Kono Oto Tomare! Part 2

The Tokise High School Koto Club has courageously pushed through their fractured and unsynchronized performance at the Kanto Region Traditional Japanese Music Festival. Club members Chika Kudou, Satowa Houzuki, Takezou Kurata, Hiro Kurusu, Kouta Mizuhara, Saneyasu Adachi, and Michitaka Sakai are devastated to learn the negative results of their performance, leaving them crushed. Nonetheless, the group recognizes their potential and enthusiastically agree to collectively sharpen their skills, improve their flaws, and develop higher caliber playing to succeed in the upcoming national qualifiers in winter.

With the help of their now willing club advisor Suzuka Takinami, the group's goal gradually becomes achievable as they begin to grasp the foundations of good music and refine their koto-playing abilities, with the suggestion of performing more often to gain what they lack most—experience.

However, as their journey to nationals is underway, the koto club members face challenges that obstruct their focus and progress. Not only does the threat of other powerhouse schools and musicians remain, but the high school issues of budding romance and soon-to-be-graduating seniors also begin to push the limits of the determined group of teenagers and the future of the koto club.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kudou, Chika Main

Uchida, Yuuma Japanese

Houzuki, Satowa Main

Tanezaki, Atsumi Japanese

Kurusu, Hiro Main

Matsumoto, Sara Japanese

Kurata, Takezou Main

Enoki, Junya Japanese

Takinami, Suzuka Main

Namikawa, Daisuke Japanese

Mizuhara, Kouta Main

Iguchi, Yuuichi Japanese

Adachi, Saneyasu Main

Ishiya, Haruki Japanese

Sakai, Michitaka Main

Furukawa, Makoto Japanese

Takaoka, Tetsuki Supporting

Hosoya, Yoshimasa Japanese

Doujima, Akira Supporting

Touyama, Nao Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Herek, Samantha Assistant Producer

Mizuno, Ryouma Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Takakuwa, Hajime Sound Director

Reviews

Dec 28, 2019

Shingster

Recommended

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Kono Oto Tomare and while care has been taken to minimise story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned.

Intro and premise

Based off a popular manga of the same name Kono Oto Tomare is a music, drama and school-based anime that gives us the unique opportunity to see the kinds of challenges that Tokise high schools Koto club faces in an era where ancient instruments like the koto are increasingly being forgotten by their fellow students and worst its players being seen ... as nothing more than jokes who are wasting their time with ancient instruments. While music and school-based animes themselves are not a rare occurrence as shown by the popularity of the famed K-On and Fuuka series the inclusion of the drama genre into this pairing of genres in this case I felt was appropriate as while it allowed the anime to show the many types of struggles that the club members face within the school from students and teachers alike it also allowed us the viewer to see the many kinds of personal struggles that each member of the club wrestles with unknown to their friends and club mates. This combination of struggles I felt was rather special as it allowed us to see not just how the club manages to not just prove to both the school and their various detractors that despite being old the Koto is still an effective instrument when played correctly but at the same time allow its various members to realize the core problems of their struggles and overcome it with their friends aid and in the process making not just themselves but also the club stronger and giving both the club and themselves the sense of unity and focus that they so far have been sorely lacking. This itself was one of the primary reasons as to why I was drawn to this anime and I'm glad that I decided to stick with it to the end. The first episode of the series. I felt was a excellent one that while doing well in introducing two of the main leads for the series also served to not just allow us to see how dire things have become within the koto club as a result of the graduation of much of their senior members but also how difficult it is for the club to appeal to the school body as a result of both the students disinterest in what they see as a relic instrument and the schools desire to close a club that they see as not being useful. Seeing such a unique club that despite losing much of their members and facing great difficulty in both recruiting new members and justifying itself to the school stand its ground and fight hard to both recruit new blood and grow the talent of its members I felt was quite the interesting premise and ensured that this was a series that I will watch until the end.

