Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into the thorny drama of BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, after a premiere that seemed to promise far more tears and resentment than starry-eyed musical performances. MyGO opened on a band breakup and continued more or less in that vein, as the scattered members of CRYCHIC all went about their separate ways, some eager to pick up the pieces, others hesitant to invite such pain again.
Into this tangled web of relationships stomped Anon Chihaya, who has no idea what’s going on, but goddamnit if she’s not gonna make it about herself. Anon is a delightfully self-absorbed heroine who exhibits none of the optimistic or inspiring qualities you’d expect from a music drama lead; she’s pursuing a band purely to fit in at her apparently band-obsessed high school, and has so far responded to the emotional troubles of her compatriots with a mixture of gossip-hungry curiosity and loud indifference. Basically none of the characters introduced so far seem to exhibit healthy relationships with their peers, which seems like a terrific recipe for some Rumors-style musical alchemy. Let’s see what they get up to next!
Episode 2
We drop in accompanied by what seems like a friggin’ organ-led battle theme, as Taki faces off with Anon in front of the coffee shop
This confrontation is witnessed by the brunette from Tsukinomori, who asks Anon if anything is wrong. Anon, of course, has no interest in either understanding Taki’s explosion or being comforted by this girl, and thus runs away as well
Our OP offers a full band performance with our eventual five-piece, with Tomori on lead vocals and Anon unsurprisingly relegated to rhythm guitar. The bassist and drummer are the old members from CRYCHIC, but the lead guitarist is someone we haven’t met yet
Nice simulation of genuine live performance photography with this shaky camerawork, while the spinning perspective once again makes excellent use of these CG models
Also impressed to see how well the characters are actually playing the song they’re performing, from their movement around the neck to the clearly articulated lead riffs and Taki’s convincing drumming
Over at Tsukinomori, our brunette seems to be pushing Mutsumi more than she’s comfortable. She freezes at a request for Saki’s address, and instead says she’ll try to contact Saki again herself
Meanwhile, Anon arrives in class only to see Tomori is depressed again, and thus offers her some penguin-based validation
Tomori is actually trying to make friends, while Anon is just perpetually thinking “god, how much do I have to care about penguins to keep her from spiraling into depression”
I appreciate how the trio of girls from the first episode are still popping up, and that Anon has already successfully integrated into their circle. She really doesn’t have any trouble making friends, she’s just sort of indifferent to the concept so far – it feels like she’s going through the motions of a successful high school life in the hopes of eventually finding some aspect of it that interests her. As such, she’s already achieved the sort of superficial friendships-of-proximity that often define high school, but which are rarely highlighted in anime
That’s not terribly surprising – superficial friendships are superficial, and thus they don’t make for particularly compelling drama. But I appreciate MyGO emphasizing how Anon really wouldn’t have any trouble making these sorts of friends; just talk about whatever everyone else is talking about and you’re golden
“No one’s looking for guitarists or vocalists.” Sorry Anon, the world has an overwhelming surplus of folks like you, who demand the center stage
Hah, great initial interaction between Anon and the brunette CRYCHIC member. Anon first thanks her, to which she just smiles politely, having apparently completely forgotten Anon
Interesting cut to their feet as they’re speaking, contrasting Anon’s somewhat nervous posture with this girl’s stiff, entirely straight-ahead poise. She’s speaking kindly, but there’s no emotion in her posture – it’s like how Anon spoke to the school official in the first episode
Anon describes Tsukinomori as “that school full of cultured young ladies.” So she actually does have trained posture
This girl treats Anon much like Anon treats Tomori: even as she politely responds to Anon’s questions, her mind is entirely elsewhere, demonstrated through a perspective cut following her wandering gaze
She sets Anon off her guard by calling her out on her school-related questions, then invites her to tea when she can’t really refuse. She appears to be deliberately engineering another confrontation with Taki
Anon’s still not really sure who she wants to be, but “someone important” seems like a prerequisite, and this girl’s prestige and dignity means she’s easily dragging Anon into her wake
Alright, her name is Soyo! Finally a goddamn name, thank you Anon
Rana, the last girl from the OP, arrives for an open mic. What is this band-crazy paradise of a town
Taki arrives to take their order, prompting some grumbling from Anon
“You needn’t glare like that.” Anon isn’t actually all that good at playing it cool, certainly not compared to Soyo, and Soyo is not above teasing her about it
“When I looked at the bulletin board, I didn’t see anyone searching for what I want.” They’re getting excellent mileage out of small expression shifts from Soyo. The slight lowering of her eyes as Anon says this conveys her condescension perfectly, her clear and immediate understanding of what Anon is looking for
“Soyo, you know so much!” Soyo’s tiny smile of acknowledgment is only conveyed in the reflection of her glass, emphasizing its practiced insincerity
Rana can rock! Her soloing prompts only a “what a racket” from Anon, who seems to have no genuine interest in music beyond it being a vehicle for her to look cool. In true Anon fashion, she immediately attempts to shout over the performance
Still, even Anon is eventually caught up in Rana’s performance. As Rana walks out, she begrudgingly admits “worst case, I wouldn’t mind letting someone else play guitar,” clearly comparing her own meager guitar abilities to the performance she just witnessed
“Why are you fighting?” “I don’t really know.”
