Forum - View topicLove Live! Superstar!! (TV) (all seasons).
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Season 1 - Love Live! Superstar!! (TV) Season 2 - Love Live! Superstar!! (TV 2) Season 3 - Love Live! Superstar!! (TV 3) Genres: comedy, drama Themes: idols, music, school Plot Summary: The story is set in the Yuigaoka Private Girls High School (私立結ヶ丘女子高等学校, Shiritsu Yuigaoka Joshi Kōtō Gakkō) that lies between the Omotesando, Harajuku, and Aoyama neighborhoods of Tokyo. The school was originally going to be demolished, only to have instead recently reopened to accept students. Within a school that hasn't made a name for itself, along with no history or accomplishments to speak of, Kanon Shibuya and four other first year students discover the existence of "school idols" and set out to let their voices be heard. They form a school idol group named Liella!, and aim to become superstars in their own right one day. Season 1 - Crunchyroll, FUNimation Season 2 - Disney+ ---------------------------------- This is technically the 6th season/series of the franchise, or the 3rd spinoff, following two seasons of Love Live! School Idol Project, two seasons of Love Live! Sunshine!!, and a single season of Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. As usual, no prior knowledge of past spinoffs will be needed, people should be able to jump in easily. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 2
I kind of skipped doing a post for the first episode, I think because the Summer 2021 preview guide and its thread were enough for me at the time, and I was kind of curious how it might go with a second episode. I am quite forward that Love Live Nijigasaki was the franchise at its weakest, my complaints be levelled along the lines where at that point we had 18 main character idols already, and getting another 9 (+ a main character) who were all solo acts kind of made it difficult to all feel distinct. Superstar seems to have broken tradition with only a 5 girl group, about half as many as before, which I think should make the focus easier. A lot of the trappings still seem to be here, with an orange haired centre character, Kanon, although a first year this time. But it isn't her that instigates the forming the group this time, but a bit foreign Keke from China, who has all the spirit, and trying to get the stamina in episode 2. We have also been given a reasonable introduction to white haired Chisato, who seems to be their choreography expert, who is just helping for now but is totally going to join in soon. Chisato also seemed to do a bit of a rap in the episode, which could ad a bit more of an interesting edge to the character. We have also had the student president, Ren, who is hostile to the forming of the group, for now, but following pretty much every former version will certainly join, since really obvious that she doesn't want one unless it is done well because she is actually a big fan of school idols. A meeting with a headmistress also normal, and also a bit of a divergence that she didn't just let the student president decide to shut it down, although Kanon and Keke have been given a tall order of becoming first in a local competition. And going by the list of characters, last will be Sumire, who by her appearance in this episode seems to be the one who wants to force a cute image of her, which are often some of the most fun (Nico). Something of note is that we have Takahiko Kyōgoku returned as director, who directed the both seasons of the first season, and I am beginning to think might have been the secret in how good those seasons were. I am rather enjoying the show so far, I think coming down a good deal to Keke being such a goofball, the stamina training reminds me a lot of Honoka and Hanayo. Or that Keke seemed to force/convince Kanon to pull her in a ridiculously large and flashy cart. So far the characters feel like they just speak for themselves as interesting rather than way too many. Also, it is looking rather good, not even the sort of awkward cgi bits that could kind of expect when characters sung before, but next week will probably show us how it does with a performance. The school at risk of being shut down is also not a story beat this time, which does stop it from feeling like the same thing. |
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bonbonsrus
 Posts: 1537 Location: Michigan, USA |
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I generally watch idol anime, but I can't say I usually LOVE the genre, but I'm liking this one so far. I agree with Dusky, the smaller group size will be a boon and I hope to keep liking this as we go forward, she certainly has a great voice and personality that make this a likable show!