The overall story of the series takes place in Tokise High school a seemingly average high school in Kanagawa Prefecture and follows the life of Takezou Kurata a second-year student of the school and the sole remaining member of the schools Koto club. While not as glamorous as the schools soccer or Tennis clubs the Koto club still in its prime had a fair number of members who not only learned to appreciate the kinds of harmony and fun that can come from learning to play difficult pieces together but also use that to forge lasting bonds and friendships with its members a revelation that can be said to have made a potent impact upon Takezou. However, time can indeed be a cruel mistress and despite having an enjoyable time with his seniors within the club their graduation into the real world soon made Takezou’s life empty once more while simultaneously making him the de facto leader of the club on account of the fact that he is the only remaining member.

As the new year starts however and Takezou begins his attempt to promote the koto club and hope to not just recruit enough members that not only show genuine interest in the playing of the koto but would also be willing to help expand knowledge of it to the wider school population never did he expect that his beloved club would not just gain many new and unexpectedly skilled members whose skills and passion at Koto were every bit his equal but also reawaken within him the kinds of joy, passion and the bonds of friendship and trust that can form between like-minded people who like him are determined to use koto to not just overcome their past demons but use this as a means to not just change themselves but also allow them to realize and embrace the one thing that they all passionate about in their lives which is the opportunity to play the Koto with people who share their passion and a desire to bring this wonderful sound to the wider world.

Takezou Kurata

Takezou Kurata portrayed by Junya Enoki of Digimon tri fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A second-year student of Tokise high school and the lone surviving member of the schools Koto club and by default its club president Takezou on initial impressions is seen to be a quiet, dedicated and hardworking person who despite being ridiculed daily by both teachers and classmates is shown to have a genuine passion for both the koto and playing it. Due to his quiet nature, Takezou was shown early on to be someone that was nervous, had low self-esteem and was someone that tried hard to avoid confrontations of any type. However, unlike many people who experience these traits, Takezou was someone that didn’t hide it from others and indeed was someone that bore his weakness with honesty. While from an external perspective being the president of an otherwise dead club may seem counterproductive to the aspirations of a second-year student it can be seen that Takezou’s passion for the koto actually comes from the fact that to Takezou it was more than a mere instrument as not only did learning and playing the koto with his club mates give him a clear purpose in life but also provided him with many moments of joy and pride that he can display to both his classmates and to his family. A joy that unfortunately only served to disappear once the rest of the clubs members graduated from the school.

As the series goes on however and Takezou gets to not only meet many like-minded schoolmates that share his passion for the playing of the koto as well as the view that Koto can be used to convey different types of emotions and feelings towards others that will otherwise be difficult to put into words his personality gradually starts to change. As noted previously in the beginning Takezou was noted to have a rather low sense of self-esteem that when combined with his quiet nature and preference to avoid interaction with others served to make him not only have a rather bleak view on his skills as a player but also cause him many difficulties in trying to recruit new talent for his club. However, as the series progresses and Takezou gets to not only meet like-minded as well as equally skilled players such as Chika and Houzuki this view of his gradually starts to change. While at first somewhat dismayed at the fact that freshman like Chika and Houzuki not only have a deep interest in Koto but are also able to show both genuine skill and a desire to improve said skills as they come across challenges Takezou also starts to realise that even if his skills at koto were lacking and even if outside of the club there are not many within the school that view his club with positive feelings none of that matters for as long as the fire that is Takezou’s passion to reform the club and spread the beauty of koto through the hard work of both himself and his new members continues to burn then that is enough for the true fun of koto is being able to play together with friends while aiming to reach for the goal together. While reenergized on a motivational level this change in attitude also served to change Takezou’s personality as well. While still retaining his quiet nature and preferring to stay away from trouble when possible Takezou gradually begins to become not just braver but also more assertive in both the attitude that he shows to the school as well as in the way that he manages the club as shown in his willingness to offer advice to his friends that are based on careful observation and understanding of the problems of both sides as well as him taking a more leading role in training Chika and the newbies. While still showing some nervousness to some degree it can be seen that unlike in the past where Takezou would let this nervousness overtake him after his awakening Takezou as a result of seeing not just the hard work that both he and the members of the club have put in as well as the many happy memories that have resulted from them that Takezou would not just be able to stand up for his club and his friends but also show a sense of self-confidence and pride that many of his peers would no doubt be surprised about.

