Having put Love Live's final adventure off for weeks after weeks, afraid of meeting the end of the series, now, after finally gathering the courage to watch it, I am left with the thought that Love Live may be the best idol series created.
It's surprising how far the series has come over the past couple years. I'm not sure most people thought much about it when the first season aired, other than that it was your typical idol show with some cute girls and some cool tunes. But after the airing of the excellent second season, and now with the movie finally cementing what it
...
is that makes the series so special for so many people, Love Live has established itself as one of the most significant series in the anime industry and present-day Japanese culture.
It would be foolish to claim that all Love Live has going for it is its popularity, however. It succeeds at being more than just a fun little idol show. Even if it may have a few minor issues, as all anime do, and even with the large layer of cheese surrounding some of its dialogue, Love Live is a truly heart-warming and excellently crafted anime, and I am very sad to see it end.
Love Live's movie is similar to the K-ON movie in many ways, particularly in its structure, as the trip to New York represents only a portion of the film's screen time. And, really, it is for the better that way. If all we saw were the girls of Muse having fun and singing around in New York City, it's likely it would feel like a mere spin-off rather than a meaningful advancement in the story and the characterisation. Love Live does advance the story-- it does give you something to care about, as it is not only an end for the girls, but also for the fans, as it is unlikely we will ever see anything involving these characters again, at least in the animated form. And that's hard to accept at times; there was a sinking feeling in my stomach that I don't often get from watching anime. But this is the way it should be. I'd be more than happy to see the girls continue their idol activities past high school, but it was the right time for this chapter to end. It is an ending I can be satisfied with, even if I do not want it to be over. And I don't.
While the TV series had a couple characters I wasn't too big on (particularly Nozomi), none of them felt bothersome or out-of-place here. They have all done enough to earn their place... though, certainly, I would not complain if my Nico were to hog all the screen-time instead. It was somewhat difficult to pay attention to what was going on since I would often start laughing like a crazy person whenever Nico appeared. I hadn't seen my glorious Nico in animated form for a year and a half, so it could not be helped. I was also a bit surprised at how damn adorable Kotori was; it appears I may have been blind and deaf when I was watching the TV series.
A great job is done at making New York City feel alive and bustling, with real locations modeled upon and with random pedestrians occasionally having their say. Seeing Honoka and the rest fumble around with their terrible English (ekkusukuzu mii!) in a futile attempt to communicate with Americans, is, unsurprisingly, pretty hilarious. By the way, I have no idea how the hell that one girl knew they were Japanese at first sight. Even I, having seen a whole heck of a lot of Asians in my lifetime, have some difficulty immediately telling a Japanese person apart from, say, a Chinese one. I'll just assume Random Blonde Lady is smarter than me!
It seems Love Live likes to experiment with the idea of being a musical, too, since the characters will sometimes bust out their dance moves all impromptu in the middle of the city, random Americans joining and signing along and all. It certainly adds some... uh, life and energy to the story, even if I would personally prefer they find a less silly reason to showcases their vocals. Love Live is obviously not aiming to be a perfect representation of reality, and that's just fine. Who needs reality, anyway?
The dialogue can occasionally be a bit cheesy (Honoka hopping and twirling around at the end, claiming she "can fly!", yay!), but this isn't nearly frequent enough to be a big deal. If anything, it'll just make you laugh a little bit. I don't expect all scenes to be perfectly mature and believable, because Love Live is a big series with big appeal, especially for young girls who normally enjoy that sort of thing. I don't feel comfortable taking that away from them. Love Live is fine as it is.
The songs are great and their performances well-coordinated (particularly at the very end with Nic-- with Muse dancing and tapping their feet along), but my one complaint is that the movie still uses some CG during these scenes. The CG doesn't look bad, not by any means, nor does it feel out-of-place (especially when compared with rival shows such as Aikatsu), but certainly it would have been nice if fluid 2D animation were used all the time instead, rather than most of the time. The animators could have gone all-out here, but they chose not to, presumably because of deadlines and other business-y things. Instead the movie looks merely good, rather than fantastic, which is something I'm still pretty OK with.
It is also worth noting that, unlike a majority of anime, Love Live actually knows how to time its background music in a way that feels appropriate - sentimental yet not melodramatic. It doesn't go overboard, but it does still make an effort, hitting the key moments of the track as it pans over the girls sitting and pondering their future in the club room, rather than screaming at the top of their lungs as most anime characters apparently have a fixation with. I don't think most people will tear up during these scenes, but it is quite hard not to have at least some sort of emotional reaction. Love Live knows knows how to convey emotion to its audience when it wants to.
There are also a few subtle visual tricks that add to the cinematic feel, like a young Honoka jumping before immediately cutting to present-day Honoka's foot slamming off the ground. These aren't details that are likely to cross your mind as you watch, but they do add up and give the experience more of an impact and a punch. It's clear the animators wanted to set the series off on a grander stage than it started on.
