Love Live! School Idol Project

The storyboard of this anime is good! i love how the students gather support to save their schools from shutting down in an extraordinary way of becoming an idol, the flow is not rush and easy to understand, some part is predictable but somehow they manage to maintain the impact.

though i would say the song and PV's they gave is quite amateur and not as exciting as the song from anime like K'ON, but i believe they can improve. If the artist involve willing to hear the public comment, getting a high rating and a full support is easy as a smirk!

Overall,, recommended! ^_^

Love Live School Idol Project is a multimedia project. There were a lot of different companies behind this. ASCII Media Works, Lantis, Dengeki G's Magazine and Sunrise. The overall project included games, music, manga, light novels an anime series and an anime film. Today we'll be looking at series one of the anime brought to us by Sunrise in 2013.

Story:

Our heroines happily attend Otonokizaka Academy when they get some bad news. Due to a lack of interest in the school, it's slated to close with their current first years being the last class. The student council President and Vice President, Eri and Nozomi, ... are determined to find a way to gain interest, but have no idea how to go about it. Meanwhile, second year student Honoka is also trying o think of a way when she happens to pass a very popular school and notices something. One of their big draws is that they have a popular school idol group attending. Honoka decides that the best thing to do would e to form a school idol group for Otonokizaka and gets her best friends, Kotori and Umi to join her in the endeavour.

On the downside, the anime delves into artificial sources of tension overmuch. What do I mean by that?Well, they'll introduce a character and make a production about whether or not that character is going to join Honoka's idol group, μ's (pronounce Muse). And this is something they do thrice. Well, I saw that character with the group in the opening sequence but maybe that actually isn't going to happen said no one ever. To be fair, this is the first series and it is important to show how these girls all get involved in μ's. The problem is the pomp over whether or not they will. There are a lot of things done well in the series too. The pacing is really good and I like that the girls are allowed to actually fail at a few points. Which does create some genuine tension that actually really works. The story is simple, but it's effectively executed and it ends with a good note.

Characters:

The characters are pretty archetypical. I will say, to the series' credit, that several of them are allowed to develop and grow over the course of the series. I will also say that, in all fairness, they aren't poorly done archetypes, the execution does work in the context of a series like this. The characters are a lot of fun and there are some really good interactions. My biggest issue is with the character of Nozomi. To be specific, with her tendency to go into bad touch mode. She gropes the other girls without their permission on several occasions. The worst part is that most of them would probably totally allow it if she asked properly. I don't think Rin would since she only seems to have eyes for Hanayo, but the rest probably would, assuming she asked nicely. Even if they wouldn't, that would still be inexcusable behaviour.

Art:

To the series' credit, the costume and character designs are really well done. It's also really good at doing the lighting and dance numbers during μ's lives. The backgrounds are also nicely detailed. My only real complaint is that this is one of those series where noses don't exist. It may be a stylistic choice, but it's a really head-scratching one.

Sound:

The casting in this is really good. Due to the nature of the series, they needed ladies who were good singers and actresses. As such, we have the singer Hori Eriko (stage name Pile), Tokui Sora, Kusuda Aina, Mimori Suzuko, Nanjo Yoshino, Uchida Aya, Nitta Emi, Kubo Yurika, & Iida Riho. Most of whom gravitate more towards singing and don't really have many acting credits. Still, they all do well in their roles. The music and singing are both really good.

Ho-yay:

There's a lot of les-yay in this. It might just be on the level of Yuru Yuri. We've got Honoka with most of the other girls, particularly Umi, Kotori, Eri, & Maki. There's also the dynamic between Rin and Hanayo. Which is incessantly adorable. We've also got Nozomi and Eri, who come across as a couple who have been together for several years. There's also Nozomi in general with her totally uncool bad touch tendencies. Incidentally, she's another shrine maiden yuri girl.

Final Thoughts:

Love Live School Idol Project is an enjoyable series. The story is well done. The characters are mostly good. The music and acting are impeccable and the art is good. If you enjoy musical school anime, give it a go. My final rating for it is going to be a 7/10. In future, I'll look at the second series. But next week is going to be Divergence Eve.

Now, I've never written a review here on MAL before, and I feel as if I should start with a series that I hold close to my heart: Love Live.

To give some background apart from what's listed above, Love Live is adapted from a project by Dengeki G's magazine in which they created a 2D idol franchise, often asking for fan input on group names and the like. Before the anime was released, there were many CG music videos for the main group (μ's, pronounced Muse).

So, yes, there is liberal usage of CG in this show. For the most part, episodes are animated traditionally, but ... in both the opening animation and any in-show performances, CG is mixed in for dance performances. If you've seen Aikatsu, it's quite a bit like that. It is, admittedly, pretty terrible; but if that's not a deal-breaker, then I would certainly recommend you give the show a try.

You might be wondering why I described the series as being close to my heart, when the story is generic and sometimes has overwrought drama. Now, the art is cute and well-designed, and the music is, at least in my opinion, some of the better idol-styled music I know, but neither of those is what made me stay with the series.

It was the characters.

At first glance, these characters are simply anime girl archetypes, and I won't deny that they're that too. But they're also so much more. Although there are nine of them and only thirteen episodes to fit them into, throughout the series, we get to know them to the point where, honestly, I felt as if they were my friends. While many shows have little but tired tropes in the way of characterization, the girls of Love Live are humanized, with various facets of their personalities explored and little details and quirks to flesh them out.

My only complaint is that I was so attached to these girls by the end that I wanted to see more of them; but in that case there's a near-endless supply of side material to sate my appetite for μ's.

In conclusion, it will probably be more enjoyable if you like idols already, but the characters are worth watching the show for on their own.

This anime is exactly what you think it is, a bunch of really cute girls singing and dancing. That is what makes this fun, the music. The animation switches between its normal animation to CG during the performances and it goes great with it. The characters are really cute girls that fit almost every aspect of anime girls.The main character, Honoka, is a hyper happy-go-lucky girl who seems like a really hard worker and thats why you love her. What got me to like this anime was the music, its cute and catchy, and i love music like that. If you watch don't expect ... any real drama and especially don't expect any romance cause there wasn't any boys.
This is a good anime to watch when your bored and have a full day to yourself.

Woah, Love Live? What am I doing in an Idol anime?
Well, I was just curious about why do these kind of 'Idol anime' is very popular in Japan. And I think now I know why.

Story: (10)
The Story is about Kousaka Honoka, a 2nd year student of Otonokizaka Academy, which is about to close down by the end of the First Year's graduation. So, our MC here is trying to figure out how to stop the closure of the School, and by what? By being an Idol of course.

