KANLen09

Quite literally the dark horse and the best hidden (diamond) gem of the Spring season that not a lot of people are giving it the recognition it severely deserves. In my view it's no AOTS nor a masterpiece, but it's a really satisfying watch. And this journey to stardom isn't quite over yet, as the 2nd cour airing in Fall 2019 will continue this journey of the Tokise High School Koto Club. And the TGI-Saturdays of highly-intensified music marathon is over for this period. Like can you believe that the 2nd cour was planned right when the show just started it's pilot episodes? That's some fiercedetermination right there. But first, a quick background about the Koto, which is the centerpiece of the series. Made in 13 or 17-string variants, the koto is a rendition of the Chinese Guzheng, and is the Land of the Rising Sun's national instrument, having heralded first in China over many centuries. It is a marvellous piece of instrument with sounds unlike any other (the stringed "Angels" harp doesn't even come close). And so far, no music series has so far encased the use of the koto (as much as I've seen anime and read manga for so many years). The story goes of the Tokise High School Koto Club, once a club of mediocrity, and with seniors playing for the fact that the tone doesn't strike as "Aim for Nationals!", the small reminder poster in the tattered practice room. To make matters worse, a second-year by the name of Takezo Kurata, is the ONLY surviving member of the club, with his seniors graduating all at once. Not being outdone, as the new president of the club, he tries to recruit people to continue the tradition of playing the koto, though with that said, Takezo is an amateur player. Not to mention that his cowardly-self also impacts the club, right down to his own brother having to coerce him into determination and courage not to back down, and raise the club's morale he (eventually) did. And then...in comes the school's most notorious person, responsible for in and out-fighting of people, and labelled a delinquent: Chika Kudo. Funnily enough, if you paid attention to the meaning of his name (in Hirakana), his name means 爱, or "love", speculating that his friends call him names for his childish personality. Being a delinquent in his younger years, plus the fact that his grand-dad made Koto instruments for people, IMO the Koto would have saved his younger years (but it wasn't meant to be), but through his harsh lesson to learn and understand to express himself as time passes in this series. But, he's not alone. With his good ol' bud Tetsuki Takaoka, he was the right-hand man and close friend of Chika whenever he couldn't weaver his way out of any trouble, both major and minor. But Takaoka isn't just Chika's advocator. He also helps addresses issues with Takezo on Chika's past, and whilst helping Chika rekindle his grand-dad's pursuit on the Koto and get back in the groove, for replacing his anger management and violence issues. And I say that Takaoka is best support character, really wished we all had a close friend like him in the deepest ranches of the furnace. With the duo set in motion, plus the three followers/stooges (Saneyesu, Sakai and Mizuhara) joining in the venture, there stood a powerful figure, one of the most hardworking but underappreciated figures in the Koto world: Satowa Hozuki. Born a prodigy in a harsh family enviromment that is built upon skill and tone, she was abandoned by her mother and the entire family group and left to her own devices, whilst still maintaining a super-strong calibre that at most times with a very stuck-up attiude (that slowly becomes neutral overtime), takes a very heavy toll on both her physical and mental being. As you can tell, being a prodigy, also meant being a teacher to essentially everyone in the club, since they are learning from scratch. As time passes, she becomes the quintessential member of the club, spurring everyone to do their best... And it would be a BIG sin for me to leave out the truly short but cute and romantic moments between Chika and Hozuki. It's her having a crush on Chika, but at best hiding it from his naivety. I LOVE THESE stress-relieving MOMENTS A LOT. Hiro Kurusu, the classmate of Takezo's class, is what I imagined to be the series' Malty/Bitch. A stuck-up character caught within the "Waves of Desolution", trying to bring down the club with her double personality. Fortunately, Takezo sees through that personality and warns her to give up this thought, while processing the benefits of the club. And the final character, the not-as-hopeful Suzuka Takinami-sensei, the club advisor. Knowing the desolute days where the Koto club would not suffice, he has placed less emphasis and brought more criticism to Takezo. But however, like past experiences, with his facade intact, as he saw the Koto club improve overtime, so does his negative thoughts that subsequently faded away. Not entirely, but surely. To me, this series does a super great and tremendous job at the character development of each and every member related to the Koto Club, be it family members or even rival schools in the Nationals, their quest of overcoming their past identities and forging new links of their own, and it definitely has shown that and more. I can even consider this the "golden (Harry Potter) Snitch" of the series. To the studio responsible, this is like Studio 8-bit's Magnum Opus (which was the Slime Isekai series), to which this is Platinum Vision's Magnum Opus, the flagship series representing the studio's best and talented efforts. Artwork and animations are super detailed thanks to renowned directors Junko Yamanaka and Toshimitsu Kobayashi who did the manga source material justice, and a whole lot more. Some rough details but nothing too off, and the full experience is wholesome. But being a musical series, what is there to say if I didn't "Stop This Sound!" about the music, which is the anchor for the series. And I have to give a shoutout to sound director Hajime Takakuwa. Being the SD for the current Black Clover and classics such as Spice and Wolf, there is no one person perfect for this job as this talented man (albeit with a few mediocre ones). The Koto pieces were truly indistinguishable from the IRL ones (albeit with some differences), and this made all the difference. Not to mention that both the OP and ED are great too. And it's been awhile since I've heard a Shouta Aoi song, and his OP song "Tone" really fits the (literally) tone shift of the series. The ED "Speechless" by Chika's VA Yuuma Uchida is a damn perfect ending, as music renders us "Speechless" at its play, and this is my ED of the season. Plus, spectacular jobs and props to the VAs, marvellous and convincing acting. The only thing I'm sad for is that with the sesasonal battle between this and Shinichi Watanabe's "Carole & Tuesday", I'd wager which series garnered the most attention (and it's an obvious one to boot). Regardless, even if you're NOT an anime fan of the music genre, I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you give this series a second chance to not skimp on it. Because the journey of Takezo, Chika, Hozuki and the others aren't done yet. Because of the split-cour decision (2nd cour in Fall 2019). Because of such an underrated series like this. Because of all the above, no one series is perfect to a T, but watching it makes your time worthwhile. Because I believe (and you should too) that it could be more than this, and expectations run high. More importantly, because being casual is the easiest way to strike a chord, and being comically serious strikes THAT chord into something beautiful. Awaiting Season 2 / 2nd cour in Fall with greatness.

