Love Live Sunshine Liveblog (Episode 5)
Jul. 31st, 2016 10:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
benevolentspectreHello here is yet again another liveblog. I really enjoy writing these even though I'm sure they're not overly enjoyable to read unless you're literally watching the episode alongside reading it, but you know what, this is my blog/journal/thing/whatever so I can write whatever I want. And I want to write a liveblog of my watching the fifth episode of Love Live Sunshine, so that is what is going to happen. XD This'll contain spoilers, so I'm putting in a cut! If anyone's actually reading this, I hope it is both enjoyable and entertaining. XP
Okay, this is clearly going to be the Yohane/Yoshiko episode. Great, since she's been an enigma, and I want to figure out what she's about. From the opening, it seems like she has mental issues. Like literally. She pretends to be Yohane, a "fallen angel(?)," yet expresses that she doesn't know why she's doing it and doesn't want to be doing it? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take from that, lol. I mean, this is a cute anime about school idols. I doubt they'd seriously get into talking about someone with delusions, but that intro, man. I don't even know.
Okay how the frick does Hanamaru not know what a computer is? They didn't have any at her middle school? Not even a single one of her friends had a computer? I mean, I guess it was said that Hanamaru didn't really have friends until she met Ruby, but still. How could she have not seen a computer when she's 14/15 years old? They must really live in the boonies.
Hanamaru's such a dork. XD I don't really have a favorite in Sunshine yet (I thought, based on design alone, that I was really going to like Mari. Then she was introduced and I very much did not like her personality, so I guess Mari's out of the running for favorite), and Hanamaru's making a good case for herself in these first five minutes.
Chika and bringing up the Three Mermaids. XD It's such a stupid running joke, but for some reason, I think it's so cute that Chika finds it so hilarious. (And I'm also sure she just really likes embarrassing Riko. ChikaRiko ftw.)
One thing I really like about Sunshine vs the original Love Live (will be referred to as LL from here on out) is that the girls just seem a lot more...real? I mean, it's been awhile since I've seen LL, but from what I can recall, most every episode/discussion was centered around the school idol thing. These girls have discussions that devolve into nonsense and they just act like how you'd expect a group of normal high school girls. It probably helps that they don't have the drive of "we need to save our school" and simply just like idols, but still.
Also I have to say, I'm really glad that Chika is not a Honoka clone. I was kind of scared--seeing the previews and the English intro on the SIF game of Chika--that she was moving in that direction, but she's actually a lot different from Honoka. Case in point: I severely disliked Honoka in the LL anime (I don't mind her in the game, but I still can't truly like her just because I disliked her anime character so much), but I genuinely like Chika. She's not my favorite character (yet), but I find myself hoping she'll succeed and being happy when she does while Honoka just ticked me off a lot of the time.
Yoshiko came to the rooftop while Aquors was practicing, and Hanamaru chased her down. I really want to know what history these two have. I mean, I know they were in the same class together in elementary school, but in the Hanamaru flashbacks, they didn't seem particularly close. And Hanamaru seemed to be a loner of a child, so why is she so obsessed with being Yoshiko's friend now?
Also how the heck has Yoshiko not come to school since embarrassing herself on the first day? Do her parents know she's been ditching all this time? How much time has actually passed? I doubt these questions will be answered, but I am curious.
Seriously, Yoshiko is striking me as someone with an actual mental disorder, and I am having such a hard time understanding why? I mean, if that's what the writers intended, that's great. But the Love Live franchise has never gotten that serious before, so it almost strikes me as if it's supposed to be humorous, but I don't want to see it that way. Yoshiko is obviously self-conscious about her urges to be Yohane, and makes it seem like she literally cannot control herself when she "becomes Yohane."
"Yes. When I'm careless, the fallen angel always comes out." That...is clearly not something she can control, which again screams mental illness.
And then she starts a demon summoning ritual in the classroom to "fit in." I'm so confused by Yoshiko.
Chika is so gay. XD She thinks everyone is cute, and inducts them into Aquors on that basis alone. Though I'm sure Riko is the only one truly for her.
Also brushing off Yoshiko's problem as a "habit." Sunshine what you doing. This is seriously just confusing me. I'm going to try to stop bringing it up unless I'm able to resolve the problem myself though, because I don't want this entire liveblog to be me wondering about whether Yoshiko is supposed to have a mental illness or not.
Chika is so funny oh my god. Riko worrying that the skirts are too short, and Chika just. Wearing shorts and lifting her skirt and being totally careless. I really love Chika, and I really love ChikaRiko interactions. <3
It's obvious Riko is afraid of Chika's dog, but why does no one ever address it? It's just kind of a thing that happens that Riko ends up freaking out over Shiitake every episode.
