Forum SettingsEpisode Information
Forums
New
What did you think of this episode?
DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this episode. If you want to discuss future events or theories, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
Feb 25, 9:03 AM
#1

Online
Nov 2011
130770
Ye, seeing Shura's performance shows that there's a talent gap between her and Hana, at least at this point in the show. Hana is the underdog here. However, this seems to also serve as a motivation for her so I'm impressed by that.

Felt kinda like a buildup episode. From here, Hana can improve herself with the rest of her friends.
Feb 25, 9:38 AM
#2

Offline
Feb 2019
11741
Opening the episode with Saionji’s performance was a wonderful creative decision. It was nothing short of masterful and completely blew me away. The gap in talent and skill between she and everyone else in this series is immense, Hana and An’s reactions were justified. But I like that instead of getting depressed about it, Hana and Natsue take this as an opportunity to set their sights on higher places, if Saonji can do it, so can our girls!

At first I was on the side of thinking Toga was being way too picky and frankly inconsiderate of everyone else’s time with wanting to redo the music for the video. Like it’s for a recitation contest not an indie film festival. BUT the more I thought about it, I understand. As a creative you can easily get caught up in this desire for perfection, but even more importantly is the desire to not put out anything that is not your 100 percent unmitigated vision. Really talented creative people like him can be hard to work with, but you know you’re gonna get a great product at the end.

Honestly, after seeing him create that piano track and listening to it with film, he made the right choice. It’s a night and day difference between that and the original. A good OST will take any scene to the next level, whether it’s anime, games or film, that music can really heighten a scene and sometimes change a good film to a great film. I think the new soundtrack should help the ending scene resonate with the review panel much more!

Another really good episode, admittedly not the best story arc, but at a certain point we have to flesh all these members out so might as well start lol.
Marinate1016Feb 25, 11:12 AM
Feb 25, 10:12 AM
#3

Offline
Mar 2021
2943
Really nice and calming episode, you can tell that Hana is going to work hard to be the best she can be.
Feb 25, 10:25 AM
#4
Offline
Sep 2015
8516
Needless to say that since I'm not a native speaker, I can't differentiate between good recitation and bad recitation.

Ultimately, this is Touga episode. Admittedly I'm annoyed when I see him struggle a lot, but at least he's fighting to find his true self, fighting for what he love (that is not romantic interest).
Feb 25, 11:50 AM
#5

Offline
Jan 2025
214
It felt like a slice of life episode, which was fine i enjoyed it.
i like how Hana is way more expressive now compared to the first episodes she was afraid to let her emotions out or speak.

Editing isn't easy, i'll tell you now because i also did editing, it's very annoying a tiring and yeah i understand, you trying to make it perfect so you go back and change stuff over and over again.

I still don't understand what Toga said, he said he doesn't like piano compared to vocaloid music? so why it's ok for him now? i understand all the "what you think is ordinary is actually really great", but he said he liked the other kind of music more than piano, or was that a fear of his because he felt his music is less good compared to other music? it's a bit confusing.
Feb 25, 12:18 PM
#6

Offline
Jul 2021
3603
"Umaku naritai... (I want to become better)"


Nice scene, but I wonder if it's wise to make such a clear connection to the author's amazing previous work...
Feb 25, 4:23 PM
#7
ザクシャ イン ラブ

Offline
Aug 2016
177
We see Hana have her "umaku naritai" moment like Kumiko this episode after being blown away by Saionji's talent. But wow, absolutely stunning piano playing by Touga, which was definitely the highlight.

Feb 25, 4:34 PM
#8

Offline
Feb 2025
597
What a good episode
Wasn't expecting a VOCALOID mention, even if it was short

Imouto suki

Tsundere-Chuuni-Imoutos save me...

Feb 25, 5:01 PM
#9
Offline
May 2020
992
Glad to see some of the backstory of more of the club members. Would have liked to see an after scene with Matsuyuki and his big sister.
Feb 25, 5:47 PM

Offline
Jun 2016
932
How gorgeous the sound is here, the episode is great!
Feb 25, 6:23 PM

Offline
Jul 2022
1540
Shura is a masterful storyteller, and her ability to paint an entire city in the minds of her audience shows that Hana still has a long way to go.

There’s a noticeable difference between the earlier version and the final one. At first, I barely paid attention to the scene, but with that piano in the background, it completely grabbed me and evoked way more emotion.

