Last time we left Yu and Ayumu noticing a poster and receive an interesting letter respectively. I had a hunch where this was going. Let’s see if I was right.
We joined the gang discussing the date of their upcoming concert. They considered Christmas but that was the date of the Love Live preliminaries so they settled on New Year’s Eve. Yu and Ayumu were both only paying half attention.
As the discussion continued Vice-Prez and I assume other members of the Setsuna Lovers Club came to show their support to her and the gang on their upcoming concert. They even brought cookies of the OG 9. As the new trio watched they’re surprised with their own cookies. Later Lanzhu gathered Mia and Shioriko to discuss forming their own unit. The three already told their story plus think of this as the continuation of Lanzhu’s…let’s call it “redemption arc” of her learning the true power of friendship and teamwork.
Kaoruko returns!
Yu asked Kaoruko about the music competition poster. She said entering and winning may be the first step to becoming a composer.
It’s at last time for Yu and Ayumu to have the talk between most high school sweethearts with different life goals. For Yu it’s the music composition contest and the potential to become a composer. The thing was she mainly did it for fun and to help NijiGaku. She worried what would happen if she entered and won. Ayumu didn’t tell her until later on but her dilemma was the email she got last episode. It’s from an Ayumu superfan in London who aspired to become a school idol like her heroine after being encouraged by her bestie but she couldn’t do much because there’s hardly anything school idol related outside Japan. After hearing Yu say “I’m not sure” she asked Emma, Mia and Lanzhu about their experiences as foreign school idols. Like the superfan wrote school idol stuff was super niche outside Japan hence a big reason they came to study there.
Meanwhile Kanata had her own dilemma related to Haruka though she noticed AyuYu feeling glum. Haruka’s preparing for the LL Prelims. Due to being the Center of her group she felt a lot of pressure but wouldn’t show it. As Kanata drew a huge “Lovely Haruka!” poster to cheer her beloved imouto on she heard from Yu then Ayumu, both with the same concern: They supported each other for so long they feared what would happen were they to follow separate deeams. She told them to wait till she could think of good advice. Afterward some of Haruka’s schoolmates recognized Kanata and asked how they could show their support for Haruka. The sleepy beauty had found comrades in arms.
Kanata had an emergency meeting with the gang about Haruka’s stress. They mentioned wanting to support their N Girl homies who performed with them at SIF 1 and 2 then realized just how important their support was. Thus they used their school idol powers to recruit N Girl classmates from all over to record a heartwarming video cheering on their homies on Prelim Day. Haruka shed tears of joy and got pumped with the others following suit ready to for action.
Kanata’s advice and AyuYu’s moment after filming the video can be summed up with the following: Your/Our bond/love knows no limits. Doesn’t matter how far you/we are from each other. You/We’ll always support each other”. Basically they’re set to make plans for a long-distance relationship when the time comes for them to follow their own dreams. Yu becoming a composer and Ayumu studying at a different college after her short trip to London to spread the school idol gospel. This reminded of an episode of CUE! where there’s a similar drama about one of the girls also going to study abroad but it was only for a few weeks.
The AyuYu drama’s like a certain movie but without trials by combat, right Doc?
Great stuff as always. We ended the episode with Yu surprising her harem with 12 Singles for each of them to sing at the NijiGaku concert. G-View next time along with fingers crossed for a movie announcement.
PS: I was right.
The Yuri Empire 
Hey, OG! There’s a kickstarter for a new nice-looking yuri vn with 78% funding done & 10 days to go, do you think you could give it a boost please? Seems like 2 yanderes and a tsundere are after 1 girl?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1257991374/shangri-enfer-adult-yuri-lesbian-visual-novel
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Yup, this definitely gives me some RevStar Deja Vu, but obviously this won’t take such a dramatic turn. I think this outcome was inevitable the moment Yu chose to pursue a path differently from Ayumu. With their close bond it’s understandable they’d be afraid of being without the other. Especially considering they’ve always supported each other. But their love is deep, so I’m certain they will be able to handle a long distance relationship.
I hope we’ll get a movie announcement after next week’s finale. This is the LL way based on past series. So I have no doubt this one will have one to keep up with the tradition. Good stuff as usual.