Oh my god, the girls applauding when Riko makes the jump between Chika's and her balcony I'm crying. I never thought it'd be possible, but I'm beginning to like Aquors more than u's. Maybe I should rewatch LL to see if there are moments like this that I am somehow forgetting, but I just love the dynamic between these girls so much more than I ever did between u's.
When it came to u's, I appreciated certain pairs/small groups of the girls, but never u's as a whole. Which is difficult to understand, but it just seemed like their dynamic was best when they weren't all together. Aquors though seems to function very well as a full group (at least, at this point. I can't say what will happen when the third years join) and they all gel together rather than certain pairs/small groups getting on better with each other than the rest. I mean, I can't deny that Ruby and Hanamaru have a special bond, and Chika has a stronger attachment to You and Riko than anyone else, but the individual bonds don't seem to override the friendship between the entire group of girls. And that's really nice.
I think I got it. The Aquors girls all seem so real. They seem like people I could just meet in my actual life. The u's girls, while they were definitely well-rounded characters, seemed too much like characters. No, they weren't each created with a single, overbearing trait, but they were made centered around a single trait. Hanayo is shy and loves idols. Maki's a tsundere composer. Rin's a tomboy. Honoka's frickin annoying (but seriously, Honoka's an idiot that's obsessed with saving the school). Umi's serious. Kotori's sweet and loves fashion design. Eli's a closet dork (and I'm going to say right now that I still don't even understand how u's ended up getting Eli to join. They just asked her to help them dance and then that was it? Eli was won? I don't get it now and I never have). Nico is also obsessed with school idols but in a louder way than Hanayo (and she's also the butt of every joke. Nico deserved better). And Nozomi is the lesbian fortune teller.
I can sit here and type up the "main" trait of every girl in u's, but I honestly don't think I'd be able to do that with Aquors because every girl is built upon many different traits. For example, Hanamaru used to be quiet, but cares a lot for her friend Ruby to the point that Ruby helps bring her out of her shell and try something she doesn't think she'd be good at. But Hanamaru was also the one to help Ruby decide to do something she really wants to, even though Ruby knows her sister won't approve. They're just very well-rounded characters, and I think the writers/creators of Love Live knew what they were doing when they moved on from u's to Aquors. I'm glad they succeeded, since so many people were worried the game would flop when the much-loved originals moved on.
Though my opinion may also be based on the fact that I hated anime!Honoka so much and I am infinitely glad that Chika is a likable character.
Riko and Chika are so cute. Though I can't help but feel bad for You, since it kind of seems like she's been sidelined ever since Riko officially joined Aquors.
Dia, don't be an idiot. You didn't "permit" Ruby to do anything. Ruby can do whatever the hell she wants. (*ahem* I am so not a fan of these bully student council presidents. I didn't like Eli at first either, though at least she had somewhat of a reason to be bitchy, even if it wasn't necessarily a good reason. Dia, on the other hand, is just annoying and mean.)
"I will not allow you to gain rank by emphasizing your personalities" what the hell, Dia? That doesn't even make sense. Why are you trying to control Aquors? Dia bothers me so much.
I feel like her inner turmoil or whatever is eventually going to be revealed to either be because she's personally offended that u's broke up, or that she tried to start her own idol club when she entered high school and failed. I thought at first it was definitely going to be the latter, but now the fact that she's mad that Aquors is working up their personality pushes me more toward the former, since that was something u's was known for.
Why is it rude to u's to emphasize their personalities? It's a lot easier to like people when you know what they're truly like rather than just that they are cute and like to sing and dance. Besides, these girls aren't u's. It'd be different if they all chose a u's girl to emulate and went with it, but they're their own people.
Oh Yoshiko, don't kid yourself. There's no way you can escape the clutches of Chika after she has had you. You'll be in Aquors by tomorrow.
Okay, this episode is really making it seem like You is a placeholder because they needed a costume designer + 9th member. Here's to hoping she ends up having a development episode a la Rin, because otherwise, it'll seem like her character as a whole was kind of wasted.
And with that, Yoshiko is officially a member of Aquors!
Final thoughts: Dia is hella annoying. Hanamaru is really growing on me as a character. You deserves better. ChikaRiko is love. And I still don't have a solid opinion on Ruby one way or the other. She annoys me sometimes, but I can't be truly annoyed, because I feel like she's just being herself rather than putting on an act. I'll have to see how she develops throughout the series.
I also have to say, I wish they did more songs in Sunshine. Watching the performances was one of my favorite things about LL, and I could be wrong, but it felt like they had at least one performance per episode. It's been 2-3 episodes now of Sunshine since there's been a performance in an episode, and I'm missing them.
