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Dec 22, 2024
The third season of Love Live! Superstar!! has come to an end, and I must say it far exceeded my initial expectations, which were very low. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed this season, to the point where it felt as if the second season never happened. This is ironic because the second season struggled a lot due to introducing so many characters in such a short time, whereas this time, despite following a similar approach, they managed to make it work brilliantly.
One thing I deeply appreciated was the meaningful interactions between the characters.
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These relationships felt natural and showed real development, even though Sumire was somewhat sidelined this season. Each subplot was resolved within the same episode, but they didn’t solely focus on one character; they always involved at least two, which added depth and dynamism to the storytelling.
Additionally, Kanon is no longer the centerpiece of everything, although she remains present in some way. The others now have room to solve problems on their own and grow as a group. This was a refreshing change compared to the previous season, where it felt like everyone was helpless without Kanon. This shift allowed the narrative to flow better and gave each character a chance to shine.
I honestly enjoyed this conclusion a lot. Watching Kanon and her friends’ journey over the past three years was genuinely moving, even if only a little. I’ve never been a huge fan of Liella or listened to much of their music outside the anime, but accompanying them on this journey has been a rewarding experience. Truly, it’s heartwarming to think about the paths these five will follow in the future.
P.S.: This season finally made me like Kinako. She’s so adorable! In the previous season, she and Shiki felt incredibly bland to me, but now she’s had her moment to shine
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 24, 2024
You know, I really like the game. One of its main strengths is the music, followed by the characters, and lastly, the story. These are aspects that make me recommend the game (leaving aside the whole 'cute & funny' thing). But when it comes to the anime, I was expecting the worst from Japanese capitalism. However, it wasn't like that.
The director of the anime and his team are the same ones who made the Azur Lane anime, which I consider garbage. So, my expectations for this adaptation were very low. But, as I mentioned, it wasn't like that. Don't get me wrong, the anime isn't
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the best, and I wouldn't recommend it on my own, but if you're here looking for opinions about it, I'd suggest you give it a chance.
Let's get to the main issue: a school in a district that has suffered from desertification. Many students have left the school, and now only five girls remain, who we'll follow this season. These girls belong to the anti-closure club and are doing everything they can to pay off an almost impossible debt and fend off a gang that wants to take over their school. They ask for help from other schools and the general student council, but no one offers support because everyone has their own problems. Finally, their request is answered by S.C.H.A.L.E., aka the Sensei.
The Sensei arrives and provides them with resources to continue defending Abydos school. As we move forward, we discover the situation is more complicated than it initially seemed. We use top-notch satellites to 'rescue' one of our students. We find out the debt is much larger than expected and that they are working to pay it off. The money goes to the Kaiser corporation, which controls almost the entire Abydos district (including the black market) and is choking the club to make them fall sooner or later.
Hoshino accepts a deal from one of the Gematria members to give the club a break from the debt, as the Kaiser director was increasing it. However, Hoshino is deceived, and they continue trying to take full control of Abydos despite her sacrifice. The other club members band together to rescue her, and the Sensei's help turns out to be 'crucial'.
I left out several details that help the story flow, like Problem Solver 69 (who are hired to kick the club out of the school), Hifumi, and all of Gehenna. While these elements provide information about the world, for a newcomer, they might seem like overexposure. These elements are there for future material that isn't relevant now but could be integrated into the story more smoothly.
One of the problems with this story is its lack of rhythm, which is terribly slow. Event 1 happens, then a scene with the girls with or without the Sensei doing something, and then Event 1 is explained. This pattern repeats with every relevant thing in the anime, hindering the experience.
The characters are also a complicated topic. I don't know much about the Abydos girls (I'm more into the Trinity and Millenium girls), but if they are almost the same as in the Volume 1 story in the game, there are small discrepancies but nothing that makes them different characters or out of character.
One of the characters I was most looking forward to seeing was the Sensei himself. In the game, there's a line where Sensei enters the story late, and everything goes very badly. For example, in this volume, Shiroko loses her friends, Serika (the student we were following) is kidnapped, and if it weren't for the S.C.H.A.L.E. satellites, she would have been abandoned in the desert and died of starvation. Things get ugly, but Sensei is crucial for everything to head towards a happy ending, taking on adult responsibilities and guiding and helping our students in their school life.
