There are few anime as equally enjoyable as they are remarkable. And there are fewer still as thoroughly pleasant as Sunrise's latest foray into the world of school idols. Love Live: Nijigasaki is a wholesome reminder of why I enjoy anime, and of why the slice-of-life genre is so captivating. Admittedly, after the middling and sometimes frustrating experience that was Sunshine, I wasn't too sure what to expect from this year's offering of Love Live. While I was a big fan of the original series (Nico is my favourite character in all of anime), Sunshine missed the mark in many regards. It forgot what made LoveLive so special in the first place— charming characters and cute slice-of-life— and decided instead to replace it with unhappy vibes and drama in excess. Sunshine was always walking in the original's shadows, with abundant references to Muse, and of days gone by. The great news is that, by bringing the series back to its roots, Nijigasaki firmly stands on its own two feet. It is comprised solely of the franchise's best elements, and highlights the reasons so many people fell in love with Love Live all those years ago. And, with a few important changes and some new layers of complexity, I believe that it is legitimately superior to the original. Love Live's third outing is its best yet. A large part of what makes Nijigasaki such a pleasure to watch is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. The tone here is far more light-hearted and slice-of-life focused than previous, which is when Love Live had always shined the most, from my perspective. While there is still a degree of drama, it is used sparingly, and in a wholesome and heartwarming manner, with the conclusion to the conflict almost invariably resulting in a smile or even a big stupid grin. If you're the type of person who watches anime primarily for fun, I would say there are not many anime that do it better than Nijigasaki. If you're not so much a seeker of fun, and instead have a preference for the dark and violent and so forth... well, you've found yourself in the wrong place, I'm afraid. I've always found it admirable how Love Live manages to develop large casts of characters in such a concise amount of episodes, and Nijigasaki is the best example of this to date. It bumps the size of the main cast from nine to ten, and rather than the characterization taking a hit as a result, to the contrary, it is actually an improvement over previous seasons. Each of the girls, no matter how boring or forgettable their design may initially suggest, receive at least one full episode developing their character in a meaningful way, giving ample reason for you to care about them. Contrast this with Sunshine, where I remember Saint Snow, the darn rival group, more than the actual main cast, and it is a world of difference in quality. Even the original series had some characters I felt were underdeveloped (Nozomi in particular), but such is scarcely the case here. The best example of character development done right is with Rina's episode. Personally, and I am sure many felt the same way initially, her character design elicited a sigh and rolled eyes. Her face being covered by a computer monitor, complete with kaomoji and other electronic expressions, felt very much like an unabashed attempt to bank off on the V-Tuber craze of today. But Rina's episode actually creates a valid reason for her possessing this quirk. It makes sense in the context of the anime, and it genuinely makes you feel happy for her in how she has found a way to confront her fears. Without this episode, she would be another Yohane— one-note and defined by a single gimmick— but with it, she has earned her place as a (relatively) believable and dynamic character. My personal favourites are Emma and Yuu. While there isn't anything too noteworthy going on with Emma as a character, she is adorable as all hell, as well as being from my favourite country (Switzerland). It is not often that westerners take the role of a main character in anime, and if they do, they are often either half-Japanese or a caricature with blonde hair and broken Japanese. But Emma is just a normal girl, treated no different than any of the other girls. This is laudable on Sunrise's part, as it demonstrates that they are more broad-minded and accepting of other cultures than most studios. It is the little details such as these which make the Nijigasaki girls so appealing. Of course, with it now being the third full Love Live series, it does follow a formula that most fans have grown accustomed to. But where the first two series spent the majority of their first seasons merely building up and assembling the idol club, Nijigasaki is done with this in its first few episodes, and swiftly moves on to character development and other matters. The only aspect I wish were different was that, maybe, this time around, the girls could have all started together from the first year of high school. I always thought it was a shame that Love Live had to end after a single year of story, and would much prefer to see a full three years played out instead. This is especially true in the case of Nijigasaki, as the cast is so vibrant and exciting that the thought of it ending after two seasons (provided we are even lucky enough to get that far) just doesn't sit right. But, I suppose, it is always better to end on a high note than to risk meandering about. There are considerably strong yuri themes within Nijigasaki. Unlike the other Love Live series, and most slice-of-life in general, it doesn't exist merely as a suggestion or as fanservice, but as something more sober and markedly human. One of the main characters is genuinely— that is, objectively—in love with one of the others. While this initially comes off as a bit of a shock when it is revealed, especially with it occurring so late into the season, it is handled in a surprisingly mature manner, and ends with a hell of an emotional closer. While my first thoughts were "Oh no..." when I realized things were going down the oft-trodden yuri path, the events of these two episodes earned my support, and this comes from someone who isn't even a fan of yuri. Sure, hell, I'll even cheer the two of them on, and hope that everything works out between them in the end. This yuri romance also adds a new layer of complexity to the story. Though I was already enamored with the anime by this point, it went above and beyond, taking a large risk that could very well have sabotaged my enjoyment and appreciation of the anime. But it is a risk that paid off, and I am interested in seeing where this romantic substory arrives at in the second season. The events of these two episodes do steal the focus away from what was otherwise a very slice-of-life centric anime, however, which may not be to everyone's tastes. But as long as Nijigasaki balances the two, and doesn't let the romance overtake the slice-of-life, then I believe the two aspects can peacefully co-exist and compliment one another. Love Live: Nijigasaki is a delightful and remarkable experience throughout. It is some of the most fun I have had watching an anime in... well, if not just a long time, then perhaps ever. If you enjoy slice-of-life anime to any extent, then, even if you have watched Love Live in the past but were irked for some reason or another, I would strongly urge you to give Nijigasaki a chance as it is a different beast entirely. This isn't just an anime for Love Live fans, or idol fans— it is a love letter to slice-of-life fans as a whole. In a lot of ways, Nijigasaki feels like the successor to K-ON (complete with its own Azusa equivalent), to which I feel like Nijigasaki has firmly surpassed. Its slice-of-life moments are more fun. Its music is more charming. Its characters are more compelling. Hell, it even handles yuri better. So where does that leave me, as someone whose favourite anime, for several years, was K-ON? While the second season still remains an unknown entity, Love Live: Nijigasaki, in my opinion, is poised to be one of the most lovable slice-of-life anime in over a decade.