The Love Live movie is a hell of a time, and is easily the most fun I have had with an anime since Shirobako finished airing. I came in expecting nothing more than to see more of my Nico doing her thing and being the beautiful lady that she is, and while there certainly was a decent amount of that, there's far more here, too. Love Live wanted to end on a happy note rather than a sad one, and it did a fantastic job at doing so. I've had a lot of fun with you, Love Live, and while I don't know if I can let go, I can at least say goodbye.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Gekijouban Love Live!, Love Live! School Idol Project Movie
Japanese: ラブライブ!The School Idol Movie
More titlesInformation
Type:
Movie
Episodes:
1
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jun 13, 2015
Licensors:
NIS America, Inc.
Studios:
Sunrise
Source:
Original
Duration:
1 hr. 39 min.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#7412
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1715
Members:
130,957
Favorites:
1,201
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 23 / 31
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Your Feelings Categories Jan 16, 2016
Having put Love Live's final adventure off for weeks after weeks, afraid of meeting the end of the series, now, after finally gathering the courage to watch it, I am left with the thought that Love Live may be the best idol series created.
It's surprising how far the series has come over the past couple years. I'm not sure most people thought much about it when the first season aired, other than that it was your typical idol show with some cute girls and some cool tunes. But after the airing of the excellent second season, and now with the movie finally cementing what it ... Jul 9, 2015
I had the pleasure of watching this in theaters in Japan, and the movie is just what you would expect a Love Live! film to be: 1/3 music and dancing, 1/3 anime girls doing cute/funny things, and 1/3 drama - an animated musical comedy. If you already watched the first 2 seasons of the show, you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. However, there is one huge difference between the movie and the show: the first half takes place in NEW YORK CITY.
As a New Yorker, it was an absolute joy watching my favorite group of animated girls take on the great metropolis ... Oct 15, 2015
Before read, please forgive my grammar and of course my sentence:
Yesterday, I have watched the Love Live the School Idol Movie. To be honest, I don’t know what to review about this movie but I will try to keep it simple as possible. About the synopsis, I think everyone knows this is sequel to LL season 2 and they are having fun travelling together as they sing and dance as school idol. The story seems to be bland but the implied content there is very strong. I do not want to spoiler it but, you need to watch it to understand so, I just leave it ... Jun 12, 2020
The Love Live movie celebrates what μ’s essentially is, namely the school idol project. The idol group was formed as a way to save the girls’ school, Otonokizaka Academy, from having to close down. While μ’s mainly consists of the nine school idols, other Otonokizaka Academy students - as well as the principal - always offer their support when it comes to organising and promoting performances. However, as the third years graduate, the group comes to realise they cannot continue as school idols anymore and begin to fear that the end of μ’s will mark the end of their friendship.
Over the course of the movie, ... Dec 21, 2015
My first introduction to the Love Live! franchise was the app game Love Live! School Idol Festival. It's a very fun, challenging, and addictive game. The playlist is very well done. Some of the songs are very very good!
I almost didn't watch the movie since I haven't watched seasons 1 or 2 yet. But since I already knew the characters from the game I figured I just watch the movie and watch the 1st 2 seasons later on. I'm glad I did because the movie on it's own was great. The story is easy to follow and not very complex but it manages to still ... Feb 14, 2016
I managed to finally watch Love Live and this time in theaters! It was an amazing experience might I add even though it was the second screening and there were no posters... So let me say that this was an insanely great movie and really showed what I love most about Love Live... The music.
The story was good don't get me wrong but overall I really enjoy the music even though I can't understand what they are saying. The songs have a catchy beat to them that just get's stuck in your head. It's been over 12 hours since I watched it and I ... Apr 3, 2017
Disclaimer: I'm a huge Love Live fan, so this review is most probably biased. Also, this is my first review, so I'll try to not spoil anything.
Love Live, the series that has touched the hearts of many and united a lot of people. It is no doubt well-loved. So to see a part of such a series end, it must be pretty painful and sad, right? Story - 6 I give the story a 6 since there isn't really much to it, really. The movie picks off right where the second season ends, with the reveal of the message Hanayo receives after the third years ... Aug 23, 2016
I've talked about the first two series of Love Live. In both cases the results were fairly positive and I rather enjoyed the experience. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "but you're literally the biggest killjoy in existence, you aren't allowed to like things." I'm sorry, but that accusation is still hilarious to me. Putting that aside, the second series of Love Live ended with Hanayo getting a message and running off excitedly, followed by the other members of μ's. This film, released last year, follows that plot thread. So, does it lead somewhere interesting or will this be a waste of our time?
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Sep 24, 2015
The video review is up, but here is the written Review. This review may be a bit biased due to my fanboyism. I had an awesome opportunity to go watch this Movie in Theatres, with a bunch of awesome people. Whether they were cosplayers or just fans, this franchise has meant a lot to them. And it’s sad to see it all come to an end, but with that they gave us the fans what we wanted and ended on a high note.