The character of Takezou I felt was an interesting character that I felt was both well designed and developed with his gradual development from a quiet, nervous and easily rattled teenager that was being hamstrung by his own qualities in his defence of the club to one that was not only more confident in both himself and his skills as a leader of a club but also one that had realised that while the members of the club may not have the same level of skill as each other they are all equal in both their passion and commitment to not only playing koto but also in using it to forge stronger bonds with each both each other and their audience. Watching Takezou gradually mature in both his skills as a koto player as well as awaken his innate ability as a leader I felt was an excellent development of his character.

Chika Kudou

Chika Kudou portrayed by veteran voice actor Yuuma Uchida of Classroom Crisis and Ryuuou no Oshigoto fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of the Tokise high school Koto club. A newly enrolled student of Tokise high school Chika from initial appearances is seen to be someone that’s akin to a classic troublemaker due to both his attitude and his general appearance both of which within the series combine to give that impression to all that he meets within the school. From initial appearances, Chika was shown to be a quiet and direct person by nature that while not afraid of expressing his own opinions was also someone that was noted to have quite the temper for his age. However, despite these traits and his repute as a troublemaker Chika was someone that was shown to be somewhat honourable towards others and was someone that was seen to display fierce loyalty towards both his friends and to those that he respect’s as shown in the loyalty that his friends show towards him that was borne out of him saving of them in the past. At the same time while his reputation as a troublemaker may give the impression that Chika was someone that openly showed his feelings as well as being one that had a short attention span and was someone that will give up once he encounters a trial in which he cannot best it can be said that rather the opposite is true. On the surface, while certainly someone that was rather direct with their words and actions Chika was shown to be someone that can be said to be surprisingly good at hiding his inner thoughts behind his default image of a rebel and indeed behind his mask it can be seen that Chika is someone that’s kind, caring and honest in nature and is someone that will show both loyalty and respect towards those that have earned his trust as shown in his gradual change in attitude towards Takezou who he viewed as unsuited for the position of president at the beginning of the series. This sense of hidden self is also shown in the fact that unlike the expected archetype of a troublemaker Chika when confronted with a challenge that he cannot easily overcome would instead of giving up as many would have expected of him early in the series instead would seek to instead dig his heels and try and understand the problem as a whole before attempting to overcome it a process that while potentially taking a long time also showcases one of Chika’s core traits of stubbornness and show his determination to play the koto no matter who stands in his way.

As the series goes on and Chika’s personality is gradually expanded upon as he encounters not only unique situations but forge strong connections with like-minded schoolmates Chika’s personality gradually starts to change. From the beginning of the series, Chika was shown to be someone that was both confident and had great amounts of pride both in his surface qualities as well as in his determination to overcome any perceived difficulties that he encounters. However despite this, as the series goes on that this sense of confidence is revealed to be one that was not built on solid foundations and indeed was one that can be seen to be quite fragile as shown during his first encounter with Houzuki a girl who despite being of the same age as him has skills and knowledge of koto that was leagues beyond him. However while certainly a rude shock for Chika that can be seen to shake him to the core this development also served as a potent wake up call for Chika as well for this allowed him to not only realised just how naive he was at not only the skills that he believed that he had but also make him realise that until this point Chika unlike Houzuki did not have a clear reason for wanting to excel at playing the koto other than his quest for atonement. As a result of this revelation, Chika’s attitude towards Koto gradually began to change as he slowly began to mature from one that only used Koto as a form of atonement towards his gran to one that was genuinely interested in Koto as shown in his desire of not only wanting to learn from Houzuki and Akira but also in his determination to learn how to also maintain and repair them as well showing well the sense of passion and determination that had been developed inside him. While showing well his determination towards koto this newfound attitude also served to change Chika’s attitude on a social level as well as it also served to illustrate just how lacking Chika’s social qualities were for while he was honest and loyal towards his friends to the other members of the club Chika still represented something of an enigma to them due to his preference for hiding his own feelings instead of sharing them with them. While itself the result of a protective measure of Chika’s that was borne out of his desire to protect himself from bullies Chika soon began to realise that while it served effectively in its intended role it also had the side effect of creating distance between the club and himself and hindering their efforts to coordinate and improve as a whole something that Chika immediately regretted and began to change.

