Ave Mujica -The Die Is Cast- Episode 12 is available right now and this article contains spoilers, so I highly recommend watching the episode first on Crunchyroll or Muse Asia.
At first, Ave Mujica -The Die Is Cast- Episode 12 left me feeling unsure. It wasn’t the dramatic explosion I had expected, but the more I rewatched and thought about it, the more its beauty became so clear to me. And at the heart of that beauty was none other than Sakiko herself.
Sakiko’s reaction to Uika’s confession felt exactly right. She was obviously shocked to learn that Uika had been lying to her this whole time, and it wasn’t something she could easily brush off. However, she didn’t lash out. She wasn’t furious, at least not on the surface. Instead, she was quiet, and composed, letting it all sink in.
The moment Uika’s real name got exposed by her father in Episode 10, Uika suddenly stopped pretending. She stopped playing games. Maybe part of it was because she had been acting all along, caught up in a fabricated role she had convinced herself was real. But this time, it was different. She still loved Sakiko, that much was clear, but her desperation wasn’t as much as it used to be.
For the first time, we were finally seeing Hatsune—not Uika, not an illusion, just her. And moving forward, this is the best thing that could have happened to Ave Mujica. As their lyricist, Uika’s writing will no longer come from a place of obsession, but from something real and genuine. Uika after all has an important role in the despite her lies, but there’s someone else who always leads the group.
Sakiko has always been the driving force of Ave Mujica. She built this world, shaped it, and controlled it. In this episode, she truly became the Sakiko I admired—the one who is bold, who takes risks, and who stands firm in her beliefs even when the entire world tries to break her.
She finally understood the power she holds and not as someone merely inheriting the Togawa legacy, but as someone creating her own. This was never about her grandfather or her father. It was her fight and her decision. And once she realized that, she did what she had always been meant to do: she stood her ground. She took control. Her words, “The world is unpredictable, unfair, and full of things we can’t change,” are true, but what made it powerful was how she refused to be powerless. She rejected the idea of letting others dictate her fate, and instead, she seized it for herself even just for a little while longer.
Since the unmasking in Episode 1, it felt like Sakiko had lost her world. Ave Mujica was never the same. But now, we finally see her taking back what’s hers—not just the band, but the future she wants to fight for. And that fight isn’t just hers.
Right now, Ave Mujica isn’t just a band—it’s everything to its members. Uika has abandoned everything. Umiri walked away from all the other bands. Mutsumi chose this among everything. And for Nyamu, this is her last chance to chase stardom. This isn’t just a group of people with different agendas anymore but it’s a group clinging on to their final lifeline. And for the first time in a long time, it feels like they are finally united. Ave Mujica now stands as one and is bound by their struggle.
If MyGO is about lost girls finding their way together, Ave Mujica is about those who have nothing left but each other. Their last piece of wholeness. And with this episode, it finally feels like both bands are ready to move on. And what sealed that feeling for me was none other than Sakiko’s letter to Tomori.
I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect conclusion to their story. Tomori had been sending note after note without response and she finally got her answer and it was beautiful. Sakiko apologized, not just for the past, but for her lack of resolve her hesitation, and her failures. But she also thanked Tomori for standing by her, for offering comfort even when she felt like she didn’t deserve it. When she referenced the lyrics from “Haruhikage” and admitted that CRYCHIC had been a guiding light for her as well, I was in tears.
Because this was it—the moment Tomori needed and the closure Sakiko needed. And what made it even more emotional was the way Sakiko closed that chapter. Tomori, even now, still wants to help her but this time, Sakiko refuses. “Thank you,” she says, not with bitterness, but with quiet resolve. Sakiko understands now this is her path to walk alone with Ave Mujica. It’s painful, but it’s the right thing to do.
I can’t help but feel extremely bittersweet. Sakiko never forgot Tomori and never stopped caring. But now, she has to move forward separately from her. And how fitting is it that their journey ends with words?
Sakiko had been shaped by Tomori’s words from the very beginning. And now, for the first time, Tomori gets to see Sakiko’s genuine, unfiltered thoughts. They got closer through music. They bonded through lyrics. And now, they’re walking separate paths, creating something new.
I never expected the story of MyGO and Ave Mujica to be, at its core, about a slow and painful breakup. But that’s exactly what this whole scene was. And the truth is, breakups are a part of life. However, what matters isn’t the loss, but the strength to keep moving forward. And that’s exactly what Sakiko did. I know Tomori would be proud of her.
It’s sad to say that CRYCHIC is officially over, but at least it didn’t end in tragedy. It ended on a high note. Because now, we have MyGO and Ave Mujica—two bands, two stories, both standing strong in their own way.
Ave Mujica -The Die Is Cast- Episode 12 was a beautiful way to make the whole story feel like it’s coming to a close. One of my favorite moments was the cherry on top of the episode which was Morfonica’s short cameo. It came as a fitting tribute, considering they were the ones who first inspired Sakiko to start a band. It was like a heartfelt nod to the journey that brought us here, a beautiful way to honor this incredible saga.
Sure, Episode 12 wasn’t explosive by any means. It wasn’t chaotic or filled with shocking twists. It wasn’t the Ave Mujica -The Die Is Cast- episode we were used to. And yet, this was my favorite episode. Not just because it was centered around Sakiko, but because it was about something bigger—the quiet, painful, and beautiful act of letting go and moving on.
This wasn’t really the ending I expected. But maybe, it was the one we all needed. All that screaming, and chaos—that wouldn’t have done justice to Ave Mujica’s conclusion. This was how it had to be. At the end of the day, bringing Ave Mujica back together was never about forcing it, instead, it had to start at the top. And who was at the top? Sakiko. But even above Sakiko, beyond her reach, were the stars.
It’s funny how Ave Mujica -The Die Is Cast- strayed so far from the usual BanG Dream! series, but this episode reminded me exactly why it belongs in the franchise. Everything—every journey, every struggle, every success—can be traced back to Kasumi following star stickers. Episode 12 showed that Ave Mujica has always been tied to the stars. Sakiko and Hatsune once gazed at them together when they were young, and in a way, that moment became the foundation of MyGO and Ave Mujica.
BanG Dream! always finds a way to tie its stories to the stars. It’s not cliche but rather it’s just the heart of the franchise. And we can’t forget that Aimi, the person who inspired BanG Dream! in the first place, was like a star to Kidani.
And just like her, every single BanG Dream! band and character get their own moment to shine. Now, with only one episode left, the curtain call is drawing as closer as ever. But before it does, we will witness these girls take on the stage with everything they have left to give—shining like stars in the night sky one last time.
Screenshots were taken in Muse Asia.
Anime Corner was given an advanced screening of Ave Mujica -The Die Cast- Episode 12.
© BanG Dream! Project
