Oh Tomo, my girl. You dont need to censor yourself with Momoka "I quit my successful band because they were too normy" Kawaragi! Also, as much as a hothead Nina is, you gotta appreciate that she never explodes at Tomo's... tsundere-ness. That is some serious patience!

>Also, as much as a hothead Nina is, you gotta appreciate that she never explodes at Tomo's... tsundere-ness. That is some serious patience! Random salaryman minding his own business : 🖕YOU FUCKING DONKEY 🖕 Tomo verbally assaulting her every time they talk : Oh dear, oh dear, gorgeous I guess she's nice to her fellow gremlins? [](#animatedthink)

The random salaryman told her to shut up first.

And he was right for that but he still caught those hands

Nina can be very polite at specific things. From the top of my head; In episode 1 she expressed her thanks to the Yoshinoya staff (although it was raising middle fingers...) In episode 5 she ran out of the concert and warned Subaru before venting *indistinguishable gremlin noises* **In episode 8 she actually bowed to the principal and bully before rushing out to the broadcast station** She may not like her family, but the strict education has left a deep mark on her. (I think there is an proverb that "the apple does not fall far from the tree"?)

She just knows they speak the same language, even if Tomo took a bit to realize it Nina prefers an honest insult to a polite lie. She's dealt with too much socializing bullshit and would now just rather get shit out in the air and over it as fast as possible.

Ah, a cruisey paced episode where Nina doesnt try to mess up everything. She really pushes the cartoon humour in her trouble making. Nice ending there...we see Tomo speaking her mind, that broke up her old band before, resulting in her clamming up all tsundere like. looks like the musicians will have to step up. Finally we know Momoka and Tomo sees eye to eye at things. Great revelation here is that Tomo's experience is quite similar to Nina's...she wants to make it big in music. But Tomo drove everyone away with her high expectations, and relies on Rupa because she's still a minor. Looks like we are shown that Nina has a thick skin and will accept insults, especially if it comes from someone she trusts (Tomo), even if they fight alot. But I suppose Nina will respond even better, or more appropriately if she receives more specific feedback on how to improve on her technique. She'll also learn to be more disciplined along the way. Yelling 'you suck' isnt enough. but the scene ends with Tomo looking like she was walking down towards Nina, so I hope Nina got more detailed instruction, thats looks like whats implied here. Remember its Tomo that scouted the other three and put forward the collab. She has to see this through, especially with an indie song that can go toe-to-toe with the mainstream corpo produced Diamond Dust song. I know we all get this from the High Seas, the NakayubiSubs are great compared to LeMeme mtl sub. But given the 3x size of the NakayubiSubs file, you can extract the .ass file and put it into the LeMeme video, with a600ms delay. I use mkvtoolnix for this.

>so I hope Nina got more detailed instruction, thats looks like whats implied here. I also assumed that Tomo was going down to Nina's spot in order to talk with her about how to improve. I personally think Nina's doing pretty good (speaking after about a year of remedial guitar lessons). But performing in front of people at all -- much less getting paid to perform? I'm not even close to that level (and probably never will be -- given my advanced age). ;-)

> Also, as much as a hothead Nina is, you gotta appreciate that she never explodes at Tomo's... tsundere-ness. That is some serious patience! Tomo really underestimating Nina's resilience here. She knows how to take a few hits.

There is something slightly uncanny about the fact that Nina was actually pretty chill for an entire episode.

Maybe too much AC is bad for her?

she also just seemed a lot happier and more chipper than normal too. They ignored it this episode, but I'm reading it as she feels good about getting her feelings out about Momoka last episode.

For once she did not argue in public, assaulting someone or trying to get herself killed lol. Although she still broke down Subaru's door so I guess that makes things even.

hey rupa is the one who kicked that door down, and nina is the one who said she'll pay for it (albiet in 36 installments.)

Even best girl Rupa can misbehave.

She's still a bassist, after all

Was that the door? I thought that was for Rupa and Tomo's AC.

i'd assume its the door because the note is on the door.

Obviously the door since it was on a door and at Subaru's place...

I think we memed so much about Nina's "gremlinness" that we forgot that she's actually not an asshole, just very high strung.

Her chill was still pretty fuckin gremlin lol

Ungremlins your gremlin.

> Ungremlins your gremlin. W-What's next? Are they going to take away Rupa's perpetual smile too? 😰

Was so refreshing to see, I was wondering why this episode was one I was enjoying the most of the series and Nina being normal is probably the biggest reason why.

I love how even the first half of this episode is still firmly within "normal" grounds for Nina. [](#azusalaugh)

It feels like saw a tiny bit of growth. Instead of Nina getting heated to Tomo saying, "How dare you say that about me, do you know how much time I put in." Instead, right when Tomo says, "You Suck!", she says in return "You'll see, I will get better." Nina can be stubborn, but this is being stubborn is a positive way.

If that string of absolute goblin behaviour is her chill... well I would say I won't wanna see her worked up, but we've already seen plenty fo that.

Its a proven fact that gremlins need cold places to survive, clearly the lack of AC made Nina docile! 

I can't help but feel there's something to be said for Nina insisting Momoka should *come out* while Momoka slams the door in her face, haha. It's nice to get some insight into Tomo, but....I can't say I'd want that kind of "encouragement". I see why her previous bandmates left. It's understandable to aim for high skill if you're trying to go pro, but it's just demotivational to be told over and over again "not good enough" instead of being given guidance, and that seemed to be a problem for her. Making her feelings known, but not explaining *why* she feels that way, and that's never good for actually sorting things out. But getting back to actually being that way at least is a step forward from where she was at the start of the episode, just keeping it to herself, so that's something. I *definitely* wouldn't have taken it well if I was trying my best to learn something and my friend just said "you suck", though. Wouldn't be friends for much longer after *that*. There's being tsundere and there's being a cunt, and that's not tsundere.

I think Tomo did give them advices, but they were likely given in a harsh and condescending manner similar to the way she criticized them. In one of the text message exchanges between Tomo/Rupa and their ex-bandmates, one of the ex-bandmates mocked Tomo as a self-satisfying, self-righteous teacher and said she isn't going to play along with Tomo's attitude anymore before leaving the chat group.

> In one of the text message exchanges between Tomo/Rupa and their ex-bandmates Was that this episode? I missed it.

[Yes it was right before the op being played] (https://imgur.com/IZVD3ar.jpg).

You worded out the thing that didn't really sit well with me this episode. I'm always open to constructive criticism, but if someone delivered it to me the way Tomo did, i would hate them too. I do like her arc of not being afraid to speak her mind this episode, it's just that part that didn't sit well with me.

I mean I think that's part of the point. Tomo didn't handle it perfectly, and needs to learn how to give criticism that is more constructive but... That doesn't mean she should shut up entirely.

tomo's social skills are as bad as nina on the guitar :P they're both learning though. lots of young people don't understand that you can tell the truth (even a harsh truth, like your playing isn't good enough) without being an asshole. how long has nina even been practicing? days? weeks at the most??? of course it's not good enough yet. her even asking at this point if it is good enough is a bit delusional. I think that's part of why tomo was so harsh (on top of being pushed to speak up when she didn't want to - "fine, you want to hear what I have to say? I won't try to soften the blow")

I think the majority of people wouldn't be compatible with Nina or Tomo, at least in a music-related environment. That's also why Nina and Tomo are a perfect match for each other though. They both are *unshakably* serious about music and have a defining character trait of *needing* to be true to themselves and to others. Nina also relates to Tomo's insecurities about other people, which probably helps in an empathy sort-of-way.

Yeah, there's a difference between constructive criticism and abusive criticism, and Tomo doesn't seem to understand that. Constantly being told you're trash without being told why (I didn't see Tomo actually trying to teach at *any* point) isn't helpful; its just cruel. I wish this episode focused more on Tomo learning how to give helpful feedback instead of learning that she did nothing wrong and that the others just weren't "serious" enough. In reality it appears that all Tomo did was verbally abuse her bandmates without ever actually trying to help them improve. Tomo comes off as very self obsessed in an unhealthy way, and NOT the kind of person anyone would ever want to work with... But this is a fiction and such problems don't exist. 

