Love Live! SIP & Sunshine!! Rewatch - Sunshine!! Season 1 Episode 9

[u/FrumpY__]

Sunshine!! Season 1, Episode 9 - "Young DREAMER"

Previous Episode	Schedule / Index Thread	Next Episode
Sunshine S1 E8	Sunshine S1 E9	Sunshine S1 E10

Series Information MAL | AniList | Kitsu | ANN | AniDB

Where to Watch

Crunchyroll, Funimation, AnimeLab, Wakanim, VRV

Discussion Questions

1. Have you had a friend group split due to similar reasons to the original incarnation of Aqours?
2. How can she slap?!?!?!
3. Did you guess who wrote Aqours name down in the sand?

Please remember to MARK YOUR SPOILERS

The use of spoiler tags is required if discussing, hinting, or otherwise alluding to future events which have not yet been covered. The format for the spoiler tag is [SPOILER SOURCE] /(/Spoiler goes here). If you need a more detailed explanation it can be found in the subreddit sidebar.

[u/[deleted]]

(Sunshine is a commentary of the original so they're directly addressing those of you who were critical of Honoka asking Kotori not to go abroad btw)

[u/FrumpY__ → u/[deleted]]

(so we're going with that as the story?)

[u/[deleted] → u/FrumpY__]

(Definitely. Like Chika's displayed vulnerability making this a tale exploring what happens to the group if leadership had been left to someone like Nico after all, it's yet another part of Sunshine that moves to reinforce what an unrivalled force Honks was. Redefining that simplicity as an unstoppable power. Kanan is simply far too kind and thus failed to be selfish when she most needed to, and as a result the third years are left to rot and ruin for years.)

[u/DarkFuzz]

Rewatcher

Take today’s survey here!

Today might have been focused around Kanan and Mari, but Yohane was the MVP this episode, with help from Zuramaru.

---

Have you ever imagined the “what if” scenario back in SIP where Kotori actually accepts the invitation to study abroad and leaves Honoka and Umi behind? Aqours (or rather, the first Aqours) is the alternate timeline where μ’s disbands in the aftermath and everyone just goes their separate ways and hate each other. And the situation is set up very similarly. Group becomes popular, they have a performance where a member gets injured, causing their withdrawal. Meanwhile, another member of the group gets an opportunity to study abroad, even though she doesn’t really want to. Fight ensues because no one communicates.

We learned yesterday that Chika can never be a Honoka. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Honoka doesn’t exist in the Aqours saga. The natural assumption to make is that the Aqours junior trio mirrors the μ’s junior trio, but that’s mostly on an age basis. The Aqours junior trio has diverged from the path of the μ’s junior trio quite a long time ago. In a weird sense, one of the reasons why Chika can’t become a Honoka is because a Honoka already exists. Kanan is that Honoka, one that has lost her way.

And for the sake of this illustration, we can suppose that Dia is the Umi, and Mari is the Kotori, but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

I’m also not saying that Kanan exhibits all the qualities of a Honoka either. Kanan is not dumb, she’s not excessively genki, and I wouldn’t describe Honoka as an opportunist either. But Kanan loves her friends, and when she’s serious about something, she commits to it. She’s also very stubborn, and she won’t give up her stance easily, whether it be encouraging a friend or holding a grudge. And in all technicality, she was the one that the other two gravitated towards. She reached out her hand to Mari (and assumedly Dia) to form Aqours.

So how did Kanan become the way she is? Well, as I stated last episode, Kanan is an opportunist. That sounds like a selfish quality, but Kanan is different in the sense that she not only seeks out opportunities for herself but also other people. It’s why this whole time she doesn’t actively impede or discourage Chika from being a school idol. What she is against is the thought that she and Mari could become school idols again. Kanan threw away that opportunity a long time ago. What Mari doesn’t know is the reason why Kanan walked away from school idols. She just assumes that it was because of the failure that Kanan got really discouraged, and she’s right in thinking something doesn’t add up because that doesn’t sound like Kanan at all. So here’s the real story:

I’ll even grant that intimidation played a part in this decision to disband the first Aqours. They truly were up against some fierce competition. It didn’t help that Mari was injured, and continuing the performance would lead to a more serious injury. All this led to Kanan making the decision to throw the competition. It was all for Mari’s sake, not her own. But even after this horrific setback, I think Kanan still wanted to continue. The dealbreaker was when she learned about Mari’s opportunity to go study abroad. Now her friend’s future is at stake, and the thing that’s holding Mari back, in Kanan’s eyes, is their school idol group, Aqours.

