Love Live! Sunshine - Episode 8 Discussion / Poll

[Kairin]

Welcome to the discussion thread for Love Live! Sunshine, Episode 8.

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[Windy]

Oh my god those Mari and Chika breakdowns had me sobbing like a child x.x

It really is frustrating to finish last with 0 votes, but to get the courage to go forward despite that is truly phenominal. I'm glad Dia was there to give support and explain that its happened before. The difference being they gave up, and Chika did not.

Also pretty sure Saint Snow's words hit Chika pretty hard. This is probably the turning point where Aqours stops trying to be like Muse so much.

* I mean...I kind of expected Aqours to be the least popular from the title preview, but I didn't think it would be anywhere near THAT bad. Though it ties in to Step! Zero to ONE really well.

[Stark700]

The feels of this episode...

I'm sad for Aqours. 30 out of 30 place and 0 votes...that's going to hurt. Saint Snow came 9th place. Hopefully Aqours will improve more because they do have potential.

[Benigmatica]

While Saint Snow got 9th Place, I have to say that Aqours getting dead-last is the most heart-breaking of all!

On the plus side though, Chika Takami didn't give up as a school idol so it's reassuring that she and her friends can learn from their mistakes and become a better school idol group.

One last thing, Kanan dissing Mari's hug is the most cruel thing ever! Why Kanan-chan, why!?

[R.LocK]

I swear if Step! ZERO to ONE is not going to be in the show after this... eh, dunno what I'm going to do, but it'll be frustrating. And, err, Dia just shot up in my top Aqours girls, almost surpassing Yohane.

If there's one thing I didn't like in the episode, though, it's probably the scene with Kanan and Mari. I think, OG had me frustrated the most with Honoka getting depressed in the worst way possible, and Kanan's attitude mirrors it. Also, well, after listening to her not being depressive and sad in SIF, it's just depressing to see scenes with her.

[judasmartel]

The road from zero votes to number one in LL will be long and hard.

[darkchibi07]

Even with all that hard work and practice, the Aqours still failed miserably!

This is realistically harsh.

[Tempester]

Originally Posted by R.LocK

If there's one thing I didn't like in the episode, though, it's probably the scene with Kanan and Mari. I think, OG had me frustrated the most with Honoka getting depressed in the worst way possible, and Kanan's attitude mirrors it. Also, well, after listening to her not being depressive and sad in SIF, it's just depressing to see scenes with her.

I'm glad Kanan wasn't anywhere near my favorite Aqours girl before the anime started or else I would be extremely upset over the way the anime has been shafting her character. As someone who never cared for her much in the first place I can just casually sit back and enjoy her crawling in her skin (), but I do feel extremely sorry for Kanan fans right now, and I wonder whose brilliant idea it was to cut her screen time to pretty much zero while simultaneously making whatever scenes she does show up not exhibit her positive traits at all.

Hell, I could say that for the 3rd years in general, the show hasn't given them a chance to shine as part of the group dynamics which is a pity because Mari is just hilarious when she messes around with Yoshiko and Riko in the Guilty Kiss drama track. But it's especially bad for Kanan, because as much as they've been separate from the rest of the girls, at least Dia and Mari have been shown to have their strengths and positive contributions towards the plot, while Kanan has been nothing but either neutral or downright antagonistic.

Images

how the anime has portrayed Kanan

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Wandering Soul]

I was expecting them to rank poorly, but last place with no votes? They have a lot of improving to do.

Nice to see Mari's mask break for a bit and see what she is truly feeling underneath, even if it was sad that Kanan rejected Mari's wish and walked away.

[Seihai]

Excellent episode. This week showed us everything I had hoped for. Saint Snow's performance was very cool. Chika and the rest gathered valuable experience in Tokyo. As expected, the participants tenfolded within just a few years since A-Rise and Muse made the event called Love Live explode with popularity. Even the beginners now face a seemingly unclimbable wall called Akiba Dome. Face reality, Chika. You started this for fun, but this isn't just for fun anymore. That's why you don't see anything, and it's damn admirable that you are self aware of that fact, grasping reality with the rest of your group. That was definitely my favorite part of the episode. They know they did their best. They know their performance was the best yet. But compared to everyone else, they're nothing special and that's the harsh reality.

