Love Live! Sunshine - Episode 12 Discussion / Poll

[Kairin]

Welcome to the discussion thread for Love Live! Sunshine, Episode 12.

Thread Guidelines

• Raw requests and offers are not permitted anywhere on this forum.
• Spoilers or hints about future events must not be posted in this thread.
  If you need to reference something that would spoil a future event, reply directly with a private message, or seek out a more appropriate thread.
• Discuss your expectations of the episode if it has not aired yet.
• Be polite to your fellow forum members.
• Please try to keep the discussion on-topic.
• Character bashing is not on-topic and will not be tolerated.
• Do not post multiple times in a row. Please edit your existing post if you wish to add additional thoughts.

Episode Thread Spoiler Policy

• Any comment that discloses events, characters, plot or other information before it is revealed in the anime is expressly forbidden whether or not it is behind spoiler tags.
  Spoiler tags should still be used where appropriate.
  Please consult the AnimeSuki Spoiler Policy for more information.
• Adding a Spoiler tag:
  

  Just highlight your spoiler and click the button found on the "Quick Reply" and "Reply to Thread" forms. Make sure that you include a useful title!

• Please use the Report button if you see any inappropriate spoilers:
  

  Click the button found to the left of the post, just under the poster's avatar. Using the Report button is anonymous and helps the Moderators locate and deal with problems quickly.

• Posting inappropriate spoilers may result in a ban.
  Note: Reporting a post does not mean the poster will be banned instantly.
  The Moderators will use bans if warnings are repeatedly ignored.

[Windy]

Lmao Riko, gotta hide your Yuri better than that!

This episode is pretty much Chika truly coming into the leader role, trying to understand what makes her and Honoka so different, as well as the difference between Muse and Aqours.

Saint Snow makes an appearance! Otonokizaka doesn't have an idol group anymore apparantly, as Muse wiped all traces of themselves away.

Except for this!

Spoiler for Mini Honk!:

I wanna pull a Rena and take her home! x.x

And so in the end we've come with Chika inheriting the dream.

Spoiler for Does this look familiar to anyone?!:

And she's finally removed the Muse poster from her wall in acceptance that she needs to be her own person rather than try to be Honoka. I'm so proud of her!

* Edit: Oh wait, silly me! I forgot Saint Snow was from the Hokkaido region x.x

[Stark700]

Sunshineeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Loved how they referenced Muse this episode. Chika taking on the leader role is deserving considering her personality and ability to motivate. With one more episode left, I hope they will perform one more time.

This episode also felt like a finale but it was quite charming just to see all the girls coming together with so much joy on their faces.

[blakstealth]

Oh my gah.....Oh My Gah.....OOOHHH MYYYYY GAAAHHHHH

more news at 11

[Akito Kinomoto]

Episode 8--Chika subconsciously realized she was doing it wrong

Episode 12--Chika consciously realized she was doing it wrong

Conclusion--Chika's character growth has been astonishing

Bonus--They're slowly redeeming Kanan, mini-Honk helladorbs...not-Hanayo appearing?

[novalysis]

Once again, Love Live Sunshine produced yet another brilliant episode, that greatly differentiates it from the original. I get the sense that Chika's reflection on Aqours not being Muse, and Saint Snow's self confident assertion about the necessity of victory, may well be set up for a greater conflict between Aqours and Saint Snow.

Saint Snow believes the value is in the destination, but Aqours instead values the journey and the companions as the true intrinsic value of being a School Idol. I'm sure this conflict is going to extend to Season 2, where the Journey and the very act of shining itself is going to be shown to be the right understanding of being a School Idol. In a sense, this particular theme, in addition to Aqours breaking into the qualifiers is likely confirmation that the authors are already planning out the plot, conflicts and themes of Season 2 - I see them laying the seeds right here and now.

Speaking of seeds, I have a particular speculation about the "random" Otonokizaka Academy student who shares the same voice actor as Rem that showed up this episode and helped Chika arrive at her answer. That student is not a throw away character, but actually a preview of a season two character - more specifically, the real rivals of Season 2.