I’d love for them to release an OVA showcasing the full drama they recorded!
Feb 25, 6:40 PM
Offline
Feb 2024
865
Man, it sure was lucky that there was a free to play piano right where they needed it on the final day of the deadline. Y'know, it would have been pretty funny if Toga had decided to swap out the original music track for Vocaloid music, a very emotional scene in the film backed by Hatsune Miku.
Feb 25, 7:08 PM
Offline
Mar 2015
14555
Our gril feels intimidated by Sanoji
Feb 25, 7:42 PM
Offline
Feb 2023
123
that was so beautiful. i really like toga
Feb 25, 11:47 PM

Offline
Jul 2024
303
Beautiful piano track, Toga made a good call to delay the movie's submission.
Feb 26, 1:28 AM

Offline
Aug 2020
7997
wow, it was so beautiful

this is really not a 7

how people can not feel the potential of this gem

you can really feel the emotions of the characters, it's beautiful and the songs are great

i'm really enjoying it
PLEASE STOP RATING!!!

less than 4 means that you don't know how to judge Anime / Manga!!!

best recom on https://www.instagram.com/otakuweek?igsh=em5kY3Q4NTVtNXlh

or Discord https://discord.gg/vbZrk64uH7

Feb 26, 3:10 AM

Offline
Apr 2008
731
I know it's not the point, but how did that performance they went to work? Did people pay and go to a theater to listen to a 3 minute poem? It was specifically advertising she was doing Yell, not a collection or anything.
Feb 26, 3:44 AM

Offline
Apr 2021
3470
No disrespect to the voice actress "Hikasa, Youko", who plays "Saionji, Shura" in this anime, but every time I hear her performance parts, it just sounds like she's reading words on a page, which completely takes away from what I believe the audience is supposed to experience, with her being the more seasoned and professional person in the anime.

On the other hand, "Fujidera, Minori" who plays "Haruyama, Hana", sounds like she is speaking from her soul, each time it is her opportunity to recite something.

The first episode was the most clear example of this.

Hearing them both speak the same poem, it clearly distinguished the difference between their ability to make the audience feel and imagine the words as visual experiences in the mind, and not just words on a page.

I don't speak Japanese, and to be honest, I did not really understand the meaning of the English translation of the poem in the SUB, but I can say for a fact, that "Fujidera, Minori" who plays "Haruyama, Hana", ignited a fire in my soul and brought tears to my eyes, as I heard her version of the same poem.

This episode which featured at the start, the voice actress "Hikasa, Youko" who plays "Saionji, Shura", I again felt that there was something lacking from her performance, like she was trying to perform the words, instead of letting the meaning of the words direct her performance. In other words, she was not letting how she felt direct her performance, more like she forced her performance to be directed by the words on the page, how they are supposed to be pronounced, which takes away from her actual performance.

Whether that is intended or not, I don't know, but "Fujidera, Minori" who plays "Haruyama, Hana", has seriously drawn me in each time I hear her perform, but "Hikasa, Youko" who plays "Saionji, Shura", has left me feeling wanting.
ejleonFeb 26, 3:58 AM
Note: I don’t lazily watch 3-5 episodes, biasedly compare to other anime, or unfairly judge by surface level similarities. With every anime I start, I watch the entire series, both Japanese Sub & English Dub, then judge each anime based on what they present, to give an honest and fair rating.

Feb 26, 8:16 AM

Offline
Feb 2014
4356
What a way to this episode by hearing Saionji's performance on stage. It felt easy to immerse yourself into the story, just like with Hana, while hearing Saionji's dominant and powerful vocals narrate from start to finish. It was really well done, which did make Hana frustrated with herself about how much of a gap that separates her from Saionji, but she was determined to do her best to get better. Same goes for An, who shared Hana's opinion and also vowed to improve her skills.

The rest of the episode was focused on Toga, as he was feeling that something was missing from the drama recording that they did recently. It was interesting to see the pros and cons of his style of thinking when it comes to choosing what fits best for the film, as was shown in his middle school days where he clashed with his fellow club members. Still, he was able to hit the jackpot after hearing Hana playing on a piano while out and about after school.

