(L) Love Live! Sunshine!! TV Series - General Discussion

[Triple_R]

Well, we're now only a few months away from knowing what type of story Sunrise wants to tell for Aqours. Sunrise's creative vision for Aqours will soon be known.

Even if Sunshine has 3 or more seasons, I think the form of Aqours story will probably start to become clear in the first few episodes of Season 2. Because it is likely here where the Love Live franchise will determine what ideas it views as core to its brand, and what new ideas/approaches it wants to use for Aqours story.

Let's be fair - A group recruitment drive is a core part of the Love Live brand. It's a core part of the spirit of Love Live. An enthusiastic girl gets inspired at the sight of a nice idol performance, and goes on a magical recruitment drive because of it. That's definitive vintage Love Live. That may well always remain part of the first season of any show with "Love Live" in its title. And perhaps it should, as slight variations off this work very well even for non-Love Live shows (like the currently airing BanG Dream!, which I strongly recommend to any Love Live fan)

Now, where does Sunrise want to take Love Live the event? They might go hardcore sports anime with it. That's one option. Or Aqours might go in a different direction, arguing that being a school idol should be mostly about having fun and/or making deeper connections to school idol fans. Or Aqours might favor something different from either of these viewpoints.

And at a more basic character level, Season 1 did put some important dynamics in play. The overall RikoChikaYou dynamic is pretty distinct to Sunshine, and Season 2 may do more with it. And that's just one example.

Of course, when it comes to what people like or dislike, mileage will vary. Tastes will vary. I may or may not like Sunshine Season 2 myself. But one thing I will give Sunrise, and Aqours, is that they're bold. There's no breaks on the Love Live train! It's just full steam ahead, year after year after year.

Time will tell if this was the right approach or not, but I respect it.

[Liddo-kun]

Just hoping that there would be no more µ's worshipping in season 2. That lessened my enjoyment on season 1.

[blakstealth]

Season 2 is gonna be a straight up fighting anime between idol groups.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by blakstealth

Season 2 is gonna be a straight up fighting anime between idol groups.

I hope. I seriously do. I really think Saint Snow is not the only rival out there.

Look, the magic of Love Live is basically the same as the reason why I even watched K-on in the first place. But while HTT basically had no clear path to the Bukodan nor rivals, Love Live's very premise makes it not just making to the big stage possible, but doable and even anticipated. And that to me is what makes this anime different in the genre.

Originally Posted by Liddo-kun

Just hoping that there would be no more µ's worshipping in season 2. That lessened my enjoyment on season 1.

They paid for it with a huge Zero at the Tokyo School Idol World competition in Episode 8. Saint Snows entire criticism of Aqours basically is this very sentiment against Muse-worship slid right into the mouths of characters within the show itself. Even Dia's behavior in the first seven episodes was a meta-commentary on Muse-worship.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Now, where does Sunrise want to take Love Live the event? They might go hardcore sports anime with it. That's one option. Or Aqours might go in a different direction, arguing that being a school idol should be mostly about having fun and/or making deeper connections to school idol fans. Or Aqours might favor something different from either of these viewpoints.

And at a more basic character level, Season 1 did put some important dynamics in play. The overall RikoChikaYou dynamic is pretty distinct to Sunshine, and Season 2 may do more with it. And that's just one example.
.

This is an excellent and very insightful series of comment.

And RikoChikaYou is not the only distinct dynamic in play. Dia-Ruby and Dia-Mari-Kanan dynamics are both distinct to Sunshine too, and on hindsight has weighed on the plot from the very first episode on. Yoshiko's recruitment in the fifth episode was the one episode out of the first six which had no direct Muse call back, nor any analogy in the first half of SIP.

[Jimmy C]

Apologies for quoting out of order.

Originally Posted by novalysis

even possibly field sub-units.

