Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am delighted to announce we are returning to the three-band pileup that is BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, as the non-MyGO remnants of CRYCHIC continue to flounder and gasp for air like fish dumped on the sidewalk. Both Sakiko and Mutsumi have sunk so deep within themselves that it’s uncertain if they’ll ever reemerge, each devastated by the hurt they caused the other, neither believing they deserve a chance at happiness.
Fortunately, after half a season of Ave Mujica poking each other’s emotional disorders with sharp sticks, MyGO has finally arrived to offer a firm yet compassionate “stop doing that.” Mortis/Mutsumi have found an unlikely friend in literally-a-cat Raana, while it seems Tomori, Anon, and Soyo are all preparing for a group rescue of Sakiko. It’s extremely rewarding to see all the bonding and emotional catharsis of MyGO being put to work, reflected in the confidence and trust shared by our lost girls as they prepare to extract CRYCHIC’s final survivors from the wreckage.
When you are down as low as Sakiko or Mutsumi, you tend to become your own worst enemy – the Mortis-Mutsumi dynamic is an extreme case, but it’s generally true that in the depths of depression and self-hatred, your internal voice will only be affirming your worst impulses. When you can’t believe in yourself, you need someone else to guide you to self-love; Anon helped serve that role for Tomori and Soyo, and with the sanctuary that is MyGO supporting them, they seem poised to do the same for Sakiko. Will a CRYCHIC reunion be the key that saves Ave Mujica’s most forlorn members? And if so, what will that spell for the remaining members of Sakiko’s gothic horror extravaganza? Let’s find out!
Episode 7
Our episode title is “Post Nubila Phoebus,” or “after the clouds, the sun.” Are the poor girls of Ave Mujicai finally due for some sunlight? Of course, knowing this show, the moment the post-CRYCHIC pair start thriving, their three Mujica bandmates will all collapse into psychological disarray
We open with Soyo lying in wait for Sakiko outside her school, demanding to know why she’s abandoned Mutsumi. Soyo’s character development this season has been lovely to see – she’s now essentially performing the role Anon and Tomori played for her last season, all while maintaining her same delightfully abrasive personality. It’s a key distinction – Soyo isn’t a fundamentally different person, but she has committed herself to being more emotionally present in the lives of others. We can’t really change our personalities like we’re hitting a light switch, but we can commit to practices that embody who we want to become. This is a far more realistic demonstration of character growth than a more dramatic reinvention would be, and upholds MyGO’s general understanding that we are all works in progress, suspended between the experiences that built us into our current shape and the aspirational self-image we seek
Soyo is not taking no for an answer, and attempts to literally drag Sakiko to Mutsumi’s house. I get the impression this is also partially a response to Mortis and Raana’s immediate friendship – Soyo’s feeling a little shown up, and will thus prove her significance through brute force
“I went to your apartment. Now I know what happened to you. But it doesn’t mean that you can just pretend nothing happened.” Soyo providing the essential bad cop counterpoint to Tomori’s good cop entreaties. Sakiko’s trauma doesn’t mean she can just throw up her hands and absolve herself of responsibility, retreating to the easy self-pity of “I only make things worse” rather than attempting to fix things. Sakiko meeting with Mutsumi will undoubtedly cause some pain, but it is only through that pain that either of them will likely find absolution, at least in their own eyes
Her tactic works, and Anon later spies her dragging Sakiko towards Mutsumi’s house. Thus Anon and Tomori join the expedition
Incredible cut from the OP back to the show, as we jump in on Mortis screaming and throwing a stuffed bunny at Sakiko. This show’s smash cut comedic timing is truly remarkable – it is so good at building up an expectation of melodramatic release and then undercutting it with anticlimax. The script takes these girls’ drama seriously, but the storyboards can’t help but sneak a few whimsical jokes in
Lovely erratic movements for Mortis as she rages at Sakiko. The character acting does an excellent job of presenting her as a doll on strings, like Mortis can only roughly manipulate Mutsumi’s body
After they’re forced out, Anon notes that Mortis’ lines and readings were cribbed from one of her mother’s films. Her “personality” is a patchwork quilt constructed from the performances she’s internalized, what she has determined to be acceptable, successful vectors for expressing specific feelings. She can’t trust her own feelings, so she simply mirrors
Ooh, wonderful performance from Kanon Takao as Sakiko here. She knows exactly what has happened to Mutsumi, and can barely squeak out the explanation through her own guilt and tears. One of those moments where your throat almost fully seals with the weight of your sobs, when you can barely squeeze words out past your own grief
At home, Sakiko cradles her book of stickers from Tomori, and then returns the next day to see Mutsumi. Just as Tomori refused to give up on her, she will refuse to give up on Mutsumi
Thus Sakiko puts in the work, with a montage showing her waiting day after day for Mutsumi to let her in
And Mutsumi attempts to meet her in turn, to overcome the shield that is Mortis and trust Sakiko once more. Their hands are mediated by the gate, but even an imperfect connection is more than either of them were hoping for
“Am I… the bad kid here?” Sakiko’s attempts to reconnect are of course hard on Mutsumi in this particular way – when the other party seeks resolution or forgiveness, you can begin to distrust the righteousness of your own feelings, and wonder if you are truly the problem. Mutsumi was justified in feeling betrayed by Sakiko, but is there a certain point at which Sakiko has paid enough penance that your feelings are no longer justified? Can Sakiko rob her of even these feelings, or at least make her feel ashamed for her continuing grudge? For reconciliation, often you have to swallow your lingering sense of hurt, even if you still feel the same pain you did at the start
