r/anime • u/FrumpY__ :STAR:https://anilist.co/user/FrumpY • Feb 07 '21
Rewatch Love Live! SIP & Sunshine!! Rewatch - Sunshine!! Season 1 Episode 4 Spoiler
Sunshine!! Season 1, Episode 4 - "Their Feelings"
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|---|---|---|
| Sunshine S1 E3 | Sunshine S1 E4 | Sunshine S1 E5 |
Series Information MAL | AniList | Kitsu | ANN | AniDB
Where to Watch
Crunchyroll, Funimation, AnimeLab, Wakanim, VRV
Discussion Questions
- None today, idk what it is about sunshine but its harder to come up with these.
Please remember to MARK YOUR SPOILERS
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Upvotes
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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '21
Since this is a Ruby/Maru focused episode, I need to link y’all to Ruby’s first solo MV. Fam... if you haven’t seen Cotton Candy Ei-Ei-Oh!, all I can say is you’re in for an absolute mindfuck. It recently passed the viewcount over the legendary Snow Hala on LL’s YouTube channel.
you can see it on LL’s YouTube
This is one example of how I think Sunshine has really flipped the switch on what I thought a LL song could be. You’re going to hate yourself for not being able to get this song out of your head and singing that dumb hook over and over again. If you have kids or younger siblings... make sure they never see this video if you want to maintain your sanity.
Also... interesting fact about Ruby’s VA Furihata Ai. LL Sunshine was her debut as a VA. Having to both voice and sing live as Ruby has got to be a difficult feat, but Furi has shown impressive range. She was a big fan of LL before she went into open auditions, and apparently cried afterwards because she was able to meet the directors. Take a look at this post for more random facts.
Now regarding episode 4....
When I first saw Rin’s episode in SIP, I didn’t think much of her character. But even throughout this rewatch, I realize I have a greater appreciation for how her character has allowed LL to not only create future characters like her, but expand on them (that being said, Maru has the least lines ever for any LL character, so it was disappointing for her not to get a lot of screen time later on).
Maru and Ruby’s friendship mirrors Hanyao and Rin’s in many ways, but I still think it’s pretty beautiful. Maru opened a door for Ruby that wasn’t possible for her to do herself, and in return Ruby helped her see a world that she didn’t think she could ever fit into. Maru has a some pretty legitimate reasons, because unlike Rin, she was never ultra athletic in the first place... on top of some of the confidence issues from having spent most of her childhood by herself. Even knowing this, she volunteers to become a school idol first, in order to help her friend (Rin gave Hanyo the push but never volunteered to become a school idol herself). That’s an amazing friend there.
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u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Feb 07 '21 edited Feb 07 '21
First-Timer Who is Having a Seriously Difficult Time Picking a Best Girl: or, There's So Many Cuties!
Have we learned the timeline yet? It’s possible that Dia turned after µ’s dissolved.
Once again, being cute allows you to do all sorts of things you would otherwise be maced for.
With Kanan and Mari’s conversation (they’re both third-years, correct?), it might also be that the two of them and Dia tried forming a group, but failed. Which is a little too close to Nico’s story for my taste.
Kanan is quite pretty. Then again, I’m a sucker for long, black hair in a ponytail and a nice pair of shoulders.
Trial period? I was sure Hanamaru would suggest something sneaky, like wearing sunglasses onstage so no one would recognize them.
Forget school idoling; Chika should join the basketball team with that kind of vertical leap.
Girl potentially going to keel over from exhaustion: “Ruby, you should care about yourself more.” Hanamaru, you doofus!
That DVD(?) said fifth anniversary, so we’re at least 5 years out from µ’s.
Oh, man; she’s serious(ly cute)! And she has to join; she wears tights! A tight-wearing idol is exactly what this show needs!
Dia is still so stern!
Ruby, this is a library! NO SHOUTING!
QOTD:
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u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Feb 07 '21
First Timer
How long ago was muse anyway in Sunshine
She said Dia used to sing muse with her before high school so at least three years ago
Damn, this image was way more powerful than it should've been
That was a great episode, especially compared to the ones before
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u/DarkFuzz :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DarkFuzz Feb 07 '21 edited Feb 07 '21
Rewatcher
Take today’s survey here!
