Akebi’s Sailor Uniform episode 7 tackles the girls’ experiences trying new things, and overcoming a fear of failure. With the episode giving a proper introduction to Oshizu Hebimori, we also get the story of yet another girl in the class. Let’s talk about what went down in this latest episode in a spoiler-filled discussion!
A simple lie
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform episode 7’s main plot kicks off when Hebimori tells Akebi a simple lie. She tells her that she can play the guitar. Akebi is delighted to hear this and expresses her desire to listen to her play.
This causes Hebimori to pick up the guitar sitting in the corner of her room. She has no idea how to play it and has to start from scratch. We then get to see the struggle she undergoes in picking something up with absolutely no prior knowledge. She laments the number of chords there is to learn. She grows frustrated with herself when she can’t get it right too.
Hebimori’s story here sets up a common fear that young adolescents may have while growing up. Trying new things and falling on your face is hard. We see this issue in Hebimori threatening to drop the guitar at the slightest hint of adversity. It’s a very compelling conflict to have and it sets this episode’s story up nicely.
The strength of her peers
What gives Hebimori the drive to keep moving onward is seeing her peers deal with their own struggles. In Akebi’s Sailor Uniform episode 7, she sees a classmate, dead last in track and field, giving it their all. She sees Akebi, working hard with the drama club, working up a sweat. Her roommate, Togano, also finally makes a basket in training.
All of these examples inspire Hebimori to persevere with her guitar practice. We get to see her approach the issue from a more strategic standpoint. She looks for some easy tutorials online. It also becomes evident that the struggle gets harder. Her fingers get wrapped in band-aids, presumably from the calluses of playing the guitar. There’s truly something so captivating about seeing someone work hard to achieve their goals. Seeing Hebimori go through this makes her character all the more endearing, and makes a viewing audience want to see her succeed.
A performance for Akebi
The ending of the episode leads to Akebi being treated to two musical performances. The first performance (if you can call it that) is by Erika. Not knowing that Akebi and Hebimori are hiding under the piano, she plays away, tickling the keyboards, while the show transforms its animation style to one that’s super abstract.
Then, Hebimori plays the guitar for Akebi. She sings a quaint, charming melody, and while hints of her lack of musical maturity are evident, so are the work and effort she put into playing the song. Akebi is thrilled by this, and the episode ends on Hebimori determined to do far better in her next performance.
This is one of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform’s finest episodes yet. Its story is so compact, very easy to digest, and offers up a heartwarming lesson for viewers. The character dynamics here really get to shine, as the bonds and friendships that form are the foundation of the episode’s story. Akebi’s Sailor Uniform episode 7 keeps up what has been a great run from the show, and leaves so much to look forward to in the future.
You can watch Akebi’s Sailor Uniform on Funimation and Crunchyroll. Episode 8 will air on February 27th, 2022.
© Hiroshi/Shueisha, “Akebi’s Sailor Uniform” Production Committee
