October 3rd, 2017
Cinderella Girls: the anti-Love Live
Anime Relations: Love Live! The School Idol Movie, The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls 2nd Season
Let me table the fact there will be *SPOILERS* for The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls seasons 1 and 2, and Love Live! School Idol Project seasons 1 and 2, and the film. With those prerequisites established, I wanted to examine the dissimilarities between the original Love Live! and Cinderella Girls
It's fascinating how two series packed with similar ingredients can stew into different recipes. The more obvious flavor being the tone between the two anime. But less apparent are the thematic contents underlying their stories. The simplest synthesis of the differences between them is Love Live! being more collectivist while Cinderella Girls is more individualistic
Let me unpack this for you. Honoka Kousaka wants to become a school idol to save her school. She later wants μ's to win the Love Live! competition as a memory for all of them. Along the way, we have Eli Ayase, insistent on saving the school her own way before being charmed into joining μ's. The lone wolves Nico Yazawa and Maki Nishikino, one also persuaded to join and the other going along with recent friends she made. Hanayo Koizumi, not the best dancer by any stretch, but complemented by the athletically gifted Rin Hoshizora. Then there is Kotori Minami's once in a lifetime chance to be a fashion designer that she forgoes to be with μ's. And of course the decision from the 1st and 2nd years to disband μ's once the 3rd years graduated, as well as how μ's itself had one last performance to commemorate school idols as a whole
It is not a herculean observation to say Love Live! is a series leaning to what can be ostensibly called a philosophy that emphasizes the "greater good." Tsubasa Kira herself notes that their unique strengths have a way of complementing each other. Ultimately, these are 9 distinct girls with motives bigger than themselves
Hold this next to Cinderella Girls. 14 different people personalized into 5 or 6 distinct subunits depending on where you place Ranko Kanzaki. In New Generations, Mio Honda and Rin Shibuya's desire to challenge themselves in other ventures propagates a rift between them and Uzuki Shimamura. For Candy Island, Anzu Futaba is shown to care for her peers but only watches over them as she worries about herself, while Kanako Mimura and Chieri Ogata learn to stand on their own, bereft of the cover from the other girls. Rika and Mika Jougasaki are mandated to play parts against their image before they find a way to turn the role 346 Production wants of them into their own. Asterisk continuously experiences friction, some minor, some serious, that always ends in Miku Maekawa and Riina Tada working "independently together." Minami Nitta and Anastasia from Love Laika also challenge themselves by becoming solo artists. This is despite the peril the Cinderella Project faces in being disbanded
While the Cinderella Girls are unanimous to save the Cinderella Project, there is an undercurrent of them having to find themselves outside of the larger group and even their subunits. Mishiro points out the Producer's hypocrisy when she says the offer she made to Rin is one that she must decide for herself. It is a cast-driven story motivated by individual hopes, dreams, and fears
This thematic distinction between the two series serves to make μ's and the Cinderella Girls endearing in their own way. The former works in camaraderie by erring that there's only so much you can do alone, and to let the strengths of others cover for where you lack, while the latter fosters friendship by pulling everyone to their own crescendo but still helping each other when they can, coming out closer for it
What do you think? Is there something I missed? Who do you like more between μ's and the Cinderella Girls, if at all? Or what is your favorite idol anime? Comment below, let me know, and thanks for reading : >
It's fascinating how two series packed with similar ingredients can stew into different recipes. The more obvious flavor being the tone between the two anime. But less apparent are the thematic contents underlying their stories. The simplest synthesis of the differences between them is Love Live! being more collectivist while Cinderella Girls is more individualistic
Let me unpack this for you. Honoka Kousaka wants to become a school idol to save her school. She later wants μ's to win the Love Live! competition as a memory for all of them. Along the way, we have Eli Ayase, insistent on saving the school her own way before being charmed into joining μ's. The lone wolves Nico Yazawa and Maki Nishikino, one also persuaded to join and the other going along with recent friends she made. Hanayo Koizumi, not the best dancer by any stretch, but complemented by the athletically gifted Rin Hoshizora. Then there is Kotori Minami's once in a lifetime chance to be a fashion designer that she forgoes to be with μ's. And of course the decision from the 1st and 2nd years to disband μ's once the 3rd years graduated, as well as how μ's itself had one last performance to commemorate school idols as a whole