Krunchyman

Glancing at the promotional poster for “Kono Oto Tomare!” had me confused, that’s because I thought the students were holding bazooka’s. Which could have made sense given the American name, “Stop the sound.” Despite my lack of knowledge of the koto, however, I soon realized that splattered body parts would be a rare occurrence. Quite a shame, I know. Musical-centered anime follow a similar framework to sports anime. The participants usually start with mediocre talent and low expectations, but through the power of bullshit (i.e. friendship), they overcome all/most obstacles in pursuit of their goal. Like when the vice principal challengedthe crew to learn the koto in a month and play a song in front of the student body. The subsequent veneration from the student body was a cliched response that has been utilized more times than a crack pipe at Charlie Sheen’s estate…or car, or on the set of “Two and a Half men,” or at Wendy’s as he wears his Burger King crown with glee — “Smoke it your way, bitch!” Manufactured plot points aside, the characters are recycled tropes of the worst kind. Chika (he’s actually a dude — outré, I know) was the archetypal ‘tough guy’ with a concealed gentler side. With the wisdoms of his father constantly ringing in his head, and the strengthening bonds of friendship, he blossomed into an amiable companion who supported his fellow koto enthusiasts. Satowa, the resident bitch, deceived the various men in her life to do her bidding. One might liken her to a succubus, but let me assure you, she’s not putting out. Similar to Chika, her aggressive demeanor cloaks her insecurities and longings to have friends. Both character arcs proceed accordingly, with no meaningful nuance to distinguish itself from its predecessors. Takezo Kurata was an apathetic, meek boy who didn’t establish himself as someone worth caring about. His character arc was rather predictable, with a gradual rise in self-confidence as the series progressed toward its finale. The other, initial koto members — Kouta, Saneyasu, Michitaka — were stock characters with no discerning characteristics worth mentioning. Miya Sentarou, a member of a rival koto team, did have a humorous moment when he started ‘powering’ up during a live performance, and reached a state of kaio-ken (or, maybe he was having an aneurysm — tomayto, tomahto). Otherwise, though, Sentarou was rather tropey. An interesting facet about “Kono Oto Tomare!” was the lack of koto music. Performances were often cut short or relegated to a considerable amount of internal dialogue/flashbacks from the main characters. Frankly speaking, evading the primary focus of the show for a contrived love story and frequent reminiscing seemed like lazy, bland storytelling. The difficulties of learning a new instrument is fascinating in its own right, without the ‘aid’ of superfluous, emotional conflicts. Eliminate the soap opera and focus on the trials and tribulations of the learning process.