Love Live! Sunshine!!

I had very mixed feelings when I heard Love Live would be starting again with a new cast of characters. Muse had finally gotten to the point where each member had earned their place, and while it made sense for their story to end, I always felt a desire for more. I wanted it to be the beginning rather than the ending. Love Live Sunshine may not have been the beginning I wanted, but it is hardly a weak addition to the series. It does many of the things that made the original series so special, and more than justifies its own existence. I'm gladit exists, and am without any doubt looking forward to seeing more of Aquors. But Sunshine isn't without issues. It follows the footprints of the original series a bit too closely-- the flaws and missteps of its first half included and ever more so apparent. Sunshine, like the first season of the original, moves too fast and swims a bit too deep in the drama, rather than giving the audience the main thing they are looking for: reason to like and care for the girls. It sets a nice stage for the inevitable second season, but at the same time, it's hard to not feel a little bit bummed out when Sunshine starts with the same stumbles rather than learning from the original's excellent second season. If it sounds like I am being a harsh critic, you may be right, but part of that is because I have a strong attachment to the original series and want to see its successor reach the same highs. If it can't, wouldn't it be reasonable to lament that there is not just more Muse instead? Sunshine actually does a pretty admirable job with its drama. It never aims to be something more or different from what it truly is, and what is there is handled with meaning and clarity-- even if its themes are something we have heard a hundred times before-- and its bittersweet and well-timed background music consistently amplifies its message. Sunshine's heart is in the right place. The problem is just that there is just too much of this drama, too soon. Assuming there is to be more of Aquors (and I will bet my non-existent heart that there will be), the climax of their story is not now, but then. This isn't the time to bring them on the big stage, but to prepare them for it. They aren't ready, and neither is their audience. While Nico's "Nico Nico-nii" catchphrase was silly (and adorable), the original series did not ever attempt to paint that as a genuine part of her character; it was a joke even to herself, and entirely contrary to her personality. Yoshiko, and to a lesser extent, Mari and Hanamaru, are defined to varying extents by these sorts of catchphrases, without the same sort of depth or rationale to it that Nico's character had. Some may find Yoshiko's terminal autism to be amusing (and indeed it can be!), but these sorts of gimmicks do little else but make them feel somewhat artificial, at times even empty. And empty is the last thing a character from Love Live should be. But nine main characters is a lot to deal with in only thirteen episodes. The original series had yet to accomplish the same by that point, so, I suppose, it is only fair to expect Sunshine will also start hitting those strides from here on. Most of the girls (particularly Ruby) are cute and interesting enough in their own right, even if they have done little yet to stand out from the more outgoing characters. I'm just worried that Sunshine has turned Yoshiko into such a joke that there may be no way of ever doing anything meaningful with her character. Making a serious character into a joke is an easy thing, but a joke into a real character is a much harder process. Aquor's rival group, Saint Snow, is certainly more interesting than the original's counterpart. Ria and Seira aren't successful because they are 'perfect' idols, but rather because they have their own unique thing going on. There's a neat contrast between the traditional, idol-y nature of Aquors, and Saint Snow's more eclectic Babymetal leanings. Ria and Seira have reason to be hostile-- Aquors is the exact opposite of what they want to be. If you were to ask me why I have spent so much time comparing Sunshine to the original series, rather than discussing it solely on its own merits, it is because Sunshine itself does so on a regular basis. It doesn't try or even want to disconnect itself, and instead recognises and pays respect to Muse. The girls of Aquors started their group precisely because they were fans of Muse. It's the appropriate turn to take the franchise; if it attempted to be entirely its own thing, never making a reference to the original, it would feel a bit distasteful, considering just how similar a road the two shows travel. The only troubling part of it all is that it makes you long for Muse all the more. Sunshine continues the tradition of having some of the best music in the entire idol industry. I would argue that songs like "Todokanai Hoshi datoshitemo" and "Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagaiyaiteru kai?" are better than most of what real idol groups (Momoiro Clover et al.) produce. There may not be any real bangers like Start:Dash or Snow Halation, but I do find Aquors sneaking their way onto my playlist every now and then, too. Ruby's voice also may not be quite as lovely as Nico's or Kotori's, but she's still hella cute regardless. If it weren't being compared to its predecessor, Love Live Sunshine would still be one of the better idol anime produced. I have no problem with it, stumbles and tumbles aside, and can see both Love Live fans and newcomers to the franchise having a great time with it. Aquors just have yet to convince me that they are capable of standing on the same stage that Muse once did. I'm open to being convinced otherwise-- heck, I want, and I expect to be convinced otherwise. There are certainly worse ways to start.