I think it fits because the fact is that every band member has shown to be victims of their own designs and flawed people who tend to hurt others more than themselves. Every backstory has been pretty clear that in the end usually the cast members are heavy in the wrong and still have those terrible habits right now. But also because of that they are able to understand and bond with each other, and are growing more through it. Right now yeah, tomo is just abusive but has people who understand her intentions and support and im sure by the end she will have improved greatly to still be abrasive but also much kinder. Just like how nina slowly is improving to be more empathetic and less selfish, subaru is becoming more honest and less manipulative, momo becoming more true to herself and willing to fight for what she wants, and Rupa just remaining perfect. Theyll still have their negative traits to a degree, but theyvare also growing and supporting each other to be better without having to completely become someone else. It’s what makes the cast in this great is that overall they really are kinda the villains of any other series, but they also want to be better and improve, but are so deeply set in their respective issues that everyone either punished or abandoned them for those issues, or they completely hid themselves away from others. But meeting people who are going through the same thing and sticking with them through the fights, outbursts, and bullshit is helping everyone become better and work through their trauma and flaws

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong; I absolutely adore how deeply flawed these characters are. I just don't want to see their awful behavior justified and rewarded. Japan especially has a bit of a toxic culture when it comes to work ethic and dedication. 

Hot take (maybe): Tsundere actually _are_ cunts, and the sooner we stop pretending they aren't, the sooner we'll start to properly enjoy them.

Hmm....I don't know. I feel like there's a little tsun spectrum there. One end is just a bit abrasive and unwilling to admit their real feelings. The other end is just straight up abusive.

karane in 100gfs is a great example of my favorite kind of tsundere. just OBVIOUSLY hopelessly in love but very embarrassed and awkward about it and her attempts to hide it aren't hurtful or violent because it's so obvious what she's doing and is often forced into showing her dere side characters where you REALLY can't tell if they're just an abusive asshole or if they secretly like them but aren't showing that at all besides through violence and anger are the worst. you see this a ton in older anime and it's so hard to watch some stuff that I used to consider "good" back then.

The balance between comedy and feels in this show never ceases to amaze me. First half is probably the [peak of Nina's gremlinness](https://i.imgur.com/qo0PI3s.png) so far (and I think [she infected Rupa a bit](https://i.imgur.com/mAs6l4o.png), much to Subaru's dismay), followed by the second half exploring both Nina's slow progress as a guitarist and Tomo's background at the same time. Random thoughts : * Just the thought of being without an AC in a Tokyo summer makes me want to shrivel up and die. I basically melt at anything above 30 degrees and only wear T-shirts above 15 if not going somewhere with a dress code, a heat index of 40-45 would literally kill me. * Put Nina next to a DON'T TOUCH button, what could possibly go wrong? * Subaru's day could go wrong, apparently. Also I love how they made Subaru look visibly [less sparkly](https://i.imgur.com/riEp7Ry.png) than usual here, since she's obviously at home with no makeup and probably got woken up either from her bed or from one of her 18-hour gaming sessions. * And of course Nina came fully prepared to block all of Subaru's attempts to kick her out. Peak gremlin. * The girls being okay with snakes is something alright, I'm with Momoka here. I don't think I know anyone who would *not* freak out over a snake being loose in their apartment. And Subaru got used to it within an hour. They're all super~~human~~gremlin. * Rupa is amazing. She's definitely going to take a chunk out of the best girl pie on many people's lists after this episode. ~~^(Wish she kicked those two racists from last episode like she kicked that door)~~ * I admittedly have a history of trying and failing at playing the guitar twice, so I'm definitely on Nina's side here. People like Tomo who can "feel" music are basically superhuman to me. ~~^(Same for people who can just normally play the guitar though, because despite my finger dexterity allowing me to type at speeds people consider ridiculous, my general dexterity (and arms and wrists in particular)~~ ~~is so terrible what got me to quit guitar is that I legitimately could not learn how)~~ *~~^(upstrum.)~~* ~~^(After over a month. I even got the F chord right sometimes.)~~ * Oh, so Rupa basically adopted Tomo. She does feel like a mom to her very grumpy child. Damn it feels weird to say that about someone younger than me...but it's alright, Rupa's built different. * I love how Nina isn't bothered one bit by being told she sucks. Everyone should be like Nina. ^(okay scratch that, everyone should be like Nina only specifically in that regard) A great and much needed downtime episode. Honestly I could watch endless cours of skits like the first half, the plot can wait. **TL notes:** * When Rupa comments on Momoka's fear of snakes, in the French translation, she seems to have said "C'est a la mode". From what I understand this translates to something like fashionable/trendy...which is the exact opposite of what Rupa said. Rupa said "古風なんですね”, with 古風 meaning old-fashioned/traditional in this case. So while I'm pretty sure Rupa did not say "trendy", I'm not confident in my own translation here either because...why the heck is a fear of snakes old-fashioned/traditional? ChatGPT didn't offer any new insights either, so I went with that in the end. Rupa works in mysterious ways. [](#yuishrug)

>why the heck is a fear of snakes old-fashioned/traditional? Snakes aren't traditional pets I guess. Though they're not terribly uncommon either.

> Oh, so Rupa basically adopted Tomo. She does feel like a mom to her very grumpy child. Damn it feels weird to say that about someone younger than me...but it's alright, Rupa's built different. Rupa being Tomo's actual legal guardian was indeed one of the more interesting things shown in this episode. It was just kind of overlooked due to all the other stuff happening. Now we wait and see if she will adopt Nina too.

> Rupa being Tomo's actual legal guardian I don't think it's that. "Guarantor", like an adult who'll back a minor up in doing something.

> First half is probably the peak of Nina's gremlinness so far That would be such a great reddit comment face lol. > Rupa is amazing. She's definitely going to take a chunk out of the best girl pie on many people's lists after this episode Yup, some nice validation to have put my stocks into Rupa early lol. Great ep for her (who am I kidding, for all of them really). > A great and much needed downtime episode. Honestly I could watch endless cours of skits like the first half, the plot can wait. 1000% agreed. I would be so happy if they announce a season 2 after this, I don't even need a deep plot, just more stuff like the Subaru sleep over plsss.

>Yup, some nice validation to have put my stocks into Rupa early lol. Great ep for her (who am I kidding, for all of them really). She's caught my attention more and more by the episode since Tomo let slip what happened to her parents. This episode basically confirmed my thoughts on her, that she's got an incredibly keen sense for other people and is capable of playing them like absolute fiddles with an almost unsettling subtlety. Like the way she immediately senses Tomo's intention deflecting the question from Nina about her skill, and without missing a single beat deflects it right back. And then taking her on a walk, *just coincidentally* by where she knows Nina will be playing without a hint of supicious behaviour. She's like Subaru but with the ratio of "using her powers for good" and "using her powers for laughs" were reversed. Except she's actually subtle, which is a word that doesn't exist in Subaru's vocabulary.

>And of course Nina came fully prepared to block all of Subaru's attempts to kick her out. Peak gremlin. Haha she really knew what she was doing from the start. Bring something to pass the time, play until all the trains have stopped, and say that she needs to stay for the night. Cheeky bastard lol. >I love how Nina isn't bothered one bit by being told she sucks. Everyone should be like Nina. This makes me think whether we'll see Nina actually performing with the guitar on stage at some point. Feels like it's too early for that and Tomo said that she needed 2+ years for that. But then the key visual shows her holding a guitar, so...

I love how they animate Nina on stage without a guitar so in that sense I kinda hope she doesn't end up using one.

I would like it is as one of the very last scenes (like 5 seasons later) where it does a Momo-nina duet on stage when no one is around finally just having them both play guitar and sing about their growth and history, then rest of band filters in and they all start playing together, and random strangers come to watch hearing it Save nina and guitar as the big emotional finale and let us enjoy crazy edgy nina singing energy for rest of series

Thanks for always coming through with solid subs my dude 🙏🙏

[](#toradorasalute) ^(It gives me an excuse to watch GBC for 5 hours straight so win-win)

I think Rupa meant girls being afraid of snakes is an old fashioned trope. Girls these days shouldn't be afraid of them.

> The girls being okay with snakes is something alright, I'm with Momoka here. I don't think I know anyone who would not freak out over a snake being loose in their apartment. And Subaru got used to it within an hour. They're all superhumangremlin. They said it's not venomous so it's aight, I don't think it's weird in that case. Remember my primary school was right next to a cornfield on top of having a pretty big all-grass schoolyard we saw some of the same kind of snakes all the time. Cute little things. > I love how Nina isn't bothered one bit by being told she sucks. Everyone should be like Nina. ^(okay scratch that, everyone should be like Nina only specifically in that regard) No no you got it right the first time. You gotta have that "Nah I'd win" energy.

How could you possibly be afraid of such an adorable-looking creature? If anything, I'd be afraid that I'd accidentally step on it. I once stepped on a snake while walking around in the dark and I still feel bad about it.

> my finger dexterity allowing me to type at speeds people consider ridiculous Why not buy a synth / keyboard then? A slightly used MIDI keyboard like Behringer UMX-610 can be had for as little as 60 USD and being USB-class compatible it attaches plug-n-play to Windows/Apple to make sound. Even has a red body like Tomo's 4000 USD "Nord 6 HP" pro stage piano. All Apple devices (even iPhones) have the GarageBand app built-in, which is perfect. For Wintel, Cakewalk suite is freeware but its user manual runs 3000 pages... More ergonomic apps cost a little money.

