This week we’re hit with a reality check as well as a backstory reveal. Will Aqours recover from this frustrating setback?
Starting right where the previous episode left off, we get to see Saint Snow perform. Just like A-Rise, their song genre is way different compared to that of μ’s or Aqours. The six girls go right after St. Snow finishes rocking out.
After the OP, we jump straight to the girls relaxing after finishing their performance. The first-years (intentionally or not) keep the mood light as Chika forces herself to be cheery.
Chika then receives a phone call from one of the event people. Once the girls return to the event site, the event lady sheepishly hands them the voting results for the idol groups who performed at the event. The handout only contained despair: Aqours is dead last with 0 votes.
St. Snow, who placed 9th and almost qualified for the next round, shows up and compliments Aqours’ performance. However, the taller girl, Seira, tells the group should give up on Love Live. Ria finally speaks (what a lovely deep voice) and tells them to take school idols seriously.
During the train ride back, the girls try to cope with the result. Chika continues forcing herself to act happy and satisfied with the results, even after You asks Chika if she’s feeling frustrated.
Their classmates are waiting for Aqours at the train station. As the girls try to awkwardly answer their classmates’ questions, Dia shows up and greets the downcast idol group. Ruby, who did her Rubesty holding back her tears until this point, runs up to her older sister in order to cry in her chest.
Meanwhile, Mari heads down to the harbor to talk with Kanan. It seems like Kanan used some sort of bat signal (probably a flare light) to catch Mari’s attention. What not use a cellphone, though?
As she gives Ruby a lap pillow, Dia tells the girls that they didn’t fail to please the audience, but their performance was not enough since the standards for school idols are at an all-time high these days.
Dia then goes on to reveal that she, Kanan, and Mari also formed a school idol group two years ago in order to prevent their school from being shut down. Some flashbacks ensue: we get to see genki Dia, aloof Mari, and clingy Kanan (!)
As the girls learn about how the third-years were also invited to a Tokyo event but were unable to sing at said event due to being overwhelmed by the stage, Kanan tells Mari that she thinks saving the school and winning the Love Live is impossible.
Mari tries to win her over by offering a hug, which is a parallel to the flashback scene. Kanan ignores the hug and tells Mari that everyone should give up before they get hurt.
As Kanan leaves, Mari exclaims that she’ll get back the precious feeling she felt with Kanan and Dia. Man, this episode really paints the third-years in a different light. I’ll go more into that in a different post.
The girls all go home and are shown moping and thinking throughout the night. You sure has a lot of photos of Chika, though. And she has a sticker of the costume she wears in Aqours’ second single, Koi ni Naritai AQUARIUM, too.
The scene transitions into morning. Riko wakes up and sees Chika walking off towards the ocean. She gives chase only to not see Chika there. Thinking Chika drowned herself, Riko starts yelling out her name. Turns out our main character was diving underwater in an attempt to see something like Riko was doing in episode 1.
Chika finally reveals that yes, she’s feeling frustrated and breaks down. Thankfully Riko calms her down with a hug.
The next episode is titled, “Young Dreamer.” More childhood flashbacks? Yes, please! See you next time!
The Lily Garden 