Overall though, the interactions between the girls and their respective personalities are really making this show for me. The humor is also great. The girls are just goofy enough to be hilarious, yet not quite so crazy that I start disbelieving their existence. Like I said, these girls seem so real, and I love it!
Until next week! Ciao~~
Okay, this is clearly going to be the Yohane/Yoshiko episode. Great, since she's been an enigma, and I want to figure out what she's about. From the opening, it seems like she has mental issues. Like literally. She pretends to be Yohane, a "fallen angel(?)," yet expresses that she doesn't know why she's doing it and doesn't want to be doing it? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take from that, lol. I mean, this is a cute anime about school idols. I doubt they'd seriously get into talking about someone with delusions, but that intro, man. I don't even know.
Okay how the frick does Hanamaru not know what a computer is? They didn't have any at her middle school? Not even a single one of her friends had a computer? I mean, I guess it was said that Hanamaru didn't really have friends until she met Ruby, but still. How could she have not seen a computer when she's 14/15 years old? They must really live in the boonies.
Hanamaru's such a dork. XD I don't really have a favorite in Sunshine yet (I thought, based on design alone, that I was really going to like Mari. Then she was introduced and I very much did not like her personality, so I guess Mari's out of the running for favorite), and Hanamaru's making a good case for herself in these first five minutes.
Chika and bringing up the Three Mermaids. XD It's such a stupid running joke, but for some reason, I think it's so cute that Chika finds it so hilarious. (And I'm also sure she just really likes embarrassing Riko. ChikaRiko ftw.)
One thing I really like about Sunshine vs the original Love Live (will be referred to as LL from here on out) is that the girls just seem a lot more...real? I mean, it's been awhile since I've seen LL, but from what I can recall, most every episode/discussion was centered around the school idol thing. These girls have discussions that devolve into nonsense and they just act like how you'd expect a group of normal high school girls. It probably helps that they don't have the drive of "we need to save our school" and simply just like idols, but still.
Also I have to say, I'm really glad that Chika is not a Honoka clone. I was kind of scared--seeing the previews and the English intro on the SIF game of Chika--that she was moving in that direction, but she's actually a lot different from Honoka. Case in point: I severely disliked Honoka in the LL anime (I don't mind her in the game, but I still can't truly like her just because I disliked her anime character so much), but I genuinely like Chika. She's not my favorite character (yet), but I find myself hoping she'll succeed and being happy when she does while Honoka just ticked me off a lot of the time.
Yoshiko came to the rooftop while Aquors was practicing, and Hanamaru chased her down. I really want to know what history these two have. I mean, I know they were in the same class together in elementary school, but in the Hanamaru flashbacks, they didn't seem particularly close. And Hanamaru seemed to be a loner of a child, so why is she so obsessed with being Yoshiko's friend now?
Also how the heck has Yoshiko not come to school since embarrassing herself on the first day? Do her parents know she's been ditching all this time? How much time has actually passed? I doubt these questions will be answered, but I am curious.
Seriously, Yoshiko is striking me as someone with an actual mental disorder, and I am having such a hard time understanding why? I mean, if that's what the writers intended, that's great. But the Love Live franchise has never gotten that serious before, so it almost strikes me as if it's supposed to be humorous, but I don't want to see it that way. Yoshiko is obviously self-conscious about her urges to be Yohane, and makes it seem like she literally cannot control herself when she "becomes Yohane."
"Yes. When I'm careless, the fallen angel always comes out." That...is clearly not something she can control, which again screams mental illness.
And then she starts a demon summoning ritual in the classroom to "fit in." I'm so confused by Yoshiko.
Chika is so gay. XD She thinks everyone is cute, and inducts them into Aquors on that basis alone. Though I'm sure Riko is the only one truly for her.
Also brushing off Yoshiko's problem as a "habit." Sunshine what you doing. This is seriously just confusing me. I'm going to try to stop bringing it up unless I'm able to resolve the problem myself though, because I don't want this entire liveblog to be me wondering about whether Yoshiko is supposed to have a mental illness or not.
Chika is so funny oh my god. Riko worrying that the skirts are too short, and Chika just. Wearing shorts and lifting her skirt and being totally careless. I really love Chika, and I really love ChikaRiko interactions. <3
It's obvious Riko is afraid of Chika's dog, but why does no one ever address it? It's just kind of a thing that happens that Riko ends up freaking out over Shiitake every episode.
Oh my god, the girls applauding when Riko makes the jump between Chika's and her balcony I'm crying. I never thought it'd be possible, but I'm beginning to like Aquors more than u's. Maybe I should rewatch LL to see if there are moments like this that I am somehow forgetting, but I just love the dynamic between these girls so much more than I ever did between u's.
