The Hokkaido mini-arc continues with Ruby and Leah deciding to collaborate on a new song in dedication to Dia and Sarah. Early in this episode, Hanamaru and Yoshiko join them in this endeavor, which I guess is now called Saint Aqours Snow. Personally, I would’ve gone with “Pretty Bomber Head” for the group name. Since this is a change of plans, Aqours’ first years stay behind in Hokkaido at the Kazuno residence/restaurant while the rest of Aqours head back home.
Frankly, the arrangement is a bit silly. Part of the reason the Uranohoshi upperclassmen head back is so that Dia doesn’t know about Ruby and Leah’s plan. But parallel to that, Ruby and Leah are brainstorming lyrics in Leah and Sarah’s home so Sarah develops some idea of what those two are doing. I also can’t help but think how expensive it must be for Dia and the others to fly back to Uchiura, then back to Hakodate, and then back to Uchiura again. I guess it’s a good thing that Mari is rich and can afford everyone’s flight tickets. While this is all a bit contrived, I don’t mind it because we get to see Best Girl Dia get all paranoid that Ruby might be ditching her and Aqours (and to be fair, Ruby is technically doing that, albeit temporarily). This girl’s comedy chops never cease to amaze. I also like that Chika is about the only one in Aqours with some idea as to what Ruby is doing. It goes to show how well Chika understands everyone.
I have to hand it to this episode and the last one in that they’ve managed to get me invested in Leah’s character. Up until now, I honestly didn’t think much of Leah. Her introduction doesn’t put her in the best light and she’s largely left interacting with Aqours to Sarah. These two episodes really make up for lost time and give Leah some much needed attention. Her dilemma is relatable and it’s a great direction to take after Saint Snow’s loss in the regional qualifiers. I still find it silly how similar she is to Ruby but these two really do have cute chemistry together. There’s a nice gag where these two argue over who has the better sister and Leah manages to rile Ruby up enough that the normally shy girl actually shouts. At the same time, these two help each other open up and develop a strong sense of trust in one another. It never occurred to me to see Leah and Ruby pair up (not necessarily like that) but seeing it now, it works really well. Leah also has some good banter with Hanamaru and Yoshiko. With Aqours being so used to these two’s gimmicks, it’s fun seeing a stick in the mud such as Leah deal with them for a change.
Regarding Ruby, I wasn’t sure if there was more to be done with her this arc. She approached Leah, whom she never really interacted with before, and she pitched the collaboration. That setup alone is very bold of Ruby to do so I’d be fine if all Ruby has to do this episode is finish the song and perform it with Leah. Fortunately, this episode gives Ruby a couple more moments for her to shine before the performance. Midway through the episode, Ruby and Leah have to get their concert approved for Hakodate’s Christmas event. Pitching to a board of suits freezes them up but Ruby then remembers Dia and why she wants to perform at the event, giving her newfound courage that also passes onto Leah. After that, Saint Aqours Snow runs into some of Leah’s classmates and Ruby helps the shy Leah become more acquainted with them. I don’t think Ruby will stop being anxious from here on out but she has definitely come a long way from the scaredy cat she was at the start of Sunshine!!.
After a touching scene involving the Kurosawa and Kazuno sisters, we finally get to see the big collab. It starts off with just Ruby and Leah performing though Sarah and the rest of Aqours join in after the first verse. I kind of wish the entire song was entirely performed with Ruby and Leah, if only because it’d be in line with the amount of attention these two have had. However, I understand that this is the first and presumably only time we’ll ever see Aqours and Saint Snow perform together. It’d be waste not to include the entirety of both groups. As a nice tradeoff, the song is able to include more individual singing. Ruby and Leah start the song. Their older sisters each sing a part. Yoshiko and Hanamaru, the two who stayed in Hakodate to help Ruby and Leah get a part. Chika and Sarah, the leaders of their respective groups, sing together before everyone unites for the chorus. The amount of thought put into who sings what and in what order ties really well with the plot of the episode and the bond between Aqours and Saint Snow.
The performance is also just really darn good. The song is very energetic so even though the lyrics aren’t about the holidays, it still feels very festive for a Christmas event. Aqours and Saint Snow sound great together. I love how their outfits can light up, making for a great finisher to the performance. This scene might also have some of the best CGI in Sunshine!!; there’s some pretty dynamic shots throughout the whole thing.
Following the performance, Leah decides that she’ll still quit Saint Snow but for a good reason this time. For Leah, Saint Snow represents time she spent with Sarah and she wants to keep it that way. Rather than quit entirely, Leah instead plans on starting a new school idol group. In the end, Leah makes peace with her sister’s retirement and resolves to continue her school idol career. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the fact that they live far away from each other, I would love it if Leah and Ruby found a new group together at the end of the show. That would be a great destination for them and their chemistry is so charming that I want to see more of it.
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