Episode 9 opens up with a flashback where a young Kano (pre-Nonoka even) tells her class that she wants to be like her mother. This lines up with a comment by Mion back in Episode 4, that Kano was too attached to Yukine for her own good. It also foreshadows what happens at the end of the episode. More on that in a bit.
Back in the present, we see JELEE elated at finally reaching 100,000 followers on fake Twitter/X. Kano’s reaction is particularly more subdued than you’d expect but it does line up with her character development in the previous episode. She cares more about being JELEE with her friends than achieving results. Naturally, the girls want to keep their momentum so they plan on getting a new music video done by New Year’s Eve. I sure hope nothing gets in the way!
So yeah, let’s just cut to the chase: Yoru decides to accept Yukine’s commission. In Yoru’s defense, I can see why she’d do that. For a young and aspiring artist such as her, getting offered a job for a huge project in the entertainment industry is a huge opportunity. Anyone in her shoes would be hard pressed to turn that down and gamble for another shot. There’s also the scene where Yoru meets Yukine in-person and the producer gives her a dopamine of validation by praising her art and noting the quick rate at which she improves her craft. Knowing Yoru’s self-esteem, I can see why she’d be charmed enough to take the job.
That said, I am surprised that Yoru’s default choice isn’t to decline Yukine’s offer. Even if it is a big opportunity, the fact remains that she’s dealing with Kano’s estranged mother. You’d think she wouldn’t take the job out of solidarity for Kano. Also, Yoru doesn’t have the full details but she’s at least aware that Yukine tossed her own daughter aside like it’s nothing. That alone ought to suggest that she should avoid working with Yukine. Even in this episode, some red flags pop up. While contemplating on the commission, Yoru learns from Mei about a rumor claiming that Yukine’s company used a social media account called “LookIdiot” to anonymously expose other idols in scandals to boost the Sunflower Dolls’ popularity. When Yoru meets Yukine, the producer is quick to dismiss Kano. Hell, she doesn’t even call Kano by her real name. It all sounds like Yukine is an ambitious and slimy producer, someone who is willing to do anything to get results and toss aside anyone who isn’t useful to her business. Yet somehow, Yoru fails to pick up on this. I can chalk this up to naivete but it does come across as a bit contrived. I also worry if this decision might backfire down the line. Like, the internet knows Kano is JELEE. News of her artist working for her estranged mother is bound to create some gossip.
We then see an lengthy flashback that finally details Kano’s past as Nonoka. Jellyfish has divulged a fair amount of information already in previous but this flashback does provide some much needed specifics to contextualize all of it. For starters, we now know exactly why Kano didn’t get along with the rest of the Sunflower Dolls. Yukine added her after the group was already established and right from the get go, she chose her to be the center of the group. The others quickly resented Kano for this, feeling that she only got her position because she’s the producer’s daughter. This is especially the case with Mero as she was originally the center until Kano more or less usurped the role from her.
A year later, the Sunflower Dolls land a huge gig after another idol group has to call quits after LookIdiot exposes them. Kano feels uneasy about her situation, prompting her to meet with her father to vent and decompress. Oddly enough, the show obscures the father’s appearance. Most of Kano’s interactions with him is framed like a scene from One Room and when you finally do see the man, you still don’t get a clear look at his face. I’m not sure what to make of that.
After meeting with her father, Kano discovers Yoru’s jellyfish mural, which then inspires her to write the lyrics for “Colorful Moonlight”, one of the Sunflower Dolls’ signature songs and the insert song in Episode 1. Although Kano is unable to learn the identity of the artist, she remarks that she’s fallen in love with them. The ship is canon, you guys! The fact that Yoru’s mural is the inspiration for “Colorful Moonlight” sure puts a new context on Kano’s performance of it in Episode 1. I thought Kano didn’t reveal her feelings towards Yoru until Episode 5 but it turns out that Kano’s been confessing to Yoru since the very beginning of the show.