When it came to u's, I appreciated certain pairs/small groups of the girls, but never u's as a whole. Which is difficult to understand, but it just seemed like their dynamic was best when they weren't all together. Aquors though seems to function very well as a full group (at least, at this point. I can't say what will happen when the third years join) and they all gel together rather than certain pairs/small groups getting on better with each other than the rest. I mean, I can't deny that Ruby and Hanamaru have a special bond, and Chika has a stronger attachment to You and Riko than anyone else, but the individual bonds don't seem to override the friendship between the entire group of girls. And that's really nice.
I think I got it. The Aquors girls all seem so real. They seem like people I could just meet in my actual life. The u's girls, while they were definitely well-rounded characters, seemed too much like characters. No, they weren't each created with a single, overbearing trait, but they were made centered around a single trait. Hanayo is shy and loves idols. Maki's a tsundere composer. Rin's a tomboy. Honoka's frickin annoying (but seriously, Honoka's an idiot that's obsessed with saving the school). Umi's serious. Kotori's sweet and loves fashion design. Eli's a closet dork (and I'm going to say right now that I still don't even understand how u's ended up getting Eli to join. They just asked her to help them dance and then that was it? Eli was won? I don't get it now and I never have). Nico is also obsessed with school idols but in a louder way than Hanayo (and she's also the butt of every joke. Nico deserved better). And Nozomi is the lesbian fortune teller.
I can sit here and type up the "main" trait of every girl in u's, but I honestly don't think I'd be able to do that with Aquors because every girl is built upon many different traits. For example, Hanamaru used to be quiet, but cares a lot for her friend Ruby to the point that Ruby helps bring her out of her shell and try something she doesn't think she'd be good at. But Hanamaru was also the one to help Ruby decide to do something she really wants to, even though Ruby knows her sister won't approve. They're just very well-rounded characters, and I think the writers/creators of Love Live knew what they were doing when they moved on from u's to Aquors. I'm glad they succeeded, since so many people were worried the game would flop when the much-loved originals moved on.
Though my opinion may also be based on the fact that I hated anime!Honoka so much and I am infinitely glad that Chika is a likable character.
Riko and Chika are so cute. Though I can't help but feel bad for You, since it kind of seems like she's been sidelined ever since Riko officially joined Aquors.
Dia, don't be an idiot. You didn't "permit" Ruby to do anything. Ruby can do whatever the hell she wants. (*ahem* I am so not a fan of these bully student council presidents. I didn't like Eli at first either, though at least she had somewhat of a reason to be bitchy, even if it wasn't necessarily a good reason. Dia, on the other hand, is just annoying and mean.)
"I will not allow you to gain rank by emphasizing your personalities" what the hell, Dia? That doesn't even make sense. Why are you trying to control Aquors? Dia bothers me so much.
I feel like her inner turmoil or whatever is eventually going to be revealed to either be because she's personally offended that u's broke up, or that she tried to start her own idol club when she entered high school and failed. I thought at first it was definitely going to be the latter, but now the fact that she's mad that Aquors is working up their personality pushes me more toward the former, since that was something u's was known for.
Why is it rude to u's to emphasize their personalities? It's a lot easier to like people when you know what they're truly like rather than just that they are cute and like to sing and dance. Besides, these girls aren't u's. It'd be different if they all chose a u's girl to emulate and went with it, but they're their own people.
Oh Yoshiko, don't kid yourself. There's no way you can escape the clutches of Chika after she has had you. You'll be in Aquors by tomorrow.
Okay, this episode is really making it seem like You is a placeholder because they needed a costume designer + 9th member. Here's to hoping she ends up having a development episode a la Rin, because otherwise, it'll seem like her character as a whole was kind of wasted.
And with that, Yoshiko is officially a member of Aquors!
Final thoughts: Dia is hella annoying. Hanamaru is really growing on me as a character. You deserves better. ChikaRiko is love. And I still don't have a solid opinion on Ruby one way or the other. She annoys me sometimes, but I can't be truly annoyed, because I feel like she's just being herself rather than putting on an act. I'll have to see how she develops throughout the series.
I also have to say, I wish they did more songs in Sunshine. Watching the performances was one of my favorite things about LL, and I could be wrong, but it felt like they had at least one performance per episode. It's been 2-3 episodes now of Sunshine since there's been a performance in an episode, and I'm missing them.
Overall though, the interactions between the girls and their respective personalities are really making this show for me. The humor is also great. The girls are just goofy enough to be hilarious, yet not quite so crazy that I start disbelieving their existence. Like I said, these girls seem so real, and I love it!
Until next week! Ciao~~
