The sunrise festival comes and goes – with enough success that Taki sensei is convinced that this school has what it takes to make it to nationals! Also, Hazuki learns that it’s one thing to own an instrument, but it isn’t going to clean itself!.
The Sunrise festival was a bit of a grind to prepare for – remember, in a parade, it’s not enough to play your instrument, you must also march in unison the entire time! The girls certainly seem to have found this challenging.
Of a more curious note, it would seem that Reina turned down a much more prestigious school in order to attend Kitauji. I wonder what her reason for doing so could be? I suspect that Taki is the reason – why else would she so adamantly defend him in the previous episode? Do they have some sort of history together, or is Taki just really famous? I suspect the latter based off what we know thus far.
Just because Taki deems the Kitauji band fit to make it to nationals does not mean the fight is over – rather, the fight is just simply beginning. He reveals that there will be auditions and not everyone will have a chance to play. Typically, the seniors are given priority and then everyone else falls into play, but with auditions Taki promises that truly the best players will be the ones playing. Obviously this causes some unrest within the band and everyone begins to practice their little hearts out.
Hazuki also loses heart a bit and needs some motivation. Asuka and Midori step up and manage to find funny (and sometimes creepy) ways to personify tubacabra in order for her to get her gusto back. Ultimately, the answer was to have her play with others, something that Hazuki had never had the chance to do up until this point. The episode ends on a warming note of Kumiko, Midori, and Hazuki playing “Twinkle, Twinkle little star” together.
Let the practice begin.