“The tiny melodies blend together (Our Colors) Let’s paint this arch, now. It resonates throughout the city (reaching for far blue sky!)” - lyrics from Nijiiro Passions! This show came as quite the pleasant surprise. Given the nature of spinoffs, it’s not unusual to believe that they rarely ever live up to or exceed the quality of their original counterparts and tend to fall short. But that is not the case here. Along with having several noteworthy changes and improvements, this installment to the Love Live franchise came in as something incredibly refreshing and serves as an excellent starting point for the girls of Nijigasaki. As someone who’sseen the previous Love Live shows, I had some anticipation going into this. The original laid the groundwork for school idols thanks to the influence of μ's and while Sunshine shared many similarities in its story and structure, there were certain aspects about Aqours that were able to stand out. Naturally the prospect of another entry got me interested in wanting to see how it would stack up. There were some mixed feelings when seeing the change in art style but upon watching the first episode, those worries were quickly put to rest. This show has not only been able to meet my expectations but somehow managed to surpass them. THIS is how you do a spinoff. Love Live Nijigasaki is the third animated series in the franchise following the previous titles School Idol Project and Sunshine. Though unlike the latter, which sought to follow closely behind the footsteps of the original, this entry has its own separate story with no callbacks to past shows or idol groups which is a breath of fresh air. It shows that the series is willing to be innovative with trying new ideas instead of going for more repetition which already makes this show feel more distinct. One criticism that many had with regards to Sunshine was how closely it tied itself to the original despite being its successor. As a result, it ended up following many similar story beats such as the school closure plot point all while drawing constant mention and praise to the previous group: μ's. Nijigasaki on the other hand, sets itself apart by beginning with what I would say is a stronger and more impressive start than either of those two shows. Instead of starting out with trying to become school idols in order to prevent their school from shutting down, this time it's finding out why the idol group that was already established in their own school decided to disband. With this change, it allows for the show to focus more on exploring the different aspects about being an idol such as expression and being able to connect with fans rather than having a constant worry over our heads (Besides, this school is so large and robust anyway that it doesn’t need to worry about closing its doors). It eases us into the mindset of the girls and what being a school idol means for each of them whilst providing meaningful characterization instead of having them simply become one because of an outside threat. This is helped by the less arduous process of recruiting members as many of them were already part of a smaller group. This also allowed the show to feel more grounded with its story and characters as well as its handle on drama. Each of them is presented with the question of what they want to invoke to their audience which provides for some variety. All of them have different answers yet none of them are incorrect as the appeal of idols vary from person to person. Compared to the more ambitious starts of the previous shows, this story starts out as more simple and intimate with wholesome character interactions between the two main leads Ayumu and Yuu as well as a brief glimpse of the other girls. After being inspired by their first performance, which was done by an idol from their own school rather than another, they seek to understand what caused the idol club to disband and try to reestablish it. Later on it becomes about how each girl in the show will try to stand out as individuals as they strive to become school idols. Understanding other people’s viewpoints, being honest with oneself, and accepting the different sides of your identity are all obstacles they must face in order to get there. While the lack of a familiar looming threat such as school closure did cause the show to feel more open ended and lighthearted overall given there’s less stakes involved, it also allowed for some flexibility as we steer away from the somewhat tired narrative plot point giving Nijigasaki its own unique flavor which many may find to be a welcome change. The show instead focuses most of its attention purely on character development and with it comes the concept of solo idols which was interesting to see as it adds a new dynamic to the series and to the way live performances work. Nijigasaki is putting more emphasis on the individual, with each girl having their own color that corresponds to them, instead of the group which results in them not actually having a group name like in the other entries. While the show does fall into a formulaic rhythm with each episode focusing on a different girl who would inevitably get their own song at the end, repetition doesn’t necessarily mean bad here as it gives us something to look forward to. This is mostly because each episode feels distinct from one another being able to stand on its own merit with each character having their own problems unique to them making it interesting to see how it unfolds. They all get a chance to shine and develop this season which is something Love Live hasn’t done before. One of the biggest flaws with past entries was that there was not enough time spent fleshing out all the characters by the time the plot started rolling along. With such a large cast, there would usually only be a few characters who get their own episodes per season leaving the rest of the cast feeling both underutilized and underdeveloped, but here they all do. Another interesting change to the series are the visuals. How does it compare? Well to put it simply: it’s utterly gorgeous. Love Live has maintained a similar look for its first two installments, but here the art style is distinctly different especially in terms of the character designs which come off as less shiny but more vibrantly colored and crisp. Some of the background art coupled with the lighting in this show are absolutely superb and exceptionally detailed making some scenes really pop out especially during the performances. I was particularly awed by the setpieces used during some of the songs which all have a strikingly rich color palette like Ayumu’s glorious pink stage. While the general look of previous entries are fantastic in their own right (not to mention that I have a strong fondness towards it), the style chosen for Nijigasaki works surprisingly well especially with the CG. Studio Sunrise, having made the previous Love Live shows, truly stepped up in quality for this one. There’s no jarring CG, no awkward movement...it’s clean, smooth, and gorgeous. The CG in this franchise has sure come a long way and now it is some of the best I’ve seen compared to most anime out there coupling amazingly well with the 2D. There’s some incredibly stunning and fluid animation and several unique visual effects that are a first for this franchise as evident in the first song of the show: CHASE! with its interesting but effective use of fire effects as well as many others. The series made some notable improvements here. With that said, Love Live is not a show that will impress you with having complex ideas or a deep intricate narrative. It has a simple and fairly straightforward story but more importantly, it is a character driven show first and foremost with the aim of eventually becoming school idols in order to achieve their end goal. If you don’t like the girls, then you probably won’t like the show. As for me...there was not a single character that I disliked or found underwhelming. Even the side characters, which mostly consist of fangirls that the main cast garnered over time, eventually became a welcome and benevolent presence whenever they were on screen. It can be a difficult task having to adjust to a completely new cast of characters if you already have an attachment to either, both, or even neither of the previous groups. However, I found it rather easy to get invested in the cast of Nijigasaki. Naturally when you find one girl you like in the group, you want to find reasons to care about the others and the show does exactly that. It does a fine job of portraying them in a more subtle and natural way with relatable issues which made the girls here endearing and fun to watch without being overly obnoxious or unlikable and not feeling like shallow characters. They have some depth to their personalities and have more going on with them than meets the eye instead of merely identifying with one particular character trait or cliche. No one is constantly spouting deadpan one liners even if they were somewhat cute or comedic before. But that’s not to say the show isn’t without its humor. The funny moments can be utterly hilarious with the characters being fun and goofy with playful banter whether that be hanging out in the club room or working hard on becoming school idols. Coupled with good dialogue, interactions are unique and quirky without feeling overdone and this leads to the show having a smooth and energetic pacing throughout which complements well with the lighthearted tone. The voice actresses really did a great job in bringing these characters to life adding a bit more detail and personality to them such as the subtle playfulness in Kanata’s voice when she’s sleeping or the little mumbles and outbursts from Kasumi whenever she’s feeling frustrated. Handling of character drama has shown great improvement compared to previous first seasons as they feel genuine and built up with resolutions that feel more down to earth while not being forced down my throat with excessive melodrama or unnatural reactions. But it’s not smooth sailing all the way through as the conflict in the last few episodes felt uneven at times and a bit out of place given how far things went which clashed with the consistently toned down nature of the rest of the show. While it did provide some interesting and insightful context to the mindset of a certain character, there’s a lingering thought that it could’ve been handled in a less bothersome way. Now onto the girls themselves who make up the wonderful cast of Nijigasaki: First Years - Kasumi serves as the cute lovable goofball of the group. I won’t lie when I say that she might easily be one of the funniest and most entertaining characters I’ve ever seen. I appreciate the studio for going the extra mile in emphasizing and exaggerating her movements and facial expressions by adding in some nuanced animation in many of her scenes to strengthen the fact that she’s over the top and hilarious. While there are some obvious similarities that can be drawn to Nico, there is a bit of distinction between them. Kasumi strives to be the cutest idol but doesn’t put up a facade or have an alternate personality. She might be overenthusiastic and flamboyant at times (albeit for comedic purposes) but she is self-aware about other people’s feelings and deep down, she can be helpful to her friends and pull through when it matters. Rina is someone who is good with using technology and has excellent programming skills but she has difficulty expressing her emotions and making friends. She is a unique character to the series being the first who covers her face during performances. Shizuku has a passion for acting and because of this she is in the drama club. But below her calm exterior lies someone who is afraid to show and express her true self to others. The way in which the show portrayed her inner monologue is commendable as it works well both visually and thematically. As far as first year trios go in this franchise, I find Nijigasaki’s to be quite compelling as their character growth is apparent and carries over to the later episodes with a lasting impact. Rina and Shizuku’s episodes in particular coupled with their performances and songs were the ones that stood out to me as some of the strongest in the show and perhaps the franchise as a whole. Second Years - Setsuna is a standout character as she is a stunningly beautiful and passionate girl who performs in the first episode and is an inspiration for Ayumu and Yuu. She has a serious and hardworking side to her but also an energetic and vibrant personality. Plus she happens to be a fan of anime which earns some points in my book. Now concerning Ayumu...one may be led to believe that she serves as the lively leader of this Love Live group like how Honoka or Chika were for theirs, however, she is not at all similar to either of them. While those two characters shared attributes of being energetic and poised on becoming school idols, Ayumu is more shy and easily embarrassed. I would say that her friend Yuu serves the leadership role better and actively does so throughout the show. While she does have a strong attachment and reliance towards Yuu, she is a rather sweet and adorable person especially when she’s doing the Ayu-bun. Ai is the helpful and friendly athletic type. She has a strange affinity for puns though thankfully, this quirk of hers is not overused. With her laid back personality and positive attitude, she provides an added level of fun and liveliness to the group. Third Years - Kanata has an easy going and playful personality. She seemingly looks like a girl who only loves to sleep a lot and is not particularly flexible but there is more going on with her that results in this. It paints her as a far more interesting character than at first glance. Karin is a model with a more mature and cool headed personality who sort of serves as the Nozomi of the group i.e. the big sister figure who quietly watches from behind the scenes which is a welcome homage to the original. Despite her calm demeanor, she has a sweet and more innocent side to her. Emma is a girl from Switzerland who loves eating food. She has a kind and understanding personality which allows her to play a more supportive role in the group. Normally that would be it for the main cast, but in Nijigasaki there are now 10 main girls instead of the usual 9. It seems Love Live has indeed added one more to their already copious roster of female characters which at first glance would seem rather trivial but the way she’s utilized in the story is quite intriguing. Yuu more or less serves as a self-insert lens for the audience as well as someone for Ayumu to bounce off of. She is all about supporting her best friend and everyone else in the group and that can also be said for any fan who wants to cheer for these girls’ success. But she is not just a blank slate or a useless character. Even though Yuu herself does not want to become a school idol, she plays a pivotal role in bringing together several members acting as both a voice of reason and of motivation leading to some emotionally satisfying moments (and building up her harem all the same). She has a likable and charming personality while being reliable which makes her interactions all the more meaningful and in some cases absolutely hilarious. Of course it wouldn’t be Love Live without the music and suffice to say there are some straight bangers in this one. While there are some that stood out to me more than others (CHASE!, Solitude Rain, etc.), I somehow found myself listening to all of them an unhealthy amount of times. Now I liked quite a few songs from both the original group and Sunshine, but this...just hits different. Compared to previous entries which had primarily group songs, Nijigasaki focuses more on the individual with solos for each character reflecting their own ‘color’ and personality. This is even more emphasized by the different types of music they sing and their styles of performance such as the vocaloid-esque display from Rina or the stunning theatrical from Shizuku which all showcase the exuberant appeal of idols. Each one feels like a music video with its aesthetic, lighting, visual cuts and dynamic camera. As expected from this series, there is a keen eye for detail in the directing and choreography as well as overall fluidity with hair, mouth movement, and facial expressions. Everything matches up well with the lyrics. Since the main theme seems to be the girls coming together to represent a rainbow, the songs themselves signify each member being honest with themselves, moving forward, and ultimately accepting what they can bring to the group as a different color and standing side by side. That being said, while the new style is extravagant, it is noticeably different from past entries as most of the songs are not performed in reality but rather in a ‘dreamlike’ world where visuals are exaggerated. There also isn’t the familiar group song setting. In previous shows, the girls from μ's and Aqours had the capability of bouncing off one another. Here they have to perform alone which they do address in the show and have legitimate concerns for. But despite the fact that they are performing by themselves, I never got a sense that it was an inferior experience to past shows because each individual was able to stand out thanks to the emotional support from the other members of their group and the gradual buildup of their characterization from each of their arcs. Credit to the show, everyone seems to be on equal footing making it feel all the more worthwhile to believe that if the time comes for them to perform together, they can all stand proudly as school idols. Coupled with smooth and improved animation and amazing performances from the voice actresses, every live show is distinct and riveting. The OP “Nijiiro Passions!” is bursting with energy and excitement coupled with gorgeous visuals and for lack of a better term ‘pizzazz’ while the ED “NEO SKY, NEO MAP!” has its somber yet uplifting tone with vocals from each character giving the episodes a strong sense of closure. Both are worthy additions to an already stellar lineup of OPs and EDs in this franchise. The soundtrack is also great as it fits the upbeat and energetic scenes as well as some of the more somber moments pretty well. To sum up, Love Live Nijigasaki has proven itself to be a worthy addition to this franchise. It stands to reason that both Love Live fans and non-fans will likely find this to be a solid if not a fantastic entry and may end up being a little surprised by it. It certainly has a case for being the best. Despite whatever hiccups there were along the way, it was an absolute joy to watch. For newcomers, this can serve as a good starting point to the series as prior knowledge of past shows is not necessary. From the smooth and clean art style, improved animation, a different and fresh story, amazing songs, likable and memorable characters...it’s the full package. It improves on what the other entries lacked while also being distinct, having its own identity, and all while adding some new twists to the formula. It managed to implement all these changes yet none of them I feel were unwarranted and it was still able to maintain the charm Love Live has with its enjoyable goofy moments. Sure idol anime might not be everyone’s cup of tea but as someone who enjoys a more lighthearted show with cute characters that have a lot of personality and passion, this is one of if not the best I’ve seen. It managed to become a surprisingly meaningful experience and showed me that this franchise still has so much more enthusiasm to express.