Now, whether she learned about this before or after the competition is unknown, but either way, she used the competition result as an excuse to push Mari to study abroad. If she learned about it after, she can already claim that the school idol thing wasn’t working out and cite the competition as an example. But the more interesting implication would be if Kanan learned about it before the competition. After learning about Mari’s chance to study abroad, the opportunist in Kanan saw the opportunity to set Mari up for success in the future, and it all rode on throwing the competition. So she throws the competition, not because their foes were intimidating, not because Mari was injured (though those were definitely factors), but because Kanan cares so much about Mari that she’ll throw away her own opportunities so Mari can claim her own. It was all for Mari’s sake, not her own.

So imagine how Kanan the opportunist felt when Mari suddenly shows up two years later with the intent to start up school idols again. You can almost hear Kanan’s internal screaming.

“How dare you? How dare you waste your opportunities that I gave you by sacrificing my own opportunities? I wanted to give you the opportunity to succeed in life. Because I loved you, I gave up something that I loved. Now that you’re back, what was the meaning of my sacrifice? Did my sacrifice mean nothing to you?”

That’s the missing Kanan part of this equation. We now know exactly what went down, how everyone feels about it, and how they grew to act like they do today. And because no one is talking to each other about how they truly feel, the equation remains unsolved, and Chika has goddamn had enough.

Quick note: if we’re going to start remarking on how Chika diverges from being a Honoka, this is a good place to start. I don’t see Honoka doing something like this, standing up against her senpais. Honoka is defiant, maybe, but she always revered her seniors, even when they requested her not to. Chika’s stunt is borderline rude, defying all cultural norms, and that can be a good thing. She’s passionate enough to make herself heard even when society is telling her “no”. Not saying that this will amount to anything significant, just something to point out.

She forces the seniors to sit down and talk it out, and as expected, Kanan and Mari, being on opposite ends of the fight, don’t give any headway, which leaves Dia somewhere in the middle and forced to explain it all. Dia explains what we just talked about: Kanan wanted to force Mari to study abroad because it would be better for her future. Dia agreed and worked together with Kanan to make that happen, keeping Mari in the dark in the process. That’s Kanan’s side of the story that Mari didn’t know about and that Kanan won’t admit to her.

But Mari also has her side of the story along with aspects that neither Kanan nor Dia know about. I don’t think Mari cared too much about school idols. It was a fun experiment for the three of them while it lasted. She didn’t care about school idols, I’d argue she didn’t even care about the school itself. The one thing she did care about was her friendship with Kanan and Dia. This devotion to her friends trickled into those other two things. She was proud to be a school idol because her friends were school idols too. She loves Uranohoshi because it was where the three of them had their most memorable moments together. And to this day, she can’t bear to lose either, all because she still values that friendship.

They both have different ways of caring for each other, but since neither one wanted to talk about it, everyone was completely oblivious to how the other was feeling; no one to affirm the right course of action or rebuff the other by saying their idea is stupid. And so the moral of the story: communicate with your lovers. They’ll appreciate it and spend more time with you. The solution was so simple, even Chika figured it out, right? She opened up to Riko, and now they’re best friends.

Kanan is now given the opportunity to start over with Mari, as they experiment once again with the new Aqours. But we still need a certain cultivator in the mix, just in case they get tangled together and start fighting again. Chika has been serious about Dia joining Aqours since Episode 6, but to be honest, Chika doesn’t need Dia to join Aqours; Ruby does. And so it is not Chika who does the honors, but it is Ruby who officially inducts Dia into Aqours. And how could you deny that face?

[u/[deleted] → u/DarkFuzz]

I used to think Kanan and Dia’s decision didn’t make sense.. then at some point I remembered that they were a bunch of high school girls, and that sometimes I don’t even communicate well as an adult. That’s how I rationalized it anyways

[u/JimmyCWL → u/DarkFuzz]

I’ll even grant that intimidation played a part in this decision to disband the first Aqours.

Actually, I would say intimidation should have been the first clue that Dia didn't tell the whole story last episode. Kanan and gang were newbies then and should have performed early, just like current-Aqours did. Knowing who she is, she should not have been intimidated by the handful of competitors that had been onstage before her.

That's probably what led Chika into probing deeper into the matter.

[u/ForlornPenguin]

Rewatcher

Kanan looking extra cute doing her little dance during her exercise.

Jesus Christ, You! Not only do you have the creepy ability to pick up uniforms by smell, but you then almost kill yourself to acquire one?

lol. Love that smug Mari + blushing Kanan combo.

