After the Owner gives them the bad news (and after Tae recovers from an emotional breakdown…), Poppin’Party resolves to pass the audition and perform at Space before the venue closes down. As you might’ve guessed, this is the plot for the remainder of the season. The last time I watched this season, I honestly found this whole race against time a little flimsy. Like, just speaking pragmatically, it’s really not the end of the world if Poppin’Party doesn’t get to perform at Space. Watching it again though, I at least recognize the sentimental reasons behind the goal. The band started in part to Kasumi and Arisa visiting Space by chance. Their journey more or less started there so it’d only be fitting if they could perform there before it closes for good.
If you can believe it, Kasumi decides that the band should audition again, just one day after they failed the first time around. Understandably then, the Owner refuses to let them audition. CHisPA enters Space to audition themselves and despite making their fair share of mistakes, the Owner passes them, leading Poppin’Party to wonder what went wrong for them. Per Hinako’s advice, the girls decide to think long and hard about what they can do to pass. While the others are lost in thought or busy practicing, Kasumi decides pretty quickly that she and the others just need to do their best, and that’s not concerning in the slightest.
On impulse, Kasumi visits Space again and talks with the Owner about her determination to pass the audition. The Owner admits that Kasumi’s determination is admirable but she also notes that the girl isn’t seeing the full picture. When Kasumi asks what she means, the Owner finally tells her that out of everyone in Poppin’Party, she performed the worst during the audition. Even for the Owner, that’s incredibly harsh but the thing is, Kasumi has been very dense about how the audition went for her. She unfortunately needs feedback that blunt or else she won’t make any progress.
Poppin’Party proceeds to practice more for the audition, with Kasumi in particular taking it more seriously than usual. During one such practice session, Kasumi injures herself, leading Arisa to grab her first-aid kit. Arisa then takes the opportunity to talk to Kasumi about the audition. I really like that Arisa raises a good point that Kasumi is trying too hard and she doesn’t look like she’s having fun anymore, only for Kasumi to spin the conversation around and ask Arisa whether or not she’s having fun in the band herself. It highlights both characters’ major flaws. Like, Arisa has been the tsundere in the group. It’s rather atypical of her to show concern outright so she can’t really ask Kasumi if she’s enjoying the band without being asked the same thing. I think if Arisa was more open with her feelings, the conversation wouldn’t derail itself as much. Meanwhile, Kasumi changing the topic is a bit indicative of a bad habit we’re seeing in her, how she’s too optimistic and too focused on the audition and not really seeing the big picture (in this case, her constantly practicing the guitar possibly doing more harm than good).
The next day, Poppin’Party convinces the Owner to let them audition again. Suffice to say, it still doesn’t go well for them. Right as the performance begin, Kasumi is seemingly unable to sing. Hard to say if it’s a physical condition, she can talk just fine for now, but it’s evident that the pressure of passing the audition and overcoming her weakness has gotten to her and her attempt at course correction has backfired on her big time.
Xenodude Scribbles 