And again, I have to praise Dia and Ruby's relationship. Ruby is such a lovely character and I certainly felt the emotions come up in me when she ran into her sister's arms to cry herself out. Chika aside, I still say she has it the hardest with her stage fright and this was a superb sample of "show, don't tell".

Next, the 3rd year drama finally presents itself and I don't think it could have been any more impactful with Mari's sudden emotional backlash towards Kanan who right now still won't waver from her opinion.

Finally, Saint Snow didn't really show their motivation behind what they're doing so we can't tell if they were just Muse fans like Aquors are. But what we do know, and that's what's important anyway, is that they aren't top idols that are in the actual top like A-rise were. And that puts their "rivalry" on the same wavelength which definitely differentiates from the OG's rivalry.

P.S.: I want to be hugged by Kanan.

[Xeiros]

There's an obvious disconnect between the context of the show's universe and reality. The songs you heard in the episode were professionally written and are not in any way indicative of what a bunch of high school girls many of whom have had no vocal, dance, etc training let alone experience would be capable of producing.

Did Aqours song come off as a last place, this is terrible, you're out of your league performance to you? Could you tell they were anything resembling bad and need to improve based solely on that performance alone? Imagine if the actresses had actually sung poorly, messed up the lyrics, and the animation had shown clear mistakes in the execution of their sloppily planned dance choreography. Where you could tell easily and without a doubt that they were the worst group. Not because the group wasn't even fully formed or it was still only the first cour and it wouldn't make any thematic or narrative sense for them to succeed that quickly.

No, we got a not at all high school performance of a song that will be sold in a real life for money and had to just accept that it was subpar. The group had only recently gotten its sixth member. It was too soon.

Though just as with the first season it's doing a poor job of showing the difference between raw beginners with no training and experienced well trained professionals when every insert song in the shows is a professionally written and performed song. When they win love live next cour, compare their winning song with this one. According to this episode it should be worlds better in every respect. It won't be. It'll be the same overproduced professionally written idol music with on real difference in quality within that medium.

[Requiem-x]

Ouch... this is one of those where you have to pause multiple times, or outright not look at the screen to avoid heart pain, and even then, Chika letting it out at the end did get to me, somewhat. Considering something similar happened with the original LL, I'd say Sunshine is doing a pretty good job. Very glad to be see Chika is taking her job as leader seriously, and even more so than she's as angry as she is sad over what happened. That kind of result would piss off anyone, and yes, this is experience talking (not in idols, though).

I certainly didn't expect for even Saint Snow to not make it (by the way, that was an awesome song), but it does make sense: Muse set the bar, and the new guard rose to the challenge. Now I kinda want to see someone from Muse popping up at the finale just to say these girls would've destroyed them.

Meanwhile, on the fourth years, Dia is now clearly one of the best characters, and again, a really good big sister. On the other side, Mari's master plan seems to have fallen apart, even if she isn't giving up.

Pretty good episode in terms of the drama, and now, for Aqours to kinda start from zero (no whale hunting here, though). Next time... what's this? Could it be? Acknowledgement that Chika and Kanan have known each other since they were kids? Finally!

...are they going to recruit all the third years in one fell swoop? If so, awesome!

[tsunade666]

Nice and emotionally package episode. Its not cringe worthy but just plain sad. The reality hit them hard. Zero votes. Starts from Zero... the staff is watching/reading Re:Zero >_>

I liked the scene where Chika cried her hearts out and the others are with her. Its a heart warming scene.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Xeiros

No, we got a not at all high school performance of a song that will be sold in a real life for money and had to just accept that it was subpar. The group had only recently gotten its sixth member. It was too soon.

Though just as with the first season it's doing a poor job of showing the difference between raw beginners with no training and experienced well trained professionals when every insert song in the shows is a professionally written and performed song. When they win love live next cour, compare their winning song with this one. According to this episode it should be worlds better in every respect. It won't be. It'll be the same overproduced professionally written idol music with on real difference in quality within that medium.

