve watched like to paint music so optimistically, and that’s fair when these characters are high schools who live at home with their families and thus don’t have to worry about the rent. I have seen working characters in shows like Given, but it’s rare we get to know a character who chose to give up due to money.
Nina argues that she made a song and it has a lot of views, but then Momoko shrugs saying she gave it away, and no longer has the rights to the song. Nina then demands details saying she can’t do that. As they argue, we also see that Momoko has a roommate, and how she couldn’t afford living there tomorrow.
Momoko then suggests that Nina find a roommate too so she won’t have to spend all her time working. She also asks Nina other questions like if she has a job and what her plan is. Nina says that she has some savings and received some funds from her family, so Momoko comments that she has it easy. Nina appears frustrated with that comment, and asks her ‘what do you know about me?’ and ‘don’t just assume that I have it easy’. We once again see the red and black streams expelling off her. She says excuse me and leaves, but left her phone behind, so Momoko runs to catch up with her.
Momoko then informs her that she knows it isn’t easy, and asks if she has a dream. Nina said no, and shares that she didn’t come for a dream, she just didn’t feel like she belonged. How people acted like she was at fault even though she did nothing wrong, and she didn’t want to lose to that. Momoko apologizes once again.
Nina then asks her why she’s moving back. Momoko says its nothing big, ‘just your usual fight and splitting up’ in regards to her band, Diamond Dust. She then shares that when they broke up, they decided who the song belongs to, and since they were going to continue in music, she gave it to them. She figured she could always just write another song.
This is another topic that I hope the series fleshes out more as we usually get to see people come together and things just work out for them, but having been in multiple bands myself (falling apart, breaking up or leaving for various reasons) and knowing others who have also been in multiple bands, this is quite the norm in the West. I think it’s easier for a band to last if they were high school friends, but the search for good band mates is exponentially harder as an adult. And when things don’t work out, it can get messy as there are certainly a lot of things, possibly legal things, that need to be sorted out, like names, logos, photos and songrights.
Nina says she’s a softie, but that it was cool of her. Momoko then asks if she wants to do karaoke. Nina picks out an old song and says she knows them because of her grandmother. Momoko wonders how she managed to become a band of Diamond Dust, and she shares that she listened to her when she was feeling stuck, and how she felt like Momoko was singing about exactly how she was feeling, and how it’s like her theme song. Momoko then shares that tonight is the last time she’ll ever sing that song.
Nina then wakes up alone in Momoko’s apartment to a note saying she’s out to grab her last paycheck and the movers will be around. And how she’s leaving her guitar for her.
Do you know how serious you have to be about quitting to actually give away your guitar? People are much more likely to store in their basement somewhere as a treasured possession. Whether the guitar cost a lot or it was a gift, you would have spend months or years playing on it, more so if it’s your only guitar. While it was only a night, I think it shows just how much Momoko really likes Nina and hopes to inspire her in some way.
Nina then arrives at her apartment. She reaches in her pocket and sees her signed concert ticket. She then opens up her guitar, and sees that Momoko wrote “Middle Fingers Up” on the guitar that she left for her. Nina then runs out and looks for her. ….and NOOO SHE DROPPED THE GUITAR D””: THE SCRATCHES AND DENTSSS
I will say though, just nitpicking a bit, she woke up in the morning, and when she enters her apartment, the sun is still up and shining brightly through her bedroom window….but as she runs and leaves the unit, it’s suddenly gloomy and raining. I don’t know how far it is from her apartment to the station, but now it’s night time. I know they need to set the mood for the scene, but still haha. If Momoko just had to run a couple errands before heading out, she probably would have been on her way by night as well. I’m not crazy right?
Anyways, Nina gets to the station and hijacks a duo that was setting up to make an announcement hoping to reach her, asking her if she’s sure, and that if you stop it all ends! She shares that she came here because she didn’t want to lose and that she doesn’t want her to lose either, so please raise your middle finger up with me.
Momoko then appears on the scene. Like wait, waittt….haha sorry, since I’m rewatching this episode, I’m catching things that I didn’t my first casual watch. I mean, I’m already surprised the other musicians are just….allowing this. It is a bassist and a drummer….are they alone or have another member coming soon? How convinient haha. And then Momoko playing her guitar, it is clearly plugged in. When did this happen? During her speech? *Rewinds* nope, she was alone right before she stuck her fingers up. These people are ninjas!!
