01x10 - After Dark

[bunniefuu]

This is bad! Really bad!

The band we scheduled had to drop out!

Seriously?

How are we going to get a replacement?

How about I take over?

You're…

I can't remember your name

but you're from Class 2!

The name's Gotoh.

Oh my Gotoh!!

Take me to bed!

You're a national treasure!

Gotoh!

Gotoh!

That's six in favor of the haunted house,

and two for the sweets shop.

How long was I asleep?

I recall we were discussing

what to do for the culture festival…

Everything after

-"working together" is a blank.

-Let's vote by majority.

We'll be doing a maid

and butler cafe for the festival.

Looks like we'll need

a lot of maids' uniforms!

Maids?

All the girls will have to dress up!

All of them? Including me?

Impossible, this is

way outside my comfort zone.

A cafe made in hell might be tolerable.

Another two bit the dust.

You can also have hell in a handbasket.

That was close,

I almost went off to La-la land again.

As for the use of the gymnasium

stage on the second day,

submit this form into the box

in front of the student council room

if you're interested.

-We can do our own thing… Band…

-Okay.

I never did end up

fulfilling my middle school dream.

But hey.

I achieved it over a thousand times

in my head. Good enough.

You ready to rumble, Arena?

I have real gigs in a real venue now!

A band isn't a vehicle

for my shallow fancies! I mean it--

I can see myself falling hard for

anyone who has a concert on stage.

You and me both.

FOR STAGE APPLICANTS

What am I doing

in front of the student council?

What is this?

Band performance: Kessoku Band?

Who could have written such a thing?

Hitori Gotoh?

I am a serious guitarist through

and through.

Reject all desire to be fawned over!

Focus on the band!

See, I can hardly feel…

those nasty desires now…

What was that sound?

Sir! Someone's passed out!

I liked dark, cramped spaces

So I'd bury my face deep in my hood

My eyes resented the heartless world

But yearned for love

I liked being soaked by the rain

Because my face looked better clouded over

I pretended to be afraid of the storm

While waiting for the sky to burst

Strum through the light's distortion

I want to make thunder roar

Drum beyond the pain

What can I do?

This fierce pounding is out of control

Strum in a harmonizing quartet

I want to cause a revolution

Drum in a lamenting forte

What can I do?

My savage nature is beyond wild

An unfamiliar ceiling.

Oh, are you awake?

How do you feel?

I'm fine.

Hearing that you passed out

had me worried.

Sorry.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

What now?

If she hears about this,

she'll be ecstatic to take part.

I won't be able to resist, once her

eyes light up, and the rest is history!

This cannot happen!

Thank you.

Don't worry about me.

I'll head to work after a bit more rest.

I can't bring myself

to leave you like this.

I'll be okay!

Don't you have plans with

your friends today?

I do, but it's nothing I can't cancel.

I'm perfectly fine!

Really? Take it easy then.

I actually do want to submit this.

Except I can't bring myself to,

when we still have so much to work on.

But…Thinking about it,

there'd only be

amateurs in these school festivals.

What are they like?

Are you guys having a blast?

Yeah!

We're going to make this

a day none of us will ever forget!

You can count on it!

Nope.

Too much psychic pain.

Can't make it to the performance.

Introverts strutting their stuff at

a school festival is a common story beat.

Surely I can do it too?

The next performance is by Kessoku band!

We have Nijika Ijichi

from Shimokitazawa High on the drums.

Heya!

The bassist is her schoolmate Ryo Yamada.

Bob.

Next is the lead guitarist…

Oh right, Gotoh-san from Class 2.

Last up, on guitar and vocals

is Class 5's, nay, our school's superstar!

Kita-chan!

-Thank you!

-Kita-chan!

The difference in reception is

like heaven and hell!

Yeah. Forget it.

There's already a perfect place

where I belong.

Good morning, Manager.

Get to work.

You should go for it

instead of being so wishy-washy.

