Show By Rock!!

Episode 10

Into every story of friendship, a touch of betrayal must fall. In the case of Show By Rock!!, that "slightly evil" friend (Retoree's words, not mine) is pushed into the betrayer role like a square peg into a round hole. A few weeks ago, the show explored the backstories of Plasmagica's founding members, and Chuchu revealed herself to be—gasp—ambitious. It was easy to forget, especially in light of Moa being an alien for some reason and Retoree being at the height of her tsundere phase. However, aside from twitching when Rosia gave Cyan an uncomfortable hug and tacitly acknowledged her as a threat, Chuchu's apparent dark side hasn't received any focus. With that being the case, building a story around this particular character trait seems like an odd choice.

It's not just that Chuchu wants to be a star—she apparently wants to rise to prominence through any means necessary. This is made apparent when the audience sees her putting her jealousy into words and venting her frustrations in the privacy of a darkened bedroom. It might have been more believable if Chuchu had been anything but kind and supportive in previous episodes, but this show has a habit of cramming too much plot into its limited runtime. In the same fashion as a Sailor Moon victim-of-the-week, Chuchu's insecurities, jealousy, and darkest desires make her a target for Dagger, who plays on her wish for stardom by inviting her to join his record label alone.

Predictably, convincing Chuchu to drop Plasmagica and join Unicorn Music is all part of a plot to darken Cyan's powerful Melodisian Stone, meaning that Chuchu is still not the real center of attention. Even before she succumbs to brainwashing, Chuchu expresses jealously upon learning that Dagger wants to involve Cyan in his nefarious plans. It's a strange thing to feel envious about, but okay. Still, Dagger succeeds despite his hostage Grateful King's pleas that Chuchu resist his dark energy. (We learn that King was the musician who inspired Chuchu to seek out rock stardom, and that he's been possessing Strawberry Heart in an attempt to fight Dagger through Plasmagica's music.)

Other shows might use this development to set the stage for a decisive multi-episode battle: a trusted ally corrupted by a shadowy villain, the good guys playing their hearts out in an attempt to reach their wayward friend through music, and said friend seeing the folly of her ways after being moved by the power of song. There's easily enough story here to carry the show through its remaining four episodes. However, by the time the credits roll, Show By Rock!! is finished with this plotline and ready to move on. Chuchu basically gives notice that she's quitting, Strawberry Heart tells the rest of the band she's been brainwashed, and Plasmagica woos Chuchu back with a song she wrote. Free of the dark hold on her Melodisian Stone, Chuchu admits to genuinely feeling much of the jealousy she expressed throughout the episode, but Cyan, Moa and Retoree aren't affected by it in the least.

Episode 10 showcases another example of the series cramming too much plot into just over 20 minutes. The beats of a familiar story arc are there, but instead of pulling off a unique twist on the formula or at least pacing the formula through a proper crescendo and denouement, Show By Rock!! crams it all into a single installment. Since Chuchu was rarely portrayed as an overly-ambitious character prone to fits of jealously, the episode only works if viewers are willing to ignore her previously established personality.

Rating: C+

Show By Rock!! is currently streaming on Funimation.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for two decades.