「シャイ煮はじめました」 (Syai Ni Hajimemashita)
“We’ve Got StewShine”

I’m not quite sure how I felt about the abupt change that just occurred in Sunshine. Also, sorry for the late post! #paxwest2016 killed me this weekend.

Stark Change in Tone

While I have my reservations about the huge change in tone with our final form of Aqours, I must say that it does feel nice finally seeing everyone interacting with each other. Maybe it’s partly because we finally get to see our third years do something more than just be a train wreck or maybe it’s because we actually get to see more than just a few seconds of You, but whatever the case may be there’s no denying that the story has finally hit its stride.

Now, even with all the great Dia and Ruby moments and Kanan actually behaving like a real person, I have to be honest and say it was a little jarring seeing Dia leap straight into guiding Aqours toward a path of hopeful success. Seeing how she was trying her hardest to be the tough love senpai that managed the overflowing enthusiasm coming out of all the first and second years, it was a little odd to see her dive straight into whipping Aqours into shape. Then again, I suppose it makes sense that as the one who’s probably the most enthusiastic about the whole thing, it’d make sense she might go a little overboard with the theoretical plug finally opened.

In any case, I’ll keep hoping for the best since I was thoroughly enjoying things by the end of the episode as Dia started to relax a little.

Training Camp

Never giving up on a chance to remind us of the sting that “0” has in this show, I enjoyed how the show didn’t ignore the all-important training that Aqours really needs to dive into. With Kanan and Riko as outliers, it looks like a majority of our girls will need to spend some extra time on developing not only their mental fortitude but their bodies as well. (Even though they all look totally fine both in their swimsuits and their outfits)

CxR and Looking Ahead

Boy, was that an ending to an episode or what? With Chika stepping up as both a leader and a friend, I loved how she managed to swallow her pride and opened the path for Riko to find just what she needed to really move forward as a person. Anyways, I’ll catch you guys next week (or I guess three days from now) when we’ll hopefully get to see just what happens in an episode that features You’s catchphrase in the title.

  • Insert Song: No New Insert Song This Week
  • After some deliberation, here are my current rankings: Hanamaru/Kanan, Dia/Mari, Ruby/You, Chika, Yoshiko, Riko. I feel like this is going to change a lot after next week.
  • LET’S COOKING.
  • I love how Hanamaru is a fatty — JUST LIKE ME.

 

Preview

35 Comments

    1. Forget “yuri of the year” candidate. LLSS has the chance of being THE yuri of the year! Not even New Game and Ange Vierge have this level of yuri. This episode alone has more yuri than the entire Hibike! Euphonium anime and even Hibike S2 will not have that much yuri anymore. ChikaRiko is going strong but next week, You looks to get her girl back. Chika and Riko could also be the yuri OTP of the year.

      It cannot be Love Live without good ol’ beach time. As expected, them in their sexy swimsuits were phenomenally G L O R I O U S! I wish Yoshiko should have joined the others playing at the beach. Nice to see more DiaRuby sisterly love, more Mari Engrish (UNBELIEVABLE SHINY COMPLETE), Dia bringing her hammy side to another level, Ruby staying cute and adorable, Maru being a big quick eater, and boy, Kanan is so freaking hot and sexy!

      By the way, I noticed there were a lot of butt shots in this EP, with more gratuitous ones on Kanan. Not that I am complaining. 😛

      John Hayabusa
      1. Are you sure we are watching the same show? What “yuri” stuff are you talking about? Nothing of this episode hinted anything that had to do with “yuri.” Chika and Riko were merely building a stronger relationship in their friendship. You must have mis-interpret everything you saw in this episode as “yuri” content. Sorry to disappoint you, but no this show will not take that approach and never will.

        elmaton
  1. Hooray for the obligatory beach episode! The best part is that the setting is already a beach side town, so the writers don’t have the write a silly plot as an excuse to put the girls in swimwear.

    I’d really like to know how Dia acquired Umi’s training schedule considering everyone on µ’s hated it and they didn’t even follow it. I’ll give Aqours some kudos though for actually attempting it unlike their predecessors. Dia’s change is a bit jarring but it isn’t too surprising for me. Dia has already been established an a long time Love Live fan, so now that she was free from the stupid thrid-year sub-plot she can show her true colors.

    As for ChikaxRiko ? All I can say is WOW. Nightime date, piano recital and “daisuki” actually being said? I’ve shipped them before, but now this cements it. You also seems to start noticing it so I can speculating the the will pull the AQUARIUM plot for the anime.

    Interestingly, the situation is similar to KananxMari plot with Riko getting prospect outside of Aqours. Except, Chika actually RESPECTS Riko’s feelings and TALKS to her about it. This results in them being even closer than before and not wasting everyone’s time (including the audience). Have I mentioned that the third-year subplot was stupid? I have? Don’t care! The third-year sub-plot was stupid!