While still remaining quiet to a degree Chika gradually began to express his own feelings and opinions more openly instead of suppressing them as he did previously. At the same time while still remaining loyal to his friends this small circle of his gradually began to expand as the members of the club slowly began to understand Chika as a person and in the process discover that beneath Chika’s tough exterior that in reality, he was actually someone that was both considerate of others feelings as well as being perceptive to the inner turmoil that may lay beneath someone’s heart as shown in how he managed to break Houzuki out of her shell as well as in his desire to help get the club through the nationals and give the seniors a memory worth remembering. In the beginning of the series, Chika as a result of the stigma that comes from being labelled and treated as a troublemaker by society was seen by someone that while understating well the value of having friends that you can trust and confide in was seen to be someone that didn’t place much value on forming lasting bonds with others and as a result made no effort to understand the kind of problems that others were secretly facing. However, as a result of opening himself up to the members of the club, Chika not only realised just how much fun forming friendships and bonds with like minded people can be but also how rewarding it can be as you struggle together and improve your skills together while aiming for a goal that they all aspire to attain. This within the series is best shown in Chika’s relationship with Houzuki as while the two of them in the beginning had a complicated relationship that served to make them rivals the sense of rivalry that developed instead of serving to create a negative relationship was instead the opposite as it served to push both to improve their skills as koto players while also allowing them to mutually help each other overcome the walls that stand in their respective paths. As a character Chika I felt was a well designed and developed one that while rough and direct in the beginning that served to unnerve many served to gradually become someone that was responsible, determined and loyal to his friends as the series went on and becoming not only a valued member of the club but also one of the vital foundations that served to support the rest of the club a role that I felt matched well with Chika’s awakened desire to have fun with people that he can trust while enjoying an activity that he’s determined to excel at.

Satowa Houzuki

Satowa Houzuki portrayed by veteran seiyuu Atsumi Tanezaki of Granbelm and Rascal Does not dream of Bunny girl sempai fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of the Koto club. A freshman that joined the school at the start of the school year Houzuki on initial appearances is seen to be a quiet, confident, honest and direct person by nature and someone that’s shown to have a personality that’s highly adaptable. While at first motivated to join the club as a result of seeing the clubs performance from the start it can be seen that Houzuki is no mere rookie when it came to playing the koto. Indeed unlike the other members of the club, Houzuki can be said to be far more connected to the world of Koto than they are for unlike them Houzuki is not only a member of a prestigious family that is well known within the koto world but also one that has many victories to her name despite her young age. As a result of this impressive record, Houzuki was not only not afraid of pressure and intimidation but also able to parry it effectively by using appropriate levels of punishment for those that annoy her as shown in her early fights with Chika. However, it's important to note that while this level of fame has served to bestow upon her with a great deal of experience and confidence that Houzuki is someone that’s the opposite of what such people are usually like for while confident she’s also understanding and cunning in equal measure adept at both focusing someone’s attention on a given goal while using the best methods to get them there. This aspect is also shown well in the manner in how she treats her instruments and the belief that only those that have the required mindset can hope to use an instrument and play it at an optimal level.

As the series goes on however and Houzuki’s character is expanded upon it can be seen that beneath the surface that Houzuki like Chika secretly wrestles with a secret emotional pain that has made her life more difficult than it should be. While certainly the eldest daughter of a renowned Koto family it can be seen that this while serving to gain her plenty of recognition within the field also served to have an unintended side effect of creating distance between Houzuki and her family and peers as despite being a high school student Houzuki has not only never got to interact with classmates and hang out with them but also never had the opportunity to have any form of fun at all such was the pressure that came from being part of such a distinguished family. As a result of this at the beginning, Houzuki was someone that can be seen to lack real-world knowledge of how to interact with others that girls her age should have been masters of that served to distant her from her classmates within the school. However, as the series goes on and Houzuki’s interaction with the club deepens this served to make Houzuki realise just how much fun and enjoyment that she had been avoiding from her life as a result of trying so hard to follow the path that had been laid down before her by her family. A revelation that proved to be a perfect catalyst that served to open Houzuki’s eyes to just how much fun koto can be if she was playing not by herself but with like-minded peers that not only understood the beauty and emotions that came from playing the pieces on the koto but also shared her determination to develop their passion for it and demonstrate to not only the world but themselves as well the beauty that comes from playing the koto with friends that you can trust. As a result of this Houzuki’s personality gradually began to change shifting from her default solo mode to one that was not only more friendly, honest and open with her feelings but also one that was more considerate of the feelings and circumstances of others a change as well as a willingness to change her opinions a attribute that is shown best in the relationship that she had with her fellow club mate Chika.

