Episode 2: Grown-Up Wannabe
This is Hijiri’s episode. The synopsis of it is that everyone fawns over Hijiri because she’s a model and as a result she gets attention and money offers from a college boy who she ends up dating only for him to cheat on her with Haruko. Kana is steamed when she finds out and has an intense emotional reaction to seeing her friend…not even mad about it.
This is a pretty common theme in season 3, although it isn’t really given the attention I think it is due. Towards the end you will find out that Pets actually despises Kana for getting so wrapped up in other peoples’ problems that you find out Pets has been hiding so much about her life from Kana. The episode where that happens sort of beats you over the head with that idea at the last minute while the prior episodes don’t really draw upon that being the common theme, it appears to be just a “monster of the week” episode with each of the other main characters taking the lead while Kana and Haruko sort of burst in on the final 4 minutes of the episode with a quick action sequence.
What I do enjoy about this episode, though, is the deep-dive we get into different characters. Hijiri sort of reminds me of Ninamori from season 1 in how she is characterized as more mature, except in this season it’s more about her looks and the prospect of being in a relationship with her that drives the “maturity” in her. Does the music help stick this point?
I’ll be honest…I would say no. I honestly missed the majority of the songs because it was hard to distinguish them from the other background noise, and the lack of lyrics makes it even harder to focus on it. First we have
(1)White Summer and Green Bicycle, Red Hair with Black Guitar-
The episode opens with this song on the scene where Hijiri and her college boyfriend whose name escapes me (Toshio Shioya) are driving. I had to look back to find that there were actually lyrics in this scene; they were so low and got overshadowed by the little bit of dialogue before returning to an instrumental before dying out as quickly as it came.
I want to expand the innocent season
a little bit longer
White summer and green bicycle
red hair with black guitar
(lyrics taken off of jpopasia.com)
This is the first verse, and the only lyrics you hear of this song. While it is pretty lackluster, I do think the first two lines capture the overarching theme of season 3. These 4 girls are about to graduate high school, but they still want to hold onto the fleeting sparks of youth that they have left while also dancing around the idea of “being grown up”; it’s not overtly stated and since the episodes each do a deep-dive into one specific character you don’t get enough of having all 4 of them together to have that theme be built up. Looking at this episode, you see that Hijiri is the only one who seems willing to embrace the idea of “being grown up” but it only encompasses her having a career in modeling to fall back on if she decides not to go to college. It’s enough to separate her as a distinct character amongst the 4 main characters, so it gets a pass from me.
(2)She Stood Like The Angel (Fool on Cool: Instrumental)-
Yet another montage song…This time it is used in the scene where the 4 main characters are getting their pictures taken by Toshio. It serves to show Hijiri in her natural environment while the other girls look totally out of touch as models.
It has a rushed ending that leads right into the scene where Haruko attracts the attention of Toshio for a picture, which later turns into him cheating on Hijiri with Haruko. It gets the job done and it sounds good enough to say it enhances the scene appropriately.
(3)Freebie Honey-
And cue the action scene! It’s built up with some other songs leading into the CGI Bumblebee appearing before Haruko springs into action wielding “Initial D” CGI cars and claiming that her guitar which shoots laser beams is a…phallic object *sigh*.
I do like it, though. Even though the CGI is abysmal and the action isn’t super the best, I do like the inventive approach to an action scene. Especially when the chorus strikes as you get a continuous shot of Kana and Haruko spinning around CGI Bumblebee before
Haruko delivers the “Michael Bay” attack! It was well-crafted and the drumline rolling in the background while the characters spin around each-other would almost make you dizzy with excitement. The full song does play, but honestly the lyrics don’t really add anything to the scene. Even so, here’s the final chorus.
The pigs that dressed up
the shortest distance are lined up
Maybe I'm gonna be a free bee now
What am I eating?
I think it’s kinda funny considering how a “free bee” could be considered Hijiri’s state now that the two have broken up…also the final line “What am I eating” because Haruko attacked the mecha with a stick of beef…*sigh*
There was another song called “Take Me All” but it wasn’t by The Pillows, it was more of an in-universe tune that one of the characters sung. While I did like the voice actors singing it, I won’t go into it since it’s not a full song, but I did think it cool to mention it here.