Love Live Nijigaku represents the next stage in the evolution of the best ongoing idol franchise. It takes everything we know and love about the series to new heights and breathes new life into the Love Live series. Disclaimer, when it comes to idol shows, I am very easy to please. Cute girls, good songs and good performances are really all I look for. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to see how much more Nijigaku contained. If you’ve seen sunshine and SIP, which you most likely have if you’re here, you’ll recall how fluffy and cutesy those shows were. While we had the drama ofthe school being forced to shut down in both seasons, there never really felt like there was drama or tension among the girls. Nijigaku deviates from that trend and actually introduces some pretty overt yuri romance/love triangle type situations with Ayumu, Yuu and Setsuna which I really liked. I felt like the tension between the three of them throughout the second half of the series was the best Love Live has ever been at. The story in general feels a bit more mature this time around. Of course there’s still the usual dramatisations that we have come to know and love, but in general things feel much more natural. Sunrise went with a different art-style this time around, which I personally think is the best LL has ever looked. I liked Sunshine’s art over SIP, but would take this over both of the previous series. It feels much more “real” rather than the uber cutsey nature of Sunshine. The CGI also needs to be applauded. We have come a LONG way since the days of SIP in terms of quality CGI. At times, I could not even distinguish the CG from the drawn images. Nijigaku has to be in my top 5 shows of the season and was probably the second or third most anticipated on a weekly basis. I think this season was an evolution for the franchise and bodes well for the future of one of my favourite idol groups. I’m looking forward to seeing what new heights the girls and this series reach. Love Live Nijigasaki gets 10 mics out of 10.

„Never get dragged into Love Live! idol hell or your wallet will hate you.” - everyone who has already spent too much on Love Live! After the Aqours movie "Over the Rainbow" (Love Live! Sunshine!!) in 2019 we finally get a Love Live! continuation with a new setting. All those fans who are already familiar with the Love Live! mobile games know what Nijigasaki is about. Even if the main goal is not the Love Live! competition this time, we feel that our girls are doing their best to make everyone happy. Lean back, relax and just enjoy the wonderful world and music ofNijigaku! The “Nijigasaki High School Idol Club” initially started with 5 members led by Setsuna Yuki (she is the same person as Nana Nakagawa, the student council president). But because of different goals and opinions, it was dissolved. Thanks to Yuu Takasaki, later becoming the manager of the group, it was brought back to life. The main difference to the previous Love Live! series is the solo idol performing by each of them. Since there is no threat of closing the school here, it is not necessary to win the Love Live! competition, our solo idols do not pursue this goal. Although they are rivals through their solo careers, they support and push each other. The deep friendship can be clearly felt. The Niji adaptation focuses on our nine idols and their manager and song composer Yuu. She is the budding school idol enthusiast of Nijigasaki High School. Her love for school idols blossomed after seeing the performance “CHASE” of the legendary school idol, Setsuna Yuki. She is Ayumu's inseparable childhood friend, the two support each other in every situation. The dynamic relationship between Yuu and Ayumu is particularly striking. Ayumu quickly becomes jealous when Yuu is hanging out with Setsuna. After stumbled upon a school idol performance for the first time with Yuu, a new path suddenly appears in her world. Despite not being able to sing or dance, Ayumu would nevertheless venture on to become a school idol herself. She is a hardworking girl that puts her everything into what she does. She tries her best to be helpful to others. In most of the full unit songs from Nijigasaki, Ayumu is also the person taking the center place most of the time. The third second year of them is the most popular idol Setsuna. She has an energetic smile and a distinctive style of performing. With her love for anime, manga and video games, she shares the same interest with us. She lights up whenever she is asked a question about these. She has not only a lot of knowledge about idols, but is also one of the best in the other school subjects too. Ai (愛-LOVE) is someone who’s always in a good mood and can cheer you up with her incredibly sociable attitude. Because she is a gyaru, she can be mistaken as the type to skip school or be rebellious. However, she has very good grades and is excellent at sports as well. She is also very caring, especially with her family and friends. Rina is Ai’s best friend. She admires Ai for her confidence and friendliness since she Rina is not good at conveying emotions on her face. During the performances on stage, she wears her self-created “Rina-chan Board” to show all the emotions. As a school idol, she hopes that people will cheer for her so she can show everyone her true smile. Another first year is Shizuku, our level-headed and mature honor student. She is considered a traditional Japanese beauty with her polite attitude. Besides dancing and singing, she is talented in acting and performing in plays, even being a member of the school's theater club. “Kasukasu” (she doesn't like this nickname actually) had always dreamed of becoming an idol. She is the one always believed in the club and is determined to keep the dream alive. Kasumi loves all cute things, her love for idols is unrivaled in strength and inspiration. She wants to be number one in any competition she's in, and often resorts to cheating or even sabotage to achieve that goal. If you liked Nico-Nico-Nii from School Idol Project, you will love Kasu-Kasu-Miin. Let’s take a look at our third years starting with the most mature girl in the whole Love Live! Series: Karin Asaka. She can use her adult-like looks to her advantage. Karin often tries to tease her underclassmen, or teach them lessons on how to be sexy and cool like her. Besides being a school idol, she works as a model for magazines. Her roommate Emma from Switzerland has the biggest Bazookas of the whole Love Live! Franchise, even bigger than our shrine maiden Nozomi. Coming from a family with eight younger siblings, she would leave her home country to pursue becoming a school idol in Japan. Emma is very cheerful, pleasant, and tries to look after the other idols. She aims to be encouraging and to help others smile. Finally, we have my favorite character from Niji: Sleepy Goddess Kanata. Her little sister Haruka can also be seen in the anime. As the nickname suggests, Kanata loves sleeping and short power naps. At times, she will appear to be sleeping but is actually awake and listening to what's going on around her. Despite seeming always tired, Kanata is motivated as a school idol by her younger sister and others' praise. She takes care of the others, she works hard, she can cook, she is the "sleeping beauty". Without the help of many other students and friends, our idols would not be able to realize their dream. In addition to our ten members of the club, we see many other support characters. They also give everything to make the perfect show possible! If you are already familiar with the art style from the previous Love Live! series, you will feel comfortable right away here as well. Love Live! always gives you a colorful and beautiful animation. I have to admit that there are small differences if you compare the style with School Idol Project! and Sunshine!! Nevertheless, you can still directly say after first sight: This is Love Live! It’s beautiful! What is very important for every idol anime is the music. Love Live! has never disappointed us in this point, we experience the wonderful music world of the idols once again here. Since Niji focuses on solo idols, we hear a lot of solo songs. From the fiery "Chase" from Setsuna to the beautiful "Butterfly" from Kanata, each girl shows us her personality with her own song. The singles are just nice to listen to. But this anime does not only delight us with singles, with the OP "Nijiiro Passions!" and ED "NEO SKY, NEO MAP!" we also get to hear two wonderful group songs. The Love Live! feeling can be felt directly, they managed to win our hearts with stunning music again! As someone who loves the idol group “μ's” more than anything and also enjoy “Aqours” a lot, Niji was definitely a must-watch for me. I always have a lot of fun watching and following Love Live! When the game "Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS" was released on the Japanese Playstore, I was already able to find out a lot about our Niji members. But seeing them animated is a much bigger highlight and way better! Although I'm not a big fan of solo songs, I still loved the singles. But of course, the OP and ED were just overwhelming. The Love Live! hell has a tight grip on me, but I love this hell. I can and will not escape from it! For every Love Live! fan there is no question whether Niji is worth watching, you have to do it! For those who has not been with Love Live! familiar before, I recommend starting with School Idol Project! first to find out how everything started. However, it is not necessary since in the anime Niji and μ's have no connection in common. So just enjoy Love Live! All parts are great! In the end, I'm curious to see whether we will see the second season of Niji (not announced yet, but I am convinced it will happen) or even the latest project Love Live! Super Star !! first. No matter which one it will be, all are SUPER!