At first due largely to both her initial attitude as well as the fact that both she and Chika had personalities that were polar opposites to each other the relationship that existed between them can be said to be frosty, to say the least, a fact that served to not only cause them to have many arguments but also cause the initial impressions that both had of each other to be on the rather low side. However as a result of both the change in attitude as well as having the time to get to understand Chika as a person Houzuki soon began to realise that despite the differences between them that she and Chika were more alike than she initially suspected as despite being on opposite ends of society they both shared a common burden in that both carried a pain and regret that came from family. However unlike herself Chika despite being seen and labelled as inferior by not just society but herself as well not only did not give in to despair as many would have but instead worked hard to overcome his own weaknesses and lack of skill in koto through sheer determination and hard work that while serving to show just how serious he was at Koto also served to prove to Houzuki that while her ability to judge someone by the quality of the sound that they play on the koto was not wrong it is not absolute as it cannot judge someone’s heart and the feelings that lay within it a fact that when used in conjunction with her revelations served to transform the relationship between them as both now saw each other as worthy members of the club that can be counted upon when needed. As a character, I felt that Houzuki was one that was both well designed and developed with her transformation from a skilled, confident and determined if one tracked person that only saw the club as a mere stepping stone to one that was not only more positive, friendly, caring and considerate but also one that found just how enjoyable and fun it was to not only be able to play an instrument that she prizes with like-minded people but also in the process discover just how much more fun life can be when shared with friends that you can trust and rely upon for advice and help can be being especially well done.

Hiro Kurusu

Hiro Kurusu portrayed by new seiyuu Sara Matsumoto is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of the koto club. A second-year student and a classmate of Takezou Hiro from initial appearances is seen to be a positive, friendly and intelligent person by nature that was relatively popular within the class. However, beneath the surface, it can be seen that this is merely her surface personality for beneath her mask Hiro was someone that can be seen to be vastly different to her surface self in that she was someone that was not just manipulative but also cunning and patient as well always trying to take advantage of others at their expense as shown in her initial actions within the club. However, as the series progresses and we get to understand Hiro’s personality more it can be seen that this personality of hers is something that’s akin to a protective measure of sorts that was formed due to a painful experience with her friends in the past.

Beneath this mask of hers, it can be seen that Hiro while confident and positive on the surface is someone that’s emotionally fragile as a result of past betrayals actions that served to create within her a sense of hatred for friendships and bonds as she believes that the only thing that they represent is pain. A pain that in the beginning caused her to not only hide her true feelings but also stay away from forging genuine bonds with people that she was genuinely curious about. However as a result of observing the effects that the bonds that are forged between the members of the club have on not only their skill at playing the koto but also the effects it has on their interactions with each other this mask of hers begins to gradually slip as for the first time Hiro was confronted with a realization that not only can friendship and bonds bring genuine warmth to you but also give you the strength that you need to overcome whatever trial stands in front of you. Though at first hesitant at revealing her own genuine feelings regarding both koto and the members of the club this sense of hesitation gradually began to vanish as unlike in the past the members of the club not only accepted her warmly but also sought to teach her everything that she needed as a club member a development that served to not only convince Hiro to finally let go of her mask but also cause her to develop a strong sense of loyalty to both her friends and the club as well as shown in her desire to learn more about Koto as well as in her efforts to shoulder the responsibility that comes from managing the club as its vice president. At the same time as a result of discovering the value that can come from having genuine bonds of friendship with others Hiro not only becomes more perceptive but also becomes more sensitive to the feelings and moods of others always willing to step in and help when needed unlike how she was in the past a development that I felt reflected well on how much the strong bonds of friendship within the club had served to crack open the mask that Hiro had worn for far too long within her life.

