English Dub Review: Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life “Meaning and Role”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The Qualifier for the Nationals is about to begin, but before it can, the koto club has a few more things to work out for themselves. Miss Dojima also has some more surprises to unveil as her Grandmother plots against the koto club. Akira decides once and for all which side of the conflict she’s going to align herself with. And Hozuki opens up about her past, first to Chika, and then to the rest of the group. Now that they’re all on the same page, we’re ready to face the entrance to the Nationals head-on next week!

Our Take:

After several weeks of Akira’s arc with the koto club, it seems like next week we’re finally moving on to the Nationals for real. (Or at least the Qualifier.) This week, though, is spent on tying up a few loose strings and finishing off Akira and Hozuki’s arcs of dealing with their past and finding their own futures.

Over the course of the last few episodes, we’ve gotten to know Akira and everything that’s led her to this point: her brother’s brilliance, her own issues with self-confidence, and her Grandmother’s scheming ways. With the help of the koto club members, she’s grown into someone who isn’t threatened by Hozuki or the others because she now can see that they’re all connected by their love for the koto itself, not the awards or the accolades. And she finally gets the chance to show it when Grandma Dojima calls the board members of the Hozuki school over for all hands on deck evil meeting. As she informs the board members of Chika’s delinquency and his relationship with Hozuki that will cause them to come after the school, we see the wheels turning in Akira’s head. Up until now, she’s always obeyed her Grandmother. Not necessarily because she agrees, but because it’s just easier that way. So it’s so rewarding to see her speak up so plainly to throw her grandmother’s plans into chaos. I love how nonchalant she is about contradicting Grandma Dojima now. The club has really taught Akira as much as she’s taught them.

Hozuki gets some development as well. We’ve gotten to see glimpses of her past and what led her to be thrown out of the school bearing her name, but Chika and the other club members haven’t gotten the full story yet. Chika is searching for the meaning and role his sound has in the group, and he turns to Hozuki to help him explain this, asking her for the full backstory on the song she once performed. Once she tells him, he encourages her to tell the group as well. She does, and it’s clear this unburdening helps her grow closer to everyone as well as free up her own feelings about it. I also liked how Mr. Takinami advises her not to totally abandon her previous approach, but to use it in service of their current performance to let the other parts shine even more.

The dub had some great performances this week, especially by Grandma Dojima, who really leaned into her villainous side. “We shouldn’t just play like she does. We should find our own way to stand alongside her.” Chika is the most sincere delinquent I’ve ever met. “Being serious is cool!” Kurusu’s little moment with Takezo was nice. “If you get dust in your eyes again, tell us before it gets too bad.” Adachi displays surprising emotional intelligence. “When it comes down to it, that sound is your soul itself.” Takezo’s complement of Chika was great at showing how comfortable he’s gotten in his role as president. “I’m sorry, did you not hear me? I’ll speak up: this is stupid.” Akira’s sass is legendary. She absolutely burns her grandma: “You’re snooping into high school student’s lives. And now you’re just making things up about them!” 

Meaning and Role does a nice job of finishing up the arcs of the last few weeks and beginning to transition us into the final stretch of the show. Akira’s time to shine was beautiful, and funny too. I’m so glad she stood up to her Grandmother, and the light finally found her. Hozuki also comes away from this episode with a new view on herself and her playing, which will definitely help them in the Nationals yet to come.