I was delighted to learn that this episode is centered around Kinako (in fact, it’s literally named after her). I quite like Kinako. In hindsight, her introduction in Season 2 was really darn cute – a bumpkin who didn’t expect much for herself until she moved to the big city and the established cast welcomed her into their circle with open arms (Chisato-related pun not intended). She was the perfect character to first add into Liella! during Season 2. That said, Kinako was frankly at her most interesting when she was the only kōhai in Liella! and she had to deal with the tribulation and loneliness that came with it. Kinako has her moments later on but she definitely got less relevant as the show continued and more characters formally joined the idol club. If anyone still needed the spotlight before Superstar!! closes the curtain, it was definitely Kinako.
Ren also gets some attention this episode and that makes me even happier. As much as I like Ren, I can’t deny that Superstar!! has struggled the most with her character, compared to the other third years. Last time Ren got the spotlight was way back in Season 2 Episode 7 and that focused on her newfound addiction to video games. As entertaining as that was, it was also a very random direction to take with Ren’s character. I was honestly getting worried that this season was going to run its course without giving Ren anything major to do. Imagine my relief then that Ren not only gets something but it’s also a really good note to end her arc on.
So after advancing through the first round of Love Live! (shocker, I know), Kanon picks Kinako to write a new song for Liella! to perform for the second round. Once again, Kanon puts a younger member in charge since she and the other third years are graduating. Kinako agrees to the request but she initially struggles with a bad case of writer’s block. Meanwhile, the student council advises Ren to find a successor for student council president, what with her graduating soon. Even if Ren was ready to pass the torch, she hilariously can’t find anyone willing to take on the reins. A bit unrealistic but this does lead to a very funny gag where Ren jumps to the conclusion that no one wants her job because they all hate her so I’ll give it a pass. Naturally, Kinako and Ren cross paths and the two help each other. Kinako comes up with ways to promote to the school that the role of student council president is up for grabs. Ren offers some suggestions for the upcoming song and she gives Kinako a poetry book to help the latter overcome her block.
Among the suggestions Ren offers is Kinako writing about her feeling lost, thereby putting her block on its head. Kind of a shame that Kinako doesn’t go this route and she instead settles for the usual “friendship is magic” theme that’s so common with Love Live‘s soundtrack. A gloomier song would admittedly not fit Love Live‘s M.O. but I don’t know, it’d at least be unique. That said, I really love the exact moment Kinako figures out what she wants to write for the song. Her singing and dancing as the lyrics seemingly come to her head, all while drawing Liella! on the chalkboard to visually convey her feelings is freaking adorable. The fact that the animators even brought their A game for this one scene makes it even better.
Since the two plots converge, it gradually becomes apparent that Superstar!! is setting Kinako up as the next student council president. I would be surprised at this development but you know, if Honoka can be student council president during School Idol Project!, then anything is possible. Part of me feels this would have worked better if Superstar!! had set it up much earlier in the season. It doesn’t help that we ultimately never saw Kinako do any work in the student council, despite joining it as its secretary in Season 2. Still, this episode does a good job making a case for Kinako. She shows qualities needed for student council president when she helps Ren look for a successor, taking initiative and coming up with a solution to a problem. Ren herself later notes that she sees herself in Kinako; both girls are awkward and stubborn but also very earnest. This becomes even more apparent to Ren when she sees Kinako brainstorm her song. By then, Ren realizes that Kinako has the qualities she’s looking for in a successor.
Understandably, Kinako is anxious at the prospect of becoming student council president and she therefore doesn’t immediately accept Ren’s offer. During a freakout, Kinako runs into Wien and she decides to confide to her friend about her troubles. Kinako suggests that Wien could be fit for student council president though Wien concurs with Ren that Kinako would be a good pick. I really like how this ties into Kinako and Wien’s interaction last episode, with Wien citing Kinako convincing her to train together as an example of Kinako’s potential ability to lead people. It’s an even better example when you consider that Kinako was technically asking Wien to lead the training, thereby displaying humility that’s ideal for a student council president. One curious exchange is Wien mentioning that she couldn’t be the student council president because she’ll be moving back to Vienna next year, much to Kinako’s chagrin. I’m curious if that’ll continue to be the plan or if Wien might change her mind at the last minute. If it wasn’t for the lack of time left in Superstar!!, I’d love to see Wien remain in Yuigaoka to interact more with Tomari and the second years, maybe even as Kinako’s vice president no less.
Touched by Wien’s words of encouragement, Kinako decides to succeed Ren as student council president, while also finishing the lyrics for the new song. I like how Kinako ties her hair up into a ponytail while finishing the lyrics, thereby resembling Ren. That’s such a cheesy way to convey the passing of the torch but I think it’s cute. After telling Ren her decision, Kinako announces her role during a school assembly. Now, would you look at that. A second year giving a speech on her first day as student council president. Already, she’s off to a better start than Honoka! Joking aside, there’s some neat little details in this scene such as Ren saving Kinako from potential embarrassment and Kinako relying less on her paper as she grows more confident in delivering her speech.
Finishing the episode is of course Liella’s performance in the second round of Love Live (which spoiler alert, they pass). The song is great. I really dig the more uplifting tone in contrast to the bittersweetness felt in the last one. I also couldn’t help but notice the amount of harmonizing throughout the song. Even during the solo parts, you can still hear everyone singing something in the background. It really suits the lyrics’ theme of people coming together and the wonderful results that come out of it.
Given Kinako’s recent successes, Liella! of course makes her the center. While I’ve never minded it when Kanon is the center, I really appreciate that this season has only had her in the role a couple of times and the role has been given a bunch of other characters. It’s a refreshing change of pace after seeing Honoka and Chika be the center in almost every MV in their respective series. An especially wholesome detail here is that Liella! are wearing either pink or orange dresses except for Kinako, whose dress is colored yellow. That way, she really stands out as the center of the group. There’s no mistaking that this is Kinako’s time to shine. I also adore that throughout the MV, Kinako has Kanon and Ren by her side. Kanon is the one who invited Kinako into Liella! and Ren entrusts Kinako with Yuigaoka’s future; it just feels right for those two to perform next to her.
Overall, this might go down as one of my favorite episodes this season and maybe the entire show. I wanted Kinako to get the spotlight again and I could not have asked for a better episode than this. This was the perfect way to end her arc. The same could be said about Ren. As fun as the gamer episode was, I wouldn’t have liked that to be last Ren-centric episode. Given Ren’s affinity towards Yuigaoka and her desire to continue her mother’s legacy, seeing her pass the torch over to someone else is a much more appropriate note to end her arc on.
Watch Love Live! Superstar!! on Crunchyroll.
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