Dia's reveal of the 3rd years' failed stint as school idols weighs heavily on Chika's mind. Specifically, she cannot merge her image of Kanan with that of Dia's story and concludes that there must be something more on the 3rd years' disbandment.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- The Chessmaster: Dia, in part, played them all; she was the one who wrote "Aqours" in the sand in the second episode, likely expecting Chika and her friends to find it and make "Aqours" the name of their group.
- Cry into Chest: Mari hugs Kanan in this way after their reconciliation.
- Face Plant: Played for Drama. While running through the pouring rain from Dia's house to Uranohoshi to confront Kanan, Mari trips and falls flat on her face. Battered but determined, Mari gets up and keeps running.
- Flash Back Echo: A flashback reveals that at the start of their friendship, Kanan offered Mari a hug with outstretched arms. Cut to present Kanan doing the same pose and Mari took the hug, repairing their friendship.
- Gray Rain of Depression: It's raining when Dia reveals the truth about Kanan not singing two years prior and when Mari goes to confront her about it.
- Out-of-Character Moment: The Kanan in Dia's story is acting out of character from Chika's perspective, prompting her (and the rest of Aqours) to investigate deeper.
- Poor Communication Kills: The main reason behind the third years' disbandment.
- Kanan sabotaged the Tokyo performance because she was worried about Mari's ankle injury and disbanded the group so that Mari will be forced to take one of the offers to study overseas. Kanan didn't say any of this to Mari.
- Mari refused all the offers because she was happy being a school idol with Kanan and Dia. Of course, it goes unsaid among them.
- Dia stayed silent on the whole issue and because of it, Mari thought that her friends abandoned her.
- Putting the Band Back Together: This episode puts the original Aqours back together to join with the new Aqours led by Chika.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: Mari drops her fun persona while Hanamaru keeps Yoshiko from ruining the mood.
- The Confidant: Dia acts as one for Kanan.
- The Reveal: Several.
- Dia's story is only partially true. Kanan deliberately sabotaged their Tokyo performance so that Mari will not perform with an ankle injury. Later on, Kanan disbanded the group so that Mari will be forced to take one of her offers to study overseas.
- Kanan reveals that the third years' school idol group is also called "Aqours".
- Dia gave Chika's group their name as she gleefully writes the name "Aqours" on the beach expecting the second years to find it.
- Title Drop: The insert song for this episode is "Mijuku DREAMER" (Young Dreamer).
- Troubled Backstory Flashback: We see Kanan disband the group in front of Mari before the opening credits.
- Wham Episode: The third years' drama that's been existing in the background since the first episode gets resolved. Mari, Dia and Kanan finally join Aqours.
