Aikatsu Stars! – 078

Were you able to protect this smile?

An unexpectedly emotional episode for not just Elza, but anyone feeling lost. What is… “perfection”? Also, extremely well timed with the annual Orionid meteor shower.

Episode 078: Torrent | Magnet

14 thoughts on “Aikatsu Stars! – 078

  1. Actually, I want to repost my raw thoughts for this episode because of how much I liked it.

    Just, what an unbelievable expansion of Elza and her undying desire to be perfect
    Much like Mizuki, her true goals were obscured up until this point, but fortunately we got to them five times more quickly
    We knew of course about getting the Sun Dress, and basically inducing eight other idols to get their star wings was part of it, but what of the true reason behind it?
    With this episode, it’s revealed that all of Elza’s inspiration came directly from her mother
    Her mother the former top idol, a legend in her own right, and a once-bearer of the sun dress. Anyone would be inspired by her
    And yet behind that was a simple desire, a small wish that nobody could look down on

    All she wanted was to be embraced by the mother she loved so much
    But in her perfection, she had no time or ability to give Elza the affection she wanted
    Although it was young Elza’s idea herself to become perfect, it was Yukie who planted that seed in her heart about how to do it
    Paralleling the lyrics of Forever Dream, as well as her own words, despite claiming to be “Perfect Elza” everywhere
    Deep down inside she believe she will never achieve it unless she gets the Sun Dress, or rather, attention from the mother who had no time

    It’s so simple, but in that is the reason why it’s so powerful
    Who could blame a young girl for just wanting a hug?
    Although she hides it from everyone, even the particulars from Rei, she too hurts inside
    It makes her struggle and actions all the more profound
    And in that, she sparks a fire in Rei, in Laura, in Yume, and in everyone else
    Her own passion to achieve her dream, and holding others who she feels are worthy to that same standard, is what allows for everyone to grow
    Then we have Yukie’s darkening of the skies to show all the stars of the night. Her entire monologue is worth rewriting in full, yet it would be redundant to do so

    But this, too, touched me deeply
    What she means with this line is that when you are trying to achieve your goal, you most likely surround yourself with people who are far better and more successful than you are in your chosen field
    For instance, getting a degree at a university, you can’t help but compare yourself to those around you, your peers and professors, and at times feel discouraged
    And yet it is at precicely those times you must remember that beyond their bright light, the stars of your dreams continue to shine
    What an inspiration
    Moreover, her description of the sky matches Elza’s of the Sun Dress, so bright that it can illuminate the deepest darkness
    Thank you Kakihara Yuuko, for this wonderful episode
    Despite being so full of meaning, it comes in at one of the shorter scripts in the series, proving once again that quantity does not equate to quality
    Aikatsu is life

    • Seeing your thoughts, Elza resembles me Takamine Mion from Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream. Since early, both of them are forced to turned in adults in an adult world, seeking their parents to have love and attention, always trying to be perfect in every way possible. The difference is that Mion found in Aira and Rizumu true friends and love, and Elza is always alone.

    • Great post!

      I love how this episode made Elza an even deeper character. She’s a rival, but not the usual “perfect mean” girl – they made her a compelling characters with her own ambitions, not just a “wrong” version of the protagonist.

      Aikatsu really is life!

  2. Spark a fire in someone huh? Oh is that what we call being a jerk nowadays? This is the same logic of a bully who beats people to make them “stronger” Sure you may have proof that this is the result that generally comes from your actions, but that doesn’t change anything. In the present, you’re being extremely rude.

    To add, her inspiration grows from what is seemingly a lack of love or I should say affection. This is exactly the way people become jerks, you use others as an outlet and pretend you’re helping(despite the fact in anime land everyone responds to the jerkiness in a totally unrealistic manner of raw inspiration.)

    Point is, Elza still sucks, and in fact, sucks even more. Ill tell you how this ends, she gets the sun dress ripped from her grubby claws by *insert favorite idol here* and breaks down. Only for her mother to finally acknowledge after all these years that she is, in fact, perfect to her or something like that. Then she’ll apologize to literally everyone and go eat pastries with the crew.

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