Line #95 YMMV/LoveLive


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2	[[folder:The franchise as a whole]]
3	* AdaptationDisplacement:
4	** Most people (especially in the west) don't know that the franchise originated from a series of music videos with short stories that accompanied them.
5	** The pre-Anime Manga adaptation (''School Idol Diary'' counts too) is also this in the Western fanbase. Unfortunately, several fans occasionally mistook them as doujins. (And again, not helped to the fact that Anthology manga (officially released manga with chapters contributed by doujin artists) exists as well.)
6	** For some fans the ''Nijigasaki'' anime matters more than the game it's based on, which leads to them being surprised when official media "suddenly" announces new characters and songs they've never heard of and have to defer to other fans for context. Some people are even surprised that the anime is even based on a video game, or that the game ''doesn't'' have an ExcusePlot.
7	* AllAnimationIsDisney: As mentioned in the AdaptationDisplacement above, this happens occasionally for ''Anime-only'' watchers, mistaking the '''official''' manga adaptations for doujins.
8	* BrokenBase: Discussions regarding the quality of each series when compared to each other can get ''very'' heated. The only thing pretty much everyone in the fanbase agrees on is that µ's and ''School Idol Project'' [[FirstInstallmentWins is the most iconic part of the franchise]] (which in on itself owes most of its popularity to ''SIP''). Some fans prefer the DarkerAndEdgier approach and the character development of ''Sunshine''; other fans prefer the individualistic approach and more sober atmosphere (with a very big dose of yuri undertones) of ''Nijigasaki''; and yet some other fans favor the tight-knit dynamics of Liella! and the smaller cast in ''Superstar'' (until the cast expanded in the second season, of course, which is its own can of worms altogether.)
9	* DiscreditedMeme: A vocal subset of fans have become exhausted with every ChildhoodFriend character being subject to MemeticPsychopath and {{Netorare}} memes considering how frequent they've become since ''Sunshine!!'' due to the franchise [[OnceASeason repeatedly]] playing into the "main character develops a sudden interest in another girl" scenario.
10	* EnsembleDarkHorse: [[EnsembleDarkHorse/LoveLive Has its own page]].
11	* FanNickname: The token comic relief character in every unit (Nico, Yoshiko, Kasumi, Sumire ''and'' Natsumi, Megumi) is commonly referred to as the "gremlin" in Western circles. All of them share common traits; they are generally the quirkiest character in the unit, are prone to acting out whenever they feel like it, are almost never taken seriously by any of the other characters, and (with the exception of Yoshiko) have a bit of a bratty side to them, some more prominent than others.
12	* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: This has become an increasingly common sentiment among some fans as the series has branched out into new groups. While the first ''School Idol Project'' generally gets a pass for [[FranchiseOriginalSin being the first "real" storyline]] and setting the stage for the rest of the franchise, subsequent storylines have fallen victim to repeating several of the same tropes consistently and with relatively little variation, leading some fans to feel like the writers are playing it too safe and lack creativity. Several stories do attempt to change the status quo and introduce new twists, but in many cases they do not exactly pan out as intended, whether it's because they are not given sufficient depth, are poorly paced our just outright badly written. This has contributed to fans feeling that the general quality of the series' writing has been declining since the peak of the franchise's popularity. This is also why ''VideoGame/LinkLikeLoveLive'' has been positively received compared to its counterparts released around the same time such as ''Anime/LoveLiveSuperstar''and ''Anime/YohaneTheParhelionSunshineInTheMirror'', as fans believe that it succeeds at telling a distinctly different story from other ''Love Live!'' media without relying on the same old story beats.
13	* LGBTFanbase: While the franchise is primarily aimed at a male audience, it's also gained a lot of lesbian and bisexual female fans, especially in the West, thanks to all the HoYay between the characters and the [[CostumePorn pretty and elaborate outfits]] they wear in ''School Idol Festival''.
14	* SelfFanservice: All the girls qualify, but some notable examples:
15	** Nozomi and You are commonly depicted in fanart as being very physically attractive despite having fairly standardized body shapes relative to the rest of the cast.
16	** Downplayed with Kanan, who ''is'' considered physically attractive in-universe (by Dia, of all people) and is noted to be the most fit member in Aqours, thus giving her a shapely figure.
17	** Also downplayed by Karin, who is the only character in the franchise who plays MsFanservice completely straight, has her beauty and figure complemented on by various characters, and has numerous gigs as a fashion model.
18	* UnintentionalUncannyValley: Even among fans, the CGI used for the girls in the animated [=PVs=] and insert songs for the anime have a reputation for their dubious quality, oftentimes looking a bit "off" and not quite matching the quality of the 2D animation. The CGI does improve somewhat over time, but even in the newer songs the visuals aren't quite there yet. This would later [[ArtEvolution improve much further]] by ''Sunshine!!'', and µ's 2020 single "A song for You! You? You!!" uses ''Sunshine!!'''s level of CG, which makes them look far less jarring than before.
19	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls: While it revolves around cute, brightly-colored female characters working to achieve their dreams as school idols, the franchise is technically {{seinen}}, since its manga adaptations and supplementary materials are published in the seinen magazine ''Dengeki G's''. There still isn't a lot of {{fanservice}} in the various anime series aside from the obligatory {{Beach Episode}}s, and they've even aired on the Japanese Disney Channel (albeit with some minor censorship), which has led to preteen and teenage girls enjoying it as well.
20	[[/folder]]
21
22	[[folder:The first ''Love Live!'' anime]]
23	* AccidentalInnuendo:
24	** In Season 2 episode 2, Maki says that she frequently cleans the chimney so that Santa will have a better entrance. That's rather innocent, if childish, unless you are familiar with informal Russian, since "cleaning the chimney" is one of the many Russian euphemisms for anal sex. Maki's [[http://cs4.pikabu.ru/post_img/2014/10/04/6/1412411347_2144080468.jpg smug and proud face]] while declaring a participation in such an activity doesn't help either, which results in this scene being notorious among Russian-speaking fans.
25	** The name "[[HehHehYouSaidX Yume no]] [[UranusIsShowing Tobira]]" if you think about it in a sexual way.
26	** Honoka and Hanayo's panting while jogging in Season 2, episode 6.
