Merry Christmas!
I will defend Ruby to the very end and anyone that still hates her after this episode can fight me.
This episode had to be one of the best Love Live episodes in general. The character development was strong in this, up there with the Nico episode, the Love Wing Bell Rin episode, and the Nozomi episode of the second season of Love Live School Idol Project. The second seasons tend to do well with character development, it seems. While people can say that this was a little first-year centric, it was a continuation of the Ruby and Leah episode from before. The girls made themselves clear, coming to terms that they need to move on from their sisters. They both love their older sisters so much, wanting to make as many memories as they could with them, sing and dance with them, but they also had to accept that it wasn’t going to last forever. At least, in school idol terms. Now, with the help from both Hanamaru and Yoshiko, the first years stay in Hakodate and help Leah come up with lyrics for their song dedicated to their sisters. Now they both know that they can’t depend on their older sisters for everything and with their song, they want to thank them for everything and tell them they love them, while at the same time proving to them that they’re capable of being independent and give them ease of mind when they graduate. We learn this episode that Leah is also shy and socially awkward as Leah, Ruby, Hanamaru, and Yoshiko I guess bond over their lack of confidence. Ruby and Leah are both pretty similar, they’re personalities being a tiny bit different with Ruby being extra meek and Leah being a little colder, though we see the meek side to her when we saw her encounter her classmates. So the fact that these two meek girls are doing this on their own made me so incredibly happy, and it does show that they are growing.
Ruby isn’t a baby anymore, I really want people to realize that. She’s not a baby! She’s grown so much, and that scene where she spoke to the representatives of the event…just wow. Hanamaru and Yoshiko crying outside like parents made me cry too. That determined expression, her bravery, the way she spoke and looked resembled Dia a lot. Ruby is a lot more mature than people think, it really is just her hidden side that’s finally come through. Of course I can’t count Leah out. She’s exactly like Ruby but the difference is that she puts up a cold exterior. It also made me proud that she went out there and spoke as well as Ruby. I don’t think we needed to see their performance to see how independent they’ve become.
As the rest of Aqours goes home, Dia freaks out over Ruby. You can sort of understand why Ruby was a little immature before when we see how overprotective Dia can be over her. She sort of coddles her. Though her worrying over her was sweet, and that edited picture of Ruby on her phone was adorable. The group also jokes that the first years left them in order to join Saint Snow, which I think was a throwback to the original when Muse thought Eli went off to join A-RISE.
I absolutely loved the song this time. The outfits were shimmery and pretty, Saint Snow’s looking as cool as ever and Aqours looking minty fresh. It was visually stunning, as usual, and Leah and Ruby’s solos in the very beginning gave me goosebumps. They sounded absolutely beautiful. However, I have one question. Wasn’t the song specifically for Dia and Sarah, created by both Ruby and Leah? Weren’t Ruby and Leah supposed to sing it? So why in the world did Sarah and the rest of Aqours butt in? How did they know the song and the dance formation? Why does Chika keep getting more solos and close ups? This is probably the only thing that bothered me and it’s sort of a big issue. It just makes zero sense to be honest. I just really wanted to hear Ruby and Leah sing together, with everyone else on the side watching them. That would have been absolutely perfect. Still, the song was sweet and Christmas-y and sparkly and warm.
This whole episode was warm. It was serious with emotional moments, but it was also carefree. Hanamaru showed a little of her mom self, but she still suffers the same problems of excessive zuras and eating that she’s been reduced to. Also, she’s pretty mean to Yoshiko and her constant teasing is annoying me. Yoshiko being a little normal was cool to see too. Hanamaru and Yoshiko were there but they were mostly in the background providing moral support. There were also silly moments with Aqours but they weren’t the main focus. I actually cried twice watching this episode. One, when Ruby grounded herself and spoke confidently to those event representatives, and when Dia and Sarah hugged their sisters. The sisterly love was strong, and it’s very good.
Again, I love what they’ve done with Saint Snow. Because now it’s been announced that Aqours and Saint Snow are going to hold a live together next April. They’re also going to release the full version of Awaken the Power, along with Saint Snow’s other two songs, three dramas and Sarah and Leah are going to get SRs in the mobile game. The main group and the rival group having a concert together is unheard of, what it’s happening! It actually makes me feel bad about A-RISE. They had fantastic songs, but the anime didn’t really do anything with them and they were never given the same attention Saint Snow is getting. I wish something could have happened with A-RISE. Oh well. 🙁
This episode was fantastic. I’ve wanted a Ruby episode so she could get her development and I got it. Next week it looks like a third-years’ episode, probably alluding to their eventual graduation. So it’ll have a good focus on Kanan and Mari. I’ve wanted a Kanan episode and I wouldn’t mind a Mari episode since I feel like she’s been a bit in the background. While Leah has admitted that she’s going to quit Saint Snow after her sister graduates, to form a new school idol group, what will Aqours do when the third years graduate? Will we have the same conclusion like Muse did? I kind of have a guess but I’ll keep it to myself for now.
