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Jun 8, 2025
If you’re familiar with Uma Musume as a franchise, you might already know that the series doesn’t shy away from tackling more serious themes beneath its cutesy, idol-like surface. The bright and cheerful character designs don’t tell the full story—and I first noticed this back in season 2 of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby.
While I’m not here to discuss the earlier entries, I think it’s important to understand that this movie didn’t suddenly emerge with a deep message out of nowhere. Rather, it feels like a natural evolution—diving even deeper into emotional and psychological territory than the franchise has before.
So, what makes this movie feel so
...
deep and thought-provoking? Let’s take a closer look.
The core story is actually quite simple—and not unfamiliar if you’ve seen previous entries in the Uma Musume series. We follow our main protagonist, Jungle Pocket, who finds inspiration to pursue competitive racing after witnessing someone else’s passion and determination.
However, she quickly realizes that reaching the top isn’t just about talent or motivation—it comes with real hardship. These challenges take many forms: injuries, seemingly unbeatable rivals, or the crushing anxiety of disappointing yourself and those around you. That being said, the message becomes clear from the very beginning: you shouldn’t give up on your ambitions despite the overwhelming fear you might face along the way.
Now, the plot summary and message might sound just “alright” to you—but what really sells this movie are its incredible stylistic choices. For the most part, the film shifts into something genuinely unsettling to watch. We get uncanny sound design and disturbing shots of the characters, making them look lost or hopeless. You can truly feel the anxiety the characters experience just by watching. Everything feels unreal, and the characters keep sinking further down, buried in fear, unable to truly move on. In short: the movie takes a simple yet deeper message and turns it into a cinematic masterpiece, balancing hope and despair perfectly.
Beyond its stylistic achievements, the film’s emotional core is deeply rooted in the contrasting journeys of its characters—most notably, Jungle Pocket and Agnes Tachyon. These two serve as opposite sides of the same mindset. One faces the fears and challenges that come with high ambitions, while the other runs away in fear, watching others achieve what she truly desires. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to face what we fear. The film suggests that true happiness comes from the courage to keep moving forward, despite doubt and fear.
There is, however, a major drawback in the film’s setting and world-building. The Uma Musume universe is introduced rather poorly, which might leave viewers unfamiliar with the previous seasons or the world of horse racing confused. Important concepts like the significance of achieving the Triple Crown or what terms like “G1 race” mean are not adequately explained, making it harder for newcomers to fully grasp the stakes and achievements.
Now, moving on to the more technical aspects of the movie: sound and animation. I’ll keep it short—both are outstanding. As I mentioned earlier, the unique sound design plays a major role in creating the film’s unsettling and intense atmosphere, and I can only reaffirm that here. The animation is equally impressive. Given that this is a movie, the higher budget is evident in the quality of the visuals. The colors are vibrant and beautifully chosen, and the movements are fluid and expressive.
Interestingly, during the race scenes, the animation sometimes shifts into a rougher, more stylized look, which effectively highlights the tension, speed, and raw energy of the competition.
To sum it up, there’s only so much I can say—this is a film you really need to experience for yourself. While the core message may be simple—don’t give up despite fear and doubt—the way the movie explores these feelings is truly unique and powerful. Its portrayal of anxiety and inner struggle feels deeply relatable, especially since most of us have faced moments of uncertainty or fear while pursuing our dreams. The film captures not only the hope and determination needed to keep going but also the very real emotional challenges that come with it. In the end, it reminds us that growth and courage often come from pushing through the discomfort and fear that life throws at us.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 25, 2025
I’ll keep this brief, since I only made it through the first three episodes.
Rock wa Lady no Tashinami deshite isn’t a bad show per se, but it gave off some strange, almost unsettling vibes. It feels like someone took Blue Lock’s intense energy and competitiveness, mixed it with the aesthetics of a girls’ band anime, and added a dash of yuri and light masochistic undertones—resulting in something that just feels oddly off-putting to watch.
The premise itself is actually quite interesting: an elite girls’ school where music, status, and personal expression collide. There’s definitely potential there. But while the setup caught my attention, it wasn’t strong
...
enough to make me truly invested in seeing where the story would go.
The animation is fairly average, serviceable but not especially striking. Character designs are distinct enough, but the characters themselves felt a bit flat to me. I didn’t feel much emotional connection to them.
