After having a chunk of my soul firmly ripped out by the ending of the Love Live Movie, I heavily debated whether or not I would be able to bear the pain of knowing that the µ's we had come to know and love over these past 24 something episodes and a movie would no longer be the group we follow. After several hours on Reddit, I ultimately decided to continue, I haven't looked back since.
Story
Love Live Sunshine depicts a similar story in a different setting, with familiar aspects making returns while new ones arise. We start with a core trio in their second year of high school, with one of them having been inspired to become a School Idol, she quickly gathers her other friends and starts recruiting, along the way, the core trio helps the first years overcome their nervousness, while helping the third years atone for their past mistakes. A conflict of interest inevitably comes up, as well as the risk of the school closing down. The first concert is inevitably one of the more memorable ones, no matter how well it does, and the crew's choreography and song composition inevitably climbs from there. From an outsider's perspective, it would inevitably seem that the Studio itself is clinging to the legacy µ's left behind, as the characters introduced, the sequence of events, and the plotline all paralleled events that µ's went through as a group, until it didn't. It should also be noted that while these events parallel the things µ's went through, they certainly did not parallel the depth of each event. Aquors experienced way more hardship along the way compared to what µ's did, even doing really badly at their first concerts, but eventually slowly climbing their way all the way to the top of the leaderboards. While the majority of the season was basically a carbon copy, around 2/3 of the way through, our new idol group, now affectionately named Aquors, realizes that they aren't µ's, and will no way match what µ's made into a legacy, instead, they split away from the carbon copy plotline to form their own. This obvious copied plotline splitting into a new one makes for an oddly stunning realization to the viewer that that plotline is exactly what their train of thought is. We all started this series pleading for any chance to see µ's again, but we slowly come to know and love each and every member of Aquors. Well Played.
Art and Sound
From the first moment the OP played, it became clear that Aquors was its own thing, while the animation style remained the same, because, duh, its from the same studio. There was an interesting shift of atmosphere. Not because this time the story's set in a coastal town, but because of the namesake. Everything done in this season reflects the name "Sunshine". Everything's brighter, and I mean everything.
Of course, you can't have an idol anime without its music, and this is where Aquors truly shines in its individuality. Their songs are notably brighter, happier, and perhaps shinier than µ's tracks. It makes sense on a physical level, considering that many of the voice actors in Aquors have higher voice registers or know how to sing higher than most members of µ's, but also because of the namesake once again, While µ's specialized in dreamy, sparkling music, Aquors bursts in with such an overwhelming amount of positivity I would honest-to-god recommend their tracks to the more pessimistic people in life. A comparison between the two season's OPs also proves my point. µ's Bokura wa Ima no Naka de is an absolute banger, however, when you hear Aquors's Aozora Jumping Heart, you are instantly filled with more determination than Honoka's ever had in her time spent with µ's. It shows how serious Aquors is about setting their own legacy and how much skill they have to back it up.
Characters
The characters of Aquors and µ's share a lot of similar traits like, a TON of similarities. Here's a few I noticed before diving into the specifics of each character. A few of the similarities were shuffled between characters, possibly to mix things up a bit, but ultimately they show up in both groups
Those were just a few of the similarities the groups have, of course, these listed traits have been shuffled from person to person, but it still bears an undeniable similarity to µ's and therefore an even bigger reason for that hole in your heart to open back up.
Overall, I feel that despite being basically a carbon copy of the original Love Live with some uniqueness to them, it still feels reasonable and not bad. The explanation behind this makes sense too, that Aquors is simply trying to find their own path, what makes them different from µ's, and their own unique musical style. It keeps that hole in your heart open, but at the same time also seals it. Its refreshing knowing that the group that inspired us also inspired them, and I can't wait to see what this group will do
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