Episode 30 - Rainbow-Colored Candy

Rainbow-Colored Candy (七色のキャンディ) is the thirtieth episode of the Aikatsu Stars! Anime Series. It aired on November 3rd, 2016.

Summary
Yume's childhood friend, Koharu has something important to tell Yume but can't say it. However, she can't stay silent forever. Not wanting to cause too much attention, Koharu decides to say it. Yume is confused about this sudden talk and realizes that it's better to not be sad, so she and Laura decide to come up with a plan for Koharu.

Plot
Koharu is in her room, and while looking at a calendar, thinks about how she has to soon tell Yume about how she is leaving for Italy with her family.

In the lesson room, the song class is training, when in the middle of the session, Yume begins to cough again. Anna asks what's wrong, and Yume responds by telling her that her throat doesn't feel right. However, when Anna looks at Yume's throat, she doesn't see anything wrong with her, but still lets her sit on the sidelines to rest her voice. The class then goes back to practice while Yume sits against the wall, thinking about how her voice always seems to go away after trying her hardest on stage. Thinking that her core isn't strong enough, she proceeds to do sit-ups until the end of the lesson.

After the lesson ends, Yume approaches Laura, asking if she'd like to get lunch with her, but Laura says that she had already made plans to practice on her own during the break. Laura then tells Yume that she will need to be a lot more serious if she wishes to be Yume's true rival, and proposes that they should Aikatsu on their own for a while. Yume seems shocked by this idea, but Laura comforts her by letting her know that they would still be friends, like always, saying that she just wants to put a little more pressure on herself. Yume replies, saying that she understands, but seeming a little downtrodden.

Yume exits the lesson room, only to be called out to by Koharu, who proposes that they eat lunch together. After getting lunch, the two talk, and Koharu reveals to Yume that she'll be moving away overseas. Yume is shocked by this, nearly choking on her food. Koharu then explains how her dad has to go overseas on a business trip for quite some time, so her family decided that they would move together, so she'll be leaving to go to Italy the next week. She reaffirms Yume that she won't be quitting Aikatsu and that she wants to say goodbye to her with a smile, which stops Yume from crying. Yume wipes away her tears, promising that she'll work hard to see Koharu off with a smile.

Yume, Laura, Mahiru, and Ako are in their homeroom, discussing how next week is far too sudden for Koharu to be leaving. They all appear sad, especially Yume until she tells the girls that she'd like them to help her throw a surprise going away party for Koharu. The other girls, of course, agree to help her with the party.

The girls prepare for the party by putting up decorations and such while Koharu packs up her items, getting ready to move out of the dorm. Two other first-years approach Yume and the other girls, asking if they can help with the party too, as Koharu had always been nice to them. Of course, Yume accepts their offer, and the new girls remark the Yume must already be feeling lonely because Koharu talks about her all of the time. Yume is shocked by this, and the girls go on to tell her Koharu has always talked about how incredible Yume is, and how proud she is to be her oldest friend. Yume recounts how Koharu has always been there for her, cheering her on no matter what the circumstances were, ever since they met. Ako but in, saying that Koharu had always said that Yume's performances had kept her going. Then, Laura suggests that Yume hold a farewell concert for Koharu in order to cap off the party. Yume is surprised by the idea, but Mahiru is quick to agree that Yume's concert is what would make Koharu happiest. Yume agrees to the idea, saying that she'll give Koharu the best performance ever.

Koharu finishes packing her suitcase just as Yume returns to their dorm from preparing for the party. Yume asks whether Koharu is leaving that night, and Koharu says that her parents are picking her up leave for the airport that evening. Yume and Koharu turn towards the desk, Yume saddened when she notices that Koharu's side of the desk is bare. She quickly snaps out of it though and asks Koharu to come with her for a bit.

Yume walks a blindfolded Koharu over to the room where they set up the farewell party and then asks her to take off the blindfold. She opens her eyes to a crowd of first-years with party poppers, calling out "Surprise!" Koharu is overjoyed to see the party that the other girls had set up for her. Laura points out how many people had come to see her off, which is followed up by Ako remarking that even the staff came to say goodbye. Mahiru finishes off the little speech by saying that they all want Koharu to have fun, even if it isn't for long.

Ako announces that they'll begin the party with a slideshow of the highlights of Koharu's time at Four Star. The slideshow consists of short clips of Koharu in the Moon Beauty fashion show, Koharu as Cinderella in the school movie, Koharu in the school's festival show as a showgirl, and Koharu in trick glasses on Halloween.

Kohura and the other girls are enjoying some strawberry pastries in the main party room when Ako runs over, announcing that S4 has arrived. Yuzu, Hime and Tsubasa, all come over to Koharu, expressing how glad they were that they could make it, but that Yozora is still at a photo shoot, and that she'll be there soon. Of course, Koharu is overjoyed that even S4 came to see her off, and Yuzu presents her with a piece of paper signed by all four of them. Koharu accepts the gift, saying that she'll keep it forever.

Yume tells Koharu that her, Laura, Mahiru, and Ako made a present for her as well, and the girls then present her with five plush dolls, each one of a different girl. They remark that the plush dolls aren't great, but they did their best and that Ako did most of the work on the Koharu doll. Yume remarks that they made them for her because they didn't want Koharu getting lonely. Of course, Koharu is touched by this.