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 3
Following delays from the Olympics, we finally got the third episode. Leading up to the competition, we actually got more focus back onto Kanon, that it seems to run fairly deep that she has bad self esteem. Kind of had touches of Rin from Muse in there, who also had trouble being able to see herself as cute. Keke's favourite idol group was going to be in it, which they kind of saw it coming that they were unlikely to be able to get first place at that point, winning some newcomer award and likely looking like they will have to stop. But of course failture in this series is expected, and it won't be the end. Looks like the team's gremlin will join next week. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 4
We get a formal introduction to Sumire, the blonde haired girl that keeps trying to get noticed/scouted. Her deal being that she has had some experience in showbiz, but they have all been small parts and she has wanted to get more notice. Does kind of make me think she hasn't really gone into the no such thing as a small role mind, that even acting the background could be something. The obvious comparison to make with her is with Nico, them both having the attention whore aspect, trying to create an image. They also managed to get recognised by the headmistress, given a clubroom and permission to use the roof for practice. Of course the roof, this is Love Live. Sumire kind of seemed down that she was not automatically given the centre position, despite actually being very good, and kind of decides to quit early. Although, she also kidnapped Kanon after the later saw her hidden shame as an isopod, which kind of ended up as almost Yoshiko level. But all is good in the end. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 5
I think the chemistry resting on Keke and Sumire has worked out the most fun, their semi-antagonistic interactions, which will probably make it easy to ship them in a sort of Nico and Maki way. But even by themselves they continue to be a lot of fun, with Sumire being a silly diva, while Keke is a lovable goofball. A favourite bit being when Keke called out isopod dance in regards to Sumire, with Sumire going straight to Kanon who clearly. But the episode was also boiling around Chisato, that she has been invited to a competition, so she shouldn't be helping the group too much, and apparently its holding the group back that a member is not doing the choreography, and as Chisato is going to the dance competition she has a letter of withdrawal for something. That perhaps there is going to be something like Chisato is planning if she doesn't win to withdraw from the music course, because her thoughts of thinking about the difference of course levels for why she can't join, while she clearly wants to join Kanon as a school idol. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 6
Oh, there are my yuri goggles. Yeah, kind of hard not to read anything into Kanon and Chisato's relationship. At this point someone is going in as a 5th wheel. How else do you explain that phone call, followed by Kanon running to the competition because she could tell something was wrong? Just a couple gal pals? |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 7
Looks like saving schools is back on the school idol menu. I guess that it took this long to actually find out that the school might be in trouble, so they didn't start trying to save it. The episode also had some fun with the girls trying to overcome the student president in an election; Keke and Chisato already deciding that Kanon had to run. No surprise Kanon was not for that, and by process of elimination Sumire through her hat in, but generally did not do too well, getting in trouble for trying to bribe students with takoyaki. Also shocking that Ren pretty much did her first decision after elected making the culture festival focus on the arts program students, which I think is only a quarter of the students. The answer seems to be that things are not going to well for finances, so Ren wants the culture festival as good as possible to hope for more students. But knowing Love Live, its going to be school idols that get the attention. Also, looks like Kanon can't help being popular, as a reason that Keke and Chisato figured she was the only choice to run, and other students like her too. And I especially enjoyed the imagine spot from Keke of the girls needing to practice in secret, before being tracked down by the powerful student president, it was so goofy. |
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Nate148
Posts: 471 |
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and save the school comes in from left field I do like the ideal here though so yay
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 8
Well, now they have all 5 members, I guess finding messages from Ren's mother who was also a school idol, and that she liked the whole school involved. Also, yes to the principal's real character. |
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Nate148
Posts: 471 |
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Yes this was great I love the detail with the locked box in the idol room hell I can even see honka and co doing the same sort of thing.
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 12 (season Finale)
At least I hope just a season finale, and we will get a second season of Superstar. Familiar with how the things usually go, that this group of only 1st years winning would mean nowhere to go, I had predicted that they would get second place with Sunny Passion taking top spot. Save their chances if they go into a second year, and whether there might be even plans to add in any more members, if that is an actual thing that can happen. Anyway, I had fun in this season, especially most things Keke, seconded by Sumire, and honestly Chisato and Ren were a little undercooked, hopefully a second season could bring more character to them. Kanon a nice middle ground, that I think she avoided coming across too strongly that she might be annoying. My rating will be Very good (8/10), chances are probably that I would probably be surprised with how the series has improved since first starting out, and I am still a fan. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Season 2, Episode 1
After a second season of Nijigasaki where I still felt quite checked out, it is great to come back to a second season of Superstar and I immediately feel the drastic difference. Our five main cast really stick out, but even so we have what looks like four more members that will be a treat: a country bumpkin, a live streamer (gremlin), a yankee who is a fangirl and her blue oni to her red that is a scientist of sorts. The Keke and Sumire are still my favourite parts running against each other, such as Keke kepy saying that it is Sumire's fault that they are not getting any first years. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15481 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Season 2, Episode 12 (season finale)
I do feel a little let down that I was a bit colder on the season than I would have liked, more than the previous season. It might have been that the inclusion of the 4 new characters did over clutter it a bit too much for me in having the characters feel more distinct. If there was a little problem I had with the first season of Superstar, it was that Chisato was not the would be rapper. Not because I really dislike Sumire, because honestly she was one of my favourite, but it was because Chisato had kind of been set up as the hip-hop character, so it was kind of odd that her focus turned out to just be dancing. If there was one thing I think that Love Live could have pulled from another series that did the idol thing, it would be Zombie Land Sanga, where although they could work as a group of typical idols, the characters each had their own style. Their style could be distinct that they could really shift the performance when they took centre. I think that there were missed opportunities to not have Chisato do hip hop, Keke probably some element of Chinese inspired (or fangirl), Mei probably something delinquent like with Saki, and Shiki would be techno. And there is of course new addition Natsumi, which I think is great to have such a shameless money hungry attention whore of social media, but it also means that they now had two group gremlins. It kind of feels like she stole the role from Sumire, with Sumire toned down, rather than say them being gremlins together, either fighting for the attention, or compounding it together. To my memory, the closest we still got with Sumire was with teasing from Keke, which at times kind of bordered on the mean, and her finding out that everyone knew about isopod. My rating for Superstar's second season is going to be Good (7/10), worth seeing, but not upgrade from its first season. Perhaps good news is that there is going to be a third season, with their third year, which I am not entirely sure what they would do with, but maybe hope that they have some fixes. |
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