There are definitely some unique ideas and stylistic choices here, and I can see how it might appeal to people who are into more offbeat or artsy anime. But for me, it just didn’t really click. I didn’t feel much for the characters, and the whole tone was kind of all over the place. If you’re into musical anime, there are definitely other shows out there that feel more focused and emotionally engaging.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jan 23, 2025
Introduction:
My third and final review of Love Live! Superstar!!. It has been a long journey, and I would love to share my thoughts on the final season of Superstar with every Love Live! connoisseur. I'll be blunt here: this season was, sadly, the worst one out of every single season so far, including Sunshine, School Idol Project, and Nijigasaki. Does this mean the season is bad or unwatchable? It certainly doesn't. So let me break down my thought process behind my take.
Story Aspects:
It is immediately noticeable that the Love Live competition itself plays a less important role in season 3. The show instead focuses on
...
the development of multiple characters, especially Wien. Deciding whether this is a bad or good thing is up to you. Personally, I found myself enjoying the more in-depth character arcs but also caught myself missing the training and preparations for the Love Live competition. It’s a double-edged sword, but it worked out just fine for me.
What didn’t work out so well, though, was the cliffhanger season 2 left us with. Kanon's plans were suddenly canceled, and the reasoning behind it is pretty weak. Basically, Wien's family forces Kanon to teach their daughter the meaning behind being an idol. Not gonna lie, if I were in Kanon's place, I would be furious. What do you mean my plans got canceled the moment I was moving my ass to the airport?
"But it’s just Love Live!, it’s not that serious."
Well, a good story should be well-structured and smooth to watch—no exceptions for Love Live! However, I have to say that even if the reason behind the story going off track is pretty bad, what they do with Wien is quite impressive. It’s uncommon for shows of this type to dive deeper into character development and provide significant growth. Watching this happen with Wien felt refreshing and resulted in her becoming one of my all-time favorite characters.
However, sadly, the pattern of unreasonable plot decisions continues in other aspects of this season as well. The group splitting into two different units seems interesting but feels completely out of place if you actually think about it. "If I join Liella again, we’ll lose our motivation to strive and grow as idols"—yeah, that’s not really how it works, but I guess we’re going with that. Why would they lose those feelings if Kanon came back to Liella? The thing is, there is no logical answer to that. The anime just wanted an excuse for Kanon to babysit Tomari and Wien.
Speaking of Tomari, here are my thoughts on her. Tomari is the main reason I started to fall in love with Natsumi. If you read my review of season 2, you know that I kinda hated on Natsumi. Season 3 fixes the issues I had with her in a dramatic and beautiful way. The backstory of the Onitsuka sisters is peak writing—the older sister being hurt by her high ambitions, and the younger one trying to protect her, ultimately crushing their relationship in the process. Watching them figure out a way to solve this conflict was really heartwarming. However, I have some issues with Tomari. Why is she perfect at everything she does? She herself said that she wouldn’t waste time on things that don’t benefit her future. So how come she is instantly on par with the two most talented characters in Love Live!, Kanon and Wien? It makes no sense. My guess is that she was made so talented because the group of Kanon, Wien, and her was meant to be threatening to Liella, which wouldn’t be the case with someone who had never touched dancing or singing before. It’s not a great way to implement her into the group, but sadly that’s what the anime does.
In addition to that, I don’t like her personality. She doesn’t feel fresh or new; she is too similar to Shiki. Her dialogues feel bland and lack originality. I don’t hate her, but I have a hard time liking her, too.
5/10
I won’t talk much about the other members since I’ve already done that in detail in my previous reviews, and at this point in the series, everyone should already know them.
Going back to some weird plot points—what was that nonsense that happened in Shanghai? The anime made it clear that Liella and the other group should rival each other to grow. So why, in God's name, are they making an exception? Doesn’t this ruin the entire premise season 3 has set up until now? A small addition to that: how weird is it that Kanon, Tomari, and Wien all knew the choreography that Liella had studied for the performance? Besides that, once again, the anime forced Kanon into the spotlight. It felt so weird not to have Sumire be the one bringing Keke back on the right path. It feels like the friendship between Keke and Sumire is completely one-sided.
This might feel like a lot of criticism, and to be honest, it is, but the anime obviously had some really well-done parts, too. Chisato stepping up as a leader was really interesting and just shows how much she has grown as a character. Kinako and Ren got more screen time, and the season finale was really good, giving Liella a well-deserved and overall satisfying closure.