Last year, we were told that μ's had come to an end and a PV of the new LL! idol group was shown. Their name is Aqours. They are going to continue on the μ's legacy and (try to) become more successful than μ's. They are namely, Chika, Riko, You, Ruby, Yoshiko (or Yohane whichever preferred), Hanamaru, Dia, Mari and Kanan. I had indifferent opinions about them at first. I didn't delve too deep like how I did during the μ's era to be honest. None of them interested me because the brand new LL!Sunshine!! project was too rushed, where μ's was still around andhad their movie and their Final Live concert upcoming. While the news gave a slap to all the LL! fans, most of us started to worry if Aqours could do better than their predecessors. Now that it comes to an end with its finale being aired last night. Let's go! Story: 6/10 Note: In LL!, story, is NEVER ever the selling point. Same goes to LLSS!!. Reusing and referencing the good ol' stuff from μ's isn't a bad thing if the series is executed well. As a fan of the original LL! I sincerely hope that LLSS!! is better, or at least on par, with the original. Surely, the beginning looked promising and didn't disappoint me, and the rest of the series didn't either. A good beginning makes a good ending, eh? Not happening in LLSS!!, unfortunately. I am here just going to say, the ending... is not meant for everyone. The way the series ended was, not something I will rate 1/10 but still, bad. It could be done better but man, imagine you are sitting on the LLSS!! hype train all along the journey just to reach a cliff and everything goes downhill and bam. Art: 10/10 One thing you can never complain in LL! and LLSS!! is their art. It's really good, and the art improves so much coming to LLSS!!. (tho the CG dance may be pretty annoying from time to time) Sound: 8/10 For OP, OST and ED, they are really good. VAs did their amazing work too. My only concern goes to the inserts. They ARE good, but not impacting enough in their respective episodes. Character: 7/10 I have a mixed feeling about the characters itself. 3rd years' (Mari, Kanan, Dia) chemistry is great even though I am not a fan of either one of them. 1st years (Ruby, Hanamaru, Yoshiko) did a great job too though I never like Yoshiko (sorry but chuuni isn't to my liking). 2nd years (Chika, You, Riko) tho, they have the same problem as μ's (Kotori, Honoka, Umi) had. There's too much focus for them, and they aren't that great either. Enjoyment: 7/10 I swear I really enjoy everything up to the 12th episode, but the finale is.... wew. Let's not talk about the weird skit which I think it's actually okay-ish, I am disappointed by the absence of "Step ZERO to ONE" after being referenced so much in the anime. The question "Why do you not perform it and instead using a new song that doesn't give that much impact as a finale?" will always be in my head from now on. Overall: 7/10 (Revised score: 8/10) The series is good, but nowhere better than the original LL! first season imo. TL;DR: A good start, with a badly executed ending.

