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What I'm getting from these 2 episodes of Ave Mujica so far is that it's about how being unmasked (both physically and mentally) affects the members, given that their identities were revealed basically in the beginning of the series

Ave Mujica was able to rise to popularity while hiding their faces behind masks, which was a source of comfort/control to them, and ripping off these masks exposes all their vulnerabilities and insecurities

We can see this already in episode 2 with Mutsumi, who is the one arguably the most affected emotionally by this. Behind the mask as Mortis (death), nobody knows that she's the daughter of 2 famous entertainers, which she seems to have a complex about. She's able to assume this new identity where it's just her guitar (her only source of comfort) and herself - in a sense her identity as Wakaba Mutsumi is "dead" on stage. However the identity reveal turns this upside down, which causes her all this turmoil.

And we can start to see the first cracks form with Sakiko, who assumes the persona "Oblivionis" (forgetfulness). She wants to forget her painful past about her mother's death, her father's drunken depression and the messy corporate politics in her family's business, and Ave Mujica is a way for her to not only pull herself out of financial distress, but also an escape from the real world. Revealing her identity as part of the Togawa family pushes what she wants to forget to the forefront in public discussions, and I'm interested to see how it plays out.

Right now we're not too clear about Uika/Doloris (sorrow), Nyamu/Amoris (love) and Umiri/Timoris (fear) and the implications of the unmasking on their deep-seated insecurities, but I think it probably ties back to their on-stage personas in some sort of way

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Ave mujica episode 2 be dropping all these little hints that would slowly reveal itself in the later episodes

Like Uika asking Sakiko to wait outside for her and count to 10 before entering her apartment - I saw a comment on Reddit joking that it's to hide her Sakiko shrine and tbvh I'm kinda believing it's something along those lines (though I'm really curious what's driving her obsession with Sakiko such that she has repeatedly said she wants to be by her side and agrees to join her band with no questions)

And a first peek into Mutsumi's inner world and her complex about being the daughter of famous parents and constantly being in their shadows

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Was just thinking for a bit about the LL Superstar series as compared to SIP and Sunshine, and I think what sets it apart from these 2 series is that there's more focus on the personal growth of the characters rather than them working towards a shared goal (i.e. saving their school by becoming school idols and winning Love Live) - which is fitting for their setting in a newly established school where they're trying to create a name for themselves.

In my opinion, one of the most impactful and defining quote in the series is what Keke tells Kanon at the beginning of season 1 - "Is there an end to working hard towards something you love?", which Kanon repeats back to her in season 3 nearing their graduation. And indeed we see this being reflected in various character arcs in some form or another. For example, Mei and Shiki's Liella-joining arc, the Onitsuka sisters character arc, Margarete growing to love being a school idol and the third years graduation plans.

And I think Superstar!! is a great song to end off the series, as it's a culmination of all their growth as characters, with references to different Liella song lyrics

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also kudos to nyamu's VA

she's a drummer by profession and nyamu is her first and only voice acting role (so far) but she ate with her portrayal of nyamu

still thinking about ave mujica episode 1, specifically the scene where sakiko tells uika "ave mujica is all I have", which hits especially hard when half the episode gives the full backstory of sakiko's downward spiral where she loses literally everything

and shortly after we transition to the scene where nyamu forces everyone to take off their masks at budokan and reveal their identities, much earlier than sakiko had planned, upsetting the delicate balance sakiko had been maintaining since beginning with respect to ave mujica's lore and mystery, effectively wresting out of sakiko hands the last and only thing she has control of

nyamu is fully aware of sakiko's circumstances and that doing such a risky stunt in such a high stakes concert could possibly put ave mujica's reputation in jeopardy (or alternatively cause it to skyrocket), yet she proceeds with it anyway, she's such a menace and I'm living for this drama in the bandori universe

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still thinking about ave mujica episode 1, specifically the scene where sakiko tells uika "ave mujica is all I have", which hits especially hard when half the episode gives the full backstory of sakiko's downward spiral where she loses literally everything

and shortly after we transition to the scene where nyamu forces everyone to take off their masks at budokan and reveal their identities, much earlier than sakiko had planned, upsetting the delicate balance sakiko had been maintaining since beginning with respect to ave mujica's lore and mystery, effectively wresting out of sakiko hands the last and only thing she has control of

nyamu is fully aware of sakiko's circumstances and that doing such a risky stunt in such a high stakes concert could possibly put ave mujica's reputation in jeopardy (or alternatively cause it to skyrocket), yet she proceeds with it anyway, she's such a menace and I'm living for this drama in the bandori universe

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ave mujica episode 1 was fire but it's kinda hard to believe that soyo didn't recognise that oblivionis is sakiko until she took off the mask

like wouldn't her voice, hairstyles and mannerisms be a dead giveaway for someone who knows her well, as well as the fact that she plays the keyboard

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awww so sweet with them ending with liella's debut single hajimari wa kimi no sora

love a classic feel good idol song to end a feel good idol anime like superstar

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that doesn't sound appetising at all

you can't just throw everything into a hotpot and expect it to taste good chii

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i love how they just spontaneously and unanimously appointed mei as the school idol club president

of course the biggest idol otaku in the group (after keke's graduation) has to be the president

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so this is the big reveal about keke's plans after graduation

looks like she's gonna do both - go to university while also joining an entertainment agency at the side

also sumikeke coming full circle aaaaaaaa so sweet they can't be apart from each other

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superstar s3 ep12 is out but i will probably watch the subbed version tomorrow night

seems like it's gonna be an emotional episode with the 1st gen (third years) graduating

but since i only got into liella quite recently (unlike hibike where i followed season 2 real-time all the way till season 3 8 years later), it probably won't hit me emotionally as much as hibike season 3

nonetheless, i still love liella and superstar overall as a group and i'm looking forward to seeing more new songs and performances by the seiyuu next year and the years to come c:

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A subtle detail I appreciate about superstar S3 is the maturity of Sumire and her relationship with Keke

She used to be the gremlin character of S1 and a bit of S2 (with Natsumi giving her a bit of competition), but she noticeably mellowed out in S3 as a third year

And even with Keke, although they still make jabs at each other in S3 like how friends usually do, they're a lot less abrasive with each other as third years

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ok now i'm really curious about keke's plans after graduation cos she's the only 3rd year whose graduation plans weren't explicitly set out - kanon's gonna study music in vienna, chisato's going to dance school, sumire's joining a professional talent agency and ren's going to university so she can eventually take over yuigaoka

but for keke it's vaguely hinted that she could either go back to university in china or continue a professional singing/entertainment career - her focus episode also doesn't make it clear, it's just her affirming to her parents that she is serious and loves what she does as a school idol in japan

perhaps keke's true graduation plans is supposed to tie in to the final episode's plot in some way or another? after all, while kanon is the main character of superstar, keke's a close second and the first person who wanted to form a school idol group which kick started the whole process of liella being formed

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quintessential sayurin experience

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what kind of niche concept school idol group is this

yuru-yuru asphalt? construction themed school idols??

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i had the same reaction as kanon when i went to vienna too

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I find it funny how in Spotify the artists credited in Zettaiteki Lover and Dazzling Game are Liella! + TomaKanoTe (separately) as if they aren't part of Liella!

Because when they performed the songs in season 3 at that point in time, they weren't officially part of Liella yet lol