Aikatsu!

85. With the finals approaching it's time to start cracking the whip to make sure Four Stars stays relevant. Unfortunately Yuzu is holding the whip, so this will depend on Yume, Mahiru, and Laura being good and motivated enough themselves. And Alice. Funny how she suddenly became a valuable asset. Yume and Aria walk into a contest that seems more designed for newbies considering anyone can apply. Talk about looking for easy bullying targets. But everyone besides those two are so embarrassing Yume has to carry her competition to make this seem like less of a farce. And then she gets to swag onto stage with her default S4 outfit while everyone else has something unique and BS her way into making everyone believe it's something meaningful. I love it. This has probably justified her being S4 more than any other episode to date.

86. I've called Ako the joke character for awhile, but maybe that title should go to Laura. Ako at least knows not to punch above her weight now. Laura's last chance to make the finals, and with the episode name and limited slots, it isn't hard to predict how this will go down. Elza is getting so tired of fillers she's finally realizing she needs to crush the peasants every now and then. Though neglecting her school is probably going to bite her in the back eventually. Still, good episode for Laura about dealing with inevitable loss and yet still having the resolve to move forward. She had a good performance, but once Elza got on stage with a new song it was over. Fits her perfectly, and she really knows how to call forth the Sun Dress. And now she's acting like an evil megalomaniac. Maybe she does have world domination plans.

Six candidates left for the finals. Elza and Yume are locked in. Four Stars needs another, and Mahiru has always been good at background success, so she should be in. That leaves Kirara, Aria, or Rei. Probably Rei since she's the most serious and Mahiru's rival.

87. While Elza is still busy drooling over her new dress everyone else is getting actual work done. Mostly just fluff, but happy fluff. Laura is getting a chance for a bigger stage, probably because French dude can't afford Elza's fees. I haven't checked what's happening next, but what she chooses likely depends on the state of Aikatsu next season. Decent chance she accepts though since it's built up. Ako keeps on shipping herself to little or great success depending on your viewpoint. We get all 5 main girls on stage in under 90 episodes. Better than I thought honestly.

Aikatsu Friends! has been announced.

Which is?

Most likely a new series to replace Stars come April.

88. The show doesn't acknowledge it often, but Yuzu is definitely some sort of eldritch god on par with Elza or Hime. Just in her own way, which she figured out long ago, but still. Even she has her limits I guess. Really wish we had more Yuzu in this Yuzu episode. Episode was worth it for Ako in a tux though. And new hair for Rei and Kirara. Koharu/Kirara shipping intensifies. Asahi must be really happy with this episode. Disappointing that Yume got the song for no reason.

89. Glorified recap episode. And Hime may or may not have a keikaku up her sleeve.

90. Elza could shoot one of her students and they'd still love her fully. She's charismatic sure, but the ones closest to her have to have realized by now they've only been tools for her own plan. She gave them help so they could assist her, and now they're no longer needed. Someone needs to beat her soon. I don't think Kirara and Rei will both make it, but one will. Rei is the more serious character, but Kirara is Elza's greatest success, seeing how she truly can shine on her own, while Rei can't while she's openly dedicating all to Elza. But we're saddled with a tie, so more weeks till we find out. Next time Mahiru and Aria round out the top 6.

Aikasu Friends! will be replacing Stars in April.

91. Now here's an episode I didn't expect to be this good. Mahiru was always one of the more serious ones while Aria is more focused on having fun and bringing people smiles. But the idol world is a competitive one, and even someone as laid back as Aria can feel the drive to win. Thus we get her transitioning to the mindset of a serious competitor. It's not enough since she just started, but it was pretty good development. Meanwhile Mahiru showed off just why she's Four Stars secret top idol, complete with boulder smashing like a boss. Next week, the top 4. Elza, Yume, and Mahiru are locked in, so it comes down to Rei vs Kirara. I'm betting on Rei, but it could go either way. And finally, this S4 will get their chance to shine.

92. Called it. It's not often that I get a bullseye, but the winners were reasonably telegraphed this time without being a complete giveaway. Some last bits of development for Laura before the show moves into endgame. Poor Ako is still bullied though. Elza almost does something nice for once, while still being a dick about it. That's our Elza-sama. My biggest disappointment this season was how little S4 we got. Such a big part of last season, but this time the group played just a bit role. So it was jarring to see those four finally come together for a proper concert. But at least it finally happened, and it was as great as it should be.