It would be an interesting marketing strategy, if they gave the raw, deliberately weaker version of the real insert songs during in-anime performances, and use the professional variant in EDs or release previews simultaneously of the professional version online with each episode, to encourage those who want to know what the professional version really looks like.

That, or they need to stop their rookie group formula, and subvert SS inevitable successor with a School Idol group that's mid tier with pre-established members, where the injection of new members and new leadership leads the club out of the B level doldrums of School Idoling.

[Akito Kinomoto]

This episode was...

no...

is

absolutely beautiful. These poor little country bumpkins haven't realized how much Love Live! has grown since the 1st heroes rocked the stage. And the ashes of the past will not be rekindled so easily. The realization to zero and the voice work during the watershed moments is smooth and sentimental without being sappy

Chika, what are you thinking when you reach out to your idols? Do you want to keep chasing the moon, or have you realized everyone's now reaching for the stars?

[Seihai]

Originally Posted by Xeiros

[...]it's doing a poor job of showing the difference between raw beginners with no training and experienced well trained professionals when every insert song in the shows is a professionally written and performed song.

Huh, that's the first time I've seen someone criticize the songs for being good. I think what you're missing is enough suspension of belief. We aren't supposed to question how they can even produce those kind of songs on their own without an idol manager, real sponsors, a professional band, and stuff like that. It's just that, anime. Sure, Aquors' performance may have been kinda professional, but that just means everyone else was even more so. I believe we should just accept that's the kind of world they live in. Besides, the performance itself is by any means not the only factor that plays a role in deciding one's popularity anyway.

When they win love live next cour, compare their winning song with this one. According to this episode it should be worlds better in every respect. It won't be. It'll be the same overproduced professionally written idol music with on real difference in quality within that medium.

Song quality can only be so objective, don't you think? You judge it like there are different power levels a la DBZ

[novalysis]

Everyone is trying. Every group is putting hours into practice. Every group is planning routines, generating PVs, trying to innovate sufficiently to stand out. Muse playbook has probably been disected, and no doubt numerous strategies and styles have been built in direct response to their success, that being like Muse is a suicidal approach, with the level of competition and the fact that every top idol club has probably adjusted their techniques precisely to surpass the original Muse if they can.

And for the small group of countryside girls, reality ensures, and their leader faces a trial unlike any other even Honoka has ever faced. She takes this even better than Honoka, and displays frightening and amazing strength that I think even she did not know she possessed when she begun this endeavor.

Well done Chiaki. You've shot up close to the top of my favorites with this episode, and you have decisively differentiated yourself from Honoka.

[Triple_R]

Dia's explicit reference of μ's and A-RISE was completely unnecessary (especially against the backdrop of older A-RISE/μ's performances!), and took some away from an otherwise excellent episode. It's a real shame that this show just stubbornly refuses to let Sunshine stand on its own two feet, especially since this is one episode where it would have done so beautifully.

Aqours and Saint Snow's performances were cleverly handled considering where they finished in the rankings. Saint Snow's performance was enjoyable to watch, and more enjoyable to listen to (excellent singing).

[R.LocK]

Originally Posted by novalysis

Well done Chiaki. You've shot up close to the top of my favorites with this episode, and you have decisively differentiated yourself from Honoka.

Kono ko wa, dare?

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Dia's explicit reference of μ's and A-RISE was completely unnecessary (especially against the backdrop of older A-RISE/μ's performances!), and took some away from an otherwise excellent episode.

Oh, come on. That was perfectly a acceptable bow to Muse and A-RISE as well as acknowledgement of the events from the movie. Not every nod to them is cleverly done, but this time it was well integrated into the episode.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by R.LocK

Oh, come on. That was perfectly a acceptable bow to Muse and A-RISE as well as acknowledgement of the events from the movie. Not every nod to them is cleverly done, but this time it was well integrated into the episode.

No, it wasn't well-done. It added absolutely nothing to the episode. It didn't add anything that we haven't heard before or can't figure out on our own (like Tempester said last week, we're not brain-dead!) This episode, perhaps more than any other, should have been Aqours episode, all about them, leaving the OG entirely aside.