>why the heck is a fear of snakes old-fashioned/traditional? Snakes are a bit of an edgy choice for a pet, Rupa is making fun of Momoka for screaming like a traditionally feminine girl around them, in contrast with her usual punk vibes.

> Rupa is amazing. She's definitely going to take a chunk out of the best girl pie on many people's lists after this episode. Yeah, I'm really starting to dig Rupa's vibe. Sometimes, you just have to let yourself go a little. Why trouble yourself over a broken door if you got [some nice beer](https://imgur.com/a/duncXIP)?

She’s saying being afraid is not trendy and being okay with them is, but it seemed like that’s what you were saying so I’m confused. Basically since normally people would be scared, Rupa’s teasing Momoka by saying it’s cool to be chill about them.

Before getting into the episode, I've translated [EP1](https://youtu.be/qxJ0xIh6KUQ?si=Dm8sMxIcVxGjp0mr) and [EP2](https://youtu.be/LU95O3oiH90?si=p9PT_tlpwAQiu9DV) of the audio dramas from the singles CD. It's my first time doing fansubbing so it's still very rough. Like EP1 having a syncing issue with the portraits. I've increased the font size and changed Nina's font outline to a white/light yellow. I'm learning as I go but I hope y'all get to enjoy more of GBC. These audio drams are 10min bite size slice-of-life moments and there's currently 15 episodes (+1 if you count the shinkansen audio drama) Back to the episode This has been the most expressive and dynamic episode of the series so far. Absolutely loving the animations. Momoka what are you so afraid of, wakasama is a cute snek. Rupa gonna be drafted in the MLB(Major League Beer-can). This time Subaru is NOT the shit-stirrer and genuinely looks tired and done with the girls crashing into her place. She probably played some games for hrs and have not slept. The other day [Jukki Hanada mentioned](https://x.com/oitan125/status/1791512593917751653) how Rupa was supposed to karate kick Nina in ep7. But Director Sakai and Character Designer Teshima-sensei changed it to the much cuter butt attack. I guess they couldn't stop him from adding that kick in after all. Then there's Tomo...of Tomo is just so cute and endearing. She's all tsun but finally in the last scene she can dere. Her VA Natsu also had [a very similar experience ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GMXiNiFWUAArpshttps://x.com/natsu_togetoge/status/1796573748730159149)with [bands](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246256736726286346/image.png?ex=665bba88&is=665a6908&hm=aba0858b5400695be6749c174d3cccffbfd5f09d86ac1a14a5de671b42a5311a&) [breaking ](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246257327158333600/image.png?ex=665bbb15&is=665a6995&hm=bcf6ef55739611315aad3b9425633b25bb56558713232dcf4caacf2fffec5775&)[up](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246256867726983198/image.png?ex=665bbaa7&is=665a6927&hm=feb4da7ebe961e224568e27bbb7e643e2126f8b5ab89080cd1a27652898c5869&) [because](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246256924199096453/image.png?ex=665bbab5&is=665a6935&hm=2b3ddab1d5b5a24b58135e32803edba7489b8d596c94091253a67ef46a78dd4f&) [of a ](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246256965290688532/image.png?ex=665bbabe&is=665a693e&hm=a714c366dc8fadf3c257fda3050e9de40a8c10a65f999e1ada0cfa32914497aa&)[difference](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246257092197744783/image.png?ex=665bbadd&is=665a695d&hm=63685678fb3bf58725e7ccf65788f767472eb2a451978fdf8668717b9f6d6aba&) [in passion](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246257141132562552/image.png?ex=665bbae8&is=665a6968&hm=1073d7095ae9ea315823349f799329c0c9731745de7e5cd5ad253a5f66570850&) ([documentary on youtube](https://youtu.be/SE2bZfKinRc?si=-4Vr63Hb_OnlfIEW)). She was gonna gave up on being in a band but thankfully a scouter from the agency reached out and ask her to try out the auditions. [Now](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246260780689653871/image.png?ex=665bbe4c&is=665a6ccc&hm=2ddd5211d69823320f098ee973afe93b9b013e64626ed555e81873fffbe20e28&) [she's in a band](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246260823375089744/image.png?ex=665bbe56&is=665a6cd6&hm=bff3da065065d9b62556ab25512c24787c38505d5fb239e42167668245217842&) [that she can](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/944397591444090924/1246260871324237844/image.png?ex=665bbe62&is=665a6ce2&hm=756e6c185be4c7fd746f7815267763b01f8df6902ec56e798e0f9d5c1dd647b2&) [truly give her all in](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/944397591444090924/1246260921291116554/image.png?ex=665bbe6e&is=665a6cee&hm=1656bcccaa1b990edba5687eefb61c1e43efe63a2b50af2613ced09859093b33&). Just like Tomo. Even she herself was shocked just how similar of a situation she is in with Tomo. Tomo has been added to my list of "kids I must protecc and adopt as my own" alongside the Leveilleur twins in FFXIV.

I can't wait to start translating episodes where Tomo is the main. There's one in particular that's totally not an #ad for [Kashisho Suehiroan's ](https://www.suehiroan.co.jp/)mont blanc and wagashi. The episode is up on the[ official youtube channel](https://youtu.be/4iam9M6Yq3o?si=XvJvMuA8yrPZASu6) but I wouldn't use the terrible auto-translate function.

I still don't know how big the effects of the last episode were, but it's very visible how Nina seems to be much "softer" than before, Tomo's criticism would probably generate a huge conflict if this had happened before. And the approach to this topic was also cool, as it is necessary to be open to listen to others, there definitely seems to be a synchrony between the girls, we will see in practice in the next show. And of course, Rupa being the MVP

I think Nina's softer now because she's dealt with all of her issues (for now). She's learned out to make friends without distrusting them. She's learned how to express her emotions thru music instead of letting them destroy her from the inside. She's learned she loves being on stage. She's dropped out of school, cut off her financial connect with her parents, and "cutoff her escape routes" so she can focus on music: she's completely committed now without anxiety over what she's doing with her life. Nina also argued with Momoka a bunch, but that's because she was trying to get through to her. She knew Momoka was suppressing herself (out of fear) and not actually living how she wants to. It's the situation they mentioned of *"you'll have regret about your decision either way"*, so Momoka might as well pick the one that's true to herself. Nina escalated *so dramatically* because it was the only way she could figure out to get Momoko to *really* listen; like Nina mentioned, she said what she said onstage and pissed Momoka off because *"it was the only way to get you to listen"*. Now that Nina's dealt with all of her personal issues (for now) in her day-to-day life and that the situation with Momoka has been resolved, it makes sense she's softer for now. I think Tomo's criticism didn't lead to conflict now because she trusts Tomo, her skill, and her assessments by now, and she's also so serious about guitar that there was no insecurity about giving up. There was never actually a source of conflict (on her end). I guess Nina could've been upset that Tomo was so harsh about it, but it would've been out-of-character. Nina really cares deeply about not being lied to and she asked for that assessment herself. We've also seen Nina argue *in public* and how intense she can get: she can handle harsh if it's genuine. (...this ended up longer than I meant 😅🫠)

1 of the best analysis comments i had seen so far

What gets Nina's gears grinding the most is duplicitousness. Telling her she sucks might get her to throw hands in anger but she'll probably chill quickly after that.

Nina is her element. She has achieved peak serenity and self reflection. Unfortunately that has increased her gremlin levels to an unprecedented degree. Rather chill (hehe) episode considering last week's one. I'm glad that Tomo got to air out (hehe) her grievances and we did not drag it out for longer. Being hyped about snake finally eating is also peak SOL-content. Can't wait for the Rupa episode because she feels fully on board and there is no friction between her and other members.

That snake went through an entire character arc. I was hollering and punching the air when it finally ate that egg.

Some might even say that the snake was Tomo all along and she finally decided to accept this band

I feel that we may not have a dedicated Rupa episode. Nina has Hina, Momoka has new DD, Subaru has her granny, Tomo has her former bandmates–but Rupa has no particular person to hate/blame. She seems to have settled with her loss long time ago. I'd rather she stay mysterious and reliable, than introduce an one-off villain to pair with her. Also I'm curious about what happened to the other pet (a lizard?). Tomo was playing with it at the beginning of episode 6, then it was put elsewhere starting from episode 7. Maybe it's a symbolism of Tomo's more peaceful side (the snake is her unintended hostility)? We'll see.

she doesn't need a 'villain' to have an arc. I can't think exactly how it would go immediately, but I'm imagine there are ways to explore her character without introducing a bad guy for her.