At MyGO practice, Taki lectures the others on their lack of dedication while Raana messes around with her flange and reverb pedals. Raana is a cat, but she is also very much a lead guitarist – the type who are prone to get caught in their own world, conducting virtuoso noodling while the rest of the band discusses song structure or upcoming shows or whatnot
Taki is the next to take a stab at Mutsumi, in spite of Anon’s reservations. Perhaps Taki’s bluntness is precisely what Mutsumi needs? Yeah, I don’t believe that either
Oh my god, she’s so bad at being earnest. She immediately yells at Sakiko for disrupting MyGO practice, and only after that’s established is she willing to inquire about how Sakiko’s doing
She attempts to apologize, but is so bad at it that Sakiko can’t even tell what she’s trying to say
Then Soyo arrives with diplomacy cucumbers, and all three are invited inside
We learn that Taki chose her school because she didn’t want to be associated with her famous older sister Maki. A variety of legacies that our leads are hoping to escape; the only one who’s happy with her family’s expectations is Raana
Soyo seems to default to this indifferent singsong affectation when she’s nervous. She is a far more adept performer than Mortis, but we all wear a variety of masks
“Even though the band broke up, we were once comrades.” No surprise that Taki would offhandedly make the boldest expression of solidarity here. And Soyo watches carefully, noting Sakiko’s response but saying nothing
Happy to have Soyo back in the active drama. I am slightly ashamed to admit I relate to her the most out of these characters, and greatly appreciate her perpetual negotiation of cynical immediate instincts and determination to be a better person
Sakiko explains that Mutsumi’s declaration of “never having fun with the band” was actually an expression of self-doubt. She always felt alone within the group, and blamed herself for that feeling
Sakiko at last gets to meet with Mutsumi, and apologizes for relying on her. Mutsumi apologizes in turn for her “failure,” her apparent culpability in destroying CRYCHIC
They actually bring her to the rehearsal, where Tomori hands over a new set of lyrics based on Sakiko’s wish to “become human.” Soyo actually laughs out loud at these lyrics – presumably she can’t possibly imagine being so blunt and straightforward with her feelings, leading her to call Tomori “amazing.” That’s the brilliance of Soyo – she truly means it on both levels, seeing Tomori as both hopelessly simple-minded and inspiringly earnest at the same time. While Soyo would spin half a dozen webs to gradually draw her targets towards an intended end, Tomori can simply write how she feels, and share those direct feelings with others
And with one final push by the ever-helpful Anon, the gang share an impromptu CRYCHIC reunion
Umiri enters the auditorium as Tomori sings, as usual directing her feelings straight towards her target, singing to Sakiko rather than the audience
“Happiness is not the same for everyone.” There is certainly a stirring clarity in her lyrics – after all this suffering and miscommunication, it’s wonderful to see Tomori essentially forgiving all of them, acknowledging they all feel the same sense of dislocation, they all are greedy for connection yet afraid of their power to hurt each other
Also appreciate how rough this performance is – the levels are off, they’re not fully in time with each other, and Tomori is clearly not confident hitting these high notes. It’s not a polished production, after all; her songs are screams from the heart
And of course, in spite of laughing at the lyrics for their directness, Soyo is in tears by the end. I told you I related to her best
“Being able to join CRYCHIC, I’m so happy.” She still doesn’t understand the pain the others are feeling, but she feels so thankful for CRYCHIC’s existence. While someone like Soyo would wait to find the perfect vehicle for her feelings, Tomori stumbles forward bravely, and through her courage offers a light for others to congregate under. No one can express themselves perfectly, but Tomori is at least willing to try
They follow up with one more, a necessary reprise of Haru Hikage
In spite of her protests, Tomori’s songs give voice to Soyo’s thoughts, made clear through her reminiscing. Haru Hikage means something slightly different to all of them, but it is a beacon that validates their shared experience, that embodies how CRYCHIC was dear to all of them
“Even though this place no longer belongs to us, today’s performance, I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.” A final, mutual goodbye to CRYCHIC, with all its members tearfully acknowledging how much their group meant
Of course, this is Ave Mujica, so someone has to suffer for this performance – in this case, Umiri seems put off by CRYCHIC’s tearful display
She proposes a reunion as the smiling Sakiko and Mutsumi emerge
And Done
Excellent work, girls! For once we actually end an episode faring better than we entered it, with both Sakiko and Mutsumi seemingly having emerged from self-hatred, and even been given a chance to properly say goodbye to the band they loved. Soyo was an all-star this episode, forcing CRYCHIC towards a necessary reconciliation in spite of her naturally cynical instincts. You would think she and Tomori would be like oil and water, just entirely incompatible approaches to friendships and emotional expression, and that was actually the case for a great portion of MyGO – but now, with a proper group to support her and a friend as obnoxious as Anon to encourage her, she is demonstrating that the keen emotional intelligence she’s always possessed can be used for good as well as evil, and can even repair a situation as hopelessly tattered as Sakiko and Mutsumi’s relationship. It’s wonderful to see those two finally enjoying some sincerity and happiness – now let’s see how the non-CRYCHIC Mujicas draw us back to the black parade!
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