Momoko then asks if she could sing and the two start the song, and the couple behind them join in. I wouldn’t say this is too impossible as the song/band appears to be popular, and the other two can do more simple things as they are supporting instruments.
But I will say, as she or nervous as I assumed the main character would be, we get to see just how bold and honest she is. I can’t imagine grabbing a mic and screaming out to the public, let alone singing unless I was super confident in it, so I’m already impressed by her.
All in all, great first episode. I’m invested and curious as to where this goes and what topics will be covered from a musician stance.
Episode 2
This episode starts with the Nina waking up in her apartment with the guitarist beside her, falling off as it’s a twin bed. Momoko is hungover, so I don’t know how much time has passed since she was allowed to stay with her (it can’t possibly be the next day). Nina also seems pissed so I’d say maybe a week for them to have both settled in a bit. Momoko updates her saying she hasn’t heard from the landlord and that moving back to a place you left isn’t that simple. She didn’t hear from her job either.
Momoko accompanies Nina to apply for cram school, stating that she can’t afford to come everyday, but it is necessary if she wants to get into a good college. She says not really, but life would be hard as a high school dropout. Momoko agrees and says people would make fun of her. She then says she’s not interested in her business, as long as she can practice when she’s free, and that they’ll have to consider he part-time work as well. Nina is confused, and Momoko expresses her own confusion.
Clearly there is a misunderstanding. I get where Momoko is coming from though. Nina pushed her so hard to stay and keep chasing after her dreams, I would have assumed she was going to assist her if she felt that strongly about it haha. Momoko also brings up how Nina asked/agreed when she yelled out for Momoko to raise her middle finger with her. Sounds like a pact to me! But Nina corrects and says she meant as individuals, her with music and herself with school, and Momoko realized why things weren’t adding up.
Later on the train ride, Momoko asks her about just dabbling in music, but Nina says that’s not possible. Momoko clarifies just on vocals as she has a good voice and a good soul, and Nina is a little intrigued/curious. Momoko also shares her view on bands, stating that it is a group of people who have a lot of stuff they want to say.
Nina mentions that she thought Momoko was going to play by herself, and she replies that she thought so too, but there’s something nice about being in a band. But then adds that “You get tense when you’re together, talking behind each other’s backs, but you keep it all inside and it just builds and builds, until you can’t stand them anymore and you finally expload”. Nina interjects that that none of that sounds good, but Momoko adds on “but its fun, creating something with others that you couldn’t on your own”.
I whole heartedly agree and have experienced this. Being in a band is complicated, you’re working with a variety of characters who you may not always mesh with, but you all hopefully have similar goals, and know that you need each other to pursue them. It’s hard finding musicians, it’s hard finding talented musicians who are interested in the same music or style as you, and it’s hard finding committed musicians who are willing to come out every week or every month to rehearse.
So afterwards when you find a group, you’re stuck with whatever personalities may come with them. Some may be lazy and apathetic but are talented and committed. Some are egotistical but they are super charismatic and can draw in fans. Some are more shy and awkward, but they work hard and are eager to help with promotion online. You take what you can get and work with it.
The more time you spend with each other, the more comfortable people get as well, so it can feel like family at times. You don’t always like everyone, but you tolerate them or love them in a different way. Sometimes you bring up things and it’s understood, other times it can cause fights and tension. If someone doesn’t feel heard, whether it’s their musical ideas or promo suggestions, they may just stay quiet and resenting people.
If I had to guess what the issue was for Diamond Dust, I would say its a mismatch of personalities. Momoko is clearly a talented songwriter, great guitarist, has the charisma and stage presence, and while she is sweet, she doesn’t always choose the right words to say at the moment. I have a feeling that the other girls probably had more similar personalities and got along better, and she started to feel left out. They pretended to like her, and maybe she found out they were talking behind her back, maybe they had a fight and to uphold her own integrity, she chose to leave, and because she didn’t care to keep with the music thing as mentioned above, she allowed them her song. That’s my theory, but I may be wrong. We’ll have to wait and see!
The two then make food at Nina’s apartment, and Momoko shares how Ninas speaks and acts like a rich person. She clarifies that they are middle class at first and shares more insight on her background. Things like, her family having precepts and being proud of enforcing it, how kids at school learned and start making fun of her so she dropped out.