His piano piece right then and there was beautiful to listen to and it was that piece that ultimately was added to the drama film. It might've been a last minute change, but it was definitely the right call to make. =)
Feb 26, 10:44 AM

Offline
May 2019
3396
While this episode primarily focused on Toga, the first part focused on Hana and her realization that she has room for improvement after listening to Shura's recitation, and I think that will keep her both humble and driven. Regarding Toga, he is a talented individual and I hope he realizes that his talents are anything but ordinary.
Feb 26, 11:19 AM

Offline
Oct 2024
48
The music in this episode and anime as a whole is sooo good, and honestly this snippet was a banger too

Feb 27, 1:43 AM
Offline
Jan 2021
95
Best Piano play of the year!
Feb 27, 4:30 AM

Offline
Jul 2024
914
They're doing a really great job of giving characters time in the spotlight. After a couple of episodes of Akiyama, Touga took a more central role here and even Hakoyama got a bit of shine!
Feb 27, 6:03 AM

Offline
Jun 2012
735
i’m such a sucker for piano, and this one really hit the spot! It was absolutely beautiful, and I’d love to hear a full version. I’d even say I liked it more than Shura’s performance, which had already set a high bar in the episode.
Feb 27, 6:07 AM

Offline
Jul 2023
2401
Saionji's performance and the accompanying visuals are so peak. Too bad, we can't learn this episode how she is related to Hana. Instead, we get treated to a Touga episode.
'I am the world's most selfish man.' (俺のわがまま世界1だ)
— Ten'ouji Haru

Feb 28, 1:15 PM
Offline
Oct 2024
1308
This was so beautiful!!
Mar 1, 1:44 PM
Offline
Aug 2024
95
I realised last episode that this is a really incredible anime, and I realised this episode that this is actually a really incredible anime.
Mar 2, 6:20 PM

Offline
Mar 2022
95
Reply to ejleon
No disrespect to the voice actress "Hikasa, Youko", who plays "Saionji, Shura" in this anime, but every time I hear her performance parts, it just sounds like she's reading words on a page, which completely takes away from what I believe the audience is supposed to experience, with her being the more seasoned and professional person in the anime.

On the other hand, "Fujidera, Minori" who plays "Haruyama, Hana", sounds like she is speaking from her soul, each time it is her opportunity to recite something.

The first episode was the most clear example of this.

Hearing them both speak the same poem, it clearly distinguished the difference between their ability to make the audience feel and imagine the words as visual experiences in the mind, and not just words on a page.

I don't speak Japanese, and to be honest, I did not really understand the meaning of the English translation of the poem in the SUB, but I can say for a fact, that "Fujidera, Minori" who plays "Haruyama, Hana", ignited a fire in my soul and brought tears to my eyes, as I heard her version of the same poem.

This episode which featured at the start, the voice actress "Hikasa, Youko" who plays "Saionji, Shura", I again felt that there was something lacking from her performance, like she was trying to perform the words, instead of letting the meaning of the words direct her performance. In other words, she was not letting how she felt direct her performance, more like she forced her performance to be directed by the words on the page, how they are supposed to be pronounced, which takes away from her actual performance.

Whether that is intended or not, I don't know, but "Fujidera, Minori" who plays "Haruyama, Hana", has seriously drawn me in each time I hear her perform, but "Hikasa, Youko" who plays "Saionji, Shura", has left me feeling wanting.

I felt the exact same way. Couldn't help but feel a bit underwhelmed whenever Shura was reading in comparison to Hana's performance which always instantly grabs my attention.
Safe to say Shura's voice actor is much better at portraying anime characters than stage reading poems.
Mar 3, 8:40 PM
Offline
Sep 2024
31
Reply to LightningC04

I felt the exact same way. Couldn't help but feel a bit underwhelmed whenever Shura was reading in comparison to Hana's performance which always instantly grabs my attention.
Safe to say Shura's voice actor is much better at portraying anime characters than stage reading poems.
@LightningC04 Not original, but this. Certainly, it was professional, but it lacked the liberty that Hana's voice has (perhaps some carelessness that makes certain poems a perfect match for her).

Otherwise, it was a great episode all around. The second half is going in a better direction than the first one, and the visuals are still on point. Looking forward to the remainder
Mar 17, 10:54 AM

Offline
Jul 2017
16884
From the outset, Shura's recitation is pure yet filled with psychological psychedelia, to the point of it being a storytelling masterclass by just her voice alone. Clearly, this intimidation ruses both Hana and Natsue, to want to be better and outshine Shura. Still, the drama category, to Toga, feels lacking in the music department, though the deadline is fast approaching the day thereafter. Kichijoji-senpai may be harsh, but he speaks forefront truth, and this forces Toga to come up with inspiration for the ideal sound.