Animation / Art:
Just like the previous seasons, this one also did an amazing job in this category. The sceneries and colors are breathtaking, and the only thing I want to criticize a bit is the CGI. It’s done really well, but CGI is still CGI. Fully animated choreographies will always look better.
9/10
Music / Soundtracks:
Once again, music is subjective. Personally, I find season 3 to be the weakest in terms of songs compared to the previous seasons, but that might just be me. There were barely any songs that caught my attention or got stuck in my head. The soundtracks, however, were just as good as in the previous seasons.
7/10
Summary:
To summarize, I would say that Superstar!! season 3 suffered a lot from a premise that wasn’t fully explored. Everyone was excited to see Kanon and Wien traveling to another country and giving Love Live! as a franchise something completely new. The anime somehow managed to still be okay-ish despite a ruined premise but suffered a lot from hideous pacing and some really weird story decisions. I wouldn’t call season 3 bad or terrible; it just lost the charm that Love Live! always had.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 23, 2025
Disclaimer:
Unlike my first review of this series, this review will contain major spoilers, as I would like to discuss some of the key plot points later in the series.
Introduction:
Well, well, well... here we are again, writing an essay about an idol anime. I went into this with mixed feelings. On one hand, season 1 peaked in terms of writing, characters, and storytelling. On the other hand, I knew the cast would expand in the new season, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. But before we dive into the characters, let's start with the story.
Story:
We start off by dealing with the frustration of
...
failing to qualify for Love Live against Sunny Passion. So, Liella has to lock in order to beat their rivals. However, there's a slight problem— a new school year brings new members. The following question arises: How do we aim for a Love Live victory with inexperienced new members? That's the story of season 2 in a nutshell. Sounds interesting, right? Now, let's talk about the mentioned expanded cast.
Characters: (I will only discuss the new members)
Sakurakouji Kinako:
Ah yes, country bumpkins— my favorite. With Kinako joining the group, we get our very first first-year student in Liella. She is the main reason Liella finds a way to strive for victory, even though there is a large skill gap among the members. She doesn't get much of a spotlight after her initial appearance (which changes in season 3), but she serves as an icebreaker between the new first-years and Liella. Overall, she's a cute character with some clumsy moments. Finally, a country bumpkin who does more than spamming "zuras."
8/10
Yoneme Mei & Wakana Shiki:
I'll summarize these two together— I mean, they're basically a couple. Let's start with Mei. To be honest, I don't care that much about her. She's a tsundere who struggles to be true to herself. She's a huge idol geek (like me) but fails to express those feelings, which makes it hard for her to join into the group. The person who helps her open up is her friend Shiki, who at first glance is her complete opposite. Shiki is quiet, calm, and prefers solitude. However, these two manage to push each other out of their comfort zones, resulting in a strong friendship.
I do have a personal issue with Shiki, though. For some reason, she possesses an arsenal of Nobel Prize-worthy electronic devices that are used for comedic effect. Personally, I don't like it. It doesn't fit the series, and it feels like overkill. I understand that some may find it hilarious, but I just don't.
From an objective standpoint, I also don't understand the hints of them being "suspiciously close" in a romantic way. There are multiple instances where a flirty atmosphere surrounds them, and I can't stand it. "Does this guy have something against lesbians?" No, I just find romance unfitting for the Love Live franchise. It's a story about girls forming friendships and working together towards a collective goal— romance doesn't belong here in ANY shape or form. My personal guess is that it's just fanservice to fuel ships and gossip within the Love Live community.
Mei: 6/10 Shiki: 3.5/10
Onitsuka Natsumi: Natsumi might as well be ranked as the #1 Indian scam caller. She's obsessed with money, which makes her pretty unlikeable. I'm not going to lie— season 2 Natsumi is not it. She gets a major glow-up in season 3, but for most of this season, she's pretty much an asshole. Her backstory is touched on, but the deeper dive into her past is reserved for season 3. You're going to have to be patient with her for now.
