Before watching Episode 12, I was trying to remember what exactly happens in it. Like, I know this would conclude with PoPiPa auditioning for Space’s final live show but that couldn’t possibly be long enough for the entire episode. Sure enough, the first half of this episode is more or less the main characters biding their time with a bunch of different things. The good old CGDCT fluff, so to speak. I still had fun with this part and it’s not like Bandori hasn’t pulled that card before but yeah, I can’t deny that the show is padding for time here. Maybe the staff should’ve squeezed in the audition in the previous episode but perhaps that would’ve been risky.
To celebrate Kasumi regaining her singing voice, PoPiPa decides to have dinner together at a ramen restaurant Arisa recommends. Much to Arisa’s embarrassment, Nanana is also there and the band finds out that she has secretly hung out with the student council president a couple times for keyboard lessons. After practice, the two of them would frequent ramen shops together (makes sense, no way you could tell me Arisa willingly left her house). Once again, Arisa doesn’t like to admit that she cares about her friends and the band and it continues to be quite funny. Right as the gang resolves to pass the audition, Arisa reminds them that they have final exams to contend with first. For the next couple of days, the girls do some serious cramming to pass the tests. Well, most of them; I take it for granted that Arisa actually is one of the top students in her grade. In between studying, the girls try to get as much band practice as they can. They also try on Tae’s daily jogging routine for some reason. Frankly, it’s a bit random but it has been running joke that there’s some big disparity in stamina between the main characters so I guess it tracks (pun not intended).
After passing their finals, the girls have one last practice session. Not wanting to leave each other just yet, everyone agrees to a sleepover at Tae’s place. This marks the first time Tae’s friends meet her mother and suffice to say, apple does not fall far from the tree in the Hanazono family. There’s of course some amusing antics during this segment, particularly with Sāya and (as per usual) Arisa. A somewhat interesting moment occurs towards the end of the sleepover, in which Kasumi tries to stargaze before going to sleep. In her “infinite wisdom”, Tae suggests looking at the stars with her “heart”, which Kasumi interprets as envisioning them in her mind, and this somehow works. The way I see it, this has less to do with the literal stars Kasumi is trying to see in the sky and more the starbeat phenomenon that she experiences. That she can picture it crystal clear in her head is perhaps a sign that she really has overcome her slump from earlier. Also telling is that she sees five stars, the same number of members in PoPiPa.
The following day, PoPiPa finally auditions for Space one last time. A neat little touch here is that you have Glitter Green as well as Asuka watching the audition in the venue’s cafe. They’ve been present for some of PoPiPa’s past performances so it’s perfect to have them show their support for PoPiPa in their final audition. As for the actual performance, I don’t know if the final version of the insert song warrants all the buildup the show gave it but it’s pretty decent. Even if dividing up the lyrics is an excuse to have the entire cast sing, it works well in expressing the band’s unity. I think the rendition in the last episode highlights the characters’ vulnerability more but the addition of their instruments shows their resolve better, not to mention it obviously makes the song feel more complete. I also dig that each of the character’s assigned lyrics refers to their respective character development, like Tae seeking music that’ll make her heart tremble and Sāya’s appreciation for the band welcoming her into the group.
I suppose it’s a given that PoPiPa would ultimately pass their audition. The season simply has to end with them meeting their big goal. What I appreciate then about their victory is that they’re not 100% successful. There’s actually a roughness of sorts to the performance and the characters themselves are aware of that once they finish. That Arisa is the first to admit her mistakes is quite interesting. As mentioned before, she’s not one to wear her heart on her sleeves so her opening up right from the get go shows how much she wants to pass the audition. Equally noteworthy is that Rimi first convinces Arisa to keep her head high. Remember, Rimi is the shy one and when this show started, she was quick to give up. Her being happy that she and the others simply saw their performance to the end shows how much she’s grown.
Of course, the biggest takeaway comes from Kasumi. Just like before, the Owner asks Kasumi how she thinks she did in the audition. Kasumi again says she gave it her best but this time, it’s without her acting cocky or oblivious. She’s well aware of where she currently stands as a musician and she’s made peace with that so she really does mean it when she tells the Owner she tried her darndest. Needless to say, it’s this response the convinces the Owner to pass the band. I really like that while the Owner certainly has high standards when it comes to music, the actual quality of a band’s performance doesn’t have the biggest bearing on whether or not she passes them. What she actually looks for if the band is passionate enough about their music that they can accept their shortcomings. After all, the thing the Owner detests the most is people not caring about their music. The first time PoPiPa auditioned, Kasumi was too blind to her own weakness. The second time, she was too aware of it. It’s in the third audition that the Owner finally sees Kasumi keep her head high and still love music, allowing her to pass the band.
Now that PoPiPa has passed the audition, all that remains in the season is for them to perform at Space’s final live show. I’ve mentioned in a previous post that this whole race against time is a bit flimsy. Like, it’s really not the end of the world if the girls don’t get to perform at the venue. That said, I’ve come to appreciate this arc more on the rewatch, for the character development it provides for Kasumi. Plus, I’d be lying if I said it isn’t satisfying to see the characters reach full circle with their journey, beginning and ending this season at Space.
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