*this review does contain spoilers* I have been following Love Live for quite some time now. I love the original series and adore Sunshine!! just as well to the point of creating art folders on my computer and even getting some minor merchandise pieces like keychains and cards. Believe it or not, I expected a lot from the third Love Live generation anime despite not knowing what it was going to try to represent. What I received was wasted potential and large disappointment. Not sure what to start my rant with, but I guess getting to the story first would be fitting because there is literally none ofit. Unlike previous two parts, this had no to zero significant plot. Got to admit, it started kind of well. The first episodes seemed to show what might have ended up being a good storyline. However, once the characters got together (which as I remember happened about 3 episodes in) the whole thing went downhill with next half a show being what’s supposed to be ”character development” which is one of the points I will get back to later. After 10 episodes passed, it remembered it had something to tell. This is the moment we are introduced to… School Idol Festival. What even is that thing and where did they take our very own “Love Live”?... the thing this very show is supposed to be about?... the thing this show is basically named after?... Apparently, the thing that the first two parts were based around and named after simply does not exist in the Nijigasaki timeline. Why is this named Love Live if there is not a single word said about what was the main thing of the original series??? This should not be called Love Live. The story part has more to be told about and I am going to talk about those details in the next paragraph. Moving on. What I consider the main problem of Nijigasaki crew is the crew itself. Characters. Character development is made in the worst way possible. Instead of being naturally developed with the story (which as I mentioned earlier does not exist in the case of Nijigasaki) going on, every single character is forced into the viewer by having an entire episode dedicated to each of them. What’s so bad about it being like this? Let me explain. Imagine a narrator introducing characters giving a quick description of them in order they appear on the screen. Yes, those short descriptions explaining who the character is, what their interests are, their relations to the rest of the cast etc. In Nijigasaki anime, the descriptions are episodes and the order is the episode order. Every single episode until the SIF introduction just gives us information on characters the viewer is supposed to follow with literally zero further development. You have to accept the characters as they are. In fact, you are forced to do so. None of the characters in this show can be considered main. Every single one becomes main during their own episode. After that they vanish to just hang around for the rest of the screen time. Every time a certain girl appeared on the screen, it felt like they are here just to remind us what their quirk they were introduced in their episodes with is. Kasumi constantly being self-centered, Rina constantly taking out her Rina-board, Kanata constantly reminding us how tired she is etc. These went from fun little things to GOD PLEASE MAKE IT STOP ALREADY. When there was “drama” going on, I had no idea what my reaction was supposed to be. Why would they put the most uninteresting character aka Ayumu in a totally unnecessary drama? Just to show how she does not care about anyone but herself? I guess in her case being a bad character is better than being absolutely nothing because unlike her pals she does not have any specific characteristics other than being Yuu’s friend. How am I supposed to react to characters I never got to care about? Where does the drama itself come from when the whole cast is just having fun while being in literal fillers? The story does not move with the drama too, making it absolutely needless for both nonexistent plot and character development. This show does have good sights too. Sound and design. Not going to give any comments on the sound part, because, well, this show is centered around music (in fact it barely is, but at least it was supposed to). The character design is close to flawless. Love Live has always had great design, I just wish it was used on the right characters this time… All in all, the third generation Love Live anime is an awful show. It takes everything good and charming about its predecessors and throws it in the trash bin. This was likely made as a fanservice material for the game fans, which I do not belong to the group of. I guess it is exciting to see characters you have known for years finally getting their own series. I understand why game fans and other people enjoy it and I respect their opinions. I, however, did not like this show. Not just as an alternative setting for two previous Love Live parts, but as a separate thing too. Yes, I would rather watch another “our school is on the edge of getting closed so we have to become school idols to save it” than this. Ratings: Story - 1/10 Art - 8/10 Sound - 8/10 Character - 1/10 Enjoyment - 2/10 If season 2 of Nijigasaki ever gets announced, I will not get excited for it as much as I was for this. But I really hope it is going to have something more to it other than unnaturally introduced characters and absent story the first season managed to get us through in its 13 episodes. “Nijigasaki? – more like Nijigasucky”, - I would say if I were to be Miyashita Ai, because making puns is what her entire character is about.

This new anime from the Love Live franchise is a huge disappointment. The production is perfectly up to date, the CG is so good that for the first time it does not require the use of 2D in the concerts and the songs are wonderful but, besides these things, there is not much to be praised in Nijigasaki Doukoukai. And I say that as someone who loves the franchise. School Idol Project and Sunshine were great anime, while this one can't get anywhere near that. This review may contain light spoilers. Not that I say anything that could ruin your experience, but I comment on thestructure of this story to exemplify what exactly makes Nijigasaki Doukoukai a disappointment for me. Story: 3/10. My biggest problem with this spin-off of the franchise is the fact that it doesn't have a story, however bizarre it may seem. This is because the series uses the first 9 episodes to introduce the girls one by one and literally does nothing else during that time. Watching these episodes gives me the feeling that I am playing a gacha game in which, each week, it releases the side story of one of the characters. However, there is no main story. It seems to me that the most important thing for Nijigasaki Doukoukai is to sell waifu. When, after 9 episodes of selling waifu, the anime decides to tell a story, there is no basis for anything. Mainly because it is very difficult to remember each of the girls who have been introduced over the past 9 weeks. In the case of each of them, what happens is the following: in her episode, she matters. In the other 8 of this early phase of the series, the anime hardly remembers that she exists. At the time of the last few episodes, the script tells you that months have passed and you have to accept it just because, since there was no indication of the passage of time in the initial nine episodes in which the anime was concerned exclusively with selling waifu. So the script talks about how X character has been working hard lately, but the only thing we saw from her was in her presentation episode and she was practically irrelevant in the other 8, with very few exceptions. This makes it impossible to create a connection with any character in this anime and it also makes it impossible to create a connection with the story itself, since there is no story. Nijigasaki Doukoukai doesn't even have any sense of unity. It seems to be nine different animes in the first nine episodes and, from 10 onwards, it becomes something just boring and uninteresting. What reason do I have to be invested in whatever they are doing in the last four episodes if I don't care about any of these characters? You can't like someone who was relevant in just one of the nine episodes the anime has had untill then. If these first nine episodes of the series were about the club, this could be quite different. But the anime chose to talk exclusively about each of the characters in these episodes and this structure ensured that none of them were really important to the story since, going back to the starting point, there is no story. Art: 9/10. I have nothing to criticize regarding this anime in its visual aspect. The studio knows where to put a budget, even if it means turning the other anime of the season into a slide show. Sound: 10/10. The sound design, original soundtrack and especially the songs are of the highest level, as usual. Incidentally, this is the first anime in the franchise that makes me want to have its OST, for having some songs from the moments of slice of life that do not leave my head. Characters: 5/10. They're not bad, but the script definitely doesn't help me like them. It's like I pointed out above: in the first nine episodes, each character exists in only one of them and is practically forgotten in the other eight, with rare exceptions. Enjoyment: 4/10. All the problems in this anime make my experience watching it far from good. As much as the anime is impeccable in technical aspects such as art, sound and direction, this fact alone cannot sustain an anime without a story and cannot make me think it was worth watching. Overall: 5/10. Anyway, as much as it hurts me to say that, I do not recommend Nijigasaki Doukoukai to any fan of Love Live. Perhaps the only ones that this anime can really satisfy are those who already knew the game and just wanted to see the characters from the game in an animated series. If this is not your case, I recommend that you pretend that Nijigasaki Doukoukai does not exist and wait for Love Live Superstar.