I know you love the idea of sub-units, nova, you've said it often here and elsewhere. But, for a while now, when I think of sub-units, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. Performing as sub-units actually puts a group at a disadvantage in the competition. The reasoning goes like this:

One, the Big Rule in Love Live is only new songs may be used in the competition. That means songs used by the sub-units cannot be reused to compete. Those songs can only be used to promote the group. However, a full group performance delivers maximum impact and recognition for promotional purposes compared to a sub-unit performance.

Two, IRL, the record company doesn't really care if buyers don't make the connection between the sub-unit and the full group, they get paid either way. They also have the marketing experience and capability to be able to always put the connection front and center.

If a school idol group fails to make the connection loud and clear for every performance, it's lost votes in one direction (know the sub-unit, but not that there's a full group) and reduced audience in the other (know the full group, but not that a sub-unit is performing today, or don't care about one specific sub-unit) And "lost votes" ought to be the scariest words to competitors.

It's a bit like adding weights to yourself for a race. I don't say they can't or won't do it, but I don't see any advantages to it for school idol groups compared to full group performances as much as possible.

And, speaking of the competition, I've recently come to realize there's a loophole in the rules. While the rules say only new songs may be used, it doesn't say the competitors have to be the ones to come up with the songs. Which means a group can get someone else (not even a student) to write the songs for them. And design the choreography. And make the costumes.

The only thing holding groups back is they probably can't afford to pay for professional support like this. But their schools can, the same way schools can afford professional coaches, if they wanted.

Is there only one Rival for Aqours?
Remember, Episode 8 choose to hide the top two groups of the competition from the audience. Random detail, or Chekovs gun?

They hid more than just the top two groups. The 12th to 15th place groups were also not shown. The official memorial item for episode 08 was the shirt worn by the MC girl of the competition. It had all 30 group names on it. I put up a picture of it several posts ago. But, even if you crossed out all the shown names, you still only have a one in three chance of guessing which were the top two, and a one in six chance at the first place group.
As for more competitors, they really should have more. But I don't blame the studio if they believe they can't afford it. It's not a question of money, but time. A rival group must have a song, but every performance of their song, every one of their appearances in fact, costs time that could be used for a main group performance or continuing the story.

Since they've committed to Love Live being a competition, there must be at least one rival group and therefore one performance from them, or it won't feel like a competition. As it is, it barely feels like a competition.

If Sunshine S2 really does end with the current competition's finals, it doesn't make any difference if they add more rivals this time. All of them will only be eliminated at the end. So, we probably aren't seeing Saint Snow getting any company.

Saint Snow's ideology is actively antithetical to Aqours. A reckoning of ideologies is guaranteed.

I like to imagine, after Aqours outperforms Saint Snow in the finals, victory or not, Chika meets up with a sobbing Seira who asks her how did Aqours get so much better so quickly, it will be especially tough if they were more than two places apart. So Chika shares with her the realization they had that day after they parted ways. That their role models were special because they led and did things that hadn't been done before. Then she asks Seira if there was ever anything she wanted or could do but didn't because A-rise never did that before, she should think about doing them. With that, Seira can finally accept the outcome. She conceeds defeat, this time, but vows that Saint Snow will win the next competition. And Chika says, so will Aqours, of course.

Riko flashbacks in Otonokizaka

My imagination would go like this. Aqours goes over the entrants for the finals and discovers that the front runners are composed of the members of the winners of the last competition that are still in high school, from Otonokizaka. Everyone looks at Riko with the obvious question on their faces. She takes a while to think before going, "ah"

Flashback to her Otonokizaka days.

------

Riko playing the piano at school.

The PA speaker comes to life, "[GROUP] will be performing at...."

Riko plays louder to drown out the announcement.

------

Riko walks down a hallway at school.

A poster for [GROUP]'s performance comes into view.

Riko tilts her head to look at the other wall of the hallway.

------

A flyer for the performance is shoved in Riko's face.

She takes it and puts it away before reopening her eyes.