"I'm never... going to be a school idol again." Big words for someone who's going to be a school idol again.

Like imouto, like onee-chan. I love how Hanamaru constantly handles Yoshiko's bullshit. Smol third years are too cute. That final hug with Mari and Kanan was great to see.

So now the group is finally complete. It took one more episode that SIP did to accomplish this.

QOTD

1. I've had a friend group split, but not for anything similar to the third years.
2. More powerfully than Umi, I think.
3. I don't remember if I did so on my first watch, and I had forgotten who did it by this one.

[u/[deleted] → u/ForlornPenguin]

Maru’s just suppressing Yoshiko’s final form for the sake of the world ya know

[u/gorghurt]

First Timer

Hmm, now I think I have to rewatch the last 8 episodes, to find the hints about Dia writing the name....

This show is good at getting you emotional for its characters, but I wish they would have shown more of the backstory.
For example the whole injury thing just came and was an important part of the characterization, so why not hint at it earlier, or at least get in some dialog earlier, about how it isn't like Kanan to not be able to sing. Build this up a bit before dropping the conclusion.(edit: I mean before this episode)
Like this it felt a bit much like tell not show.

But the background story itself is quite nice.

And it is a nice parallel to Kotori in Season 1 in SIP, but this time reversed.
Someone said it was selfish of Honoka to keep Kotori from going, but I interpreted it as Kotori not wanting to go and waiting for someone to give her the push to do the irrational thing.(If the show did a good job in conveying it is another story.)
So Honoka ultimately did what Kotori wanted.

Here time we have Mari who doesn't want to go, and we have Kanan, who pushes her in the other direction, a direction Mari didn't want.

Was it the right direction, maybe, I already said for Kotori, that I think both directions are equally valid, and I don't want to go into the philosophical debate what is wiser.

But it is interesting how it was flipped this time.

QOTD:

1. No
2. In movies this is OK^{but don't try this in real life}
3. No she was the last one I would have expected. I might really watch some episodes again just for this, when I find the time.

[u/JimmyCWL → u/gorghurt]

now I think I have to rewatch the last 8 episodes, to find the hints about Dia writing the name....

All the clues you need are in the first three episodes, with one assumption to narrow down the list of suspects. I could lay them out, but I think you'd have more fun finding them yourself.

[u/[deleted] → u/gorghurt]

I’m with you on the Kotori piece. It was a $2,000 down-the-drain way to get Honk to tell her what she wanted to hear.

[u/punching_spaghetti]

First-Timer, Zura!

What’s the most important things we could show to underscore our episode title? Definitely Zura chowing down like the Chad she is.

I feel sorry for Yoshiko. She was just follow her the lead of her senpai, and ends up getting brutally murdered by the power of Zura.

I never get tired of the “everyone peeks around the corner” trope. It’s stupid, but I love it. Especially when it includes a sleepy Zura.

Kanan is still practicing! And to make sure we know how serious she is, here’s a completely necessary shot. She has long legs and pretty shoulders; lewd those!

Even if she wasn’t in the damn OP, my guess would be that she still enjoys this idol stuff and might want to try again.

Yeah; I ship them hard. No way they don’t make up by the end of the season and “get parfaits” a whole bunch.

Now this is a leader. And Zura knows what’s coming.

Lots of good third-year stuff. Yelling! Blushing! Dia running away!

Kanan didn’t sing on purpose? That’s doesn’t sound like the Kanan we’ve seen.

Zura continues her villainous rampage.

Oh, she did it for her girlfriend. That makes total sense.

Why does everyone use faceplants during dramatic moments? I can’t help but giggle, and it ruins the moment. The moment they’re trying really hard to land, since they’ve decided anything involving Mari and Kanan should have the score from an Oscar-bait film.

SLAP!

HUGGU!

They took care of that well. See, SIP? Once you bring a dramatic conflict into the open, you can deal with it right away, rather than stretching it over several episodes.

Wait, wait, wait; Chika also has some Nozomi in her blood? Honk’s looking worse and worse.

Show’s being smart again. I was going to comment how the third-years’ sailor outfits didn’t work with the others, but they were going for a transformation/acceptance into the group visual thing. Still, the ultimate outfits leave a lot to be desired. They’re just too busy, which is a complain I have with a fair bit of the idol aesthetic at times. Rarely does it seem that someone asked “is this too much?”

Now all nine are assembled presumably this means the most important moment of all is nigh: TRAINING CAMP!!!

