~con bravura~

~with bravery~

I’m starting to get a better feel for the flow of the episodes, and this is the second almost enjoyable episode. With three episodes left, maybe it’ll improve enough to have been worth it. This is also the first episode where I don’t think I noticed the background once. It’s the same background as every episode prior, but there was enough going on to keep it from standing out for me.

Takahashi tells about wanting to make simple movies, where the focus is a story to touch ones heart. While he might have been making things up as he spoke, this looks to sum up the Miu’s story. Piano playing is more like a chore than a hobby at times, and she isn’t putting her heart into it. When she admits so much to Takahashi, and he requests she play for him with feeling sometime, Miu’s joy of playing the piano returns. She isn’t playing simply to play. She isn’t playing because it’s the only thing she can do (although I’d say playing piano can have a greater impact on people than running like Yuuki and the guys do). Miu is finally going to play because she wants to play, and because someone wants to listen. She’s been challenged to do her best, and it’s a challenge she wants to meet.

On the other side, there’s Mr. Shirakawa. I’m still wondering his age and Akiko’s age. They have a fairly comfortable conversation, keeping in mind Mr. Shirakawa’s lack of talking skills. Akiko knows him, knows his habits. I expect to see another visit from Akiko, for the recital, and perhaps this time around she’ll stay to visit Mr. Shirakawa.

After Miu played The Christmas Song, a melancholy look held place as her expression. Everyone complimented her playing and talked about how great it was, how lucky she is to be able to play so well. On the inside, Miu knew she hadn’t put any energy into the piece. She knew it was lacking. If all this praise is in essence false praise–praise for playing poorly–then how can she know if someone really means it when they compliment her playing? About the only one who could commend her efforts and have it mean something to Miu would be Mr. Shirakawa. He actually has done just that. He’s said, “Miu, you have a wonderful talent. You’re being held back simply playing other composers’ works. You have a talent in composing and playing your own original pieces. This is what needs to be played at the recital. Nothing else will do. I will not accept anything less. If you don’t play, if you don’t play an original, then I can’t even send a student to the recital at all.” Only, he didn’t say it in so many words. His general bad mood, his inability to hold a conversation, or to express himself in words the way he can through music, it’s no wonder Miu has difficulty around him.

There are three months and three episodes remaining. With things the way they are now, what can go wrong? The recital should be in the final episode, and things are looking up for Miu. This leaves one episode for her world to come crashing down all around her (or the equivalent for this series), and one episode for her to find herself and begin to piece together a resolve. This would lead up to a resolve in the final episode.

So, what’s it going to be? Finding out Takahashi has someone he likes? Or someone else confessing her feelings to Takahashi? Or will Mr. Shirakawa find another student for the recital, meaning Miu won’t be able to play her piece for Takahashi? Yuuki will be there for Miu no matter what happens, right? If she knows something happened, she will be, but what if she doesn’t know about it?

The outlook Takahashi has, where he’s preparing for studies so much he doesn’t have time to think of his future, I’m reminded of Yuichi in Seven of Seven and Nanaka in Nanaka 6/17. They both, especially the latter, focused on their studies with no certainty of what they’d do after completing their schooling.

Three episodes left, and the series is finally starting to catch my attention. And Mew had more screen time, always a plus.