I have been fan of Love Live from 2013, right when the first season of the original Love Live starts, so I believe I am right to say that this is not a good Love Live anime, not at all. It feels more like an advertisement for the game instead. Story: there is a lack of a main story line. Unlike the LL Project, LL Sunshine and LL Superstar, Nijigasaki is just about a bunch of cute girls doing cute idol things. And as most of you know, Nijigasaki is about how instead of being a group of school idols, they are solo idols instead. Forme, this is the worst decision ever. Even though the characters are doing things together, they never truly had that "togetherness" that makes them feel like Love Live. Art: eh, this is just me but I feel the art is a bit too clean and doesn't have that unique Love Live look. Music: as much as I dislike solo idols, I do find the songs enjoyable. Character: I don't find them as relatable or as unique as the other generations of the franchise. They seem very one-dimensional, but eh, they're cute and fun enough if you're just here to see cute girls doing cute things. Enjoyment: this is the kind of anime that you enjoyed watching once and only once. It's not memorable enough to remember about nor emotional or relatable enough to make you want to see it again. Overall: Honestly, the show is not that horrendous, if it was a normal idol anime. But as a Love Live anime, it's severely lacking, it feels more like an iDOLM@STER thing. If you're a fan of the franchise, you can skip out on this and miss nothing. Also, watch Love Live! Superstar!! as it's much more faithful to the franchise.

I’m going to start off by saying that I am a huge love live fan, I absolutely loved school idol project and to a lesser extent also enjoyed sunshine quite a bit. Needless to say I was very hyped when I saw that Love Live was getting another iteration to the point where I went and downloaded the game to learn more about the upcoming characters. But oh boy was I disappointed. I have been reading other people’s review and can’t understand why exactly they liked so much about it. Love Live is an anime about music and character progression through trials and frustration, developingand evolving personalities and songs as they become more acquainted with each other and live their lives. School idol project placed its songs exactly where they needed to be. START:DASH!! was placed in S1EP3 to show the beginning of their story, the start of their dreams and journey. Snow Halation showed their emotional progression and attachment to each other. But why did I go through the effort of explaining School Idol Project story telling? Well, because Nijigasaki does a 180 turn and goes the other direction. It introduces each character individually, making each the focus of the story. Sure, some of their stories can be sweet and show character development like Shizuku and her inferiority complex, but this in exchange takes a big toll on the world development and group mechanics. Now we have not only less impactful characters because they hardly get any screen time aside from their one episode, but the songs are less emotionally impactful. When Nijigasaki actually tried to shift their focus from single characters to multiple, it started off decently, meaning for the first 10 minutes of episode 10. After that I believe they ruined what people considered a fairly interesting character, being Ayumu. I’ll say it straight, I very much dislike yuri anime, and introducing it to the show made what I thought was an already uninteresting progression even worse. Ayumu simply came off as a petty and selfish person. Other characters aside from her got little to no screen time, so what could have been two and a half episodes setting up a future plot (which I thought would have been to bring together the 9 girls to sing together and shoot for love live), was simply a selfish yuri romance insert. Character drama and story telling is bad enough, but at the end of the day, Love Live is a show focused on music, so how does that fare? Well, in my opinion, very badly. I personally loved the 9 member voice, exchanging centers and show dynamics of School Idol Project and Sunshine, and that to me is what made it unique. We had 9 girls singing and dancing a captivating choreography, mixing and matching which voice would go better at certain parts of the song. But we don’t get any of that in Nijigasaki. We get some interesting songs with, well, low impact aside from the very first time you watched it. To put what I’m trying to get at into perspective, the song I most enjoyed and went back to listen in this entire series was the opening. Edit: Also just a tack on thought, who makes their music? From what I've seen there was no Maki or Riko in the show, and most characters seem to have no knowledge of music composition. This might be nit-picking as obviously in the original cast or sunshine they didn't have a band to make guitar sounds and such, but having one character that understands it makes it more believable, or at least suggestive of skill, the songs being a master-piece. This is an anime afterall, we're conecting to the charcaters and not the people behind their voices. Now, what I also want to know is why the series is called Love Live? I only heard one mention of it during the entire series and that when Setsuna was fighting with Kasumi about their training sessions before they had more members. At that point, it made sense, and gave the viewers a sort of familiar feeling about the struggles of becoming a popular group and arriving at the Love Live stage. But then episode 10 came and Yuu said “let’s do a school idol festival”, whatever that is. Why? The girls did nothing to deserve them acting so high and might to stand with other presumably popular groups like Touou academy. In conclusion, I think that Nijigasaki is a wasted potential in storytelling, lacks impactful songs and misses the mark of what I considered interesting in the Love Live franchise. My hope for the future of the series, although unrealistic, is that they drop Nijigasaki altogether and go back and improve upon the original series with a new cast. Overall scores: Story – 1/10 Art – 7/10 Sound - 7/10 Character – 1/10 Enjoyment – 3/10 Overall - 3/10

Love live! Nijigasaki I find it less interesting than the previous two anime about Love Live! The story does not have one continuous story but is divided into individual episodes, which is not as enjoyable to watch as the previous ones. However, the very idea of not one group of idols but individuals with different characters was a refreshing idea. Each of the protagonists represented themselves on stage or off stage in their own way. We see different performances in each episode, and as in previous editions of Love Live! everyone can find the idol they like the most, with whom they associate the most.

Nijigasaki was undoubtedly the most original and unique member of the Love Live franchise, for the first time, their idols don't perform as a group, but as nine individual Solo Idols, each shining with their own unique spark. It brings about the catalyst for originality that this series wasn't able to execute with its predecessor Sunshine, and it paves the way for the most original, well-rounded character development this series has seen so far. Plot As I mentioned earlier, I believe that Nijigasaki has the most well fleshed-out plot of all of the Love Live franchise so far. Why do I say this? Because it no longerclings to the past. Sunshine suffered a lack of originality because like its fanbase, the producers couldn't move on from the original Love Live, that is why Sunshine's plot revolved around Aqours trying to find their own individuality. However, here, there is no mention of previous groups, Nijigasaki starts from a completely clean slate and tries to establish their status from the ground up. They don't even attend Love Live, the namesake school idol competition. Instead, they create their own Festival, the School Idol Festival, as a celebration of the joys of Music through Idols. This unique premise immdiately screams to the audience that they are not like their predecessors—they are new. As for the actual progression of events itself, it takes on a different style because of the individuality of each idol. Nijigasaki's selling point is that they are unable to operate as a joint group because of their clashing personalities, that is why they operate as solo idols. We spend the first 9 episodes of the show seeing just why that is how this club operates, I'll be diving into more detail about the intricacies later, but with 9 episodes gone, all that's left for Nijigasaki to do was blend them together to see how they interact, right? __Wrong, totally wrong.__ Instead of taking the predictable approach of melding the 9 solo idols, the anime instead decides to now cast its light on the protagonist Yuu. Who, since she isn't an idol, has been out of the spotlight this whole time. The show paints how the progression of these idols' personalities have caused a rift in Yuu and her childhood friend Ayumu, and graciously paints a clean and heartwarming resolution to this conflict. Just in time for the collection of all the personalities to amass in the highly anticipated School Idol Festival on the last episode. It created for a satisfying and well-felt end to the entire series, and only leaves the viewer yearning for more. Characters This iteration of Love Live, as I mentioned, has the most rounded out cast of characters I've ever seen. They are introduced in a manner such that players of the gacha/rhythm game School Idol Festival All Stars would instantly be able to insert into, but also in a manner so that newcomers to this series would also be able to instantly see their uniqueness. I'll go over them one-by-one. While Yuu herself only received character development when her childhood friend Ayumu did, she's technically the insert persona of us, the player from All Stars, where this series originated. She's a catalyst for change, and since she's not an idol, its the best they can do. As Yuu's childhood friend, Ayumu easily recieves the most development out of all of the idols, her personality paints her as this shy yet sweet cinnamon roll who relied on Yuu to lead her to her passion of School Idols, as Yuu gets more heavily involved in the Club, Ayumu goes through a metamorphosis, painting her new individuality while also a gratefulness of Yuu's help to her all this time. Her innocent personality combined with her reliance on Yuu makes for a character arc that tugs at your feels stronger than any character arc in the series. Kasumi remains, as I unfortunately must point out, a bit left out. Her character arc revolves around her and Yuu attempting to revive the defunct School Idol Club, while also illustrating Kasumi's goal of becoming the cutest school idol around. While her arc itself isn't that great, the style of her personality made her a second coming of the meme goddess Nico Yazawa herself and quickly placed her as the prime candidate for many of Love Live's running jokes, such as the infamous photobomb and her Kasumi box Setsuna's arc revolves her two conflicting identities within Nijigasaki, as the head of the Student Council Nana Nakagawa, and as the dominant school idol Setsuna Yuki. In her arc we see Yuu help her manage the conflicting personalities her two identities demand while also re-embracing her passion of singing as a school idol. Her insert song reflects this, as it is riddled with large jumps across entire vocal ranges. As a musician myself, I know that making a vocalist jump distances Setsuna jumped in _Dive!_ was mostly taboo until the modern era of music, and even still is only cleanly executable by very profoundly talented singers. Which adds to her status as a well-established school idol. Ai's arc talks all about how she orbited the club as a helper from behind the scenes, there to try to get her friend Rina to become an Idol, but eventually fell a bit too close to the planet that is Idols. It paints a vivid picture of how she should try stuff for herself as well instead of always helping others for the sake of being a nice person. Emma's arc painted her in a manner that no one saw coming. While it was established she was a Swiss transfer student who came to Japan to try to become a school idol, the anime reveals that it was really Karin who helped her achieve that dream, painting both characters in a manner that both the games and previous knowledge never has before. Her insert song reflects her gratitude and grace, while still maintaining the Swiss folk melodies that was present in her original live _Evergreen_. Rest assured the trend of the Foreign Student lives on in her blood. Rina's arc quickly captured the hearts of many, including mine, and made her indisputably one of the characters with the most fleshed-out arcs of the entire series, revolving around her inability to express emotions through her face, we follow her as she tries desperately to fit in while also despairing at her lack of emotions. Her insert song's lyrics suggest that while it's not perfect, its the best she can do so far and she wishes to keep on connecting until she can truly smile without her board. Kanata's arc, like some of the other arcs mentioned so far, had many of us on our heels. It was known that Kanata's signature quirk was her tendency to sleep. The anime not only provided us an explanation for her quirk, but also shaped it into an immersive character arc that left many fans seeing Kanata in a completely new light. Thank you Haruka, you've made your big sister proud. Shizuku's arc raised her status within the community's perception of the school idols. Many people thought that she was often extremely flat since her entire personality revolves her being a literal drama queen and nothing else. However, the anime adds a layer of complexity to her passion, painting her reluctance to perform due to stage fright as a split persona, and as a musician, I related to her so much. It's no secret that public performance, whether it be public speaking or a public display of talent has been ranked more feared than death, and seeing Shizuku overpower a force that once held me back is not only resolving but also strengthened her persona to the point in which many members of the Love Live fandom instantly respected her after her arc. Last but not least, we have fashionista Karin. Often painted for her picture of perfection (literally since she's a model). In the games she was indeed a seemingly perfect person, with no evidence of flaws, otherwise an inhuman being. But the anime decided to give her flaws, drawing her persona more down-to-earth. Painting the conflict that rises between your outer and inner self. Now she's not only revered for her over 9000 Ara Ara vibes, but also her uncanny inability to navigate. Dear god she reminds me of Leon from Pokemon so much Music and Art Love Live once again outdid themselves in this category. Each and every insert song was so vibrant in color and sound that it was a spectacular outburst of passion. While the actual art style feels like it simplified since Sunshine, it was painted with much more vibrant colors, once again reinforcing the fact that Nijigasaki sings in all the colors of a rainbow. As for the music itself, it has certainly become a lot more immersive. Each insert song attuned to the character's individual personalities. Smooth and melodic for Ayumu, Swing and upbeat for Kasumi, Intense and fiery for Setsuna, A Blast of Electric guitars for Ai, Traditional Swiss for Emma, Electronic for Rina, Sleepy and Soothing for Kanata, Orchestral for Shizuku, and Techno and beat-heavy for Karin. Each insert song played a key role in establishing each Idol's individuality and did so expertly Overall, this Love Live has to be the best iteration I've seen so far, its plot is lined with detail and its originality is through the roof, each character received substantial development compared to its predecessor and I can't wait for Shioriko's inevitable entry into the series.

