emperortopaz's Blog

Jan 14, 2016 8:32 AM
Anime Relations: Hibike! Euphonium, Hibike! Euphonium: Suisougaku-bu no Nichijou, Hibike! Euphonium: Kakedasu Monaka
This is the Three-hundredth-seventy-second week of using the "Perfect Anime Girl Sheet". Notice: This Blog may contain Unmarked Spoilers.

Welcome back everyone. In the recent past I was hospitalized and hit with a load of bills. As a result Aria, the military meganekko-

: In more ways than one.

-came and brought me here to Endless Cross school. I then took the job of a one-week band director.

*The single meganekko sitting there with an instrument claps.*

: Hurrah! I'm glad that we don't have to wait until the handsome band director gets better from his cold to practice! Though I do have to wonder why I'm the only one here...

: You better not be thinking of any monkey business, Topaz.

Of course not! I just figured that, since Asuka is the drum major, I'd get her help with how to teach the band.

: Drum major? I thought she played that one, er, "UFO" or something.

*Asuka holds up her instrument.*

: It's a EUPHONIUM!

*She then hugs it tight.*

: And I don't need you calling it anything silly. It's my precious boyfriend, after all.

Putting the connotations of that aside... Riri, a drum major is the person in charge of the marching band and is responsible for the tempo and telling the band what to play. They also are responsible for leading practice and performances.

: I see then. Wait, how do you know all that about bands? Don't tell me you just looked on Wikipedia or something.

I used to be in a school band.

: EEEEEEH?

: REALLY?! What instrument did you play? How long were you in? Were you as good as me or more Kumiko's level? Or were you more like Natsuki, perhaps?

So many questions! But I played baritone and stopped about halfway through High School because I wasn't too good.

: A BARITONE?! Wait, horn or saxophone?

Horn.

: EVEN BETTER! That's amazing! Outstanding! Amazstanding! If only you were in school with us as we could always use more boys in the band!

: Wait, what's a baritone?

: While the euphonium and baritone seem similar, there's a small amount of pitch difference with the baritone being "lighter". Sadly a lot of companies mislabel entry-level euphonium horns as "baritones", and there's a common misconception that euphoniums require a fourth valve. In addition-

: Sorry to stop you there, but I get the idea.

: But I had this all prepared.

*She holds out a multi-page document from nearby with the title "Differences between Euphonium and Baritone".*

: So long story short, it's not just because Asuka is a meganekko but you also played a similar instrument.

Indeed. I think that my band past made the show resonate much more than with most people. Maybe, at least.

: That must also be the reason you went against your principles from last week and decided to blog Asuka even if she has an upcoming movie and second season too.

...Perhaps.

: A movie and second season? I'd better get to practicing!

*Asuka is about to blow into her horn, but Topaz stops her.*

Wait! Before you begin I have to get your permission to talk about you.

: I can't let a fellow Bass player down. Of course I'll let you talk!

Who knew that my past would be useful in this way, but as she said...

Today's girl is:



Asuka Tanaka
from
Hibike! Euphonium


Head
Hair: Asuka has really outstanding hair. I looks really voluminous and soft, in general looking very beautiful. It's also black which is my favorite color for hair to be, which helps a lot too. What also helps is that her hair is mid-length, ending about where her shoulder blades are which is the perfect length for buttshots (not that Asuka gets any, but that's beside the point). Her bangs are slightly off-center to her left eye, in a sort of 7:3 split though I don't know if that was specifically what they were going for. She also has a single long bang as well, coming in the middle of her face. Her ears are showing but again that's not much of a problem as her hair looks so light and fluffy that it fits really well. While her hair is free she usually rests it on her right shoulder, giving the impression of a ponytail or sidetail but it's an interesting style choice. Overall while Asuka's hair is very wonderful and looks great, it does have a few problems that keep it from achieving a perfect score (such as the bangs or having it be a bit longer). Oh, and for a bit of variety Asuka has the good sort of ponytail occasionally, the kind that starts at the top-back of the head and goes down.
Grade: A