Additionally, the popular and prettiest girl in school bullied her for no reason, and how girls like her make sure to have people on their side before coming after you. She used her friends to ignore and haraass her. She once got sent to the hospital but her family told her to not make a big deal out of it. (If you ever watched a series like “Life” about East Asian bullying, it really is that drastic and serious. Teachers won’t step in even if they see signs of something).
Momoko then stops her and urges her to eat, and also tells her she really should sing as she could write 5 songs from that experience alone. And how she always wanted to be in a band where she wasn’t the vocalist so she can focus on guitar.
I defintiely relate to her on that. I started my band just wanting to do guitar, but because the guys didn’t want to sing/couldn’t sing and play, and the main singer wanted to share her role but couldn’t do harmonies, I ended up providing a lot of backup vocals. I already had to learn and practice a lot just to play as a rookie, but now I had foreign lyrics that I had to memorize and multitask with. Since I need a mic stand, I can’t move around as much, nor would I risk it as I may get tired and be unable to sing, but if given the option, I would just want to play my instrument as well.
Nina recalls her background and expresses her need to go to college and how failing at that would be like losing to her parents, her teachers and her bullies. Momoko says she understands and won’t ask again.
I’ve certainly been like Momoko as well when it comes to persistence. I had a mutual friend who I knew had her own singing group where they would sing various languages, and she clearly had a passion for it. The group didn’t get anywhere though. So when I was trying to find members of my band, I thought of her, especially as she lived closer.
She was reluctant at first, saying she’s busy or depressed or whatever, but she didn’t outright say “no”, so I’d ask again in a week, asking about her spark for the singing group, and trying to respark that dream. She then finally shared that she did have a band dream, so I simply asked if she’d be willing to try it out, come to rehearsal, she how it goes, and she can decide later. And she just ended up sticking around through out it.
Thus when I was done with bands after our group broke up, and she started asking about making a new band, one with girls or with friends, I was reluctant, I was tired after the experience and didn’t want to lead again. But when she brought up us doing a duet, I was a bit more open to the idea. She helped me fulfill my dream, but she didn’t get to do really any songs of her own choice, so I felt I owed it to her, more so as she actually was passionate about something for the first time in ages.
A band is not only a big commitment, but it is a big investment of your free time, energy and money. so I don’t blame anyone for being reluctant or against it….but at the same time, there are people that may, deep down, really desire to be in one, but are just scared, shy, hesitant, or insecure. It’s extraverted types like me and Momoko that can encourage and convince some who aren’t too sure to just give it a shot, But sometimes, even if we know it would be great for them, we have to respect their decisions.
The following day, Momoko packs up to go back to her own apartment. Nina then checks to make sure she didn’t forget anything, and decides to return her guitar to her. Momoko agrees it’s best, since Nina made it clear she’s going to focus on her studies. Would have been a cool momento though. Momoko does ask for one more favour though, to hear her sing, then she heads her way. After Nina gets back home, she starts to tear up and tries to distract herself with her studies.
Nina then does her studies all week, but she hasn’t talked to anyone. She was hoping to catch up with Momoko but decides not to bother her. But to her surprise, Momoko reaches out first, and says she has a light if she needs one. She heads over right away. Momoko then offers to take her out for food, and she agrees.
But then another character pops out, her new drummer, Subaru. It appears the two have good chemisty already. She can tell that Nina is a little wary, and reading the room, she tries to head out, but Momoko drags her along. Having had she/introverted friends, I know they prefer to be around those they know, and they can be especially uncomfortable if they feel like a third wheel.
They all grab hot pot, and Subaru makes a bowl for Nina. Subaru then tries to ask Nina questions, Nina hesitates and Momoko responds for her. Just as she’s about to speak for herself, a song comes on and the two start discussing it, leaving her out. It’s clear Nina doesn’t want to be there, as it reminds her of her past. Nina then starts asking her other questions, and Nina feeling pressured excuses herself to the washroom.
Momoko catches up with her and asks if Subaru is not her type. She says not really, Momoko tells her to talk as she’s trying to connect with her. Nina asks what does that mean, and if she is forcing herself to talk to her. She responds that’s the norm as they don’t know anything about each other. Nina responds that it feels patrionizing, and she defends that its her imagination. How she goes to acting school and that’s how she is, how she doesn’t mean any harm. Nina responds how nice of her, how considerate she is by dealing with a baby like me.
