Team sports where I categorize concert band is a bit contradictory. They need to promote the dual values of cooperation and competition to be successful. Cooperation because concert band cannot be played with only one instrument. Competition to avoid breeding complacency (which we saw settling in the early episodes) and to reach new heights.
The thing is cooperation and competition aren’t always aligned. And nowhere is it perhaps more diametrically opposed as when a team is conducting an audition.
While they could be happily go hand in hand. If for example – those who are senior;Those who have put forth greater time and effort into the band are the ones who would be rewarded. But, that won’t happen everytime.
As Kumiko’s monologue put it:
Given that it’s an audition….
It is not unusual for a senior to be rejected in favor of a junior.
But, whether that means everyone accepts the results without another complaint is another question.
And really, how everyone handles that particular scenario forms the foundation of this episode.
There is really a lot of things to talk about here. Let’s start with the most positive one – namely Natsuki and Kumiko.
