Aikatsu Stars 81

I guess this is a drama episode without the drama song. Personally I am not a fan of this episode though. Humor in Aikatsu can be a hit or miss for me in drama episodes. Some of the out-of-character performances from Lily and maybe Rei irk me a bit. I guess it is still fresh to see them acting this way though. There’s a token YumeRola shipping in this episode which I am quite happy with, with Yume claiming Rola as her prize, since they got overshadowed by YumeKoharu in the past few episodes. 

Idoltime Pripara 32

The guydols With finally got their first 3DCG performance, and surprisingly I enjoyed that very much. I still remembered the good ones for guydols in Pretty Rhythm: Rainbow Live although I can’t be bothered with King of Prism because they are too much for fujoshi bait. Yui and Laala also get a different coord for their coord for a change which was nice. Galala starts getting resistance from the girls though, poor Baku getting chopped by Nino. I can’t see her being effective in shutting their dreams until near the end though.

 

It’s been two weeks since my last post because I went for a vacation to Taiwan. It’s been a fulfilling family trip.

I did found some Pripara and Aikatsu arcade in Taiwan. First time when I found it in Tainan, there were kids queuing so I kinda gave up on that but when I reached Taipei, I finally obtained a chance to actually try them and actually got some Aikatsu N cards. As I am totally suck in rhythm games, the experience were just so-so, so I guess I wouldn’t actually play on them even though I have other chances in the future. Still a meaningful experience though.

Aikatsu Stars 80

As expected for weeks, the final planet Uranus SPR appears. From discussion with various people, the main controversy of this episode seems to be Rei’s reason for continuing Aikatsu: “Elza no tame ni”, rather for fans or for herself. As this post was being delayed due to me in Taiwan, I had some time to think through this. Personally I don’t blame Rei for doing this. Rather I believe that Rei knew that half-hearted attempts for fans or for herself will not bring her to obtain her wings, thus she focused her passion for Elza for the best results. I think Elza being a result-oriented person would have understood her ways.

Her performance atmosphere was slightly different from the DCD version to less of my liking though. I expected it to be more powerful, but it was softened down and made more feminine. With all the planet SPRs appeared, now we are moving on to the next arc though, which is the Sun dress obtaining phase. It remains to be seen what Bamco is planning for Ako though since she is not getting anything throughout this 30+ episodes. Still hope she gets a PR, if not SPR. 

Idoltime Pripara 31

Falala has awoken and performed. Not a fan of this song though. The backstory for Galala was really suffering. Poor Galala being alone all the time. I do sympathize with Galala though. Falala is really biased with Yui though only giving Yui an extra Yume Rare coord to perform but it’s kinda time for them to change coords now. At least it was some change rather than carbon copy of the same performance again.

Aikatsu Stars 79

It’s been 79 episodes, and something really unexpected and astounding finally happened. Koharu, KOHARU, KOHARUUUU finally FINALLY got her first 3DCG performance!!!!! When most of us have thought that they missed all kinds of previous opportunities to get Koharu perform, this is a real blessing amidst countless performance reuse. The new poses for characters debuting after S2 (Aria and Koharu) are put in extra efforts really with all the special effects and some weird action. Other than that it is just the same old Message of a Rainbow duet performance with Yume.

Other than that, it was a weird halloween episode. Things are happening too fast and poor Taiyaki Rola and Kaitou Lily got vanquished by Elza in just an instant.

The cut of Cat/Sheep fighting was really so fabulous that I have made a gif of that even though I was kinda lazy to do that for a long time.

It’s still fun to see all those ridiculous costumes. And Yume got into tako mode instead of kraken lol.

 

Idoltime Pripara 30

Halloween episode with Galala being the main antagonist running around trying to steal dreams. Galala is actually quite adorable, childish but sinister.

Apparently Baku could just eat dreams without them asleep which make it quite dangerous, but the main cast are still more dangerous to have their dreams being eaten lol. Poor Baku trying to eat Nino’s and Shuuka’s dream and being karate chopped and broken his teeth.

It does seem like Baku had tried to ate all the girls’ dream when they were young though, probably some kind of preventive measure to prevent Falala from being revived. And maybe that’s the reason why Danpri is popular because no girls wanted to be idols because of the dreams eaten. So zannen for the girls.

