Got ourselves a Tomari-centric episode this time around. I figured of the two first-years, Tomari would be the first one to get the spotlight. No way is this show addressing Wien first. Plus, Tomari is the only new member of the cast so the sooner the show gets to her the better. This episode also doubles as a Natsumi-centric one, which makes sense since her relationship with Tomari is a huge factor for the latter’s character.
So after the Yoyogi festival, TomaKanoTe continue practicing as usual. Curiously, Tomari is actually showing up to practice. Kanon sees it as a sign that Tomari is starting to enjoy being a school idol though we later learn what exactly Tomari’s aim is here. While practicing, TomaKanoTe bumps into Liella!. I want to say this is a coincidence but knowing Kanon, I feel inclined to believe that she deliberately put TomaKanoTe on the same training route as Liella! as part of her big brain scheme to unite the two groups. While Wien isn’t in the mood to hang out, it’s actually Tomari who sticks out like a sore thumb. She proceeds to tell Natsumi that she’ll prove how futile it is for her sister to pursue her dreams.
Both Natsumi and Tomari then run off, prompting everyone else to search for them. I like how Shiki planted a tracker on Natsumi’s phone (don’t ask when she had the time to do that) and yet, the girls still get sidetracked because Kanon wants to enjoy this rare occasion to its fullest. Even better is everyone going along with her antic, including Wien. Eventually, the girls find Natsumi and Tomari at their home. Superstar!! has shown the Onitsuka residence so it’s not as shocking for the viewer as it is for the main characters that the Onitsuka sisters aren’t exactly living in luxury. About the only surprise left is finding out how far away these two live from Yuigaoka (apparently, this is because Tomari thought vlogging in the city would make Natsumi more more appealing).
Once everyone settles in, we finally learn what the exact deal is with Tomari. It’s a really neat expansion on Natsumi’s backstory. Apparently, Tomari used to admire Natsumi for dreaming big but that all changed when Natsumi gave up and decided to focus on saving money instead. Tomari has since come to the conclusion that it’s pointless to chase after one’s dreams, hence her being more pragmatic than her sister. Naturally then, Tomari is stumped at Natsumi’s newfound passion as a school idol and she’s afraid that Natsumi will only get herself hurt again. Tomari now aims to surpass Natsumi as a school idol in order to show her sister the futility of dreaming big and convince her to give up again.
The others take some issue with Tomari and rightfully so. The fact that she’s only working as a school idol so that she show her sister how much she sucks in the field is already egregious. Telling Natsumi that it’s impossible for her to be a successful school idol and even saying that she lacks talent compared to, say, Kanon for example is very uncalled for. And yet, I struggle to actually hate Tomari in this moment. She does have a point in that Natsumi could very well fail big time with her school idol career and it’s understandable that she doesn’t want to find out. And if that entails being the villain, then so be it. Her approach may be unkind but her heart is technically in the right place.
At some point, Tomari hands over to the other second years Natsumi’s old diary where she jotted down and crossed out all of the ambitions she attempted to fulfill. I imagine Tomari hopes to have them better understand where she’s coming from and help convince Natsumi not to go any further with her school idol career. If that is the plan, it clearly has failed as Kinako, Mei, and Shiki instead admire Natsumi for her efforts. Shiki tells the group of a foreign proverb, “No rain, no rainbow”, which happens to the title of the episode. It’s a cheeky title drop but it is relevant to Natsumi. As painful as her failures were, they did lead to where she is now. A detail that I greatly appreciate in this scene is Kanon wanting to talk to give some words of encouragement to the second years, only for Chisato and Keke to stop her. This scene does seem like the time for Kanon to give a pep talk and it could very well work given Kanon’s success rate. However, it’s better to have the second years come to their own conclusion, especially since the third years won’t be around to help them once they graduate.
The second years then proceed to throw an impromptu concert for Tomari, in the hopes of helping her come to a better understanding with Natsumi. The implication that the four of them were waiting in the rain is silly but I do like how they’re performing in front of a big rainbow, thereby harkening back to the proverb title dropped earlier. What is legitimately stupid however is the fact that you don’t actually see the second years perform. The show immediately cuts to the ED once the concert begins. You do hear a Natsumi version of the ED so maybe that’s what the second years are performing in-universe but that feels like a stretch to me. I would’ve loved to hear an actual insert song by the second years, especially since that’s never happened before in the show. How strange that we don’t see Tomari’s reaction after the concert. I should expect the conflict between the Onitsuka sisters to be resolved after this but I can’t help but think that it might not be the case at the beginning of the next episode.
Watch Love Live! Superstar!! on Crunchyroll.
Xenodude Scribbles 