Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the tortured drama of Ave Mujica, as Sakiko continues to either exorcise or embrace her demons through the novel vector of gothic rock music. Our last episode served as something of a companion piece to MyGO’s first episode, demonstrating the calamitous personal events leading up to CRYCHIC’s dissolution from Sakiko’s perspective, and revealing that it was as much a lifeline for her as for Tomori. Just as Tomori found in CRYCHIC a genuine, non-judgmental (well, Soyo aside) community, Sakiko found a slice of normalcy, as well as a lingering connection to her absent mother.
In the wake of that breakup and Tomori’s subsequent reemergence, I suppose we can forgive Sakiko for getting a little melodramatic. Truthfully, it does seem like Ave Mujica is going to be tonally and narratively distinct from its predecessor; while MyGO reveled in subtlety and visual inference, Ave Mujica is all about oversized dramatic gestures and enormous feelings, seeming more like the Dear Brother to MyGO’s Hyouka. The tone matches the band: theatrical rather than confessional, anthemic to the point of emotional generality rather than specific to the point of intimate individuality. Given all that, I see two potential paths ahead: that this is simply the Kakimoto/Ayana team reveling in a different subgenre, and letting Sakiko’s flair for the dramatic color the entirety of her narrative, or that this is as much of a perspective-oriented trick as MyGO’s third episode, and that Sakiko’s unreliable narration will eventually be complimented or challenged. Regardless, it’s still very fun watching these nightmares in action, so let’s charge onward to the trials of Ave Mujica: Unmasked!
Episode 2
Our episode title is “exitus acta probat,” meaning ‘the outcome justifies the deed.’ A line that could easily apply to Nyamu’s impromptu unmasking of the group, which will presumably raise the profile of Ave Mujica to a tremendous extent. Though frankly, if they’re already playing at Budokan, it’s unclear how much bigger they need to go; I generally see Budokan framed as the end goal of a music group, not the first step towards a larger stage. That’s one of several ways in which Ave Mujica seems more divorced from reality than MyGO, with the depiction of Sakiko’s father also feeling somewhat broadly defined and dramatically heightened
We open on audience members excitedly gossiping about the mask reveals, just as Nyamu expected. Mutsumi is the first subject of inquiry, being immediately defined as “Wakaba’s daughter.” She was the one who had the most violent response to being unmasked, and it’s no surprise – given how shyly she behaved in the interview, and how tightly she clings to Sakiko, it’s clear that she’s in this band in spite of the exposure, and needed the masks as a barrier as much as Sakiko did. As I said regarding the last episode, Mutsumi seems like a close parallel of Tomori, demonstrating how things might have turned out if Tomori wasn’t able to make a clean break and find her own happiness
“As expected, the children of celebrities are different.” Without the masks to provide them a sense of anonymity and quasi-universality, the girls of Ave Mujica are immediately set apart, defined by their celebrity. This seems like the opposite of what Sakiko was seeking, but nonetheless an ironically appropriate result; Sakiko sought validation for her feelings, an audience to align with her perspective, but the end result has only emphasized how distinct and isolated she is
Soyo just totally blows off Anon as she brightly gabs about Sakiko’s reveal. A swift demonstration of how crucial Anon was to MyGO’s appeal – while Soyo or Taki could easily fall into Sakiko-style melodramatic self-absorption, Anon was always there to pop their inflated egos and get them talking like human beings again
Taki calls her upon learning the details, and tells her not to tell Tomori
Nyamu then claims the episode title for herself, crowing about how well the reveal went
