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This is my first review so a few notes:
• Will contain LIGHT SPOILERS (unrelated to the main plot or indirect as much as possible)
• I don’t know much shit about analytically reviewing a show so if it’s a BUU BUU DESU WA feel free to tell me.
• Not every point I made came from me. I didn’t have a SHINY revalation to suddenly think of such ideas. This is a disclaimer, so to speak.

Got through the cringe? Well there’s more:

Love Live is [the only] one of those shows for me to have such mixed opinions of. Basically it is a regular cute-girls-doing-cute-things show but *WITH DRAMA*. Now explaining ... how I am attached to this franchise would be too long and too hard, so to summarize: It started as a somewhat guilty pleasure which then developed into something I unironically adore. So it wouldn’t be a surprise that when this season came out I stayed until midnight just to see the latest episode. It was a fun ride, but personal enjoyment alone doesn't make a series great.

STORY:
From the beginning of ‘Love Live! Sunshine!!’ , Aqours had a goal –“ to shine”. With how the story plays out, I can say they did. They even shined brighter than their predecessor, μ's. The way the series was handled is an improvement over the original. How they did it is through focusing and expanding on plot points that were pretty much ‘extras’ in the original School Idol Project. That’s not the only thing though. The most notable improvement you can see in the story is the change in one major aspect of the show. This change is mostly the reason that differentiates it from the original. But for something that is the defining aspect of the show, it had dragged on for too long. It is special, just not when its repeatedly shoved into your face until the end.

Now I did say Aqours achieved their goal to shine, but not actually entirely. Aqours’s main goal is really to “find their OWN radiance.” This is the series’ biggest flaw. It stops at improvement. It doesn’t go for anything new. I can understand that it wouldn’t be Love Live if did do so, but the premise, setting and charcters were already enough for that. Yet they just had to copy the plot and only decided change some aspects to make it seem new. Let me tell you, being new and being different are two separate things. LLS just settled on being a twist from the original. Aqours may have shined brighter, but the radiance didn’t start from them.


ART:
Being a popular franchise in Japan, you can expect this to be high-budget. So with the privilege of having high production value, does the art really deliver? Yes and No. It was used where it mattered, and it really shows in the final product – from the CG, backgrounds(which perfectly resemble their real-life counterparts) and even the characters themselves. Where it does fail though is when the scenes don’t “matter” enough—the comedy and slice of life moments. Basically, if the scene is meaningful or dramatic, it is a pleasure for the eyes. If not, its crappy to the point that even memes were made out of it.

SOUND:
Probably the best thing about to come out of LLS 2 are the songs. It’s amazing when an OP and ED can add so much to the story itself. The OP, with a more serious tone, prepares you for what’s going to happen and the ED gives you the theme of the show with the feelings of the characters themselves. As for the insert songs, they are the culmination of the growth of Love Live as a franchise. Ever since SIP the songs were already diverging from the normal idol-type songs. It is only in this season of Love Live that the songs are so diverse while also, again, meaningful and adding to the narrative.

But if the OP, ED or insert songs are not your thing, there is always the soundtrack for the shows. This includes, but is not limited to: melodramatic piano, “ZURAAAAA”, and “Dakara, Yohane yo!” There is, sadly, a decrease in “Shiny!” and “Buu Buu Desu Wa!” however that is made up for by lots and lots of “PIGIII!1!!1!” and “Kagayaiteru” to ensure there is never a dull moment throughout the show.

CHARACTERS:
It wouldn’t be Aqours without its members, and it wouldn’t be Love Live without character-specific episodes. Yes, the franchise still suffers from giving a certain character a certain episode in order to highlight her charm and to create “character development”. But how do they showcase a character exactly? It’s really simple, honestly. First, you got to think of a catchphrase or a pose for her. Second, you basically turn her into a living meme. And when its finally her time to take the spotlight; you create a new problem totally unrelated to her character, make a whole episode revolving around it to show ‘development’ , then not actually fixing it by the end…ok, maybe that last part was pointed towards a specific character [ I can’t help it if it’s one of my best girls , can I? ]
For a serious answer though, Aqours both as a group and each individual member(for better or worse) have come far since the first season. Of course, the character-specific episode remains, but some of it did help to advance the plot. The main problem is actually how the characters’ screentimes were balanced. For a show which aimed to promote each and every single girl, it failed to do so. Some were given too much screentime while others were barely noticeable throughout the season. I mean, a scene where the main character is chasing a non-existent gift could better be used for her best friend who was only showing up when giving a salute.

THEME:
This is something I personally want to add since it is also what gives Love Live! Sunshine!! its identity. This is something SIP lacked, or atleast didn’t give focus to. THIS is what allowed everything—story, music, character— to connect to the viewer. At least for me it did. Its best to watch and interpret yourself, but if I had to put it in a few words:

Step! ZERO to ONE

ENJOYMENT & VERDICT:
As a fan, there is no way I wouldn’t enjoy it. Nothing else to say there. I love it regardless of my viewing experience and my opinions on it. It was a fun, Thrilling One Way ride from start until the end. A solid 98/100 for me.

As for my verdict on the series, all I can say is that it is an improvement. If you look at it as the successor to μ's, it would be an 8/10. If you look at it as a series in general, it is a 7/10. Why? The reason why LLS is good is because it gets compared to SIP. If you look at it as just Love Live! In general, flaws will definitely be seen.

So is it worth a watch? Despite me shitting on it, YES. It is a show full of WONDERFUL STORIES and wonderful characters. It has beautiful character design with a story that is actually given an ending within only 2 seasons. But most of all, its a fucking lovable cancer show. If you appreciate the show for what even if at times it is devoid of logic, you’re gonna have an enjoyable experience.

What are you waiting for? Hop on this HAPPY PARTY TRAIN of hype and enter Idol Hell.