    P.S. Takaii, you keep misspelling Riko’s name to Rika. Make sure to gets LOTS of rest before the next post.

    fragb85
  2. For me, Chika’s good point is that she put herself into her friend’s shoes, decides what to do, and then talk to them and decides it together. She care about other people’s feelings, but doesn’t decides them by herself. If I was Riko and I had a friend like this, I would love her too.
    The comedic part in this episode is funny. I forgot how many times I rewind the part about Yohanne’s tears of the fallen angel and Mari’s Shining stew. Dia’s also going all out in this episode, and her enthusiasm makes me laugh quite a bit. I also like their different hairstyles, with the only person who didn’t change was Kanan (I don’t mind though, she’s attractive with that ponytail. XD)
    Overall, a good episode. It’s time for second year’s problems, just like in the first season of LL!. I hope the girls would clear it nicely like they did with the other years as well.

    Seorori
  3. Was definitely fun seeing Dia finally being able to let loose after that one little slip early on with her extensive Muse knowledge.

    And no full shot of Kanan’s “glamorous swimsuit body”, Takaii? Shame! lol

    https://randomc.net/image/Love%20Live/Love%20Live%20Sunshine%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2005.jpg

    ……….sorry, were you saying something?

    https://randomc.net/image/Love%20Live/Love%20Live%20Sunshine%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2019.jpg

    100,000 yen a bowl… x_x

    https://randomc.net/image/Love%20Live/Love%20Live%20Sunshine%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2033.jpg

    I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry …good-bye.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    1. Let me tell you a story.

      It’s 3am, I’m at SEATAC, and I’m watching Re:Zero because I fucking love that show.
      4:30am, I board a plane and have some annoying people all around me, but with a pair of nice cans I’m watching Love Live and capping. The MOMENT the episode pans up on Kanan in a swimsuit, the people sitting around me decide to hone in on my screen and for some reason I started to get self-conscious and quickly fast forward a few seconds.

      Next time, I promise.

  4. Dia was definitely the highlight of this episode. Since Mari and Yoshiko are already known to be oddballs in the group, I loved Dia’s change. That’s what happens when 2 years worth of suppressing your school idol fangirlism bursts out. Dia being a doting big sister to Ruby was probably my favorite Dia moment, followed by her JoJo looking evil smile. If only she knew even Umi had trouble making everyone follow her training regiment. Other things that stood out of course were Mari’s fake eyes and Yoshiko’s shark sleeping bag. This might be a bit cruel too but I couldn’t help but laugh a little at Ruby getting victimized by Yoshiko’s Tabasco filled Takoyaki. Yoshiko’s fondness for spicy food actually reminded me of Persona 4 since Rise, who’s also an idol, likes spicy food. Poor Hanamaru too. Gotta give her props for adhering to schedules, even if 4:00 am is too early.

    I did have some trouble with certain translations though as I’ve seen 2 versions. I understand the Youkisoba and Tears of an Angel, but I really don’t get the pun of Mari’s dish’s name. I know it’s a play on her SHINY catchphrase but I dunno what the translators were going for by calling it Shi-ni/Stewshine. That and what’s the Japanese word Dia said that’s supposed to mean “scrubs” or “itty bitty committee.” Guess I suddenly thought about it Takaii when you mentioned that everyone who’s not Kanan or Riko might need to work on their figures. It was pretty funny how Dia pointed out nobody else had the “appeal” Kanan has. At least I think that’s what Dia was saying. Like you said though, everyone looked good in their swimsuits.

    Zhinvu
    1. The Shiny-Stew (シャイ煮 – Shai-ni) is a pun on 煮(ni), or stew, and Shiny.

      It also reference’s the nickname Mari’s voice actress got from fans during a Nico Douga live broadcast.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPS1HhPxgWI#t=32m31s

      Kinmedai no Shai-ni (金目鯛のシャイ煮, Kinmedai no Shai-ni) is the nickname they voted on lol.

      Kinmedai is red sea bream, a more literal translation being “golden eyed bream”. It’s the red fish on the ingredients list, along with the other expensive asf items xDD

      cvsr
    2. In terms of looks, Kanan is love isn’t she?

      But yeah, I went by ear for some parts of the episode because I couldn’t stand how bad some of the subs were. On a plane though, it was a little tough =-=;;

      @cvsr: Doing the lords work, much appreciated <3

      1. Mari doesn’t look too bad herself too. Well they all look good and let’s leave it at that. It’s gotta be the ponytail right Takaii? It’s how Eri got my attention in the first Love Live and it’s what made me look Kanan’s way in Sunshine. And you can’t count Hanamaru out. She’s not fat! Just adorably petite looking. And btw interesting story there how you weren’t able to get a Kanan full body stitch. It must really be weird to be looked at stitching Kanan’s picture together.