Story - 7/10 If you haven’t seen or watched the Love Live! Yet, I recommend you go watch it, because there might be some ... Aug 20, 2016
When you're a 20-year-old woman who enjoys watching the animated adventures of Japanese school girls, then you know that there either must be something with you that is seriously wrong, or that the creators of this anime must be doing something seriously right. Personally, I like to think it's the latter, and I hope that this review will not only illustrate why, but that it will also encourage you to watch Love Live! The School Idol Movie.
As with the original series, the art and animation used in this anime are truly outstanding. The dance sequences (as well as the outfits and the facial ... Jun 23, 2017
Story:
Is the last journey for Muse, I say is a good send off for them! The explanation isn't the best and you will probably get lost a little if you didn't watch all the previous show. Art: Same thing, Character improved and the color scheme of the show is basically perfected with it! Sound: All the song and soundtrack here is just fantastic! Maybe is just me being a fanboy here, but I think most people will enjoy the music even if they don't watch it Character: ... Feb 27, 2017
How do you end a six year legacy that has helped revolutionized the way people see 2.5D idols? This is the answer.
The Idolm@ster franchise may have kickstarted the whole idea but it is without a doubt that Love Live! especially μ's made it become a cultural phenomenon nationwide in Japan. Don't get me wrong, I love both series. I am an idol fan myself. I played the Xbox 360 port of the original Idolm@ster game and have known about μ's since it debuted in 2010. It was because of Idolm@ster that I got into the world of idols in the first place anyway. Onto the ... Dec 23, 2015
Love Live the movie is a great movie. As a fan of this franchise, it's sad knowing that it may be their last time being together. The movie knows that and does a good job at making a decision for muse. Also I am going to talk about some of the section of the movie. But it won't be that big on the spoiler side, so don't worry for the people who haven't seen the movie.
The story starts right after end of second season. (Not exactly. They show Honoka and the second years as a child first) They realize that there will be another concert. ... Aug 19, 2017
The only anime movie that's not a recap.
Its basically Episode 14 of the 2nd season, where we left off with Hayane saying "bad news" and all that. I really enjoyed the movie overall, seeing them sing again, hang out a lil more, But what surprised me the most is that I teared up after all that. Recall the last episodes of the 2nd season, that they will end as a group. The importance of each girls made me remember them by heart as I finished the movie. I will never forget them all as the movie ended. I 💙 them all, each of their trait are special as ... Aug 15, 2020
That's not easy to separate a portion of something that completes itself very goodly, and judge such a portion as only one thing. Especially when it comes, specifically, to a so witty film as the first one of Love Live's franchise.
Before all, I'd like to make it clear that this is my first time doing a review, so I apologize if I am not clear enough, or if in some moment I sound more like a fan (or a hater) than an imparcial spectatress. Since the beginning the film is surprising: the photography's finesse and choices, the calm soundtrack and the conceptive equilibrium of the initial ... Sep 16, 2016
Love Live! School Idol Movie: The moment when these girls, the U's, went out with a bang.
Setting aside the obvious question of "Why did they not think that they are popular already before the tour overseas," and how convenient things are for these girls and other side characters--I think I have no complaints about this movie (speaking plot-wise). The story has this feeling that their time as a school idol group (and also the time for the series) is coming to an end. Conflicted with the dilemma of going to continue as a group, or reforming the group, or just putting it to an end; ... Oct 11, 2015
*this is the first time I'll be doing a review*
As someone who rarely likes Idol-theme show (or rather can't finish watching them), This movie is indeed a good one to boot (and I manage to finished it without being to tired from dealing the drama), and serves as a end pin to the great big franchise. (Unless the guys from Sunrise decided to make a spin-off of this show.) Story: 7 I appeal that this story is actually good despite not really meant for greatness. But I kinda liked on how they managed to close the fact that the the story is true and most of us ... Feb 19, 2016
"Love Live! The School Idol Movie" is not only the best anime movie I've seen in years, it's simply the BEST movie I've seen in years and is, very thankfully, the movie that the loyal Love Live fan base rightfully deserved. Honestly there isn't much to say about this movie, it plays out like a collage of everything that made Love Live the beloved series it is and adds a deeper, more philosophical spin on it all. Rare is the event that I would recommend a movie even to somebody who hasn't seen the parent anime series but this may be such an event.
The Love ... May 20, 2018
A stage of dream, hope and miracle, I think that would be a fitting title for this anime if it was made into some kind of novel. I just watch love live recently even though it was released all the way back then in 2013 and the hype was great but I was a little bit skeptical about the show back then so I dropped it, I meant like, really? Idol based anime? but I was wrong and this anime got much more than just Idol in it now I regret why I didn't watch it way back then in 2013 so I can join
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Jan 19, 2023
These girls found out that they are not only popular in Japan, but outside Japan as well. They got invited to perform in New York. We will follow the journey of them traveling overseas. Of course there would be funny moment, intense moment, and heartwarming moment. It is filled to the brim with emotional roller coaster. But hey all these girls have been through a lot, so its just a little rock to tackle right? Watch as how they overcome all this problem.
The story continue from the last hangover scene in Season 2. Seeing them run excitedly makes me notice something. Animation is improving a ... |