What’s the show? Anima Yell! Episode 9.
So how’s this episode? Okay, so remember how I was all “doom and gloom” about new girl Kana joining the show last week–all afraid that her rampant tsun-ways were going to upset the fragile harmony of the show?
Vaguely, yes. Yeah… well I’m an idiot and you should probably never read my reviews again!
I already knew as much, but care to elaborate? While I won’t go as far as say I love her, I do like her presence now. She’s got a good dynamic with a couple of the girls and all in all I was silly to have ever thought that she could be an agent of change for the worse.
Uh-huh, great, now that’s out of the way what happens in the episode? Well with Kana on board the ‘cheer association’ is now officially a club and after blackmailing their apathetic teacher to be their club advisor–
Wait they do what?! Well it’s more that Kohane has some embarrassing information/footage of their teacher from back in the day (she was in the interpretive dance club in high school) and so Kohane casually throws that info in their. But let’s be real for a second, this teacher would’ve been their advisor regardless–she puts up a tough, jaded act but deep down she’s a sweetheart, I can tell these things.
Right… so what happens next? Turns out their teacher has a new job for them to take on, they’re requested to cheer and perform at half-time at an elementary school’s soccer game–and Uki is none too happy about that because her little brother plays soccer and guess what, he doesn’t like ~girly things~ so much so that Uki has been telling her family that she’s on the track team as to avoid bringing up the whole “cheerleading” thing in front of her little brother.
Oh boy, how will she get out of this mess! I know you’re being condescending but this episode was surprisingly great, maybe my expectations were lowered because of last week but there were a lot of really funny moments as well as genuine warmth and heart. So the cheer club attends the game and Uki’s brother sees her sister in the cheerleading outfit and is embarrassed and angry, but it’s more because he had incorrect assumptions about what a cheerleader was really like (that and he was embarrassed by the fact that he’s not a “starter”). He watches his sister and the other girls cheer tirelessly the whole game, never once letting the enthusiasm falter and then when everyone else is resting at half time they still have to have the stamina and energy to perform a routine for everyone. Uki’s brother is impressed with his sisters and the others and has a newfound respect for the hard work that cheerleaders do.
Overall thoughts on the episode? It’s just a wholesome good time to be honest, every part of the episode just works really well–oh, well except one thing, but it’s almost not worth mentioning…
If you brought it up it means you want to mention it. Okay well during their routine (which is very cute by the way) there’s an insert song and sometimes a show will bother to translate the lyrics of the insert song–usually when the lyrics are relevant to the emotional beats of a scene. They do translate this song and I really wish they didn’t because the lyrics are just kind of bafflingly out-of-place, to the point where it actually ~detracts~ from the routine. I know it might seem like an inconsequential thing to mention but I thought I would anyway! Other than that, a top quality episode!
Previous Anima Yell! Reviews:
The Cutest Sports Anime Ever? – Episode 1 Review
An Echoing Cheer – Episode 2 Review
Love Knows No Gender – Episode 3 Review
Fighting Form – Episode 4 Review
Food For Thought – Episode 5 Review
Something To Cheer About – Episode 6 Review
Piggy Bastard Does Not Dream Of Snacks – Episode 7 Review
Get Well Tsun – Episode 8 Review
If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Anime QandA 
Yeah Crunchyroll, if you have time to translate the lyrics to this daft song how about translating some OP and ED songs too?
LikeLiked by 1 person