I'm not a big fan of 'Music' anime, but this one is AWESOME. Not by the ... Songs, no... it's the story and the lovable character that keep me hooked until the 2nd Season of this show.

Art: (9)
Who cares about Art, really. Except if it's like Mars of Destruction (shivers). The characters are hand-drawn like any other anime, but when they hit the dance floor, they turned into CG.

That's probably one reason why I give the art 9, the CG. It's not smooth, if it's smoother, it would be an eye-candy. (I think.)

Sound: (10)
I like the songs in this anime. My favorite, Is the OP: "Bokura wa ima no naka de". Others are also good, like "Snow Halation" or "START: DASH!!"

Character: (9)
Honoka, Umi, Kotori, Hanayo, Rin, Maki, Nico, Nozomi, and Eri. Those are the Nine main characters of this anime, yes NINE.

Loveable? Check. Cute? Check. Tsundere? Check. Carefree? Check. Shy? Check. All the members of Muse will make your heart melt.

Could've been better if there's at least one male character, though.

Enjoyment: (9)
Overall, I enjoy this series, it kept me hooked until the 2nd Season. If you're into Idol, this is for you. Comedy? Also for you. Slice of Life? Here you go.

When I entered the anime community, I never thought that one day, I'd come to enjoy Idol Anime - something I had long associated with the more... dedicated part of the fandom. Yet when a friend recommended this anime to me, my socks were blown so far away I reconsidered the entire Idol anime category. Love Live brings a fun story, mixed with coming-of-age plot development and an overall fantastic atmosphere and world

Story
While I literally just said the story of love live is excellent, I can't exactly say it for this season specifically. The world building is amazing, and the plot moves along really ... well, however, I always felt that it was always a bit too cheesy and dramatic. I'm sure other watchers feel similar about this situation. Even so, the story still manages to be captivating, it positions itself so that you'd know what is going to happen, but they pull enough wool over your eyes so that when the giant plot twist comes, you'd spit out whatever soda you're drinking and go "WHAAAAAT?" I know because I did that a few times.

Characters
You can't have an idol anime without an idol group. And while the character development in this season felt a bit underwhelming, it all made sense when season 2 dropped. So bear with me when I say it's lacking yet complete at the same time.
The 9 members of the Idol Group μ's, or Muse, each bring their own unique personality into the mix, which the anime made sure to highlight.
Honoka is your classic bubbly chipper anime girl. Rushing all the way to the end without giving a damn about consequences or anything in the way. While the anime did a good job of bringing up that side of her personality, when the season's big plot twist dropped and her personality completely did a 180, I, like many other members of muse, were confused at the sudden turn of mood in the group's center singer. This is because the anime never even hinted at her having that side. Sure, we've seen her distraught, but never like what she became at the lowest point of the season.
Kotori is next. Her personality, especially through the season's plot twist remains consistent and logical, she's shy, rather quiet, and always speaks to others with a soft tone. Like a guardian angel of sorts. Of course, harboring the responsibility of holding the group together means that she often leaves many of her own feelings bottled up, and the anime did a great job exploiting and using that trait.
Umi didn't quite receive as much development compared to the other 2nd years, but her slowly overcoming her skepticism and stage fright made for a very rounded, albeit short character arc.
Of the first years in the group, I'd say Hanayo and Maki received the most development, both of them leaving their wallflower lifestyles and learning to overcome their internal nervousness to become essential members within Muse. Rin, unfortunately, was left out of development. She remained painstakingly flat as just a cheery 1st year who likes to put a nya~ at the end of every sentence.
The 3rd years also recieved substantial development, with the spotlight focused on Eli. With her overseeing the development of Muse, and eventually letting go of her strict Student Council President demeanor and becoming much more loose and affectionate with the rest of the group. Nozomi, while not receiving much development, still felt very rounded and realistic because of all the behind-the-scenes meddling she did to help Muse bloom. From giving the group their name to eventually joining the group herself, she felt like a parent who cares for her kids. This leaves Niko. She mainly serves as a guidance figure, but all of us fans know she's there for comic relief with her signature Nico Nico Nii. Other than that, though... I'm afraid she remains rather flat for the reminder of the season.

Art and Sound
Here's the big daddy of this anime. Throughout the season we see Muse go from a new group with little experience to a firm frontrunner in the school idol industry with their own unique style. First off, we can immediately establish that Muse is unique, especially in their music style. For example, compared to rival group A-RISE's more electro theme, Muse's music is far more bubbly and cheery, while incorporating enough pop elements to be a firm head-bopper. But what's far more impressive is that with the release of each track we see steady development in Muse as a group. The easiest way to see that is to compare the two iterations of START:DASH!!! When the group just started out, you can see that the choreography, hand movements, and even the animation itself to be simple, basic, and something that a new group would totally do. However, at the end of the season, when Muse once again performed START:DASH!!! This time with a full roster and more knowledge, the choreography and dances become much more sophisticated, and while they kept the original motive, each member of the group was consistently making complicated moves and fancy patterns. You can also see the clear difference in skill by comparing the first iteration of START:DASH!!! to the OP. It's a subtle detail, but one that makes the anime feel that much more real when picked up on. However, if you didn't pick up on that detail, the songs themselves are such absolute bangers that many of them made their way onto my weeb playlist and firmly established themselves in a corner of my playlist.

Overall, I loved Love Live. It felt like a realistic anime, complete with absolute bangers of songs and characters that grab onto your heart and never let go.

“If each of us can put our hearts into the things we love, a new place will be our goal. If we trust in the things each of us loves, we can embrace the excitation and move forward.” – Love Live S1 OP

When we were young, we had dreams, we had friends, and we had the energy. There’s virtually nothing that could hold us back. We were naive, we were clumsy, and we made mistakes. But hey, it’s all part of growing up, no? After all, dreams don’t come without bumps and challenges on the road.

Enter Love Live School Idol Project, boy, what a ... motivational series this turned out to be. (Not to mention I actually finished this in a day)

Skipping past the synopsis, Love Live Season 1 has a clear plot direction: forming a school idol group in order to boost the popularity of their school. In the process, more and more girls were recruited, often through emotional means, and it wasn’t long enough where they were all gathered together and went on to strive further: challenging the Love Live school idol contest.

Throughout the series, we see how the girls, each with their own personalities and quirks, come to terms together for one single cause. Honoka, Kotori and Umi form the backbone of the group, being the original trio who formed the group, and the series ended up focusing on them the most. The other 6 girls do get their well-deserved screen time as well, but 13 episodes isn’t very much, luckily we do have another season, so hope is not all lost should you desire to see more of these girls.