Ako announces that they'll close the party by having Yume sing for Koharu, putting all of her gratitude into a farewell show. Backstage, Yume thinks about how she made the dress she'd be using, the Charming Books Coord, with Koharu's favorite colors. She says that her voice still hasn't entirely recovered yet from her last show, but that she'll try her hardest.

Yume proceeds to perform So Beautiful Story for Koharu, overall putting on a great show until she activates her rainbow progression aura. When she does, she begins to cough, no longer able to sing, and the stage glitches out as Yume falls to the ground, fainting. Yume's friends rush up onto the stage in an attempt to save her, but Yume faints- the last thing she sees before she blacks out being Koharu kneeling in front of her, in a panic, calling out her name.

The girls kneel over a collapsed Yume, panicking. The headmaster comes up onto the stage, picking Yume up and taking her to the hospital wing. Before Yume can wake up, Koharu has to leave without getting to properly say goodbye.

Before Koharu leaves, she engages in a conversation with Laura, Mahiru, Ako, and Anna. Of course, they all encourage her to have a good time in Italy and keep up her Aikatsu while she's there. Koharu remarks that she hopes Yume is okay and Mahiru tells her that she'll be alright and that she was very excited to put on the best possible show for Koharu. Koharu asks the girls to take care of Yume, and then Yozora and Asahi arrive to see her off. Asahi gives Koharu a bouquet of roses, saying that he's giving it to her on behalf of all of her fans. Yozora remarks that it's so hard to say goodbye to Koharu, and reminds her to take care of her skin, and then gives her a hug. She then presents Koharu with a bottle of scented body mist, the same kind she uses. Koharu is overjoyed by the gifts, thank everyone for the gifts they've given her and all that they've done, and then drives away with her parents, crying as she leaves until she encounters the rest of S4, along with a large group of students and her teacher, Tamagoro, holding a banner for her and waving goodbye.

Yume wakes up in the hospital wing after Koharu has already left, sitting up in bed, only for a doctor to rush over, telling Yume that she shouldn't get up too quickly. Yume begins coughing as Hime enters the room. Yume gets up out of bed, saying that she has to get to Koharu, but falls down in the process, bracing herself against the bed. Hime, heartbroken, tells Yume that Koharu has already left, telling her that she didn't leave Yume until the very moment she was forced to leave and that she was very concerned for her. Yume continues coughing, saying that all she wanted was to see Koharu off happily.

Hime helps Yume up back onto the bed and gives her a cup of tea, telling her that it will help her throat. Yume takes a sip of the tea and then begins to ask Hime why she had fainted, only to be cut off by Hime, asking Yume if she remembers the last time this happened. Hime asks Yume if she's noticed that sometimes she performs so amazingly that it's almost as if she was another person. Yume nods, and Hime lets her know that the same thing had happened to her first year at Four Star. Yume is shocked, but Hime continues talking, saying that the Aikatsu system chose them.

Hime recounts that during her first year, she was overjoyed that she could put on such amazing shows, but, over time, she began to lose her voice after every one. Over time, Hime became more and more scared of taking the stage, until the headmaster gave her the extra push she needed to feel that she could overcome it. After that, Hime trained harder than she ever had before, believing that she could someday perform to the best of her abilities only on skill. She apologizes to Yume, for she might have scared her, but says that she felt it was important that she knew. Yume apologizes to Hime, saying that she doesn't understand and that right now the only thing she can think of is Koharu.

Later, Yume returns to her dorm alone, crying when she sees Koharu's empty desk, but surprised to find candy and a note from Koharu on her side of the desk. Yume reads the note, and, in the note, Koharu recounts that they had had so much fun together, had grown up together and that it was thanks to Yume that she resolved to move to Italy. She writes that every time she saw Yume perform, she felt a desire to improve herself and that she feels that that can't come without some sort of change. She is going away to find herself in a new place, and that her leaving is the start line of her new Aikatsu.

Yume finishes reading the note, and unwraps a blue candy, popping it into her mouth with a small smile. She looks down at the candy wrapper, only to find another note from Koharu scribbled on the inside, saying that she will always be Yume's fan. Upon seeing the note, Yume begins to cry again and runs out of the dorm onto the campus until she reaches the outdoor balcony on the edge of campus overlooking the sea. She wonders if she can still do her best without Koharu there to support her while looking up at the star-filled sky. She then repeats her dream of joining S4.

Characters

 * Koharu Nanakura
 * Yume Nijino
 * Laura Sakuraba
 * Ako Saotome
 * Mahiru Kasumi
 * Hime Shiratori
 * Tsubasa Kisaragi
 * Yozora Kasumi
 * Yuzu Nikaidō
 * Asahi Kasumi
 * Anna Hibiki
 * Dave Satō
 * Momoko Yachigusa
 * Hikaru Moroboshi

Trivia

 * The Charming Books Coord makes its debut in this episode.
 * This is the first time in the Aikatsu! franchise where the performance is not shown until the end.

Gallery
Episode 30 - Rainbow-Colored Candy/Image gallery