Love Live! Sunshine!! 2nd Season

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

Each sunrise brings sunshine. But, eventually, that sunshine must give way to a sunset.

The same similarly goes for Love Live! Sunshine!! 2nd Season, a metaphorical sunset for the school-idol group Aquors and their hard-fought journey. While it does not sing nearly as loudly or as proudly as its prequel, a few rays of hope sneak in nonetheless.

STORY

Sunshine 2 (as it will be nicknamed from here on out) picks up almost right after Sunshine 1. The group still has its sights set on saving their school, banding together anew to tackle the Love Live gauntlet again. ... Not as separate ladies but as a unified unit with a more-than-zero mentality.

Having addressed its predecessor and its influence – in a thematic sense no less – within the prior season, this season attempts to carve a name out for itself and nobody else. Indeed, mentions, references, or allusions to the famous Greek-lettered group are practically non-existent (if not missing entirely). In doing so, the show breaks away from that looming glare of “they aren’t like them” and moves towards a proper stance of “they aren’t like them.”

This subtle difference appears as Sunshine 2 basks in slice-of-life goodness. Several episodes aim to highlight the quirks and the challenges of the girls in a less dramatic manner, such as episode four with Dia wanting to grow closer with the younger members or episode five with the doggy dispute between Yoshino and Riko.

Not that the series has never had its fair share of this type of content. However, these events align much more with exploring these characters and their situations rather than going for introductions or resemblances (which its first season already did).

Key to the Love-Live formula, Sunshine 2 also incorporates those team-related aspects. They collaborate to write songs. They stick with each other during melancholic happenings. They go on a road trip that solidifies their fortitude (and defies the laws of physics). Chika, Riko, You, Yoshiko, Hanamaru, Ruby, Kanan, Dia, and Mari may be a bunch of individuals, but, when together as one, this season proves they are Aquors first and foremost.

This last season also champions the same atmosphere, making sure not to lose sight of its Love Live origins outright. The mood of the anime maintains that comedic angle as always, and the ultra-optimism in-between, while maybe overbearing at times, continues to lend itself well to an uplifting experience.

But the narrative overall is a downgrade. Where their beginning is mired with loss and difficulty, their ending here stands in stark contrast as a meteoric rise to the top ensues. Granted, the Love Live spectacle itself isn’t really the point of the story being told, especially in this instance where it represents a spiritual win for all involved. Still, a weakened thematic presence and this missing drama reduces impact in the story.

Sunshine 2 tries to make up for that easier rise with its increased focus on the threat of the school closing, but it doesn’t always come through. This dilemma can sometimes get lost amidst its other interpersonal scenes, and their vehement need to keep it around isn’t exactly quantified or justified besides the notion of memories and attachment. Traits the audience do not see much of let alone can relate to.

To its credit, though, the bittersweet direction is interesting, both because of this franchise’s inherent optimism and because it once again chooses to move away from those that came before it. Thus, despite those narrative troubles, Aquors’s journey concludes in solid-enough fashion.

ART & ANIMATION

The interim between this season and the previous season is negligible, so the artistic vision for this next iteration remains practically the same. So, to keep it short and sweet, this sameness is a welcome return to likable form.

The proof is in the performance. For instance, the character designs remain collectively cute yet individually distinct among the lot. Their musical attire takes on a colorful and charismatic look per usual. Choreography for their dances is still easy to follow (CG or otherwise). Increased actual animation highlight the fun in their actions. Expressions contort into hilarious responses.

Sunshine 2 fails to have its settings and backgrounds reach the same level as these other visual elements, but that’s perhaps expected since (to reiterate) the artistic direction has been carried over into this sequel season. That also means that it reaches the same level of strength as before, so it’s certainly not a major problem.

CHARACTERS

In Sunshine 1, establishing the characters meant exploring their reasons and their struggles before joining on as an official member. Here in Sunshine 2, the anime explores other conflicts surrounding the ladies, but it also has a much tougher time juggling them in conjunction with the plot.