Eyes: Asuka's eyes are kinda difficult to explain. She mostly has a tarame, meaning her eyes are rounded, but towards the middle of her face the shape of her eyes take a sharp curve. This leads me to think she has a hybrid-sort of eye, including the features of both. Asuka's eyes also come to the point on the outer edge, looking quite feminine and her eyelashes, while something that I usually don't enjoy, also make her eyes pop from the great style. Color-wise her eyes are a bit boring, with a dark blue, but KyoAni really did a great job with the art to make the girl's eyes look beautiful. So full of passion as well. Sadly she does have a moment of blank-style eyes, which does hurt, but it was only for a short time.
Of course I can't forget to talk about Asuka's glasses. And what a pair they are. They're a red-colored upper framed pair that seems perfect. It compliments her face and eyes really well, and the red stands out against her black hair as if she had red eyes. While usually her glasses are drawn in a simple matter, especially in the anime, there is a very great look on one of the official calendar pages. It's extremely detailed and you notice a lot of small things. These include the nose pieces and intricately designed hinge from the frame to ear piece. Even when not that finely detailed I do like how, since you see Asuka's ears, they remember to make the ear piece visible as well going around it. While I could continue talking about her great glasses all day, the non-perfect shape of her eyes does let her down in this area.
Grade: A

Face: Surprisingly enough, even though Euphonium is made by KyoAni they actually did a good job and didn't make it moe-blobby like they're so known for. Asuka herself is mostly a cheerful character as well, often having a large smile and rosy cheeks. She even occasionally has a cat smile when being mischievous. Overall her face does look good, but she does have a somewhat-noticeable nose and a pointed chin. Not much else to say though.
Grade: A-

: Wait. Not to interrupt you or anything-

You already have, but go right ahead.

: A-HEM, what I was trying to say is that I wonder where the other band students are. We've been alone her with Asuka for a while.

: Don't worry. Most of them are out practicing by themselves. Why, I think I can hear Reina in the other room practicing her trumpet.

*Muffled trumpet-like sounds are heard in the next room over.*

See, I knew I'd be a good band director.

*Riri sighs and shakes her head. Her eyes wander over to the shelf with instruments. There she sees a trumpet case. She goes over and checks the tag. Ririchiyo is shocked to see the tag say "Reina". She then takes a double take, still hearing the muffled "horn" noises.*

: Uhhh....

What's that?

: Oh! That seems to be Reina's instrument case.

: But it's heavy so her trumpet must still be inside!

Wait... That means that-

: Fufufufu.. Well, I did see another friend of yours exploring the campus earlier. Perhaps Reina is giving him a "anniversary performance".

: Man, with all the times Zettai has heard that song you'd think that he'd know it by heart.

But he still enjoys it, no doubt.

: Well, I guess that does explain why the window to that room is so cloudy. Fufufu...

: I suppose so. But how about we get back to the blog, Topaz?

Fine by me. I'm sure that we won't get interrupted again!



Body
Build: While not official I have read that Asuka is 171 cm, meaning she's pretty tall (which she does seem to be in-series). I do like tall girls so this works well. Sadly this is about all the information we have here; Asuka isn't really shown off too much in the anime. In official art we do see that her body is fairly curvy, and her legs are nicely shaped as well. Thanks to a bikini image we also see that she has a fairly slender waist, but sadly she hasn't shown off her butt so there's nothing I can say there.
Grade: B-

Breasts: Asuka shows off a bit more here, being nicely-sized for my tastes but also not gigantic like we see in a lot of fanservice shows. She's realistically busty, in other words. Now, this probably leads to one of the worst moments of the show as Asuka pretty much looms over Kumiko.

: Ehhh? “Looms”

What I mean is that Kumiko had her measurements taken and was feeling bad for remaining flat. Then her other, also flat friends, came and she calmed down a bit. Then Asuka came in and easily intimidated Kumiko back into being depressed. Luckily then the opening occurred and time passed for her to calm down.

: That sounds really dumb!

It is, especially if you remember this was the same company that once had Konata say that flat chests were a status symbol. Granted, this was just a sign that KyoAni was starting to slip into a problem a lot of other companies have.

: Good point. Just look at their latest work!

Exactly. Phantom World is full of mamocentric moments, and the first episode certainly showed how far KyoAni fell in that aspect.

: Agreed! What's with Reina not being the one that's better at limbo for the obvious reasons!

: Eh? Reina is good at limbo? I wonder if Kumiko knows...