I speculate that the Otonokizaka student this episode is none other than the current president of the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club, and leads a team from the current club. Said team is the true rival that Aqours is going to face, not Saint Snow. Because unlike Saint Snow, the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club has grasped the exact same thing that Chika realized this episode for a very long time. And this understanding makes them extremely dangerous to Aqours as competitors, as they have grasped the exact essence that will bring Aqours far in the competition and mastered it.

And their team was one of the top two teams in the Tokyo competition whose names were not shown - because their names would give away the fact that the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club is still running. For the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club existed before Muse, existed after Muse, and will keep existing and keep producing new groups year after year who grasp that each year of the Club is a unique group unto themselves. The Club are masters at reinventing themselves every year, and hence are Aqours biggest hurdle in the actual Love Life Sunshine itself.

It is just speculation. But I won't be surprised if this isn't the last we've seen of the "random" Otonokizaka High School student.

[Tempester]

Images

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

ABOUT GODDAMN TIME this happened. Too bad we had to sit through what is perhaps the most egregiously µ's-fellating episode to get to this point.

Oh yeah, and it's totally necessary to show a little girl who's the splitting image of Honoka doing Honoka things or else the dumb viewers obviously won't get the point. Sunshine is gracefully driving in the symbolism with a massive bloody sledgehammer as usual.

[Benigmatica]

Oh Riko-chan, after you won the piano competition, you decided to spend your prize money on those lesbian-fic novels!

Now then, seems that instead of chasing µ’s, Aqours can take their own thing while being honest and free by themselves. After all, you don't need to chase your predecessors, you need to take your own destiny.

Anyways, it is a powerful episode that I enjoyed it!

[pagan poor]

A couple of things:

- Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God!

- Kanan unzipping her wetsuit

Yeah, deeper stuff if I ever get around to it.

[Windy]

Originally Posted by novalysis

Once again, Love Live Sunshine produced yet another brilliant episode, that greatly differentiates it from the original. I get the sense that Chika's reflection on Aqours not being Muse, and Saint Snow's self confident assertion about the necessity of victory, may well be set up for a greater conflict between Aqours and Saint Snow.

Saint Snow believes the value is in the destination, but Aqours instead values the journey and the companions as the true intrinsic value of being a School Idol. I'm sure this conflict is going to extend to Season 2, where the Journey and the very act of shining itself is going to be shown to be the right understanding of being a School Idol. In a sense, this particular theme, in addition to Aqours breaking into the qualifiers is likely confirmation that the authors are already planning out the plot, conflicts and themes of Season 2 - I see them laying the seeds right here and now.

Speaking of seeds, I have a particular speculation about the "random" Otonokizaka Academy student who shares the same voice actor as Rem that showed up this episode and helped Chika arrive at her answer. That student is not a throw away character, but actually a preview of a season two character - more specifically, the real rivals of Season 2.

I speculate that the Otonokizaka student this episode is none other than the current president of the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club, and leads a team from the current club. Said team is the true rival that Aqours is going to face, not Saint Snow. Because unlike Saint Snow, the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club has grasped the exact same thing that Chika realized this episode for a very long time. And this understanding makes them extremely dangerous to Aqours as competitors, as they have grasped the exact essence that will bring Aqours far in the competition and mastered it.

And their team was one of the top two teams in the Tokyo competition whose names were not shown - because their names would give away the fact that the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club is still running. For the Otonokizaka Idol Research Club exited before Muse, existed after Muse, and will keep existing and keep producing new groups year after year who grasp that each year of the Club is a unique group unto themselves. The Club are masters at reinventing themselves every year, and hence are Aqours biggest hurdle in the actual Love Life Sunshine itself.

It is just speculation. But I won't be surprised if this isn't the last we've seen of the "random" Otonokizaka High School student.

Ah, I thought I recognized this post from 'somewhere' . I really liked how well thought out it was the first time I read it as well, though I'll buy the Otonokizaka idol group theory when/if it actually becomes a thing.