This is the kind of stage you can

only savor while you're young.

You think so?

I hardly went to school

so I'm only talking out of my a*s.

And I'm a high school dropout.

-Getting up was a pain.

-I confided in the wrong people.

What's this?

Bocchi-chan's talking to my sister?

You don't see that often.

She's having some culture festival woes.

Culture festival?

She's wondering if Kessoku Band

should play on the stage.

-They have a stage?

-Eh, what?

Sounds great. We should do it!

I don't… But…

There's a different kind of fun to be had

there, rather than at a music venue.

Have you performed at one before?

Yep, back in middle school.

So have I.

I played a bunch of niche songs

and turned the place into a wake.

Why are you so proud of it?

I never got to perform with Ryo,

so I'd love for us to have a festival gig.

That's a surprise.

It hasn't been that long

since we formed our band.

I'd like to perform

our originals outside of Starry.

This is also a chance

for us to get our name out!

But…

Don't high school festivals

expel you if your teen rock anthems

aren't hype enough?

No school does that!

I can understand her hesitation though.

We'll probably, no, definitely be

before a larger audience than here.

So there's no need to rush

into an answer right away.

Ryo-san…

To be honest, the gig I turned

into a wake still haunts my dreams.

So the smugness was a feint.

Anyway, moving on.

What it comes down to is, whether

she's satisfied with her decision.

That's a very good point.

Alright. I'll give it some thought.

Nijika-chan wants to play at the festival.

I'm sure it'll be great.

I…

I still can't bring myself to do it!

Sorry girls. I thought I was close

to a breakthrough last night but nope.

But Nijika-chan

did leave the decision up to me.

I don't think I can survive the remainder

of school if anything goes wrong.

As things stand, playing at Starry

is enough to give me butterflies.

A festival stage would be worse.

Yeah, not happening.

Did you know that your old classmate

Hitori Gotoh is now a famous guitarist?

No way! Who'd have thought

that she was in a band!

Should've gotten an autograph

when I had the chance!

Let's stick to this path.

It's a good one.

The goal is straightforward

and there's less to worry about. Perfect.

Gotoh-san.

Good morning.

Good morning.

How are you feeling?

I went back to check on you yesterday

but you had already left.

Oh, is that so? I'm sorry.

I also turned in the application for you.

What?

Our culture festival stage!

Kessoku band's taking part, right?

I'm so excited!

To think you accidentally put the form

in the bin. Good thing I saw it!

Let's make it a great day!

So that's why she's been

like this the whole time.

-Didn't she seem eager to yesterday?

-I assumed she wanted to apply.

What now?

I'm going to be charged with m*rder.

Can't you simply withdraw the application?

No changes can be made

once a submission has gone through.

I'll try to talk to the council tomorrow.

What's up, people?

How about some free booze?

There's none for you. Get lost.

You hear her?

Your sister's way too prickly!

You like having me around, yes?

Please leave. We have

a respectable business to run.

You've inherited your sister's icy glare.

Hey Bocchi-chan.

What's up with her? Did something happen?

I applied for us to appear at our

school festival without consulting her.

What? Does that mean

you'll be playing there?

It's impossible for me.

The thought of a larger

crowd than in this venue,

full of schoolmates on top of that, and

having to perform before them scares me.

Bocchi-chan.

-You can have this.

-Huh?

To say thanks for the other day.

My band has a gig today!

Come check us out.

Can I?

Of course. I have one

for the rest of you too.

Much obliged.

We'll pay for it.

It's only right that we do.

Don't sweat it, this is on me.

But that's…

You don't have to be so considerate.

Do you take me for a poor bandsman

who'd leech money off high school girls?

You mean you're not?

Damn it, I need a bottle of shochu,

pronto!

In your dreams, stupid.

As I was saying, you have

nothing to worry about!

I may be an alcoholic bum

but my band's actually

pretty well known in the indie scene!