Now Momoko is frustrating asking about her attitude, and explains that she’ll never be able to talk to anyone if she keeps thinking like that. Nina just walks away, but when stopped, she replies that she’s right and she doesn’t think she’ll ever make any friends because of her personality, and how she’ll be alone for ever. She grabs the light and thanks Subaru for it, then leaves.
Upon leaving, she starts to cry realizing how she stupid she was, as Subaru was being considerate and trying to connect with her. She starts to yell out how stupid she is…..and i died laughing when the shop owner comes out telling her to “shut up!!” I’m so used to empty strees and passive background characters in anime haha But this really sets her over the age and she gets angry and violent, breaking the light in the process. [I’m surprised it still ends up working haha].
She gets home and tries to plug it in, but falls in the process. Lying on the ground, she accepts how lonely she is, and how she’ll never escape the darkness. Thankfully, Momoko and Subaru are already at her door, saying they really should start a band and how she needs a better hiding spot for her key. Subaru sees the broken light and laughs off how it’s broken already. I am thankful they are the kind to intrude when things aren’t right, instead of taking things personally and just allowing people to deal with things themselves.
Momoko then goes on to say that she really loves her voice, Nina thinks shes lying, but she’s not. “You’re so negative and complicate, but it’s because you can’t lie to yourself. Even though you’re so fragile, you hate bending your views. You’re just like my songs that I had forgotten about. The ones I love and want to keep holding on to”. I’m sure this was very touching and comforting to Nina, feeling like someone sees and understands her personality, and not only accepts it but loves that about her.
She responds that she doesn’t need her kindness and starts crying, and the other two start laughing. Subaru says mendokusai (what a pain/nuances) in a joking tone, but Nina hits her in the leg, and Momoko tells her to channel all that negative energy and put them into songs. And after getting a drink, she continues to smile.
Another great episode. I like that they’re taking the time to actually find members and let us see the intricacies of building a band with various personalities.
Episode 3
We start off this episode with the MC playing around with a music app. We can see the screen and the settings which includes the key (Ab), the BPM/beats per minute which she ramps up to 160. She probably didn’t have to make the drum beat herself as it includes a shuttle option on the screen (each basic beat has a name to it). The top of the app mentions bars, and also has buttons for drums, bass, and lead (guitar) and to record (probably vocals). Pretty well rounded for someone who is trying to play around with ideas in their head.
Nina then explains that “the drums carve out the rhythm, the melody stirs my emotions and the words come spilling out”. She then plays around to make a specific beat. The 4 buttons on the screen (Kick, Snareclap, hats, shaketing) are parts of a drum kit, and she can adjust the frequency and beats (4 times a bar fo kick drum, 1 time a bar for snare drum, 8 times a bar for hi-hats, etc).
From this little section alone, I can definitely she has a good understanding of music, or understands well the roles of each musician in a band. Does it come from learning music at school? It’s possible as it’s common in Japan, but we have yet to hear about her history in that regard. It can certainly come from just being a fan and doing research.
We then catch Nina falling asleep during cram school and being distracted. She puts on some Bossa Nova music to try to focus, only to be distracted by the acoustic guitar elements in the track. I totally relate to her. Once I have a musical idea, nothing else gets done. I can definitely be obsessive with any idea I have, especially articles and products, and I just have this itch that won’t go away until it’s compete, so I tend to finish them in record time so I can actually focus on other things.
Nina then heads over to Momoka’s house, and Subaru is already there, so they all sit to eat dinner. Momoka asks Nina bout the song, not actually expecting her to have it done, and expressing her own thoughts about what would work best for the trio. Subaru shares that she doesn’t really care as long as she can play drums.
I feel Subaru’s statement can be two sided. She doesn’t care because drummers usually don’t share much input on chords and scales since they don’t really have that knowledge in the first place nor the creative in that regard, OR she’s just very chill and really doesn’t care. For songwriters, it can be great working with musicians who aren’t adament about getting their way, but at the same time, they don’t have them to draw inspiration or ideas from either. Sometimes, you have to wonder if people like them even care about the music or if they’re happy with the songs since they seem to be so apathetic.
Nina then plays what she’s been working on for them. I can tell she’s a feeling a little insecure and anxious, as she doesn’t know what the feed back would be like. If it was written from the heart, it’s like an extention of you, so rejection or disapproval of the artwork can really hurt. It’s always a little awkward sharing your creations with those closest to you if you’re not sure that they’ll be supportive.