A few characters certainly have their moments. Ruby receives a large amount of attention as her relationship with Dia, her older sister, becomes a point of contention regarding maturity and “moving on” later in the season. The anime steps it up another level when it draws parallels between them and the sister duo of Saint Snow. And Chika herself earns some time as the prospect of failure challenges her determination and her resolve (in flip-like motion) not only for the sake of the rest of Aquors but also for her own sake, too.

Yet some characters seem woefully left out: Hanamaru, You, and Mari come to mind first. Phrasing it obtusely, they’re there but not there. Hanamaru seems reserved for comedic relief only. You sticks with mostly a supportive role. And Mari exists as the arbiter of the closing school and not much else. Arguably speaking, these characters had their problems already taken care of in Sunshine 1, but so did everyone, so it feels odd to leave a sizable chunk of the cast on the sidelines.

Sunshine 2 gets back on track when it enlarges the scope from their singular characters to the intrateam dynamic. For example, third-years Mari, Kanan, and Dia (Dia, as can be gleaned from this analysis, appears to be around the most) acknowledge their separation after graduation but likewise know that, at least in their hearts, they’ll be together forever.

More generally, they rally around each other as a group, solidifying their camaraderie as their shared reams become a reality. It happens a lot. Back in episode three, they initially split up to take care of two back-to-back events but eventually realize that their strength derives from their collective. Even the smaller pillow-fight scene before the big night in episode twelve helps to highlight the friendships they have fostered over the course of their whole adventure.

Yet other dynamics hit speedbumps as well. Chika and Riko’s relationship, despite being so vital in the first season, fizzles out to some extent. And, despite being around one another for so long now, the ladies rarely cross party lines, sticking with their year’s internal group for the most part rather than crossing over, missing out on jokes and possible bonds as a result.

In the end, Sunshine 2 simply doesn’t have as much to say about Aquors. Be it because of the strife they already went through last season or this season’s failure to really include everyone in the festivities, it leaves the nine girls in a precarious position.

MUSIC & SOUND

Per usual, the various parts of the audio within a music-centric anime like Sunshine 2 are held to a slightly higher standard. Unfortunately, this season succumbs to a middling rendition once again.

The opening track, “Mirai no Bokura wa Shitteru yo”, has a similarly grand feel as last time, using bells, drums, pianos, and other brass instruments. But the first half or so of the song misses out on catchiness and intrigue as the buildup meanders. However, the second half swoops in with tons of passion as the vocals soar with that mandatory optimism.

As for “Yuuki wa Doko ni? Kimi no Mune ni!”, this new ending track follows suit as well in a negative fashion. It’s an okay track with more of a fantastical feel, a neat little lyrical “reverb” part near the end, and many different takes done by different members of the cast. Sadly, though, okay just doesn’t cut it.

Especially so when the insert songs of Sunshine 2, at least a couple of them, demonstrate maturity and prowess in both the song writing and the musicality. A special shout-out goes to one such song: “Awaken the power”. While ironically not an exclusively Aquors song, it stands as one of the best the whole franchise has put together thanks to its changes in pacing, instrumentation, and vocal delivery.

Moving on, the original soundtrack also starts to grow on the listener. It was already pretty swell, but its main motif and poignant arrangement, found throughout several tracks, elicits even more emotion, either because the series is coming to a close itself or it has been lightly patting the audience on the back for the past twelve (twenty-four in total) episodes now.

And the voice-acting performances remain passable in execution. The women behind Aquors sound more comfortable in their roles when compared to the first season, and their experience in talking and singing moves ahead a bit. Again, while nothing special, their relative newbie status and their commitment to these quirky personalities deserves some props within Sunshine 2 for sure.

ENJOYMENT

I greatly liked the first season, so I selfishly expected the same here. It didn’t quite reach that same level of entertainment, but I can’t lie and say I didn’t find myself laughing or smiling or cheering during its run.

