Love Live Sunshine is a continuation of the original series which I loved very much. But I think Sunshine has its own set of unique strengths. Some have even argued that these strengths make it a better series than the original. But what I find great about Sunshine is that its good points don't detract from what made the original series great. It's a fantastic series that stands out on its own merits. I feel like slovenly comparing the two in that way doesn't do either series justice. As such, I will refrain from making comparisons to the original unless I feel it's absolutely necessary.
Chika Takami is a normal girl wasting away her days going through the motions like any other high school girl. But she's no longer content with living that kind of life. When she sees µ's on the big screen of the UTX building in Akihabara (Which I've just recently found out is called the 'UDX' building in real life. Pretty cool huh?) something in her mind clicks. She's finally found a way to break the mould and escape her normal everyday life. That's the basic setup at least. Obviously their journey isn't as easy as it initially seems, but what makes Sunshine uniquely interesting is the nature of the potholes on their road to success. Pretty much everyone who heard µ's was on their side. It was just a matter of getting people to hear them out. As is natural for a series of that nature there are complications along the way but they're mostly irrelevant to how the people react to their music. The problems they faced were mostly either internal conflict or getting people to notice them. But when µ's put in their best effort and succeeded nearly every time. Sunshine does deal with those very same themes in its own way, but it also deals with heavily a theme that the original series never really touched upon. Rejection. People who heard what they had to say, considered where they were coming from and just said 'no'.
I'm honestly not sure if a theme like that would be a good fit in the original series. But this is a completely new series and Sunrise have taken this as an opportunity to try something completely new. While the show also deals with many of the same themes as the original, it does so in a very different way. The show initially lures you into believing that the impact µ's has had means their journey is gonna be a walk in the park. Right? Right? Wrong! Not only are they outright rejected on a number of occasions, but they have an even harder time getting people to hear them out. School idols are everywhere in this day and age so standing out from the crowd is a lot more difficult. Even their flashy Babymetal-esque rivals Saint Snow have difficulty getting people on their side. Plus unlike µ's, Aqours don't live in the heart of Tokyo and getting people to notice them out in the middle of nowhere is a very difficult task.
To put it simply, they're being brought down by circumstances completely out of their control. You can understand their frustration over being in this situation because these are all problems that everyone has to face at some point in their life. These themes aren't some super complex analysis of the human condition, but they're a perfect fit for the type of series that Love Live Sunshine is trying to be. Not only are the themes relatable to a lot of people regardless of cirmustance, but they're executed really well... at least for the most part. If I had to make a criticism (And I kinda do since this a review and not just a discussion of why I love the show) it's that it takes a while to get really stuck into the themes. The show is very deliberately paced and every episode is filled with great moments, but it's not until the final few episodes where the show really flourishes. That's not to say what comes before it is a waste of time. But even though I thoroughly enjoyed the series from start to finish its finest moments are definitely during the latter episodes. That being said this is admittedly a very weak criticism. I found the show as a whole to be fantastic and I can't imagine those last few episodes being anywhere near as impactful had it not been for everything that came before it.
A new series brings with it a new set of characters and I was really impressed with what they brought to the table this time around. They've all got their cute little quirks and catchphrases as expected but there's a little bit more to them once you get past all that. In terms of comedy the 9 girls all have a great dynamic and bounce off of each other really well when the show wants to make the viewer laugh. But they've also got a wide range of emotions as well as a number of flaws. It's nothing ultra complicated but there's enough to them so that they feel more human and believable than what some would argue (Looking at you Yamakan) is necessary in this kind of series.
When I read the character descriptions I was particularly worried about Yohane since Chuunibyou's are a very stale trope in anime. But the show does a fantastic job of justifying her reasons for being that way and her love of the occult. Ruby is often shy and scared but when the going gets tough she isn't afraid to get assertive. Hanamaru is kind and pleasant to a fault but she's also a goofball and an antisocial bookworm who has trouble making friends. I could go on to describe what makes each and every character great and how they evolve over the course of the series but I'm rambling enough as it is. Though I think what's most important in creating a strong show is a strong lead character and Chika certainly delivers. Chika always wants to do the best she can by her friends but she isn't without her flaws. As much as she tries she's not always capable of making a difference. But over the course of the series she becomes more understanding of her own limitations and more reliant on the people around her. Not only does this make her a likeable character, but a believable one too. And the same goes for the rest of the cast too.