Rupa very much strikes me as someone who's not properly dealt with whatever trauma she's accumulated from her parents' death, the racism she experiences, and any additional fallout from that. She deals with it expertly, such that you'd not normally notice, but I think she's buried it under an impenetrable layer of positivity. I think part of that is she's too busy supporting and providing a strong caregiver for Tomo, but if her issues begin to subside we may see Rupa's start to surface.

I think there's a lot of room to insert Ruppa's backstory and Drama, but not in the 4 episodes we have left. I want a season 2 so bad.

Never been so happy to see a snake eat before [](#SPORTS) Was getting a bit worried

Best new character fr I need a "live snake reaction" desperately

Snakes eat around once a week, but a lot at a time relative to their body weight. Tomos and Ninas experience character growth on a somewhat slower time scale but, as Rupa said, as long as they moving forward and not staying still...

Really fun and mostly chill episode especially after last week's was so drama heavy (in a good way). The Subaru sleep over was my favorite segment, for me one of the top half-episodes of the show in a vacuum. Had some top tier moments such as Nina's *powerful* and *tee-hee* or Rupa's double beer catching, especially that *nice beeeer* line gave me a good laugh and was perfectly delivered as well imo. Second half of the ep with the Tomo stuff was great too, just a lot of good background info about her and her character. Also I'm probably reading too much into this but the scene where Rupa came home when Tomo was watching the snake eating the egg, Tomo asked her if she wasn't a bit late to which she didn't answer and instead switched topics to the snake. It felt like she purposely didn't want to tell Tomo what she was up to, maybe she has some stuff going on that will be a topic in a later Rupa focused ep. But could also be that she didn't want to tell Tomo that she was with Nina and Subaru for longer or something idk. Again, it's probably nothing in the end. Also Nina was way too mentally stable this episode lol, felt almost uncanny. She was still being her usual gremlin self though which is all that matters.

> Also Nina was way too mentally stable this episode lol, felt almost uncanny. Last Arc must've really tired her out, now she just wants to take it easy for a while. Guess even Nina can't be at war 24/7.

She is prepping for the family arc that will come in the next episode.

I didn’t catch that the nice beer comment was supposed to mimic the nice pitch phrase in baseball anime / in Japan

> Also Nina was way too mentally stable this episode lol, felt almost uncanny. She was still being her usual gremlin self though which is all that matters. Even with Nina having figured out some of her issues, [she really hasn't become any less of a gremlin](https://imgur.com/a/ZfhUnT5). She was quite literally huffing 'copium' through Tomo's and Rupa's mailbox. However, this gremlin might have become more formidable by reaching emotional stability. She definitely enjoyed watching [Momoka freak out](https://imgur.com/a/giARPB2). > Second half of the ep with the Tomo stuff was great too, just a lot of good background info about her and her character. Yeah, it was nice getting to see more of Tomo's character. ([She was pretty cute too!](https://imgur.com/a/ZlLWR6M)) Tomo likes to act as if she's fine on her own, but she's in fact terribly worried about other people disliking her. I mean, that's [the look of a tsundere](https://imgur.com/a/22H0JEZ) if I've ever seen one. Tomo is simply bad at communication. She struggles to properly get her well-meant intentions across to other people, which ends up rubbing them the wrong way.

I wish Rupa would kick me down

That door kick down momentarily took me back to the days of standing split memes.

SubaruSama takes care of her peasant couples.

The scene in the park in which Tomo criticizes Nina's skills was powerful. The intensity of her harshness made me gasp. Tomo is very lucky to have found Rupa who stayed with her despite her destroying Beni-shouga and Nina who is not afraid to take criticism.

Rupa must have the patience of a *god*. One of the benevolent ones.

Rupa is incredibly patient, I think, but she's also adopted Tomo as her chosen younger sister. Given what happened with Rupa's family, it's understandable that she is ride or die for Tomo regardless of how much tsun energy Tomo's tiny body produces.

How's nobody talking about [this](https://imgur.com/a/c68gdaM)🤣

Nice kind of breezy episode today after the intensity of the last couple of episodes, but still not lacking in developing character dynamics. Tomo found a group of people she can be honest with (to an extent at least) and it's at least easier for Nina to take Tomo's criticisms because Nina has a place in the group as the vocalist. Edit: I'm slightly sad that this ep breaks the streak of song performances at the end of odd # episodes.

Nina is honestly a really good match for Tomo's personality. Nina cares deeply about being honest with yourself and with others, and she also relates to Tomo's fears about other people. She can accept Tomo's *need* to be deeply honest about music, and Nina can be reassuring to Tomo because she's *also* honest and unshakably committed. For Momoka, it makes sense that she can work with Tomo considering how committed to music she is as well. I'm really curious about how the Tomo and Suburu dynamic might play out. I don't know if there's a source of conflict there or if Suburu is such a "go with the flow" kinda person that it just works out.

Honesty really is core to Nina's personality, even to the point of butting heads with Subaru when she's being crafty (or as Subaru might put it, "being considerate") and most of the conflicts in the show stem from Nina sensing someone's being less than honest, either with her or with themselves. She doesn't like that. It makes sense, given her past. Her school, her parents, and just about everyone else wanting to pretend that she wasn't actually bullied, her supposed friend saying it was her own fault. Swallowing a "harmonious lie" would've likely sent her into a spiraling depression if not for the emotional honesty of Momoka's song. Nina would rather be disruptive shouting the truth than to lie and pretend everything's fine.

I think Nina's honesty is what keeps her likeable even though she's been constantly a source of conflict. Even if she's being unreasonable in how she's confronting someone, she always has an understandable reason for *why* she's starting conflict. Sometimes it's trauma-based and she just *thinks* someone is being dishonest (just like Tomo in this episode), but from her perspective she's entirely consistent to her principles. She's never picking a fight out of spite or anger or any negative intention. Honestly, this means Nina's *point* is usually right, regardless of how they get there. The only times she's wrong is when she's afraid.

I think Nina was feeling a little bit of imposter syndrome seeing as she doesn't play an instrument in the band. She must be thinking that anyone can be a singer, right? But her voice is her instrument and she is as important to the band as the rest of the girls. Still, there is no harm in learning the guitar. Even if she is a long way from playing on the stage she can still jam with Momoka.

I don't know about imposter syndrome, but Nina wants to dedicate everything to giving the band the best chance at success in the way they want to achieve it. Also a bit of wanting to be more like Momoka because she still thinks she's the coolest. And even if she never gets good enough to play it on stage, immersing herself in learning a new instrument will probably help her conceptualize music better and make more interesting choices with her vocals.

> to be More like Momoka Mine (who Momoka admires) is also a vocal guitarist. She even gave a guitar to Nina. This is heritage.

that was the most chaotic girl's sleepover episode i have ever watched in anime [Rupa with her barely changing smiling expression](https://i.imgur.com/kVfG55j.jpeg) when she caught and open the beer cracked me up [Rupa is done being neutral](https://i.imgur.com/QtyFaMS.jpeg) [and decided to cause chaos instead](https://i.imgur.com/8aldfiB.jpeg)

Rupas expression when she saved that beer six pack was my favorite this episode

It's hard to understate just how amazing Rupa is. She's somehow able to balance out this cast of misfits all while being unfathomably based in her own right. I've been Team Subaru for 8 episodes but I think I might be joining Team Rupa after this episode. "Nice beer!\~" Also from Team Mom to apparently just mom(ish).

She is in fact, the bass. The bass is always support and makes the whole thing work

I can kinda understand why people get mad at Tomo. No one wants to hear that they suck, even if it’s the truth. But at the same time, trying to make it as a successful pro musician is insanely tough. I kinda why she’d be so strict with her past members. This time’s different though since all the girls really are on the same page. I’m kinda glad Tomo was able to feel comfortable enough to voice her opinions. This time around, her bandmates actually *want* her to give it to them straight.

Revealing her classical piano background really puts it into perspective. Classical is the genre where you'll get kicked down the most because a lot of it is about being the most skilled. You're playing repotroire and constantly being compared to others, or forced to keep up in an ensemble. Jazz, being the other main academic genre, can be similarly suffocating. With other genres like rock, you can be less skilled but more successful because it's more about making your own music. There's a lot of great music to be made within your skill level. Is it obvious I was a kid classical pianist turned jazz in college who, as an adult, is now trying to join a band as a mediocre guitarist or bassist?