Becoming a school idol group isn’t easy, having the dream alone doesn’t cut it. In the anime, we were shown how hard the girls work to achieve their goals, how much effort and emotions that were put into. Whenever one’s in trouble, another will quickly come to console them; whenever an obstacle is put ahead of them, they face it together; whatever fun they have, they enjoy it together. Their actions pure and sincere, and it does make you feel like wanting to be like them. Which is why I mentioned before, that this anime serves as a great motivation for teenagers and adults alike.

Animation and soundtrack wise, this anime is top notch. The performances are nothing less than spectacular, blending in CG effects to the animation flawlessly. For the music, you have tons of songs from these girls to enjoy from, and when they aren't singing, the bgm serves very well to support the emotions of the scene.

The message conveyed through Love Live is simple: “If you love something, go for it.” Such a short yet powerful message served us greatly to remind ourselves, what are you waiting for? What are you holding back for? Do you have a dream on your own? Go for it then!

If I hadn't seen K-ON! first, I would've likely rated this higher. However, as the first season progressed, while I had not initially thought of K-ON!, the parallels became progressively narrow.

Now, if you haven't seen K-ON!, you're in for a treat as this series is fun to watch. Never mind that it has to do with idols (which isn't my cup of tea), the series overall has one main character but never derails from it's central goal: the group of 9 girls has their heart set on competing (and winning) the Love Live event to boost the popularity of the school so it ... doesn't have to close down. Simple, yet enjoyable journey overall and I'd recommend taking a watch.

Unfortunately, my review is skewed from the aforementioned show, however I felt a lot better with the second season (which I'll write a separate review on).

Story: Cut-and-paste K-ON! No, really I can't get over this, it really does not feel like an original story. Even the dreams and goals of the main protagonist are the same (Honoko and Yui), they're both aloof, it's like they also pull all the characters into Muse/HTT in the same manner, and a tragedy hits near the end of the series which has the nail-biting viewer asking what's going to happen next? There's no real resolution to the series either so again, it doesn't feel like an original or inspired story at all. It's not boring, but I had hoped for better.

Art: I had a problem with the inconsistency of how the characters are drawn. When there's any close-up shots, their features are drawn out and colored more (lips, eyes, nails, etc) and become more shoujo-esque. However, when they appear farther away, it seems more generic art and those facial features are less accentuated. The animation for the dances are pretty spot on, but during some of the concert sequences, I felt it was very CG-like, as if I was watching Dream Club or Idolm@ster for X-Box 360/PS3. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a more hand-drawn feel.

Sound: The music is very catchy, but I didn't feel it was very memorable. By and far, there wasn't a track or performance I didn't enjoy watching, but I didn't feel the urge to run out and buy the soundtrack. The opening and closing themes are among the better of the music in my opinion.

Character: You really can't help but like at least one of the nine girls in this show. They made sure to make them dynamically different yet have a likeable side. This becomes more apparent in the second season. While the series does focus around Honoka primarily and Kotori/Umi, they give a fair amount of time to most of the characters on screen. The characters is what makes this show so much fun to watch.

In conclusion, it's still a fun show to watch, regardless if you feel the need to compare it to other series. As a story, I felt it was uninspired (yet not boring) but it doesn't really have fillers, over abundance of fan service, nor scenes that are so over the top it would derail from the show. The music is catchy but not amazing. Really watch this show because the characters are a lot of fun to watch, especially their chemistry together.

Before I started watching Love Live! School Idol Project, I was a bit hesitant about going into it. I'm not entirely sure whether it was the fact that I was a huge K-On! fan and didn't want to accept other similar animes or the fear I have for too many main characters at once because I dislike overly complex/confusing stories.
But I have to say that all my hesitations were blown away right at the first episode, as I continued I discovered that this anime is to one of the most lovely anime I have ever seen.
Now onto the 5 parts of ratings:

Story - ... 8

I found the story to be quite original in its own way, the dream to become an idol isn't anything unseen in the anime world but Love Live! School Idol Project managed to set it up in a magnificent way. You don't often see students doing everything they can to save their school, and in this anime they do it in a very uncommon way.

Art - 9

Very high quality art, lots of bright colors, I love it.
The first thing that really caught my attention was the way their eyes were drawn. Eyes of other animes really pales in comparison to these. I found myself looking at those shiny pearls way more often than necessary, maybe Honoka will say :" Hey! My boobs are down here." if you know what I mean.
But nothing is perfect, the only thing I slightly disliked was the usage of CGI in far away dancing movements, but it wasn't a huge deal because the close ups were drawn.

Sound - 10

Remember when I said that nothing is perfect? Well here is a 10/10.
The music in this anime was not only pleasant to the ear, they all had a meaning behind them as well. The way that more and more characters come into the music everytime and make the music even better than it already was is just beautiful. As of today I still listen to many songs of Love Live! School Idol Project regularly.

Character - 8

This section is what I feared in the beginning because there are simply too many characters to go over. But Love Live! School Idol Project managed to do a great job at presenting the various characters that appear throughout the show, there are a few characters that we don't know too much about but the stories behind the characters that were showcased more than made up for it.

Enjoyment - 9

I think this will be one of those animes that brighten up my day whenever I feel despressed or lose faith in humanity. I'm also very glad that they made a season 2.

Conclusion

One of the most memorable animes I've watched till now, and I was even hesitant at first.
For those of you who like slice of life or music animes this is a must watch. And for those of you who only watch macho stuff and think this is too sissy/girly, you should at least give this anime a try, because trust me this is no generic school anime that you despise.

Welcome to my review of Love Live! School Idol Project. At the time of writing this review I have completed watching the series. This review might be late, but this Anime is one of my all-time favorites and I hope you guys can take the time to see what I think about it.

Considering the time of writing this review, it will cover both the 1st and 2nd Season of the Anime series and will be about how the series is done as a whole.

I'll put this section here early in case you guys miss it. Do visit my blog section on my profile after ... reading my review for an Afterthoughts pertaining to this particular Anime for some healthy discussion. Thanks!

Here goes:

1) Story (9/10)

- For a school idol-based Anime, one would expect the story to be focused on the main idol group or personality. Instead, what is portrayed in this Anime is the individual character development. There are 9 people in the group, and so 9 different stories (or Arcs, as you would call it) are shown in the Anime. Indirectly, the focus on individual characters boosted the story of their school idol unit as a whole. I find this to be a very interesting point to note and that the audience wouldn't get bored because the Anime doesn't just stick to one character all the time.

2) Art (8/10)

- The colors and design are what you would expect; bright and vibrant with a healthy mix of different looks for each character. Once again, you should notice the focus on individual characters here. Each of them are unique in their own right and have different personalities to distinguish one another apart. The use of sakura blossoms brightens up the atmosphere as well.