Right?

Yeah. They have a sizable loyal fanbase.

Which is why ticket quotas

are chump change to us.

We make plenty from our merch sales alone.

So why do you always go

for the cheap booze?

You even borrow our shower.

Pay rent.

You still haven't paid me back

for your train fare.

So you are a good-for-nothing leech!

Look, there's a perfectly

good reason for all that!

I'm always plastered when I play,

and end up breaking stuff.

All our profits go towards compensation.

That's all on you.

Bocchi-chan, is there anything else

she still owes you for?

No, that's all she owes me.

Listen up, scumbags.

You'll apologise for

not returning her money sooner!

I'm sorry for not returning

your money sooner.

Thanks.

R.I.P. my 1000 yen note.

You really should stop drinking.

You never hit the bottle

until you started performing.

You'll wreck yourself one day.

Who gives a sh*t?

C'mon, let's go to Shinjuku!

-I can't hear you! I said go!

-Can she really play in that state?

To think we can watch

SICK HACK for free. Hype.

Is SICK HACK the name of Hiroi-san's band?

-Yup!

-I knew that she was good

ever since we played together.

But I still don't know

what kind of music she plays.

I'm kind of looking forward to it.

That was a very good concert.

Thank you for today.

We haven't even reached the venue!

This here's my sweet home, Shinjuku Folt.

Come right in.

It has a different vibe from Starry.

Don't be afraid, we're pretty similar!

It's a little scary, but it's not so bad.

These venues are all the same.

Thank you for the wonderful concert.

It hasn't even started yet!

-I was a fool for thinking

-Those people aren't so bad

-I made progress.

-once you get to talk to them.

Mornin', Gin-chan!

I want my sister.

She finally crumbled!

This is the manager, Gin-chan.

Ah, hello.

Oh my, look at those

adorable little friends of yours.

My name is Ginjiro Yoshida, 37 years old!

I simply love punk rock!

It's hard to reconcile the gap

between that face and personality!

Worry not. Gin-chan's

just a middle-aged softie.

Hey, Hiroi.

Yes?

How many times will it take

for you to stop being late?

Rehearsal is long over.

Sorry!

-It'll work out somehow.

-Are you from Kessoku Band?

Yes!

Umm…

She's part of SICK HACK.

I'm Shima, the drummer.

Pleasure to meet you.

Likewise!

I hear that Hiroi's been a pain

in your side.

-Please accept this as an apology.

-She's so well-mannered.

Thank you.

Do bandmates compliment

each other's quirks?

I'm Eliza. I lived in England

until I turned 18.

It's my third year in Japan.

Let's be friends.

You came here to join a band?

You must really love J-rock.

Oh no, I came to Japan

so I could attend Comiket.

I actually wanted to be in

an anisong cover band.

Eliza keeps saying that anisongs are what

-These three…

-Japan really excels at.

-I bought this in Asakusa.

-Do they really compliment each other?

-Nice.

-Stop it.

Thank you for waiting.

Thank you.

What a crowd.

There are already 200 people here.

Her band's really popular.

Hey, where did Ryo go?

She was with us just now.

Huh?

What's she doing there?

That's…

The kind of know-it-all showoff

who thinks they're better than

everyone else having fun in the front.

It's the music that really matters.

What kind of band is SICK HACK?

They play psychedelic rock.

A genre from the 1960s that conveys

drug-induced hallucinations through music.

-Who knew she could be so eloquent!

-It influenced many musicians…

I can't wait.

Yeah. I'm curious about psychedelic rock.

Really? I'll bring all my albums tomorrow.

Beginners are better off

starting from the second disc.

Kita-chan, I wouldn't

carelessly say that if I were you.

You'll have

this annoying nerd comin' atcha'.

What an amazing band.

The drummer nails that irregular beat

which makes you lose yourself.

The emotional yet logical guitarist.

All of this is supported by

a wall of sound created by the bassist.