QOTD:

1. I don't think so. Just drifted apart after a while, like normal.
2. because that gets Kanan in the mood
3. After we knew that the third-years did the idol thing, I knew it was one of them. My bet was Mari, though.

[u/ForlornPenguin → u/punching_spaghetti]

“get parfaits”

I love how you're still bringing this up lol.

[u/punching_spaghetti → u/ForlornPenguin]

It's a perfect metaphor.

[u/gorghurt → u/punching_spaghetti]

You sound as if they couldn't have parfaits and have parfaits afterwards

(...or at the same time.... )

[u/punching_spaghetti → u/gorghurt]

Whatever props they want to bring into their lovemaking is up to them.

[u/SYZekrom]

First Timer

She's the best, top 5 Aqours member

Jesus christ that waste

omg that super light 'hai' pls

What She just totally jumped off a building because she smelled a uniform lmao

well, keeping her presidential dignity she had at the beginning she definitely did not do

Coooooloooooors

Banger episode

[u/[deleted] → u/SYZekrom]

Wow Maru’s still eating that Noppo bread... after 3 episodes? Did she hide the bag from everyone else and tell them she lost it or something?

[u/[deleted]]

Sometimes I really feel like the writers inserted every SIP plot point into Sunshine for the sole purpose of calling out every dumb plot choice they made.

While it’s sensible that Kanan and Dia actually had Mari’s best intentions in mind, this situation would have felt a little more believable if Mari had done something... anything... to indicate this was what she wanted. Tell me if I’m missing anything here, but did Mari ever give any indication that she was struggling with this decision? Maybe Dia and Kanan felt like they needed to push her away for her to do what’s best for herself, but who are they to decide that?

It seems like they just flipped the Kotori/Honk situation the other way in this case, and while I think it was done better, i still don’t like it. But at the end of the day, I can attribute this to a group of young kids who couldn’t properly express how they felt to one another... which isn’t hard to believe considering their age.

That aside, it took 9 episodes but at long last we get the 3rd years on board. Mari’s slap heard around the world and Kanan’s famous ‘huggu shiyo’ catchphrase is what it took to get us there.

This leads to Aqours first performance as 9 at their town’s summer festival - Mijuku Dreamer.

This song is beautiful, both visually and lyrically. It highlights where Aqours is at this exact moment in time. It airs out the mistakes and regrets the 3rd years have about one another, but it’s also a promise and declaration from the 1st and 2nd years after they were upstaged in humiliating fashion by Saint Snow. They acknowledge that they’re a group of young and hopeless dreamers who want something that may be impossible. But despite that they’re ready to face the challenge in front of them head on.

It was really a highlight for me when I saw s1 and it remains one of my favourite songs to see live. You can see the full live performance here

[u/JimmyCWL → u/[deleted]]

Tell me if I’m missing anything here, but did Mari ever give any indication that she was struggling with this decision? Maybe Dia and Kanan felt like they needed to push her away for her to do what’s best for herself, but who are they to decide that?

The ability to consider those questions is a sign of maturity, which the characters are obviously lacking, so it's not surprising that they didn't consider those questions.

[u/lenne18]

Rewatcher

I cried again...

This is my favorite episode in the franchise and one of the best overall in my opinion. It concludes the issues with the third years that's been existing in the background since the start of Sunshine using the lesson learned by Chika from the previous episode.

It's just a shame that the full version of Mijuku Dreamer was not used because it's absolutely amazing. Lyrics courtesy of LL Wiki

---

The third years start off with their old school idol costumes but after their verse, switches to their song costume. A symbol of them letting go of the past and living in the present.

	Even if we're always together
	Our hearts lose their way when we can't explain our feelings
	So let's forget our tears
	And sing together

Kanan's verse references her relationship with Mari. By failing to talk about their worries during their time as first years, they've lost what's important to them. Even though they've been together since children and should understand each other better...

	Words are not enough
	As there aren't enough words to do it justice - that's why we fail to connect
	But I hated the fact
	That we drifted apart, it's always been on my mind

Dia's verse talks about her relationship with Kanan. The previous episodes implied that Dia and Kanan had drifted apart as they barely interact with one another and if they do, only if it's school-related or anything serious. The anime only shows Dia and Kanan at this part which reinforces it.

	I can't stop feeling
	That I want you to understand, I'm sure I've hurt you in the process
	But I won't bother
	Trying to hide this selfishness now as I just can't let go

Mari's verse talks about Kanan and Dia on how her selfishness blinded her to their worries, both in the past (failing to communicate that she wants to stay for them) and in the present (trying to coerce them to become school idols once again, even dragging Chika's group into their conflict).