3) Sound (9/10)

- Coming from a school idol Anime, sound is pretty much one of the most important points you would expect to be good.And it is. From the development of the music to how it is played and acted out, they are almost perfectly done and there is little to nothing to nitpick about.

4) Character (10/10)

- Normally, I'd rarely give out a full mark score for any category. However, the character portion of this Anime series is really well done. As mentioned before, the individual character focus give time for each of them to develop and makes for an exciting and fun to watch series. Each featured character has their own spotlight in the series and are given their own freedom and space to gel with the idol unit so that they become closer to one another, if that is not enough, the unit even has outings together to ensure that they have fun with one another. I cannot mention this enough, the character portion of the series is really a stand-out point.

5) Enjoyment (9/10)

- The Anime series starts off with a curious development right off the bat; having to save the school from closing down. (Not a spoiler; it's mentioned in the synopsis.) How that develops, I won't mention further. The series then moves to the formation of the idol unit, its development and growth while simultaneously focusing on character development for each of the nine members. All in all, the series is really fun to watch.

6) Overall (9/10)

- I came to know of this Anime series through a friend's recommendation and I'm glad I gave it a shot. It's a great choice for anyone looking for a school idol Anime to watch and I would definitely recommend it myself. There wasn't a point in the Anime in which I disliked; it was well done in every aspect. For those who haven't watched the series, do give it a go and tell me what you think about it!

Hi! Robert's Too Late Review here, throwing down again! Check the synopsis, minor spoilers possible, and to note, I'm talking purely Season 1 for this review, and I'm talking about the dub version. I will try to update and review as I make my way through the rest of the series. Make no bones about it, this anime is silly. Now the question becomes, is it silly fun, or is it just silly? Read on and see if Love Live! School Idol Project makes a spot on the wall of awesomeness!

Story: 9
This is a music/slice of life series, which should be pretty obvious by the ... title. (at least the music part) The show deals with the girls deciding to shoot for the stars, and the struggles they go through realizing their dreams to be idols. (pop stars is a good equivalent term) The story is fairly predictable, but as I've said before, this doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Just because we realize the general ending early, doesn't mean we cannot enjoy the trip of getting there. Of course the story does toss a few twists at us, though they are softball pitches. However, the girls growing in maturity is still very interesting to watch.

Be warned, I guess this could be considered 'moe' and if that repels you, then you might look to move past this series. The entire thing is covered in a *heavy* layer of sugar sweetness. It is silly, yet inspiring as they move towards their goals and overcome the challenges that try to stop them. If you've ever dreamed of being a member of N*Sync (showing my age I guess) or something like Fifth Harmony, this is a show for you. It's a lot like the driving force behind the Guitar Hero series of games: to vicariously live out your fantasies about being rich and famous. Because that is such a common dream, especially when we're young, this series is wise to appeal to this fantasy and plays it well.

The only downer to the story is the cliche reason they have for motivating certain members to join the group. Its such an overused trope that I've more than had my fill of this certain form of motivation, because it does seem to be all over anime. It's revealed at the beginning but I'll not spoil it, though I will say the question of 'does anyone go to a school not facing this?' begs to be asked.

Art: 10
I ADORE the art in this show. It's beautifully drawn, very well animated, and the characters are impressively expressive. There is a lot of blushing, and they pay attention to little details such as the red coloring around the knees, which while not as prominent, is a good example of the quality put into the anime. The eyes on the characters are amazingly well done. The characters clothing, whether it be school uniforms or idol costumes are all detailed and interesting. This is one good looking series!

Sound: 10
I admit there is a lot of personal preference to be had here. If you want to vomit when you hear the term 'J-pop' then by all means, pass for sure. This show is actually about the girls becoming the pop idols, so naturally there are several performances through to be heard. They are all sugar sweet, and very 'light pop' from a Western point of view. I find this kind of music catchy and entertaining, so I did not mind at all the frequent songs played throughout. As I said, if you don't feel the same, this will be torture to your ears. The theme songs are adorable, the background music awesome, and the voices are all well matched to characters.

The 'airhead' member (every group has one, be honest now) has a slightly overdone voice in the dub and knocks close to annoying at times, but does sound fitting for exactly how you would expect her to sound. The responsible ones all have older, more mature sounding voices. One of the younger girls has a serious thing for cats, and often meows and such, which is a little irritating but nowhere near deal breaking. Overall the cast is well chosen.

Character: 9
We do see a lot of stereotypical characters here, but there's a reason why there are stereotypes, often because when done properly, they work. Of the starting three, we have one mature one, one determined leader, and one airhead who is hardworking and good natured. We then add characters such as the shy freshman, the silly cat freshman, the mysterious senior, the resistant one who happens to be the student council president (of course she is, as almost all SCP's are tough cookies) and we can't forget the Jekyll and Hyde like girl who goes from super bossy normal persona to super cute stage persona and back again like flipping on a light switch. These girls all come together nicely, and highlight each other well.

It is claimed by some that the cast is too big. I will concede that it can be cumbersome sometimes, but I think it's not too unmanageable. There are several girls who don't get much in the way of character building, but that's not always a bad thing. There's not really any need to expand on every single girl and tell her entire life story. Move through the primaries, such as the core three, and a few others, and we're good. Its okay to have background girls. Having each one embody a certain trait is enough to flesh out the storyline, such as the meowing cat girl or the nervous young one.

I will drop a smallish SPOILER here. One of the things that baffled me is the vice president of the student council, a mysterious girl named Nozomi. She is presented being a tarot card reader several times, and also appears in traditional miko dress a few times, but the rub is that out of nowhere when it's time to motivate certain characters she suddenly jumps at them and begins groping their breasts. She does this a few different times actually. Its played off as funny, but takes away from her overall mysterious and wise air. END SPOILER.

The characters are lovable, cute to the extreme, and are well enough formed to carry their part of the story well.

Enjoyment: 9
This series is just a blast to watch, and I got wrapped up in rooting for the girls. When certain obstacles come into their path, some of them were enough for me to lean forward and say 'oh no!' at my screen more than once. If you love music then by all means, check this one out! I'd ranked it 10 here too if only there hadn't been a few small things, such as Nozomi's 'punishment' actions along with the gripe that the opening theme song contains a slight spoiler in who exactly ends up in the group by the end. Other than that, I found myself smiling and nodding my head to the music as they sang and went through the experience of building their group and honing their music and routines to perfection.