Naturally, we end the flashback with the big scandal. Kano discovers that Mero is the one behind LookIdiot. Enraged that Mero has been playing dirty to get the Sunflower Dolls to where they are in, Kano punches her in the face. The rest is history. I’m not sure why Kano doesn’t expose Mero as LookIdiot to save herself. I’m assuming she doesn’t since Mero is still part of the Sunflower Dolls. My only guess is that the disdain Yukine gives her froze her enough that she couldn’t speak up. I suppose that even if Mero was exposed as LookIdiot, Yukine would still keep her and kick Kano out. Kano punching a groupmate in the face is bad press but Mero canceling other idols for the sake of fame could be a messier scandal to recover from. Also, in hindsight, it’s really scummy of Yukine to have Kano go by the name Nonoka. It’s as if Yukine did that so that if Kano got canceled, she can easily dissociate herself from her own daughter.
At first, it seems strange to dedicate half of this episode to Kano’s past when the main plot is about Yoru choosing to work for Yukine. Like, an explicit account of this backstory needed to happen but what does it have to do with the present? I have a couple of guesses. One, by explicitly showing Yukine tossing Kano aside, Jellyfish makes it clear that the producer is not to be trusted and it foreshadows Yoru might be treated by her in the future. Two, this flashback might serve to inform us on Kano’s relationship with Yoru going forward. We can tell from the other Sunflower Dolls’ resentment and Yukine exiling her that Kano has a serious attachment issue. It’s why she feels so close to JELEE, especially Yoru. There’s also the fact that Kano pretty much fell in love with Yoru before even meeting her. Having all of this information certainly helps us understand where Kano is coming from in the next scene.
Back in the present, Yoru tells her friends that she’s accepted Yukine’s commission. Since the project is also due for New Year’s, Yoru is unable to draw art for JELEE’s MV. Kiui and Mei try to play Devil’s advocate by pointing out that they can all work on the MV after New Year’s but Kano doesn’t care. She feels betrayed by Yoru. Props to Rie Takahashi for her acting here. She’s a heck of talent in general but man, you really feel Kano’s anger in this scene thanks to her performance.
Between Kano and Yoru, I kind of side more with Kano. As I said earlier, I get Yoru’s reasoning but it’s crazy that she didn’t immediately choose to stick by Kano. How baffling too that she fails to see how Kano would see this as a betrayal. That said, I’d argue that Kano is wrong in how she goes about this conversation. She calls Yoru a liar and tells her that she’s no better than all the people who left her. She tells her that she’s nothing without her, even going as far as to twist Yoru’s own words about being a jellyfish who can’t swim against her. Even if it’s on impulse, she knows how much means she to Yoru and she’s aware that her friend has a lot of self-doubt and she chooses to use both to lash out at Yoru. Kano is free to be upset but what she says to Yoru is hurtful. Admittedly, she’s ultimately horrified at what’s she said but that doesn’t change the fact that she may have meant some of what she said and it doesn’t make Yoru any less heartbroken.
I can’t help but think Kano’s behavior here is a bit similar to how Yukine treats people. Yukine made Kano feel validated when she was an idol and she just easily tossed Kano aside once the scandal with Mero happened. In a way, Kano feels like she was nothing without her mother. Cut to the present and we see Kano telling Yoru that she’s nothing without her. Assuming that’s an interpretation that Jellyfish wants me to have, it makes a lot of sense why this episode begins with a young Kano saying that she wants to be like her mother. Well, judging by this scene, I guess Kano fulfilled her dream. She acted just like her mother here.
In lieu of an ED, Jellyfish plays clips of Yoru and Kano’s past interactions until the credits are over. The standard ED would’ve been a nice reprieve after a heavy ending but this clip show is a pretty fitting note to end on. I think it also makes it clearer what is going on between these two characters. Their relationship is very much romantic and with this episode, we just saw them break up.
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