Love Live! S2 – 13 [END]
Weeeeee are the Champions!
If last week was getting the win, this week was the victory lap to cheers and high fives.
Honoka Being Honoka
These two like what they see in Honoka
But is Honoka still Honoka? That’s a fair question, although I think it’s perfectly clear that she’s made a constant progression between where she was at the beginning of the first season, and the end of the second season here. She was the flighty, uncommitted, forgetful, full of big ideas and less so about finishing them off person in the beginning, so much so that Umi wasn’t even going to join the idol group because she thought Honoka would just give up when it got tough. And she’s still partly that person: forgets to say anything about Yuhiko’s and Arisa’s new Otonokizaka uniforms (causing Yukiho to get that usual look), late to the Student Council meetup for the graduation (causing Umi to scold her and Kotori to get Umi to back off), and gets distracted by other people on her way to get the notes about the ceremony.
Honoka knows what to do now
But she’s also a different person. She goes back to compliment Yukiho and Arisa, making them happy. She has her speech all written for the graduation ceremony. And part of her distraction is helping to pick up Eri, who’s starting to feel the absence of the weight of the school on her. And it’s really an impressive speech, and perfectly in keeping with Honoka, because she gets the rest of µ’s to help her out, singing Aishiteru Banzai, the first song that we heard Maki play in the first episode of the first series. And it’s really perfect, a great message a song that everyone can join in with. It had to have everyone smiling and crying at the same time.
Happy Tears
Hitting All the High Points
Yes! They had to put this in, so great!
I mentioned a victory lap, and that was really what this seemed like. We got not one, not two, but three insert songs: Aishiteru Banzai, Oh! Love and Peace, and a new song Happy Maker! We got a new club president, because even if µ’s is no longer going to be the name of the group, there’s still going to be an Idol Research Club, and of course the perfect president is Hanayo. Especially since Rin was made the leader pro tem of µ’s (you wonder if that will carry over to the new group?). And what would the group be without Maki being tapped as vice-president? The dynamic between Hanayo, Maki, and Rin is different from Honoka, Umi, and Kotori, but still very supportive and just nice to see.
Congratulations Hanayo, there’s noone better for the job
And we got some of that sadness we needed to see, but always seeming to be tempered with that Love Live! fun. Like when Honoka mentions that it’s going to be the last time they’ll be together, any sadness at the thought is completely wiped out by a previous agreement that the first person who says it has to buy drinks for everyone. And the reminiscence on the stage is short-cut by realizing that however big it seemed at the beginning, they’ve really grown past that, rightly so. But there’s a bit of hurting, like watching the logo that Honoka paints in water evaporate, realizing how ephemeral things can be. But their accomplishments, their friendships, their memories will all live on. And that thing that Honoka hadn’t done before: They saw it through all the way to the end. Or at least the end for now…
So symbolic
Series Thoughts
Nico-Nico-Niii…’s mom knows how to identify
What is there to say about this series? If you watched the first series, you knew exactly what you were going to get with the second. There weren’t surprises, there weren’t twists. Maybe there were challenges, but every single one was conquered, in the most massive way possible. And on the way, we got new laughs, new stories, and new songs. As I said last week, this was never going to be the kind of show that challenged us as viewers, it was never going to put our idols in harm’s way. So maybe the whole series was a victory lap, but to my eyes sometimes it’s great to have a show like that, especially one so perfectly put together, that satisfies the audience as much as this one did. And then it ends / not ends on the announcement of the 5th Anniversary Project, which will be a movie. My predictions for the movie are that it will be something that keeps / reunites µ’s, probably over the summer, and it will be an international trip to either Europe or America to perform / compete in some sort of festival as the Japanese representatives for school idols. I mean, they did win the national competition for school idols, so if you were going to pick a group, that would the one.
I absolutely love the Love Live! School Idol Project. For a year and a half now, µ’s has been one of my favorite music groups, with some of my favorite songs, and my favorite characters. Heck, my avatars here are all Umi, and if they weren’t Umi, they’d be Eri or Maki. But this isn’t a series I’m sad to see go. They’ve accomplished it. They won. And µ’s is going to be safely enshrined in everyone’s happy memories. I’ll enjoy anything else that comes out, but I’d also be satisfied if nothing else did. Thank you so much, µ’s!
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Umi, eh. You, sir, have picked the best Love Live! and have my full support!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Umi has been my favorite since the first episode, and I love her VA, Suzuko Mimori (who also was Shion in GJ-bu (my favorite character in THAT show, too) and Myucel in Outbreak Company).
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I was always thinking there was going to be some huge drama around the corner on the show…any moment…gonna happen. But it stubbornly refused to do that. And good for it. It’s a good feeling to know you can point to a show that is refined enough not to need that.
Kudos to you on your fine coverage.
Nico Best Girl.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
NANI?! I must revise my opinion of you to be lower now.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
LOL. You just jelly.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
There were a few times I thought “Most anime would have something bad happen here.” Like when Honoka was spinning around on the roof with pipes, my mind went to Yoppi (WUG) twisting her ankle on that cable, or when they were running to get to the stage in the snow, my mind went to Honoka not being able to sing from being worn out from running and losing her voice. But it was also the kind of thing where at some point, I realized that they weren’t going to do this with this show, even though they did in the first series with Honoka’s overwork cold. But that can be looked at in hindsight as setting up this whole second season. I kind of think it gave them a story branch, and that they knew they’d have a second season by that point, so they made it so they didn’t win. If it was looking bad for the series, they could have used the last few episodes to win the one-performance Love Live! competition and be done with it.
And like you say, it’s sometimes nice to have a show that’s going to make you feel good, that’s not going to toy with your emotions. They didn’t need to make things go bad just to make it interesting, although some people felt there was even too much melodrama this season. Pretty much everything went to plan, without any roadblocks.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…melodrama can be a fine vehicle, but no one wants it driven down your throat. This series didn’t do that to my perception.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Ah ha! Love Live movie! Called it <3
Good season minus some overly dramatic moments but overall it was entertaining and fun to watch every week and I will miss my weekly NICO NICO NIIIIIII~
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
As I said above, I didn’t think there were any overly dramatic moments, and very few even mildly dramatic moments. Maybe it was because I knew there was no chance they weren’t winning Love Live!, there was no chance they were going to lose to A-Rise, there was no chance that they were going to have to split up without tasting that success. And even then, there was barely anything that came along to even try to mar their plot armor. It was almost like the hero striding undelayed and purposefully through the raging battle, only minimally deflecting the few attacks that come his way, as he walks up to the bad boss and strikes it down with a single blow.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Farewell, µ’s (for now, at least)! A fun follow up to last season. I’m glad to say the show was great and ended on a good note. The girls were awesome and did well not letting their separation as a group ruin the time they had together. No melodrama is much appreciated. I’m aware a movie was announced and I’m curious as to what it will be about.