 

 

Aikatsu Stars 78

There’s one aspect that is always so great about Aikatsu that is the young/chibi version of the idols are always so adorable. And that includes someone so cold-blooded like Elza. Awww, her motivation to get Sun dress is to get hugs / headpats from her mum? That’s like so kawaiiso. Though I still won’t root for her for that since I already have my favourites.  

The world of wealthy and nepotism are always so prevalent in Aikatsu though. I can’t imagine how normal people can turn off lights of a whole town just for their own benefit but apparently Elza’s mum is able to achieve that. These poor people would have to just suffer without lights.

Idoltime Pripara 29

Shuuka got her deserved win in the Idoltime Grand Prix and also got her Yume Rare coord from Super Idoltime. I can’t help but root for Shuuka because unlike Hibiki (another talented idol), Shuuka worked so diligently til the end to just to achieve perfection.

I guess Yui them will try to beat her next time using power of friendship (Unit?) instead, but Shuuka also deserves to be another unit but there are no candidates now. Wish they would create something interesting for Shuuka’s development.

Laziness kicks in this week again and I am again late in posting the reviews. I have even watched Idoltime Pripara 29 before I finish the review for 28 but I’ll just continue to keep with the weekly schedule of 1 episode per week.

Aikatsu Stars 77

Another episode showing how miraculous is Aria, and the episode where she just decided to join Venus Ark after a tour.

I swear Aria would just accept any invitation to any school, so when Elza made the first move, she just accepted that. Which makes me think why Yume didn’t invite Aria first to just join Yotsuboshi. My conspiracy: Yume is shooing Aria away to Venus Ark so that Aria would be slightly further away from Hime.

Aria also overusing her weird powers of summoning flowers from her hand, and reviving flowers. I think she’ll be a good inspiration to Rei and Kirara in Venus Ark somehow though because of her purity. Maybe she’ll play some part in Rei’s obtaining of her new SPR.

 

Idoltime Pripara 28

Mia Ichiban!!!! Mia from Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future is back now with a new identity and setting as a member of the legendary Kami Idol Saints and a sister of Shuuka. Well, it’s probably just the production trying to save money and reuse a character design. She’s back with an extra obsession with being Ichiban and extra dose of ridiculousness. Guess she’ll be in for a long run as a joke character though. We get another idoltime grandprix episode next episode and of course they are rotating the winners before they actually get to form a unit.

I keep on breaking on my own record on being late in posting the weekly reviews stuff. I knew that rarely there will be people that are visiting my site, the weekly review stuff is just something that I made a promise with myself to just write anything weekly.

I have been engrossed with Sen no Kiseki III so much that I didn’t actually pick up much anime during this cour. Maybe I’ll find a few days to rest from gaming to pick up some of the better received anime this week and decide whether to pick up them or not.

Aikatsu Stars 76

Second part of Aikatsu Stars S2 started, finally the midseason idol Aria has appeared.

Watching through this episode though I really feel nothing about Aria. Guess she just fell in the genre of cute nature idols I don’t really like Sakura/Maria. Her development feels like starting at this episode and already ending at this episode because well……. she got her SPR immediately. I do need some time to like an idol though, so there are 20+ episodes for me to work with and maybe my initial verdict will change.

Music of Dream is pretty generic as an anime OP, but not very Aikatsu-like. It is not bad though, does sound like a final theme somehow. I don’t usually like songs like Pirouette so yeah……

 

 

Idoltime Pripara 27

Second part of first season of Idoltime started, and Shuuka had just debuted this episode, and unexpectedly she had risen to become my favourite Idoltime Pripara idol right now. Idoltime is Moneeh!!!!!

She just has the personality to make Idoltime really fun again, her coords are fantastic and her performance is definitely the best solo performance in Idoltime so far. Although it didn’t beat Tricolore’s crazy performance, it came really close to be the best.

I am now optimistic to wait for every episode just to watch Shuuka antiques.

These few weeks I have been getting lazy and posting these posts late by a few days.

I have been busy starting watching Gundam in UC series in the last few weeks so that’s part of the reason.

I have also just obtained Sen no Kiseki III my favourite JRPG series. It’s been one year+ since I have played another JRPG without localization, and since I can’t read Japanese text fast so I have to go ahead with the game really slowly to make sure I don’t miss out any plot point in this plot heavy game.

Have also added another mobage Magia Record to the list I am playing now, so iroiro daihen right now. 

