A fantastic and creative sequel to MyGO!!!, Ave Mujica pulls no punches in setting itself apart from the dramatic, yet still tame tone its predecessor contained. I won’t say that I was particularly a huge fan of MyGO back when I saw it last year, but this truly made it feel like it was worth my time all along. MyGO sets up several threads intended to be paid off in Ave Mujica, and while many are fulfilled here, it’s obvious some questions we will have to wait until later to have the answers for. There’s a certain indulgent, tragic core to this show that hung over me the entire runtime. These are confused, upset, and bitter girls trying to understand themselves while also using each other as a means to an end… honestly aside from Mutsumi and maybe Uika, there’s a lot of leeway you have to give them. I find it an interesting dichotomy to Soyo from MyGO, who was the main manipulator among that show’s cast, whereas here almost everyone is conflicted and in several grey areas themselves.
I adore how Ave Mujica presents itself as well. The 3D style the series has been going with for years still looks as good as ever, but the designs of the title band here are fantastic, some of my favorites in the series. I wish the show got to delve even further into the theatrical angle, because I found those parts really fun and has an air of mystique (when are they acting? when are they putting their true thoughts on display?). I was honestly surprised how early on the masks were discarded, I had thought it would last a bit longer, but it’s a welcome twist nonetheless. The musical performances from both bands involved are also great, and show a great contrast in their ethos and pathos; Ave Mujica's performances feel perfect, TOO perfect, perhaps a result of Sakiko's control, where MyGO's performances are imperfect, but honest, and that adds character.
I ended up enjoying all of the band members. Sakiko might as well be our leading lady here, and learning more of her story understandably feeds into her aggressive nature. Nyamo is pretty fun, she’s an S+ instigator and I liked her interactions with Mutsumi (🏳️‍🌈?). Mutsumi’s story I can’t comment on much, especially as someone who has very little knowledge in her field of condition, but the way it was presented was so smart and creative, and I hope it covered the topic respectfully. Uika probably ended up being my favorite, her story is very sad, and depending on how you read her feelings for Sakiko, can really add to the tragic and uncomfortable nature of the series. Umiri felt… honestly underused? But she has some good moments nonetheless…
MyGo and Ave Mujica being two sides of the same coin was really interesting to see. Honestly, most of the times where the perspective switched to MyGO's side, it felt like a massive tone shift, their drama is WAY less intense than what's going on with our title band. However, that's not a bad thing. Their issues are just... far much larger, they're victims of far larger circumstances, and they don't know how to deal with it... but they seem to finally be on the right track, if that finale is anything to go by. I’m very curious to see where both will go from here on out in that upcoming third season. Hopefully many of these girls will be able to heal those wounds, they’ve certainly earned it. As of now, I can safely say that I am a Bandori fan.