There!
Whee!
mune no oku ga takanaru atsui koe ni kizuitara
胸の奥が高鳴る 熱い声に気付いたら
My heart races whenever it notices your warm voice
sutaatorain wa kimi no me no mae ni aru
スタートラインは君の目の前にある
The starting line is right in front of your eyes
mada mienai michi de mo hashirihajimereba ii sa
まだ見えない道でも走りはじめればいいさ
Just start running, even if it leads down a path you can't see yet
akirameru yori mo suteki da to omowanai?
あきらめるよりも素敵だと思わない？
Don't you think that's better than just giving up?
itsumo fuan wa sugu soba de
いつも不安はすぐそばで
My anxieties are always right here by my side
kakedasu omoi wo shimetsukeru keredo
駆け出す思いを締め付けるけれど
Even if I can quiet the feelings that race through me
ima wo koete arukidasu
今を超えて歩き出す
We'll start walking, passing by today
michi naru michi ni hikari wo
未知なる未来に光を
and cast light down the unknown path ahead
hajimete wo kurikaeshi
初めてを繰り返し
Let's go all the way back to the start
tsukamitore ashita wo
掴み取れ明日を
and seized everything we ever wanted!
sou sa bokutachi wa mugen no
そうさ僕達は無限の
Come on! We'll head onwards
yume dakishime susumu no sa
夢抱きしめ進むのさ
embracing our infinite dreams
kagayaiteru jibun wo shinjitai
輝いてる自分を信じたい
I want to believe in myself as I shine like this
tachiagaru chikara ni
立ち上がる力に
Filling ourselves with endless love...
saidai na ai wo komete
最大な愛をこめて
...and the strength to stand up...
omou mama tabidatou!
思うまま旅立とう！
Let's feel! And set off right away!
atarashii sekai no naka he
新しい世界の中へ
Toward a new world
Right, right... Just a second.
I'll be done soon.
Hey, you're not allowed up there!
Morning...
Morning!
Down you go.
I'll have breakfast too, Wakana.
Wait a second. I have to feed Dora first.
Here you go.
What is this?
A bowl of yesterday's leftovers.
Hey!
It's your fault for always making so much for dinner.
You could at least put some sauce on it or something.
I've got to get going, so wash up when you're done.
Aww...
What do you mean "aww"?
It's your own fault for not getting up earlier.
Don't tut at me!
I'm off, then.
Hey, did you see the flowers I left here?
I planted them.
Planted?!
In the garden.
Why?!
Because you seemed kind of busy.
I told you I was taking them to school!
Huh?
When?
I can't believe this!
See you later!
See you!
Episode 1
Running Out, Inviting, and...
Sabure, hold on a second.
Miyamoto.
Oh, good morning!
Do you have morning practice too?
Yeah.
Isn't it kind of depressing playing batminton on your own?
It's "badminton".
Good luck, lonely boy!
Shut up.
Will you be okay taking the train home?
Yeah.
See you later.
Shirahamasaka High School
Thank you.
It's nothing. You're one of my best customers.
Today's a Saturday, so I'll be home early.
I'll see you this evening, okay?
You'll get fat if you wolf it all down like that.
See you later, Sabure.
See you later!
The gaze sparkles.
I'm fine, even if the road isn't very big.
And then,
breaking into a run, I dive into the miracle.
Gazing upwards, I wave my hands at the light.
Joining together these unceasing feelings,
REFLECTIA.
Stop!
You've got to listen more carefully to the voices of those singing the other parts.
Sopranos, stop butting in when it's not your turn.
Tenors, you're supposed to be mezzo-forte.
Don't make me repeat myself.
We have barely a month until the recital.
We'll be practising individual parts after class.
You're dismissed.
Miyamoto-san...
Bow!
Thank you very much!
You want to sing, don't you?
Huh?
I've already memorised the music,
so I don't need you to turn the pages any more.
Huh?!
This is our last year and all.
Why don't you ask the vice principal?
Yeah, I will!
Sakai-san!
Good morning!
Good morning.
The flowers you brought are really cute!
Are yours freshly cut?
Yep!
I just trimmed the hydrangeas at home.
At home?
Morning!
Hey!
W-Wow!
Oh yeah.
Come help me wrap them.
Hurry!
Before Takahashi-sensei arrives.
You're supposed to do that stuff at home!
Sawa!
Give us a hand here!
Sure, just a second!
Konatsu, show me your cool flyers!
Voilà!
You two are going to be my servants, okay?
Where did you live in Austria?
Vienna.
Oh, Vienna?
I'm sorry that my uniform didn't arrive in time.
Don't worry about it.
It must be really difficult transferring schools at the last minute like this.
I'll have someone show you around after school.
Thank you.
Tanaka!
Late again?!
Wait here a moment.
I'll call you in.
Right.
Sit down, everyone! Today we hav-
Flowers to present!
Thank you, sensei!
To Takahashi-sensei
Thank you so much!