27	** The 20th chapter of the School Idol Diary manga: "[=NicoNii=]'s Special Examination♡".
28	* ActorShipping: Other than the characters seen in the anime, their [[HoYay voice actresses are also shipped]] by the fans (by ''both'' the [[YuriFan yuri fandom]] and sometimes the LGBTFanbase) as well, with the actresses even doing some teasing on most of their photoshoots. And then there's Pile with her (assumed) boyfriend, Aya Uchida's decision of marrying a man, and later Mimori with Okada (with them finally married in April 12, 2019), which destroyed a number of LesYay ships like [=MimoUchi=] and [=MimoPai=].
29	* {{Adorkable}}: Umi tries to be the group's StraightMan, but she can't help but imagine and practice cutesy idol routines in private. She also puts on some pretty amusing "poker" faces when playing cards with Kotori.
30	* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Depending on how you see it, the moral at the end of Season 1 could either be "be truthful to who you are" or "be selfish and you'll get anything you want if you're charismatic enough about it". There are quite a few arguments in favor of both sides.
31	* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
32	** Due to the penultimate episode of Season 1, Honoka. [[spoiler:Was she being insanely immature and selfish by giving up on the dream that she dragged others along into after just a little adversity, or did she believe she was dragging the group down and was trying to do what she thought was best for everyone else?]]
33	** At the end of Season 2, episode 7, does Nozomi really want to eat parfait (the dessert itself) with Eli, or does she actually want to [[IntercourseWithYou have that kind of "parfait" with her]]?
34	** Kotori's mother. [[spoiler:You can interpret her pleased reaction towards her daughter choosing to return with Honoka as a SecretTestOfCharacter that her daughter passed, signifying that she's taking more control over her life and beginning to emerge from her mother's admittedly wide-reaching shadow.]]
35	* AmericansHateTingle: Both Kotori and Nico are very popular in Japan; the former's unconditional support for Honoka and the latter's {{Moe}} factor are respectively their selling points. In the Western fanbase, however, they're [[BaseBreakingCharacter more divisive]] (and Nico, at one point, was quite possibly the most divisive girl in the group).
36	* AngstWhatAngst: In the season 1 finale, [[spoiler:Kotori's mother seems very pleased that her daughter decided to stay being a school idol after all, smiling as she watches the entire group including Kotori perform the day Kotori was scheduled to leave. One would think she would be ''extremely'' upset at Kotori for ditching her flight, her escorts, and her seemingly set-in-stone plan to study abroad at the last minute, as well as at Honoka for dragging her away.]]
37	* BaseBreakingCharacter: To put it simple, '''all''' of the nine protagonists are this.
38	** Eli, as the years have passed, has become the biggest example. Some people like her for [[WellIntentionedExtremist trying very hard to save the school]], for being a CoolBigSis towards her sister Arisa, and for [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosting and opening to the girls]] in episode 8, having [[NiceGirl a tranquil personality]] from there on. On the other hand, her detractors [[NeverLiveItDown will never forget]] the fact she was an ObstructiveBureaucrat and [[IceQueen fairly harsh to µ's]] [[{{Jerkass}} for no apparent reason]] throughout the first seven episodes. Although [[FreudianExcuse her reasons to it]] [[spoiler:(her inability to pass several ballet auditions and become a professional ballerina, despite being good at it)]] and her deep insecurities [[spoiler:(her angst over her ballerina days getting the best of her and not understanding she was placing her feelings second over an unnecessary desicion regarding what was best for the school)]] finally surfaced in episodes 7 and 8, the fanbase ironically broke even more about her: either it made her come off as a JerkassWoobie who actually developed as a character, or it didn't make much of a difference and didn't justify her behavior enough.
39	** Nico, being ''the'' most popular of the main nine characters, was bound to be this. While people have warmed up to her more in recent times, she remains divisive due to her [[AttentionWhore attention-grabbing]] [[TheFakeCutie fake cutie]] tendencies; people either love her or hate her for it. After [[ADayInTheLimelight season 2 episode 4]] aired [[spoiler:and revealed her delusion came from [[CoolBigSis trying to pander to her younger siblings, who she frequently takes care of]]]], like Eli, the fanbase was split on this: either the episode [[FreudianExcuse did justify]] her pushy behavior (which was also gone from that episode onward), or it wasn't enough to justify it. She still has a lot of fans though, with them citing her {{Moe}} factor, cute looks and her FountainOfMemes status.
40	** Nozomi, to a lesser extent than her fellow Third Years. For many, she's a NiceGirl and a lovable TeamMom whose tendency to [[ThanksForTheMammaries grope her fellow idols' chests]] and [[FortuneTeller read fortune through tarot]] adds some mischievous and endearing charm to her. For others, said tendency to grope the other girls makes her come off as a creep and a KarmaHoudini for doing what would be clearly defined as sexual harassment in real life, yet the other girls don't do a lot about it. Her singing voice is also contentious, with some considering it to be awful.
41	** The Second Years are especially notable for this, since much of the focus of the anime is on them. Either their [[ChildhoodFriends touching friendship]] probably wouldn't have made the story possible, or they [[SpotlightStealingSquad take too much screentime away]] from the other girls. Each of them are also divisive in their own right:
42	*** Honoka is either cute, driven by pure motives, has InfectiousEnthusiasm, and is a well-written IdiotHero, or she's immature, dumb, and [[InnocentlyInsensitive selfish for stringing along others in her plans without any regards for their feelings]]. The penultimate episode of season 1 (see BrokenBase below) didn't help the debate, either.
43	*** Kotori's main charm point, [[{{Moe}} her cuteness]], is also her main source of divisiveness among fans. Aside from that, people either find her pretty, [[NiceGirl an altruistic, selfless and a very supportive friend]], and find her voice cute. Or she is [[TheGenericGuy uninteresting]], [[YesMan has a lack of backbone]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking has an annoying voice]]. Some have even gone as far as to [[DisproportionateRetribution accuse her for being the cause of the drama]] in the final episodes of season 1 due to [[spoiler:hiding her study abroad opportunity]], and [[RonTheDeathEater consider her even more selfish than Honoka]].