Let me preface this by saying I'm not particularly a fan of Love Live. I like some of the songs, but that's pretty much it in terms of my engagement with the series. The only reason I decided to watch this because I do like the character designs this time round, and I enjoyed the Famitsu 4koma a great deal. Let's start with the positives. There isn't a "Save the Club" or "Save the School" plot, apart from a very brief moment where they re-established the club in the very beginning. Kasumin is absolutely adorable and best girl, her antics never fail to elicit a smileon my face, she truly is an aisare kyara. But among all your standard one-episode drama episodes is the infamous episode 11, where you do get a glimpse of what may be, a glimmer of potential if it wasn't for corporate oversight or conservative production committee decisions. Episode 11 was easily one of my favourite episodes from any anime, from the cinematography to the episode direction, the latter half of it genuinely gave me chills and had me wonder if the creative team would fundamentally shake up the status quo of Love Live with regards to its character dynamics. Of course, things never turn out as what you'd hope. All the buildup to that moment with Ayumu's building jealousy is resolved in the most anti-climactic non-romantic way possible. It's as if they are actively downplaying and burying any romantic subtext between the characters for a "just friends" and "fulfilling dreams" excuse instead of doubling down. Most other episodes follow a very basic structure where the girl of the week gets into some minor drama with herself or other characters and resolves everything very simply and with a song. Apart from Kasumi's and Ai's episodes, I wasn't particularly enraptured by any of the other episodes, and felt that they could have been handled better. In fact, my preference would have been to focus on the Ayumu x Yuu drama from the very beginning instead of having it be very minor background elements in order to have it climax at episode 11. Music-wise, HASHIRIDASHITA is so good you can see why Yuu started loving Idols in the first place. However none of the other songs quite managed to reach that level of excellence (even Setsuna's other song). I did like Ai's and Karin's solos, and of course the amazing ED, but for an idol show to have 30% of the songs that truly appeal to me is pretty lacking. But hey, at least you do get a decent variety for songs. Love Live isn't for everyone and it definitely wasn't for me, but at moments, you can really see something truly special buried underneath a lot of play-it-safe moments, where they didn't choose to innovate enough when there's clearly room to grow. 5/10

Love Live: Nijigasaki is simply the best idol show we've seen since the original Love Live finished airing in 2014. I expected the show would be a cool tie in to the Love Live School Idol Festival games, and would be mostly made to appeal to those who play them and that's about it, but those proved to be wrong. Instead, we got a show that introduced (or fleshed out if you already knew them from the games) a captivating cast of idols, completely blew up the well and tried formula of idol shows (especially Love Live itself), and gave us possibly the best 3Danimation seen to date in any anime. Firstly before talking about the plot and characters, I think it's important to talk about the animation quality of Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai which is arguably it's strongest point. One of the often critiques of the Love Live shows has been about it's animation quality, and particularly it's 3D animation quality. All of those critiques were squashed by this show. Nijigasaki rarely has a poor quality 2D frame (unlike the much lower budget 1st season of the original Love Live), and it's 3D animation is simply mind blowing. The jump in quality of 3D that was made in only three years since Love Live Sunshine ended by Sunrise is seriously hard to believe. Unlike the previous two Love Live series, Nijigasaki created a formula in which most episodes ended with an insert song performance by one of the idols. These insert songs are almost entirely done in 3D, rather than the standard of the series which is to mix 2D (for closeups) and 3D for zoom out shots. The 3D models, motion, landscapes, and effects are simply unrivaled with any anime that I have seen to date. These insert songs are also far more exaggerated then we have seen in previous incantations of the series and do a better job in my opinion of being truly memorable performances. The overall aesthetic of the show is quite different than the previous Love Lives as well with the color palette choice giving it a unique feel. The story of Nijigasaki is completely different from the previous two series. There are zero direct references to either of the original series (a huge criticism of Sunshine), and the show tries to make it very clear right from the get go that the ultimate goal of these girls is not the same as in the previous series. There's also a new element to the show that I feel was a strong choice by Sunrise. The main plot driver of the show for the first time in Love Live, is not the leader of the group, but instead a girl who isn't actually an idol or really a part of the group. The show has much more of a third person vibe for this reason as you feel more like you are watching the plot and character development from an outsider perspective than in the previous shows. While the show does have some very clear callbacks to plot elements from the previous two, it changes them up enough that they don't feel samey. There is also definitely a more "mature" vibe to the show than the previous ones, especially in regards to some of the animation and the Yuri sub-plot that goes on in the season. From top to bottom I feel that Nijigasaki has an argument of having the best cast of idols of any Love Live or idol show to date. Unlike the previous spin-off, it feels far less like they just switched around a few of the girls personalities or hair colors and left the overall cast virtually the same. Sunrise also did a spectacular job of developing the girl's characters over the course of the season. You have plenty of reason to be invested in and care about virtually every girl, and they each got at least 1 episode dedicated to furthering their main story line. This was essential in fleshing out the characters of a few girls that I had personally never really cared about before the show from playing the games (Shizuku and Karin specifically.) This time around there are all new anime-girl trope types that we hadn't seen before in Love Live including a kuudere and (soft) yandere character. Ayuumu is also a refreshing change to the role of (defacto) leader of the group, as she's not another orange haired genki subtype, but instead a mishmash of various tropes and a very well-rounded character. Even the girls who feel similar to ones in the past (notably Kasumi who is quite similar to Nico) are different enough that they don't come off as retreads. Overall, there is something for virtually everyone in this show. If you are into Love Live, you are going to absolutely love Nijigasaki. If you like idol shows, you will probably love the insert songs as well as the idols. If you are a fan of school slice of life/moe, you will like the melodrama and story as well as the moe (though it's not quite as pushed as the previous two series yet.) I highly recommend giving Love Live: Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai a watch. P.S. I thought episode 7 was the best of the series by a mile.

