Twelve Days of Anime 2015 Part 11: Asuka Tanaka and The Reality of Inconsistency

I recently marathoned through KyoAni’s outstanding high school drama, Hibike! Euphonium.  One of my favorite reasons to watch was the character Asuka Tanaka.  When I took to Twitter to talk about my experiences with the series, I discovered, to my great surprise, that she is far from universally beloved among the fans.  Some even refer to her as an out-and-out bad person.  This is a claim that I simply can’t get on board with.  However, at the same time, Asuka’s behavior is so inconsistent that it’s difficult for me to put forth a competing characterization.  Though I feel we won’t truly grasp what makes her tick until season two airs in 2016, I believe that the thing that makes Asuka so fascinating is, in fact, this very inconsistency.

Warning, this piece hits a few spoiler notes.

The Otaku Memory Box: The Ephemeral Sound! Of An Ensemble

It was a passing moment in time, but, for the members of the Kitauji concert band, that afternoon performance will live forever.