Before saying anything else, Momoka confirms that she only taught her how to use the app a week ago. Subaru shares her praise for what she created in that time. It really is super impressive. Learning to use any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) takes a lot of time, and even more so if you aren’t a musician and you don’t know what anything means, so I could tell she spent a whole lot of time learning and tinkering with it in a week.
Nina shared that Momoka said she could just write by ear instead of learning how to read music. While music theory is certainly great and I will always recommend it, if she is learning to write songs instead of play songs, then learning to read sheet music really isn’t necessary….though it would be useful for jotting down her own ideas. Since she doesn’t appear to play an instrument though, an app like this really is the best way for her to play around and experiment with some ideas. There’s a reason why most singer-songwriters are guitarists or pianists, they allow you to play chords while singing.
Momoko then points out that the fact this song is so well made means she spent over eight hours a day working on it, right? As I predicted. Nina then gets up and heads out as she realizes she seriously has to study. She blames Mamoka for showing her the app, but Mamoka rejects responsibility. She still apologizes and offers to delete the app, but Nina rejects the offer. Nina accepts responsibility and tells herself that she just needs to focus and leave the band to her, right? And heads out.
Subaru decides to head out as well and catches up with Nina. Subaru compliments her saying her songwriting skills is impressive and that she couldn’t do it herself. Nina says she just followed some tutorials. Subaru says she she knows she wouldn’t be able to come up with lyrics either. So it definitely sounds like she has tried in the past, but had accepted that she doesn’t have the creative chops for it.
After a short walk, Nina tries to make an excuse to separate from Subaru, saying she has to go to the convinience store. Subaru offers to come along, but Nina rejects the offer. Subaru reads the room and doesn’t push further. While I get Nina’s hesitancy to open up to her, or maybe feeling that Subaru is a little fake, it’s clear that she just doesn’t seem to like her for some reason.
We flash back to Momoko who realizes Ninja left her phone at her place (these people are really forgetful eh?). Momoko then meets up with Nina and asks her to return it as she has her job afterwards. Nina is reluctant but agrees to the task.
Nina then heads over to Shibuya, and sees the famous meeting spot with the dog statue called Hachinko right outside of the station. TO BE FAIR, I probably gave off the same vibe when I first arrived in Japan. From the airport, I hopped on a train to Shibuya, and it was one of the first sites I saw and took my own pics haha. While it is a popular meeting spot for locals, I guess they won’t be watching it like foreigners would.
Nina finally manages to find the acting school. While she is a ‘country bumpkin’, Japan is a bit hard to navigate with a map. There are so many side streets, and so many businesses inside of an unasuming building. She’s also not one to ask people for help, so I feel like she could make a lot of wrong turns and hit a lot of wrong ends before finally finding a place with her own will power and tenacity.
As she enters the building, a stranger is in the lobby and asks if she needs help. She asks about Subaru, and with impeccable timing, Subaru and her friends are walking down the stairs. Subaru is happy to see her, Nina seems to show some disgust on her face. She hands her her phone, and then sends the other 3 off as she asks Nina to hang with her. She says she has to study, so Subaru asks about the future, but Nina rejects her offer and tries to leave.
Subaru then confronts her and asks if she should just quit. Oooo spicy. It’s a totally valid question that nees to be addressed. If Nina hates her for whatever reason, then how they could they possibly work together in a band? Additionally, Subaru can certainly find another band to play in if she chose to, but with Nina’s personality, her attachment to Momoko is more precious, so it’s really sweet that Subaru would choose to back out if Nina really doesn’t want her around.
Subaru also has enough self respect to not stay where she doesn’t feel wanted (and she also may not feel needed as she can’t contribute to the creation of songs for this new unit). She tried her best to connect with Nina, but Nina has her walls up and won’t even accept her requests to try to hang and bond, so what more can she do? If I was her, I would have asked the same thing. I may just leave, but since she seems close with Momoka, it is worth making the effort to see if it can be resolved.
Subaru then continues by stating that she’s not stupid, she can tell she’s avoiding her. And as I said, there are other bands so she wouldn’t try to get in her way. Nina denies her claims saying that isn’t the case but isn’t able to express herself at the moment. At least the two decide to discuess it over food.
It’s implied that Nina told her it’s okay for her to stay. Subaru asks if she’s sure as she only started playing music in middle school (2-3 years ago since she’s also 17), so she doesn’t have much authority.
