Harukana Receive (Episode 2) – Believe in Me
They’ve had a week to prepare for the rematch, but that doesn’t change their opponents. Kanata is struggling with the idea of returning to volleyball, especially against her old partner, but Haruko is pumped up and ready to go!
What happened?
Kanata drilled Haruka hard, training her to run and dive on the sand. That wasn’t enough though as Haruka decided that her bikini was holding her back. It was time to make some adjustment, which meant tightening the butt and pulling her boobs closer together… all in the name of sport, I’ll tell you. Anyhow, after a couple days of training hard, Kanata decided it was time to introduce the ball. As Haruka was the beginner, it made sense that they would target her, so she focused on receiving and spiking.
On the morning of the rematch, Haruka went for a run along the beach where she bumped into Ayasa. She offered her a drink and apologized for Narumi’s harsh attitude. However, she then told her about Narumi and Kanata’s past. How they used to be partners and how Kanata ran away from the sport. She told her it would be best if she found a new partner. Unfortunately, Kanata heard all of it and was just about to run away when Haruka spoke. She talked about the fun she’d been having and how she wouldn’t trade Kanata for anything.
With her pride stoked, Kanata arrived at the match wearing her old uniform much to Narumi’s surprise. They had one secret weapon tucked up their sleeves and that was Haruka’s cut-shot! However, they were ready for it and returned it with some zip. Things were looking bad for them, but Haruka came up with a plan that would through them off. Kanata would receive. Kanata struggled with the idea, but thanks to Haruka’s belief, she stepped up and received. It caught Ayasa and Narumi completely off-guard. Then Haruka leap up and slammed the ball over the net to give them the win.
What did you think?
One of the reasons that some people shy away from episode reviews is because of the perceived lack of things to talk about or the worry that you’ll just end up repeating yourself. Well, once more I can point to the beautiful scenery, warm atmosphere, and all-round chilled vibe of this series, and I probably will do. However, this episode really stepped up its game. When I first watched Harukana Receive I hadn’t expected to get the rematch so soon after the first episode. We got a quick montage, a little bit more history about the girls, and then the rematch.
The game itself was great. It was beautifully animated and did a great job of pulling you in. However, it was the players and their relationships that made it that much more special. Seeing Haruka having complete faith in Kanata was amazing and it was just what she needed. Of course, that was hard for Narumi to see, especially as she now blames herself for what happened in the past. It was a bittersweet victory and I’m amazed at how quickly they’ve made us care about the characters.
What have you learnt?
My favourite moment in this episode was when Ayasa warned Haruka about Kanata. It wasn’t the warning that made me sit up and take note. It wasn’t the fact that Kanata heard all of it and was rightfully distraught. In a normal situation, this is when the person being spoken about would react by either running away or making themselves known. However, this time before Kanata could do either of those things and put a massive strain on her relationship with Haruka, Haruka spoke and put all of her worries to rest. If anything, Kanata waiting shows that rushing to conclusions is a bad idea. We all know it, but sometimes it’s hard to not get emotional.
Anyhow, I really liked how it took a situation that would usually be used to create tension or misunderstandings and flipped it to be an affirmative moment. That alone changed the dynamic of Haruka and Kanata. Without that, she would have entered the game the same as before. I love the idea of changing the use of a common trope.
Other reviews in the series
- Season One
- Episode 1 – We Don’t Need Aces
- Episode 2 – Believe in Me
- Episode 3 – I Want to Regain My Former Self
- Episode 4 – Isn’t This Perfect For Us?
- Episode 5 – Until You Break
- Episode 6 – I Won’t Break
- Episode 7 – We’re Already Friends
- Episode 8 – I’ll Keep Our Promise
- Episode 9 – This Is How I Feel
- Episode 10 – The One I Wanted to Fight
- Episode 11 – At This Point, We’re Basically Playing Head-to-Head
- Episode 12 – And That’s Why We Choose Our Irreplaceable Partners
Related Items
Harukana Receive Manga Volume 1
from: Right Stuf, Inc.
Harukana Receive Manga Volume 2
from: Right Stuf, Inc.
Haruka Ozora Harukana Receive Figure
from: Right Stuf, Inc.
“I love the idea of changing the use of a common trope.”
I really think it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves for the quality of the story it told. That’s a shame, so I’m glad you’re talking about it!
This was the first season I really started watching seasonal shows and completely fell I love with Harukana Receive. I always told myself that I’d like to go back and work out why that was, so here we are. And it really doesn’t disappoint.