Me, this episode
Disclaimer: We couldn’t do anything about Ruli this episode. The entire point is that nobody understands her, so please accept it. And just so you’re not confused I’ll say upfront that Meruli is stated to be male later in the episode.
So those things aside, I really loved the scene in the middle of the episode with Ruli and one other person. I’ll never tire of those lessons in children’s shows, and that particular interaction was unique, this being the first time. And I’ll never complain about more drama episodes.
I’m pretty sure there’s a particular “dere” archetype describing her…
Subs were late this week because I was away and got stuck because of snow, so sorry about that (no it wasn’t Texas). I’m really enjoying Ann’s character here, and I think there’ll be some interesting interactions later on down the line. But my favorite part of this episode was probably the tiny little reference to Mizuki. It makes me emotional every time I remember it. You’ll know when you see it.
I think this actor’s name might literally be Prince
In terms of buildup and every single scene leading up to the conclusion of this plot, this episode probably has all the others beat. I’m really impressed with the way all the pieces came together to build a satisfying story for Hana and the others. Maybe eventually there’ll be a drama episode which utilizes both inside and outside Aikatsu Planet together.
I guess Aikatsu Planet is connected to America
Kyouko is such a wonderful new character, superficially a combination of Sakura and Seira, but so much more. I think she really embodies the themes Aikatsu Planet is trying to share, and what each episode starts out by saying—this is a place where you can be true to yourself and become who you want to be. The sincerity with which this is told and shown made me tear up each time I rewatched it. Next week, something special that I think every Aikatsu fan has been hungry for a long time. Also I started putting my recorded episode thoughts up again, which I don’t do here to avoid absurdly long posts.
That’s a nice little atelier Sala has there
At this point I can only say that Planet is just getting better and better with each episode. There’s a bit more lore about how the system works this time, and a few mysteries I look forward to seeing solved. The way Swing and Dressia work are so cool, and the points system really jives with my own philosophy about what makes an idol.
Cute… pajamas?
Now that Mao has become an idol, it’s her turn to start learning the ins and outs of the trade. Luckily for her, she’s got the perfect teacher, Ruli—except she needs to keep her identity a secret?
Okay, I have no idea why I went all preview on that when I never do. I just feel like this season is going to ramp up slowly rather than go blazing right out of the gate, especially with Hana’s identity being such a huge plot point, and our knowledge that Meisa’s coming back as Rose later on. For the longtime Aikatsu fans, there are three returning voices who make appearances this episode; see if you can pick them out. I found it pretty hard for two of them without checking the credits, but felt pretty silly once I read it. Maybe I’ll give the answer later if nobody figures it out.
The shining line continues
It’s been a long time, but we’ve finally returned. Things look a bit different this time around, but deep down inside, I can feel that this is surely Aikatsu. More than Akari gen, and more than Stars, I think we’ll all need some time to adjust, so take it at your own pace. We’ll be here, as always, doing our subkatsu.
Art by @eelkingdom
Were you watching Polka’s stream just now where she talked about Aikatsu for two hours, sang many of the songs acapella, and instated a livewatch of it on Bandai’s youtube channel? Or maybe you remember that in her debut, that the very first anime listed among her favorites was Aikatsu? Do you not know what Aikatsu is? Well here’s where you can find all of it, subbed.
Aikatsu is a little girls demographic anime that has found huge success among adults for it’s charming characters, mature writing, and amazing music, among everything else it does with eloquence and grace. Today Polka spoke mostly about the first season with Ichigo, Aoi, Ran, and their friends, which lasted 50 episodes. You can find a link to their download here, although it’s also available on private trackers. If you were inspired by the passion with which Polka talked about it and sang, why not give it a try yourself?
PS: Yes it’s the show walf talks about
That small bud is carefully raised, and then passed on
I was not expecting both of the last episodes to be released on the same day, but I suppose that was likely due to earlier delays in the schedule. Essentially we got one full episode, but both halves were quite intensive to do, so it took a bit of extra time. But that’s exactly why we’re releasing them together, just as they aired.
What a fantastic addition to Aikatsu, adding this extra story about Noelle and inviting her to be the protagonist of her own mini-series. Truly, this used the experience of every series of Aikatsu to elevate an unmistakably OG-style story. But the strength of it lies not simply in calling back directly to one of the most emotional moments in Aikatsu’s history, but adding to it with new color and metaphor, and writing a song that both reinforced that theme and connected it with every single idol academy. You can see it directly in the title of the song as well.
I won’t go crazy like I usually do for finales, since everything I said at the end of Parade still stands. The new announcement date for information on the next Aikatsu project has been moved to August 10th. Usually we don’t put that information on the site directly, although that’s probably because I put it at the end of the normal weekly release… which there won’t be. We’ll see what happens then, I’m not sure what we’ll do for it.