Love Live! School Idol Project scored a spot on the wall featuring the core three members. So enjoy the music, and don't worry I won't tell anyone that you were dancing around during the songs! Until next time, my friends!

The story is just simple and it gives out a lot of life lesson.
You get so hooked into it thinking okay what are they going to do next and as such.
The art is just very good even most of their performances when they sing is sometimes in 3D then changes back to 2D although it's just so eye catching.

I'm not sure if sound counts as music but I'll say this the music in Love Live is really really addicting. It's just my opinion but I just love the songs Aishiteru Banzai, Start Dash, Snow Halation & The Openings. It's sooo good.
Okay I'm not sure what ... to say for the sound in anime but it's very good nothing wrong with anything it's just pure good.

Every single characters have their own story and each of their own development comes to a liking. My favorite has to be Nishikino Maki cause of her personality and her solo songs. The characters in this anime are likeable and everyone has their own favorites so characters are just so unique in their own way.

I enjoyed this anime so much that I had to keep watching watching and watching. Hardly got bored I watched this and second season in one day. I have to say I never enjoyed this much in watching anime when I found out about Love Live.

Overall great anime I don't believe there's such thing as a perfect anime as 10/10 so I gave it 9 although I noticed it was only a girl anime. It had no male characters. But that's okay if there isn't it's enjoyable the characters are cute the songs are awesome and I enjoyed it. Would recommend watching this I would rewatch it.

Full of mirth and passion! Love Live! made me grin from root to seed and had me anticipated about something other than food. Yes, I swear by my marmalade that that is true.

Sound- 9 out of 10
Since this is an idol anime, the music and the sound are one of its crucial parts. Well, how should I put it- the music gave me happy vibes. I was compelled to jump up and dance around my room every time one of the songs came up, and they are idol songs, which is a little bit strange. First off, I feel ... that a lot of idol songs are "meh"; uninteresting, shallow, are so passionate and remarkable that they are out of my league, even if the singers are only a few years older than me. How would you know what a great future feels like, when you are a newbie and most of your happiness is superficial? That was the thing. The songs in this anime weren't superficial. They were wonderful and realistic, and made me feel like I could relate to them. Secondly, the voice acting was vewy vewy cute, and the way the characters sang the songs made it convincing that they were the ones singing the song. The BGM was punctual, and the OST was very satisfying. So, this anime already fulfills the sound category.

Art and Animation: 9 out of 10
The art is fantastic! It is nothing close to moe- not all of the characters are flat-chested, but there is no ecchi-type fanservice either. For the concerts, the outfits were very fashionable and stylish. The companies also gave the characters day to day outfits, besides their school uniform. Colorful and energetic gym outfits, simple yet sophisticated night clothes- sometimes their hairdos changed! The animation was varied and very steady. However, there is one complaint that I had. Was there 3-d animation in the dance sequences? It certainly looked like there was. Now, you're probably wondering, "What was wrong with the 3-d?" Hehe, nothing; I'm just kind of sentimental toward them. The 3-d had perfect timing with the regular animation, and there was nothing inconsistent about them; I just feel awkward about CGs unless it's Disney Pixar. I'm sorry!

Story- 9 out of 10
"Otonokizaka High School has recently had a status quo of lesser high school students willing to enroll in it. Due to this, it is going to close once all the current students have graduated. A group of girls are against this, and so they all want to do something to prevent it from closing. What do they decide to do? Become school idols to attract popularity to it!" As you can see right now, this plot is nothing out of the box and typical for a slice-of-life and music anime. On the other hand, that is not all it is. The characters face actual and realistic problems obstructing the path of their goal, and at times they don't get what they expected. While watching this anime, I never felt that their successes were patronized, and that their hopeless incidents were not dire enough. I was always anxious about what would happen next, and felt that the resolution was wrapped up nicely after I finished watching it. Oh, and how I was sad about finishing it.

Characters: 9 out of 10
This was probably the most enjoyable aspect of Love Live! for me. Honoka was a really passionate, energetic girl who reminded me once again that hard work pays off. Umi-chan acted like the elderly sister for Honoka and Kotori when they first started becoming school idols, setting a work schedule for them and checking if they were still following their diet. Honoka tackles every problem that comes in her way with a fiery spirit, yet she still has her flaws like everybody else. The characters developed throughout the series, and they were all especially likeable, even if Nico did annoy me sometimes. The characters upheld the spirit and passion in this anime, and each episode never failed to bring a smile to my face. They shall forever remain in my girly heart, Amen.

I'll tell you right now: if you didn't enjoy this show in any aspect, then you can never become a fairy, even if you do save your virginity until age 40. Who wouldn't smile once during this show? After I finished Love Live!, I cried out with the same devotion that Joan of Arc had bellowed for Jesus before she was finally reduced to ashes. I cannot tell anyone how spritely I felt during this endearing viewing session, and if I will ever have the same feeling again for any other idol anime I watch. FINALE

Alright if anyone read my last review I'm sorry....

My opinion after finishing the anime.
I love all of the characters. the story is amazing for idol anime. the best i'd think....
anyway the anime gave me a new look at it. where It made me a bit sad at time and happy too. seeing how the characters change attitude though out the story make you care a bit more about every character. It bring more classic humor which i loved and from time to time a character will speak in English in different situation. (out of humor of course). no real annoying characters.

For more information of ... what I think about this series, look at my blog.
(warning spoilers!)

My first review, yes. With spoilers. Please keep in mind that this review may NOT be organized, or properly done, or came from a weird perspective.

Love Live! School Idol Project is obviously about school idols and stuff. This is the first anime I've watched in the school idol genre. And I can say I liked it. eh.

So let's start. :o

Story: 8

The story is quite normal and simple: "Plz prevent school shut down". And the students are getting worked up on finding possible 'solutions' to prevent it from happening. Kousaka Honoka sees an idol group and decides to make one.
As the story progresses, the focus on ... some characters are being lost. *spoilers* *spoilers* At first it was only the trio. I loved it since that part. Actually could've been better if they remained as 3. (which means more character exposure).
Also timeskips exist. "Last week's episode: 123123 months away from Event X. Today's episode: 2 days away from Event X". Well, yes I'm exaggerated it, but I believe you get my point. (?)
Also, some of these problems arise (A-RISE) when half of the season is over (e.g. Kotori leaving the country)
Some events happen unexpectedly (dropping out, Kotori leaving, Eri Ayase), and some are seen coming (getting sick, not gonna be shut down). Some episodes end abruptly. (beach episode)
The ending is the typical happy ending, where everything is going bad then Superman comes and saves the day.
As I expected. Everything I've seen about this anime before I watched it gave me the feeling that "this anime won't end sad, there's no way". Well except Madoka though, it gave me a false impression.
I also like how they provide little to no fanservice at all.