3/10
Sunny Passion:
With Liella's newfound courage and determination, the showdown between Sunny Passion and Liella should be legendary, right? Well, it's not. In fact, there is no showdown. Big spoilers ahead: they disappear. They get absolutely humbled by someone far more interesting, whom I'll talk about next. What pisses me off the most is that we don't even see them losing. They get destroyed off-screen, which results in them not performing A SINGLE song in the entire series. Even A-RISE had more screen time, which is shocking. Don't get me wrong— I don't mind them losing; it makes sense and sets up the new antagonist well. Just like Liella, the viewer feels threatened by an unknown, overwhelming force that beats the title favorites without breaking a sweat. It's just a shame it all happens off-screen, making both members of Sunny Passion feel like background characters until the end. Wasted potential, in my opinion.
4/10
Wien Margarete:
Oil up, guys— Wien is pulling up at 5:00. Wien is one of my all-time favorite characters in the entire Love Live franchise. She is introduced as an overwhelming and unstoppable force, highlighted by her insanely good performances in the anime. However, there's a catch with Wien— talent alone won't get you far as an idol. She might have the talent, the aura, and the confidence, but she lacks an understanding of the meaning behind being on stage. Watching her realize and grow from her mistakes makes characters like Johan Liebert look like a joke. However, her personal growth begins in season 3, so I can only recommend keeping up with the show. Overall, Wien is just an aura farming badass.
11/10
Animation / Art:
I won't say much here— it's basically on par with season 1. If you want more details on this topic, check out my review of season 1.
9/10
Music:
Just like in season 1, Love Live once again delivers a lot of banger performances. I want to highlight Wien's songs here— both of them are absolutely legendary and in a tier of their own. If you enjoy Love Live's typical music style, you'll be satisfied with this season once again. I have nothing to criticize here, but beware— music is always subjective.
10/10
Some Criticism:
Before I summarize my thoughts with a short section, I want to highlight some specific issues I had while watching season 2. There are some major spoilers here once again. There were many episodes in which I didn’t like the approach to solving the presented issues. Examples of this are Episodes 7, 9, and 12.
For Episode 7, I don’t really understand why Kanon specifically had to be the savior. I know the anime wanted to present her as the leader and all, but in my opinion, Kinako would have been more fitting since the entire episode focused on the first-years trying to catch up with the second-years. Kanon taking the lead role felt really forced and out of place.
For Episode 9, I don’t like the fact that no one criticized Keke for keeping her mouth shut. Keke has the audacity to hate on Sumire for "not taking idols seriously," but she can’t open up about having a time limit in Japan? If idols are that precious to you, Keke, why are you not talking about the issues you have with your so-called friends? And the worst part is, no one is mad at her. She kept everything a secret for like 20 episodes, and no one cares? But as soon as Sumire tries to antagonize herself, Kanon lashes out? Keke deserves at least one good slap across her smug face.
And oh man, don’t get me started on the last episode. We get 18 minutes of buildup for what seemed like a really unique and different third season, only to have our expectations torn apart by the anime in the last 30 seconds. I don’t get it. Was the cliffhanger really that important to generate excitement? Season 3 better deliver the best explanation known to mankind for the nonsense they pulled on Kanon.
Afterword:
Season 2 has its issues, mainly with the plot, but it's still enjoyable. It doesn't quite meet the expectations set by the first season, but it serves as a solid continuation of Superstar!. Some characters feel really "hit or miss"—you either like them or hate them. At least, that was the experience I had after watching it with my friends.
Feel free to check out my review of the first season. I'll also be working on one for the final season.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 29, 2024
Disclaimer:
I don't think I included too many spoilers in my review, but in case you want to avoid any spoilers, feel free to come back once you’ve finished season one!
Introduction:
I won’t lie here: I went into this series with low expectations. Can this series really match the level of its predecessors? Can the new group really be as likable as Aqours and Muse? Will my emotions be as stirred as they were with Love Live Sunshine? The short answer to those questions is, without a doubt, absolutely.
But to understand what makes Love Live Superstar this good, we need to take a deeper dive into the
...
series.
Story:
Love Live Superstar roughly follows the same concept that its predecessors have used. There are some changes here and there, but the average Love Live veteran will not be blown away by innovation.
We have our typical idol group participating in the Love Live competition to make the school more popular, having to overcome the seemingly perfect rival group as a result. The twist, however, is that the story around the Love Live is rather secondary and primarily serves to provide the characters with a stage for development.
The focus on character development is underlined by the fact that the new group only has five members, resulting in more screen time for each of them and more fleshed-out character arcs. So let’s talk about the characters.