It is not a herculean observation to say Love Live! is a series leaning to what can be ostensibly called a philosophy that emphasizes the "greater good." Tsubasa Kira herself notes that their unique strengths have a way of complementing each other. Ultimately, these are 9 distinct girls with motives bigger than themselves
Hold this next to Cinderella Girls. 14 different people personalized into 5 or 6 distinct subunits depending on where you place Ranko Kanzaki. In New Generations, Mio Honda and Rin Shibuya's desire to challenge themselves in other ventures propagates a rift between them and Uzuki Shimamura. For Candy Island, Anzu Futaba is shown to care for her peers but only watches over them as she worries about herself, while Kanako Mimura and Chieri Ogata learn to stand on their own, bereft of the cover from the other girls. Rika and Mika Jougasaki are mandated to play parts against their image before they find a way to turn the role 346 Production wants of them into their own. Asterisk continuously experiences friction, some minor, some serious, that always ends in Miku Maekawa and Riina Tada working "independently together." Minami Nitta and Anastasia from Love Laika also challenge themselves by becoming solo artists. This is despite the peril the Cinderella Project faces in being disbanded
While the Cinderella Girls are unanimous to save the Cinderella Project, there is an undercurrent of them having to find themselves outside of the larger group and even their subunits. Mishiro points out the Producer's hypocrisy when she says the offer she made to Rin is one that she must decide for herself. It is a cast-driven story motivated by individual hopes, dreams, and fears
This thematic distinction between the two series serves to make μ's and the Cinderella Girls endearing in their own way. The former works in camaraderie by erring that there's only so much you can do alone, and to let the strengths of others cover for where you lack, while the latter fosters friendship by pulling everyone to their own crescendo but still helping each other when they can, coming out closer for it
What do you think? Is there something I missed? Who do you like more between μ's and the Cinderella Girls, if at all? Or what is your favorite idol anime? Comment below, let me know, and thanks for reading : >
Posted by Akito_Kinomoto | Oct 3, 2017 3:26 PM | 0 comments
July 11th, 2016
Love Live! Sunshine!! episode 2 lolcap
Anime Relations: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Dia substantially improved, but the μ's references are a little much...
Chika, tilt the phone to the side when you're showing a horizontal picture. Jeez
That's about how I feel when I read YT comments too
Military SIF set when?
Au contraire, she's not close enough!
"Gotcha~"
"DAREKA TASUKETTEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"
"I-it's not like I knew Maki Nishikino, Nozomi Tojo, Rin Hoshizora, and Eli Ayase skipped the beginning of the song because I'm a μ's fan or anything!"
beep beep!
Chika is not impressed
After a few drinks I'm sure it won't matter...actually do you really even need a few drinks...
"Whoa, am I actually drunk or did I walk onto the set for NagiAsu?"
Hrmmm...something's missing here...
There we go!
"Are you going to warn Chika about that?"
"About what?"
"N-nevermind..."
...I have no words
>This video is not available in your country
"Shit"
Ain't no valley wiiide enooouuugh♫
Bow Chika Wow Wow~
On the brightside, Aqours has the budget to cut a different scene this time
Chika, tilt the phone to the side when you're showing a horizontal picture. Jeez
That's about how I feel when I read YT comments too
Military SIF set when?
Au contraire, she's not close enough!
"Gotcha~"
"DAREKA TASUKETTEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"
"I-it's not like I knew Maki Nishikino, Nozomi Tojo, Rin Hoshizora, and Eli Ayase skipped the beginning of the song because I'm a μ's fan or anything!"
beep beep!
Chika is not impressed
After a few drinks I'm sure it won't matter...actually do you really even need a few drinks...
"Whoa, am I actually drunk or did I walk onto the set for NagiAsu?"
Hrmmm...something's missing here...
There we go!
"Are you going to warn Chika about that?"
"About what?"
"N-nevermind..."
...I have no words
>This video is not available in your country
"Shit"
Ain't no valley wiiide enooouuugh♫
Bow Chika Wow Wow~
On the brightside, Aqours has the budget to cut a different scene this time
Posted by Akito_Kinomoto | Jul 11, 2016 1:28 PM | 0 comments
Love Live! Sunshine!! episode 1 lolcap
Anime Relations: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Yoshiko's introduction hurt my sides
A lot
It's probably product placement
![]()
>gets a bigger budget than the original series
>doesn't put anything on the screen
![]()
Look, I'm just as worried about you three getting good UR designs too, k?
![]()
![]()
The photobombing continues XD
![]()
"I think we should wait for the school to close down"
![]()
![]()
"not sure if srs"
![]()
"I am the Dark Angel, Yohane!"
"oh hi Yoshiko"
"don't call me Yoshiko!"
"why not, Yoshiko?"
