It’s obvious that Tae wants to play on the same band as her childhood friend, Lay. Is Tae making a big mistake?
Sure, the thought of Tae playing in a different band caught everyone off guard. It’s obvious that Tae’s lack of confidence with her skills affected her ability to play new music. Sure, this can come off as Tae possibly quitting Poppin’ Party, which everyone fears, except for Kasumi.
While Kasumi is being naïve that Tae is just doing it temporary, the is no way in hell CHU2 will allow Tae to play in two bands at the same time. Even if it’s not official yet, there are signs that it won’t work out. After a practice session, Tae is already worn out after returning to the warehouse. Also, what will happen to Poppin’ Party if Tae decides to quit? It won’t ever be the same without her. With that, there is a possibility that Poppin’ Party will disband because of this.
On the other hand, we learn more from Lisa about Roselia while she talked to Rokka. Apparently, Yukina formed Roselia because of her dream of being able to play at Future World Fest, which is a huge music festival. Ultimately, the whole band shared her dream.
This can probably explain why Yukina doesn’t want to have her band play at the cultural festival. It would mean that they are playing for fun instead of perfection. Still, it’s surprising that Yukina is willing to consider Kasumi’s request to play at her band’s self-sponsored show. Is this an indication that she is defrosting? Maybe.
Towards the end, we finally find out the name of the band CHU2 is forming. Yes, the name is RAISE A SUILEN. CHU2 wants her band to become the best one out there while destroying all the girl bands out there. Since she scheduled their debut on the same day as the cultural festival, it puts Tae into a tough position. Does she skip the cultural festival for an opportunity to improve her skills or she enjoys playing music with her friends?
To me, I have a feeling that Tae will eventually ditch CHU2’s band from the looks of the preview. It will be like what Saaya did and changing her mind on the day of the cultural festival. Besides, it’s obvious that Tae isn’t going to join RAISE A SUILEN officially when poor Rokka is still looking for a band to join.
I do think that it’s almost certain that eventually, Rokka would take O-Tae’s place and become the permanent guitarist of RAS. I don’t know whether this problem is going to be solved within the next episode though, because Chu2 has to somehow notice Lock, and Lock has to learn that RAS exist.
Ironically, the “O-Tae” drama is a mirror of the “Saaya” drama on two levels. Firstly, while Saaya had to move on from her old band with old friends to a new band by new friends, O Tae has to tread the needle of belonging in two bands simultaneously while being lured to a new band by an old friend. Secondly, Saaya and O’Tae’s motivations in their dramas are contrasts – whereas Saaya is driven by her sense of responsibility to her family and is willing to sacrifice her dedication to music for duty, O’Tae is driven by her own desire for personal growth as a serious musician.
What this arc does well though, is to show, clearly, how essential O-Tae is to Poppin Party’s continued operations. As Poppin Party’s arranger, O-Tae provides an indispensable pool of experience and skill to the construction of Poppin Party’s music, even if Kasumi is a lyricist. In a sense, perhaps O-Tae may be seen as analogous within Poppin Party to the importance of Riko to Aqours, to borrow an example from beyond Bandori.
If indeed, they drag out O-Tae’s arc, I find it quite plausible that Lock steps in to help stand in from O-Tae, as a means of temporarily papering over the shortfalls O-Tae’s absence puts on Poppin Party. Along with some kind of exploration of why this arrangement isn’t going to work out either, in the long run.
Eventually, someone has to realize, whether O’Tae herself, or someone close to O’Tae has to point out to O’Tae, that she cannot commit to two bands at the same time, especially with that Roselia Level practice and participation schedule that RAS demands from her. I’m not sure whether O’Tae’s characterization allows her to realize this on her own.
Nevertheless, some final points.
This drama is a long time coming, and foreshadowed as early as Episode 1. it was reinforced in Episode 5, with those parallels drawn between Chisato and O’Tae (both musicians have commitments beyond their band that eat into their ability to participate in their bands, and both have dealings beyond the perception of their bandmates).
I don’t think, given the writing so far, that the show is going to put forth that the idea that O’Tae must belong to Poppin Party and have no divided commitments, or that the idea of switching bands are necessarily a bad thing peresay. But I think it will emphasize that in O’Tae’s unique mentorship/arrangement role in Poppin Party, and given RAS particular philosophy, O’Tae cannot belong to both Poppin Party and RAS at the same time.
Ironically, O’Tae herself was the trigger of the current B plot, where Hina assembles together a motley crew of high schoolers from three different bands to produce an inter-school band collaboration. It’s a shame really, that the story’s attention is divided between Hina and O’Tae’s arcs with Lock’s season long quest to find a band intersecting with both arcs.
The tricky thing about the O’Tae arc, is that the authors have to be careful in avoiding RAS from becoming dislikable, given that introducing RAS seems to be one of the many, many goals of the anime. But making them too likable too runs the pitfall of RAS becoming very tempting for O’Tae, and makes selling the idea that O’Tae place would eventually be permanently filled by Lock trickier.
Interesting analysis. It’s not too surprising to see this happen, but I do have a feeling that Tae will find a resolve. Just like Riko with Aqours, without Tae, it won’t be Poppin’ Party. In one way or another, I think that Tae will eventually find a resolve to her insecurities sooner rather than later.
But hopefully RAISE A SUILEN won’t become unlikable as a result of this.