44	*** Umi, thanks to her attitude, is just as much of this as her two best friends. Some people think she's a likeable voice of reason for being [[SurroundedByIdiots one of the only members of the group]] [[OnlySaneWoman to actually understand the effort]] that goes into being an idol, and find her just as cute and funny as her friends, especially whenever she's concerned about revealing clothes. Others think Umi's SeriousBusiness attitude makes her come off as [[DrillSergeantNasty a bit too strict and manipulative]], especially since neither Honoka and Kotori [[ExtremeDoormat stand up to her]]; this is also fueled by her lack of focus episodes resulting in [[StaticCharacter no real character development]] for her. Her [[spoiler:slap to Honoka]] in episode 12 was also very divisive — a lot saw it as [[LaserGuidedKarma justified]], while many others thought it was ''way'' out of line. And if that wasn't enough, after [[DietEpisode episode 7 of season 2]] came along, Umi's hatedom peaked and accusations of KarmaHoudini began to be thrown at her.
45	** Maki's key trait, being a Harsh {{Tsundere}} with a SugarAndIcePersonality, is her biggest divisive point — some people think she manages to be an interesting take on the concept of a tsundere, while others think she comes off as generic despite this due to the fact she [[StaticCharacter rarely breaks out of it]]. Her arrogance and snarky attitude only fuels both sides of the debate, as some find it funny and redeeming, others find it very annoying and further adding to her unlikeable demeanor.
46	** Rin. One side likes her for being one of the more properly developed characters, thanks to her focus episode in season 2 episode 5. Her CatGirl motifs and GenkiGirl personality are also well-received. The other side, however finds said catgirl tendencies and her energy to be annoying.
47	** Hanayo is liked by a portion of the fandom for her {{Moe}} looks, her BigEater tendencies, as well as for being shy, yet having moments where she can actually stand up and act for herself. Similarly to Umi, however, others think [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter her potential was wasted]], due to [[OutOfFocus a lack of focus]] (aside from season 2 episode 7) resulting in a lack of CharacterDevelopment and thus her not being as interesting as the other girls. Her voice is also a point of contention; some find it cute, while other fans find it annoying, and some wish she stuck with the lower voice she used in her earlier songs.
48	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
49	** Honoka stopping the rain with her voice in the second season's first episode.
50	** The "Hello, Hoshi o Kazoete" segment of the movie is launched by Rin jumping out into the rain shouting "IT'LL BE OKAY!" and then after it's finished the movie continues onto a new scene, with the musical number not being mentioned again. The moment advances nothing in the plot and there's no in-universe reason as to why it even occurs.
51	* BrokenBase:
52	** Over the last episode of the anime's first season. Opinions are heavily split about Honoka's reactions to what happened in said episode, whether or not the actions taken by the rest of the group were justified, and some complained about how much more drama the episode had compared to most of the others.
53	** Whether people whose only exposure to the franchise is through ''School Idol Festival'' should be considered proper fans, a topic similar to arguments over ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' fans who have never played the games.
54	** The news that the voice actresses behind µ's would no longer be voicing or performing as the characters after April 2016 due to their contract expiring quickly divided the fanbase. Some fans are disappointed and think that it was too soon for them to break up, especially now that the franchise has gained so much popularity, while others are sad but still find it understandable since they'd been active since 2010, when the franchise started.
55	** While [[SubbingVsDubbing debates over whether the Japanese or English voicework is better]] is a staple of Western anime subculture, it's an especially sore point for this series, being one of the first idol anime to get an English dub. Is it good that it got a dub, making the series more accessible to Westerners, or does it do a disservice to µ's and their Japanese voice actors? Granted, the songs don't get dubbed into English, but it hasn't stopped fans from arguing about the English dub.
56	** As one can expect, fan opinions are divided over the Aqours group. Half of the fans gladly welcome the new group while the other half refuse to accept it or outright post hate comments just because [[FelonyMisdemeanor they aren't µ's.]] It became even more pronounced with the announcement that ''Sunshine!'' would receive an anime; many fans are excited for more idols, but others are calling SeasonalRot and a blatant attempt by Creator/{{Sunrise}} to milk the CashCowFranchise for all that it's worth, especially since it was hardly a year since ''[[TheMovie Love Live! The School Idol Movie]]'' was released. A lot of fans wish there would be a longer time between installments so to get to know the characters, just like the original series.
57	*** The casting of complete newcomers as Aqours's voice actresses (only one of them, Arisa Komiya, has ''any'' acting experience [[note]]Between the announcement and the anime's airing, Aina Suzuki has been cast in a few minor roles in different series[[/note]]) has split the fan opinion on the group even more, if that can be believed. Some fans are willing to give them a chance, saying that letting ordinary girls voice in such a popular series thanks to open auditions embodies the spirit of Japanese idol groups, while others are more critical and claim that they haven't proven their talent enough to deserve roles in a CashCowFranchise, point out that all of the µ's cast were established voice actresses/singers, and would prefer some more recognizable names in the cast.
58	** Are the anthology mangas canon? Some people knew the disclaimer about the mangas being written and drawn from the various artists' interpretations, but due to several of the stories having little-to-no subtext, it doesn't stop the other fans for preferring the stories to the canon personally.
59	* CommonKnowledge:
60	** Due to the limited exposure of the official published items in the West, dozens of fans believe that ''Love Live!'' has unofficial doujins.
61	** Some fans believe that [[VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestival Klab]] (a video game company) is also involved with the anime's production (including ''Sunshine!!''), despite not being [[strike:officially]] credited.
62	* DesignatedHero: At the end of the first season, Kotori announces she's going to leave μ's because she's been accepted into a study-abroad program that will let her pursue her fashion dreams. Honoka decides that instead of finding a replacement for Kotori, it's OK to stalk her best friend to the airport and force her to give that dream up for the sake of the band ''as she's preparing to leave on her flight''... and [[AssPull Kotori somehow goes along with this]]! For such an [[ThePollyanna optimistic]] person, and especially for someone who brought the rest of the group together, Honoka's extreme behavior in these last episodes makes her seem much more selfish than she was in the beginning.