Love Live is back with another fresh cast of characters who, let's be real here, are all waifu-worthy judging by their looks alone. I myself was skeptical at first, incredibly worried this may be a case of "milking the cash cow". Thankfully, no. Sunshine has even surpassed the first season of the original Love Live in my eyes. Honestly, I'm quite surprised with the outcome. Sunshine starts off with a story that sounds undeniably similar to that of the original. Let me clarify-- it's not an exact story copy. I'd say only the base, its starting point, is the same. We won't, for instance, see ourlovely Nico look-a-like in the same kind of situation as the real Nico. The girls of Aqours each have their own story to tell. It certainly is hard to make a good anime with this many main characters in such a short amount of time. Love Live Sunshine is no different. Just like its predecessor, the girls did not receive an enormous amount of development. What do you expect from a show with nine main characters and just thirteen episodes? Things could've been handled differently. Sunshine, unfortunately, repeats the same mistakes. A future second season would set things straight, probably, though. Yes, again, similar to the original. Then, why did I give Sunshine a much higher rating? I'll get to that in a bit. I don't blame anyone with a huge attachment to Muse to doubt the new series, with the introduction of complete new characters. Aware of that, though, I think they should still give Aqours a chance, a chance to shine. And, it sure did shine. Sunshine's cast is a whole lot more likeable and memorable than its predecessor. I had an easy time liking the characters, and even sympathized with them during emotional scenes-- even if I didn't like them one bit initially. Mari and You, just to note a few examples. The new girls are what made Sunshine so much better for me personally. Talking a little about my favorites; Chika, pretty much an exact copy of Honoka, the side-ponytail being the only difference. I'm quite fond of her positiveness and leadership ability, and basically being the driving force of the group. Honoka was one of my personal favorites from Muse-- it wouldn't be that strange to have Chika as one of my favorite Aqours girl as well. Hanamaru, or rather Zuramaru as I like to call her, is a fun character, too. Not only is her lack of tech knowledge humorous, her zura's are also very charming. "It's the future, zura!" The girls each have their own quirks, some which may be irritating, and some that are genuinely fun. The one character with a disturbing amount of annoyance, though, is Yoshiko. She reminds me of that one Chuunibyou show I didn't like very much. Yoshiko comes over as obnoxious, and feels completely out of place. I'd much rather have a different girl in her stead. Oh well, it can't be helped. What's more disappointing is the fact that a couple did not receive the screen time they deserved. And by that, I'm actually mostly referring to a certain blue haired, ponytailed goddess. She had so little screen time in the first half of the show, I was starting to question whether or not she'll become a member of Aqours later. I guess that beach episode made up for it... uh, just a little bit. Kanan is a fine-looking lady for sure! Who is the real star of Aqours? The girl - who coincidentally looks a lot like Nico - with the gorgeous red twintails and aqua eyes, of course! Her name is Ruby, the one who invented cuteness and has the voice of an angel. She certainly stands out the most with her design, cute expressions and such. She made her debut in the first episode unlike the Nico. Ruby has already accumulated quite a reputation by just a couple scenes alone-- and now that I think about it, the show needed more of those. The more we got to the end, the less Ruby we got. Though, I was honestly not that upset about it. It indicates how much I actually liked Sunshine, even with the absence of Ruby in the latter episodes. Keep staying unbearably cute, it makes my life so much better. I am keeping this short, since I do not want this to turn into a Ruby love post. (I love her.) Now, I do have to mention that none of the new characters have been able to completely fill the gap that's been left behind by Nico. Ruby, though, is the cutest in the whole wide world and tries her absolute "Rubesty" to make up for it. Her efforts, however, were in vain. I still missed hearing the phrase "Nico-Nico nii," but, oh well, I guess "Ganbaruby" is a decent enough replacement. I kind of go a little crazy whenever Ruby says it. Something that was quite bothersome was that there was no audition process of sorts going on. Chika was captivated by the beauty of this natural wonder, named Ruby. She got an invitation right on the spot. Apparently, looking gorgeous and cute is all that's needed for one to become a true school idol. Singing and dancing skills are irrelevant. Seriously though, this part has been ignored, yet again. Notable are the outstanding visuals, a huge improvement over the original. The show is very colorful and the background sceneries are very pretty, especially the seaside ones. And yes, there's still the use of 3DCGI during live performances. However, in Sunshine, it's less distracting, more fluid, and should now be on a tolerable level, which makes it more enjoyable to watch. The sound is what you would expect from the Love Live series. The musical performances are outstanding and definitely worthy of praise. The hardships the girls went through, following their dreams-- you can actually feel the emotions they put into their songs. Mirai Ticket, sung in the final episode, is especially a good example. The vocals are great and the voices of all Aqours girls fit well with each other, not to mention the regular voice acting is admirable, too. Have I already mentioned Ruby's angelic voice? Great background music as well. If you had any doubts about Sunshine, I can assure you, there is little to worry about. It's certainly an enjoyable show for fans and newcomers alike. Just remember that Ruby is best. I'm very disappointed, though, that the anime did not learn from its past mistakes. Sunshine has the potential of being exceptionally good. And seeing as how popular the Love Live franchise is (especially in Japan!), it will surely get a second season in order to make that happen, and flesh out the characters a bit more. I look forward to the day I see my lovely Ruby animated again. "Let's change that zero into a one!"

