Monday, 2 June 2014

Love Live! School Idol Project Season 2 - Episode 9

All of the talk and preparation is finally over, as it's time for the final preliminary round of Love Live to begin. Oh, and it's snowing too.

While all of the girls awake and prepare in their own unique ways - complete with a few nerves on show from some quarters - there's a rather major distraction for the trio of student council girls as they have an introductory presentation to make back at school as part of their duties while the others head straight for the impressive stage which has been set up for μ's and their rivals.  Of course, it's here that the weather comes into play, with the event at school pushed back an hour, meaning that time will be tight for Honoka et al to make it to their big performance on time.


By the time they're ready to set off, things have only gotten worse - public transport has ground to a halt and the roads are equally snarled up by traffic unable to navigate through the snow.  Are the girls really going to miss their big performance?  In spite of driving snow, high winds and the fact that they're out in short skirt (these girls really need to consider alternate clothing for days like this), there's nothing for it but to brave the elements no matter how severe in a desperate attempt to make it to the stage on time - luckily, the school's entire student body is there to lend them a hand and (with a little help from improving weather) save the day.

It's snow-based drama might have been hugely forced and ultimately a little silly (especially as their "long journey" only seemed to take them around the corner at the end of it all), but it somehow still worked - Honoka's outpouring of emotion at the end of her ordeal was surprisingly touching, and the feel-good element after building up the tension for a little while was more successful that it perhaps ought to have been. In a way this is really the magic of Love Live - it's created a cast that you can't help but care about, and that helps to power the show even when it's being whimsical or over-the-top.

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