63	* DesignatedVillain: At the end of season 1, the story treats Kotori like a threat to μ's for... [[FelonyMisdemeanor wanting to go abroad to study fashion]], which would make it impossible for her to be part of the band anymore. This proceeds directly into Honoka grabbing the JerkassBall and essentially strong-arming her into coming back.
64	* DieForOurShip: [[DieForOurShip/LoveLive Can be seen here.]]
65	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
66	** Most of the girls' mothers qualify as these.
67	*** Kotori's mother, the director of Otonokizaka, for being generally supportive of her as well as the group, willing to let them become an official club and enter into the Love Live if it'll save the school. Director Minami is also popular with... [[LikesOlderWomen certain kinds]] of [[StacysMom mother-appreciating]] fans.
68	*** [[OneSceneWonder Rin's mom]].
69	*** Ditto Hanayo's mom, who looks like a grown-up [[VisualNovel/{{CLANNAD}} Fuuko Ibuki]].
70	** The Otonokizaka High School alpacas are the source of several fandom memes, and you could even get them as part of an AprilFoolsDay event in ''School Idol Festival''.
71	** A-RISE is very popular, thanks to them being [[FriendlyRival friendly rivals]] to µ's with catchy songs to boot. Some detractors of Aqours even go so far as to wish that the new Love Live! series focused on A-RISE instead. Alternatively, some fans wish that A-RISE and/or the schools in School Idol Festival would get a DayInTheLimelight OVA.
72	** The African-American woman that jogs beside Umi and Nico in ''[[TheMovie The School Idol Movie]]'' also gathered a clique of fans.
73	** The Female Singer in [[TheMovie The School Idol Movie]], which sparks a lot of speculation & theory from fans due to her being a mysterious AmbiguouslyHuman character.
74	* EpilepticTrees: Judging by Hanayo's enthusiasm about rice, fans inferred that this is the only food she ever wants to eat. This was further emphasized as she broke down to tears after eating bread for a few days on her trip to America in TheMovie.
75	* FanNickname:
76	** Occidental Love Live fans (and School Idol Festival players) often call Honoka "Honkers" (or derivatives thereof, such as Honker, Honk, and/or Honky).
77	** The same fans sometimes refer to Nozomi as "Nozomom" or "Nozomommy", due to her TeamMom demeanor. She's also been called "Nozoomy" after the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UTs7SQIB0I "nozoomy's very smol adventure"]] meme.
78	** Japanese fans often give Kotori a sort of fan-symbol of (・8・); it's meant to be a bird's face, since "Kotori" means "little bird". Creator/AyaUchida, who voices Kotori, is also fond of the emoticon and has been seen using it on Twitter and in blog posts. Outside of Japan, she's often called "Birb", "Burd" or "Burd Waifu".
79	** The voice actresses have their own nicknames, too:
80	*** Creator/EmiNitta (Emitsun)
81	*** Creator/YoshinoNanjo ([=NanjoIno=])
82	*** Creator/AyaUchida (Ucchi)
83	*** Creator/SuzukoMimori (Mimorin)
84	*** Riho Iida (Rippi)
85	*** Pile (Pai-chan)
86	*** Aina Kusuda (Kussun)
87	*** Creator/YurikaKubo (Shikaco)
88	*** Creator/SoraTokui (Soramaru)
89	** Since the final µ's live concert was held on March 31 and April 1, 2016, expect their fans to refer to the first of April as not "April Fools' Day", but rather "April Feels Day".
90	** The trio of Honoka, Rin and Nico [[note]]In the manga, the trio is composed of Honoka, '''Eli''' and Nico instead[[/note]] is commonly referred to as the "San baka" (Three Idiots).
91	** "Hit or Miss Girl" for Nico Yazawa in a cheerleader outfit, thanks to [=NyanNyanCosplay=].
92	* FandomRivalry:
93	** With other idol series such as ''Anime/AKB0048'', ''VideoGame/{{Aikatsu}}'', ''VideoGame/PrettyRhythm'' and ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster''.
94	*** From all of the Idol franchises, The IDOLM@STER's fandom clashes with the ''Love Live!'' fandom the most, due to one argument. Several ''Love Live!'' fans also pointed out the self-insert nature of the franchise, which they believe that the system somewhat ruins the female-to-female interaction. And because of this, the IDOLM@STER franchise is sometimes used as a "derogatory term" to the Love Live! community, though this argument had died down after many months.
95	** Currently, there's a vicious rivalry with Main/KoreanPopMusic fans. It only got ''worse'' after the Shibuya Music Awards 2018 (where Aqours defeated TWICE for an award).
96	** They also once engaged in a violent rivalry with Music/{{Metallica}} fans (out of all fandoms) due to the anime overtaking Metallica in popularity in some Music forums.
97	*** In fact, it was so fierce that it dragged fans of other metal bands in, which caused the rivalry to evolve into ''Love Live!'' fans vs. metalheads.
98	* FandomEnragingMisconception:
99	** Assuming that all of the girls (especially Nozomi and Eli) are straight is ''definitely'' not the good way to go.
100	** You're claiming that ''Love Live!'' songs are associated with [[CommonKnowledge K-pop]]? Nice knowing you.
101	* {{Fanon}}: [[Fanon/LoveLive Can be seen here along with the sequel]].
102	* FanonDiscontinuity: Some fans refuse to acknowledge ''The School Idol Movie'' as part of the canon timeline after the reveal that [[spoiler:µ disbands after the Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari segment.]]
103	* FanWank:
104	** Due to the Yuri subtext, Many fans prefer to see the pairings' ShipTease in the series as their "genuinely romantic" moments, with all of the main (notably Nozomi, Eli, Nico, Maki) and several side (Tsubasa) characters as '''''genuinely''''' queer people with ''no complete interest on males''.
105	*** And combined with the (nearly) canon ships' ambiguous fate after ''The School Idol Movie'', many fans believe that they're HappilyMarried to each other in the future, in spite of the fans' strong assumptions about them being "[[KilledOffForReal dead]]" in the credits sequence. Bonus points if this one is completely about [=NozoEli=], [=NicoMaki=], and [=HonoTsuba=], whose moments are often seen as (romantically) canon.
106	** Speaking of credits sequence, just about '''everyone''' concluding that µ's is truly eradicated from this world as their trademark training attires is seen lying on the grass.
