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Kumamiko - Girl meets Bear
Episode 11

by Rose Bridges,

How would you rate episode 11 of
Kumamiko - Girl meets Bear ?
Community score: 3.7

In its penultimate episode, Kumamiko finally delivers on a longstanding promise: taking our characters to the city. The show has been building to this since it first established that Machi's dream was to go to high school in the city. Of course, now we know Machi better than we did then. We know she struggles with technology and other features of modern city life, and she has also paralyzing social anxiety. This is especially true when she's separated from Natsu, who obviously can't come along on their voyage.

Throughout the series, these characteristics have mostly been played for laughs, and Machi's technology cluelessness was funny at first. But then the show kept digging into it, coming off more tasteless and mean-spirited (especially when combined with her social anxiety). That makes this episode feel all the more refreshing, because Kumamiko finally acknowledges the issues with the characters' treatment of our heroine. Machi's discomfort finally comes to a head, resulting in some important catharsis and revelations. The episode keeps exploring how no one really knows Machi as well as they think—no one except Natsu.

Hibiki has at least clued in to Machi's social awkwardness, likely due to spending so much of the series accompanying her around town. But Yoshio is a complete doofus by contrast. He signs Machi up for an idol contest in Sendai with his heart in the right place, thinking not only of improving the village, but of Machi's desire to see the city. Of course, he misses the big red flag: Machi absolutely hates being an idol. What's more, she's clearly too awkward in front of audiences to ever be successful at it. In spite of this, her tape makes it to the live competition in Sendai, where she'll compete against other girls from around Tohoku to be awarded the region's best local idol.

When Machi finds out, she flips. First it's in a humorous way, as she ties herself to the house so she can't go, but things escalate and she ends up running away to a tall cliff. Natsu follows her to find Machi despondent, even threatening suicide rather than undergo the competition. Naturally, Natsu knows her well enough to reason with her. He assuages her worries about failing to seem like a city girl, mentioning that Machi has passed all her "city girl tests." (This makes these seem better in retrospect; perhaps they were a genuine attempt to teach her skills, rather than just impart how much she doesn't have them.) He reminds her how much she's wanted to see the tall buildings and fashionable people in Sendai, then finally lays down the trump card: if she does well, she'll be an official city girl. This gets Machi to turn her attitude around. By the time Machi and Natsu return to the others, Hibiki has explained to Yoshio why he's being a jerk, and he's extremely apologetic. Machi agrees anyway, and Yoshio's mood completely turns around (much to Hibiki's chagrin) as he renews preparations for the trip.

I really like how well this episode uses music. Not that Kumamiko's normal score is bad or anything, but it isn't particularly distinctive, other than the bits used for the title card and similar breaks. It's even managed a few cases of musical jokes in the show before, but it packs them on here with training-montage music as Machi zips through her preparations for the competition and a version of Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (aka "the big epic brass and timpani thing from 2001: A Space Odyssey") when Machi reaches Sentai to take in the city for the first time. I really liked that second choice in particular; it perfectly captures the feeling of seeing a big city for the first time when you're a rural kid. Even beyond the humorous music, "Go to the City?" uses music for emotional resonance, punching up the viewers' feelings about the relationship between Machi and Natsu.

This includes Natsu's confrontation with her on the cliff, making things all the more emotional as we explore Natsu's true feelings. As Machi adjusts to the train ride, she remembers playing trains as a kid with Natsu, cheering as he floated along on Machi's ribbon "to Sendai." It shows us not only how long Machi has had this fantasy, but also how important her relationship with Natsu is. This cuts to the other most emotional scene in the episode, as Natsu prays to a shrine in the village, wishing for good things for Machi and the competition. All of a sudden, Natsu breaks down and admits the truth: he doesn't really want Machi to leave. He wishes she would realize that she belongs in the village, because that's the only way they could stay together. He knows he shouldn't feel this way, but he does.

Not long after, Machi gets ready for the first round of the competition in a tent with other contestants. All the girls are friendly, but Machi keeps imagining that they're criticizing her for being a country bumpkin. It makes her extremely nervous, and her inner world is also expressed well through visuals and music. Machi is normally socially anxious, but it seems clear that she's a little lost without her trusty bear friend.

Long story short, Machi doesn't do well at the competition. She can't help comparing herself to the girls with a natural knack for performing in front of audiences. When it's her turn, she misses her cue, gets hit in the head with the microphone, mispronounces nameko and then falls down on her way back to the line. It's enough to send her over the edge, so Machi runs away once again. She insists that she wants to go back to the village and calls out for Natsu.

Machi and Natsu's relationship has always been at the heart of Kumamiko, as we learn about how they've grown up together. The city is glamorous, but it's not for Machi—she really does belong in her small village with her bear friend. At the end of the day, that might be what I like the most about this plot: it can communicate this without bashing city life or further denigrating Machi. The city is perfectly fine and fun! It's just not for Machi, and she's going to have to learn that the hard way.

By focusing on what makes the show work and attempting to justify some of the stuff that didn't, Kumamiko turns in one of its strongest episodes this week. Its cliffhanger has me eagerly anticipating the next episode in a way I rarely feel about this show. It makes more uncomfortable prior episodes play better, elevating the series as a whole. It just goes to show that a little self-awareness—both for the characters and the show itself—can go a long way.

Rating: A

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear is currently streaming on Funimation.

Rose is a music Ph.D. student who loves overanalyzing anime soundtracks. Follow her on her media blog Rose's Turn, and on Twitter.


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