English Dub Review: Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life “Unknown Sounds”
The koto club might not play the koto that well, but they have a lot of fun!
Overview (Spoilers Below):
When he discovers her falling sick at her home, Chika decides to be a good friend and take care of her through the night until she recovers the next morning. Along the way, he finds out Satowa’s secret. She isn’t living in a fancy mansion or with her mother or father, but in a small apartment by herself.
Thus, it isn’t as much of a shock to him when Kurusu announces her true circumstances to the entire koto club. Instead of turning on Satowa, the club members thank her for confessing to them and trusting them. It’s a real show of camaraderie, and Hiro has no idea what to make of it. But she thinks there just might be something in the club for her, too…
Our Take:
Man, this show just keeps exceeding my expectations with almost every new episode. After a somewhat less enjoyable episode last week, which saw the introduction of walking mean girl stereotype Hiro Kurusu, Kono No Oto! rebounds with an almost pitch-perfect episode. Unknown Sounds hit notes of betrayal, neglect, parental abuse, and the restorative healing power of true friendship. Let’s break it down!
She’s has been with the club for a while now, but none of them know Satowa, really know her. Chika’s visit to her home sparks the club’s eventual discovery of her true situation. In essence, she’s been completely cut off from her family’s music school, her mother, and her money. When her dad passed away, her mother was forced to become harsher with her husband’s passing. People complained about her lesser musical abilities, and this spurred her to become ever stricter. It becomes so bad that she controls Satowa’s life without consulting her, doing things like trying to ship her off to a school without even asking her opinion. All of this has turned beautiful music into terrible memories. But now that she’s joined the koto club, maybe there is the hope of Satowa learning to associate the koto with something positive again.
This is all relayed mostly through quick flashbacks, and I don’t especially love this format. If the entire episode had been one long blast of the past, I think it would’ve played better. As it is, though, it just reads like a lot of backstories crammed in with flashbacks not entirely connected to the present action on screen – Chika is listening to some of her compositions, but it’s not clear exactly how much he can pick up on from this.
Speaking of oddly-paced flashbacks, that was the main problem I had with Kurusu’s story in the second half of the episode. I kind of love the unconditional love the koto club members display to her, but when all of her motivations for causing trouble is told via some fast flashbacks all at once, there’s a less emotional payoff. Maybe the show didn’t want to hold onto another mysterious lady’s backstory for multiple episodes, but it still just felt rushed. Also, I’m not entirely sure her story tracks. Her friends dropped her, and this led her to… become a serial friendship destroyer? Kurusu herself is such a drama queen: “You’re all such good friends – ridiculous!” At least the core of the conflict was nice. Her trust in friendship has been tarnished, but if there’s any club that can restore her back to her previous self, it’s these guys. I especially appreciated how Satowa is the one to welcome her back first. This quick conclusion to the conflict is so refreshing. This show does an excellent job of keeping things going – resolve it and move on to the next!
This week, the English dub comes out strong, led by an excellent performance from Amber Lee Connors as young Satowa. Her pain in talking with her mother is evident and sells their relationship well. Her mother’s chilling response to her daughter’s request for a heart to heart: “It’s time to start practice.” Her mother, on the whole, was so scary: “Your koto playing feels like a weapon to me.” Chika may be too blunt sometimes, but you’ve gotta love him for quotes like this: “Ya ever feel like talking about it, just talk. And restock your fridge, it’s like a barren wasteland in there.”
The seventh episode of Kono Oto Tomare! is worthy of a lot of praise. The relationship between Satowa and her mother isn’t black and white. The enemy isn’t her mother, per se, but the poor communication between them. This episode was full of emotional moments that hit home. Satowa’s tears as she stands over Chika’s bowl of hot rice porridge are striking. And her forgiveness of Hiro, later on, is even more so. I don’t know what will play out next week, but I do know that even when they’re improvising, the koto club members will have each other’s backs.