107	** The end of the second season's 7th Episode. Everyone is ''pretty sure'' that Nozomi and Eli '''actually''' had (canon) sex off-screen after the former made ''that face''.
108	** After the Final Live, just about ''everyone'' permanently believes that µ's is ''ultimately disbanded'' for good.
109	* FirstInstallmentWins: While opinions on which group is "best" are highly subjective, many will agree that µ's had the greatest cultural impact and lasting impression among the groups and set many standards for the franchise and the idol genre in anime going forward.
110	* FountainOfMemes: When she isn't being [[ButtMonkey the butt of jokes]] in the anime, Nico is the butt of memes in the fandom, from her iconic [[CharacterCatchphrase "Nico Nico Nii!"]] to her being [[ItMakesSenseInContext hated by Paypal]].
111	* FriendlyFandoms:
112	** In terms of fanart and memes, the crossover between the franchise and ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' is well-liked outside Japan, especially given the absurdity of putting ultra masculine Jojo characters next to ''Love Live's'' cute and all-female idols. In fact, it's safe to say the Jo-Bros are one of the only exception to the ''Love Live's'' fandom BerserkButton of having the idols interacting with males. Many examples can be found on a dedicated subreddit [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Otonokizaka/ r/Otonokizaka]]. r/Shitpostcrusaders [[https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitPostCrusaders/comments/f01fe4/shoutouts_to_rotonokizaka_a_subreddit_dedicated/ even gave]] r/Otonokizaka a shoutout after a variety of crossover meme videos.
113	** There's also plenty of crossover between Love Live fans and ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' fans. Many have noted that Love Live instrumentals sound a lot like Sonic music from ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Adventure]]''-era onwards, attracting a lot of fans who are fond of the latter, and that Maki in particular bears a strong resemblance to Knuckles the Echidna. This relationship has even been canonized by promotional images featuring Rin and Hanamaru with Sonic.
114	* GatewaySeries: This anime ignites the fans' interest in both the idol and the yuri genres.
115	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
116	** Even discounting its massive popularity in Japan, the series has also managed to garner a substantial following overseas, what with the movie and the stream of the final live receiving multiple screenings in various countries, the licensed release of the anime getting an English dub (something that is exceedingly rare for idol anime or even music-themed anime as a whole), and the vibrant and active fanbase on websites such as Tumblr or Twitter.
117	** Nozomi gets most of her popularity from the Western fanbase, despite her BaseBreakingCharacter status. This is because of her attractive BuxomBeautyStandard appearance, her CoolBigSis traits, and her debatably having the most LesYay in the anime. There has been regrets with Western fans on how Nozomi gets treated in songs (Out of her three centers, one of them she doesn't have a solo in and another has never been performed live, and overall she gets the least amount of solos in the group) yet that hasn't been a major issue with Japanese fans, since they just don't like her singing voice. Her pairing between with Eli is also one of the most liked by many of the LGBTFanbase in both the Japanese and mainly the Western fandom.
118	** Eli has a certain following in Russia, [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales which makes sense given her partial Russian heritage]].
119	* HarsherInHindsight:
120	** Umi getting a rare item from a capsule toy machine predicted the player's reactions (albeit ''completely unsatisfied'') for getting a rare in ''VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestival''. (By ''School Idol Festival''s standards, The R (Rare) cards ranked even lower than SR, SSR & especially '''''UR'''''.)
121	** You will never take the original soundtrack's title (''Notes of '''School Idol Days''''') seriously again after reading [[https://dynasty-scans.com/series/school_idol_days a certain infamous doujinshi series released in 2016.]]
122	** The Episode title for Season 1, Episode 6[[note]]"Who will be the center?"[[/note]]. Guess [[Anime/LoveLiveSunshine who is believed to steal the spotlight in every song released by the fans]]?
123	** Remember those illustrations of Nico's dream of being an angel along with her friends and Honoka & Umi dressing up as ghosts in the ''School Idol Diary'' novels (and its manga adaptation)? The majority of the fans now believe that they're truly "dead" in the credits sequence of ''The School Idol Movie''.
124	** Nozomi's constant groping of Nico may cause some viewers to be uncomfortable in the dub. That's because their voice actresses, Creator/LauraPost and Creator/EricaMendez respectively, are [[spoiler: [[Anime/KillLaKill Ragyo Kiryuin and Ryuko Matoi]], the former having molested the latter in that series]].
125	** One of the lyrics for "Shocking Party" [[note]]DANCING DANCING NON STOP MY DANCING[[/note]] ended up as a sad irony after A-RISE disbanded in real life due to Maho's retirement and Ayuru's marriage and pregnancy.
126	* HilariousInHindsight:
127	** One anime-related AprilFoolsDay 2015 prank involved [[https://animecoys.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/nis-america-announces-re-release-of-love-live-school-idol-project-blu-rays-with-english-dub/ revealing a genderflipped dub cast for the show.]] A few weeks later, [[Creator/NipponIchi NISAmerica]] announced they actually ''were'' [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-04-24/love-live-tv-anime-to-get-english-dub/.87483 giving it a dub!]]
128	** In Season 2 episode 6, the group dresses like Music/{{KISS}}. Then KISS actually collaborates with [[Music/MomoiroCloverZ a Japanese idol group]].
129	** One episode had Nico run past a small store called Hanamaru Store. Years later, we got an idol actually named Hanamaru, [[Anime/LoveLiveSunshine albeit from a different group]].
130	** An [[https://imgur.com/a/AOOkLJ6 artwork of Umi in a Prince outfit]] actually predates Creator/SuzukoMimori's role as Hikari Kagura in ''Anime/ShoujoKagekiRevueStarlight''.
131	** All of the fanart of the {{Fan Preferred Couple}}s in wedding outfits (notably Nozomi/Eli and Kotori/Umi) might have [[https://imgur.com/cdlON9c became a reality]] [[https://imgur.com/BytfcpD in the official media.]] (Though their '''actual''' same-sex marriage in the future stories is yet to be confirmed.)
132	** Remember the jokes (or Kidfics) about Hanayo and Rin having children (read:science babies)? Two minor characters from ''Anime/LoveRice'' named Rinx89 and Rinx (which is a mother and child) serves as an inspiration to Rin herself, complete with ''Riho Iida of all people serving as a guest voice''.