TL;DR : Story
Just like life. Ups and downs occur everywhere.
It's good as it is simple. I still enjoyed the story, given some 'flaws' I found.

Characters: 8

Eh. While all of the characters have unique characteristics to them, things come up just abruptly.
We can see that some characters have some 'things' about/of them that count as information for the character
Some characters don't have those 'things'. Oh yeah, we know that they are X's friend/Student Council VP/Pro-archer, but anything else, naaah. Also, are the members of the group born-talented or something? Some characters aren't shown singing or have an interest in dancing but shows good performance otherwise.I guess the motivation the group provides is quite great that everyone learns in a few days. Whatever. My POV anyway.

TL;DR : Characters
Everyone is unique, yet some lack background.

Sound : 10

Oh yes. u's' music is what made me watch this anime. I've been hearing u's' music in the game "osu!" and I can say that I liked their songs. Their songs are happy (usually more than 180BPM i think), and are really catchy. The one I found I liked the most was "Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE". That song is the shiet. o/. Their music is good, great or even splendid.
The voice actors/seiyuu did a good job (for me). I liked Nozomi and Maki's voice for an unknown reason. All other characters' voices are fine. Though I find that (very little) Kotori's and Rin's voices quite annoying. Dunno.

TL;DR : Sound
I love their music. And the actors' voices.

Art: 10

Another reason why I watched this anime. The art. I liked how they do the faces, though given that they are not very unique. The color schemes are okay. Another big factor was the animation used for the PVs. Though running at somewhere at 15-20FPS, it was eyecandy. I never took my eyes of the screen when they're performing. I also like how they do the faces when the characters are frustrated or getting, uh. done by Nozomi. Yes. :3.

The surroundings are nothing special. Could be the typical.
So yeah. Art is great.

TL;DR : Art
Awsum animation. Especially the PVs. Beautiful art style. Aaaa I love it.

Enjoyment: 10
I enjoyed this anime from the part where Honoka acted like 'aaa just a dream nothing to worry about'.
If I find things like an anime that is interesting, I will watch it. This has piqued my interest long ago.
The part I enjoyed the most were the PVs, and the 'sad' parts. They make you want to find out what's going to happen after this event and etc. Overall, I enjoyed it. It's K-ON but only with school idols, no instruments, and more members (and the situation that you dropped out from a contest and your school is going to be shut down soon)

TL;DR: Enjoyment
Enjoyed it. :o Very.

So yeah. First noob review conducted. Looking forward to season 2.

Story: 8
Character: 8
Sound: 10
Character: 10
Enjoyment: 10

46/50 = 92%
I'm used to giving high scores. Eh. GG.

Love Live is basically about a school, Otonokizaka high that is going to be closed down due to the lack of student enrollment, but eventually the idea of one 2nd year high school girl saves the school from its demise. The idol group starts off with only the main trio(Honoka, Umi, Kotori) but soon grows with more members joining. Love Live attempts its own set of emotional moments, unfortunately, from time to time it can get pretty predictable.

In terms of characters: I was indifferent for almost all of the characters but two. Originally, I was slightly infatuated with Umi Sonoda, I found her to be ... adorable sometimes. Later, after Nico's appearance in the anime, I guess you can say that I found...Waifu at first sight? LOL. I have a fascination towards Nico, despite her being irritating sometimes. Not to mention she tends to show her ugly side, a lot. But she is cute, I'd say.

Love Live's overall animation quality is decent, but there is one flaw I would like to bring up. Love Live! has lots of random 3D animation moments thrown in during μ's performance(including the Opening theme). These constant, random 3D sequences can get aggravating and its quite unbearable to watch. Some people might dig the 3D animation, but I don't. This is only my personal opinion, so you'll have to see them and judge for yourself.

In an anime that focuses towards music, soundtrack is a crucial aspect. Undoubtedly, it is also where Love Live! truly shines. If you've already done your research about Love Live's songs, they released many mini albums of truly satisfying songs(some songs were even released before the TV anime initial airing, I believe), however only some of them are presented in the anime. A few of my favorite songs are "Bokura wa Ima no Naka de" and "No Brand Girls" in the anime and many other songs such as "Soldier Game" and "Arifureta Kanashimi no Hate" which aren't presented in the anime. Honestly, J-Pop songs aren't my cup of tea these days, however Love Live's songs are an exception. Opening theme was very pleasing to listen to, but the awkward 3D transitions made it cringing to watch. Lastly, Kotori's voice sounds rather high-pitched and childlike, her voice sounds weird to me.

To summarize everything, Love Live isn't bad, or close to being top-tier. Despite having its predictable moments, nevertheless it's still a solid slice of life anime which is fun and relaxing to watch. J-pop song fans would be very satisfied with the variety of songs it has. But the art is a mixed bag; Love Live's general animation was alright, but the awkward 3D animations are quite painful to watch, And the only character I was deeply interested in was Nico Yazawa.

Nico is the best. Let me say that again. NICO IS THE BEST. That is all.

I didn't hate this show, however, I wasn't completely taken by it. I'm super into musical, high school anime, but this wasn't A+ amazing for me. I enjoyed almost every minute of it, and all of the songs were nice, but I found myself being able to predict everything and there wasn't a lot of climax to it.
I did watch K-On a while before this one and found a lot of similarities. I may have thought that is was repetitive of K-On, a show that I really enjoyed. The characters are similar, the plot is similar, and even the ... art is similar! A little too much for me though. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated this show and all of it's character developments and little symbolisms. Sometimes, it got a bit too raunchy for me.

The story around this show is nothing special. A couple of girls form an idol group because their school is going to close if they don't get more students. However, it did evolve a little bit. You could definitely see that the characters were shy and timid at first but then openly change because they each start to feel more comfortable around each other. It's a cute little friendship type thing.

When I first started watching this I thought the art was super cute, but as it went on, it just wasn't anything special anymore. I did like the designs of their outfits though.

It's not that I didn't like this show, I really did! But it wasn't one of those shows where I felt something, or learned something from it. I wasn't expecting any of that, but it would have been nice.

Overall 7/10

Many teenagers dream of their high school life as being the best years of their life. There they meet friends who's friendships they keep dear, discover what they honestly want to do with their lives, and to chase their dreams.

But what if all of this was taken away from you?

This is exactly what happens to our main protagonist Kousaka Honoka as she fights to keep her high school dream alive.