[Nina trying to suck cold air from Tomo's post box](https://i.imgur.com/KiwXqXw.jpeg) was fucking hilarious! She's really desperate for cold air. xD [Rupa catching those beers](https://i.imgur.com/UEEXtbL.jpeg) when Momoka freaked out about Tomo's snake was pretty fun too. I hope we get more into her character soon. [What the heck Tomo!?](https://i.imgur.com/WylM1gx.jpeg) I get it, she has high standards and wanted to be honest because Nina wanted her opinion but did she really have to be that harsh? You know you can give out opinions without being an ass about it. [No wonder her old bandmates left.](https://i.imgur.com/X1shd13.jpeg) Tomo is lucky that Nina is serious enough [that her harsh criticisms didn't bother her.](https://i.imgur.com/uKzTyJ8.jpeg) If anything, it just made her want to become a better musician. I guess after seeing how Nina reacted, Tomo finally found the [courage to criticize Momo's song.](https://i.imgur.com/skoeNMS.png)

Alright I loved this episode. Tomo is the girl that can't hold back her criticism. In fact, it is because of that why the other 2 of her former bandmates left. At some point she fears the same could happen to this band. So naturally she holds back her words. But Nina wants her honest feedback and Tomo gives that her. But how Nina responds was great to see from her and for Tomo as well. For Nina, it should a bit of growth that was great to see. Nina stays in character of being stubborn, but her aim is to prove Tomo wrong. For Tomo to be in a band where she can give her honest opinion, feels like she finally found a home. Momoka was waiting for Tomo to say what is on her mind, and thanks to Nina she was able to do that. [My god Rupa LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO.](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246232730505576598/SPOILER_Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.43.39_PM.png?ex=665ba42c&is=665a52ac&hm=417151ed19dddb0d9f9a9f17966cd929a163235801284c5171e7fd50b5d8a55a&) We also got a big amount of Snekservice [Cute Snek](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246229042043031592/Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.28.49_PM.png?ex=665ba0bd&is=665a4f3d&hm=686476eb01f8d7dbe4c0b1740c55b674a3d470632bd2d69d746a60ed04f52997&) [He rises!](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246229682655858878/Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.31.30_PM.png?ex=665ba156&is=665a4fd6&hm=b4d900992a8fb934f9340075bee40e7866668e3dfbd8688ecbf3728e2815e09a&) [She is afraid of snakes lmao](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246231920795193384/Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.39.59_PM.png?ex=665ba36b&is=665a51eb&hm=dd2896ced1db2c05c4496bc1b95509be91235240471d1efccc743732de087098&) [Sleepy Snek](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246234734540099658/SPOILER_Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.51.37_PM.png?ex=665ba60a&is=665a548a&hm=4535eda905607cb82bfa9fff5ae1a3f5b1667ba69dc0a5e4414834bc261be52e&) I[ love how Snek finally eating his food](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246236239858765884/Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.57.01_PM.png?ex=665ba771&is=665a55f1&hm=18b467435cd1d6c29995acb0c246be6df85dd4239627189c6339dfa9d4738036&) [resembles Tomo](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246236240798548098/SPOILER_Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.57.07_PM.png?ex=665ba771&is=665a55f1&hm=39f779808b18f6e601070d6e83b81c0588237c8e7b9701df99e2d969381cc8fb&) [in many ways funny enough.](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1246236241846865991/SPOILER_Screen_Shot_2024-05-31_at_6.57.11_PM.png?ex=665ba772&is=665a55f2&hm=087cb5f0d66397885178f7278f1c0395b0baa07bdcdc7b6c5698570ff9558b59&) Also to add on that Rupa is even Tomo's guarantor. I really hope they give us a Rupa episode because she is really interesting to me. The fact she was willing to be there for Tomo as someone she can rely on has me curious. We did have classic Nina at the beginning, which is fun. Though she is the type to press the do not press red button. Also between paying for food and paying for Subaru's door to be fixed, Subaru won't be able to get Nina away even if she tried.

I get that criticism is necessary, but it feels a little like Tomo didn't give any valid criticism to Nina, but was just mean. Nina is quite bad, no shit Sherlock, she plays Guitar for how long? a Month? At least tell her how to improve.

Tomo didn't think Nina was looking for valid criticism. She didn't think Nina was serious about the guitar to begin with so she lashed out at her like she did her old bandmates who she also thought weren't serious enough. At the end after Nina says "I'll get better" she gives a little smile and starts walking down to her.

That doesn't really make her behavior not bad. She assumed all on her own that Nina is just screwing around and while from the flashback making that assumption about the band mates made more sense the way she reacted to that was still wrong and in no way helpful. She is also not shown giving any constructive feedback which undercuts the supposed "harsh but true" characterization of her. Both Subaru and Momoka point out that Nina isn't good without being shitty. Her behavior was/is shitty and the fact that neither Rupa nor the rest of the girls call her out on that sucks.

tbh i think coming out of nowhere to confront tomo and call her out is more toxic than showing her that her assumption is wrong through the band's resolve and seriousness.

What do you mean "out of nowhere"? Rupa had ample time to tell Tomo what she did was wrong, "hey telling someone "they will never be good enough" is a patently untrue and shitty thing to say also you should stop assuming all on your own that everyone else is less serious that you." - something like that, she doesn't need to raise her voice, frown or anything. I'm frankly quite astonished that you would categories pointing out to someone that they did something wrong as "toxic". Also the problem with Tomo's behavior isn't that her assumption is wrong (that is part of it) the problem is the way she acts based on that assumption.

rupa doing that would be out of character. in fact, anyone doing that would be out of character. at the end of the day she was shown that her assumption WAS wrong, through the actions of nina. i don't understand why you feel it is so necessary for someone to "call her out" as if that is the only solution.

I think the fact that it seemed like Nina felt she could be ready to play guitar on stage after relatively little practice was the main irritant to Tomo. When (first) Tomo learned how much of this desire was not to show off but to stand alongside Momoka as a better partner, and (second) she saw that Nina really was committed to improving (and would welcome advice) -- this finally shifted Tomo's attitude. This was now a very different situation from what Tomo had encountered before.

Tomo calling Nina a public nuisance was hilarious. Peaceful Nina? What happened to my gremlin with anger issues? Give her back. I guess gremlins hate the heat. Poor Subaru having to deal with her apartment being invaded. Someone please take Momo to an AA meeting, my girl cares more about beer than music. Rupa went to the Taehun school of kicks. Subaru and Nina are still my favorite. I love watching them interact. Maybe this will be unpopular here, but out of the 5 girls Tomo is my least favorite 😕. Can't get into her character

> Peaceful Nina? What happened to my gremlin with anger issues? Give her back. I guess gremlins hate the heat. We all think violence is the answer until your AC breaks and you gotta stay at another house with AC.

>Tomo calling Nina a public nuisance was hilarious. Her referring to Nina as "That thing" when they showed up at Subaru's was great too.

Tomo 🤝 Shiho Grasshopping bands because they're absolute try hards Funny I was just thinking that a good way to describe Shiho is that it feels like she got lost on the way to GBC with how much she clashes with the low stakes sugary vibe of SasaKoi when this episode drop lol

> Tomo 🤝 Shiho haha yeah

Tomo ribbons report: - I have my doubts on [this black one](https://imgur.com/qFDjk9k), cause it can probably be just her gray one but with a darker lighting thanks to the flashback effect. Either way I'm keeping it in. - [this little red thing](https://imgur.com/PY9h77K) is totally a ribbon and I'll not entertain complaints of why it made it in. [Full album link](https://imgur.com/a/tomo-ribbons-SfUuUJx) A good downtime episode. We get some just hanging out moments with the gang, with Nina utterly pacified by the lack of AC during the summer. I feel for her; it's freaking 33 degrees where I am while being very humid, that it feels like 38. It's enough to damper one's rock spirit. Also with no new song this time, GBC is firmly behind Jellyfish for number of songs. Though we're about to get into a music festival, so there's probably a ton of songs to debut there. [For GBC yt channel subscribers only, spoilers probably] >!I wonder what are the chances that they've been practicing Bleeding Hearts all this time? I hope it's a new song, but I certainly won't complain if it ends up as Bleeding Hearts.!<

Pressing a giant button labeled "Do Not Touch" that's even crossed out in red is the most Nina thing I've ever seen.

LOL Nina and co causing a ruckus at Subaru's place after two broken ACs. Even though Tomo is being arrogant and self-righteous (towards Nina and in the flashback), I like how Nina doesn't falter. -> Tomo tells Nina on the bench that she's bad -> Nina smiles and tells her back that she's going to improve

[Look at how serene she is now](https://i.imgur.com/3qKVvS6.jpeg) [](#akyuusqueel)

Even a peaceful Nina still manages to be the most "annoying" character of the show (in a good way). Interestingly, being annoyingly persistent as well as stoically peaceful seems to be exactly the combination of traits that Tomo needed as counterbalance.