"D:"
![]()
"why not?"
"because I'm from a family of fisherman!"
"what"
"yeah idk either"
![]()
"We were trying to make an anime but the student council president wouldn't let us"
"...o ic. Have some dried fish"
![]()
Maricopter, bitches 8)
![]()
Nico: 10/10
Nozomi: 10/10
Eli: 9/10
Nico: Russian judges...
![]()
"How about Mermaid Festa?"
"No"
[we'd like to take a break from our regularly scheduled sarcasm for this genuinely heartwarming and inspirationally awesome moment]
![]()
[and now back to our regularly scheduled sarcasm]
![]()
"What are you doing?"
"I've always wanted to do something with you that we were both crazy about"<--actual dialog
And that's honestly a very d'aaawww line
![]()
"Uhhh, I gotta write songs?"
"*facedesks*"
![]()
![]()
I've never noticed Nico and Nozomi on the sides before ;O
![]()
"No"
"Fuck"
There's something surreal about μ's being a legacy group, a part of history for the story of Aqours. I didn't know what to take from Love Live! Sunshine!!'s announcement, feeling it had come too soon and rightly having doubts about being caught in the original’s shadow. But as the promotional material and drama CDs started rolling in, the clouds of doubt were pierced by the sunshine of hope. By the time the first episode debuted, the doubts have all but disappeared
There's a sense of frontloading episode 1 has for most of its characters in how obviously they're introduced, rather than being content to give them dialog passing by as if briefly meeting strangers who one day become your best friends. They also could've done more to make Dia not look completely unreasonable instead of merely a brief grimace of doubt crossing her face
And that's all I can complain about. Even noticing the uneven pacing, Sunshine!!'s first episode had me smiling from ear to ear (Yoshiko's introduction had me gafawing). It also plants the early seeds of conflict for what would otherwise be a benign series about Chika wanting to be a school idol. Hopefully those seeds germinate and don't suddenly blindside the story. Chika and You's friendship is also endearingly even, with a flashback perfectly illustrating their history together with a dash of Chika's motivations
May the sun shine for a very good start to the series~
A lot
It's probably product placement
>gets a bigger budget than the original series
>doesn't put anything on the screen
Look, I'm just as worried about you three getting good UR designs too, k?
The photobombing continues XD
"I think we should wait for the school to close down"
"not sure if srs"
"I am the Dark Angel, Yohane!"
"oh hi Yoshiko"
"don't call me Yoshiko!"
"why not, Yoshiko?"
"D:"
"why not?"
"because I'm from a family of fisherman!"
"what"
"yeah idk either"
"We were trying to make an anime but the student council president wouldn't let us"
"...o ic. Have some dried fish"
Maricopter, bitches 8)
Nico: 10/10
Nozomi: 10/10
Eli: 9/10
Nico: Russian judges...
"How about Mermaid Festa?"
"No"
[we'd like to take a break from our regularly scheduled sarcasm for this genuinely heartwarming and inspirationally awesome moment]
[and now back to our regularly scheduled sarcasm]
"What are you doing?"
"I've always wanted to do something with you that we were both crazy about"<--actual dialog
And that's honestly a very d'aaawww line
"Uhhh, I gotta write songs?"
"*facedesks*"
I've never noticed Nico and Nozomi on the sides before ;O
"No"
"Fuck"
There's something surreal about μ's being a legacy group, a part of history for the story of Aqours. I didn't know what to take from Love Live! Sunshine!!'s announcement, feeling it had come too soon and rightly having doubts about being caught in the original’s shadow. But as the promotional material and drama CDs started rolling in, the clouds of doubt were pierced by the sunshine of hope. By the time the first episode debuted, the doubts have all but disappeared
There's a sense of frontloading episode 1 has for most of its characters in how obviously they're introduced, rather than being content to give them dialog passing by as if briefly meeting strangers who one day become your best friends. They also could've done more to make Dia not look completely unreasonable instead of merely a brief grimace of doubt crossing her face
And that's all I can complain about. Even noticing the uneven pacing, Sunshine!!'s first episode had me smiling from ear to ear (Yoshiko's introduction had me gafawing). It also plants the early seeds of conflict for what would otherwise be a benign series about Chika wanting to be a school idol. Hopefully those seeds germinate and don't suddenly blindside the story. Chika and You's friendship is also endearingly even, with a flashback perfectly illustrating their history together with a dash of Chika's motivations
May the sun shine for a very good start to the series~
Posted by Akito_Kinomoto | Jul 11, 2016 1:20 PM | 0 comments