133	** Honoka's trademark line "Faito (Fight) Dayo!" actually has her becoming a warrior in the upcoming [[https://twitter.com/granbluefantasy/status/1104365787383390208 collaboration]] in ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', with µ's members as playable characters.
134	** "MOMENT RING" being dubbed the "Final Single" is significantly more ironic after the announcement of μ's 9th anniversary single "A song for You! You? You!!" in 2019.
135	** Nico having "pyon-pyon"[[note]]Japanese onomatopoeia for rabbit hopping[[/note]] as an early catchphrase alongside "Nico Nico Ni!" becomes this, because she ends up sharing a voice actress with Blanc, half of the bunny girl twin duo in ''VideoGame/GoddessOfVictoryNIKKE''. (For added amusement, Blanc's twin sister Noir shares the same voice actress as Hanayo, too.)
136	*** Another NIKKE-related entry: Umi's "SHAMELESS" meme becomes this when you realize she shares the same Japanese voice actress with Rapunzel.
137	* HollywoodPudgy:
138	** Hanayo is supposedly chubbier than the rest of μ's and occasionally tries out different diets, despite looking more or less the same as the other girls.
139	** It's interesting to note that Nozomi is consistently drawn as thicker/curvier than the rest of the cast, but her size is never touched on other than a small comment in Nico's School Idol Diary. This could just be attributed to the fact that Hanayo is insecure and tends to point out her own flaws, whereas Nozomi seems much more confident.
140	* HypeBacklash: Mainly only in its country of origin, where it is so popular it's attracted a large hatedom. In the West, it's more of a CultClassic.
141	* IAmNotShazam: Some viewers actually thought the group was called ''Love Live''[[note]]In the anime, it's the name of the idol competition the group is trying to win. While the franchise's first single was released under the name "Love Live", the group eventually got its own name through fan voting.[[/note]]. They are actually called μ's, pronounced ''muse''.
142	* IncestYayShipping: Honoka and Yukiho in a very, very minor extent.
143	* ItWasHisSled:
144	** In a somewhat minor extent: [[spoiler:The death of Nico's father in the ''School Idol Diary'' novel.]]
145	** µ's [[spoiler:disbanding in the movie]].
146	* JerkassWoobie:
147	** Eli, all things considered, falls squarely into this. Sure, she was ''very'' mean to µ's before she joined the group, but people forget she also wanted to save her school (from which she was the StudentCouncilPresident) from closing no matter what. And despite her dislike of the other girls' "amateurish" routines, she did also know what it was to go through the same when [[spoiler:she practiced to be a professional ballerina]]. This is without mentioning [[spoiler:her angst and fear of failure over her inability to audition caused her to place her already broken heart in a further tougher spot when taking the decision to not pursue joining µ's]]. Had she just been given a hug by the girls of µ's, she probably would've opened easier to them.
148	** Nico is this as well. Her AttentionWhore and [[TheFakeCutie fake cutie]] tendencies can be harder to digest after watching her ADayInTheLimeLight episode in the anime (season 2 episode 4) and reading her extended story in the School Idol Diary timeline. This also makes her eventual breakdown during the beach scene in season 2 episode 11 much more painful to watch.
149	* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Honoka certainly qualifies as one within the fandom. Out of everyone, she has the most pairing combinations that are somewhat recognized (Hono/Umi, Hono/Eli, Hono/Koto, Hono/Maki, [[FoeYayShipping Hono/Tsubasa]]).
150	** Umi as well, as she's also gets a lot of pairing combinations as well (Hono/Umi, Koto/Umi, Eli/Umi, Umi/Maki).
151	** Maki as well, despite having ShipTease with Nico. In addition to the above pairs, she's also shipped with Rin and/or Hanayo, Nozomi and a rare CrossoverShip, [[Characters/LoveLiveAqours Riko]]. [[note]]Whether their relationship is a normal romantic-type or (in) a (very lesser extent:) "mother-and-daughter" type merely varies.[[/note]]
152	** Eli qualifies: Nozo/Eli and Eli/Umi are still in constant argument up to this day; minor ships like Hono/Eli and Nico/Eli have their fans; {{Crossover Ship}}s exist with [[Characters/LoveLiveAqours Dia and Riko]]; and a ShipTease with [[Characters/LoveLiveNijigasakiHighSchoolIdolClub Karin]] in ''ALL STARS''.
153	* [[HoYay Les Yay]]: Has its own page [[HoYay/LoveLive here]].
154	* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: The last episodes of Season 1 have Kotori prepared to study fashion abroad, and µ's disbanding due to an internal rift sparked by Honoka quitting because of her best friend leaving. None of that actually sticks, of course, since there's no way they'd break up the group in real life after only one anime season.
155	* LoveToHate:
156	** Aside from being a MemeticLoser, Nico is usually this as well.
157	** In a minor extent: Mrs. Nishikino's reaction to A-RISE's outfits might have made fans a little upset.
158	* MemeticBadass:
159	** A generic School Idol group named "George", considered to be one of the greatest School Idol groups to have ever existed.
160	** Yoshino Nanjo's young-looking appearance in her 30's is often seen as an "immortal vampire" ([[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure or Hamon user]]) by many.
161	** [[https://twitter.com/wankotkt Several of the fans]] had a tendency to portray every µ's" members as absurdly powerful characters from the likes of other Shounen Manga characters.
162	** Pretty much the entire concept of "School Idols" in the show, where people see them as powerful deities by singing a song randomly at some point, which also gathers many crowds by their Japanese language songs, whether they're Japanese or foreign like Americans or Italians. Likewise, one song from those idols would convince even an objective parent to change their minds.
163	** Due to Eli's (and sometimes Arisa's) quarter Russian blood, expect most of the fans to juxtapose her with ''everything'' Russian related, like portraying her as a powerful and commanding leader/dictator (Likewise, the "Rush B" Joke is also used as her strategy) of the Russian country.
164	** Honoka had a tendency for being portrayed as a person with god-like abilities, such as having the ability to control the weather (she shouts at the sky hard enough to make rain disappear), and is able to ''avoid any oncoming vehicles while dancing''. (In some extent, some fans also pointed out that Honoka is too good to be Isekai'd for the latter.)
