It looks like Hiyori is starting to understand the appeal of idols. Afterall, she’s already having dreams of getting married to not one, but TWO idols! You’re in pretty deep if you start to have those sorts of dreams, but that’s also probably because you spend most of your days dealing with these two, and when the camera is on them the really do seem like such charming boys.
I’m glad to see that everyone is warming up to each other. Sure, there is still a lot of tension surrounding the trio, but they are actually eating lunch together and having a conversation more than just bossing Hiyori around. That’s really nice to see!! I also found their decision to make the rosettes for their fans to be super sweet. Good job Hiyori! They were inspired by you and what you are passionate. And it really makes me appreciate her even more. Hiyori is a very authentic character. She doesn’t seem to be one with alternative motives and genuinely puts her all into everything that she does. Yeah, she has to deal with a couple of classmates her are quite frustrating to deal with, but she still puts up with them and does her best. I just love seeing her in action.
Yujiro and Aizo also got a little bit more development in this episode and if I’m honest, I was pretty dissatisfied with it. Specifically, Aizo’s portion of the episode. We’ve known that he doesn’t feel comfortable around girls and earlier in the episode Yujiro refers to it as his trauma. Trauma is a pretty heavy word and it really could mean a whole lot of things. What frustrates me the most is that Hiyori doesn’t even learn about said trauma from Aizo or even Yujiro. We hear it off-handedly from his brother (and if you ask me, I’m a little on the fence if that even is his brother). The reveal felt incredibly lackluster with just the “Oh, our mom always had a new guy every 5 minutes, and I was a bit of a playboy at one point”. We don’t even get to hear how that actually effects Aizo. It really feels like that whole segment was just thrown in… and truthfully felt out of place. I really hope they revisit in the future to hear what Aizo has to say about it.
As for Yujiro’s development, we find out that he was heir to a Kabuki family and he gave all of that up to pursue his dreams of becoming an idol. Yujiro’s past has been leaked to the media and as a result becomes a bit more an issue for LIPxLIP to work through. But thankfully these two know how to play the cameras. Leaving the family was something he did because he saw the talent and skill of his younger brother, but he also realized that he wanted to become an idol on his own and on his own merit. For him, it’s family drama that has been aired out to the public. Though, it does seem like this impacts him on a personal level. He views himself as an afterthought in the family, but as Hiyori shares it’s clear that at least his mother still loves him dearly. I think this tidbit of the past was executed better than Aizo’s, but I truly would like just a little bit more.
But in addition to all of this, we also have the free performance where the boys hand out the rosettes! But whoops!! They didn’t make it to the venue. It’s a classic scenario that we’ve seen before, but it is also a great moment when they are able to solve the problem without much trouble. Plus, Hiyori is a superhero and offers to go to the office to save the event. And thankfully! She is able to return with the missing rosettes…. only problem is… her foot may or may not be injured after having to sprint the remaining distance due to traffic. It was probably the adrenaline that allowed her to run on an injury for so long, but I’m stressed for her!! I hope this does not have a significant impact on her running career!! She has worked too hard to have to stop for something so small!!
I’m stressed for next week’s episode. I hope everything is okay and that Hiyori just needs to take a break for a few days to nurse a sprained ankle. Personally, I think it would be fun if Aizo and Yujiro decided to repay her by helping her out for a few days. Looking forward to seeing what trouble Hiyori gets herself into next week!
