I am quite relieved the writers revealed how Riku and Kujo Tenn are brothers sooner than later. But wow, I never expected them to be twins, fractal at that! What is also surprising is the situation of how Tenn “abandoned” his family in the first place. When they were young, the little club their parents ran was taken by someone in the entertainment industry, and it was shut down. Before they left, they (probably the CEO) wanted his brother, claiming he was talent of the century. Much to Riku’s surprise, Tenn accepted the opportunity to study under him, and Riku felt betrayed ever since.
Now that we know how it unfolded, one has to wonder if Riku over-reacted. On one hand, it makes sense for him to see that man who scouted Tenn as their enemy, he took over their family business. However at the same time, perhaps Tenn dreamt of being an idol and since he was given an opportunity to pursue that, he readily took it.
It is hard to say whether or not Tenn perhaps had any thoughts of revenge but I have my doubts because this guy is absolutely dedicated to his career as an idol.
And although Riku is still bitter about his brother’s betrayal, he wants to stand where Tenn has stood in order get a better understanding of the decision he made back then. On top of that, since they are twins, it just makes it even more sad how a rift has formed between them. When was the last time they spoke to or seen each other? This could also be a major reason why Riku feels abandoned, and for that I wouldn’t blame him for harbouring such feelings.
As result, this makes it even more amazing how different Tenn is when he is just himself, not an idol. Compared to the few scenes we have seen him, his personality seems a lot softer, kinder and just a cool guy all around. He takes his job as an idol very seriously, and shared a great analogy using food as an example with Tamaki, Nagi and Yamato who helped him today.
However there is one thing that I am curious about; Could it be that both Riku and Tenn share a major health problem? I don’t think it was a coincidence we saw Riku having a coughing fit and Tenn being hospitalized to get proper rest. There was also a hint how Tenn’s health condition is something they take more seriously as Gaku has illustrated, there was a time when he lost his voice he was scolded for not caring for himself and lacking awareness of a pro.
Then the post-credit scene happened and my heart just froze. The first thing that crossed my mind was, “Shit, this is gonna get ugly.” Although IDOLiSH7 have yet to debut, because they started dancing in front of the concert hall (due to inspiration and enthusiasm) that just put a huge target on their back. The fact TRIGGER’s manager was so furious just gives us a hint of just how livid the CEO is going to be, and what sort of hell is going to break loose. Tenn didn’t know which group the boys were from, but he knew they were idols and in return of them helping him get to the concert, he shared some wisdom. Furthermore, at this time, it doesn’t appear Tenn knows that Riku is part of that group as well. By the look of it he will be keeping his mouth shut about it because should he say anything, he might end up adding fuel to the fire.
Speaking of TRIGGER as a whole group. Up until this point it has been… fiery interactions to say the least, but today we were able to see the trio are actually quite close and care for one another. Especially Gaku, who has given me the impression he is a bit of a harsh guy, but today we saw how he is actually kind and is looking out for his members, especially Tenn. And Ryunosuke certainly appears to be a manly guy but is a total softy at heart- something we saw more of than the rest in the earlier episodes. I am curious about what Gaku and Ryunosuke will think of IDOLiSH7 when they get the chance to meet them in the future.
And of course we must talk about their concert! Not going to lie, I was smitten by them right away. Sorry IDOLiSH7, TRIGGER is my new bias. It’s kind of ironic, yet fitting for that to happen don’t you think? IDOLiSH8 will have to work hard to win my heart again! TRIGGER songs and their voice was fantastic, and made me swoon.
With that, it’s a wrap for this week! See you next time!
