With the calamity still engulfing Numazu, the administrative bureau orders the townsfolk to evacuate. During the evacuation, Riko looks after Lailaps while Yohane heads off to find one of You’s cousins, Nami, and her pet pig Sakura, who have both gone missing. Yohane finds the pair but the calamity knocks her out. Fortunately, the three are rescued by Chika, Dia, Ruby, and Riko. Upon returning to the town, Nami’s twin sister Miki worries that Sakura ran off because she was meant to her. Nami reveals that is not the case. Rather, Sakura was trying to find Miki’s favorite flower to cheer her up while the calamity is going on. I kind of wish this was set up more in advance. Before this episode, You’s extended family only made cameo appearances. Still, it is a decent parallel to what’s been going on with Yohane and Lailaps.
Speaking of which, the show has finally elaborated on the mystery surrounding Yohane, Lailaps, and the calamity. As hinted before, Yohane had powers since she was little and her first bout of magic was giving part of her essence to Lailaps, thereby granting the dog the ability to talk to her (which is implied to be telepathic). Somehow, this spell is the catalyst to the calamity. That I’ll admit is a bit confusing. Like, how could such a simple spell lead to something so dangerous? My best guess is that the spell isn’t meant to last so long and despite Lailaps talking just fine, it’s become unstable over the years. Assuming it really is connected, the spell adds a new meaning to Yohane feeling responsible for the calamity. She was a little girl who simply wanted to talk to her only friend at the time. Little did she know, her innocent spell had an extreme repercussion.
During the search and rescue, Yohane learns from Riko that Lailaps has run off again. The two search around the town for Lailaps, with Yohane eventually finding the dog at her makeshift stage in the forest. Lailaps tells Yohane that she wants to revert the spell, thereby stopping the calamity and returning some magical power back to Yohane. In a more figurative sense, this is a coming of age moment for Yohane. When she was little, she relied on Lailaps for company. However, times are different now. Yohane’s ambitions has and may once again take her outside of Numazu. Even if she does stay there, she now has a circle of friends. She’s grown less dependent on Lailaps as time went on and Lailaps has looked after her long enough. It’s time for Yohane to close this part of her life and move on to the next one.
As for Lailaps, she acknowledges that she also needs to move on. The reason why she’s never sounded supportive of Yohane’s music career is because she struggled to accept the fact that Yohane was becoming an adult and that she didn’t need as much as before. As for the spell, I’m guessing Lailaps kept that a secret because she didn’t want to drift even further from Yohane once the spell gets lifted. Simply put, Lailaps was afraid of becoming lonely. What seems to have changed her mind is the damage the calamity has caused and seeing Yohane mature and gain friends. The spell can’t keep going on forever and Lailaps doesn’t want Yohane getting hurt because of it. It’s time that she returns its power over to her companion.
Naturally, this magical reversal comes with an idol pop song. The show did say Yohane’s magic manifests through music and that she needs to perform to stop the calamity so this actually does fit. I really like how this MV contrasts with the first one in the show. The song is more intense. The performance is set in the tree trunk stage again but there’s a bluer and purpler tint as opposed to the more naturalistic green from before. The forest background is unnaturally covered in crystals. Yohane wears a similar dress but it’s mostly colored black as opposed to the white one she wore in Episode 1. It all really conveys the effects of the calamity, the urgency of the situation, and Yohane’s growth as a more mature and confident individual.
You know, this show really had me thinking something dark was going to happen to Lailaps. The ending of last episode certainly had me thinking that. Imagine my surprise then that all that ultimately happens is Lailaps losing the ability to speak. That does feel like a copout to me after all the ominous teasing. Then again, this is still Love Live! we’re talking about here. Can you imagine this franchise killing off a major character? I certainly can’t. And if it did, imagine it being the doggo. It could work but I mostly think it wouldn’t go swimmingly with the fans. Lailaps not being able to talk anymore still works as a stinger. After twelve episodes, you get so used to hearing her talk. It already feels weird having her bark and growl like any other canine.
So is the calamity over? The forest certainly seems to be back to normal. However, there is a curious cut to some other area where the calamity is still in effect so it’s hard to say. Bear in mind also that there is only one episode left. Unless the production committee announces there’s going to be a sequel, it’s hard to imagine that Yohane still has work to do.
Watch YOHANE THE PARHELION -SUNSHINE in the MIRROR on Crunchyroll
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