Another round of rainbow-colored Love Live!!!

Hello readers, Happy New Year!!!!! How is life? I know it's hard for so many people. I pray that God will have mercy and love for all of us in this new year of 2023. Anyway, have you read my latest post? Man, it's so long since my last blog post publishing spree. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Remember this announcement visual?

The anime that I'm talking about in this post is a long-running series that I've always caught up with, which is the Love Live series. This is gonna be about Love Live Nijigasaki season 2. The last time I talked about Love Live Nijigasaki was back in Oct 2022. As for Love Live Superstar, I would like to do it together with season 3 because season 2 ended on a cliffhanger. Anyway, time for Love Live Nijigasaki season 2!!!!!!

WARNING:-

SPOILER ALERT! This post is very likely to contain spoilers for this anime. So...if you are planning to watch the anime without any spoilers, you can either continue to read this post or move on and watch the anime.

P.S. If you want to be spoiled, well, go ahead and read it. You HAD been warned. Don't blame me for being spoiled if you INSIST on continuing to read this post.

Introduction

---

Nijigasaki season 2

Introduction? I dun think that it needs much introduction as I introduced this series back in 2021. Well, I will still talk about the second season though. The second season of the anime was aired from April to June 2022. Oh, an original video animation episode is set to premiere in theatres in Q3 2023? NICE! Wait, what? There is another anime upcoming?! WOW! That anime is the adaption of the spin-off manga, Nijiyon: Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Dōkōkai Yon-Koma. The anime will be titled Nijiyon Animation and will premiere in January 2023. OH YEAH!!!! So much surprise!

The new animation...

Plot

---

The girls are back!!!

The anime continues the story with the girls from the school idol club of Nijigasaki High School but this time, there is a new student who surveyed the school idol and later decided to challenge them instead. Who is that? Well, she is 鐘嵐珠 (in Japanese, Shou Ranju and in Chinese, Zhong Lan Zhu). Wait a sec...why does it remind me of Aikatsu and Aikatsu Stars?

Ranju with Yuu and Ayumu...

She went there from Hong Kong with the intention to check out the school idol club to make a decision on joining them. With the incident where the club accidentally use the wrong video for their promotion of their club, Ranju performs to the crowd, to the crowd's delight. After the performance, Ranju states to the School Idol Club that she plans to enter the Festival on her own instead due to conflicting values, and starts a competition to see who garners the most attention in the event.

Unimpressed...

Well, the battle begins. Later, we are introduced to another person who came here with Ranju, Mia Taylor. Also, later on, the childhood friend (who Ranju met first), Mifune Shioriko will come into the picture. Anyway, Mia Taylor becomes a classmate of Takasaki Yuu who transferred to the school's music course. Mia will become an important part of Yuu's new life in her pursuit of music and also, in the creation of new songs for the school idols.

That meeting...

...form QU4RTZ!!!

Back to the school idols, the girls started to group together to compete against Ranju's soaring popularity and try to woo her into joining them. The first group that was formed was Qu4rtz, which consists of Nakasu Kasumi, Konoe Kanata, Emma Verde and Tennouji Rina. They formed after a bunch of sleepovers and after hearing out Yuu's trouble in making music for her assignment. Ranju (or Lanzhu) was impressed with their performance on stage which left her even more determined to beat them.

The girls from Diver Diva with Kawaoto Misato

That moment...

Diver Diva!

With that performance from Qu4rtz, the rest of them soon form their own group. Asaka Karin forms a group with Miyashita Ai after Ai's insistence during the arc where Ai's childhood friend, Kawamoto Misato is involved. That group is called Diver Diva. It was formed to encourage Misato to pursue her dreams and improve themselves. And then, it was A・ZU・NA, which is formed by Uehara Ayumu, Ousaka Shizuku and Yuuki Setsuna (aka Nakagawa Nana). This one...is a special case. It involves Ranju. Again.

Intense...

The hint...