Akira Doujima

Akira Doujima portrayed by veteran seiyuu singer Nao Touyama of Beatless and Gate fame is one of the main supporting characters of the series and is one of the advisers of the koto club that assumes her station in the second season. A member of a house that serves Houzuki’s family school Akira from initial appearances is seen to be a kind, gentle, polite and patient person by nature that while confident exhibited an arrogant attitude towards others and was one that was rather direct with her words. However, despite this attitude, Akira was someone that was shown to have a high level of skill at koto that was both genuine and powerful that showed well the kind of training that she had been through to attain it. While somewhat hard to see at first Akira was someone that while arrogant was someone that admired genuine hard work and skill that was borne out of it. At first, due to the relations between her house and Houzuki’s own the relationship between the two of them and by extension with the rest of the club was a frosty one due to both her own admiration of Houzuki’s skill at koto as well as the fact that this caused her own skills to be continuously compared against her own which served to create for Akira a rather tough childhood all of which served to make their relationship a poor one despite attempts to solve it by others.

However, as the series progressed and as Akira bore witness to the many changes that Houzuki goes through as she interacts with the members of the club her opinion of both Houzuki and the club gradually starts to change in parallel with her own views on herself as she starts to realise that while learning and trying to master koto by yourself and winning competition after competition can be an amazing experience was it fun at all and was it worth it to make all that sacrifice in the name of your family when conversely you could have played koto with like-minded people that share your passion and have fun while improving your skills all the same. As a result of these revelations, Akira not only realised that rather than merely playing around Houzuki and the members of the club were not only serious about improving their skills at koto but also equally serious about their love for it a love that they are determined to show to others when they get to the nationals revelations that served to not only show just how foolish her grandmother’s ambitions were but also convince her that with without her guidance the koto world would not only lose a potent team of talented players but also cause herself to remain trapped in her own nightmare once more all of which served to be a potent catalyst that allowed Akira to for the first time in her life to take a path that she chosen by herself one that not only freed herself but also one that served to bring a new light to the world of koto in the form of the team.


AMV

In terms of character design, I felt that the individual designs were both well designed and developed with each matching well with their assigned personalities. Arguably within character design the individual uniform designs for the many schools that take part in the koto competitions are an important aspect as this is the primary method that allowed us, viewers, to identify the schools that are playing on stage. In this, I felt that the uniform designs while similar in many respects were also sufficiently different so as to allow each school to be defined by both their school colours and the uniforms that they wore with notable examples being Himesaka’s uniform that while smart was also notable in their unique composition. As a whole, I felt that the animation was excellent and while crisp also made some great use of still frames which within the series was used to showcase the effects that the music had on the audience an aspect that I felt only served to enhance its effect on us viewers. In terms of music, the two seasons made use of a total of 2 opening and ending themes for each season with these being Tone and speechless that was performed by Shouta Aoi and Yuuma Uchida and Harmony and Rainbow that was performed once again by Shouta Aoi and Yuuma Uchida respectively. Each of these songs I felt were excellent ones with my favourite ones being Harmony and Rainbow that served well to illustrate just how much of a strong bond the members of the club have managed to forge as a result of overcoming countless challenges and achieving both sweet victory and crushing despair as they aspire to achieve their dreams. Apart from the openings and ending themes and the Ost it's also worth mentioning the various pieces that were performed by the various schools during the competitions as each while unique was bolstered by the skill and playstyles that each school made use of that served to give each performance not only a powerful impact but also a degree of surprise as well as we get to see not only a new piece but also see the fruits of the labor that the schools have been through in their training as well as the effects that it had on the audience.