Have a wonderful child!
Congratulations
A boy? A girl?
I'm only going on maternity leave...
But I'm sorry I won't be here to see your graduation.
Then, what if we had our graduation ceremony now?
Hey!
How about we all sing a graduation song together?
Sakai-san should sing!
Yeah!
A public performance!
I want to hear Sakai-san sing!
That's enough.
You all know who I really want to hear on my last day here.
Serial latecomer Tanaka Taichi!
Hey!
I'm never late. I'm always here early for morning practice.
Oh?
Making excuses?
Just like a man.
Right.
I'll sing, then.
The school anthem of Shirahamasaka High School.
Let us climb the long mountain road...
...as we hear the voice of the white shores.
Oh no!
Our sparkling days...
...and the friends who fill them...
I'm so sorry!
It's been twelve years,
but I'll do my best to get used to life in Japan again.
My only friends right now are the characters in my books, but...
...everyone, I humbly beg your kindness.
He's kneeling?
It is now midday.
Tanaka, can you show him around?
Sure.
Let's go.
Thank you.
Sakai, give me a hand with this.
Okay.
Are you used to the general curriculum now?
Yes.
And you've made friends?
Well...
Then, a boyfriend?
Leave me alone.
If you wait a bit, I know one little person who'd be delighted to make your acquaintance.
It's a boy?
I don't know.
Does that matter to you?
Of course.
Wait a second.
I'm going to get my car keys.
Did you come all the way here just to say that?
Huh?
But...
I know that Ueno-san can play without the sheet music.
Any piano major can.
Then why does she need someone to turn the pages?!
Music isn't a game.
This joint recital is a traditional event that incorporates not just high schools within the prefecture, but professional musicians.
35th
Joint Music Recital
Music teachers will be coming to listen too,
so it's an important platform for music students.
Do you remember what you did at said event, last year?
B-But... I've always wanted to...
Anyone can love music, but few are loved for their music.
You need a special something to move the hearts of others,
and you don't have it.
Give up on the idea of singing on stage.
Once the recital is ov-
Then I quit.
Pardon?
Then I quit.
Miyamoto-san.
If you're quitting, then hand in a letter of resignation.
What do you know about me?!
How do you know if I can sing or not, if you won't let me try?!
Don't underestimate the determination of us regular students!
What are you doing?
Right, thanks.
Oh, do you have your mobile?
There you go, that's my address.
If anything happens, feel free to mail me.
"If anything happens"?
Like... if you find a boyfriend or something.
Come and see me once the baby's born!
Sorry.
I wanted to make sure I ate before I went to club.
Club?
Badminton.
Though there's nobody but me right now.
Today I get to practice at my big sis' university.
A big sis'... That's a girl, right?
What do you call a male big sis?
A big bro.
Oh, that's right.
I've been studying, but I still have lots to learn.
Does it tell you how to eat ramen and stuff in that book too?
Of course!
Seriously?!
There's no way you can quit!
The vice principal doesn't know anything!
I'll go see her.
H-Hey, Sawa!
Wait! Wait! Wait, I said...
I mean... we're high school seniors, right?
Right now, singing's the most important thing to me,
but I'll graduate, go to university, and find a job...
Right now is only right now,
so if the vice principal says she won't let me sing any more,
then I'll quit.
But then you'll...
I haven't even sung yet.
I want to sing, so...
...I'm going to start a new choir!
Huh?
So...
So sing with me, Sawa!
Huh?! Me?!
I can't sing at all!
It's fine!
You've got a loud voice.
But I'm in the archery club.
Do both.
Can you really make a new club?
Sure you can.
How?
Write the club's name and a description of its activities here.
The president's name goes here and the advisor's goes here.
You get the principal's seal here,
and take any new members' applications to the student council.
Okay!
You have to have at least five members.
Do you think you can find that many people?
Well there's me and Sawa... and I was thinking I'd ask Sakai-san.
She'd definitely join, right?
Hm... You might have a hard time convincing her right now.
Right now?
Well, she's not taking enough classes on the regular curriculum,
so she has extra classes to worry about too.
Oh...
But Sakai and a girl like you might just produce an interesting chemical reaction...
A girl like me?
Someone who's cheerful and cute.
Oh!
Thank you!
...And simple, and easy to read.
Here's hoping that that chemical reaction isn't explosive...
Good luck to you too!
T-Thanks!
The building up there on the left is the department for regular classes, and the right one is the music department.
On the left... R-E-G-U-L-A-R...
This is the courtyard.
Watch out for birds while you're eating your food here.
Birds...
And that's the gym.
G-Y-M...
Do you cycle here?
Cycle?
Do you come to school on your bike?
Oh, right.
I take the train.
Then I guess I don't need to show you where we store our bikes.
I've got to go to club now, so...
Right.
Thanks for today.
You should really start reading a different book.
Huh?