A・ZU・NA です！

This formation wasn't exactly being shown but it's already hinted that they will group together with the ad-lib drama that they did on a wimp. The group did meet Ranju during the arc where Ayumu stalks on Yuu and Shizuku's outing and drags Setsuna along with her when she saw her during her stalking. Then, they got found out by Yuu and Shizuku and then join them instead. Anyway, during the meeting with Ranju, Ranju chastised Yuu for going out with the girls, instead of focusing on her musical studies. Well, it did not end well and Ranju left. After that, that's when the ad-lib drama happened. Watch it for yourself, I say.

That moment that finally bring Shioriko into the world of school idol

That lonely face...

That performance made Lanzhu admit defeat

Welcome to the team, Mia!

Finally!

Anyway, the final battle between Lanzhu (or Ranju) ended with Lanzhu departing for Hong Kong and admitting defeat after the end of the Joint Festival that combines the school idol festival and school festival. The lonely face that she made after the girls bring Shioriko to the team...sad. Ranju's decision irked Mia who came with her to make her songs, as she views her as her only way to prove herself as a musician. Long story short, after the help of Rina (surprisingly) to bring Mia into the world of school idols and the rest of the girls (including Shioriko), they get to convince Ranju to stay and join the school idol club.

Ayumu is in deep thought...

Yuu too?!

Well, that's mostly the end as the rest of the anime is about the girls hanging out with each other after the trio of Mia Taylor, Mifune Shioriko and Zhong Lan Zhu (or Shou Ranju) join them. It's really cute and heartwarming. Yeah, there is the decision on whether to join the Love Live competition, Ayumu's decision on whether to go to England for a brief time and Yuu's decision to join the music competition. Other than that, there is nothing much to say. Anyway, time to move on.

Cute girls hanging out with each other

Great concert from the Nijigasaki School Idol Club

Anime Rating

---

Story (Rating: 10/10)

The character from the previous season getting a new challenger is not a new thing as Aikatsu and Aikatsu Stars (and probably other anime too) also have the same or similar plot line, but the story from challenger to partners and rivals is really nice. The story flow is pretty reasonable. The pacing is just nice. 

Tense moment...

Art and Animation (Rating: 10/10)

As usual, cute girls and beautiful on-stage animation. There's nothing I can complain about.

I wish I can play the piano again...

Sound and Music (Rating: 10/10)

A lot of good songs and music. I love it. This is why I love Love Live. Full marks! No questions ask!

The opening sequence...

Characters (Rating: 10/10)

Lanzhu...a character that hits too close to home for me. Lonely. The rest of them...I like them. The character building is also reasonable. They eventually did something that was different from what they did in the previous season and had a breakthrough, which brings growth to their school idol life. It's just great to see.

That moment...Ranju...

Enjoyment (Rating: 10/10)

As a Love Live fan, this anime is actually a very different spin on the Love Live franchise, which is not involving the main characters directly in the Love Live competition but allows them to express themselves outside of the Love Live competition, which the running theme for the Love Live franchise. Great experience, I say.

LOL! That moment. Poor thing...

That moment when Shioriko knows Setsuna's real identity... xD

Overall Rating: 10/10

Screenshots

---

Oh? Suddenly a hug?!

Errr...why are you spying?

Cute Rina and Kasumi!!!!

Cute Emma and Kasumi!!!

Cute Kanata and Kasumi!!!

Sleepover and games...

QU4RTZ's first live stage performance...

Time for meeting...

Let's GO!!!!!

Shioriko's first time...

Yuu's trouble...

Ayumu...You too?!

PV/Trailer

---

Conclusion

---

Well, that's the end. I'm trying to balance out my time for blog, gaming and life in general. It's hard. Life is hard, I guess. Regarding Love Live Superstar, I won't talk about season 2 any time soon. Only after season 3 is out (and hopefully, not ending in another cliffhanger), I will write about Love Live Superstar. Don't worry, it will be about both seasons of Love Live Superstar. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy reading and browsing this blog. Goodbye, and God bless you! Happy New Year!!!!

Awww...Kasumi...Poor thing...