93. So everyone else at Venus Ark is smarter than Rei and have finally realized that Elza doesn't care about them. Really, Rei has been holding the whole operation together for months now at least, given how reclusive Elza has become. She's almost a better idol to look up to, but she herself still idolizes Elza all too much while not having anywhere near her charisma. But she does care about the students, so overall she's worth more. I don't know how I feel about Yume vs Rei, as Rei has better reasons to fight Elza to make a better point here or Mahiru since they have their rivalry. But ah well, it was a good match, albeit one with an obvious conclusion. Good on Rei though. Next up, it's Mahiru's turn to get smacked down by the queen. Assuming her being a dick publicly doesn't screw her in the public votes. Which never seems to happen, so RIP Mahiru.

94. I'm amazed that an episode about a competition with such an inevitable outcome still managed to be this compelling. Mahiru is Four Star's secret champ, winning the most even when rarely acknowledged by the narrative. But she doesn't have the protagonist power to dethrone Elza-sama. There's a slight nod that Mahiru hasn't had much of an arc this season nor a personal reason to face Elza. But there was something good built from that, namely Mahiru wanting to go up against Yume. Too bad we'll never get to see that. Still, even knowing the outcome ahead of time, I was still pissed at that stupid bar. Mahiru had taken it when Elza just jumped ahead at the last second. I blame Asahi. He wanted an act of god, and he got it. Good ending scene with her sister at least.

95. Elza may have been a worthy mentor at some point, but over the last few months she's become so toxic that it would probably be for the best that she retires either way. I guess even Elza had to get angry at Rei's blind devotion eventually. Rei is too good for her, especially if she drags her mother here anyway. Meanwhile Yume has a strong support group that will make her the best, even if she's not perfect. That was actually some interesting advice from Hime there. Time for Yume to prove just why she should be the best.

96. So there is another idol Elza respects. She actually was taking Yume seriously, if only for a moment. Good, because Yume had very well earned her respect. And then proved why she was worthy of it. Aikatsu doesn't surprise me often, but Yume getting her own Sun Dress was a massive oh shit moment. That's how you stage a finale. Elza could never beat Yume, because Elza's sun is only one of Yume's many stars. The entire season was a referendum on Yume vs Elza's philosophies, and I'm definitely glad Yume won. Too bad Elza's mom still sucks. Yesh she eventually came, but before she was dragged to it she didn't even consider caring about her daughter. Maybe she can start becoming a decent mother, but she still sucks for now. Principal Evil is still Principal Evil, always concerned about his business. Elza has a lot of decisions to make now, but Yume just has to continue riding her wave of awesome to the end.

97. I think Yume secretly wants to bring the media down. Certainly she cares not for their wants. Elza is stubborn, but a good loss does a lot to cool that kind of person's head. The other students really should demand better than Elza, but after they've been taken in this long there's really no other option. I guess Hime has been doing her own secret training. Looks like she has no intention on leaving this show with any sort of loss. What kind of magic got her a moon dress? Good to see the Venus Ark students finally perform together. Time for a new philosophy on Elza's journey. Yuri leaving kind of came out of nowhere. Alice is too forgiving. Overall, despite my annoyance with how much everyone worships Elza, I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic her school brought to the show. They really did make this season.

98. And just skipping over the S4 selection. Not that it's a surprise, just amusing after all the focus it had last season. Full on repeat winners. But now Haruka is joining the group. Too bad we never got enough of her. She seemed fun. Yuzu was always a champ, but it didn't really dawn on everyone until she sweeped for a third year in a row. Just like Hime did. Pay your respects to the real goddess. But she also just prefers to follow her own whims, so while I kind of wish she was doing something else, it's appropriate that she's staying in Japan with Lily. Lily id the luckiest idol out there. And now Laura is out. What's with Yume's friends and bailing out overseas? Well, it will help her stand out all the more.