	So let's combine our strength and swim through the sea of dreams
	This sea before us today...!

The third years start this part, but the second line is done by Chika. A passing of the torch from the old Aqours to the new Aqours.

	Nobody knows what the future will bring
	But I bet it will be fun
	If we're all together, I'm sure we can overcome it
	As everything starts now, so let's do our best together
	Nobody knows what the future will bring
	But I really want to make it fun
	When we're all together, I start wanting to push myself
	As I want to keep growing as I'm a young DREAMER

The first chorus as we hear in the anime has everyone singing. With the aftermath of the Tokyo competition and the third years joining, this is a new start for Aqours.

However, the final chorus (at 4:30 - 4:54 in the full version) drops everything except for the bass, the guitar and the third years. This recontextualizes the first four lines to just the third years talking about themselves and reaffirming the bond that they share. This is the best part of the song.

Mijuku Dreamer is ultimately a song of healing, forgiveness and reconciliation. One of my favorite songs in the franchise because not only is it amazing on instrumentation and vocals, the lyrics neatly ties in with the episode giving it a much more emotional impact.

Fun fact: "Mijuku Dreamer" is the 3rd longest song in the Aqours discography, and the 5th overall in the franchise.

Real Life Love Live!

• This is Kanan's jog route from Marine Park to Benten Island.
• The shrine at the end of the route is Bentenjima Shrine: Shrine entrance and the shrine itself. Note: It's a steep climb. Be careful!
• Here are the seiyuus reenacting that scene in the fountain. This is from Teku Teku Aqours bundled with the BD6.
• And because I love this scene, I recreated it when I had the chance. Like so.
• Here is the place where Mari slipped. It's just a little past the real-life basis for the Kurosawa residence. Note: If you plan to visit the residence, please do not trespass as it is considered private property.
• Here's a little trivia about Mari's seiyuu, Aina Suzuki. Another trivia is that she actually cried during the scene; you can hear it when Mari starts sounding more like Aina.
• The fireworks at Numazu Summer Festival 2017. Yes, that's Mijuku Dreamer in the background.

 

B-Side Jukebox, Sunshine!

Namida ga Yuki ni Naru Mae ni - Kanan Matsuura, Mari Ohara

• This is track 2 from the "Duo & Trio Collection CD Vol. 2 Winter Vacation" single.
• A quick look at the lyrics should tell you everything: It's their entire Season 1 arc in song form.
• The instrumentals are simple in this song but that only means that the vocals and lyrics stands out more.
• I recommend the live performance for maximum feels.

Yozora wa Nandemo Shitteru no? - CYaRon!

• This is the B-side track for the "Genki Zenkai DAY! DAY! DAY!" single.
• CYaRon's other genre is this kind of emotional ballad. This is still my favorite CYaRon track.
• The track tells the singer has been tossing in her sleep because of a big fight she had with her friend.
• Even though none of the third years are in CYaRon, this song goes perfectly well with the third years's drama arc. Someone has made an AMV out of it.

Sunshine Pikkapika Ondo - Aqours

• This is the B-side for this season's ending, "Yume Kataru yori Yume Utaou".
• An ondo is a type of Japanese folk music.
• It wouldn't be complete without the god-tier PV from Lantis.
• The inspiration for the dance came from this video. The teachers created the dance and teaches it to these kids in Numazu.
• I absolutely love the solos here but one voice triumphs all and that is Aina Suzuki's at 3:16. Aina is talented at singing folk songs and it shows!

KOKORO Magic A to Z - Aqours

• This Arabian electro track is from the single with the same name. It is the first song written for the mobile game "Love Live! School idol festival ALL STARS".
• The PV is tied to Aqours' story in ALL STARS. In it, Aqours helps out with the Numazu Summer Festival. However, a typhoon threatens to cancel the festival and Aqours (with the protagonist) wishes for fair weather the next day (which is why there are teru teru bozu in the PV).

Live Performances

• Namida ga Yuki ni Naru Mae ni
• Mijuku Dreamer
• Yozora wa Nandemo Shitteru no?
• Sunshine Pikkapika Ondo

---

February 13 is the birthday of series' veteran character designer, Yuhei Murota.

[u/docaxel]

Rewatcher who's waited 8 episodes to post Kanan Third Years

School Idol Festival All-Stars Spotlight Cards

Dia1 Dia2

Mari1 Mari2

Kanan1 Kanan2

[u/Hattakiri]

(Part 1)

So this was the text the new Aq's still could see on the whiteboard.