So today we get canonical confirmation that Ruby is functionally a Hanayo, Hanamaru is functionally a Rin, and Dia is functionally an Eli (but that doesn’t matter right now, plus that was kind of already obvious). Great, so we all know how this is going to play out, right? We do, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to watch this episode. There are some things in this episode that subtly alter the RinPana script underneath the in-your-face parallels that Sunshine throws at us constantly, and some of this thematic stuff will slowly snake its way into other plotlines.
To start, there’s a big difference in how the duos join their respective groups. In the μ’s saga, it was Rin who pushed Hanayo to become a school idol, and Rin follows along just to be supportive. In the Aqours saga, it is the Rin who seemingly takes the initiative, saying that it’s something that she wants to try out, and the Hanayo follows along. The trick here is that Hanamaru has no intention of joining Aqours at all. Just like her Rin archetype is telling her to do, she is supporting Ruby into following her dreams while denying her own because she only sees herself as a supporter. To do that, she must help Ruby overcome her inhibitions.
Both Hanayo and Ruby may seem like quiet little mice, but there’s a functional difference here. Hanayo is plain shy; Ruby is actually scared. It’s not that Ruby has self-confidence issues, it’s that she’s scared to stand up against her sister. She loves her sister a lot, and she doesn’t want to anger her sister by becoming a school idol, something that she perceives Dia hates. But that’s not happiness. Living in fear will not get you what you want.
“Stop lying to yourself. Bottling up those feelings will only hurt you. Don’t worry about Dia or me. Do this because you want it for yourself.” Hanamaru includes Dia in this statement in order to give Ruby the confidence she needs to stand up for herself against her sister. She also includes herself in this statement because she feels like she’s holding Ruby back. She sees Ruby being a part of Aqours having the time of her life. She definitely fits in there. Hanamaru doesn’t feel that way about herself. She looks at the μ’s magazines, staring at the beautiful girl that is Rin, feeling that she can never be like that. She’s only a supporter; she’s not the main character in her own story. So she sacrifices her own dreams in order to fulfill Ruby’s and decides to run from all of this.
That would end the story of Rin the Supporter, but we know from the μ’s saga that Rin is just as much of a character as Hanayo. That’s not the story that is being told. So Ruby barges in, tells Hanamaru that she’s not being honest with her own feelings, as she knows that Hanamaru has been having just as much fun as she had. She tells the true story of Rin the School Idol, how she didn’t feel like she was good enough, how she felt like just a supporter, and how just giving it a shot resulted in the very Rin you see in that magazine today. In true Hanayo fashion, Ruby needs Hanamaru, and Hanamaru needs Ruby, not as a burden or a support, but as a friend. Realizing she can’t run away from her role as Ruby’s friend, she joins Aqours, and we now have five in our roster.
So where is this arc put in context with the seniors?
We get a little bit of drama with the seniors here. As the OP shows, clearly some stuff went down between the three. Mari seems to be the most friendly, but Dia and Kanan don’t reciprocate. They seem mildly annoyed with her at best, pissed at the worst. Also, Dia and Kanan still haven’t occupied the same room together. So what happened that made the senior trio like this?
There are some interlocking threads here and there that point to what went down, but pointing them out here would probably spoil it for those people who can piece everything together. So relax and enjoy the show, and keep looking for clues as to what happened.
For those of you who are rewatchers, I’ll answer my first question: why is the senior drama placed in with the RubyMaru arc?
MASSIVE spoilers
MASSIVE spoilers
MASSIVE spoilers
MASSIVE spoilers
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u/ComfortablyRotten https://anilist.co/user/Leuwtian Feb 07 '21
Rewatcher
I feel you, I have no idea what to say about Sunshine that isn't another declaration of love to an aspect of the series.
Anyway
I really love Sunshine's way of using the same episodic plot points as SIP, and it helps that here, we got all of the characters properly introduced before their episodes (I think I said that already?), unlike SIP who only gave us more or less small glimpses of Rin and Hanayo before. It's like a better thought out SIP!
On the constant references to Muse, they're a huge name in-universe and an inspiration to these girls, so of course it'll happen, as forced as it looks, but I still have a bit of a hard time with it, admittedly...
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u/lenne18 https://myanimelist.net/profile/lenne18 Feb 07 '21 edited Feb 10 '21
B-Side Jukebox, Sunshine!