My favorite characters Yoshiko and Hanamaru were in full force with their silliness and their reactions. Sometimes they would team up for duo hilarity, and I liked them all the better for it. Kanan, one of my other favorites, wasn’t as prominent, but her “hug” line as she got scared of the dark was too cute to forget.

Of course, I still liked the rest of the cast as well. Riko dealing with her fears. Ruby and her “Rubesty!” catchphrase. Mari’s frequent English usage. You with her saluting as always. And Chika leading with happiness aplenty. Maybe oversaturation occurs with their signature jokes, such as Dia’s “wrong-answer” buzzing and definitely Yoshiko’s “It’s Yohane!” response. Nonetheless, they were all once again a likable troupe of idols who not only tried to the best of their ability but also created a heartwarming environment whatever they happened to be doing.

Lastly, the performances were often a spectacle as always. The meanings behind them and the concert-esque structure. So many colors and formations. So much winking and hand flourishing. Emotions for days. I’m a huge metalhead (e.g., black metal, death metal, and each subgenre therein), but I found myself grabbed by their setpieces for the last time.

And so, this chapter of the franchise concludes (save for whatever other films and song-releases they have on the horizon; announced or otherwise). It hasn’t been the most perfect or sensational follow-up to a beloved series, but this second season – and indeed this entire second iteration – has been a respectable outing regardless. I look forward to seeing where the (inevitable?) third iteration goes next.

Love Live! Sunshine!! 2nd Season waves goodbye to Aquors but gives them a solid farewell tribute in the process. While most aspects of this season do not live up to the previous prequel, its unconventional plot direction, its nice production values, and its strong sense of entertainment make up for some of the woes in its character writing. But no worries. There’s always another sunrise right around the corner.

SUMMARY

Story: Fine, a bittersweet ending, slice-of-life segments, and the focus on group activities compete against missing narrative nuance and weak drama

Art & Animation: Good, following the footsteps of its immediate ancestor, the visuals alight with cool choreography for the dances, noticeable movement, and cute designs

Characters: Bad, while specific characters and dynamics vouch for some of the ladies, the cast members have a hard time either being relevant or establishing relationships for most of this finale

Music & Sound: Fine, the OP and the ED are another step down when compared to before, but the insert songs, the OST, and the VA performances do not go the same way without a fight

Enjoyment: Good, hilarious still, engaging in its routines, and a respectable sendoff of this second tale

Final Score: 5/10

So a second season of Aqours girls, I don't think it was that good. It had potential to be better, I liked the first season of Aqours, but I think I'm through with Love Live anime now. I had trouble finishing this season because it was so cringy and cheesy. At times I wanted to choke Chika because she was so irritating. Her constant babbling about mysterious shine of school idols was just bullsh*t to be honest. You love school idols, I get it, you want to shine like them "kira kira blah blah blah". Why that stuff was almost in every episode, I've had ... enough. Things like this and absurd overdone symbolic scenes like Flying van were so cringe-worthy, yes it's shiny, it's a joke and friendship is magic I get it. Ok that last one was from different franchise... my mistake.

Sure Love Live has always been about cute girls doing cute things with unnecessary drama. Maybe it was just that my personal quota of shiny school idols was filled and there was nothing wrong with this season of Love Live. But I think that style was also changed a bit. It was too damn serious at times, somehow slow and boring and jokes were not that great either. Stories were boring but overly dramatic making them extremely cheesy and awkward. Many times they also lacked common sense making plot holes shine brighter than school idols.

Sure there were good things as well. Loved the episode with the dog, sure it was a filler but it actually developed relationship of Yoshiko and Riko, or Yohane and Riri. Saint Snow episodes also developed Ruby a bit and I like her a bit more now, same with Saint Snow that actually developed far more than Aqours did during the entirety of two seasons. I didn't care about them in the first season but now they were more interesting than the main idol group for me. Something actually happened for them and they got over it.