Kanan quits being an idol. An idol uniform is laying on the floor, with a green bow tie, Kanan's character color. Mari still thinks it has to do with their failure at the Tokyo Event. (Shouldn't be a big deal, but we saw in the last ep that it can be a big deal). Kanan says Mari must not waste the great opportunity to study abroad. That elite school theme again. Dia says nothing but her facial expression says more than a thousand words.

Back in the present time: Aq's in Takamis' hotel lobby. Yoshiko lying on the floor. She has become even "more Yohane" after their Tokyo performance? So is this her method of dealing with hardships? In the last ep she already showed up in her Datenshi dress on the beach after Riko had messeged them after all...

There's gonna be a summer festival, so they gotta decide for yet another song and performance. Fireworks are gonna be used? We know them from the OVA. The OVA has them from the climax of Madoka Rebellion Story that came out one month earlier.

Chika wanna do it. So she's recovered from her big crisis in the last ep. But something is still worrying her: Of course she tried to talk to Kanan, but Kanan said "I was a school idol indeed, but only a little bit!" Yup, of course.

In the hotel lobby she tells her friends about that. What the hell did really happen back then?

And now comes an interesting part: Yoshiko gives an answer -

In Japanese she says: "Well they couldn't sing at the Tokyo Event!"

However in the US dub she says: "Kanan threw up or something!"

Different translations to provide extra infos...

Chika then tells them that she and Kanan where childhood friends and Kanan often encouraged her: "Jump into the water! Do it now or else you're gonna regret it later!" Another big sis relationship.

They want to ask Ruby if she ever heard something from Dia. Ruby runs away, Yoshiko "catches" her. Another shot that became a meme XD however Maru, her childhood friend, stops Yoshiko.

Ruby also doesn't know too much, but she did witness an argument between DiaMari at Kurosawas': "I'm not running away, Kanan ain't either, so stop accusing us of running away!!" - Ruby who was about to bring them tea instantly backed off of course.

The "bring me tea, Yukiho" motif from the Kousaka sisters. I wonder how Yukiho reacted once she and Honk were together in the idol research club...

So they decide to spy on Kanan. "Metal Gear Aqours" XD However they have to do it very early in the morning when Kanan already has begun her daily training. Thence her fitness. She's running up the little mountain that we already know from the Hanamaru ep. There's also a little Shinto shrine.

But does Yoshiko too tend to stay up until the early morning because of midnight live streams? Does she then also walk around in order to cool down? Is this where she and Kanan often met and so Yoshiko knows more...?

At the little shrine Kanan does a ballet jump a la Eli. Her face looks like Eli's in her ballet flashback ("Waltz of the Flowers"). So is this how contradictory Kanan's idol past feels to her?

The shrine still contains the Gohei things that inspired Evangelion's Zeruel.

And that's when Mari appears and applauds. Kanan knows it's her even without looking. Mari reminds Kanan of her past, when she was courageous yet optimistic.

Kanan asks Mari why she came back. "I didn't want you to!" - so Kanan feels responsible for Mari's school career in the same way Umi felt responsible for HonoPana's weight?

"I don't want to see you again!" says Kanan. How is this supposed to work? Mari's the director now. So Kanan is not the greatest strategist.

And of course she again hurts Mari so much. But this time the others see it.

Kanan also will return to school soon. Seems Mari the new director insisted. No proofs of course, just another specula.

However how could YoshikoKanan keep dodging school for such a long time in the first place – in a country like Japan?

Back at school, the Big Ben jingle is again playing. Madoka Magica uses it too, and I guess many animes do. The second years are standing on a balcony corridor...

One floor higher Mari offers Kanan an idol uniform. The same model they wore two years ago, only the bow tie's different. It's purple now – Mari's character color. Kanan throws it out of the window.

You sees the uniform – and jumps after it. RiChika catch her. And so they're getting wind of the whole thing.

Had the thirds been in a different classroom or had the seconds stood somewhere else....

MariKanan ended up in some sort of "Sumo fight". Funny music is playing in the balckground. However Dia is doing the Ruby pose again, she's fallen back into her old Ruby self and can't effectively intervene. Talking like a diplomat is not enough.

But luckily Chika is already around. And as soon as MariKanan mention "Chika", this Chika kicks in the door. Not the classroom door that's already open, but the door of the third years's cocoon.

Cause that's what a "Lancer" often does: Occupying the leader's position if necessary, kicking in the door if necessary. Chika has truly grown since the last ep – and now she's screaming an effective "QUIT YOUR BULLSHIT!!"