Different Reina. The Hayami one from the new winter series. But indeed, it's a shame they introduced the series on such a fanservice-y point. But getting back to Asuka at least she's not constantly bouncing, and while we do see some cleavage both when she's taking a bath in the special and the bikini image I mentioned before that's about it as far as fanservice goes. And that one moment, but that's obviously to entertain young boys or something.
Grade: B

Clothes: Asuka is usually seen in her school uniform, and it's not a great one. The uniform consists of a brown sailor jacket with a white collar and cuffs near the hands, a matching skirt with a tan stripe near the bottom, and a green handkerchief around the neck. She also adds pantyhose, which is always a great addition. They also show the white summer uniform later on in the series, which instead has a light blue collar and blue skirt, the green handkerchief remaining (it seems to show that she's a third-year). Sadly she doesn't wear a kimono in the festival episode, instead wearing more casual clothes. She does wear a marching uniform, which consists of a sleeveless top with a lot of gold decorations and a nice combination of white, red, and blue (the majority being blue). She also wears a matching hat, though from the front it seems more red even if the bulk is blue, and the hat itself is smaller than her head so it might be in the “tiny hat” family. Either way she also wears a white skirt with yellow underlining, white knee-high boots, and white gloves that almost reach her elbow. Finally, thanks to an official image we also see Asuka wearing a bikini. It's not too skimpy (though we don't see much of the bottom as Kumiko is sitting in front of her) but it does seem to be a nice purple color with cool white stripes. It also helps that it seems supportive as well.
Grade: B-

*More “trumpet music” is heard.*

: Wait a second. Zettai won't get mad that his "anniversary present" is off-screen, right?

Hopefully not.

: Not that any of us would want to know what's going on in there. It's probably really rank!

: True.

Plus I think that Zettai wasn't expecting a "gift" this week. He'll have his celebration blog at the start of February.

: Good, at least we aren't being dumb and pushing it to MARCH.

Certainly. Not that he won't enjoy a certain blog that month either.

: Really? What character?

I can't give any hints yet. He'll have to find out for himself...

: Not even a small hint?

All that I can say is that March may have a "cold breeze" in it...

: Aww man, I hate it when it's cold and we have marching practice! Luckily our actual uniforms are somewhat-insulated, but still.

: What was marching band like for you?

*Topaz shudders and goes into a flashback.*

Looks like a good day to march across town this lovely spring day.

*Suddenly a snow-covered tree appears. Consider the words translated from Pokémon speak.*

: MWAHAHAHA! You thought you would be having a nice spring parade? Well think again!

*Abomasnow's Snow Warning drops the temperature and causes snow flurries.*

CURSES! And I still have to march in this! Luckily I can bundle up!

*Topaz and the rest of the band do so. However, halfway through the parade a many-tailed fox appears.*

: Do you think that you can defeat me?! HA! I shall save this parade from your blustery winds.

N-NOOO!

: Not fire! That's my one (*mumbles x4*) weakness!

*Ninetales's Drought sends the snow clouds away. This would normally be good, but due to the now-extreme heat the band suffers intense exhaustion and dehydration.*

HELP! THE BAND IS FIGURATIVELY ON FIRE! ... AND ALSO LITERALLY!

*Flashback ends.*

Oh those poor woodwinds never stood a chance... Though speaking of "woodwinds" I wonder how Zettai is doing. After all, Reina is applying plenty of her "wind" on his-

*Ririchiyo covers his mouth.*

: TOPAZ! You know not to say such bad puns! Besides, I'm sure he's fine. You pamper him too much.

A great friend like him deserves that much!

: And I believe that you're exaggerating far too much about that marching...

Nooo....

*Averts eyes.*

: Of COURSE. Topaz, Abomasnow didn't even exist when you were in band, let alone Ninetales's dream world ability. Heck, I imagine that abilities in GENERAL hardly existed!

Curses, you've ruined my fun using logic.

: It's what I'm here for, to make sure you get your facts straight. That and making sure you complete your blog. Speaking of which...

Yeah, yeah, I understand. I'll get back to it.