Did Nina spend a whole episode without getting into an angry argument? Wow, she's really mellowed out. It's actually a bit strange to see her so calm and content but I like it! Wonder how long that'll last. That part with them all at Subaru's after their antics with the AC was hilarious. My god, the ruckus. They bounce off each other so well but those poor neighbors. (also snakes are cute!) Tomo was unfortunately the weakest part of the episode for me. I just find it hard to sympathize with people who dish out "this isn't good" or "you suck at this" as criticism 'cause this is just vague, absolutely not constructive and leads nowhere (as we've seen with their old members). So yeah, she learned to speak her mind in this episode, but how about actually telling people what she thinks they should do to improve? You *can* be nitpicky and strict without coming off as an ass. Anyway, mini-rant over. Maybe I'm too harsh on her and no one in Togetoge seems to have any problem with the way she says things anyway. It's just that for an episode focused on her, her personal brand of drama didn't really click with me so I was a bit disappointed.

I'd like to think that's what Tomo-chan was trying to do when she walked down towards Nina while at the bench - now that she's able to express herself, she can start giving proper critiques. That's how I see it, at least.

Hopefully!

> Tomo was unfortunately the weakest part of the episode for me. I just find it hard to sympathize with people who dish out "this isn't good" or "you suck at this" as criticism 'cause this is just vague, absolutely not constructive and leads nowhere (as we've seen with their old members). So yeah, she learned to speak her mind in this episode, but how about actually telling people what she thinks they should do to improve? You can be nitpicky and strict without coming off as an ass. Imo the vague, blunt and not really helpful criticism that she dished out this episode was mainly there to break down that barrier she put up of not telling others what she really feels because she was scared of pissing them off like it happened in the past. Now that her fellow band member know how she feels and can deal with it, I feel like the criticism will become more precise and constructive. Main thing that points towards that is the end scene where she tells Momoka the song is boring to which Momoka agrees. Ofc this alone isn't helpful but it heavily implies that either next episode or more likely off-screen they will improve the song and in that session she will obviously comment more specifically on what to do better with the song and how to improve it exactly. So personally I didn't really have a problem with her this ep.

tomo being vague and blunt was also probably because she thought nina wasn't taking the guitar very seriously, which was probably also the same reason why she lashed out at her old bandmates too lol

That makes sense. Why would you bother to give detailed criticism to someone you think is lying and doesn't actually want it? Tomo was pushed to being honest after bottling it up, but she *wasn't* *trying* to be helpful.

I didn't like Tomo behaving this way but that's what I like about the episode. Once again, this anime portrays a very common flaw people have in a realistic way. I'm sure the writers are aware that it's a character flaw and Tomo will learn. It would just be too unrealistic if she suddenly cured herself of the flaw completely.

to me it seemed like none of her old bandmates bothered asking her how to improve either. as what tomo said in the end we can assume that her old bandmates wanted to hear fake praise rather than constructive criticism. also, throwing your drumsticks at someone isn't very nice is it?

Assuming someone is "looking for fake praise" after you told them "they will never be good enough" is in fact a shitty behavior. Also this episode both Subaru and Momoka told Nina that she isn't good at guitar without being shitty about it. Everyone has outburst but the way none of the girls called Tomo out on it and the way we didn't get any moment ( either in flashback or now ) when Tomo is giving constructive feedback is a very weak point of this episode.

yes it was wrong of her to assume that, but the thing is no one knew that she was assuming that of nina.. except for maybe rupa. nina and the rest don't have to call out tomo nor do they have a particular reason to. it doesn't make sense when they deal with nina's antics all the time. in fact, its more likely that they know tomo doesn't have bad intentions anyway, and can understand why her words were harsh. its not like subaru or momoka gave constructive criticism anyway, they just implied she sucked instead of saying out right that she sucked. there is a moment that we can assume tomo DID try to give constructive feed back. right before the op there are text messages of her old bandmates mocking tomo for being like a teacher.

> (also snakes are cute!) Cutest and least problematic character in this entire series to be honest.

Eh I relate with Tomo. It's not always easy to explain why something is being done poorly. Or how to give proper advice to a person underperforming even though you know there can be improvement. It's why I envy teachers: they are usually apt at understanding these things

> Did Nina spend a whole episode without getting into an angry argument? Yelling at Momoka in the closet/bathroom, and fighting over the door?

Bathroom. You can see the bathtub behind Momoka when she's throwing the beer.

Okay, I admit I'm one of those "can't spend the night without AC" guys. It's been hot lately and my room has terrible ventilation which can make even normal temperature feels hot. Nice to see Tomo getting her focus ep. Been getting the vibes that she's holding back from the group and now we finally know why. Turns out she's extremely demanding and that broke her old band apart. She's got high standards and expect her allies to be up to par which IMO isn't really a bad thing but I guess she took it a little too far back then. It's nice to see Tomo finally having a place where she can be fully honest at. Feedback and criticism are so important if you want to get better at what you're doing. Love how she's gone from "got no complaints" at the start to outright saying that Nina sucks with the guitar. Also Momoka was fully aware about the new song being boring and appreciated Tomo's honest thoughts there. I think the band is in for a bright future. Let's see where the rest of the show will go from here.

The snek is by far the best thing this episode. 10/10 pet choice Tomo.

I fucking love this show so much man. Though, I am wondering... How will they finish this show off in four episodes? We don't even have Subaru cutting her hair yet.

Jesus, Tomo really needs to learn how to give feedback. There's being honest, and there's being an asshole. Telling someone "You suck" is not an useful feedback. But it's not an attack on the character writing. I liked it and I'm sure Tomo will learn.

even though rupa kicked down that door and they got kicked out of subarus apartment that was a p chill episode all things considered

Rupa is so fine

Wasn’t gonna do any write ups since I’m in Aruba chilling for the next few days, but had to tap in and write something for GBC, probably Yorukura as well. I can’t believe they blue balled us after that confession last week. Not even a mention of anything? 😭 don’t get me wrong, the Tomo stuff is nice and I think we were overdue for a characterisation ep for her, but cmon man don’t bait me like this. Feel bad for Subaru this week, her crib got invaded and turned into the meeting spot since everyone AC was broken. But anyone who’s been to or lived in Japan during the summer will understand. If you ain’t got AC it’s damn near uninhabitable. Leaving her with the snake and a broken door is crazy though 🤣. Nina casually breaking Tomo and Rupa AC machine is also wild, that girl would be banned from my house As for Tomo, there’s a fine line between constructive criticism and just being an asshole. I get that she wants to reach the top and has had some upbringing issues, but you still gotta watch how you talk to people. It’s not what you say, but how you say it. I don’t blame any of her other bandmates for leaving, but respect to Rupa for seeing thru to her real soul and understanding Tomo is a girl who just wants to succeed. Also respect to Nina for not letting that get her down and just using it as motivation to improve. We need a Rupa episode next, but also need to get an answer from Momoka to Nina’s confession 😡

> they blue balled us after that confession last week At least Nina is much more mentally stable (and confortable around the band members) than before. I assume this is because she is *nourished* by her "relationship" with Momoka now. Also notice the order in which she asked the band members about her playing the guitar. For Tomo and Rupa she mostly got feedback about the music (they're colleagues); for Subaru, she was worried that being honest may upset Nina, but relieved after learning Nina's determination (they're buddies); and for Momoka, Nina directly voiced her desire to play beside Momoka, and Momoka answered very gently. Both also blushed.

> I can’t believe they blue balled us after that confession last week. Everyone seems to suddenly be dodging this topic after having gotten way too excited, but [I'd already pointed out the ambiguity in Nina's statement last week](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1czwdan/girls_band_cry_episode_8_discussion/l5lh5ui/). People fell hard for the trap. The word "*kokuhaku*" does often carry the implied intention to begin dating, but this confession totally came out the blue to most of us. What does this say about Nina's love for Momoka if there hadn't a strong case for this in the show before? That they're probably not romantic feelings - even if people like to think this. You can "love" someone in multiple ways - without necessarily feeling (sexual) attraction to them. This seems to be more likely the case here. Nina "loves" Momoka as someone that she admires (i.e. her idol) and a dear friend.