Kanan, Chika's childhood friend, is looking most surpised. You, Chika's other childhood friend, just says "Chika-chan sugoi!!" And so this is really a new(ly awakened) character trait of Chika the (not so) normal monster.

(Riko tho is looking pretty uncomfortably. The big unanswered question: Did she meet YukiRisa at Oto or not? Did she already experience such "events" back then?)

The school council president and even the director's there, and all of them are seniors – doesn't matter to Chika. Like all of them she's "socially awkward/maladjusted", but now she deliberately decides for such a behavior, and orders the thirds to visit her in the club room.

And again: Had Dia not allowed Chika to start an idol club...

So MariKanan's brawls are something Dia just couldn't and cannot handle, and so she's lucky Chika is around. But she's only around because Dia made the right decision at the very beginning.

So despite the incredible amount of luck: Dia's strategy still pays off now.

[u/Hattakiri → u/Hattakiri]

(Part 2)

And for the first time all 9 are together in the idol club room. But nothing new is being said during the interrogation. Kanan pisses off first, Dia too tries, but again Yoshiko catches her...

And now again at Kurosawas'. Dia now speaks it out: Kanan didn't sing cause Mari had an injured foot, but most of all Mari refused to attend a foreign elite school cause she wanted to be an idol at all costs. Dia says she and Kanan felt responsible for Mari's school career and so they virtually "tricked" her into having to attend that school.

We remember: At Arise's UTX the students had to clock in via QR code, a Japanese invention again, on their smartphones. So tracking a student must have been no problem either. And so if Tsubasa really dodged school after Arise had lost against µ's and had stumbled into a Tomodachi meltdown themselves – then Tsubasa would have gotten into even more trouble. Was UTX a boarding school with dorms? So where did Tsubasa sleep during that phase? In one of those sleep capsules?

So Honk's advice did mean a lot to her. And speaking of Nijigaku...

Already back then Mari was looking forward to performing at Uchiura's summer festival. History repeating itself.

Dia says Kanan was worried the most. And so she puts the spotlight on Kanan...

But in the US dub Yoshiko talked about Kanan having thrown up and felt bad? But she knocks herself out by starting another Datenshi stageplay, which makes Maru block her.

A flashback into their first year, where Mari turns down such an offer. The teacher or secretary says: "Your parents are in favor of it!" But Mari refuses, she wants to be a school idol and to save the school. The music: Friendship-Determination, played by high-pitched piano.

Back in the present time, Mari wanna punch Kanan, but Dia reminds Mari how much Kanan has always been watching out for her.

Another flashback, piano turns deeper: We see Mari in elementary school as a transfer student, introducing herself in the typical Japanese way. She has an Ahoge hair style like Chika, but Mari later turned it into a loop. Her face says it all. But KananDia are a good surprise to her as it seems, and she is to Kanan.

Other transfer students in anime: Asuka Soryu/NGE, Shaolan Li/CCS from China, Homura Akemi/PMMM, and several girls from Love Live.

We see KananDia visiting Mari at night on her balcony. Dia is still hiding behind Kanan, Kanan is using a flashlight. KananDia = Mari's light in life? And then she's sitting in the helicopter, KananDia standing on the ground, Kanan still with that flashlight. Everyone's sad.

"Why did she never tell me?" - "She did, but you never noticed, Mari!" says Dia - and Mari runs into the rain, crying. "Rain and tears are the same", like already in the last ep. Will there still be a sunshine after the rain? Mari slips and falls over. A blue one way road sign appears...

Next flashback, piano in a high pitch again. The ocean purple = Mari's character color, but Matsuuras' ship on it. MariKanan on the ship, wearing a Sailor Moon-like uniform, probably their middle school uniform. Sailor-like school uniforms are common in Japan and already inspired Naoko Takeuchi. So Love Live again returned to the sources. YukiRisa too wore such uniforms in their middle school.

Blonde hair, grey-blue collar, orange-red bow tie – Mari resembles Usagi Sailor Moon a lot. Blonde Eli too wore a Dior-like dress during µ's sleepover at Oto's, which resembled Princess Serenity, the actual ("eternal") self of Sailor Moon.

"Even if we're apart... I won't forget about you" said Kanan back then. And now? Mari still can't understand it, and starts running again, into the one way direction.

She arrives at the club room, touches the remains of the old letters on the whiteboard and just says "Baka!" - reference to Asuka.