Just, i cant stop appreciating to this anime since its first debuting artstyle. can't get enough with every possible nijigaku anime songs, they just made whole new feeling out of their composed musics from each characters. i keep getting goosebumps time after time to see overall works for this anime. Also, how they put characters to this anime, it portait very-very powerful self-view as themselves. one point thats very weak for this anime is that approach between characters with other characters. just they need to do more for that plothole. nah im not reffering this anime story as its game story (since i've never actually read thegame story itself.)

This anime really depends on who you personally like. As there are 9 different idols and each have their own episodes. So if you don't exactly like them, you won't enjoy that episode as much as the others. I enjoyed all of their songs but some were more forgettable for me, not saying they were bad. I just didn't enjoy it as much when it wasn't the one I really liked. Personally my favorite character was Yuuki, I love her design, voice, and character the most. So early on I was like hook, but towards the middle I didn't care for it much. And thisis just me being bias, it's not that this show is bad. But if you are looking at 9 different characters, it's honestly tough to say I love them all the same. Since I personally won't have mind just watching her the whole time with our two main girls. So your enjoyment depends really on your personal taste. If you like idols, you'll enjoy this more... maybe... but even if you aren't one like me, you can still enjoy this. It's not a show that will "WOW" you with it's plot or characters... mainly it's good because the graphic was legit and the singing was on point!

Whoa. I...I was honestly not expecting this anime to be this good. Hell, I never expected to even watch it, let alone complete it! Now, originally, I hadn't planned to go anywhere near this, as I mentioned previously that I never liked the Love Live franchise. It just felt too cheesy and overly saccharine for my tastes, and the first two seasons, Love Live: School Idol Project and Love Live Sunshine, have a certain thing that I have a very visceral hatred for, which is characters grabbing other peoples' boobs without their consent and playing the sexual harassment for comedy. Yeah...no. I can't stand thatin any way, shape, or form, and yes, I know the Love Live franchise has much more to offer than that, but those elements are a HUGE turn off for me, and I stay the hell away from any anime that has that trope in it. That's the reason why I'll never go near shows such as Haruhi Suzumiya, Nagi no Asukara, Seven Deadly Sins, Adachi and Shimamura, Strike Witches, and many others. But hey, if you like the other Love Live seasons, cool! More power to you! They may not be for me, but the Love Live franchise has become massively popular since the first anime aired in 2013, and there's no fighting big successes. That being said, two more Love Live seasons were announced, this one included, and assuming that this one was going to have those creepy elements as well, I wasn't going to go anywhere near it, and I had planned to watch other shows. So how did I wind up watching Love Live: Nijigasaki High School Idol Club in its entirety? Well, two things: One, boredom, and two, I dropped several shows I had intended to watch, one of which had a really annoying main character who did nothing but whine, screech, and act like a brat and just got on my nerves every time she appeared on screen (The Day I Became a God), and the other one started going in really questionable directions and apparently never recovered (Wandering Witch). Then I started hearing that the Love Live Nijigasaki anime was turning out to be really good, so I was bored, and I thought "What the hell? I might as well try it out and give it a fair shot." So I watched the first episode. Then another. Then another. And before I knew it, I saw the entire show, and to my MASSIVE relief, this show doesn't have a SINGLE instance of boob groping or sexual harassment played for comedy. THANK GOD!! This is what I've been waiting for!! I still have no intention of watching the original SIP or Sunshine, but I did feel somewhat guilty about not getting into the franchise, as several friends and people I know really love the franchise, flaws and all. Now, any guilt I once had is now assuaged, as not only have I finally completed a Love Live anime series in its entirety, I found one I actually love! Alright, enough of my personal history with it. Let's talk about what this iteration is about, shall we? Two best friends, Yu Takasaki and Ayumu Uehara, have recently become fans of school idols after seeing one, Setsuna Yuki, perform live. They see if they can find the school idol club in their school...only to find that it's been shut down. Undeterred, the duo decide to start their own school idol club themselves, and through trial and error, even recruit the previous members of the old school idol club, who had broken up due to a falling out. But rather than form one big group and enter competitions, the girls pursue their own individual paths as school idols, learning the ins and outs of the entertainment industry such as making promotional videos, holding concerts, putting themselves out there, practicing singing and dancing, and so on. Every day brings something new as the girls become school idols to have fun and see what it's all about. Unlike the previous Love Live series, there's no dramatic plot to save the school from being closed nor are the girls participating in any competitions, so the stakes are much lower and more grounded this time around. Now, if you're a hardcore Love Live fan, you'll notice that the animation and art style is different from previous Love Live anime. You're not seeing things, and there's a reason for that. Unlike SIP and Sunshine, Love Live Nijigasaki (I'm calling it that rather than its much longer original title for the sake of convenience) is directed, written, scripted, and animated by a completely different group of people. Yes, Sunrise still does the animation, but a different set of animators were brought on to animate this particular season. You'll notice that the character designs are simpler, slightly less refined, and with less emphasis on things like the color in their cheeks or the detail in their eyes. But the simpler character designs also allow for more fluidity and making the character movement feel much more dynamic. It also helps that the animators always slip in little easter eggs that reference the cell phone game, the backgrounds are still bright and colorful, though slightly more muted compared to its parent series, and it makes good use of dynamic camera angles and lighting during particularly important scenes. One thing that Love Live fans in general feel that this series vastly improved on compared to the original two seasons is the CGI. These days, most anime companies prefer to render characters in computer generated images whenever they're dancing rather than actually animating them themselves due to cutting costs and wanting to make things easier. But early idol shows had really bad CGI that had really wonky movements and made the characters look more like plastic knockoff barbie dolls, complete with weird faces. None of this is present here. Not only are the CGI models of the girls much more dynamic, they actually actually blend surprisingly well with the 2D scenery for once and the models actually resemble the characters. Of course, with this being a music anime, the soundtrack has to carry the show, because of it doesn't, it'll bring the show down. The background music is pretty versatile, with plenty of sweeping orchestras and heavy usage of instruments like oboes, flutes, pianos, electric guitars, and so on. I admit I'm kind of a sucker for orchestras. That being said, I liked many of the songs okay, as they're mostly well sung and fit the characters well, but taste is subjective, and while I like them just fine, others will likely dismiss them as just generic bubblegum girl pop numbers. Though if you ask me, I'd much rather listen to the Love Live Nijigasaki songs over, say, anything Miley Cyrus or Katy Perry sings these days. While I admit to not having seen SIP or Sunshine beyond their first episodes, one thing I've noticed upon researching these seasons is that they often had problems with focusing too much on certain characters while not focusing enough on others that really needed proper character development. With large ensemble casts, it can be hard to find that balance where you need to develop every character and show what they're like in order to make your audience care about them. Thankfully, while not without its own issues, the Nijigasaki cast is free of this. Every character gets their own focus episode, along with an insert song as the cherry on top, and all of them get nicely fleshed out, receiving healthy amounts of development that make them feel like they're more than just a single archetype. Ironically, the mobile game that this series is based on is notorious for not really bothering to flesh out the Nijigasaki cast in any meaningful way. The staff on the anime seemed to realize that this was a problem and rectified it ten fold. I admit to not having played the game, but after being impressed by the levels of characterization the girls received here, I can only imagine what the mobile game's handling of them must have been like. Nevertheless, the show has a great cast of characters, and while many may still consider them generic moeblobs compared to other shows, considering that most moe shows these days are actually trying to put more effort into giving their characters more depth than just one personality trait, I have to give kudos to the staff here for at least bothering to care about what they do. Also, IMHO, Rina is my best girl, with Kanata coming a VERY close second. Another thing I really respect about the Nijigasaki anime is its writing. Previous seasons often wanted drama a little too badly, bordering on melodramatic at times. I know the original SIP had characters singing rain storms away, shouting their feelings whenever they experience hardship, a huge deal being made of main characters wanting to quit after getting sick once, school idols being considered more important than studying abroad, characters being needlessly mean and wanting to stop school idol clubs from being formed for asinine reasons, and so on. Since the Nijigasaki anime doesn't really have a central conflict like saving their school from being shut down, the stakes are much lower this time around, and I think this was for the better. The Nijigasaki anime shows a lot more restraint when it comes to its drama. For one, whenever the characters have a problem, they actually talk to each other about it and work to resolve it like mature people rather than dragging it out needlessly or throwing hissyfits like toddlers. Nothing is ever blown out of proportion or made into a bigger deal than it is, and the characters behave and act realistically, which is something I really wish more anime would do these days. One reason this anime has a much more subdued atmosphere is that one of the scriptwriters, Jin Tanaka, also worked on shows like Laid-Back Camp and various Pretty Cure series. Tomoyuki Kawamura, who directed the show, previously directed Mitsuboshi Colors and Kamigami no Asobi, and did storyboards for shows like Anne-Happy and the last Gintama movie. Sometimes change can be for the better, and in this case, it was absolutely needed and it worked out perfectly! That said, as much as I want to lavish with show with all the praise, it's not a perfect show, as it's often held back by its own formula. Every episode goes like this: Character goes about their day, character has a problem, the others help out in some way, character has an epiphany, random song number, end. Granted, execution is everything, and there's really no original spin on anything anymore. Plus, the show does expect you to really stretch your willing suspension of disbelief at certain points. Early on, the characters go into random choreographed, PV-esque musical numbers, complete with colorful visuals and new outfits, even though these music video setpieces make no effort to really tie into what's actually happening, so it makes the transition from regular stuff to music feel very jarring. Later episodes rectify this with having characters actually perform in concerts where they can actually make use of special effects and show them in costume, but I can totally understand feeling very thrown off by it initially. Plus, a later plot point has the girls attempt to hold this super huge festival, managing to put together everything from venues to equipment and costumes perfectly even though the show never explains how they even manage to put together the possibly huge amounts of money to do so. However, Love Live Nijigasaki's positives more than outweigh its negatives. I'm glad I got to watch this, as now, I finally have a Love Live season that I both actually watched in its entirety, but can proudly say I actually love! If you want to watch any Love Live season at all, but feel put off by some of the decisions the first two seasons made, don't hesitate to check out Love Live: Nijigasaki High School Idol Club if you can. It's a sweet show about girls having fun, and considering how crappy 2020 has been, we could use a bit of subdued sweetness right now.