Soyo notes the mention of Tomori, but doesn’t let any response to this name show in her expression
Another smile that doesn’t reach Soyo’s eyes as she says “Tomori is my friend”
“I might like to start as just a support player.” Bass seems right for Soyo – someone who’s always watching but never taking the center stage, someone who understands exactly what her bandmates need, someone whose steady understanding of the groove is actually the true backbone of the band. Her seemingly Machiavellian personality feels oddly appropriate for bass
“Yay! I love you, Soyo-san!” And Anon remains gleefully oblivious to all of this conversation’s undercurrents
Soyo’s even steepling and rolling her fingers at this point, no longer able to keep her villainous mastermind nature in check
“I wonder if I’ll be able to start over this way.” Back at home, Anon can finally admit to her uncertainty. She’s not sure if this is the route to becoming a person she’d like to be, but she’s gotta try something
She’s also willing to admit she might have pushed too hard with Tomori
Elsewhere, Soyo reads Anon’s messages in a lonely, sterile apartment high above the city, contrasting Anon’s words against the hopeful social media posts preceding CRYCHIC’s first live performance
Anon arrives at school with a skip in her step and guitar on her back, proud to have made her first step towards creating a band, and graciously apologizing to Tomori for pushing her. Anon’s not desperate anymore, so whatever, Tomori!
Oh my god, this scene is so heartbreaking. While Anon gleefully brags about how nice Soyo was, and how quickly she agreed to join, Tomori looks on in shock and then hurriedly puts away her penguin bandages. The one tool she’d been able to use to make some kind of connection with Anon, now a source of embarrassment as she chastises herself for hoping for too much. You gotta be more considerate than that, Anon!
Provoked by Soyo, Mutsumi now takes the direct approach, and waits for Saki after school
“I told you I didn’t want you to tell anyone where I was, didn’t I?” Oh wow. It seems like Saki actually uprooted her life altogether in the wake of the band breakup, changing schools to avoid interacting with Soyo and the others
“Soyo is worried about you.” “Could you tell her that I moved or something?”
“Don’t turn yourself into a carrier pigeon.” Saki still seems fond of her longtime friend Mutsumi, but detests seeing her used by Soyo. She seems to have a full understanding of what Soyo is truly like
Soyo of course asks Anon to meet up at Taki’s cafe, making full use of Taki’s captive presence
“If Tomori-chan said she’d be in it with us, what would you do?” Oh man, a masterful play by Soyo. Taki has no desire to be in a band, but Tomori is desperate for community and Taki is determined to protect Tomori, so Soyo believes she can use Tomori’s weakness in order to then exploit Taki’s weakness. Anon, you have no idea of the monster you’ve teamed up with
“Tomori’s hurt.” “All of us are hurt.”
In a video recording of their practice, Saki actually seems quite gentle with Tomori
“I can only go all-out once,” says Taki. Of course she’d be the drummer who throws all of her emotions into her performance, necessitating a calculating professional like Soyo on bass to keep things steady
And then Soyo texts Tomori, saying “can you meet up? Anon-chan says she wants to see you.” Soyo knows Tomori would be anxious about meeting with her, and so dangles the friend she’s obviously put effort into making in front of her instead
Soyo wisely disappears before the meetup, letting the earnest Anon be her instrument for reclaiming Tomori
And Done
My god, what a tempestuous mess! I’m now beginning to see why these characters were ever able to collaborate in the first place: Soyo is just that good at manipulating people, expertly wielding their interweaving desires in order to arrive at whatever end she is seeking. Watching her run circles around Anon and Taki is just as much fun as watching Anon bulldoze her own way through social interactions, and I’m already eager to untease the layers of deception and genuine desire informing her motives. Soyo has immediately proven herself a fantastic addition to the main cast, and a compelling foil for Anon’s blunt affectation. What a delightfully messy band this will be.
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