In terms of voice acting, I felt that as a whole the series main voice cast all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters whether they were main or support ones. In particular, I felt that Junya Enoki, Yuuma Uchida, Atsumi Tanezaki, Sara Matsumoto and Nao Touyama all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters of Takezou, Chika, Satowa Houzuki, Hiro and Akira respectively. In addition, I felt that the series also featured a well-rounded cast of support characters that I felt served to enhance the story with their various contributions to the story. Notable ones in my opinion included Himesaka girls schools lead Kazusa Ootori that was portrayed by veteran seiyuu Ayane Sakura, Club adviser Suzuka Takinami who was portrayed by Daisuke Namikawa and Hakuto’s lead player Mio Kanzaki who was portrayed by Shouta Aoi.

Overall conclusion

In overall I felt that Kono Oto Tomare was an excellent anime and was definitely one of the true gems of this season with its main strong points, in my opinion, being its unique premise, excellent story, well designed and developed characters, excellent animation, excellent voice acting and its skilful infusion of music, feelings and revelations into its main themes that served to make each character that much more interesting and making us root for them more within the series.

The series overall story and its unique premise is without a doubt one of the main highlights of the series. While music-based animes are not as widespread as they once were I felt that Kono Oto Tomare’s success lay in the fact that while music is naturally the main theme of the series it is not the only one as in this case the reformation of a rapidly fading music club that few people remember within the school is paired with not just the recruitment of new talent to its halls but also their development as individuals that is achieved via the learning of the art of playing the koto. In this case, it can be said that koto not only serves as a primary focus for the club members but also serve as a solid foundation from which the individual members can stand upon and face the demons and struggles that they have so far kept hidden from their friends. This method of using koto to not only overcome the struggles that have existed within one's heart but also use it as a means to change your existing life path I felt was both excellent and creative as it allowed each character to not only realize and understand the core problems that dictated that struggle but also determine via the support of the bonds and friends that they had made within the club the optimal way to solve it. While reflecting well on the individual lessons that each character learned by interacting with the club this also served to reflect the strong character chemistry that gradually starts to take root in the club as the individual members gradually starts to make peace with their respective regrets and develop as individuals a fact that is shown well in the development of the characters of Takezou, Chika and Houzuki.

While the first season of the series did an excellent job at establishing the foundations of both the club and the individual club members after they overcome their initial hurdles I felt that it’s the second season that really served to elevate this series to the top as it took excellent advantage of both the lessons and skills that they had learned from the club and the bitter taste of defeat that they had experienced and reforged it into a weapon that they will continuously refine as they set about the path to the nationals. This development I felt was helped greatly by not just the looming wall that the nationals represented but also of revelation that while individually their skills may be high that only by embracing their passion for koto and the bonds that they have managed to forge with each other will the club be able to attain the cherished wish that they all aspire to achieve a fact that is shown well within the series as they demonstrate to the audience the power of the skills and bonds that they have managed to attain via their powerful performances that when used in conjunction with the threat posed by the other schools truly made the second season a memorable experience.

Overall Kono Oto Tomare was an excellent series that featured an excellent premise, story and cast of characters that were both well designed and extensively developed through not just solo development but also shared development via their experience with the koto club and their friends, excellent animation, voice acting and skilful combination of feelings, music and revelations all of which served to make the core struggles of the series main cast not just more memorable and relatable but also serve to make me more invested in both the story and the characters as well a feat that is aided greatly by the series skill at creating effective and emotional backstory for its characters. As a final score I would say that Kono Oto Tomare easily deserves a final score of 10/10.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Oct 28, 2021

amandont

Mixed Feelings

Pretty equal if not a teensy bit better than the first season, just a culmination of all the sweat and tears of the gang and a finale that was just stunning really.

This season in my opinion was better than the first due to a few reasons, I think that the character of Akira Dojima was just beautiful. I think that her character is so intriguing, it's so worth the time to explore further, it really propelled the group to be better and it was really the main reason this series got better and better.

I also liked that we got a bit more Koto this time ... round, especially about learning the basics of Koto. I feel like this series really underplays just how difficult playing music is, and knowing that most of them are newbies, it's pretty unrealistic for them to be as good as they are. So I really enjoyed the basic training and also just the exposure of dedication that one must have to play such an instrument.

The conflict here was more heated with Dojima, but I enjoyed the romance related dilemmas the two girls were having. I thought it was really funny and amusing and I liked seeing their vulnerabilities because Kurusu and Hozuki are such strong characters. Especially with Kurusu, I really felt her development since season 1 and I grew to really like her character and really root for her.

