User blog:Staraptor Kwan/Aikatsu Stars! Episode 11 Review: Senpai & Kouhai

Before I begin, I would like to apologise for not completing my review for Episode 10; there were just too many assignments for me to handle, so I hope you folks will understand. I admit that I'm dissappointed as well; Episode 10 was so critically important to the plot that I really wanted to write my best review yet for it-but in the end, I just couldn't find the appropriate time to finish all of it. I promise that when the time is right, I will finish editing it.

Recently, Hikaru has had a rather nasty habit of appearing at the beginning of important episodes, and Episode 11 is no exception. It appears that Hime, after the events of the last episode, has had enough of Hikaru's manipulation of her beloved kouhai and confronts him about it: the latter simply brushes off her accusations, thus leaving Hime no choice but to back off for now (Dat dude still has his nasty habit of not finishing his sentences for no apparent reason).

Over at the cafeteria, Yume and co are discussing her solo live; the former displays some remarkable self-awareness by doubting that her superb performance was not due to her own abilities, but rather some sort of inner power had enchanced her own performance (she's right about that). However, both Laura and Koharu state that her managing to put on a great show was due to her performing well under pressure, thus it was due to her own efforts ( their theories aren't exactly off the mark either, and are actually quite reasonable too).

Just then, a red carpet rolls out for none other than the S4 themselves. Hime leads the way and-suprise suprise- personally apologises to Yume for the burden placed on her the other day, causing Yume to revert into her kouhai mode and return the favour by stating her failure to draw a large audience to her live. Nevertheless, Hime praises her for having actually managed to impress those that came. Yamaguchi then appears; the other S4 members explain his presence by informing everyone about his coverage of one day in Hime's life. Then the plot of today's episode kicks into place when Hime offers Yume a chance to become her one-day manager; the latter immediately agrees, which also invokes flashbacks to a similarly-structured episode from the original series.



The next morning, Yume heads to meet up with Hime when her usual delusions kick in; however this time she's more realistic compared to previous episodes. Her destination is at the S4 dorm-said dorm being actually a gigantic Middle Ages-themed castle. Hime then appears wearing a tracksuit for the first time, and when questioned by Yume, simply replies that she jogs every single morning-despite her busy schedule, which impresses Yume (and gives her a early hint of Hime's not-so natural prodigy status; if you didn't catch my meaning I will explain it later on).



In a clever if unsubtle attempt at self-advertisement, the first location in Hime's schedule is none other than BNP's own company headquarters. There, Hime starts off with Makiko's Room, where she does a interview with the programme's namesake (dat hairstyle is something to be reckoned with). Then Makiko invokes a crucial plot point of this episode: she discusses Hime's past. 

It is revealed that Hime began her career in the entertainment field as a infant, and throughout her childhood, she took on various roles; from modelling to acting and of course, singing. Due to her unconventional upbringing, Hime was always under the spotlight, regularly surrounded by cameras and the media. Despite living under these harsh circumstances, Hime gradually got used to it, and never stopped smiling despite constantly being surrounded by adults. With those crediantals, it's not surprising when we find out that she joined the S4 during her first year at Yotsuboshi Gakuen (which is to be expected considering that her predecessor, Mizuki became the Starlight Queen in her first year as well, only that the circumstances surrounding them were somewhat different).



Next, Hime and co arrive at a product pitch where said product is based off herself;  the Hime Rouge lipstick. She voices her approval on its colour and quickly gets down to work. Hime films the commerical while decked out in a custom-made dress, which only serves to enchance her elegance even further in the eyes of all the staff (and Yume, naturally). Soon, break time comes along and Yume decides to bring refreshments to her tired senpai.only to trip over a cable by accident and-holy jesus-splashes some juice on Hime's dress. Uh-oh.



A fiasco immediately erupts, with the staff ganging up on Yume and scolding her for being careless. This scene is actually far more realistic compared to the general lack of apathy shown by staff in the original series, however poor Yume still has to face the wrath of angry corporation employees. The situation is even made worse by the fact that there is no spare dress to replace the spoilt original. Fortunately, Hime saves the day by managing to obscure the small stain on her dress during filming, and Yamaguchi drives home the point about her adept resourcefulness via some skillful narration of his own.

After the end of the commercial shoot, Yume apologises to Hime over the earlier incident; the latter gently comforts and tells her not to be so hung up over it (Mizuki would had been harsher). Anyway, as they reach the exit they find many fans waiting outside to cheer Hime on. Without hesitation, Hime checks with Yume if she has some time before their next appointment and heads out to take a group photo with them. It goes without saying that this scene shows that Hime truly does take her time to interact with her fans, as lampshaded by Yamaguchi later on.