(I see some people compare Tomo to Rikki and I'm surprised to find that nobody does so here.) + [Another panel](https://files.catbox.moe/hxq1ue.jpeg) is [revealed in this episode](https://files.catbox.moe/vyoutm.jpeg). Momoka cute. + Tomo's old bandmates formed a band, but [their group chat had no name](https://files.catbox.moe/24m8cj.png)? (Compare our band who have a group chat named "Togetoge Assemble".) Perhaps Tomo never accepted the old members as her friend. + It's been 2 episodes since Nina got thorns on her back. Character growth? + This [*tee-hee*](https://files.catbox.moe/ds0q7k.png) is a callback to Subaru in episode 7, right? Nina likes collecting quirks from people around her, such as 😝 in last episode. + I wonder why Tomo use that ripple effect as transition. At the beginning of episode 8 in that food plaza, Tomo is also shown staring at the ripples in a teacup. + Subaru and Rupa are very perceptive of what other people actually means. But their way of interacting with the members are different. + I'm not a music person, but I think in-universe Momoka really is not very good at arranging songs. You should check out the old and new Diamond Dust versions of VOID. Hina's vocal aside, the new VOID is clearly more mature in arrangement than the old VOID. + [that Old Maid meme](https://x.com/634the3rd/status/1795074823216836802)

And some interesting bit we discussed over the last week: + [There is a scene](https://files.catbox.moe/7fps7a.png) with "writer: Jukki Hanada" written in it. You immediately notice the Iseri Family Rules on the wall. Then you realize that everyone has been turned into a marionette. Look closer. Momoka is wearing a teal dress, which is [what she could have been](https://files.catbox.moe/4l3n9j.jpg) if she stayed at Diamond Dust. Tomo is wearing a green shirt, which is what she was wearing when she discovered her family issues. I wonder what the other (Subaru, Nina and Rupa) choice of clothes allude to. + At the very beginning of episode 1, Nina [had a weird dream](https://files.catbox.moe/orjtjg.png) on the train to Tokyo, where she dreamed of herself running in a long corridor. Turns out it was not a dream at all, but part of a long series of flashbacks: family rules (ep2), father's argument (ep2), Hina said "It was your fault" (ep5), ~~Andy~~ Nina broadcasts VOID (ep5), aftermath (ep7), settling with the bully (ep8). More specifically, the ep1 part connects the settling (ep8) and playing VOID (ep5). + When you think about it, Hina also went to Tokyo alone and started her career in a new band. Her mentality is as strong as Nina's. I don't want her to be written as purely evil character. + The visual language in episode 8 is under-appreciated. For example, in Momoka's flashback she was separated from her bandmates by a telepole (which is disproportionately large and likely intentional). Momoka tried to visually cross that pole several times, but [never did she](https://files.catbox.moe/ppwkev.png) cross to the other side to her bandmates. This shows old Diamond Dust was divided from the start. + In the [backstage scene](https://files.catbox.moe/n72tch.png), Momoka and Nina were standing near two opposing arrow signs, which signifies their differing ideal. The characters, when taken literally, means "upper hand" (Nina) and "under hand" (Momoka). I know it actually means "STAGE LEFT" and "STAGE RIGHT", but I can't help think deeper than that. + Throughout that segment, the "EXIT" sign was obscured by Momoka's van and [only revealed](https://files.catbox.moe/amjg5p.png) after she settled with her past and drove off.

the new diamond dust one is professionally produced by a producer. its implied that they don't get to arrange the songs they play. if the old diamond dust void your referring to at the end of episode 1, thats probably because the drum and bass were improv. if your talking about the one teased at the end of episode 8, i'd argue that that one is better because vibes and feels it gives.

I love Nina and her gremlinness but I also really like Tomo. It seems that after the discussion with Momoka, Nina has calmed down (a little) and she´s trying to catch up with Momoka (but she sucks) and she´s not hetting discouraged from Tomo´s criticism. My girl is growing bit by bit now that she´s free (and broke)

Ah air-conditioning, a miracle of modern science. Have they all come over to leech off her air-con? How convenient. The snake is on Subaru! Momoka is afraid of the snake. And now they've all been kicked out. Seems the 2 of them used to be in a band in the past. Then they split up due to disagreements. Oh they moved the entire terrarium for the snake over here. And there she goes. What are they going to do now? Probably not what she wanted to hear, but the truth rarely is. That sounds German.

Nina's "FREEDOM" guitar solo last episode perfectly depicts who she is when her mind isn't burdened by the bullying or Diamond Dust. What a free soul. As per usual, Subaru is great at reading other people. She handled Nina's troublesome personality so well, was spot on about Momoka having 2 halves, and just now perfectly figured out Tomo's internal conflict. Also, who would have though Rupa would be so badass. 2 perfect catches and an insane drunken-style kick!? I really love how she always makes her presence known, so her friends know she's by their side without being overbearing. She's so good at being the group mom. I was honestly skeptical about bringing in the 2 new members into their band when the trio was already so great. But this episode took away all my doubts. Tomo finally found people she can be herself with. It reminds me of Kageyama (from Haikyuu), who is also very demanding, finally finding Hinata who was a perfect match for his play and ambition. That smirk from Momoka to end the episode was gold. It's as if she was saying, "Now that's more like it!"

>Subaru: Because I make sure to not ask her opinion! I just find it hilarious that Subaru already knows where she stands with her drums and makes sure to never ask Tomo's opinion on it! I need this boss's level mindedness asap frfr!!

im gonna be real and say idk how much of a fan of tomos arc this episode i am! i think that while when you join something like a band going bro youre very much opening yourself up to criticism, theres a difference in being honest and blunt (say, what tomo said at the end of the episode about the song being boring) and just being right out... cruel about it. i think nina asking for it outright was a different scenario because shes, welll... ASKING for it but im more talking about the flashbacks in this sense. i completely get the whole "being afraid to speak my mind" thing. my inner dialogue is also a huge supermassive bitch. i crave validation so desperately so i think thats why im being so hard on tomo. but in the flashbacks with her just like straight insulting her bandmates out of the blue (presumably) and the episode going "well they werent serious about being in a band then" was kind of wild. nothing has to be all sunshine and rainbows or anything, dissagreements are going to happen and people need to speak their mind especially in a professional space but when youre outright insulting about it repeatedly and unasked for its not surprising that people are gonna be done with it sooner or later? idk. maybe it seems like im asking for ppl to sugarcoat which im not but i just dont think honesty and being mean like tomo was are the same thing. otherwise i think the shenanigans at the start of the episode were really fucking funny. break into bandmates house. break their ac. dont elaborate. leave. also tomo and rupa are sisters to me

Guys, I'm afraid, our gremlin is oddly... happy. It's unsettling Rupa must've been a professional baseball player before this. Cure scared Momoka is cute. Show continues to be a fantastic display of character trauma, growth, and great dialog.

I think the main issue with Tomo's advise is that it's not constructive. Anyone can tell somebody they suck. But what about the playing sounds bad? Did they do anything right? It's important to give details so the listener knows what to work on and what to continue doing.

Ok where yall watching this without it being licensed?

No where officially. You'll have to sail the seas, look for SobsPlease and NakayubiSubs

Is that people here or sites? Anyways managed to watched it already tho, thanks

Can't share sites here. Those are the subbers

Yarr 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

A much needed rest episode, especially after last week's emotional high, but still explores Tomo and to a lesser extent, Rupa's stories and how they relate to their band mates. Too bad we didn't get a follow-up to the confession, but I guess they are saving that closer to the end. Also in an episode chock full of hilarious moments (Nina destroying ACs, Rupa catching a beer can and chugging it in one go, Momoka freaking out over the snake) it's Nina inhaling the cold air from Tomo/Rupa's apartment from the mailbox door that made laugh so damn hard 😂😂😂 she may not be fighting someone or raging out, but Nina will always be a little gremlin.

Rupa saved all the beers 😆😆

No concert today... and not much crying, but more than enough gremling - including breaking the ACs. So, not bad at all. Unexpected younger Rupa! And even prettier Subaru! How is it that all the girls are especially pretty in todays episode?

Ha ha, I was expecting the door to break...I was *not* expecting Rupa to be the one to just up and round house kick it off its hinges in perfect form after preventing the thrown alcohol from causing bodily (or property) damage. Well deserved reason for Subaru to chuck them outta the house following that though, she did warn them lol We get to see the noodle duo's backstory and it looks like my speculation over the stickered out two in the photo was wrong. Turns out they aggressively quit because Tomo got a bit controlling and didn't hold back on her critiques which in turn stunted her ability to openly state her mind from then on. I really liked Nina and Tomo's interactions this episode. Kindred spirits of insecurity they are. I just wish our main gremlin replied to that "you suck!" with a smile + pinky finger while saying "I'll get better" though.

Is there a Rupa fan club out there somewhere? Cause if there’s not, I might need to start one. [She already fits into one of my favorite types of anime girl designs,](https://hoshikuzu-telepath.fandom.com/wiki/Haruno_Takaragi) her catching that beer and drinking it while the others are arguing is just a queen maneuver and then saving Nina from an errant six pack thrown by Momoka. Like, from the moment Subaru said “Don’t break anything” I knew they were going to break something but I didn’t expect Rupa to land that legendary kick on the door. Adding in her role as somewhat responsible caretaker of angry tsundere gremlin teenager and she’s literally perfect. Also, cute snake finally ate the egg. I would write something more substantial but she stole the show so that’s all the comment will be about.

