- Mangaka : Fukuyama, Ryoco
- Publisher : VIZ
- Genre : Drama, Music, Romance, Shoujo
- Published : July 2017
Fukumenkei Noise (Anonymous Noise) Vol. 3 Introduction
Devastated at being so harshly treated after finding Momo, Alice/Nino releases her uncontrolled and mesmerizing voice on live TV with In No Hurry as if she’s trying to scream her pain away. This mesmerizes and infuriates Momo who wants Nino but finds her too precious to touch. Still ignorant to the fact that they are romantic rivals, Momo and Yuzu confess their love problems to each other and grow even closer. Everything comes to a head when one fateful day, the three tortured musicians end up face-to-face.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
The first couple of pages are detailed and clear, reflecting Nino’s willful focus on In No Hurry’s TV debut. Once the music starts, however, she finds herself overwhelmed and the shading becomes erratic and invokes a sense of tunnel-vision. Nino becomes lost in the lyrics rushing to escape her heart and the other members can only try to follow her pace. They do manage to keep up and deliver an amazing performance. Momo happens to be watching at home and Nino’s unique voice reveals her true identity under her Alice costume. Despite turning her away and putting her down, Momo cherishes her and her voice and he’s filled with ugly feelings watching her perform with someone other than himself.
With the TV appearance an amazing hit, the Pop Music Club (secretly also In No Hurry) discreetly revel in the buzz at their school. Nino gets a call to meet with one of the judges, Kuze, from Momo’s agency and she gives Nino Momo’s old guitar. With a scratch from when Momo dropped his coffee mug on it listening to Nino’s singing, it’s proof that her voice actually reached her childhood friend. Despite the joy at this revelation, Nino is concerned by the revelation that this woman is living with Momo… Despite her misgivings, she can’t wait to reveal the good news to her best friend, Yuzu. Unfortunately, this news tears at Yuzu’s heart.
Later, Yuzu’s mother finds out he’s been composing again and flies into a violent rage. Momo happens to spot Yuzu after he’s left the house and Yuzu’s dejected demeanor with the slap mark on his cheek tells Momo everything he needs to know. He invites Yuzu over and the two bond over music, bad parents, and unfulfilled feelings for a girl. Ironically, Momo tells Yuzu to just go confess despite himself being so aloof and cruel to the girl he likes.
Momo goes so far as to create a very similar band as In No Hurry called Silent Black Kitty using Miou on vocals and himself as the bassist. He wants to destroy In No Hurry so that Nino’s voice will belong only to him. He doesn’t know his own friend Yuzu is also a member of this band. Their friendship comes to an end once Yuzu calls Nino to the roof and Momo happens to already be there. Suddenly it dawns on the two boys who the other is and Yuzu’s resolve to confess to Nino is shattered. Momo again treats Nino coldly but she’s grateful to even be in the same school as him.
At Kuze’s pushing, Momo asks Nino to talk so he can try to let go of his pent up feelings. He apologizes for leaving suddenly and confesses that he USED to love her. Nino’s excitement quickly turns to dread at the past tense, and she lies saying she used to love him as well as if it’s over. The erratic shading starts to cover Nino’s panels until she bursts into Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Momo sings along and then the two part.
Yuzu is in a foul mood but he vows to become the friend his Alice needs. He had hoped eventually she would fall for him, but now his motivation is purely to ease her suffering. He works hard to practice with her in preparation for their showdown with Silent Black Kitty but the lyrics are a painful reminder of her unrequited love for Momo. Inconsolable, she cries and cries as Yuzu vows to become strong enough to be her friend and kisses her to silence her cries.
1. A New Challenger Appears
The new band Silent Black Kitty is a band created out of spite, a metaphor of Momo’s complicated, twisted feelings for Nino. Their look is pretty cool and with similar edgy lyrics to In No Hurry to Shout’s, it would seem to give the older band a run for their money. Is Momo desperate to prove himself to Nino as she is to prove herself to him, or does Momo simply want to keep her voice all for himself? It’s hard to find a logical explanation but the showdown is sure to be intense!
1. Kuze is the Only One Who Makes Any Sense
While Nino is at least honest about her feelings, unlike most everyone else, she too makes a lot of decisions that make you frustrated. She at least admits her singing on the beach every day is weird, but Momo doesn’t seem to think his hostility and attempts at sabotage for someone he strangely adores are out of the ordinary. Yuzu can’t even manage to delete Momo’s number even after seeing how awfully Momo treats the girl Yuzu is obsessed with. Then again, they are kids!
Final Thoughts
That last page has us in shock with Yuzu’s inner monologue of wanting to be a good friend transposed on a scene of him kissing her while she cries. What is Yuzu thinking? What is Momo thinking?? Everyone seems to have hidden emotions they can only let out through song. Nino’s earnest expression of her feelings is at least refreshing within this myriad of secret agendas but we don’t know if her headstrong honesty will lead her to her goals or destruction.
Author: May
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