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Exactly what I thought. They’ll be just fine. We’ve seen how strong their love is.
Fingers crossed the tradition continues.
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This episode was quite interesting. When I first saw the poster for London I was expecting Ayumu to be gone for a year, so two weeks came as a huge relief. She literally chose the shortest time available that she would be away from Yu haha
Her worries about how this one decision to go abroad could accumulate and possibly lead to her and Yu separating completely one day was cute. It is a fear that will likely never become reality, but it was nice to see Ayumu think in terms of “lifetime” of her relationship with Yu when making a choice to go away for what most people would consider a two week holiday. Ayumu is really intent on spending her life with that green tipped girl.
In terms of the future, Ayumu doesn’t seem to have any set post-High School goals, only being focused on School Idol stuff for now, so what path she will go on after that is unknown in terms of college and stuff.
Likely the one with the least resistance to spending time with Yuu haha
In terms of movie I feel it will be set in London, this episode felt like a set up for it and the two girls described in the email were basically Yu and Ayumu expys, so that should be an interesting story between those four.
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Well summarized Eric. Regardless of what their futures hold they’ll always be together be it literally or long distance.
Good observation spotting the similarity between the English school idol fan and her homie and AyuYu.
The movie could very well take place in London. Though similar to the Aqours movie being about a trip to Europe it’d tell a different story.
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Very good ep this week.
Ayumu and Yu each having big decisions ahead of them but not telling each other what’s going on, I was starting to worry if this would drag out for the last 2 eps, but they were able to resolve this crisis in this ep. I was fully expecting Ayumu to be looking at some year long exchange program because honestly 2 weeks is nothing for an exchange program. But at least this way she can be back with Yu before she knows it. My other thought was that Yu would also get some music exchange program in London and the two would be there together. Still a possibility if you ask me. Plus that’s prime movie material right there. All the rest of the girls would go visit them and they’d have some big school idol festival in London. I’m practically writing the script for them.
I really liked the Haruka story this week too as it’s the first time we’re outside Love Live so to speak looking in on someone training for their big performance. I feel like this is how Yukiho felt watching Honoka train hard for Love Live. We’re only seeing Haruka coming and going from the apartment and her going over dance moves in her room, there is so much she’s going through but for once we’re not along for that ride, we’re just observing this for a change. I thought that was a nice detail or maybe I’m just reading too much into this as is usually the case.
Good stuff with Lanzhu this week as well. Her story is progressing very well too. Great to see how far she’s come and how far she’s go too. With Mia and Shioriko at her side, she’s ready for anything!
Sad that next ep is the last one, I’m gonna miss these girls a lot. I’m pretty sure they’ll have a movie at some point as it’s the usual Love Live tradition to send off the girls with a movie. I could see them doing some time jumps in the final ep with them a few months after and Ayumu and Yu back from their respective travels, but it would be nice to see that played out in full rather than get a quick recap of what happened with them. I mean unless the ep ends in classic Love Live fashion with them receiving an urgent message from London and they all go for some school idol event. That’s actually a good idea, I like that.
Whatever happens, I’m going to be sad this is over. Even if it’s just for now. But not too sad because Liella is back in a few weeks.
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Love Live go to London would be a great movie. Whatever happens I crave a Nijigasaki movie. Tradition demands they get one.
Good observation on the similarity between Kanata and Yukiho as supportive sisters of school idols competing in Love Live.
Lanzhu is growing up with Shioriko and Mia by her side. Love to see it.
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i have a solution for Yu and Ayumu feeling lonely when being apart — exchange engagement rings now 😀
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All in due time for our wonderful sweethearts.
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Kanata may love to take long naps but she is very perceptive and she gives well-needed advice.
AyuYu feared that setting out on different paths would cause them to break apart eventually but as long as they remember that they have each other’s backs, then no matter how far apart they might be, they are inseparable. This reminded me of Kanan, Dia and Mari’s worries when their third year was approaching its end.
It took some doing, but everyone was able to give Haruka and the others well-needed and well-timed encouragement. Even if they don’t advance, they won’t be swallowed up by regret, I reckon.
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