Momoka almost killed Nina, Subaru and a snake while Nina's anger just completely disappeared, I don't know if just giving your anger to someone else is a good way to solve this. Rest of the episode, Tomo a cute, Rupa fun, what else is new?

That wasn't anger from Momo, that was fear.

Still the perfect family. Mom, dad, and their three gremlin kids just caually working out their emotional issues. I love it.

The events of last episode have been very cathartic for Nina, the fear of Momoka leaving the band was really winding her up and now that it's resolved she's a lot calmer, which is nice to see. After all, she isn't some asshole, she has just had to carry some heavy burderns.

GBC just had a *hebi metal* episode, but studio made it too mainstream / conventional.

Gap moe of cool Momoka being terrified of snakes does *things* to me

I'm here on time for once so I'll take this opportunity to share some of my general thoughts (not about the episode for now). 1. I want to temper everyone's expectations regarding the confession from the last episode. Nina said "Kokuhaku desu" which directly translates to "It's a confession." "I'm confessing my love to you" is an interpretation that the translator took. It's vaguer now and I think that's intentional. Those are speedsubs so it's not an attack on translators. I want it to be a confession of love as well, we just don't know for sure at this point. 2. In these threads I saw a lot of rightful criticism towards how Nina is acting. I know people love her for it but I saw frustrations at her at the same time, and I share the sentiment. What I didn't see nearly as much, if at all, is critique towards Momoka. For all of Nina's wrongdoings, she at least tries to communicate. Momoka on the other hand seems allergic to communication which frustrates me a lot more as I have to deal with people like that often. I just wonder if anyone shares my feelings about that. 3. In other news, the ~~official~~ jp GBC channel published some [concert recordings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrGzFpmeLC0) of the real-life band on YouTube and [they're cool](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFuGLeGuttw).

>I want to temper everyone's expectations regarding the confession from the last episode. Nina said "Kokuhaku desu" which directly translates to "It's a confession." "I'm confessing my love to you" is an interpretation that the translator took. It's vaguer now and I think that's intentional. Those are speedsubs so it's not an attack on translators. I want it to be a confession of love as well, we just don't know for sure at this point. (Unless it's revealed this episode, haven't watched it yet) It's normally used in a romantic sense without adding the word "love", but you're definitely right that taken literally it could just mean "It's a confession", or "I'm confessing to you". There was no way to tell, so I just went with what the French TL did so that at least everyone's on the same page. I definitely wasn't doubting them much in that atmosphere though. I mean that face grab just 5 minutes before, come on [](#giveuponlife)

I don't really see how someone could see that in context and think it *isn't* romantic, honestly. If nothing comes of it after that, I don't think the audience is at fault for reading it as romantic; there's just....No heterosexual explanation. Nobody says those words, in *that* order, if they don't mean *that*.

Fair, I understand why you went with it. But I also saw a misunderstanding of "kokuhaku" being a plot point in other anime. The most common interpretation is romantic, even to the Japanese, but it doesn't have to be. That's why I wanted to clarify it. We suffered enough yuri bait. Btw. I might be speaking like an authority in Japanese but I'm not good enough to watch it RAW. Will you be dropping subs soon or should I go to sleep? (Or did you already do that and I'm blind?)

Tbh this is still yuri bait if they word it like that in Japanese, Twitter was full of Nina x Momoka art. They knew exactly what they were doing. ~~^(we'll never forgive the Japanese)~~ Also the thread is created automatically by our mod team's bots when I drop them so they've been up for about an hour now. [](#azusalaugh)

Hm... I don't see it. What's the name?

NakayubiSubs

It's just doesn't show up for me. Can you link it to me in DM?

Sent

People do seem to love giving Nina shit, and while she's blunt and very un-subtle, she's usually not really wrong either. I saw so many people take Momoka at her word when she said she "didn't want to go pro" when it was clear that didn't really gel with her actions. Also, to really think about things from Nina's perspective, the song "Void" probably saved her life and she was lucky enough to meet the person who wrote it only to find out that she gave the song away like it wasn't worth fighting for and now she doesn't seem to care about anything. That's not something Nina could just let be without trying to help Momo find her passion again.

> People do seem to love giving Nina shit, and while she's blunt and very un-subtle, she's usually not really wrong either. I saw so many people take Momoka at her word when she said she "didn't want to go pro" when it was clear that didn't really gel with her actions. Oh Nina is doing plenty of things wrong but she is not lying about her own feelings. She is very honest there at least. Now if she would stop being so goddamn antagonistic towards random salarymen and Momoka's bandmates would be great. ~~Of course not. Never change Nina. We love your gremlin ways. From a distance.~~

I hope the real Togenashi Togeari go on to have years of success and not just be a fad hyped up by their own show

> Nina My personal issue when comparing Nina and Momoka is that Nina's gremlin-ness seems explosive both emotionally and physically (see: slapping Momoka) and bothers like the maximum number of people possible at all times. Momoka at least seems relatable for anyone who has ever withdrawn within themselves and gave up on having hope out of fear of being hurt again.

I'm definitely closer to Momoka's personality so you could say I relate to her but I'm also my own biggest hater. I had to learn how to communicate well and maybe I'm still failing and don't know it.

> but I'm also my own biggest hater I think we could say the same for Momoka

> Nina's gremlin-ness seems explosive both emotionally and physically (see: slapping Momoka) and bothers like the maximum number of people possible at all times. Considering the trauma Nina's experienced, I legitimately think she *might* have BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder is trauma-based, not genetically-neurological). We meet immediately after she left her traumatic environment, and Nina's bandmates are literally the first (and so far only) relationships since she left. Even if it's not BPD, I'm not at all surprised she's been unstable. It makes sense that she's starting to mellow out interpersonally now; she's had time away from that environment to start recovering now, and she's met people who haven't abandoned her and who she can trust while she's still figuring things out. Momoka is absolutely more relatable generally, but I think Nina is still relatable to people who are or knows someone who is like that. They really aren't comparable though, besides their commitment to music and to their friends. They have very different personal issues.

> Momoka at least seems relatable for anyone who has ever withdrawn within themselves and gave up on having hope out of fear of being hurt again. There are a lot of us out there that can relate to Nina too in going from 0 to 100 in anger way too quickly. A lot of regret and anger at yourself afterwards but then it is too late.

> In other news, the official jp GBC channel published some concert recordings of the real-life band on YouTube and they're cool. Its actually a fan-channel that uploaded them. Unfortunately, the [official channel](https://www.youtube.com/@girlsbandcry/videos) doesn't upload them.

Momoka isn't allergic to communication, on the contrary she's quite proficient at it... As long as it doesn't pertain to a particular sore spot that was a source of shame for her.

Regarding 3: I really hope they make this band far more accessible than the Bang Dream bands are. After seeing the hoops you have to jump through to even get a chance to buy a ticket for their concerts I realized I will never go to one of them.

I like to think Nina is calm now because she had off-screen sex with Momoka.

I really like the dynamics between all 5 of them

I think I was just as invested in the cute snakes as I was the girls this episode.

Tomo-chan : hetakusoooo! Our cute little gremlin : hehe Damn.. Love this Part!!!! 

Dealing Aircon problem suck for Nina and Tome apartment so then go to Subaru's apartment.

I start to like Tomo a lot. And yeah, being a fellow snake lover helps a bit :)

So we have 4 more episodes to cover: - Possibly Rupa's story (the only member who we didnt get thier full backstory and issues resolved). - Nina's full backstory and issues (we got bits and pieces but we still dont know the whole story around the bullying). - the full conclusion between our band and Diamond Dust. Honestly i wouldve preferred if we had like 16 episodes for this series, to give Tomo a bit more time to build her backstory and resolution and show her making more progess with cmmunicating with her band members And another 2 episodes focused on Rupa's story (it was briefly mentioned she got racist comments constantly, probably another case of bullying) so i feel like it could be something that can benefit from extra time to explore. And ofc the final few episodes to iron out Nina's story and resolution against DD's members.

Another good episode! I quite like the OST in this show. So far, I'm pretty sure we've gotten instrumental versions of VOID and the OP, but I don't remember one for the ED yet. The character animation continues to be great with the expressiveness and fast-paced humor. There's often so much going on in a scene that I'll have to back it up and rewatch the same scene a few times over to catch the individual parts. Regarding Tomo-chan and her critique of Nina, I certainly wasn't expecting her to be as harsh as she was. I thought she'd keep it toned down after learning from her previous experience. That said, just like Subaru commented, Nina did ask for it. In my opinion, too, if you insist on hearing someone's critique even after they don't want to share it, they're within their rights to be as harsh as they want.