She also makes it clear that “bandmates tend to be close since they have to come together to make one thing, and when there’s a difference in opinions, you can’t just ignore it. If you try to gloss it over, there’s bound to be a misunderstanding, so you should speak up if there’s something you don’t like” And I wholeheartedly agree.
During this bit, we also see Momoka catching a glimpse of her old band, Diamond Dust, on the big screen, indicating there was probably a similar misunderstanding and bottling up of feelings in her old band. It’s clear Momoka misses them in a way, but whether it’s pride or things just got so bad that she can’t go bacak to them, it’s hard, and I’m still curious to see if my theory on why they broke up was right.
Nina then corrects her and say that it’s not that she doesn’t like her, it’s all my fault. Subaru tells her don’t talk like that, but Nina says she’s used to be being hated, but corrects herself again. She says that she keeps her distance so people often make an effort to interact with her. And while she doesn’t hate it, when people approach her to be their friend, she gets a little defensive thinking “You think I’m just going to be that easy?” haha
She asked if that’s why she dropped out of school. Nina replied not really, and seems a lil annoyed that Momoka told her that, stating that it must be nice looking down on her. Subaru, clearly annoyed yells at her that she’s wrong about her and shares how she’s in acting school which doesn’t give her a diploma.
Nina yells back that she’s chasing her dream, but Subaru corrects that her grandma is an actor and hus was pushed to follow in her footsteps. She’s not really interested in being in one and she hates herself for going to acting school. People seem to misunderstand and assume she’s going because of her family. So being in a band is her way of pushing back. She didn’t want to be in the acting club in junior high, so she joined the band club and had fun. She even joined a band secretly before.
She then asks if Nina saw Hachinko, Nina was self conscious about being seen as a country bumpkin, and Nina encourages her saying she is one. The two take a photo together as a sign of their new friendship.
We then arrive at the next seen where Momoko is suggesting that they appear at a street show, and how she already reserved a spot for next weekend. Nina thought they would have recorded first, and Momoko said they will but she felt this was the right call. Especially as a trio.
Honestly, if you’re in a new band, going on stage first allows everyone to get more practice with the songs and to feel more confident performing in front of people and the camera. Recording has a lot more pressure as you’d want it to be perfect, and you can face a lot more scrutiny online, so I agree with her.
Momoka then comments that the photo of the two of them oozes of misery and discontent. They’re a bit offended, but she explains that that is why she reached out to both of them. As a leader, when you see potential, drive, and emotion that can propel a song, you gotta hold on to that. Expression and passion is especially important for a somewhat emo band (which is what I feel the band is from the few songs we’ve heard so far. Reminds me of my fav Jrock band, One OK Rock).
Subaru then asks about bass, and Momoka says it’s an amateur event so they’ll make it work. She also has a looper, which is tool that allows you to record what you’re playing and then it will automatically play it in a loop, freeing you up to add more chords or melodies ontop of it. It does require really good timing to even start using them. I like that they at least take a moment to show how it’s done.
Nina then asks if by street show, she means in front of a crowd. After Momoka confirms, Nina heads out. I know how this episode ends, so I was thinking it was actually going to be a busking situation or something small, but I was suprised by the huge setup. While the crowd is casually walking around, the stage and the surrounding area is just as big as when my band performed at a festival.
Nina then heads out. Momoka pulls her back in and says she essentially did it before at the station. Nina says it’s not that easy and she doesn’t have experience. Momoka says if anything happens, she’ll handle it. Ninja then yells that Momoka should sing, but she asks if she would play guitar in her place then. Momoka is calm and confident, saying she wants to hear her sing and to trust her.
Nina then tries to leave once again, and Momoka asks if she’s quitting. She says yes and closes the door. Momoka waits as she knows she’ll return. She comes back yelling that she’s holding the band hostage and continues to argue, but Momoka straight up says ‘stop being scared. Whether it goes well or not, wheter you succeed or fail, you’re going to regret it either way. Because that’s who you are.” Nina defeatedly tries to deny it, but Momoka says that’s the truth. “You might as well go all out and sing what you’re feeling right now”. And tells her to put her anger and feelings into her singing.
The trio then appear in a rehearsal room. These are hourly rental spaces that have almost everything a band needs, a drum kit, amps, mics, and a PA system. I will say though, it doesn’t appear to be a rehearsal studio since the big sign outside says karaoke, and the room itself has a karaoke set up (TV and karaoke machine, discoball), but all this gear and surplus of gear makes the room feel especially crowded.
