Oh my goodness. I’m seriously regretting not writing a fanfiction for this right now!!!
So yeah, everyone is an Asuka fan and you know it. This show is the greatest and Asuka is the best part.
Although the rest is hilarious too! I can’t wait for the episode where she discovers Tubacabara’s spit valve!
We even got to see Tubacabara dismemebered! Truly the most realistic depiction of brass instruments in the history of anime.
I’m only disappointed that one of the main characters doesn’t play trombone. Although the one trombone player is popular with the girls at least so maybe I can forgive them.
But yeah, most of what I remember from concert band as well was just goofing around and laughing all the time. Any organization like that eventually assembles its own repertoire of in-jokes and humor, i.e., Tubacabara, Sapphire-chan, etc. All of the bands I was part of, as well as each section in those bands, had their own share of jokes like this.
I think this is what makes Hibike Euphonium so successfully true to live: its portrayal of politics. Yes, this is politics. Some people will say they aren’t interested in politics, but they are either ignorant or foolish. Politics is what makes the world turn. Any organization— or any group of people— has its own intricate politics, which are fundamental to the group’s very existence.
We see jokes established to bond the group together. We witness the leader’s fears about infighting among the group and their existential angst. We see each of the members insecurities and how others strive to assuage them. We witness how the group’s leaders exercise their power to bind the group together, and the ultimate fragility of that power and indeed fragility of the group’s very existence. It’s all about politics.
I will continue to maintain that the teacher is really terrible at politics. Public humiliation generally is not the best teaching technique. But I’m impressed that this girl had the balls to quit publicly like that. Way to go!
I’m sure that in the next couple of episodes, everyone’s going to be begging her to come back. And I can sympathize with that. But here’s the thing. Sometimes you have to quit. Your time is limited. You need to choose what’s most important to you, and put your effort into that.
One of the best decisions I ever made in high school was quitting. I was in some program at my high school called “International Baccalaureate (IB)”. It is exactly as pretentious and obnoxious as it sounds, and most of the people in it were totally full of themselves. Anyway, my IB counselor told me I needed to either quit band, quit Spanish, or quit Physics so that I could take her pretentious philosophy class. I politely said “fuck you” and quit IB. Best decision I ever made. The point is, to do what you truly want to do, you have to sometimes choose *not* to do other things. She tried to guilt me into staying because she was concerned with her organization’s survival, but what’s best for the organization isn’t necessarily what’s best for its members. Same with this band.
Further Thoughts
The “Bariton Saxophone”. Sounds pretty heavy haha.
Quite the philosopher here. The tuba doesn’t have much going for it, but it’s what keeps the band together. Quite possibly the most critical instrument in the band. But it never gets the flashy parts like those stupid trumpets, so many people (including tuba players) never figure this out. As a trombone I fell somewhere in the middle. But as a bass trombone player I fell closer to the tubas. (Although our parts are just usually boring, not always boring. Big difference.)
Now that’s the stuff of nightmares. My morning checklist, in order:
- Phone?
- Wallet?
- Keys? (If keys are missing, am I driving the car? If so I’m probably good.)
- Is the fly on my pants closed?
- Am I wearing pants?
“am i wearing pants” looks like ima need to start asking myself that question every morning…good post by the way…it’s always a delight when you write just a bit more than usual
It’s an important question! Yeah, I should be less lazy, sorry. 🙁
I’m glad that you are still following this series. As for me, I really can’t stand the teacher; so much so that I can’t watch this series because of him.
Really. I don’t think he’s presented all that favorably in the series even.
aaa you were in IB. I’m in it and have my last exam tomorrow, and then I’m done~! Thanks for the updates, it keeps me going.
Congratulations! It will be completely useless for the rest of your life though, despite what they’ve told you 😛
I generally like the teacher’s approach to music, though I agree that I really cringed at his public rebuke of Aoi. Why couldn’t he talk to her after class in private? Maybe it was to make a point to other students, or to try to push her in a certain direction, but it just came across as incredibly thoughtless and a tad cruel.
I really loved the whole tubacabra thing and Hazuki’s search for an answer to what makes her instrument enjoyable. I couldn’t help but write a post about my own experiences in band, as well 😛
Yep I enjoyed your post too! 🙂 All these band nerd memories are coming back haha.
But yeah, I was always the slacker in band…
The teacher is harsh for sure, not just because he demands a lot from his students but also how he makes those demands without empathy. You’re either good enough or you aren’t – that’s all he delivers in terms of teaching. He’s constantly criticizing everybody and offers just “Well, if YOU want to go to the Nationals…” as an excuse for being so harsh. In a pragmatic way he’s right, of course, but the ensemble are still children and he’s supposed to be a teacher.
“But I’m impressed that this girl had the balls to quit publicly like that. Way to go!”
Not just that she said it publicly but also the way she said it…! She had so much confidence and it was genuine self-confidence instead of her just being rebellious or petulant. I really hope that the series doesn’t turn this into a “Oh, she just made a mistake and didn’t understand what she really wanted for some reason.”-scenario to bring her back into the fold. If anything she’s a realist for quitting like that.
“You need to choose what’s most important to you, and put your effort into that.”
Definitely. I have a story of what happens when you don’t do that: I was a member of my highschool-volleyball-team and I… was one of its worst players. And I was fine with not being that good at volleyball. I had no ambition to be good to begin with, no ambition AT ALL. Of course, I still did the same practice the others did, went each week to those training-sessions after school. But then one day a couple people gotten ill before a tournament and all of a sudden I wasn’t sitting on the sidelines anymore and I was part of the starting-lineup. Well, it was a… humbling experience to put it nicely. And only after that I’ve realized that maybe I should be doing something else than something I really don’t care about.
Exactly. He criticizes them harshly and barely even seems to teach, just expecting the students to handle everything themselves.
Exactly, I really admire that girl who quit. And they haven’t made her walk it back at all yet. 🙂
Glad you figured out what you cared about.
IB at your school too, huh…
I personally managed to pull off IB and orchestra simultaneously, but not without the price
Of basically failing in both. I did nothing in orchestra senior year and my IB scores were passing but so much lower than what they could have been if I committed.
It’s really best to prioritize and dedicate~
Yep! Although, in another year or so it’s not like you’re even going to remember what your grades were. 🙂