Mind
Personality: Asuka has quite an introduction. She starts off being the best part of the show, adding a lot of humor with her silly antics. She even tries to do magic or be silly with the lead trio when they're thinking about joining the band. She was so playful and comical that it was hard not to like her. She also loves her Euphonium, at one point using a long paper as a speech to recruit people into the instrument. Her euphonium is also silver-colored, contrasting with the more brassy look the other instruments have. She's in general just the fun yet calm and mature senpai-type character. Oh, and her likes include cats, coffee, and bitter chocolate while she dislikes dogs, cocoa, and milk chocolate.
Of course, not every thing is perfect for her. Even a girl as great as Asuka has a darker side. Well, not quite “dark”, but definitely one that came as a surprise. Asuka takes music very seriously, and doesn't tolerate the baggage of others especially if it affects the overall sound of the band. She also waves off most of the then-first year students leaving the band in the year before Kumiko and her friends joined. She also doesn't pick sides, preferring to be neutral and outright refusing to be the band president because she didn't want to be blamed for whatever happens. That said she's still the vice president as well as the drum major and the leader of the bass section. There's also the fact that Asuka doesn't get a lot of screentime. Sure, she's not a main character, but there's a lot of moments where I would have liked to know what was going on in her head (such as after the concert where she looked almost depressed). There's a lot of backstory or personality I feel could be explored here, but I imagine that will be in the future. Still, even with a few missing pieces of information Asuka was a very entertaining character.
Oh, and we can't forget that Asuka was voiced by Minako Kotobuki. I wonder if KyoAni really likes her voice or something. That aside Minako did a great job bringing Asuka to life, and in general she has a great voice.
Grade: B

Libido: Sadly this is Asuka's worst area; she just doesn't seem that interested. In fact she about says that such things should be left outside of band and calls her euphonium her boyfriend, being defensive when someone else wants to touch it. Since there's barely any guys in band she really doesn't seem to have much experience, though many girls respect Asuka or find her beautiful. She does have an official image of her looking at Reina and Kumiko sleeping against each other, and I suppose that she does possibly have yuri interactions with the other third-year girls Kaori and Haruka, but this is something else I'm looking forward to seeing Asuka improve in the coming season.
Grade: C

Age: Asuka seems to be 17, though I'm not sure if they said that in the show or officially at all. Her birthday is December 25th, again not sure where that came from either. What is said is that Asuka is a third year high school student, so her age does make sense.
Grade: B+

Total Grades: 76
Average score: 8.4
Final Grade: B

And that's the blog for this week!

: It has turned out quite well, I believe.

: That's actually less than I was expecting, at least for a meganekko. Aria was one thing, but are you sure you aren't being a bit rougher with these scores Topaz?

I'm going by the same vague standards I've always had. The problem with Asuka was that she didn't get a lot of screentime, and hopefully the second season will help.

: So why did you choose Asuka prematurely like this?

: Isn't it obvious? We're Eupho (or similar) buddies!

*The two put their arms around the others shoulder.*

YEAH!

: BAND ALUMNI!

*Riri sighs.*

: Well, I guess that's one explanation. I was actually worried that someone that never listens to video game music, at least while playing, wouldn't know a single thing about performing.

The more you know! But then again, at least I won't have this job long.

: Really?

: That's right, our actual teacher should be returning in a few days.

Right, and seems next week I'll be teaching a class.

: I can't believe it... What sort of class is this?

Uhhhh *Topaz reads the paper.* Looks like it's a Speech and Language class.

: Huh. Hopefully you'll do more than just do a blog in that class. Though I do wonder what meganekko you'll do...

: Not to toot my own horn, but I have an idea. Fufufu...

*Asuka adjusts her glasses, making them gleam.*

Speaking of-

: Topaz, I forbid you to use that segue into wondering how Zettai is doing...

: Seems that Reina is done “performing” for him.

: A shame that he isn't doing her next month due to the second season and all that. Though that reminds me; don't you have a hint for Zettai's anniversary blog?

Oh yes. “Idol”.

*Short silence.*

: Really, is that the ONLY hint you're going to give?

Of course not. “Butt”.

: Grrr, that's not helpful either! All idols have butts!

But how many are fam-er, no. That would be giving it too much away.

: Such silly people.

Certainly! But it seems we should end this blog now.

: Good plan, I have a lot of practicing to get to!

: Wait, so Topaz is actually going to do his job? That's a first! But for you readers this is where we say goodbye and see you next week...

Right! See you next time!

Posted by emperortopaz | Jan 14, 2016 8:32 AM | Add a comment
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login