On their way to lunch, Hime suddenly has a headache and notes that it might rain,  which Yume doubts, but she insists anyway. They arrive at a curry house which happens to be Hime's favourite, and when Yume decides to order what Hime usually has, the chef hesitates before taking her order, foreshadowing a spicy affair for Yume herself. And sure enough, Yume can't cope with the extremely spicy dish whereas her senpai gulps it down like a boss. More photo sessions with fans follow, along with a surprise one with Yume herself, which highlights her growing popularity that has been carried over from the last episode.

By the time they arrive at their final destination (no pun intended) in the schedule, rain, as Hime predicted earlier, starts to fall. And once it starts pouring heavily, Hime's condition begins to deteriorate and she would have collapsed if not for Yume's timely assistance. When Yume asks whether she's okay, Hime reveals to Yume her weakness: her body is sensitive to the low pressure created by the rainy weather. ( Fans have theorized whether this condition might be related to the same rainbow aura that Yume has, but the logical explanation is acceptable for now). Despite Hime's concert beginning in an hour's time, Hime assures Yume that she will be fine before heading off to rest.

This crucial yet interesting scene represents a important milestone in Hime's characterization, and for good reason: she is actively shown to have her own limits as well despite being a top class idol. In other words, Hime character has been greatly humanized by the writers.

The thing is, Episode 11 was meant to be a direct counterpart to its predecessor from the original series, which meant that this episode would have determined whether Hime was a mere clone of Mizuki or a excellent character in her own right. And the latter is true: the reason why I said Hime's humanization was greatly deserved was that because whilst Mizuki was shown to never have any sort of physical or mental deterioration up while constantly displaying superhuman-like abilities up until Episode 47, Hime actually shows signs of weakness, which shows us that even though top-class idols have vast reserves of stamina and skill, they still have limits, for they are merely human. In this writer's opinion, this realistic portrayal of Hime's persona has made her evolve into a far more appealable and even sympathetic character than before. After all, it's easier to sympathise with a more realistical and caring idol than one who keeps acting cold and displays unrealistical superhuman strength.

'When the time arrives for Hime's performance, she decides to soldier on despite her sickly condition. To alleviate her discomfort, Yume attempts to administer a hand message on Hime. This actually might have done some wonders, for the following performance is equally as epic. Hime's solo performance of Episode Solo, is, in this writer's opinion, in a superior class of its own, far more superior to her previous ones in Episode 1 and more importantly, Episode 4. The reason for saying so is that ironically, despite being a cool-type song, Episode Solo holds nothing back and unleashes Hime's own power and aura for all to witness; what makes it even cooler that without Yozora's presence distracting her ( no offense, sorry), Hime now has the entire stage to herself, and her powerful yet energetic performance proves that out-of place combinations can be good if handled well properly( better take note of that, Yume and Heart Skips).

Afterwards, Hime gratefully thanks Yume for her hand massage, claiming that it has made her better (the rain stopping is also a clear indicator that she's back to normal) everyone heads back to the S4 castle, or dorm where Hime settles down with her S4 brethen for their "legendary" tea party (see my review for Episode 5). Yamaguchi asks Hime one more question about her future goals, and she replies that bringing more excitement to the heart of Aikatsu is her main priority. Yume has also learnt something as well; she now understands the sacrifices her senpai had to make, that she worked very hard to become the prodigy that she is today. And with that, the programme comes to an end, thus allowing Hime to doze off out of the sight of the cameras and bringing a excellent episode to a close. Sweet dreams, Hime-san...

Verdict:

The Good:

​The Bad: Score: 8.5/10
 * Hime's humanization is a realistic and genuine portrayal of her character, which makes her even more appealable and sympathetic to the fanbase compared to Kanzaki Mizuki.
 * Her past is also looked into, which gives Hime some more much-needed character development.
 * Excellent interpretation of a similarly-structured episode from the original series.
 * Hime took the "solo" part of Episode Solo very seriously and channeled her determination into nothing short of an amazing solo rendition of the song itself.
 * The senpai and kouhai relationship between Hime and Yume is presented quite well.
 * Apparently, Bandai Pictures Namco are way too over in their heads to the point where they shamelessly advertise themselves, thus proving that they are the Konami of the anime industry.

Conclusion:

'''The second round of the Aikatsu Stars! anime adaptation starts off strongly with a well-regarded remake of Episode 3 of the original series, which not only manages to improve on every single aspect of it, but also humanizes one of the show's most popular characters and strengthens the relationship between Hime and Yume even further. Without a doubt, Episode 11: Stuck To! A Day with Hime Shiatori is one episode that fans cannot simply miss.'''

Afterword:

Before this episode and the previous one, I had always remained cautious and wary of Hime, mainly due to that scene at the end of Episode 2. Now that she's been revealed to be genuinely kind-hearted and pure, I'm starting to warm to her, and I love her even more due to her being a warm and caring senpai to Yume unlike how cold and distant Mizuki was to Ichigo. So adieu for now then, and please wait for me post the review for Episode 12!