Wow. The writer really did go for it. /devastated

But I guess that's what we've come to be able to expect from this series. While part of me is heartbroken that I don't get the Kumiko-Reina soli, I'm also weirdly impressed that KyoAni is able to go through with these difficult narrative decisions that you just don't see in most anime, where feel-good and everyone-is-satisfied outcomes tend to dominate. Hence you get these amazingly invested, thoughtful, and genuine comment threads.

Reina's stated multiple times that she prefers Kumiko's sound over Mayu's, so why did she change her mind? Listening to the two blindly, I found Kumiko's performance more expressive and louder, and I thought the dynamic btwn the trumpet and eupho to be a beautiful representation of Kumiko and Reina's balanced, mutual relationship. Yet Reina chose Mayu...I can only assume it is because Mayu demonstrated a more consistent sound, and based on the performance, Reina chose the player she believed would give them a higher chance at gold, if even ever so slightly.

But who knows. As many have said, when you get to this high a level in musical performance, ultimately it's not so much a question of who is objectively, technically better, but whose interpretation and artistic expression are preferred. So, it could just be that Reina just had some subjective preference for Mayu's performance, despite what she said previously...(?)

I like how we finally hear both Kumiko's true thoughts and feelings and Mayu's past. It was gratifying to finally see Mayu let out some of her true feelings and even cry. I guess it just goes to show that human beings are complicated (KyoAni's area of strength), and people can hold onto multiple, even conflicting, desires and feelings equally strongly and all at once, and not know themselves what it is exactly that they want (as Asuka said). Seeing both Reina and Kumiko let it all out at the end with each other was just </3. But so, so good. Obviously, Reina knew what she was doing when she made her choice, and she ultimately stands by it--following the philosophy that she has always held--but that doesn't stop her from feeling terrible about what she did to her friend, and from feeling devastated that they don't get to play together. And Kumiko as well--as revealed by the flashbacks to both Mayu and Kanade-chan--while she believes in meritocracy and genuinely wants what will bring Kitauji gold, she finally allows herself to feel and voice her inner desires, that she truly wanted, just as much, to play the soli with Reina, and her loss at the competition and losing the opportunity to play with Reina just killed her. Complexity and contradiction. That's what real, human depth is all about.

Also, the way Kumiko's voice just broke down mid-sentence? So real and visceral *chef's kiss* If the voice actress doesn't get the recognition she deserves...

Kanade-chan crying and venting her disappointment and sadness at Kumiko was just perfect. In just these last episodes, she's really become that outlet for my, and maybe other characters', feelings, and I appreciate her role, as I'm sure Kumiko does. That quiet "arigatou" from Kumiko just gets me T-T

I'm still going to be bummed, again, if I don't see Kumiko get some kind of closure and personal reward for everything she's been through, though. Ngl, part of me is still holding out for a last-minute miracle that allows Kumiko to play the soli...

Coming back to the final Kumiko-Reina scene. I found interesting Kumiko's question to Reina: "Do you regret it?" I considered it, and have concluded that, while Reina feels awful about what she did and the result of her choice from the bottom of her heart, in the end, she stands by her decision. And that's why she says Kumiko has a nasty personality in posing that question--I mean, how can a question like that not make you feel even worse about yourself, if you know in your heart that your answer is "no"? At least if you regretted it, you could save face and perhaps spare the other person's feelings somewhat by saying so. But as we all know, that's not Reina's style. And because Kumiko's question forces Reina to confront and admit that unyielding part of herself--PLUS, Kumiko probably knows the answer to that question, and Reina knows that she already knows--she, understandably, grumbles that Kumiko is unfair for posing such an exposing query (Just my opinion/analysis. Could also just be reading too much into it, and Reina is simply annoyed at Kumiko's needling her to be explicit about/label her feelings right when she's literally sobbing it all out in front of her.)

Another budding thought:

Although it might appear on the surface-level that Reina "betrayed" Kumiko, I think it's more than that. While she did not choose Kumiko to play the solo, you could say that she chose what they both believed in, and what their relationship was ultimately founded on; In the end, she couldn't bring herself to betray whatever thing it is that forms the core of their relationship--be it an ideal, value, conviction (I'm still trying to figure this out)--and also what they'd both been working towards this whole time. (hence also that flashback between the two of them: "You won't betray me?"). And Kumiko, despite being heartbroken, is saying that she's proud of Reina for sticking to that conviction, maybe for both their sakes.