This is my review of the anime hit series: Love Live! School Idol Project
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[Story] - 7/10

This story starts off with the decision that Otonokizaka High School will be closed due to lack of new student applications. Honoka, upon hearing this gets depressed as she wont be able to fully live her high school dream to its full potential as there will be never be any new students/friends to enter the school again. Honoka does not want this to happen and decides that she; with the help of her 2 friends Umi and Kotori will be the ones that save the school from closing. To fulfill this task, she must find a way to attract the attention and influence teens to join her school. How will she do that? Well, what attracts students more then new school pop idols?! Thus, the school idol group 'Muse' was born.

To be honest, I felt hesitant when I first approached this anime. I was never really interested in idol genre because generally the music played in them I felt were all generic and too cliche. If I were not to stumble over a Reddit post showing how 'Long Live! School Idol Project' sold a tremendous amount of copies its first week, I might have never came across this anime.. but i'm really glad I did.

Although this genre generally has a bad name in terms of plot, this anime executes it quite nicely. This story was interesting because it felt relatable as it touches on many themes that we face in our everyday life such as hard work, perseverance, and the dreams we hold dear. As a student that is still in high school currently, I feel that I have dealt with these themes myself at least once in my high school life, which makes the story even more reassuring as I can relate to it and its characters as a student/viewer. Even though these themes aren't elaborated as much as I wish they did, it was still great to see that this anime contained an interesting plot, and how we can learn from this story as opposed to the usual cute girls doing cute things because well... you know... they're cute. Not that i'm opposed to that, as sometimes those can be a good watch when your in the mood. (Please don't kill me moe army.)

[Art] - 8/10

The overall art style of this anime is above average. For a show created in 2013, I've seen some of our current year anime's with lower quality art then this.That is definitely reassuring as there's no drop in quality and is quite balanced in terms of quality distribution throughout the anime. During the live shows, the dance scenes are super cute, and ultimately provide for a nice viewing experience that never ceased to stop me from watching these scenes with a slight smile. It also impressed me on how they change the art style when the live shows happen. They turn all of the idols into 3 dimensional characters instead of the usual 2D throughout the anime. I felt that this was a very cool change and implemented a stronger impact during the live scenes as it always got me excited whenever they decided to perform.

[Sound] - 9/10

For an anime that prides itself on being in the idle genre, I expected there to be tons of new and exciting songs that would keep me interested throughout the story. I wasn't disappointed. The music they sang were lively and spirited. It really got me pumped up when they started singing, and the live performances never ceased to stop me from humming along with the tune. The idol's voices were beautiful and strong as well, that managed to leave an impact on me with the resonant songs they sang. I felt the songs that they sang were always full of fun, and you could tell that they were originally made too as it didn't seem too professional but also not too amateurish as well. An example of this would be this series opening "Bokura wa Ima no Naka de" by non other then 'Muse'. I really enjoyed the impact of the opening of this song. The tune is extremely catchy and I often found myself humming along with the opening as each episode began. Overall I was quite impressed with the music in this anime, as it was something that made this anime stand out and shine. (Something people can't really say about all Idle anime today, as some of them don't really focus on the music part as much anymore)

[Character] - 8/10

All the Idol's found within this anime are all lovable in their own way. They each portray a different quality that makes them somewhat unique. Even though they might be put into a generic archetype, that doesn't mean that it is all there is to them. The thing i'm impressed with, is the amount of character development that our Idols go through. During the beginning of the story, we can definitely tell that these 3 girls did not really look like they were idol material and it certainly didn't feel like they wanted to be one. With hard work and perseverance, they were able to take on this incredible difficult task by setting aside their differences on the topic at hand. The dramatic moments in the story also have a greater impact because we can relate to these characters and situations as we've most likely gone through the same hardships numerous times before. High school life. I feel that many of us have felt the emotions that have come with it far too many times. This helps us feel stronger emotions toward these characters.

The only thing I felt was problematic, was how the situation played out too perfectly. It seemed that the idea of becoming idols was just a random idea thrown out of the blue from Honoka. Yet, these 3 students who've never even sang on stage, trained professionally as a singer/dancer, and only practiced with no help whatsoever can do it perfectly just like that? Is that all there is to an idol? Probably not. It could be that they just don't want us to think about it too much as it is probably not that big of a deal, but it just kind of left me wondering.

[Enjoyment/Overall] 8/10

Overall, I enjoyed watching this anime alot. Sure, I did feel kind of embarrassed as this was the first idle anime that I've ever watched, but i'm really glad I did. Now, I'll be less hesitant to try anime like these because some of them are definitely worth watching like this. For all of the people that enjoy idol anime, I would definitely recommend this and to the people who are curious/worried about this anime because of its genre, i'd say give it a shot. I know you can't hate something that you haven't watched, but that goes the same way with anime that you like.

Perhaps slight spoilers ahead?

Love Live! School Idol Project. I had originally discovered the series through the phone app, Love Live! I thought it was cute and I had especially liked Nico. I got the game, played it a bit, and fell in love with the game instantly. I had no idea it was an anime, or manga, or a real thing outside of the phone game.

On a whim, I decided to Google it for any tips on getting nicer cards in the game, when I found the anime on Crunchyroll!

I binge-watched over the Summer, instantly falling in love with the characters. The anime opens ... with Honoka Kousaka, second year at Otonokizaka High, learning that her school will shut down. Not wanting her 'precious high school life' to be destroyed, Honoka seeks answers in how to save her school.

As she heads home, she finds her sister lying next to a pamphlet about UTX High, the most popular high school in their area. Honoka confronts Yukiho, and Yukiho tells her that everyone's saying that there's no point in enrolling to Otonokizaka, since it's going to be shut down.

The next morning, Honoka heads to UTX High, only to be welcomed by a school idol group, A-RISE! They're the most popular school idols, which causes their high school to be the most popular. Honoka gets an idea, which basically starts the whole show!

As the story progresses, Honoka, along with her friends Umi Sonoda and Kotori Minami meet many amazing girls, getting new friends and doing what they love.

The characterization is superb- each girl had an episode dedicated to her and her backstory, why she is the way she is, etc.

For the music, I loved each song, particularly Happy Maker!, Music S.T.A.R.T, Aishiteru Banzai, and others.

The visuals were also nice, very aesthetically pleasing and clean.

If you're looking for an anime to binge-watch over the Summer, I recommend Love Live! School Idol Project. It's cute, it's music is amazing, and you'll fall in love with the amazing protagonists.

(This has been adapted from my reddit thread)

One thing that anime does better than any other medium is in its ability to create insanely cute female characters. This includes the entire spectrum: kids who make you smile at their adorable way of talking and acting, high school girls who behave in funny or silly ways, and women who are both beautiful and sexy. And since anime is mostly a male dominated form of entertainment, we see many shows featuring these cute girls. When it comes to Love Live! School Idol Project, it is no different in that regard, but it is able to stand out ... in more ways than one.

