Aikatsu Stars 78 and Idoltime Pripara 29 Review

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.

Aikatsu Stars 77 and Idoltime Pripara 28 Review

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.

Aikatsu Stars 76 and Idoltime Pripara 27 Review

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.

Aikatsu Stars 75 and Idoltime Pripara 26 Review

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 and Idoltime Pripara 25 Review

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 and Idoltime Pripara 24 Review

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 and Idoltime Pripara 23 Review

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.

Aikatsu Stars 71 and Idoltime Pripara 22 Review

Aikatsu Stars 71

 

Well well, the “Sayonara” Koharu episode. Anyone who is following Aikatsu Stars closely would have guessed from bits of information that Koharu was definitely not leaving and it was just going to be a misunderstanding. The episode still managed to surprise me with the two other plot points though – Kirara being left behind and Alice now in Yotsuboshi. We were sorely disappointed during the Alice episode when we thought she was just a one-off character despite the great character design. Apparently Bamco still have other plans for her but I don’t see her being prominent in the advent of Aria’s appearance. Bamco please continue to surprise me in this. Kirara being left behind is also quite intriguing. Will she rejoin back Venus Ark as soon as possible or will she just stay until Venus Ark returns? Looking forward to more Kirara Ako interaction episodes if she stays. 

Idoltime Pripara 22

 

It is refreshing to see them put some effort in an episode sometimes. The animation has been better than usual and the plot is still silly but not boring for this episode. Shuuka makes her appearance but next episode should be her official debut. “Neo Dimension Go” by Tricolore is really the greatest performance in Idoltime so far as the whole performance itself is not on a stage itself but on a flying pirate ship with a pretty cool making drama too. I kinda understand they lack budget in animating Idoltime somehow (It’s been pretty awful recently) but episodes like this restore my hope that actual climax episodes can be done impressively.

Aikatsu Stars 70 and Idoltime Pripara 21 Review

Aikatsu Stars 70

 

In last episode, Akari suffered as just being a supporting character to Yume. But this episode, make no mistake, Ichigo’s overwhelming presence is ensuring she is the main character once she made her first appearance in this episode.

Ichigo is always my top favourite Aikatsu idol and much more than Yume currently. Her “Pro Adventurer” feats – rope catching Yume, axing down a tree, rock climbing are all just my typical Ichigo. I was going to just rant on and on about how fabulous is Ichigo but I can’t find words to describe her.

About other aspects of this episode, unfortunately due to the short length of the episode even without the OP, other idols were underused, especially Aoi and Mizuki. Yurika and Kaede were just being themselves again (Not that it is a bad thing) with the surprise appearance of the Loli Gothic bat. We don’t even get to witness how Soleil won the race against Tristar. 

Yume were especially dumb for not realizing Ichigo was an idol when Ichigo was chanting Aikatsu during the rock climbing with her. I wish deeply for another collab episode in the future. Maybe they can come back to Aikatsu Island again since obviously there’s a dimension hole/gate near Aikatsu Island.

 

Idoltime Pripara 21

 

Nothing worthy of screenshot this episode in Menpara. Still going on with their ridiculous plot again with Monsters and Ramen and Udon.

Well next week Hibiki and finally Shuuka are going to make her debut appearance. I hope Shuuka makes good rival against the main three.

Aikatsu Stars 69 and Idoltime Pripara 20 Review

Aikatsu Stars 69

 

The first crossover episode has come. Welcome back Akari!!!!

In my opinion, this episode is a bit underwhelming due to the boring idea/execution of the plot point : Finding four-leaf clovers. We didn’t even get to see the real fun side of Luminas.

Luminas didn’t even get to perform off-screen. Akari acknowledging Ichigo is her rival now sounds good, but a bigger crossover with Ichigo together would be even more interesting. Maybe 1 episode is just too short to show everything I want.

Akari’s comments about they will return to the stars that Aikatsu Stars can’t see, but still exists, seems to be hinting that they are from another dimension. 

Well well, we will have Ichigo back in next episode, so that will likely to be much more fun than this episode from the looks of the preview.

 

We are greeted by this iconic Aikatsu opening once the episode starts. What a way to hype-up the episode.

 

 

Idoltime Pripara 20

 

Didn’t expect the Yui sibling’s relationship is resolved so quickly and Shougo is now willing to escort Yui after just 2 or 3 episodes after he said he won’t.

Well let’s move on from now. I hope the new characters for Idoltime are introduced more quickly. 

They need a real rival for things to heat up.