Love Live!: School Idol Project

I shall start by declaring this. Umi and Maki are mine. No one shall have them.

Anyways, I finished watching this sometime last month but never got around doing a review on this for various reasons. This anime, Love Live!: School Idol Project tells the story of a group of students who formed a School Idol Group, as they try to make it to the famous Idol competition, Love Live, in order for their school to gain recognition to attract new students the next year so as to prevent their school from closing down.

The School Idol Group started off with only three childhood friends, on the whim of the group leader, Honoka.

From left to right: Sonoda Umi, Kosaka Honoka, Minami Kotori

However, the Student Council opposed this idea and sought to disband the group. Well, mostly the Student Council Prez, Eri. (Btw, she's half Russian)

Ayase Eri

Toko Nozomi - Vice Prez

Nonetheless, the three of them decides to go ahead with being school idols, with the approval from the school's chairman. They only had limited time before their first concert and got their idol name, μ's and decided to use it. Their first live song is "Start: Dash!!"; however, things don't go as planned as nobody showed up. The auditorium was empty, save for a senior - Niko, who hides herself behind the chairs, and later on Hanayo and Rin who runs in to see the live. Despite this, the trio decided to continue with their concert.

This anime tells the story of how the trio gets more members - 9 in total including the trio, the challenges they face, the fun, happy times they share and how hard they work, setting "Love Live" as their goal.

Hanayo, Rin and Maki joined soon after, followed by Niko, and finally, Eri and Nozomi

From left to right: Hoshizora Rin, Nishikino Maki, Koizumi Hanayo

Yazawa Niko 

My Thoughts

What I liked about this anime is the realistic side high school, and how people don't become idols so easily. Being an idol here wasn't depicted as something that can be easily obtain but rather, it comes through hard work and determination. Honoka, Umi and Kotori's first live concert didn't draw anyone in at first even though they advertised, gave out flyers and put of posters and all. But no one came, save for two or three. Despite this, they never did give up and persevered on, with the aim of trying to save the school from being closed down. 

The way they searched for new members, or rather, how they got their members was sort of expected but still fun to watch, especially when you have Eri and Nozomi in there. I liked how each of their personalities are varied and different - you have the easily embarrassed one (Umi), the upbeat and cheerful one (Honoka), the tsundere (Maki), the super shy and soft one (Hanayo), the wise one (Nozomi), the one who never faces her real feelings and would often neglect them for the sake of others (Eri) and etc. When all these people come together, you get a very interesting bunch working together towards a common goal.

Umi having stage fright

Hahaha Rin, What on earth are you doing?

Each character is not without their own flaws and this is also explored later on in the series. Tension starts to rise in the group, especially within the three childhood friends.

Kotori's outburst towards Honoka

The climax and the peak of the story:

When Honoka faints during their rooftop live and the events that happen soon after (including the fight with Kotori):

Honoka faints after rooftop live of "No brand girls"

Honoka' decision, feeling that it was her fault that μ's dropped out of the top 20 School Idol Groups qualified for Love Live since the concert that determines their final rankings is cancelled due to her fainting. 

I think this few episodes were awesomely portrayed and executed, showing how fragile human beings are, their emotions and all, as well as how little things could change a person. In this case, Umi gives Honoka a big fat slap across her face after she said that she's quitting.

Drama and more drama. I love dramas. 

Anyways, though i expected some sort of drama like this near the end of the anime, i wasn't let down by what i saw. And as per all "break-ups", there's always a "make-up". Though it happens at the very last minute as Honoka chases Kotori all the way to the Airport to get her back to school, when Honoka decides to return to μ's after some (tough) convincing by the group, just in time for their next school live. And this time, to wrap up the whole series, the song that the 9 of them sang is the same song that Umi, Kotori and Honoka sang for their first live - Start: Dash!! And this time, the auditorium is packed with people.

Music

In my opinion, I think that their music's quite good, their voices/seiyuus were rather good in singing though I prefer Umi's, Maki's, Honoka's and Eri's singing. Kotori's singing is fine, perhaps a little to cutesy for me - but still good nonetheless- and (I'm sorry Niko fans) I don't particularly like Niko's singing voice. It feels like there is a bit of dragging in her singing... Hanayo's, Rin's and Nozomi's singing are fine though. 

I appreciate the 3D effect of them when they sing and dance but it feels too 3D-ish, to me anyway. Well, I'll get used to it :) Their dance movements are unique since it's hard to choreograph dance moves for nine people with different strengths and weakness and thanks to Kotori (choreographer) and Umi ("Trainer") and Eri (Later episodes), they managed to pull off wonderful dances, uniquely to them. 

Speaking of Umi being the "Trainer", she's a demon. Since she's already fit from kyūdō (the club she's in), she takes charge of training the others into getting them into shape which includes running up and down xxx times the stairs near the temple which Nozomi works in and practising the dance moves to death.

Overall

I really liked this anime and to anyone out there who's looking out for comedy or music genre of an anime, you might wanna consider this. ;)  I've said that before and i'll reiterate it again. Umi and Maki are mine. 

Btw, did i mention that the 9 characters here were actual idols that was adapted into an anime in accordance to the fans' choice in each characters' future? 

 Umi when she gets woken up by Honoka and gang's pillow fight in the dead of the night

Maki getting popular~ They totally should have a Maki fan club or something.

Harsh training. Looks like Umi isn't the only demon trainer.

Maki's Singing

I am officially in love with her voice. Period. HER VOICE IS AWESOME. 



On a side note: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEEcueCs_2I >> "No Brand Girls"

They've released five singles and are all available on Youtube :3



"μ's isn't μ's unless there's nine members."  ---- Eri to Nozomi