------

Riko says she thought they were the Light Music club's band and wasn't interested at the time.

for all we know, Love Live is twice yearly.

I would like to think so too. It lets me give five wins to Otonokizaka, and still have three left to UTX, one to another Tokyo group and the last to a group from elsewhere in Japan.

As much as we'd like to have Otonokizaka being a repeat winner in LL, the seeming finality of S1E12 means the school is even less likely to be mentioned again than Muse.

Chika still doesn't really know how to operate as a Trio - for Honoka, this is as natural as breathing - not so for Chika.

My question would be, why does she need to operate as a Trio? There will always be a difference between her relationships with You and Riko, simply because she hasn't known Riko for nearly as long as she has You. As long as the three of them can work together and get along with each other, that's good enough.

[Nork22]

I can only see sub-units being utilised for either:
a) comedic moments
b) non-competitive performances
c) off to the mountains!

If you put sub-units into the Love Live competition, Aqours just needs to field Guilty Kiss and they will instantly win Love Live.

[l.kostas]

"Love Live" Perfect Dream Project Teases μ's, Aqours, and Something More

[blakstealth]

what is this shieeet?! lol

[TnAdct1]

How long until people are able to buy those puppets (along with puppet versions of the u's members)?

[Nork22]

Originally Posted by blakstealth

what is this shieeet?! lol

Best live-action adaptation of an anime TV series. Look at how the characters are realistically portrayed!! My girl You looks so beautiful!

[blakstealth]

I like the part where Chika pummels Kanan. I don't even know why she did that.

[Jimmy C]

And the show's been subbed. Check it out!

[blakstealth]

Wow, Chika is a dick! lmao

[Raviel]

Originally Posted by blakstealth

Wow, Chika is a dick! lmao

If you think that's bad......

Spoiler for spoilers for HPT radio dramas:

wait till you see how she sabotages her own group's camping trip by purposely NOT packing any camping gear to teach them about unity under stress

Umi has nothing on Chika when it comes to hardcore training methods

If you look in certain places you should be able to find the 1st and 2nd radio dramas subbed.

[Dextro]

Wait, am I seeing this right and no one has mentioned this in the forum yet?

Love Live! Sunshine!! Anime's Season 2 Visual Revealed

The official website of the Love Live! Sunshine!! anime revealed the visual for the anime's planned second season on Wednesday.



The second season will premiere this fall.

I know that the first season had some difficulties leaving the shadow of the original show but I still feel like the second season has a serious chance of growing into its own and being something rather pleasant to watch. I for one am hyped.

[blakstealth]

GIMME GIMME GIMME

I'm so excited!

[Requiem-x]

That image makes Dia look so small

But yes, now that Aqours is free from the shadow of Time Lord Honoka and her friends, things should get much more interesting, and by that I mean hilarious, cute, and hopefully satisfying when its time to show Saint Snow what's what

More importantly, though. MORE SECOND YEARS SHIPPING!!!

[RX-78GP04G Gerbera]

Originally Posted by Dextro

Wait, am I seeing this right and no one has mentioned this in the forum yet?

Love Live! Sunshine!! Anime's Season 2 Visual Revealed



I know that the first season had some difficulties leaving the shadow of the original show but I still feel like the second season has a serious chance of growing into its own and being something rather pleasant to watch. I for one am hyped.

Not to mention that it felt like people, even a chunk of Love Live! fans, were just waiting to pounce on Sunshine!!, point out every perceived flaw in their eyes, instantly make personality connections to the first series' characters in order to declare them "boring copies", and so on.

[blakstealth]

Originally Posted by Requiem-x

That image makes Dia look so small

But yes, now that Aqours is free from the shadow of Time Lord Honoka and her friends, things should get much more interesting, and by that I mean hilarious, cute, and hopefully satisfying when its time to show Saint Snow what's what

More importantly, though. MORE SECOND YEARS SHIPPING!!!

It looks like You is also dabbin a little bit. Oh, You!

[blakstealth]