This episode started off really happy and wonderful, but we really took a turn for the worst by the end of it. I’m stressed! This sort of drama is not what Hiyori deserves, but boy… fans certainly are vicious. Hiyori, I hope things work out for you in the end, but this is quite the mess everyone needs to recover from.
But let’s take a few steps back and talk about the beginning of the episode. It was really nice to see her warming up to LIPxLIP’s songs. It shows that she is genuinely motivated by them and shares the growth she’s had with idols as a whole (though the two of them are the biggest factor for that). And with her working hard, Yujiro and Aizo are inspired to work even harder, especially knowing that there are still slots open for Countdown Live. But while it is nice seeing Hiyori actively enjoying their music, it’s also nice to see the two of them enjoying time with their classmates and also pushing themselves in rehearsal. The dynamic between the three of them has changed pretty drastically since the beginning of the anime – they motivate each other now, which only adds to the stress that comes with this new development!!
When they told Hiyori early on that she couldn’t share her relationship with the idols with others, I was pretty certain that there was going to be some drama surrounding it. But things had been going so well lately that I completely forgot that was a possibility. She isn’t actively hiding her relationship with them. She’ll talk with them during class, but with more “one on one” conversations, they will go and chat behind a school building. How long has this camera stalker known about this relationship? Some of the photos are pretty old, so this has been going on for a while. And while part of me wants to believe that the person taking the pictures was the girl who appeared in the doorway, I’m…. just a little worried about Chizuru. Personally, I don’t think that she would go as far as to plaster the photos of her friend across campus or even participate in the gossip. But there’s always the possibility that she was in on it, or that she did start the posting, stay on Hiyori’s side and get closer to Yujiro and Aizo because of it. LIPxLIP can’t outwardly be upset about the situation because they have a reputation to maintain. But they need to do something before the fans start either attacking Hiyori or calling LIPxLIP disloyal. Hnnnngggg. I hope everything works out for everyone in the end.
But once again I have to share how much I love Juri. She is such a good friend for crumpling up the photos and yelling at the students taking pictures of it. If I remember correctly, she knew of LIPxLIP, but wasn’t as much of a fan as many of the other classmates were. She’s able to have casual conversations with the idols. Plus, she has her own boyfriend who she is absolutely infatuated with, so I think she’s in the clear. Hiyori, I hope your friends come through for you in the end and that you don’t have to deal with more bullying from your classmates.
I hope her bullying doesn’t get any worse. The rumors are absurd and out of this world that it’s almost impressive that people would believe them… and yet, when it comes to an idol and others wanting to know why this random girl seems so close to them… everything makes sense. I’m also worried for what the scandal will do to LIPxLIP. I mean they were trending on twitter and there are already news articles. The agency is going to have to come up with a response and fast!! And based on the preview for next week’s episode, I don’t think her quitting is a good solution. First of all, no one knows that she works with the agency, so the rumors would continue. But second of all, she is such a vital part of Yujiro and Aizo’s development. If she were to just leave… all the progress they’ve made will come to a screeching halt.
Gah! I’m stressed! I hope everything is able to be nicely resolved, but until then… we’ll see what next week brings!