The coincidence to meet Toga's middle-school friend Nishino and pray tell their tolerance of him, as well as his capability to play the piano, it certainly is talent that he doesn't want anyone to know of his past being involved in classical music, then moving on to Vocialoid music which changed his life thereafter, but spiralled the perfectionist within him to want to create great things. It's similar with Hakoyama to strive for better, and also to trust him given Toga's talents, which his piano skills can't be underestimated enough for his score to be added to the film, with great results.

Toga's episode to flesh out his character: an unfinished, but perfect imperfection.
Mar 25, 8:53 AM

Offline
May 2020
12400
Must say, it felt like Hana's the only one who quite actually "felt" Shura's performance there. Worked as a good self-assessment too, where of course, she sees Shura levels above, but yeah, acceptance is the first step towards learning as they say, so looking forward to how much Hana would learn going ahead.

Btw, after all of that effort if their drama piece doesn't make the cut, I'd feel really bad for the guy lol.
Jun 8, 6:17 AM

Offline
May 2015
3355
Reply to Bio
I know it's not the point, but how did that performance they went to work? Did people pay and go to a theater to listen to a 3 minute poem? It was specifically advertising she was doing Yell, not a collection or anything.
@Bio Maybe it was actually a longer poem, that is at least 20-30 minutes, and possibly some other poems were read after that? I had the same question tbh, because it seems rather wasteful to do just a 3-minute recitation. Such a niche performance too in this day and age. Even if she is very talented, I doubt a lot of people would go to those events if they were so short. Similarly, I don't think the children's book in the previous episode was this short, either. It was shown as just 2 lines that were basically beginning and the end, but usually even if still short there would be some resemblance of a story in the middle too. So I guess it's safe to say this anime doesn't show the full scope of performances, but just enough to let you have a feeling of them.
Oct 1, 2:02 PM
Deadhead

Offline
Dec 2018
5341
I gotta be honest, I’d rather watch paint dry than go to a Saionji recital lol, I mean it was done well in the show and it conveyed the skill gap between her and the students we’ve been following up until now, but yeah that kind of performance just isn’t for me. However, the rest of the episode did resonate with me a bit more because of the focus on music, I’m pretty big on soundtracks to different forms of media so I found it pretty interesting. I will say the drama seems a bit forced, like why did it take Toga up until the day before the deadline to realize he didn’t like the music he made? But at the same time I understand it from the artist standpoint, no matter what others think of the art, sometimes the artist just isn’t satisfied and wants to change it regardless.

And thankfully Toga did eventually find the music he wanted, I figured we’d see piano come in after it was revealed he used to be really good at it, as a big piano lover I think it’s pretty wild that Toga found it ordinary, but I also kinda get it, like it’s an incredibly old instrument and is in a lot of music across the ages, but that’s what makes it timeless at the same time, so I’m glad Toga returned to the piano for this soundtrack, I would argue it definitely sounds better now and fits the scene more. I also wanna comment on that backstory bit, Toga was wronged 100% but he didn’t need to blow up like that, that’s where he went wrong, a shame it turned out the way it did but I’m glad he’s matured more since then.

And lastly, I liked the slight focus on Setarou, he reminds me a bit of myself, I’m not as openly self deprecating as he is but I relate on the aspect that he thinks the things he’s good at aren’t anything special, but Hana put it pretty nicely when she chimed in.

More topics from this board

Poll: » Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 )

Stark700 - Mar 25

65 by TheColonel76 »»
Oct 8, 2:33 PM

Poll: » Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )

Stark700 - Jan 7

107 by Cersil »»
Sep 30, 8:53 AM

Poll: » Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku Episode 4 Discussion

Stark700 - Jan 28

26 by TheColonel76 »»
Sep 20, 6:43 AM

Poll: » This show in perspective of a theatre and overall artistically public speaking student!!!

Sensual_Yuri_69 - Sep 18

2 by Sensual_Yuri_69 »»
Sep 18, 10:58 AM

Poll: » Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku Episode 10 Discussion

Stark700 - Mar 11

26 by SobbleBoy27 »»
Jul 9, 9:31 PM
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login