The iDOLM@STER SideM Ep 10

This week was definitely one of those Feel Good episodes. Though the first half was pretty slow, the second half made up for it because I couldn’t stop grinning. It was so wonderful to see HighxJoker perform on their dream stage that Producer made sure to put together after finding their notebook of ideas. Also what better way to truly debut than to perform at the school where you founded your club? It was a special moment for every one of them, and the way they introduced each other during the performance was ridiculously adorable. It was especially sweet the way Jun introduced Shiki, who is now officially a member of their band (formerly trial member). Though Shiki can get carried away with his excitement, (who makes the mistake of spilling the beans about their new song that has yet to be completed), he is Captain Hype for a reason. (Also, can we all take a moment to appreciate Shiki’s glorious idea of turning a Haunted House idea into a HAUNTED PANDA HOUSE! 😀 SAY YES TO THE PANDAS HOUSE!!!)

I do appreciate how Jun was in the spotlight today, considering he is a quiet and a bit mysterious in his own way. We saw how thin his patience can run when he is frustrated and when others act irresponsibly. He was especially angry at Shiki for promoting their song that was only work in progress. I can’t blame the guy, I would be frustrated too. It is easy to say, “Good luck,” “work hard,” “I know you can do it” when you aren’t the one who has to do the hard work. Luckily, Hayato who was responsible scrapping together the song was pretty chill about the whole thing.

But we also saw how Jun gets frustrated at himself because it appears he struggles to identify what it is like to have fun. So it shocked him when Shiki explained to him how he and the band inspired him because he saw how much Jun and the band were enjoying themselves, and he wants to be able to share that experience with as many people as possible. That is why he took the time to make those adorable flyers, as well as his way of contributing to the team efforts.

Hayato certainly felt the pressure today when the news got out about their new song. He gets overwhelmed quite quickly, but he made it out okay because Jun offered to help him out. But at the same time, as leader of the group, Hayato has a certain sense of pride and sense of responsibility. No matter how daunting the task may be, he will do what he can to make it happen so they can create a memorable performance.

I mentioned it before, but I really do love HighxJoker’s distinctive sound. It is refreshing how different it is from the rest that can sometimes sound too ‘pop’y so to speak (or whatever is the appropriate music term for it). Both OUR SONG -Sore wa Sekai de Hitotsu Dake- and Sunset★Colors (*at thsi time: Sunset’s lyrics are not up yet) are probably my new favourites.

Next week, I hope we finally get Kaoru’s episode. There are three episodes left, please don’t make us wait till the semi-final episode!