Umiri has to leave, as one of her thirty other bands has a live performance coming up. She’s basically the opposite of Sakiko or Tomori – she’s so broadly invested that no single band can hurt her
Uika proves the most observant of the group, noting both the extent of Sakiko’s fury and Mutsumi’s seeming despair at being unmasked. She’s similar to Anon in her confidence in a bright facade, but it remains to be seen whether she’ll similarly succeed as the group’s no-nonsense mediator
The OP is KillKiss Juda again, and basically plays like an Ave Mujica music video that they’d commission themselves. I quite like that – both bands are fronted by music videos that seem within their means and styles, with MyGO reusing their concert outfits and simply hiring a crew to film them playing on pavement, while Ave Mujica has this ornate, effects-heavy video production
The visual motifs are consistent: a carousel emphasizing their performative nature and circular quest, then reflections of their “hollow” nature like shadows and dolls
In keeping with her pre-OP framing, Uika is positioned as the protagonist seeking Sakiko
Actually laughed out loud at our transition to Tomori gazing in wonder at a particularly impressive rock she found. Same vein of humor as her hushed “sugoi” at Anon demonstrating basic power chords
The show walks a refreshing line with her, neither mocking nor valorizing her peculiarities. She’s just Tomori, and it seems more respectful to acknowledge she can make some funny choices than to treat her with infantilizing deference
“Did you find any pretty stones?” Anon has come to fully appreciate her at this point
All the gossip in school makes it basically impossible for Tomori to avoid learning about Sakiko. Funny how this production jumps between Ave Mujica self-seriousness and MyGO bluntness; “hiding the truth from Tomori” could be a dramatically heightened source of personal strain for Ave Mujica, but in MyGO, the truth is accidentally revealed within thirty seconds
As expected, Tomori’s actually far more comfortable with this than either Soyo or Taki. Tomori misses Sakiko, but she’s no longer desperate to restore CRYCHIC; she just wanted a place where she belonged, and she has found one in MyGO. If Sakiko is happier in this new band, I’d assume Tomori would be happy for her
Taki hunts down “Timoris,” who wasn’t even aware Taki knew Sakiko. Umiri is clearly the Raana of Ave Mujica, though with her own spin on the form
Meanwhile, Mutsumi is busy disassociating while staring at the cucumbers, until Soyo pops up and demands to know why she’s in a band. Nice use of the cicadas in the background here, rising in volume to echo Mutsumi’s mental disorientation
Taki notes that “Mutsumi hates it when people recognize her”
“Sakiko… back when she was in CRYCHIC, she was so warm, so bright. She even said my lyrics were cries from the heart, that they were our songs. But this song…” As expected, Tomori doesn’t feel betrayed in any way by Sakiko’s actions – instead, she’s simply worried that Sakiko’s current music reveals she isn’t actually happy, and is making a cry for help rather than a celebration of what she’s gained
“It’s a cry from a Saki-chan I don’t know.” Sakiko has divorced herself from the earnest joy she found in CRYCHIC, and now presents a new self that is ostensibly free of such weakness. Of course, it’s all a painfully fragile front; Sakiko is clearly hurting, and barely able to maintain her Oblivionis affectation
“Why is Nyamu not a hot topic at all?” And of course, Nyamu has her own struggles
Mutsumi’s quietly shaking at their next band meeting. She accepted this band for Sakiko’s sake, but everything since has been a nightmare
Nyamu pokes gleefully at Sakiko’s facade, noting she’s failing to uphold her “rich girl” image. This is the battleground you’ve chosen, Sakiko – the land of fakes and tricksters, where people like Nyamu shine. Is this really the future you wanted?