165	** The entire franchise is this as they collaborated with about ''nine'' other franchises and businesses, to the point of the fandom thinking that ''Love Live!'' will eventually dominate the entire world.
166	** No one can decline Kotori Minami's generous request once she says the magic word "Onegai!" (translated as "Pretty please!"). [[note]]This originates from the first season's 2nd episode, where Kotori begs Umi to write the lyrics of their planned songs.[[/note]]
167	** Umi's [[https://imgur.com/a/oxrHrXH rather frightening smile]] ([[https://imgur.com/a/23lq3W1 sometimes followed by a frown]]) in both the second season's fourth and seventh episodes are seen as a lethally threatening expression of [[strike:her]] anger.
168	* MemeticBystander:
169	** In some extent: The laughing producer behind the filming crew for the Niconamas.
170	** The American dark-skinned jogger that passes by Umi and Nico in TheMovie.
171	* MemeticMolester: If you're misbehaving when Nozomi's around, prepare for a good groping.
172	* MemeticMutation: Can be found [[Memes/LoveLive here]].
173	* MemeticPsychopath: Kotori, possibly due to her [[http://punipunipurin.tumblr.com/post/131373980560/chapter-01-little-bird School Idol Diary revealing some sadistic undertones in her relationship with Umi]]. Before the Anime, [[WordOfGod Emi Nitta also reveals that Kotori would possibly become a Yandere as Uchida Aya said that she'd get scary when she's angry when they did their character introductions]].
174	* MisaimedFandom: Even after the second season's 4th Episode, there are a small number of fans who still believes that Cotaro is actually a girl. Then again, the male characters in this series are considered as forgettable minors.
175	* {{Moe}}: All the girls could definitely count, but [[ShrinkingViolet Hanayo]] takes it up to eleven.
176	* NightmareFuel:
177	** [[http://i.imgur.com/bBKeSt5.jpg Umi's expression when she's woken up is...rather unsettling.]]
178	** The lyrics of ''NO EXIT ORION'' has a {{yandere}} vibe to it.
179	--> Who else do you need? You can’t decide that you don’t need me
180	-->I won’t let you exit
181	-->From the darkness
182	-->You can’t escape you can’t escape please…
183	* NoYay:
184	** Mentioning het shipping or even the very notion that the characters (yes, even animals like Alpacas) are anything but strictly lesbian (not counting Honoka's mother and any of µ's' moms like Kotori's or Maki's) is a major no-no for most of the fanbase. [[AmericansHateTingle This mainly applies in the West and in some Chinese-speaking countries, though.]]
185	*** Also, in a minor extent: if one realizes that they mentioned the word "Boy" in their LONELIEST BABY song...
186	** [[spoiler:''School Idol Diary'' reveals that Hanayo's mother used to be an idol (though she quit before her debut) before she was married to her husband, which made fans who like the lesbian pairings grow concerned that their favored characters would be straight in their future appearances.]]
187	** When it comes to [[ActorShipping Actress Shipping]]; Almost no one will see some voice actresses (Notably Creator/YoshinoNanjo and Aina Kusuda due to both [=NozoEli=]'s charisma and them wholesomely shipping with each other) being [[HeteronormativeCrusader heterosexual]]. And again, it barely helped that Mimori had a relationship with Okada.
188	* OlderThanTheyThink: This is [[Creator/HitomiNabatame not the first time that]] [[Creator/SuzukoMimori one of the voice actresses is revealed to be straight]] despite her tremendous LesYay involvement.
189	* OneTrueThreesome: Given that the girls are separated in [[RuleOfThree three different categories of trios]] (student years, the sub-units and, in the mobile game, the attributes), it's hardly a surprise that this would show up in the fandom. The most apparent, though, is probably Umi/Honoka/Kotori, since the other popular pairings (Nico/Maki, Nozomi/Eli and Hanayo/Rin) are so well-defined that it's either [[PairTheSpares pairing the spares]] and leaving one of them alone or adopt the three of them as an OT3, which is not even that hard considering their relationship.
190	* PortmanteauCoupleName:
191	** ''[=NicoMaki=]'' for Nico x Maki.
192	** ''[=NozoEli=]'' for Nozomi x Eli.
193	** ''[=RinPana=]''[[note]]due to a Japanese pronunciation phenomenon known as ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendaku rendaku]]'', although some fans still call it "[=RinHana=]"[[/note]] for Rin x Hanayo.
194	* PreemptiveShipping: The pairing of Nico and Maki had gained massive popularity prior to the anime's premiere, to where it dwarfed the other popular pairings on the likes of Pixiv. This has led to shippers being surprised by their lack of interaction in the first season, which would then lead to season 2 having them interact more as a response, which, combined with supplementary materials providing plenty of fuel for the ship, led to the ship growing even more popular as a result.
195	* RonTheDeathEater: Fans often portray Kotori as a pure yandere, as a contrast to her being sadomasochistic, as seen in one of the lyrics in the Nightingale Love Song [[note]]"Can you cage me?"[[/note]] and her finding Umi cute when she's struggling in the ''School Idol Diary'' series. It helps that Kyo Zip's School Idol Days doujin series further solidified the trope.
196	* SelfFanservice:
197	** In fanarts, Kotori is occasionally drawn with a bigger bust despite having a size of B80. This is mostly due to some inconsistencies on the bust size featured on half of the official artwork and in some anime screenshots.
198	** Like Kotori above, Maki is this too ''despite being a first year''. It helps that she possesses a [[YoungerThanTheyLook mature-looking]] [[TsurimeEyes appearance]] and has a SugarAndIcePersonality.
199	* ShipToShipCombat: With various pairings and matchups, this is obviously inevitable. Since Nico/Maki, Eli/Nozomi, and Rin/Hanayo have enough ShipTease to be nearly canon, anyone shipping a character differently will run into the legions supporting the FanPreferredCouple. This is to say nothing of the Honoka/Kotori/Umi question, where one character is frequently left out in the cold to pair the other two, and characters such as Tsubasa and Yukiho are sometimes drawn into the ship wars. Fortunately, the fandom tends to shut down shipping battles before they can evolve into full-on DieForOurShip.
