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Healer Girl Episode 11 Review – Best In Show

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Healer Girl Episode 11 Review – Quick Summary

In Healer Girl episode 11, “Sharks and Training Camp! Let’s Climb Together!”, Kana, Hibiki, and Reimi kept trying to practice – only to see darkness, then a form of image-based shark swallow each of them. Ria sent them to a cabin retreat, where Aoi tried to guide their training. But try as they might, the sharks returned to consume them. Will they discover the reason before their next exams? And what will they do when the realize the problem is much, much closer than they think?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from Healer Girl Episode 11

Healer Girl Episode 11: Sonia had little patience for self-doubt

Sonia’s anger seemed real – and rooted in experience. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Sometimes, you can tell how people view themselves by what pisses them off. In some cases, I’ve noticed it means that person has struggled with it themselves. Having either vanquished the weakness or having been unable to, they almost react when they see the trait in others.

I like Sonia. She’s arrogant, but to her credit, she’s an assertive young woman who is generally right. Her technique is strong, and she learns from her experience. In this episode, we found out she has a short fuse with a certain topic.

Kana had called Shinobu to say the training camp wasn’t going well. Kana planned to rely on luck the day of the test. Sonia heard that and instantly, she reacted with anger. She chewed Kana out, saying that anyone who relied on luck put their patients’ lives in danger. That if she lacked the necessary confidence, she should make way for someone who had it. Then she hung up Shinobu’s call.

“It’s one thing for people who don’t have what it takes,” she said, explaining herself to Shinobu (10:21). “But it irritates me when talented people refuse to believe in themselves.”

Goddamn, that hit home. It’s like Sonia was chewing me out! But in all honesty, I’ll say this: Sonia’s right.

Best in Show Moment for Healer Girl Episode 11

Healer Girl Episode 11: Hibiki, Kana, and Reimi argued in favor of each others' talents

The force and tone of their argument usually involved insults. Not this time! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Under the Polite Veneer

The end of the previous episode, and most of this episode, put in a lot of work to prepare for my favorite moment. It’s the amount of preparation I usually see reserved for moments like the Battle of Camlann or the Battle of the Morannon. In the case of Healer Girl, the result was less apocalyptic, but every bit as emotionally satisfying. Which I didn’t think was possible. I guess even an eight year old dog can learn new tricks!

Kana, Hibiki, and Reimi had been out of sync. When they tried to sing together, blackness engulfed their imagery before something looking like a shark (but with the consistency of a squid) consumed them. Ria sent them into a cabin in the woods to figure it out. 

As a side note, Kana and Reimi couldn’t figure out why Ria sent Aoi instead of teaching them herself. Hibiki nailed it when she said, “Ria-san is a natural talent. I don’t think she understands why we’re struggling.” That’s another quote that hit home for me. Have you ever tried to learn from someone who has an abundance of natural talent? It ain’t easy! Nor is trying to teach from a position of natural talent.

Healer Girl Episode 11: Hibiki realized that teaching came hard for Ria because she was so naturally talented

Hibiki realized that Ria had so much natural talent, she could not understand how to teach those without such talent. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

At first, they thought Ria intended for them to have more experiences. But as time wore on, one of them would let slip a slight insult, like Reimi saying that Kana disgusted her. They were all too polite to confront each other about it, but it was clear something was seriously wrong.

Finally, while they were silently sitting around a table on their last evening in the cabin, Kana tried to reach out to Reimi, but she snapped at Kana in reply. Undaunted, Kana tried to develop a theme she had started earlier, and which earned Reimi’s “You disgust me” comment. Kana tried to convince her friends to sing without her.

Delivery: Angry Praise

Kana tried to say that she’d been holding the two of them back all this time, and this is where things got interesting. Reimi and Hibiki honestly could not understand what Kana was saying. The conversation grew more heated. But it was an argument inverted. Kana practically shouted that Reimi was talented and had trained from a young age. Reimi screamed at Kana that she had so much talent that even without extensive training, she had already saved lives. Kana and Reimi both confronted Hibiki, saying that she both had talent and had trained as a child with Ria.

They used the same tones and volume that you’d associate with a full blown-argument. But each argued in favor of the other! Finally, they took turns screaming at each other that the other two were going to pass (16:40), “Because you’re both so good! I really love your singing! And I’m so jealous!”

That got the problem out in the open, where they could deal with it!

The next time they sang, the darkness tried to overcome their imagery. The shark-thing even tried to eat them. But they consumed those things from within and emerged with butterfly wings.

Healer Girl Episode 11: Their venting session helped Reimi, Hibiki, and Kana move on to the next stage

The inverted argument helped them to grow into their next stage. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Their realization about how they felt about themselves and how they felt about each other was delicately beautiful – making the butterfly motif a perfect visual representation. Between the music and the painstakingly-constructed visual vocabulary the show built over eleven episodes, I find myself quiet and still after this episode – the final scene notwithstanding! It’s an emotional oasis. 

What did you think of Kana’s reaction to Hibiki expressing a desire to open a medical practice in her hometown? What were your favorite moments in the episode! Please feel free to share in the comments!

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