Dia, my favorite, was also developed a bit, but in direction that I didn't like that much, she is now some sort of meme factory like Mari or Yoshiko/Yohane- Bzzzt- that's not the way to go.

I honestly didn't like this "bzzzt"- thing, it was not needed, it reduced Dia to one meme-character. She was actually a good character, responsible, proud and bit of a perfectionist type, loving but strict big sister, president of student council, traditional but little too uptight. Sure she was a sort of the joke in the first season too, her secret love for school idols was not the thing in the game etc., but this "Bzzzt"- thing feels like she was replaced with a meme button this season.

Aqours had so much potential, but I feel like this season failed to use it to make characters more interesting. I play Love Live SIF game and I feel like most characters are much better in the game- they are deeper and more interesting than their anime versions that tells a lot since they mainly just say same things when you tap them. And you still learn to love them more.

Story 5: Very poor continuation for Aqours. Spoiler: they win Love Live.... which happens offscreen (because they think you are more interested in Chika's thoughts obviously, too bad they are boring) Spoiler 2: Their school is still not going to be saved. This was actually a good thing, it would've been useless repetition of the same plot if the school would've been saved by school idols again. But the way this plot point is done is not really good. Resolution takes so long and all that angst for the loss of Uranohoshi school is taken so far I don't care anymore. Yeah it's sad. Let's mourn it a few episodes more it's not boring at all. Bzzzt wrong answer it IS boring.

Art 8: This anime sure looks good, visuals for the songs and all, that is not an issue.

Sound 8: This is not an issue either. Songs and voice acting are strong points. Some VA:s in Aqours are very talented. I especially want to praise Aika Kobayashi, for her voice work as Yoshiko and Yohane. She has these two different voices and she uses them so well. No problems with singing or acting, not complaining about that. This is still good and some songs are my favorites like My Mai Tonight.

Characters 5 : Aqours cast is perhaps even better than Muse in some ways, but this season didn't use it well. We mostly focus on Chika (sighs), a bit on Kurosawa sisters, some Riko and some Yoshiko. Mari does some things as well as Kanan but I don't remember anything special about them- they just are there. Same with Hanamaru, she is there and her home at the temple is shown, but I don't remember any focus being on her. I think that most seriously neglected character is You who is on the background but completely forgotten. Her jealousy of Chika and Riko was the source of drama in the first season but now that is dropped and instead there is useless drama between Chika and school, Chika and School idols, Chika and shining, Chika and mikan oranges. Yuri-baiting has been the best things in this show to be honest so this lack of it this season is very disappointing. We have that one dog episode that makes Yohariko (or Yohariri?) partially canon though. I am not expecting official material to go far with yuri-aspect in show like this, it is left for fans to speculate and find their own shippings (if that is your thing), but I feel like this season was especially boring for those expecting even some girly bonding as there was a lot of that during the first season.

We get to see some (pure) sisterly love with Ruby and Leah/Ria of Saint Snow wanting to show to their big sisters that they manage alone as well. That was actually quite touching and those episodes along with the Yohariri dog-episode were only ones that were somewhat entertaining for me.

Character development is minimal and mostly non-existent. Chika has to accept that school is going to be closed and that is so very very hard- so hard that she seriously expects people to enlist to their school in the middle of the night minutes before deadline. Hope is good thing to have for sure, but seriously that is pathetic lack of rationality even from this human-shaped mikan orange. Similar plot-holes are numerous this season. Like the episode in which they have to use mikan orange picking monorail (yay- mikan oranges- that is what Chika-chan has instead of personality or brain) to get in to their live show. And we have seen Chika's family has a van and yet no one even considers the possibility of using it.... no we have use unconventional method of transportation because mikan oranges in everyone's mouth make better memes.

Enjoyment 3: This anime was agony to watch at times. Constant face palms made my face (and palms) hurt.

Overall 5: Mediocre continuation for pretty promising first season. Mikan oranges were bitter and all that Chika's constant shining was so radioactive I fear I got the cancer. Not even Yohane could save me from this School Idol Hell.