Review | Fanfare of Adolescence (Episode 9: Leap Forward, Side-by-Side!)

Fanfare of Adolescence keeps us entertained as we follow Shun’s fascinating journey.

We are now at the second chapter of the second part of the series, so how is it holding up?

WHERE ARE THE OTHERS?

Neither the trailer nor last week‘s episode featured Aki, Sojiro and Kota. Thus, I was left wondering whether we would see them again in this part. And the answer is yes, we do see them again. It is as I would describe an extremely reduced role. We see them at their internship. While Kota has made progess and Aki seems to be doing great, Sojiro may not be as happy. Nevertheless, it is still nice to see what they are up to.

But, let’s not forget that the main characters are Yu and Shun, all the other are secondary roles. It has become clear now that the first part was about Yu while this part is about Shun. Personally, I am very happy about this because even though Shun had a strong presence in the first part, we did not learn enough about him. And now, we finally do!

A non-student also makes her return in this episode. It is Tako. And, it is a new departure for her. Actually, she has now a more fitting job where she is happy to do what he does. I find it quite captivating that even minor characters like her gets a character development. Another sign that this series features top quality writing.

TRAINING KIRARIN

Shun enters a new phase in his internship as he helps advising the training of Kirarin. The more we see of him, the more I believe he is the Makoto Tachibana (from Free!) type of character. And, by that I mean that he starts like the others training to be a jockey. Though, in time he will realize that his path lays as a trainer. If it is in fact where Shun is headed I think it is a great choice for the character. He is perfect for this job. Indeed, he understands the horses better than anyone else. He can communicate with them and this is unvaluable. His story is definitely the most fascinating one.

Even though, Shun has a lot to do on his own, Eri and Yu still have a presence and play a secondary role in his story. I’m always grateful for the interactions between Shun and Yu. These interactions are so precious.

TROUBLES IN PARADISE

This episode sets up a side storyline with Amane. And I have a feeling it is going to be quite compelling. Amane first appeared as the big rival who knew everything and was good at everything. However, things are not as good as they seem for his internship. Indeed, he is struggling. In fact, this puts another layer to the character and it makes him even more interesting. Despite being extremely gifted, he has to work hard to succeed. He is not untouchable, he is like the others. And he is starting to realize that. It is going to be a tough ride for him.