Sane was explored a little bit more here but Mitssu is still left in the dust! I really don't know why they did this because I think Mitssu could have been given some funny alternate plot or some conflict with Takezo. So I'm a little annoyed about that because he's now the only character without a real story, or even a perspective.

I also thought that it was rather annoying to pile the performances from other schools and theirs per-episode. I think throughout the story we could have gone to each school to see their struggles and their progress rather than giving them a full episode filled with flashbacks + the performance. I mean, we already met them in the first season so I feel like they earned some portion of the story before the finale. So, it definitely felt more choppy this time round.

Still, it was pretty equal to the first and that's a hard feat. The ending was extremely satisfying as well and I loved the piece they played! Definitely an anime that you would miss watching just because of how light and grounded it was. If you liked the first season, then you're bound to enjoy the second !

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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May 13, 2020

nanatshi

Not Recommended

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

first of all i want to say i hate the romance bullshit and i don't care about the whole romance relationships thing
most of the reviews did'nt really do the justice for me so i am writing this review to give you my honest opinion about this show

notice :- this review is wroten by a crying baby who is gonna write an review just to complain about anime for 4 hours

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story ( 1/10 ) :-

how many flashbacks and bullshit drama do you want ?!
... every single episode ?!
if your answer is yes you are gonna love this show and if you hate this type of shows your gonna hate it
the problem with flashbacks that they overused in this series i mean
which makes my reaction every single time i see flash back
" come on another flash back "
so don't expect me to Interact with flashbacks because the flashbacks is just cheap way from the writers because they are too lazy to write and develop characters throw the story instead of taking there time to do it , just put another flashback

the problem with this story that they really don't have any breaks
in every single episode there is drama just why ?!
what about building the characters ( not using the flashbacks ) or giving us time to relax from the drama
there no real time for me to even Interact with them or to know anything about them with out putting another drama sense
what about there life ?! do they even have one ?!

the k.o for me was romance i mean why the hell you even put it ?
in the first season there nothing that tell this gonna be a romance show because season one focuses on the drama more
and all sudden the show become a romance in the episode 4

what about the koto , oh i forget this is a romance drama show
who even care about the koto thing just replace it with basketball ?!
they should really focus more about the koto ( because that what i am coming for in the first place )

to sum it for you :-

- bad romance
- so much flash backs
- so much drama
- where the koto is gone ( i need more koto instead of the drama )
- can we just have some slice of life moments
- is this show about music or drama or what ?!

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art ( 3/10 ) :-

i really hate the art specially the jeans i really hate how it looks
beside that the art is normal and the animation is just talking nothing really special
sometimes there is some good illustrations in the show but they just appear
for few seconds
______________________________________________________________

sound ( 2/10 ) :-

can we focus more on the music please ?!
i did'nt like the op or ed i found them normal
also i really did'nt hear any good osts

______________________________________________________________

characters ( 1/10 ) :-

developing the characters throw the flashbacks and friendshit also
even in the worst anime i have seen there some good characters or there is lovable side of them but in this anime i hate all the characters "all of them"
let me explain why

glasses-kun ( kurata ) :- he is always blaming himself when anything wrong
" i am failure " or " all of it is my mistake " just stop for the love of god.

bad girl ( kurusu ) :- she is most over dramatic one in all of them " am i even allowed to love " and my answer to this question " just kill me please who thought about this one " .

bad guy ( kudou ) :- the prince , the kind one , the dump one and the strong one , i hate all of this Traits

cold lady ( Houzuki ) :- i was so lonely , i don't trust anyone and i don't depend on anyone so ok i give up at this point

_____________________________________________________________


enjoyment ( 1/10 ) :-

i thought season one have enough drama but in the season two even more drama and i could not handle watch this garbage anymore

_____________________________________________________________


overall ( 3/10 ) :-

i think i might be too hard in this show because i don't like the " so much drama " type of things or " so romantic " type of thing , there is some people out there who love this show and call it underrated but it's just another romcom garbage for me and i hope you understand my point of view and why i hate this how so much

also sorry for my bad eng

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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