The author, Ki no Tsurayuki,
met a number of individuals on his journey, wh-
Oh, shall we leave it there for today, then?
The new transfer student will be joining our supplementary classes from next week.
Okay.
Thank you.
Sakai-san!
Let's walk home together!
The uniform for music students is cute, huh?
Really?
Do you take your bike when it rains as well?
Yeah, usually.
Hm...
What?
Huh?
What is it?
We've never walked home together, right?
Y-Yeah...
I was just thinking maybe I'd start to get to know you better.
You quit choir, didn't you?
How did you know?!
Sorry.
I saw you earlier.
Seriously?!
So embarrassing!
What was that for?
I was just getting all my embarrassment out, so there was none left.
So that thing earlier didn't happen, okay?
Didn't happen?
I want to make a new choir club.
Our school is organising the music recital this year.
So if I can work it out with the principal,
I'll have the chance to sing on stage.
So, Sakai-san, will you-
I'm not joining.
Huh?
I'm not joining.
I've given up singing.
Because you have extra classes?
You don't need to study every day!
It's you, after all!
I know it's a pretty crazy dream,
but if we all sing together, something great is bound to happen!
Come on, it'll definitely be fun!
Even if I were to sing now...
Huh?
I wouldn't enjoy it.
Why?
If you pretend to be having fun, you might just start having fun!
Look, like this!
If you just want to sing for fun, go to karaoke or something!
Don't drag me into your stupid games!
It's not a game.
Then what is it?
Why do you want to sing?
Huh?
Well...
Anyway, just because something's fun doesn't mean it's not serious!
You didn't answer my question.
But I'm serious!
Even if you're serious, keep me out of it.
Because I didn't want to regret giving it up without doing anything!
By the way, I heard you're really crazy about sweets right now.
That's right!
Especially hand-made ones.
Geez, Dora...
Makoto, you're in the go-home club, right?
Don't just come storming in, you damned hag!
I'm making a choir club.
You'll join, right?
Huh?
I left an application form on your desk.
Fill it out, okay?
Don't go walking into my room without permission!
If you don't bring it to school tomorrow,
I'll tell Mum where you hide your porn.
Dear Yang, my new school life has begun.
I thought I could prepare by reading lots of books,
but Japanese culture is complicated and difficult to grasp.
I'll do my best to make sure that Japan starts to feel like home as quickly as possible.
I hope someday I can introduce the country to you.
Let's both do our best until then.
Two more members, huh?
It's one thing to start a club,
but are you seriously going to sing at the recital?
You're going to have a hard time finding members now.
You know that, right?
Are you worrying about how mad you made Sakai-san?
Or what the vice principal said to you?
So it's both...
Well, it's true that last year's recital was a total failure...
Don't laugh!
I've been doing lots of special training since then!
I'm not the same as I was a year ago.
Give me some of that cream.
Hey, listen!
I know, I know...
You're going to do it again today, right?
Your special training.
Of course!
You can pay.
How come?
Because you laughed.
Fly, fly, fly... What I really need...
...are those shining eyes of yours.
Fly, fly, fly... Your body...
...running endlessly onwards.
Your heart might not have any shape...
...but isn't it fine to go on believing in it anyway?
Even when I get stuck with overtime, I tell myself I want to have fun...
Huh?
Sakai?
What're you doing?
Oh?
Tanaka-kun?
...and find myself just wanting to smile, no matter what comes my way.
Here we are!
They say people are people-
hareta hi ame no hi de mo
晴れた日雨の日でも
Come rain or shine
minna ga ireba itsumo egao ni nareta
みんながいればいつも笑顔になれた
I was always able to smile when everyone was around
kioku no kanata made omoidashitari
記憶の彼方まで思い出したり
Let's think back to the farthest reaches of our memories
tayutau koe mimi sumasou
たゆたう声耳すまそう
and listen to the voices that murmur there
saa, te wo sashinoberarete wa no naka he
さぁ、 手を差し伸べられて輪の中へ
Oh, to a time where you reached your hands out to me and welcomed me into your circle
hitori ja nai kuukan de muchuu ni natteru jikan
一人じゃない空間で夢中になってる時間
And being in a place where I wasn't alone put me in a daze
kokochiyoi kaze ga fuite
心地好い風が吹いて
As the gentle breeze blows
warattari naitari utatte mitari
笑ったり泣いたり歌ってみたり
Let's smile, and cry, and try to sing, and...
tojiteita kokoro wo hiraite
閉じていた心を開いて
As even my once closed heart begins to open
omoide no fureezu kuchizusamu
思い出のフレーズ口ずさむ
I find myself humming the phrases of my feelings
kanadeyou
奏でよう
Let's play them together
What are you all doing here?
She was singing...
What day is it today?
What the...?!
You were singing just now, right?
This is sukiyaki!
Two cakes!
We won't get another chance at this!
Episode 2
Gathering, Struggling, and...
Sakai-san, I'll find whatever it was that you lost.