Following up on such a well loved series is no simple task. Whether they're big fans of the original or never liked the series in the first place there's always going to be skeptics who throw around generic phrases like 'milking the cash cow' when an anime studio so much as thinks of continuing a popular series. Sometimes you can win them over, but most of the time they like to stubbornly stick by their viewpoints even it goes against all logical thinking. But regardless of how baffling I find the point of view that these people have, I'm not here to talk about themor the fan reaction to this series. I'm not here to make comparisons to the original series either. I'm here to talk about the series. Love Live Sunshine is a continuation of the original series which I loved very much. But I think Sunshine has its own set of unique strengths. Some have even argued that these strengths make it a better series than the original. But what I find great about Sunshine is that its good points don't detract from what made the original series great. It's a fantastic series that stands out on its own merits. I feel like slovenly comparing the two in that way doesn't do either series justice. As such, I will refrain from making comparisons to the original unless I feel it's absolutely necessary. Chika Takami is a normal girl wasting away her days going through the motions like any other high school girl. But she's no longer content with living that kind of life. When she sees µ's on the big screen of the UTX building in Akihabara (Which I've just recently found out is called the 'UDX' building in real life. Pretty cool huh?) something in her mind clicks. She's finally found a way to break the mould and escape her normal everyday life. That's the basic setup at least. Obviously their journey isn't as easy as it initially seems, but what makes Sunshine uniquely interesting is the nature of the potholes on their road to success. Pretty much everyone who heard µ's was on their side. It was just a matter of getting people to hear them out. As is natural for a series of that nature there are complications along the way but they're mostly irrelevant to how the people react to their music. The problems they faced were mostly either internal conflict or getting people to notice them. But when µ's put in their best effort and succeeded nearly every time. Sunshine does deal with those very same themes in its own way, but it also deals with heavily a theme that the original series never really touched upon. Rejection. People who heard what they had to say, considered where they were coming from and just said 'no'. I'm honestly not sure if a theme like that would be a good fit in the original series. But this is a completely new series and Sunrise have taken this as an opportunity to try something completely new. While the show also deals with many of the same themes as the original, it does so in a very different way. The show initially lures you into believing that the impact µ's has had means their journey is gonna be a walk in the park. Right? Right? Wrong! Not only are they outright rejected on a number of occasions, but they have an even harder time getting people to hear them out. School idols are everywhere in this day and age so standing out from the crowd is a lot more difficult. Even their flashy Babymetal-esque rivals Saint Snow have difficulty getting people on their side. Plus unlike µ's, Aqours don't live in the heart of Tokyo and getting people to notice them out in the middle of nowhere is a very difficult task. To put it simply, they're being brought down by circumstances completely out of their control. You can understand their frustration over being in this situation because these are all problems that everyone has to face at some point in their life. These themes aren't some super complex analysis of the human condition, but they're a perfect fit for the type of series that Love Live Sunshine is trying to be. Not only are the themes relatable to a lot of people regardless of cirmustance, but they're executed really well... at least for the most part. If I had to make a criticism (And I kinda do since this a review and not just a discussion of why I love the show) it's that it takes a while to get really stuck into the themes. The show is very deliberately paced and every episode is filled with great moments, but it's not until the final few episodes where the show really flourishes. That's not to say what comes before it is a waste of time. But even though I thoroughly enjoyed the series from start to finish its finest moments are definitely during the latter episodes. That being said this is admittedly a very weak criticism. I found the show as a whole to be fantastic and I can't imagine those last few episodes being anywhere near as impactful had it not been for everything that came before it. A new series brings with it a new set of characters and I was really impressed with what they brought to the table this time around. They've all got their cute little quirks and catchphrases as expected but there's a little bit more to them once you get past all that. In terms of comedy the 9 girls all have a great dynamic and bounce off of each other really well when the show wants to make the viewer laugh. But they've also got a wide range of emotions as well as a number of flaws. It's nothing ultra complicated but there's enough to them so that they feel more human and believable than what some would argue (Looking at you Yamakan) is necessary in this kind of series. When I read the character descriptions I was particularly worried about Yohane since Chuunibyou's are a very stale trope in anime. But the show does a fantastic job of justifying her reasons for being that way and her love of the occult. Ruby is often shy and scared but when the