This week talk about Her Blue Sky. We started clearing up some misconceptions that Rick had “13 years ago vs. 13-year-old” confusion and then we dove into the misconceptions about the guitar and why it was still weirdly brand new. From there, we talked about the main hook, the younger and older versions of Shinnosuke existing as separate people, with the younger one absolutely tearing into his older self later in the story, which led us into talking about growing up, losing your spark, and how life can jade you without fully killing the dream you started with. We also talked about the “eyeball star” birthmark idea, what it’s supposed to mean, and why it initially threw us off and finally rounding it off with us swinging back to the music. One of us expected it to be way better, the other expected total garbage and was surprised it was handled tastefully. Overall, we did agree that it’s a straightforward, linear story that avoids the “wait, what is happening?” problem, dodges the awkward story directions it could’ve taken, and lands on a message that hit us. Say what you need to say, don’t let “good reasons” turn into lifelong regret, and recognize the quiet sacrifices people make.

Her Blue Sky follows Aoi, a high school bassist living in a quiet mountain town, who is itching to head to Tokyo and chase music, lives with her older sister Akane who once gave up her own dream of moving to Tokyo with her boyfriend Shinnosuke after their parents died so she could raise Aoi, and is focused on a life that was built on sacrifice and what-ifs but never regretting it or forsaking. But then everything gets shaken up when adult Shinnosuke returns to town for a local music festival and, at the same time, his teenage self suddenly appears before Aoi, like a living spirit from thirteen years ago. Now caught between past and present, the sisters and the two Shinnosukes are forced to confront old regrets, unspoken feelings, and the weight of promises that were never kept, that’s all wrapped in a story about music, growing up, and figuring out how to move forward without forgetting the people who got you there.