Momoka says this is the cheapest place, which would make sense based on it’s size and if the rehearsal space is just a bonus room of sorts (there are venues, music stores, and bars that may have 1 rehearsal room available, as opposed to 4+ like an actual rehearsal studio would).
Nina tries out the set, and it actually looks and sounds good, it’s not run down or broken like you may expect from a sketchy or really old place. Momoka asks Nina if she went through the song and then says they’ll rehearse it. Nina is shocked, and Subaru asks what do you think we came here to do? Nina says its too sudden.
Honestly, it can be very awkward singing on the spot, especially with people you know. Speaking from my own experience, it’s a lot less intimidating singing to a crowd with practice (which she probably did since she really loved the Diamond Dust song she sang before this) than to sing in front of friends or family when you’re unprepared. Momoka encourages her saying not to be afraid, ‘it’s rehearsal so it’s going to suck, they’re going to fail’. Very true. That’s what rehearsals are for!
After a short vocal warmup, and Momoka joining in with a chord, they jump right into their song. Of course they cut it to surprise us later. Nina shares that she has goosebumps. Subaru teases that she fell for Momoka’s trap. “Once you know this feeling, you can never quit”. Also true XD Bands are just different, okay? It’s so hard to explain it! Subaru shares that ‘humans have a gene that make them move to sounds. Music and dance are human instincts’. Momoka then compliments her voice and shares that she has goosebumps too.
Afterwards, they grab food. Nina’s voice is hoarse from singing too hard and the others laugh at her. Momoka shares that it should be back to normal by tomorrow and to take care of it. Thankfully it’s a few days before and not the day before, or that would really suck.
The waitress then asks if they are a band, as she saw the guitar case. Momoko says yes and shares their unofficial business cards (this is why you need to keep them on hand all the time!) while inviting her to their show. The waitress shows it to her coworker and mentions that she could give theirs in return, but she disputes, only after they check them out, which is fair. They can remain as strangers if they’re not a band they would wanna be affiliated with.
After eating, Momoka has to head to her part-time job. Subaru notes that she treated them to the food and the karaoke box (rehearsal room). They catch Momoka looking up at a street sign, and note that those are her formal band members. The sign says “Eternal Flame” in big letters, but has a small “Diamond Dust” beside it. I can’t really tell if it’s a rebrand, the name of their new songs, or trying to make it seem like a subunit. Guess we’ll find out.
Now it’s time for their show! Subaru and Momoka are already on stage and ready to go as the announcer introduces them. We see an empty mic. I was worried that Nina got cold feet and ghosted them ^^”. Thankfully, that’s not the case. We get a glimpse to assumingly backstage where Subaru argues about their band name (“Shinkawasaki” which is literally the name of their closest subway station I’m sure) and Momoka says it’s just a placeholder.
Nina then walks in with her usual fit, and Momoka asks if that’s what she’s wearing. She then reminds her to bare her heart on stage and get changed. I don’t know if she went home, or if she bought something random near by. But then we go back to the stage and Momoka makes a message to Nina via the PA system telling her that she figured it was better to wear an outfit she hated, and to not overthink it. Just express what you’re really feeling, so it was probably something in her closet.
Momoka then shares how she feels about Nina, how she is timit but stubborn, cowawrdly but confident, a walking self-contradiction (complex). Nina then yells out that those aren’t compliments, and the audience laughs at her comment. Momoka continues that she has so much angst and energy built up inside, and that’s rock and roll without a doubt. Nina then seems to have a light up moment realizing she is rock.
The two start to play and test out their bit while Momo says one more thing “nobody knows who you are and nobody will wait for you. But that’s what makes it interesting” (This is the best part about live gigs and open mics when you’re new to the scene. If you mess up, no one knows you enough to care, let alone record and share you).
Nina then comes out running, wearing a clownish looking outfit and screams into the mic. She looks up at the audience, and there’s about 15 people near the stage ready to watch, and various others in the background minding their own business. After one last encouraging comment that Nina is rock and roll, they jump into their song and Nina is confident and angry. The graphics with mini-Ninas around in the audience was interesting. The song and lyrics gave me goosebumps for sure.
We end the episode with Nina talking to herself, saying this is rock and roll, and looking up with a small smile on her face. She is definitely hooked!