        Zhinvu
  5. Woohoo, finally the episode review hath cometh. I’ve been refreshing the site a tad TOO frequently these past few days, so I’m glad its up now.

    Welp enough chit-chat and lets get on to the episode then. This weeks episode 10 seems to mirror the episode 10 in the first season’s Love Live! series by making it a training/summer camp episode. That episode was one of my favorite episode’s of the first series, and this weeks episode is looking to be the same for Sunshine.

    One of the reasons is because both the episodes showcase the whole gang mostly relaxing and bonding with each other while the actual “training” that happens is just minimal. And for Sunshine, this is the first episode we get to see all nine members interacting together so it was an episode that I was highly anticipating. Needless to say, I was grinning at the end of the episode and found myself already starting the countdown in my hearts calendar to the time for the next episode.

    Highlights of the episode:

    Dia finally letting loose. Personally, I quite enjoyed this new side of hers. I didn’t find the change jarring like you, Takaii. Instead I think this is actually her real personality, and with Kanan and Mari’s issues resolved and her now able to really showcase her love about everything school idols out in the open once more, I guess she just couldn’t contain herself.

    The close relationship between the Gem sisters was also very cute. Dia could hardly stop herself from fawning over Ruby throughout the episode, and who can really blame her? (especially Ruby’s “Ganbaruby” line. She’s pushing hard towards the top of my rankings of the girls, but still not enough to unseat my top girl You-chan)

    You-chan full-stop. She showcased her cooking chops with her yakisoba being the stall’s only selling food on the first day, and she also managed to combine Mari’s Stewshine and Yohane’s Tears of a Fallen Angel into a more palatable curry. Yousorooo!

    The swimsuits. As a beach episode, we get to see the girls in their respective choice of swimwear, and overall they were all glorious (although they didn’t beat Muse’s imo). Of particular note were Kanan’s (simple design, but coupled with her smokin’ body resulted in one very attractive girl. Also, I’m a sucker for fit girls) and also Yoshiko’s (too bad she mostly laid at the beach…).

    Yoshiko’s sleeping face. Her shark hammock looks quite cool actually, and her grinning face between the teeth of the “shark” looked so funny yet sooo adorable (her cheeks were almost begging to be pinched) at both times they showed the girls asleep.

    Chika and Riko’s closer relationship. Riko’s issue of having a piano competition on the same day as Love Live prelims was thankfully resolved quite quickly unlike the third years woes because both Chika and Riko talked and discussed it properly. Although Chika arbitrarily telling Riko she can go to the piano competition which seems to imply that Aquors won’t enter this times Love Live prelims may cause some friction in the group next episode.

    current top 3 girls: You (Yousoro!), Ruby (Ganbaruby!) and Kanan (GLAMOROUS BODY)

    1. Sorry for the late post — I really mean it!
      For Dia, it makes sense if you keep your passions bottled up, they tend to explode out when you finally release the cap (I think my exhaustion wasn’t going to put up with any of it, haha)

      Kanan-CHUANNNNN.

  6. As soon as Dia made this face, I was immediately reminded of this fanart:

    WRUBYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! (Kono Dia da!)”

    Also, I had a “Sheer Heart Attack” (of the “HNNNNNGGGGG!!!” kind) seeing Dia doting cutely on her little sister Ruby. (OK, that’s enough JoJokes for this post.)

    Yoshiko’s awesome shark hammock is awesome.

    P.S.: I’d really love to know how you fellow commenters are able to post the actual images instead of image links.

    Incognito
  7. man I love this new side of Dia

    the Kanan and Mari ship is growing stronger

    starting to ship Chika and Riko becaause it seems like the right thing to do

    also I want that shark sleeping bag Yoshiko has

    Wraith
  8. A fun episode, but it does have me a little concerned about the pacing. If this is the standard 12, that means 3/4 of this show was to gather the members together and only really getting to know the third years in one condensed chunk last episode, and then squeezing their journey from that 0 rank into potential Love Live finalists.

    Any word on if this is getting a second season?

    With the success of idol shows in recent times, there doesn’t seem to be any reason not to.

    It’s also a little weird to be putting Riko’s dilemma on the spot this far into the series; after episode 2, the whole thing felt like it was wrapped up and neatly put away- never really having been touched upon since, even if just in passing.

    Oh well, this episode was still a hoot. Few things are more enjoyable to see than the melting of an ice queen. Mi dia just got a little brighter.

    Stranger

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