Characters:
Shibuya Kanon:
She’s your typical Love Live protagonist: orange hair, borderline autistic, seemingly unstoppable, and pulling in new members left and right. Or is she really? What I love most about Kanon is that she’s different and relatable.
Now, before I get jumped by Honoka and Chika stans, let me clarify that I love both Honoka and Chika. BUT HEAR ME OUT: Kanon’s personality is something completely new. She’s not hyper-optimistic or energetic. Instead, she’s very down-to-earth and struggles with her own personal problems. Issues like stage fright and the fear of disappointing those around her torment her until the very end of season one. I won’t spoil when exactly or how she overcomes those issues, but what I will say is this: watching her grow was absolute cinema. Kanon is a legendary 11/10.
Tang Keke:
Speaking of being borderline autistic and energetic, stay tuned to meet Keke. She kind of plays the role of Honoka and Chika in this group in terms of motivation and ambition. She’s a very funny character who can also be more serious when the plot needs it. Unlike the others, she didn’t have a major character arc in season one, but that changes in the following seasons.
She plays minor roles for Kanon and another character, whom I’ll be talking about soon, but the main focus doesn’t shift to her yet. All in all, she’s a solid character who heats up the mood well and helps out in a supportive role. However, I felt that she was too strict with Sumire at times, which bothered me a bit. I’ll dive deeper into this topic in the following section. For now, Keke stands at a decent 7.5/10.
Heanna Sumire:
Sumire is what most of us are: a background character—at least, that’s what she’s been telling herself. She struggles with the idea of being unable to get the leading role in anything in her life. Always being second can be worse than being last sometimes, after all.
That’s why her picking up the courage to tackle her so-called destiny to always remain in someone else’s shadow was very emotional to watch. Her arc feels very detailed, and I fell in love with her at first sight. It’s kind of ironic she’s “just” my second favorite, but let’s not talk about that. She has a lot of comedic moments, especially with Keke—their chemistry is hilarious to watch.
That’s why I find it upsetting that Keke is so strict with her sometimes. Some of you may find it ridiculous that I’m complaining about a friendship built on taunts, but I feel like Sumire deserves better at times. Sumire gets 10.5/10 from me.
Arashi Chisato:
She’s cute, she’s round, she can rap, she can breakdance—she’s perfect. In the group, she kind of plays the role of a slightly more serious Keke. She’s a very lovely and nice person but takes charge of things and gets them done. Her supportive nature is a result of her and Kanon being childhood friends, which is very well addressed in their background story.
Chisato is a character you just can’t hate. I’ll give her a perfectly round 10/10.
Hazuki Ren:
“It’s just Love Live; it can’t be that deep.”
I don’t know what to say, chat. This arc left me in shambles. I won’t spoil it, since it’s very emotional, but I feel like her story was one of the best. We start off with our average anti-idol student council president story, but her take on that topic just scratches the surface of what’s behind her thinking.
All I’m going to say is this: Johan Liebert has been really quiet since Hazuki Ren stepped up.
10/10.
Sunny Passion:
Sadly, not much to say here. It baffles me to admit that A-RISE had more screen time than Sunny Passion. In the ENTIRE series, we don’t get a single performance longer than 10 seconds, which is pretty crazy to think about in a music-themed show. Sure, they’re nice people and very friendly, but after 12 episodes, I still don’t know if they can even sing. At least we have an actual rival stepping up in the near future.
5/10.
Animations / Art:
Sunshine already stepped up the game in terms of CGI and animation, and I’m happy to say that Superstar topped that. The colors are very bright and highlight the world of Love Live really well. Backgrounds and sceneries are also clean and detailed—there’s really nothing to hate here.
The only thing I could, and will, criticize is the usage of CGI. Yeah, it’s pretty good CGI, but it’s still CGI.
9/10
Music:
This topic is very subjective. Personally, I was very satisfied with both the soundtracks and the performances. Songs like "Tiny Stars" or "Starlight Prologue" are still living rent-free in my head to this day. Not every song is as good as those mentioned, but overall, I enjoyed the musical aspect of Superstar.
8/10
Afterword:
I know I yapped a lot about this season, but I felt obligated to share my love and enthusiasm for Love Live as a franchise. I really hope seasons 2 and 3 can keep up with the level of season 1. (This is foreshadowing, by the way.)
Thank you for taking your time listening.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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