STORY

Love Live! 1 stars three friends, Honoka, Umi, and Kotori, who, upon learning that their school is going to be shut down due to terrible enrollment rates, decide to start their own "School Idol Club" in order to attract more students to keep the school open.

Rather ambitious right out of the gate! The show has this main goal in mind, but for the most part, the show is just "cute girls doing cute things." And it's something that the show does very well. Something that I liked a lot while watching the show was the way in which the characters were able to constantly show their cute sides. Since this is the main draw, it's important that it is also well done. I constantly found myself smiling at the way Honoka would become way too energetic for her own good or Nico spouting out her common catch-phrase, "Nico-Nico-Ni!" It was also a boon that the characters worked quite well together. Meaning, they were able to be cute not only on their own but also in tandem with one another. This gave the group greater appeal and much more lasting impression.

Getting back to the main "plot," these types of shows like to do usually the same thing. That is, do a nice job in the "cute girl" department and then inject some rather lame drama in order to spice things up. Sadly, LL1 follows the same trope. Much of the drama that takes place in LL1 takes on one of two forms: it either is resolved extremely quickly (within one episode) or it is inconsequential. The former I'm a bit more forgiving towards. This type of drama was mainly used to showcase the characters and get them to finally become a part of the music group. The latter I am less forgiving about. If you are going to instill these dramatic elements and not use them for anything, it seems rather shallow. I would rather the show just stick to what it does best, and that is let the girls be cute, rather than just trying to make drama where there doesn't need to be.

ANIMATION

I wasn't sure how well LL1's animation was going to be going in, but I was rather surprised going out.

Starting with the art style, it is not a stretch to say that it is plain but modern. The backgrounds and environments are the typical kinds: school grounds, rooftop, local shrine, etc. They have nice detail, but are nothing extraordinary.

The animation, however, is very good. This includes both the School Idol segments and the non-School Idol Segments. The dancing parts are definitely the highlight of the show. What I found interesting was in its mix of both CG and 2D animation. It would flip-flop between the two while the girls were performing, giving this cool effect of me not fully knowing if what I was watching was CG or 2D. Yes, you can tell at certain times, but for the most part, I was pretty impressed. This is coming from someone who normally hates CG in anime.

When the girls are not dancing, the animation is actually very fluid. Their facial expressions aren't instant, their leg and arm movements aren't rigid, and their hair and eyes are always changing. Even when there are many characters on the screen at once, the show does a nice job of making everything move smoothly.

As for the character designs, its tough making everyone seem unique when working with such a large cast. At nine characters, LL1 does an okay job in this regard. They mainly stick to just differing hairstyles to differentiate the girls, but for the most part, I enjoyed their modern look. It reminded me a bit of KyoAni designs, but not as detailed.

CHARACTERS

There are quite a bit of characters in LL1. μ's (pronounced "Muse") have nine School Idols that take the roles as the main cast. I won't talk about all of them, but I will delve into some of my favorites.

Nozomi is the student council vice president and acts as the "mother" of the group throughout the show. She is mainly there to listen to the characters, to guide their thoughts, and to make sure that the group as a whole works together. She always knows when someone is worried or troubled and she always goes out of her way to make things right. While she has a rather strange fetish of groping the girls when worst comes to worst, she is generally the most calm and level-headed, giving her a nice contrast in comparison to everyone else.

Hanayo is quite passionate about being a School Idol. But her biggest problem is her extreme shyness. Due to this, she is rather cute in the way she acts around others and in how she goes about her daily life. Hanayo is one of the first girls to experience growth and change within the show, and it was nice to see her get out of her comfort zone at least a little bit. One thing that made me slightly sad was the omission of her glasses later on, since it was unique to her character. But this doesn't dissuade her from still being a rather adorable girl.

Probably my favorite from the cast is Honoka. Not only is she the leader type, but she is generally the most optimistic and enthusiastic. She loves to have fun, to try hard, and to motivate her friends. On top of all this, she is quite hilarious during the show due to her overzealous nature. Her reactions to tough practices or attempting to get someone to do her bidding managed to get a big grin on my face every single time.

Again, while I could go on with the rest, suffice it to say that the other characters are just as good. What the show does well is that it not only makes each girl likable/lovable/cute but also that it gives them all appropriate screen time. Some shows have a difficult time showcasing their characters when the cast gets too large. But I found that all of the girls had about equal screen-time during the show (minus Honoka because she's, understandably, the main lead).

In the end, I don't absolutely love these characters, but they are all entertaining to watch individually and as a group, which made my time watching this season that much more enjoyable.

SOUND

LL1 is a music show. As such, the sound within is of pretty high quality. The OP is a tried and true pop idol song. It fits the show perfectly, both in its beat, lyrics, and visuals. The ED is less dancing and more about the girls showing off their singing skills. For both, I found that I liked them quite a bit while watching the show.

The soundtrack features common music pieces, for dramatic and happy moments, but the highlights are once again the School Idol songs. The show features about three different songs in total that the girls sing and dance to, and all of them are nicely composed and fun to watch and listen to.

For the voice acting, I found that everyone did an above average job. Each of the girls has a unique voice to them, and I loved listening to them all. Special shout out to Yurika Kubo for her role as Hanayo, because she was able to give her this normal yet whisper-y voice that I haven't heard elsewhere.

ENJOYMENT

The reason you watch these types of shows isn't for the grandiose plot, the complex characterization, or for the intricate world building. You watch this show because you just want to have fun and see cute girls acting cute. Certain fans of anime might not like how anime itself is somewhat devolving into just showcasing cute girls, but there are shows like this that do an above average job.

LL1 is quite funny. A lot of the humor comes from the character interactions and the way they act. Their personalities are all generally uplifting, and even the ones that aren't (such as Maki) provide comedic scenarios for the other characters.

Beyond that, I also really liked watching the girls perform their dances. Wearing their cute outfits, singing in harmony, and giving it their all was fun to watch. I actually wasn't expecting the amount of dancing and singing that I was given, which was a pleasant surprise in the long-run.

In the end, Love Live! School Idol Project sets itself up to be a show about a group of friends who just want to sing, dance, and have fun together. And you know what? That's exactly what the show did.

SUMMARY

Story: Fine, cute girls with unneeded drama

Animation: Good, plain art-style with superb animation

Characters: Good, all different with something for everyone

Sound: Great, nice OP, ED, idol songs, and VAs

Enjoyment: Good, funny and cute puts a smile on your face

Final Score: 7/10