Episode 4
We start this episode with the band at a music store, in the private guitar section. Nina is admiring the guitars on the wall. Subaru asks if she wants to play guitar too, she responds that she never played and asked if they think she could. I love how she’s looking at a green version of what I assume is my pink Ibanez stat. The sign is too blurry and the headstock is cut off, but the body looks the same. She then asks if she could play like Momoka and daydreams about it. Momoka tells her to forget about it. She has no experience and will end up neglecting her singing.
Heh heh……I’m not laughing at Nina nor do I think Momoka is cruel or anything. I’m just happy that for once, an anime series doesn’t make guitar look or sound like it’s a piece of cake to learn. It can take weeks just to get your hands to form chord shapes and make the notes ring out well. It’s a very technical instrument that requires a lot of memorization and coordination. Bass is one thing, but guitar requires a lot of focus and time to learn, which Nina doesn’t have as she’s also in cram school and working.
Nina is still daydreaming and didn’t hear her. Momoka understand that people tend to be like that after their first performance. Nina then explores the music store more. It’s definitely a chain store and not a mom and pop shop. Nina remembers the moment and how she’s never done anything like that as she always cared so much about what others thought of her and how she often chocked on her words.
It’s things like this that makes us leaders not regret being a little pushy when trying to convince someone who has potential but is just nervous or shy. They may even think you’re a little cruel, but once they have that experience, they don’t regret it, and are even thankful you took them along for the journey <3 Anyways, they then head over to rehearsal and Nina is way more enthusiastic than she’s ever been.
At the studio, Momoko is using a DAW (Digital Audio Workplace) to record the various parts and sections of the song. It’s sounding good so far. Momoka then asks if Nina can modulate (change key) more when she enters the chorus. She attempts it and checks, Momoka approves and said it was kinda obvious and boring (changing/raising the key adds more energy, thus why some songs love to do this for the final chorus, especially if it’s doubled).
She also requests for Nina to retake the drums (may be more ontime or have more power, or just allows her to have more takes to choose from and edit together). She’s a little weary saying she has to be up early tomorrow. I don’t know if they did that all in one setting (that’s usually the case), so they could have been there for 2-4 hours, depending on how well each take goes.
Nina and Subaru are taking a break outside the room. Nina shares her concerns or worries as Momoka was looking up her ex-band, Diamond Dust and how they may be getting in her head. Subaru says its to be expected since they are a hit band. She then makes a good point by saying ‘if she was really wary of them, she wouldn’t have recruited amateurs like us”. Subaru then gets a text or sees something and has to run off.
Nina is at Momoka’s house and is worried and freaking out about Subaru. Momoka suggests it may be a guy. Nina is taken back and asks is she really. Momoka explains that girls in bands do get attention from guys in bands, that they see them as ‘easy prey’, and she warns Nina to be careful.
Hmmm, I’ve never heard or seen this, probably because there aren’t really many female band musicians over here in the West (unless she’s talking about singers), and the animes I’ve watched were always separated by gender and rarely touched on dating (beside Given which turned out to be a bi-series). I’m happily single and don’t care to date as it is, but I have an additional serious ban against bandmates. I wouldn’t want to cause drama or make things awkward if things go sour. But I can see why one may pair well with another musician. It’s a lot easier talking to guys when you share a hobby/passion.
Nina then says she’ll call, but Momoka discourages her saying she won’t answer, and that they’ll ask tomorrow. She goes on to say that she things they should be free to choose who they date and where they work.
Nina then comes right out and asks Momoko how she feels about her exband. Momoka says nothing really. She says she doesn’t hate them or anything, just wishes them the best. Nina then asks why she quit, and Momoka stats to play her guitar, saying they don’t need to talk about that. She tells her to stop worrying about these things and to just focus on singing.
I totally feel for Nina, I’m curious because I care. I feel the more I know, the better I can serve and comfort that person. I also don’t want people to bottle things up and hide their true feelings. However, I am learning to mind my business more and respect people’s privacy. They may truly be over it and just don’t want to bring up the past anymore.
But in this case, I think bandmates really should be open, more so if it’s about previous experiences that may just repeat itself otherwise (ie an overburdened leader), or it’s concerning ex-bandmates that they may run into in the future. It’s always nicer to be in the loop.
Nina pushes however, and asks what kind of band were they? Momoka gets tense and tells her to drop it. Nina urges for her to tell her. She walks away but comes back with a photo and a story. They started out as a school music club.