Sensei had to be in this anime no matter what. My wish came true: Sensei is in the anime. I know Sensei is a character that the player is supposed to self-insert into, so he can't have much participation and personality, but you're telling the story in another medium. Sensei is important and should be more than a means for the player to insert themselves. After all, without exaggerating, everything depends on Sensei. They couldn't afford for Sensei to just be decoration, but that's precisely what happened. Practically every episode, I found myself saying, "Sensei, do something; Sensei, talk to the girls; Sensei, investigate a little more," but Sensei did nothing but exist.
To conclude, the anime is okay but could have been better with a good script review. The fights are fine, although I expected something more strategic and military. The most important scenes were in the anime, like Iori and the foot-licking scene. They also did a good job avoiding the scenes where Sensei had to choose who to sit with, be idols, kidnap students, or rob a bank. I really expected the worst, but it wasn't like that. It's not the best, but I liked it. I hope they continue adapting the story; I look forward to seeing Volume 3 animated. The animation is very good, and seeing my dear Hina animated is totally worth it. I don't want to go on too long, but that's all I wanted to say about the anime of this game that I like so much.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 16, 2024
I loved it right from the get-go. It's all about these little everyday situations that depict the Sisters' lives, offering a real soul-soothing experience. I've always been wary of spin-offs focusing on secondary comedic characters because they usually spell disaster. But this one's a notable exception. Unlike other "failed" attempts, this spin-off doesn't revolve around Sakurako. Instead, it takes us on a journey through the sisters' lives, sparing us from the fatigue of seeing Sakurako's over-the-top antics over and over again.
What sets this work apart is its focus on the iyashikei genre, a genre aimed at healing the soul with its tranquility and simplicity. Here,
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the quirks of the original work, Yuru Yuri, take a backseat, almost disappearing altogether, to make way for a serene and comforting experience. Following the lives of Onee-chan, Nadeshiko, and the imouto, Hanako-sama, is like taking a deep breath after a tiring day. It's an invitation to savor life's little moments, to unwind, and find peace in the mundane. All in all, this spin-off is a true embodiment of iyashikei at its finest.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 23, 2024
Pon no Michi is an anime about girls playing mahjong. By the way, the only reference to mahjong anime is Saki (which I highly recommend), which was more focused on mahjong. Going back to Pon no Michi, although it's initially presented as an anime centered around mahjong, it's clear from the first few episodes that mahjong is just a pastime for the girls. This approach might be disappointing for those who were expecting a more mahjong-focused plot.
The disconnect with mahjong is evident. Despite the anime being about this game, they barely show the girls playing a match and it doesn't demonstrate how mahjong is an
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integral part of their daily routines. The anime doesn't stand out in either of these areas; it neither focuses on mahjong nor explores the girls' daily lives.
But you know what? I loved it. It's one of my favorites this season. It even made me want to be a cute high school girl and do cute high school girl things (stereotypical, I know, but I don't care). Even though they don't play much mahjong, the girls are always talking about it. They're a lively group. The anime starts with a trio of friends, Nashiko, Pai, and Izumi, who were always together and already had great chemistry. Then Richie, an ojou-sama, joins them and quickly becomes friends with the trio. They do teenage things together and sometimes play mahjong. Richie is good at the game, which catches the attention of Haneru, and the quintet is formed! It's interesting because it's similar to the setup of the go-toubun, but that doesn't matter.
It's true that this anime doesn't deliver on either of the two points I mentioned at the beginning, but it mixes them in the outings of these girls. This anime exudes that feeling of youth and friendship.
There's also a mahjong spirit, which is very cute and plays mahjong, too.. yes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 10, 2023
The second season of Nijigasaki! Sunrise, eager for success after the triumph of the first season, injected more money into this installment, and boy, does it show! The song scenes are simply amazing thanks to the high-quality CGI they have incorporated. It is clear that they paid the animation teams well, but one wonders, did the writers also receive similar treatment?