Though there is an elephant in the room that I think is worth discussing. Kanan. All things considered she did get a good amount of attention in the later episodes and the buildup to that point was handled very well. But when you're watching the show weekly you just can't help but wonder 'Where's Kanan?'. Fortunately, the resolution to the conflict between the third years is probably one of the best moments in the entire show. Conflict between characters can make or break a series depending on how it's handled. In Love Live's Sunshine's case, it brings about some of the show's very best moments. The show's world is definitely an exaggerated version of reality but every problem they face arises naturally. They're problems that one can reasonably expect to occur in their situation and they're always solved in an emotionally satisfying way. Simply put, the characters and their interactions are probably Love Live Sunshine's greatest strength.
The animation in Love Live Sunshine is a definite strong point of the series but I wouldn't call it mind blowing. It's a very good looking show that definitely blows the vast majority of anime out of the water. That being said the production quality isn't on the same level as something like Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero or a KyoAni production. Just like the original series the show mixes 2D and 3D animation for its performance scenes and they're an absolute visual treat with a lot of great effects and some very memorable choreography. I've come to accept that the CG animation is an intentional design choice so I'm not going to criticise the show just because they use that style. However it definitely does look a bit wonky on occasions and even at its best it never looks as good as the 2D animation. But overall, when it comes to the visuals the positive far outweigh the positives.
Of course another important aspect in a show like this is the sound. I mean, it is an idol show right? The voice acting, the songs, the sound design, the background music, all of this is very important. The show isn't flawless in every regard but the way the show uses sound is definitely one of its strengths. The songs themselves are plentiful, diverse and very easy on the ears to say the least. The fast paced energy of the opening theme that gets you hyped for the episode, the infectious bouncy melody of Kimeta yo Hand in Hand, the pounding bass drum and soaring vocals in Mijuku Dreamer. Even if you were to detach the songs from the flashy choreography in the performance scenes there's a lot to talk about. Not every song is as awesome as Mijuku Dreamer, but they're all great for their own reasons and not one of them is a dud.
On the topic of sound, voice acting! While there are quite a few well known seiyuu playing side characters every single one of the 9 girls is played by a newbie. That being said, they've obviously been trained very well. The girls all sound distinctive and their acting is on point nailing both the light hearted comedy scenes and the more dramatic moments of the series. There are a few missed lip flaps and awkward line reads, but in the grand scheme of things these are relatively minor flaws. The seiyuu performances are a key aspect of any show like this and Love Live Sunshine does not disappoint. Just like its predecessor, Sunshine does indeed have an English dub. While NIS America handled the first series in conjunction with Bang Zoom, Love Live Sunshine is entirely a Funimation effort. Moving from Texas to LA means there's a whole new talent pool to work with and the dub uses this to its advantage with a good mix of newbies and veterans from the area. In an effort to remain consistent with the original series the English dub is directed by Caitlin Glass who played Maki in the original series. However, just like the Japanese version, there are no returning cast members. There's definitely some awkward line reads and questionable translation choices here and there but all things considered it's a very solid dub handled by a team of people who evidently enjoy working on the show. However in this case I have to say my preference is with the original Japanese version.
Overall, Love Live Sunshine was an unexpectedly great series that follows up on the original in a very big way. Rather than relying on what made the original series great, Sunshine (And Aqours) establishes itself as something uniquely amazing. I could go on forever talking about everything this show does right yet my issues with the show are relatively minor. It's obligatory that I mention the things that bothered me in a review, but honestly I could spend way longer talking about why I loved the show. It's very rare that a show elicits that kind of positive response out of me so obviously they've done something right. Love Live Sunshine is undeniably something special and I would be very surprised if anything else can take its place as my favourite anime of 2016.