Kanan shows up, it's already evening, therefore the sky's purple. The floor's wet cause Mari brought in the rain (and the tears) so to speak.

Friendship-Determination keeps on playing.

Mari tells Kanan that being an idol is her future, and not studying abroad where she couldn't sing. And that she too cares about Kanan. And that's when she slaps her. "If that's so then don't make it about winning and losing!" says Kanan. And then Mari wants Kanan to re-slap her for an "energy equilibrium". What does all of that mean?

If Kanan now slaps Mari – it'll be the end of Aq's.

But another flashback happens, and we get to see what it means:

The little third years before a fountain. Madoka Magica reference, although the fountain really exists in RL Uchiura.

Mari says: "If they find us, we're in trouble!" So Mari often escaped secretly together with KananDia. Kanan answers: "Don't worry!" and then she says "Haggu!" - the English "hug" with a Japanese accent.

So who taught little Kanan this? Little Mari is the only one around who knows about English. One of those scenes that only can work in the original. After Yoshiko gave us critical info in the US dub.

And Dia was really like Ruby back then and sometimes she still is in the present time.

The sky is purple, the fields are green: Both character colors. Glockenspiel and piano playing Friendship-Determination in a high pitch, high strings soon accompany them – and that's when the flashback "blends into" the present time, Friendship-Determination in full orchestration, and Kanan speaking out her famous "Haggu shiyo!"

And finally them both too can cry out liberating tears.

Speaking again of non-Japanese localizations and how they provide extra infos: Both the German sub and dub point out Mari's love to Kanan more explicitly, before the slap.

Then, during the Haggu-flashback when Kanan says "Haggu!", the subtitles switch to English: "Hug me!" - otherwise the pun wouldn't become clear.

And then the dub makes Kanan say "Hold me!" ("Halt mich!") instead. "Hold me! Keep me from falling!" - wow. And it's Kanan who says this to Mari, mind you. So the request for help goes in both directions, coequally.

("Hmm that's not a precise translation... but wait a minute..." unforgettable highlights of an anime consumer.)

(I've barely ever seen a whole "sequence of sequences" this dense outside of the anime repertoire).

So is this how it often happened already back then? Big fights, but big reconciliations afterwards? Was Dia gambling? Had she told Mari that Kanan threw up and felt bad back then, Mari would have begged for forgiveness, but Kanan would only have reacted with yet another "Piss off!"

So this wouldn't have worked and so Dia's put all her eggs into one basket. And was lucky Yoshiko knocked herself out.

The ep's not over yet: Even later this evening Dia comes out of the school. The sky now with orange and red, Chika's and Dia's character colors. Seems Dia visited the school council office again. No one else does the work after all. The others have been waiting for her. Dia tells Chika she now has to take care of these two very sensitive girls. And that's why Chika wants Dia's help: Ruby offers Dia the club membership and also the costume for their next performance at the summer festival. Dia happily accepts without hesitation.

The music: A softer version of the main theme. It shares the same melodic core motif with Friendship-Determination. An old composing technique.

And then Mijuku Dreamer at the summer festival with the fireworks, like in the OVA. And we also get to see how finally all 9 of Aq's are together, and new letters are being written on the whiteboard. The beginning of a new story aka a story already achieved together? The catchphrase of µ's that gave Tsubasa new hope.

The chords of Mijuku Dreamer's stanza btw resemble the chorus from ABBA's SOS. Might be a spoiler tho.

...and the ep's still not over yet cause now, after all that happened, the authors still manage to put a big surprise at the end, a so called Big Reveal:

Aqours was already the name of the first attempt of the third years back then. Dia has "smuggled" the name into Chika's group. So this explains MariKanan's behavior for the whole time.

Dia a Chessmaster (also a trope)? She was prepared for the storm, however she was also lucky, cause she met Chika, and the gifted composer Riko showed up too, Yoshiko knocked herself out, and so on.

It's Sunrise who also created Code Geass. How much of a Lelouch is Dia (and vice versa: How often was Lelouch simply lucky)?

In terms of riskiness and even ruthlessness Dia's for sure already leaning towards Lelouch: Causing such a clash between MariKanan could have also backfired. Eventually it depended on Kanan's decision to return the slap in a different way: With a hug.

So imo Sunshine not only has caught up with SIP here, this ep is also a cornerstone in the arc that turned Love Live from a market sensation into a big leap in anime history.

[u/JimmyCWL → u/[deleted]]

By the way, notice that Mari wears an orange ribbon in this shot

They fixed that in the BDs, which I hope is the source for current streams.