It seems Umiri is also handling their scheduling and general band manager duties. I suppose you gain certain skills as a member of thirty bands
The group are invited to Mutsumi’s home, another invasion, another conflation of two worlds she wished to never interact
Mutsumi refers to her own mother as “Minami-chan,” maintaining a stage distance from her family. And of course, Nyamu swiftly latches on to this affectation as well, emphasizing how Mutsumi’s relationship with her mother is about as meaningful as Nyamu’s relationship with anyone
We cut from Mutsumi’s crestfallen look at this new “friendship” to Minami wailing for a daughter that doesn’t exist, as they screen one of her own favorite performances
At their live interview, the interviewer immediately begins talking to Mutsumi about her mother, prodding the open wound. Sakiko can only defend her by saying “that’s Mortis you’re talking to” – her only strength is in reasserting the artifice, and she’s not actually able to direct the conversation
The only words that slip out from Mutsumi are “it won’t last long,” prompting an immediate tabloid scandal. Mutsumi is the one who’s actually been forced to live as a doll, paraded around by her parents and Sakiko alike, but never valued for her own sake. She knows that any community won’t last; it’s the only thing that’s remained true in her life, and thus it’s the only statement she can make that hasn’t been scripted by another
“It’s just… when I talk…” Mutsumi tries to defend herself, but even when Nyamu is directly challenging her, she’s not actually interested in hearing a response
Even Sakiko is no longer defending her, instead simply telling her she must remain professional when she speaks. The one thing that compelled her to join this band, her utter devotion to Sakiko, has now been roughly misused as well. No wonder she said she never had fun with CRYCHIC – every moment under the spotlight is torture for her, something she only endures because Sakiko is her only friend
Thus Mutsumi spends the rest of the day silently agonizing over her fate, despairing in having embraced what she always dreaded becoming
Uncomfortable in her great canopied bed, Mutsumi tiptoes to the basement and clutches her guitar in a corner. Another easy metaphor for her perspective – she doesn’t want to be an ornament in her parents’ lives, and the guitar is her escape, the one thing that is genuinely hers. Given Sakiko’s relationship with her grandfather, you think she’d be more sympathetic – but of course, Sakiko is self-absorbed and Mutsumi is uncommunicative, so this is where they end up
Instead, the only one carrying the collective burden of the group’s anxieties is Uika, who is comforted by her partner in sumimi
Uika discovers Sakiko has been sleeping in their rented conference room. Rather than acknowledge this, Sakiko immediately slips into Band Leader Mode, talking about their upcoming trials. She can only ever sweep her feelings under the rug, only move forward through a performance of strength
Uika knows how proud Sakiko is, and is thus as gentle as possible in offering to share her own home
She brings her two possessions: her mother’s doll and her keyboard
Ever the perceptive one, Uika immediately pieces together Sakiko’s tragic past and current identity as “Oblivionis.” Even if no one else understands Sakiko, Uika is determined to stay beside her
The next morning, Mutsumi is an absolute wreck. Unsurprisingly, Uika is the first to notice she’s late for prep
Sakiko angrily declares “failure is not an option” while Mutsumi struggles just to breathe. Well, I’d imagine Mutsumi having a psychotic break on-stage would actually improve their image – the only question is, would Uika allow Sakiko and the others to do that to Mutsumi
She blinks, and suddenly they’re all on stage. You know, I don’t think starting a theatrical gothic drama experience was really the cure for what ails her, but I’m open to being proven wrong
“Once broken, you’ll have to live with this face forever.” Sakiko’s script emphasizes the limited nature of her perspective, how she sees a terrible finality in all their current woes
Mutsumi collapses back into her chair, a doll with strings cut. What will happen next!?
And Done
Ahaha, this show is so much fun. Our team are clearly reveling in melodrama to a much greater extent than with MyGO, but that doesn’t mean the production has lost its acuity of direction or precision of characterization. Instead, it just means we get to savor such expertly crafted sorrow as Mutsumi’s total disassociation, as she finds that the one person who offered her an escape from her parents’ shadow was also trying to use her, no more interested in Mutsumi’s personhood than her indifferent mother. This band is an absolute psychological disaster, and Sakiko’s actually the worst of them – Nyamu is simply callous in the way unrepentant social climbers tend to be, while Sakiko is turning her own baggage into an anchor weighing everyone who trusts or believes in her down. Ave Mujica is turning out to be a gleefully sordid page-turner constructed by artists who’ve proven capable of a delicate touch, yet can’t help but indulge in the operatic excess of Sakiko and Mutsumi’s utter dissolution. Onward to the next atrocity!
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