I was working on a very in-depth review on why I think this is the best Love Live anime to date but it was going on far too long so I think it's best I just sum up my thoughts instead. Simply put, I think this is the peak of the entire Love Live franchise. I was absolutely blown away, I went in with high expectations and it still somehow exceeded nearly all of them. The new story structure that puts the spotlight more on individual characters was a great change of pace from the previous Love Live animes. I'd been following the Nijigasaki girls sincetheir initial reveal back in 2017 and there were a couple characters in the cast I was always pretty indifferent to, but this anime really allowed the characters to shine in ways they couldn't before and now my opinion of each one is much higher. The new art style is a huge step up from the typical art style of the franchise in my opinion. While I do still like the old style a lot, this new one is just fantastic and I almost wish this were the norm for the franchise now. The amount of new songs introduced through this anime is insane and several of them are easily some of the best songs Nijigasaki has put out to date. Also, there were a ton of references to previous Love Live media I picked up on while watching and I really appreciated. I could go on and on about how much I think this anime does right but I'll hold my breath, I think it's best everyone just see for themselves, and I'm sure others have probably already written better nitty-gritty reviews than I could have. If you're a newcomer to the franchise, I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys slice-of-life and/or idol anime. If you're already a fan of Love Live then I feel pretty confident in saying this is going to please you, it feels very fresh for the franchise while still sticking to it's roots. The first Love Live anime starring µ's had been what I considered my favorite anime for several years now, so when I say I think this is the new peak of the franchise I'm not saying it lightly. I highly recommend Nijigasaki High School Idol Club to anyone interested.

This anime is the third series of Love Live franchise. But you can't really call it the sequel to the previous one. This one feels like its a spin off. They didn't follow the usual emotional story. This is how you expect an idol anime to be about. Just an anime filled with content that related to idol. And not an anime that filled with heavy drama. I mean Nijigasaki is created for a mobile games at first, so it would be logical if they want to invite gamer viewer into the idol genre. As a long fan of the LL franchise, I got agreat time watching this one without the need to prepare my mental emotion so I can continue watching the story unfold. Although I say that the story isn't heavy, it is still worth watching. Simple everyday problem in which you can relate too. The individual element of the story like comedy is stand out too. I can't stop smiling and laughing everytime I watch an episode. Either it's because the jokes or it's because their wholesomeness. Every characters help each other in here, every characters also help driven the plot. No one is being left out. And yeah I really love that. Its always a pleasure to watch how friendship is made, especially surrounding cute anime girls. You can kinda watch the episode randomly except for the early and last episodes. Because in my experience I accidentally skipped one episode and it's fine. Tho it's gonna be a little weird when the preview roll in. Love Live is famous for having a lot of main characters in one anime. Nijigasaki is not an exception. We got 9+1 girls. I say 9+1 because 9 idol that sing like the previous Love Live series and 1 supporter. This supporting character is brand new and she play a big role inside the story, she is the viewer. Without her, or should I say us the fans, these idol is nothing. And I think its a great addition to make the viewer realize they are important too. It is literally a self insert character but in a good way. All the characters design and personality is top tier. Everyone looks beautiful with their own persona. We have tomboy, gyaru, tsundere, onee-san, childhood friend, foreigner, you name it. Maybe you can also search for your waifu in here. This is an idol anime, so surely their song would be good right? Absolutely. I find myself vibing to the OP and ED everytime, and sometimes sing along too if I'm alone. Really like how its summed up the mood of the anime itself. I already know some of the song they here thanks to their games. And now I know the story behind them, I love it even more. Every characters have a chance to shine and sing on each of their respectively episode. Gotta give the thumbs up to every seiyuu involved because they are multitalented as hell. Not to mention this idol exist in real life too, this mean you can enjoy their amazing concert without the need to go into the anime world. Beautiful animation as expected from Love Live, they never disappoint. The CGI when they dance is great, the backgrounds art is also great. I love how colorful the Nijigasaki world is. Because you know, Niji means rainbow in Japanese. Even every members icon color match the Niji too. And they proudly present that in the ED animation with umbrellas. I really really enjoy watching this anime, looking forward to continue watching the 2nd season. Even though I've been in the Love Live fandom for 3 years now, this is my first time watching Nijigasaki. Already know everyone name and personality doesn't change the fun experience. Because there's a lot of new things I discover while watching. So should you consider watch this? If you want to know more about idol, then give it a go. Like I said above, this can be a good introduction anime about how most idol anime progress. Thank you for reading my review.

Reviews in 100 words or less: First, the animation. Nijigasaki really blew it out of the park. Go watch an old muse mv, you'll see what I mean. Beyond that, I really wasn't a fan of the beginning episode structure (introduce character, minor problem with character, they sing away their problems), but after they got into the actual story, the quality tripled. In both the storyline and studio decisions (not competing, solo idols), their message was that there isn't one clear answer to success, which resonated deeply with me. Overall, a slow start but definitely a 10 at the end. S2 definitely on track for 10!

This might end up being my new favorite Love Live, and I never thought that I'd ever say that considering the first one holds a special place in my heart. But I really enjoyed this series. Like every other Love Live, it starts with a set of characters who love school idols and want to be them. This group grows more and more and eventually we've got our big main cast. But unlike the love lives before, the end goal isn't to win Love Live. In fact, our main cast isn't even an idol group yet. Their goal for most of this season is forthem to figure out what sort of idol they want to be and progress towards that goal. Which leads to episodes devoted strictly to each character, learning more about them as well as the mental hurdles they have to get over to get to where they want to go. These episodes also show how members of the group learn from each other. How they look up to and inspire one another, strengthening their bond, even though they aren't an official group yet. These episodes were kinda alright when watching weekly, but when binging it was a lot more fun! Then from there the end goal for this season begins to shift towards a big school idol festival, and it starts to really pick up and hit its stride. The main positive being a storyline between Yu and Ayame that I was not expecting at all. That and the final performance was really good! Some negatives I have with the show are in the early episodes, it would have a solo performance from one of the girls. It felt fine in the first 2-3 episodes, and then just felt out of place for the next few. The performances were good, I mean duh it's Love Live. But they just felt off to me. Then some parts of the festival felt a bit rushed as well, I feel like if it got just one more episode it would hit a bit more than it did. Overall, I really enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would at the start. I watched it weekly and just thought it was ok, but once I let the episodes pile up and binged through it, it was A LOT better. I'm hoping this gets a season 2! With the story and character development this season had, I think a second season would cement this as my new favorite!

Remember when this anime key visual came out? People was freaking out to see Niji anime has different artstyle. I think it's fine because they was getting used to LLSIP and LLS artstyle. Anyway, here's a quick review by me: Strengths: - no more 'school closing down' premise - having protagonist character (Yuu) which is kinda reminds you of idol manager - some character designs looks unique - having pure foreigner character and blond character who isn't foreigner or half - one character focus episodes of each characters - somehow the dancing scenes are improved - genre variety of the characters solo songs- No washi-washi scenes so far - SIF normal card cameo (just Shinonome and Touou) and some are voiced! Weakness: - Plot felt rushed - The plot isn't really challenging compared to previous LL series because the characters aren't joining Love Live - one character focus episode may get boring - they rarely has group performance because they're solo idols - I'm sorry if this sounds nonsense, but it's bugged me to see Ai didn't really close with the other 2nd years (idk probably I was getting used to saw 2nd years getting close each other in previous LL series) As expected, the anime has a cliffhanger ending and no Shioriko appearance cameo. Niji also has strong shojo ai moments (Ayumu and Yuu). Even though I'm still enjoying the anime. If you want a challenging plot, you should play All Stars. Let's just hoping Shioriko (Lanzhu and Mia) and more SIF normal cards appearing if there's a season 2.