[Matrixbeast]

Hibiki Volume 23.
We see Hibiki training Todoroki in playing taiko drums. Interesting. I can understand why (Monsters are strong and weak to specific sounds), but I don't know why (It's not like Todoroki is carrying around a drum and Ongekibou, and the Oni usually fight alone). Oh well. Todoroki is bitched out because he sucks at it, and tries to leave, but Hibiki isn't having it. Man, Todoroki is almost as weak willed as me. He can barely talk to Hinaka, he can't muster up the courage to just leave (Hibiki's argument is so embarrassingly weak), and it seems the only thing he's good at is fighting monsters...And apparently he can't do that (For some reason, summer time monsters are resistant to guitars? What?). Oh well, before things get too deep, a pair of monsters attack and they go on the move.
These monsters act childishly, letting others let their guard down, then attack. It's weird. Hibiki even notes their strange innocent act.
They're also rather fast, able to swiftly dodge Hibiki's fire sword and everything Todoroki throws at them, though Hibiki manages to axe one off with fireballs, though the other is saved by the human sized Makamou.

On Asumu's side of things, we finally see him in brass band!
...And he's on the whistle. Damn, poor kid. Couldn't even get the tambourine. Naturally, he's not in the spirit of things and he's not giving his all because he's on the damn whistle, and he gets scolded for not giving a fuck. Soon, at Tachibana's, the club captain pays him a visit to try and reassure him, basically telling him that he knows it sucks to get a shit role and not what you wanted, but you still have to give it your all. I particularly liked this part because someone reached out to Asumu that wasn't Hibiki, quite the Rarity, though it seems Asumu is still on the down side of things, understandably.

This episode was alright, but it's like it's trying to piss me off. Now either A. The cloaked character is wearing white, or B. There's ANOTHER cloaked figure, but in white. Either way, I have no idea. The white cloaked figure uses their stick of science to summon the particular monsters in this episode, but earlier than normal, as noted by the old man. While it was nice to see Asumu in band, it's eye rolling that he's on the damn whistle. While they explain why (Drums are a first come, first serve, and he joined rather late), it's just frustrating that, unless Hibiki is directly involved, nothing good seems to occur for Asumu.

Anyway, while Hibiki is training, we see glimpses of a red Hibiki, so I'm interested to see where that's going.