The common cold is a force to be reckoned with in anime but this is Love Live! we’re talking about here. There’s no way this show would actually put Honoka’s life on the life.
Because Honoka collapsed in the middle of a concert, the director gets concerned over the club’s wellbeing and she pressures them into withdrawing from Love Live (which is ultimately won by A-Rise). Fortunately, that’s the only mandate the director issues and μ’s is still allowed to continue working in general. I find this development a little contrived but it is interesting that the show doesn’t go to the titular competition. That alone is a good excuse for the show to do a second season.
Honoka gets depressed that she and her friends won’t go to Love Live though she manages to rebound thanks to her friends’ help (and Nozomi sexually harassing her). Some positivity manifests when the girls learn that Otonokizaka is accepting applicants again and it’s getting enough to stay open for one more year. So yeah, the school is saved. Color me surprised. I figured with μ’s withdrawing from Love Live, Otonokizaka might fall in the red again and that would set the show up for Season 2. That could still happen but for now, it seems that the girls have accomplished their mission. I guess even after a disastrous concert, some middle school fans still want to be in the same school as their idols (pun not intended).
Mind you, celebrating the news doesn’t last for very long. There’s still an elephant in the room after all! Apparently, Kotori has decided to go through with studying abroad but because of what happened at the last concert, she still hasn’t brought this up to Honoka. In the end, Umi decides to announce the news to everyone on Kotori’s behalf, during the club’s celebration over saving the school no less and with two weeks left before Kotori leaves for good! The timing here could not be any better. Kotori explains to Honoka about why she kept her in the dark but that becomes too much for her and she eventually runs away.
I’m having a hard time believing that Kotori decided to go through with studying abroad. Like, good on her for wanting to pursue the opportunity but it’s strange that she decided that on her own after she struggled so much to share the news with her friends. Maybe she caved into pressure or something. I think the show could’ve done something if Kotori didn’t make a decision at all. Like, have Kotori neglect to do so when Honoka collapses. The drama going forward would then be Honoka finding out about Kotori’s opportunity and feeling guilty that she held her best friend back.
Something else that irks me is that most of the blame seems to be pinned onto Honoka. It’s not entirely misplaced. It is Honoka’s fault for putting too much focus on the concert and overlooking what was going on with Kotori. That said, I think Kotori is also at fault. It’s partly because of her indecision that the club is in the mess they’re in now. She should’ve just told everyone as soon as possible. I buy Umi explaining everything on her behalf but it says a lot about Kotori that she could’ve kept her studying abroad a secret all the way to the stinking airport. I’m frustrated, to be honest. After the show spent a whole episode showing how Kotori is building her confidence, none of that development factors into the episodes that come after it. Does Kotori need to wear her maid outfit to gain +9999 stats? What was the point of that episode if she is just going to fumble like this?
Blaming herself for what’s happened between her and Kotori, Honoka falls into a depression. She feels even worse when she watches A-Rise win Love Live and she realizes a huge gap in skill between them and μ’s. The next day, μ’s decides to hold one last concert before Kotori leaves but Honoka doesn’t see the point of it and she decides to quit being a school idol. This could’ve maybe played out a bit better. Like, had Kotori been honest with her friends, the school festival could’ve been the club’s last hurrah and that could’ve motivated Honoka to put even more effort. After that, Honoka could then feel bad and end up in the bitter state she’s in now. But whatever, this is the route the show has gone.
The ending of the episode is definitely a low point of Honoka, probably the lowest unless she somehow does something worse in Season 2. She’s managed to keep a positive outlook so it’s shocking when she says everything μ’s has done has been for nothing and blames herself for the fallout between her and Kotori, even when it becomes clear that this is where the story is heading. It’s pretty funny how Nico is ready to throw hands. Of course, the gremlin would do that. What is surprising is Umi slapping Honoka. That could backfire a ton on Umi but out of anyone in μ’s, she would be the most disgusted with Honoka’s behavior and she’s easily the best candidate to knock some sense into her. It seems as if the story is going full circle, focusing squarely on the original three girls again. My one issue with this is it gives the other six main characters squat but I do enjoy chemistry of the initial trio so I’m curious to see how this season’s final conflict plays out.
Watch Love Live! School Idol Project on Crunchyroll
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