{"id":647829,"date":"2025-01-03T05:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T02:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-maddening-experience-of-ave-mujica\/"},"modified":"2025-01-03T05:05:14","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T02:05:14","slug":"the-maddening-experience-of-ave-mujica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-maddening-experience-of-ave-mujica\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Maddening Experience of Ave Mujica"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In the never-ending sea of band and idol anime<\/a>, the BanG Dream! franchise manages to stand out with its unique take on the multimedia<\/a> verse, featuring in-house seiyuus with extensive range, musical talent across all instruments, and performance artists with exceptional skills that all overlap with their in-character roles. Despite loving parallels in theater and music in general<\/a>, I never found myself particularly drawn to the franchise, even after watching the dramatic <\/span>BanG Dream! It\u2019s MyGO!!!!!<\/span><\/i> in 2023. The story\u2019s characterization might not have hit me as deeply, or I didn\u2019t quite identify with the series<\/a>\u2019 musical genre. It took some convincing to watch BanG Dream! <\/i><\/span>Ave Mujica \u2013 The Die is Cast \u2013<\/span><\/i>, as I had initially hand-waved it as an edgy follow-up to <\/span>It\u2019s MyGO!!!!!<\/span><\/i> However, after viewing the three-episode preview screener, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, and I am eager to press on through the darkness and madness.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ave Mujica\u2019s stunning live concert before disaster strikes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ave Mujica \u2013 The Die is Cast \u2013<\/span><\/i> picks up from the ending of <\/span>It\u2019s MyGO!!!!!<\/span><\/i> with the formation of the titular gothic\/Lolita-inspired band, Ave Mujica. Within the franchise\u2019s universe, Ave Mujica is the most successful musical group that quickly rose through the musical charts and is among the first to perform live at the Budokan, Japan\u2019s most famous musical venue. Ave Mujica\u2019s members are all hidden behind masks and stage names, sporting ulterior motives that may conflict with previous group affiliations or even within themselves, which parallels the bands\u2019 overall more dreary theme<\/a> of \u201cdamned\u201d dolls void of any identity while residing in a Victorian-esque backdrop. At the band\u2019s head is the ambitious Sakiko Togawa, the \u201cOblivionis\u201d keyboardist who orchestrated the creation of the band and is a former band member of CRYCHIC, followed by her compatriot Mutsumi Wakaba, or \u201cMortis\u201d as the guitarist. Other members include the Insta-famous Nyamu <\/span>Y\u016btenji<\/span> \u201cAmoris\u201d as the drummer, Umiri Yahata \u201cTimoris\u201d as the bassist, and Uika Misumi \u201cDoloris\u201d as the lead vocalist and guitarist. However, with Ave Mujica\u2019s debut at Budokan, things quickly unravel as the girls find themselves involved in a band nightmare that will either break them or pave the way to their salvation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Before moving further into the review, I would highly suggest watching <\/span>It\u2019s MyGO!!!!!<\/span><\/i> first since it sets up events of <\/span>Ave Mujica \u2013 The Die is Cast \u2013<\/span><\/i>. The two series are technically standalone, but with a plethora of characters and backstories interwoven between both series, it would be remiss to consider any of them as mere cameos. <\/span>Ave Mujica \u2013 The Die is Cast \u2013<\/span><\/i> attempts to introduce most of the characters\u2019 backstories and connections within the first few episodes, but the sheer amount of information can be overwhelming to take in all at once. I wouldn\u2019t exactly blame someone for dropping the show simply out of confusion or not picking it up at all because of the loose prerequisite of watching another show. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Current members of MyGO!!!!! discussing about Ave Mujica\u2019s success<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the heavy lore out of the way, <\/span>Ave Mujica \u2013 The Die is Cast \u2013<\/span><\/i> does maintain its own compelling plot outside of <\/span>It\u2019s MyGO!!!!!<\/span><\/i> It\u2019s mainly driven by Sakiko, an ambitious and aspiring musician who is also a desperate girl trying to escape the shame of living with her alcoholic father. Her creation of Ave Mujica is a borderline insane pet project that brings both fierce and reluctant resistance from her bandmates. These internal conflicts end up intensifying the story\u2019s broader narrative of maintaining the band\u2019s image in the music industry, while also adding a creative spin on \u201cband dramatics\u201d that can be otherwise excessive or downright mundane in other anime. Every episode unravels a brand-new plot point that makes this show a lot more to deal with, and you find yourself less willing to blame certain characters. Perhaps you even find yourself agreeing with certain characters\u2019 motivations to continue into the darkness of Ave Mujica, rather than being willing to break free.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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One of Sakiko\u2019s multiple breakdowns in the show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are a lot of girls to like and root for in the anime series, but funnily enough, my favorite might be Nyamu. I\u2019ve never liked the fake personalities of Instagram models or internet vloggers, but something about Nyamu so far in <\/span>Ave Mujica \u2013 The Die is Cast \u2013<\/span><\/i> makes her more interesting than the others. Her superficiality can be grating, but Nyamu has many valid points that are hard to dismiss, especially since she is the most well-versed in social media and understands the needs to be popular. But it remains to be seen if she can adjust to the new changes in the band, so I\u2019m equally excited to see Nyamu \u201cbreak\u201d too. It might be evident at this point, but I\u2019m a bit of a sadist when it comes to watching characters fall apart in a drama-filled anime. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The chaotic dummer, Nyamu or \u201cAmoris\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Music-wise, I thought I had matured from my earlier days listening to grunge, depressing emo music, and contemporary rock from the early 2000s. Ave Mujica manages to prove me wrong by pulling me in with the band\u2019s performance of the opening, <\/span>\u300c<\/span><\/i>KiLLKiSS<\/span><\/i>\u300d,<\/span><\/i> which<\/span><\/i> hits all my nostalgic musical preferences and features eye-catching visuals that can\u2019t be written off as casual or unintentional for the project. The character silhouettes in the opening song remind me of the popular Tohou <\/span>Bad Apple PV<\/span><\/a>, which is equally dark and intriguing. The classic glass-breaking motifs hint at the girls\u2019 emotional states, and the eerie usage of the carousel only adds to the band\u2019s revolving madness. Before I knew it, I was looping <\/span>\u300c<\/span><\/i>KiLLKiSS<\/span><\/i>\u300d<\/span><\/i>all week long and started listening to their other songs on YouTube. It was like I had never left the scene!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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