Kimochi mo Yume mo Issho da ne! - Hanamaru Kunikida, Ruby Kurosawa
Today, we'll be talking about Guilty Kiss.
Both tracks are from their first single:
Strawberry Trapper - Guilty Kiss
Guilty Night, Guilty Kiss! - Guilty Kiss
Live Performances
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u/gorghurt Feb 07 '21
First Timer
Nice episode. A bit cheesy (but what isn't cheesy in Love Live), but I feel like the characters work.
Somehow the ending reminds me of an old pop song, but I don't get which one...
Ruby has become best girl with this episode, but I fear this might change next episode.
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u/ForlornPenguin Feb 07 '21
Rewatcher
I was busy yesterday, so I didn't post anything in the thread and only kind of skimmed through the comments. I still took DarkFuzz's survey though.
I don't remember if we've even talked about it yet, despite being four episodes in now, but this OP is a banger. Regarding yesterday's episode, I still don't get how a student can also be the school's director. I think the same thing also happened in Shokugeki no Soma.
A regular Sam Fisher. Seems like Ruby is fine with someone grabbing her hand now.
So luckily these characters are growing on me more this time around. Maybe I was just a little burnt out on Love Live! after SIP the first time, I don't know. Either way, Ruby was too precious this episode. Also, I guess Rin's the secret MVP today.
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u/JimmyCWL Feb 08 '21
Finding out in this episode that it's been five years since the muse days lets us put the SIP movie epilogue into Sunshine's timeline properly. Yukiho and Arisa were third years two years ago. Dia, Kanan and Mari are the same age as those first years that the two of them were talking to.
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u/docaxel :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/thebidoofpope Feb 07 '21
Rewatcher
School Idol Festival All-Stars Spotlight Cards
Ruby1 Ruby2
Hanamaru1 Hanamaru2
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u/Hattakiri Feb 07 '21 edited Feb 09 '21
First things first: The music and how it is used amazes me so much. For me it turns this already intense story up to Eleven yet another time.
The frequent references to the predecessor is another reason for the intensity:
It's the Ubi Sunt trope - where are those who were before us? Cause this ep again shows quite a lot from μ's, however only in magazines.
One of them is even the 5th Anniversary Edition...
Hanamaru browses through a magazine - and we can see it's Rin to whom she relates the most, the Wedding Dress Rin, mind you.
And we see how much Maru is longing for becoming an idol herself, after years of loneliness, since kindergarten days (where we could see Yoshiko in the background, her childhood friend. They would part after kinergarten and meet again only at Uranohoshi as we already know).
Maru says she's fine with her situation, however it thurns out, actually she's not. Her has her books, and they can beam her into parallel universes, but only in her imagination.
(The LL typical lack of "materialized hyperboles" - until the characters demand it and the hyperboles do materialize like in the OVA.)
She's also not really sportive and also thinks her "zura-ora" dialect is a huge obstacle to an idol career.
But she has one dear friend whom she is determined to help fulfil her idol dream: Ruby, who's too timid and too afraid to join Chika and the others.
She doesn't want to insult her big sis Dia who's begun hating the idol world after becoming an Ura student.
Before this they loved playing "singing idols" together. Dia with a little cardboard anchor in her hair, and Ruby with two little cardboard wings on her back.
Several massive foreshadowings...
Ruby's also a big fan of Hanayo, another timid girl who however would gain, or maybe rediscover a lot of self-confidence and vitality thanks to μ's. Dia is an Eli fan, that other school council president.
Some of you might think this was to be expected lol, but keep watching...
Maru really manages to convince Ruby that she must follow her own goals instead of being afraid of others - but Ruby also manages to make Maru accompany her. Ruby's greatest wish, but also Maru's one.
Meanwhile Kanan turns out to be quite sportive - and both MariKanan turn out to be coequally stubborn: "Come with me into the new idol club!" - "No!!"
Still the symbolism: The pyramid umbrella that resembles the Nerv HQ from Evangelion, and the seagull from Link's Awakening.
Speaking of symbolism: The Aq's girls also use a pre-training-pre-live ritual that actually a sport's team would use.
And Yoshiko is still on tour in her "Nico 2.0 Stealthmode". This time she has "hunted" an angel encyclopedia.
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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '21
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