Aikatsu Stars 75

Homecoming episode for Mahiru. It’s always nice to see Kasumi Kei having fun together. Asahi looks so confident in his crossdressing when they were kids.

Sabishii Mahiru at home alone but Rola somehow managed to break into her home without needing “keys” to comfort her. I have read some jokes about Rola managing to clone the keys in that instant they went in lol. Rola is so yabaii. MahiRola is now going stronger, since Koharu went between YumeRola.

Idoltime Pripara 26

Just an episode of Michiru trying to achieve independence from Aroma but unable to in the end. She got her Yume Rare coord in the end of this episode. Galala’s Baku starts to eat up the dreams of Yui’s friends so it’s time for Yui to work quick against Galala.

Aikatsu Stars 74

Finally the second Ako-focused episode in this season but it’s Ako/Kirara bonding time!!! Sad that Caroline actually stole some of the screentime though with her fuwafuwa powers. Hairstyle switching to twintails brought out another side of Ako of cuteness. So much cuteness Akonyanko~~~ Kirara admired the bond between Yume and Koharu for Rainbow Berry Parfait and wanted Ako to be her twin muse for Fuwafuwadream again. Ako seems to have agreed to it, but it remains to be seen if she’ll ever get a PR or SPR in the current state, since all the SPRs are already taken up. I would beg Bamco for that just like everyone else.

Anyway since this post was delayed, it coincides with Ako’s birthday at the time of posting. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Ako-chan~

Idoltime Pripara 25

Since I stopped watching Japanese raws, I am stopping to post Pripara screenshots (Actually I am just lazy). The story has just revealed plenty of important plot points this episodes. Galala being evil and responsible for Falala’s slumber and destruction of Pripara was pretty unexpected. Having a mascot that can eat dreams and with Yui countering with her dreams (DELUSIONS?) finally revealed the theme of this season – Dreams. The main 3 being in a trio unit is kinda expected so we know how the story will continue on. Let’s await the epic clash between Yui and Galala with all the deus ex machina (Dreams/Tomodachi power/Miracles etc).

Aikatsu Stars 73

The Yume SPR episode finally!!! I have been waiting so eagerly for this moment since two months ago? when her dress was revealed in magazine scans.

Firstly, my thoughts for Yume to change brands to Rainbow Berry Parfait. I think that this is not done well in this episode, because essentially Yume is forced to change her brand, because Koharu is incapable of designing in the original flavour of Berry Parfait. Apparently the designs and colors deviate so much that they are essentially a new brand. They are lucky that this is a new and non-established brand yet because otherwise it would never happen. Just a thought, would Yume be able to reach her SPR if she still uses Berry Parfait with a better PR dress? Or is this drastic change essential for her to reach SPR?

Great 3D CGI performance for Yume’s Message of a Rainbow though. This is definitely the best and most detailed wings out of all the wings that has been revealed. No aura change but the spinning rainbow reveal of the wings is very much well done. The awkward 3D CGI waving after the performance is definitely creepy though.

Idoltime Pripara 24

Another random episode with Shion appearing again. Currently the anime is providing more hints about the idol that Shion is searching for: being obsessed with being the first, which is another hint for Mia Ichiban. The anime is moving in such a snail pace that I am complaining about this every other episode but looks like the next episode will have some important plotline going on with Galala and Falala coming into the picture. It’s also great to see a new duet performance this week by Nino and Shion.

Aikatsu Stars 72

This has to be the first episode in S2 where Rola didn’t get to speak at all. And the repeated confession from Koharu to Yume finally broke the hold of Yume x Rola that was still going strong this season. Poor Rola now has to fend off another love rival.

Yume had two bun hairstyle change (Sheep and Otome style?) just on this episode and they were really adorable on her. Yume also showed her attributes of being worthy of being a S4 again, by being receptive to fans, being a dependable senpai, and having a professional work attitude.

Plenty of unrealistic scenarios happened this episode though, like Yume being force fed all kinds of curry ice. Shouldn’t the advertiser know that idols need to maintain their diet? 

Aria had a short cameo and addressed Hime as Hime-chan? Wonder if she will address Elza as Elza-chan too?

Idoltime Pripara 23

Random Mimiko filler and performance reuse episode. There seems to be one side note about Pripara visitors decreasing but overall the plot is not progressing yet. No screenshots for this episode.