going gets tough she isn't afraid to get assertive. Hanamaru is kind and pleasant to a fault but she's also a goofball and an antisocial bookworm who has trouble making friends. I could go on to describe what makes each and every character great and how they evolve over the course of the series but I'm rambling enough as it is. Though I think what's most important in creating a strong show is a strong lead character and Chika certainly delivers. Chika always wants to do the best she can by her friends but she isn't without her flaws. As much as she tries she's not always capable of making a difference. But over the course of the series she becomes more understanding of her own limitations and more reliant on the people around her. Not only does this make her a likeable character, but a believable one too. And the same goes for the rest of the cast too. Though there is an elephant in the room that I think is worth discussing. Kanan. All things considered she did get a good amount of attention in the later episodes and the buildup to that point was handled very well. But when you're watching the show weekly you just can't help but wonder 'Where's Kanan?'. Fortunately, the resolution to the conflict between the third years is probably one of the best moments in the entire show. Conflict between characters can make or break a series depending on how it's handled. In Love Live's Sunshine's case, it brings about some of the show's very best moments. The show's world is definitely an exaggerated version of reality but every problem they face arises naturally. They're problems that one can reasonably expect to occur in their situation and they're always solved in an emotionally satisfying way. Simply put, the characters and their interactions are probably Love Live Sunshine's greatest strength. The animation in Love Live Sunshine is a definite strong point of the series but I wouldn't call it mind blowing. It's a very good looking show that definitely blows the vast majority of anime out of the water. That being said the production quality isn't on the same level as something like Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero or a KyoAni production. Just like the original series the show mixes 2D and 3D animation for its performance scenes and they're an absolute visual treat with a lot of great effects and some very memorable choreography. I've come to accept that the CG animation is an intentional design choice so I'm not going to criticise the show just because they use that style. However it definitely does look a bit wonky on occasions and even at its best it never looks as good as the 2D animation. But overall, when it comes to the visuals the positive far outweigh the positives. Of course another important aspect in a show like this is the sound. I mean, it is an idol show right? The voice acting, the songs, the sound design, the background music, all of this is very important. The show isn't flawless in every regard but the way the show uses sound is definitely one of its strengths. The songs themselves are plentiful, diverse and very easy on the ears to say the least. The fast paced energy of the opening theme that gets you hyped for the episode, the infectious bouncy melody of Kimeta yo Hand in Hand, the pounding bass drum and soaring vocals in Mijuku Dreamer. Even if you were to detach the songs from the flashy choreography in the performance scenes there's a lot to talk about. Not every song is as awesome as Mijuku Dreamer, but they're all great for their own reasons and not one of them is a dud. On the topic of sound, voice acting! While there are quite a few well known seiyuu playing side characters every single one of the 9 girls is played by a newbie. That being said, they've obviously been trained very well. The girls all sound distinctive and their acting is on point nailing both the light hearted comedy scenes and the more dramatic moments of the series. There are a few missed lip flaps and awkward line reads, but in the grand scheme of things these are relatively minor flaws. The seiyuu performances are a key aspect of any show like this and Love Live Sunshine does not disappoint. Just like its predecessor, Sunshine does indeed have an English dub. While NIS America handled the first series in conjunction with Bang Zoom, Love Live Sunshine is entirely a Funimation effort. Moving from Texas to LA means there's a whole new talent pool to work with and the dub uses this to its advantage with a good mix of newbies and veterans from the area. In an effort to remain consistent with the original series the English dub is directed by Caitlin Glass who played Maki in the original series. However, just like the Japanese version, there are no returning cast members. There's definitely some awkward line reads and questionable translation choices here and there but all things considered it's a very solid dub handled by a team of people who evidently enjoy working on the show. However in this case I have to say my preference is with the original Japanese version. Overall, Love Live Sunshine was an unexpectedly great series that follows up on the original in a very big way. Rather than relying on what made the original series great, Sunshine (And Aqours) establishes itself as something uniquely amazing. I could go on forever talking about everything this show does right yet my issues with the show are relatively minor. It's obligatory that I mention the things that bothered me in a review, but honestly I could spend way longer talking about why I loved the show. It's very rare that a show elicits that kind of positive response out of me so obviously they've done something right. Love Live Sunshine is undeniably something special and I would be very surprised if anything else can take its place as my favourite anime of 2016.