[blakstealth]

Oh my god, yes. Chika finally understands. Chika finally finally realizes that Aqours needs to carve their own path and not follow in someone's footsteps. That was pretty much the one big thing to take away from with this whole season, I think. And it was handled in this episode very well.

This episode was definitely very metaphorical and symbolic. You bet your ass it was u's heavy. You got the 9 doves flying overhead and the feather that Chika caught as some sort of torch being passed on, you got the beach they were at, which looks VERY similar to the beach that u's went to in season 2. The duality of Aqours going there to mark their new beginning and going from nobody's to somedody's and u's going there to decide their fate after the Love Live! competition was also pretty nice. And we cannot forget the Honoka toddler clone and the elusive student that's actually a hybrid of Rin and Hanayo making an appearance. I really did find it kinda sad and bittersweet that u's left none of their legacy behind at the school. It's like they've become urban legends.

And I fuckin knew that Nozomi wasn't gonna be at the shrine Chika was talking about, but I still got my hopes up! I was totally with Dia and Ruby potentially fangirling. hahahaha ;___;

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Windy

Ah, I thought I recognized this post from 'somewhere' . I really liked how well thought out it was the first time I read it as well, though I'll buy the Otonokizaka idol group theory when/if it actually becomes a thing.

Yes, that was me from that "somewhere", though my username is different over "there."

[AntonKutovoi]

Oh, great, another episode of "Look how good first series was". Just exactly what we needed in penultimate episode.

[blakstealth]

Originally Posted by Tempester

Oh yeah, and it's totally necessary to show a little girl who's the splitting image of Honoka doing Honoka things or else the dumb viewers obviously won't get the point. Sunshine is gracefully driving in the symbolism with a massive bloody sledgehammer as usual.

It's magnificent, and I wouldn't have it any other way!!!!

[zeross87]

was that honumi sience baby ? she grow fast, already four

[blakstealth]

oh my gah

[Windy]

Originally Posted by zeross87

was that honumi sience baby ? she grow fast, already four

Nah different eye color, its actually a HonoBasa love child. .

[SleepingTerror]

As they say, the calm before the storm.
I almost feel bad since I told a Nico lover looking for a second best girl that Yohane was more similar to Nico than Dia was.. I change my mind.

Also RinPana love child!

Images

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Requiem-x]

OH MY GOD!!!

This must've been kind of a mixed bag episode for quite a few people, and honestly, even I had to stop watching at intervals to control expectations, and boy, did I need it, but in the end, it was what we were all waiting for: Aqours coming out on their own at last, with one last push from the originals, and... Arisa and Hanayo's fusion...?

Not much to say in the serious business department besides well done and about time. Muse wasn't about getting ridiculously famous, but just doing its thing at full power while it was possible, at least after saving the school. Of course, the timing of events is a bit different for Aqours, but that's the point, besides, why not doing both at the same time instead of going through needless pondering and drama to arrive at the same answer? I doubt we've heard the last mention of Muse, specially now that Dia and Ruby are back to synch in their fangirliness, but hopefully we'll also see something new. And by that I mean seeing everyone in Aqours go INSANE.

Cheesy as it was, I also liked the location. Where else could the true sucessors of Muse begin for real?

Smaller points
-I'll enjoy seeing Chika and crew beating the smug off you, Saint Snow.
-Nice to see Kanan's signature "pose" again. Very nice
-Riko, please, let Chika get some inspiration to live your fantasies.
-Mari is oficially worse/better than Nozomi Kanan, you know she's loaded, sueing is pointless. Just give in
-Am I the only one who thinks Chika sending mental letters to Honoka was originally meant to be a regular ocurrence until this point?
-OK, I lied, a couple more thing to say in the serious stuff: I'm glad there's now a proper reason why Riko knew nothing about Muse, and that the difference between being a group close to the big city and all the way in the countryside is being brought up.

[tsunade666]

Honoka kid.... Ugh. Weird and weakest episode for me. Especially the vanishing student. Reminds me of time travel movie. It ruins the fun to add super natural elements on it. Funny moments is riko hiding her collection.