The most amazing thing of all…

Is her overwhelming charisma!

Every performer is a hero on stage.

Bands really are…

The best and the coolest!

Bocchi-chan, how did I do?

Oh, you were great.

-You were amazing!

-Hey,

you don't sound happy.

Did you actually not enjoy yourself?

No!

I had a great time!

It's just, I…

You were so brilliant, while I am…

The truth is…

Up until high school, I used to be

Ms. Gloomsville lurking

in the corner of class.

Oh, so you understood that?

Us introverts have a way of

being drawn to one another.

One day I thought about

how my future would be

and it was so boring that

the blandness made me despair.

I got into rock, wanting to turn

my life in the opposite direction.

Buying my bass from the music store

or visiting venues terrified me at first.

I started drinking alcohol

to calm my nerves at my first gig.

Everyone loses their nerve

when they try something new.

But you were fine playing

on the street and at Starry.

Without the aid of a drink too!

Miss…

You should hold your head up higher!

If you can't, cheat with a little booze!

Sorry, I'm still underage.

But please come watch us

at my school festival if you can.

SECURITY CAMERA IN OPERATION

Yay! That's the spirit!

I'm adding 10k to your tab

for the wall repair.

Bocchi-chan's accountable too.

Okay, since we're still pumped up

from that concert,

let's think of our setlist

for the festival.

According to Kita-chan,

each band has 15 minutes.

So that means

around three songs on average?

Can't we share some food with Ryo-senpai?

No! She needs to learn

a lesson after repeatedly failing

to return Bocchi-chan's money.

Ikuyo…

Kita-chan, don't fall

for this sleazy bandsman!

The 3Bs of who to never date

stand for bassist, bassist, and bassist.

I will never borrow money

from others again.

Fine, you can have this then.

Nijika, you're too kind. I love you.

You make me feel terrible

when you thank me like that!

Eat up, dammit!

I already have a setlist in mind.

What?

I've thought about it since

the subject was first brought up.

Oh, nice.

The second song will be

Bocchi's guitar solo.

This is where you get to shine.

The festival is yours and Ikuyo's, right?

Isn't it a bit of a risk to have

all our songs be originals?

Why not? We should be more aggressive

with our approach!

There are four of us to share

the pain if we mess up.

You just want to make sure

we all have the same trauma.

A guitar solo…

Kita-san?

Gotoh-san!

I…

I knew that you meant to throw

the application form away!

Yet I still submitted it and lied.

I'm so sorry!

Thank you.

I wasn't sure what to do at first.

Yet now I'm looking forward to it.

That's all thanks to

you turning in the form.

I'm grateful that you did.

Thanks.

Gotoh-san, I promise

to practice more than ever.

Let's make our festival gig

a roaring success!

Yeah.

I really wanted her to perform

at the school festival…

Because Gotoh-san is…

I have a favour to ask!

Ryo-senpai, could you please

watch over my guitar practice?

Isn't Bocchi already doing that?

She has her own practice to focus on.

Plus, I want to improve myself

even further.

You heard her. How about it?

My lessons don't come cheap.

Sure!

Speaking of her, did Bocchi-chan

not come with you today?

No, she's held up by remedial lessons.

What!?

Bocchi-chan's missing?

What's wrong with

Not letting my sound die down?

What's wrong with being young?

Hey, why doesn't it stop?

The rhythm that I can't stop

Keeps reverberating through my body

The melody playing in my earphones

Is the only thing that lets me be who I am

The sky is tinged in red

But what color is my soul?

Tell me where should I go?

I've always been searching

For something precious

Hey!

If everything's going to be lost some day

Let's engrave it as deep as we can

Now!

My most pathetic nights

And cackling laughter

And days when I couldn't say

More than "You know…"

I'm alive now, yeah

Springtime of life

What's wrong with

Not letting my sound die down?

What's wrong with being young?

Tune in next week!