99. Perhaps the best part of long-runners such as Aikatsu is the sense of satisfaction when it all wraps up. It's sad that next episode is the end, but the whole episode was a great summation of how much Yume has grown these past two years. Laura and Hime have both pushed her to do her best in their own ways, and Yume responded in the best way possible, by surpassing them and giving them a star to chase after. Hime may have her surprise Moon Dress, but as dazzling as it is for now even she must make way for the best. And Laura has been beside her every step of the way, growing just as much as Yume has. They may be separating now, but that won't stop these two friendly rivals from continuing to challenge each other.

100. Ako gets a fake love triangle to go along with her real love triangle. Mahiru is reviving that flop of a unit. Koharu is now the boss. That will go over really well or really badly. Jeez, they really pulled out all the stops for Laura. Felt like half the city was saying goodbye to her. Very nice to see basically every single character from the entire show showing support. So many references to the beginning all over, especially start line. Of course it ends with the perfect song, Aikatsu Step. Haven't seen that for awhile, and it's great the five leads get their big send off. I think my favorite part was Yume holding back her tears. She may be saying goodbye to her friend, and us to this show, but it shouldn't be sad. Rather, a celebration of what they achieved, and a new dream to always strive for.

I wasn't always completely sold on Stars. The characters took time for me to warm up to. The Aikatsu system became literally magic with rainbow super powers and dresses appearing from nowhere. Actual antagonists that don't have everyone's best interests at heart. So much angst. But it paid off. Character dynamics and nuances grew and made them all endearing. The story and character development was surprisingly engaging, making me root for who I was supposed to be rooting for. Their challenges were hard, making it all the more sweeter when they overcame them. The show consistently sent positive messages while still having interesting characters and funny humor. And of course all with the top notch songs and CG dancing. While I don't think I'd rate Stars above the OG series, it was a great and distinct idol show in its own right, and overall Yume Nijino was a worthy successor to Akari Ozora and even Ichigo Hoshimiya.

Aoi Kiriya. Ako Saotome. The top idols of their generations. I'm very much looking forward to see who can join their ranks in this new season of Friends.

Less than five days until Friends drops though we'll have to wait for subs. Can't really say anything about Stars as I...stopped watching after episode sixty but I'll watch it between episodes of Friends. Looking forward to another series and seeing how the girls grow and develop.

I never really bothered to watch more than the first few episodes of Stars, I just couldn’t get into how soulless it felt. I really missed Ichigo’s spacey quirkiness like Ax-kun and the Hokkaido duo were starting to be an interesting replacement before they canned it mid season.

Hopefully Friends is more like the original.

edited 3rd Apr '18 12:02:09 AM by Memers

Friends 1. Op will need some time to grow on me, but I like the ed. Are they allowed to have a penguin in their shop? Big family Aine has. Aine is starting out from a similar position as Ichigo. Not much interest initially, but was dragged into it and was an instant hit with her natural talent. So far her main gimmick is her wanting to make a million friends. While the idol business is a good way to get fans, I don't think they qualify as friends. She needs time to differentiate herself, though her main friend already being a top idol does differentiate things a bit. Mio is more hardcore, drafting Aine into the business and intent on using her to challenge the top group. But she's still a nice girl and all. Both need more time to be fleshed out before I'm fully endeared to them though. Transformation sequence sure is fancy. Song had a great first impression. That aspect certainly isn't going away. Feels more like OGkatsu than Stars with more fluffy times and no angst, but we'll see how that plays out.

Honestly I enjoyed the OP more than the ED though the insert song wasn't nearly as good as Idol Activity! or Aikatsu Step! if I'm being honest. That said, Aine is cute and decently interesting though I think I'm going to prefer Mio between the two. Both need to get better taste in food though as that sandwich did not look good and nothing compares to a good Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly sandwich.

2. Well Coco is cute. Gotta be honest, this show needs a better hook. Compared to Stars it feels like a step back. Not in the songs. Those are as good as ever. The writing and story however needs more. Now there doesn't need to be a bunch of drama to be interesting, but at least some more compelling characters would be appreciated. Aine hasn't had much make her stand out. Mio is a little better, but definitely behind how Laura was. And Love Me Tear was just there without any real introduction to them. And with no conflict the whole episode was a bunch of setup. Hopefully next episodes steps things up.