Episode 7 – Rock is a Lady’s Modesty

I wish Rock is a Lady’s Modesty could have released this episode and the previous one together as a two-parter. For the record, I’m a fan of the weekly episodic release format (in fact, I just cowrote a “This Week in Anime” column on that very subject), but some stories need more than 20 minutes to properly coalesce. Regardless, knowing what I know now, I am much more excited about all facets of this arc and the cliffhanger we leave our ladies on. This band isn’t going to come together without a fight, and that’s the only way it could be.

As expected, this episode focuses more on Tamaki, and while we don’t receive any information we couldn’t have gleaned last week, it gives us a better grasp on her personality and role in the band. First and foremost, she’s mean. We’ve seen Lilisa’s and Otoha’s vulgar sides, but those are cathartic ejaculations of base emotions that have deepened their bonds to themselves and to the music. Tamaki, meanwhile, oozes haughtiness from her ivory tower. She talks down to the other members of Bitter Ganache, looks down on Liliisa, and doesn’t even give Tina the time of day. She is, in other words, yet another problem bassist. I’m glad many of these contemporary “girl band” anime recognize that bassists are their own unique and unfortunate breed of person—and I play bass, so I can say that.

However, Otoha hints at Tamaki’s kind side, and if I squint, I can see it. I’d actually use the adjective “submissive” before I’d use “kind,” but I’m hardly surprised that Otoha would perceive the two as identical. While Tamaki projects an aura of fussiness, she goes along with Otoha’s whims with little resistance. And even though Liliisa fantasizes about Tamaki freezing her out (our twintailed heroine is as down bad as ever), the roots of those instrumental attacks are probably jealousy and insecurity. This, I suspect, will unlock Tamaki’s true position within this band of misfits. Rock Lady is about music as a mediator of the conflict between one’s outer and inner selves—between one’s mask and one’s face. If Tamaki goes out of her way to project this much prickliness, then she has to be compensating for a tender area seated within her psyche. At least, I hope I’m right, because it would be very funny for Lilisa to realize that the person she’s been scared of is nothing more than a bratty bottom.

On that note, one amusing refrain throughout this episode is just how much fun Otoha is having at the expense of her bandmates. She’s setting up dominos and beaming the most radiant of smiles as they knock each other down one by one. She goads Tamaki into joining her band as their missing bassist, signs everyone up for a competition without their input, saddles Lilisa with bringing Tina up to speed, and never once looks like she isn’t having the time of her life. She’s a mastermind, but not what I’d call a malicious one. She wants this band to work. More precisely, she wants a polycule that can satisfy her ravenous appetite, and I believe she’s intentionally playing a long game that will forge and temper their ties in an inferno of passion. Maybe that makes her more evil, but even so, it also makes her a better character, and that’s more important.

That brings us to Tina. An early shot uses a low angle and a piano leg to divide the prospective band into two sides: Otoha with Tamaki, and Lilisa with Tina. While there’s a temptation to interpret this delineation through the lens of shipping (and don’t let me stop you from doing so), within the context of this episode, the relationships are more nuanced. I posit that Otoha is subtly guiding Tamaki to be more of a team player, and the text supports that theory through parallel interactions between Lilisa and Tina, with Lilisa acting as mentor. The main difference is that Tamaki is a virtuoso and Tina is an amateur. However, by the same token, Tina is open to feedback and Tamaki is stubborn to a fault.

If we take those contrasts a step further, then we can see how Tamaki and Tina complement each other. One’s weakness is another’s strength. Therefore, the key to solving the current toxicity may be meeting each other in the middle. Lilisa already nudges Tina in that direction by telling her to be more self-centered. Tamaki, meanwhile, impresses Lilisa with her icy bass skills, but iciness is a far cry from the lurid flames conjured by Otoha and Lilisa’s duets. Tamaki is missing the kind of warmth and earnestness that Tina exudes, or rather, she’s afraid of expressing it. This clears up why the narrative introduces Tina and Tamaki together. It’s not rushing into cacophony; it’s dovetailing their arcs together, like melodies in a fugue.

Rating:

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Steve is on Bluesky for all of your posting needs. He is modest as a mouse. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.