200	* ShockingMoments: [[Shocking/LoveLive Can be seen here along with its sequels & spin-offs]].
201	* SignatureScene:
202	** When it comes to [[OffModel animation errors]], the [[https://imgur.com/a/vBCawCP Maki-colored Nozomi]] briefly seen in the on-air version of the second season's eighth episode.
203	** µ's decision of [[spoiler:disbanding in the second season's 11th Episode]].
204	** The entire Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari segment.
205	* SignatureSong:
206	** "Snow Halation" is this for µ's and the franchise in general. It isn't even their [[ChartDisplacement highest-charting]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Live!#Music song]], but it's the most well-known and beloved song among fans. Music/SiIvaGunner's use of it as a ForcedMeme has also ensured that it is the most well-known, and perhaps even only known song among non-fans as well.
207	** "Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari", which is also known as µ's final song in the ''School Idol Movie''. and is also one of the most ''extremely'' tear-jerking theme songs if one starts listening it just for ''a '''single''' second''. Bonus points if one mentions the song with either of these three words: "Ah, Honoka na..." or "Ima ga Saikou!"
208	** "SUNNY DAY SONG", which is also considered as a cheerful "Idol Anthem", and like [=BokuHika=], the theme song is also considered as a saddest since this is the only time that all of the School Idol groups, including A-RISE, actually sung this song together once on-screen.
209	* SuperCouple: [=NozoEli=] & [=NicoMaki=].
210	* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
211	** In the movie, when the group arrives in New York, the BGM takes cues from George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue".
212	** SUNNY DAY SONG's opening is very similar to the chorus of Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place On Earth."
213	** A-RISE's "Private Wars" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pouEjyaY6ww sounds very much like]] Music/{{Kiss}}'s "I Was Made for Lovin' You."
214	** The opening passages of MOMENT RING's chorus are effectively Breezy Mushrise Park from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' WithLyrics.
215	* TheScrappy: If one actually reads the ''School Idol Diary'' novels, a small amount of father characters also gets this treatment:
216	** Maki's father is this, given his [[FantasyForbiddingFather anger at Maki after finding out that she's into music instead of studying]]. It didn't help that in the original manga he did not accept his daughter's request to study at UTX.
217	** Despite showing support for her daughter in the anime continuity, Honoka's father in the ''School Idol Diary'' novels had a similar way: He became sad and angry after learning that Honoka was going to become an idol instead of taking over the sweets shop.
218	* TheWoobie: Depending on who you ask, fans realize that Sora Tokui is often "ignored" by Nanjo and Aina during their session in the 5th live.
219	* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: When it comes to the visual revisions on the Blu-Ray and DVD releases, for memetic reasons many fans prefer [[https://imgur.com/a/vBCawCP the Maki-colored Nozomi]] seen in the second season's eighth episode.
220	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
221	** Hanayo, for some. Although the anime gave her two focus episodes (one on which she deals with her shyness and asks the other girls to join µ's, another on which [[DietEpisode she deals with her weight]]), some fans and detractors of her agree she could've gotten a bit more, especially considering she's left OutOfFocus for most of the anime.
222	** This also applies to Umi, who unlike Hanayo didn't get ''any'' focus episodes dedicated to her despite being part of the main Second Year trio, with many feeling that she should've gotten at least one episode devoted to her. It was also felt by many that even though they were major characters at the start of the show, Umi and Kotori largely receded into the background in the second season and primarily [[SatelliteCharacter relegated to being Honoka's aides.]]
223	** Some felt that both Kotori's and Maki's mothers should have a proper origin story on how they met.
224	** The ''entirety'' of A-RISE, as they only had two songs produced and have much less development compared to [[Anime/LoveLiveSunshine Saint Snow]].
225	** Apart from various fan theories, the true identity of the female singer in TheMovie is not officially addressed by any source books.
226	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: TheMovie opens with µ's travelling to New York City in America for publicity purposes in order to get a School Idol event broadcast worldwide at the Akaiba Dome. Considering the possibilities presented by such a huge city and the cultural divide between the girls and the city's American citizens, this set-up could have easily carried most of the film, but it's only the first act. About 30 minutes in, the girls are on their way back to Japan where the rest of the movie takes place.
227	* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
228	** Nico, in episode 5. The reveal that she was in a previous idol club [[TeamPrimaDonna and all her friends left because she was so mean and demanding]] was intended to make the audience feel sorry for her, but it doesn't change the fact that she spent the entire episode stalking/harassing the girls, stealing their food, posting hateful comments on their video, demanding that they disband their group and outright physically assaulting them- [[IJustWantToBeSpecial all because she felt that if she couldn't succeed as an idol]], [[AttentionWhore no one else in the school should]]. It's extremely hard to take pity on a character who opposes an admirable effort to prevent the school from closing, [[ItsAllAboutMe just to gratify her own selfish ego]]. It's treated as a touching moment when the girls make her president of the Idol club, ([[FisherKing even the rain stops to symbolize this]]), [[SpoiledBrat when really all that's happened is that they became her enablers.]]
229	** Also Eli in episodes 7 & 8, for a lot of the same reasons as Nico. The reveal that she couldn't make it as a ballerina was again intended to generate sympathy for the character but it didn't justify her constantly MovingTheGoalPosts to stop the Idol club from suceeding. She comes across as a selfish [[ObstructiveBureaucrat bureaucrat]] motivated by [[GreenEyedMonster petty jealousy]] rather than someone the audience should actually feel sorry for.
230	* UnpopularPopularCharacter: InUniverse, Nico is TheFriendNobodyLikes and often gets ignored by the other characters. She's still quite popular with fans, although she is quite a BaseBreakingCharacter.
231	* WinBackTheCrowd: After 2 years of absence, the announcement of µ's' grand return for ''All Stars'' and the Love Live! Fes 2020 was met with unanimous praise across the fanbase.
232	* {{Woolseyism}}: When Honoka initially comes across the name "μ's", she mistakes it for Muse, a Japanese soap brand. In the dub, this gag is changed to Honoka confusing the Greek letter "μ" with the English "u", and mistakenly pronounces it as "yooz".
233	[[/folder]]

Context YMMV / LoveLive