As for the story, we encounter 9 solo idols leading their daily lives until Lanzhu Zhong enters the scene, an exceptional student with ideals different from the rest of the group. Faced with this new dynamic, Kasumi takes the initiative and decides to form a
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subunit within the club with 3 other members, an idea that the other girls accept and imitate. All of this happens while they prepare for the festival they are organizing with other schools. By the way, did you know that Lanzhu not only completely changed the group's dynamics but even divided the club and put them to the test? Surprisingly, things do not unfold as everyone anticipated.
Love Live Nijigasaki, which originates from a gacha game created by Sunrise in collaboration with Bushiroad and KLab Games, called "School Idol Festival All Stars" or SIFAS. This game introduces the group and leads them to become idols. At one point in the story, Shioriko enters the scene claiming the position of student council president, creating complications for Setsuna Yuki's double life and posing a threat to the club as she seeks to shut it down. Just when the situation gets complicated, Lanzhu appears, showcasing her dance and singing skills, accompanied by the exceptional composer Mia Taylor, from a family of famous composers. Lanzhu creates an idol association and directly competes against the club, generating exciting conflicts. However, this plot was not well-received by the Japanese audience, and the story's creators "redeemed" Lanzhu with a disappointing ending to her storyline.
In the anime, the story took a different turn. Initially, it seemed similar, with a Lanzhu reminiscent of the redeemed version of SIFAS. Shioriko was integrated in a less aggressive manner compared to the game, although her representation in the anime is perceived as expressionless, which is puzzling but to my liking. Despite these changes, the plot maintains notable elements, such as the narrative about the weight of the Taylor surname and the help that Rina provides to Mia, aspects that I personally find positive. However, when considering the story as a whole, certain inconsistencies arise that affect the overall coherence of the anime.
Regarding the anime's plot itself, Lanzhu appears challenging the belief that dreams should be pursued individually, motivating Kasumi to take the initiative. She invites Emma, Rina, and Kanata to join a unit to challenge Lanzhu's ideas. However, this idea seems to have been well-received, as other girls also form units, although in these episodes, the real purpose of this decision is not clear, especially after the previous season clearly established that they would be solo idols. Additionally, some units only have one episode to develop their chemistry, resulting in a less satisfying outcome compared to those receiving more attention in various episodes.
The focus on R3BIRTH highlights the lack of exposure of Lanzhu and Shioriko compared to Mia. Their plot practically replicates their arc from SIFAS in the anime, which was one of the positive points of the series. The formation of the unit seems rushed, but at the same time, it happens at the right moment, coinciding with the resolution of Mia's arc.
The anime also addresses the theme of the graduation of third-year students, common in Love Live. This indicates that time is passing in the story, and the girls are preparing to compete in other contests. Now, let's address an aspect that I have avoided touching until now: Yuu Takasaki. Despite attempts to improve her character compared to the previous season, she represents one of the negatives of the entire anime. Unfortunately, these efforts only remained an attempt, as they tried to remedy her development until the last episodes, providing only a hint of her "arc" in the first episode. This left the character development they originally planned for her quite empty. The first season revealed that her character was rather irrelevant, and by approaching it from another angle, such as the relationships between characters, her connection with Ayumu stands out.
The relationship between Yuu and Ayumu is peculiar, but in this season, they decided to give Ayumu more independence, distancing her from Yuu. While Ayumu unfolds pleasantly in this new dynamic with the members of AZUNA, we discover facets of her personality that would not be evident if Yuu were around. However, despite these attempts, exploring more about Yuu, we realize that she remains primarily a fan of idols, without significant development.
Although not everything is negative, in Mia's arc, Yuu appears as a complement, receiving the push she needed to compose music for her own pleasure rather than simply helping others. Although this evolution is positive, it feels rushed and lacks real meaning for Yuu's character.
The second season of Love Live! Nijigasaki is something that can be enjoyed if you've seen the first season, but it has the flaw of presenting so many characters that it becomes overwhelming. Their interaction is limited, and to remedy this problem, subunits were created. The formation of QU4RTZ in the early episodes is a positive example of this idea, with very enjoyable songs and CGI that positively stands out. As a longtime Love Live fan, I must admit that if it weren't for watching it during its broadcast, I probably wouldn't have finished it in a conventional way.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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