Episode 06 - ROCK! Rock Girls!

ROCK! Rock Girls! (ROCK！ロック ガールズ！) is the sixth episode of the Aikatsu Stars! Anime Series. It aired on May 12, 2016.

Summary
S4 has announced that they will star in a production of a drama called "ROCK! Rock Girls", which causes Yume Nijino and the other idols of Four Star Academy to cause an uproar. However, the student officers have set up an audition to select three students among the first years to join the drama. Yume, Laura and Koharu are all motivated to pass the audition and co-star with S4. However, who will be the three people to pass the audition!?

Plot
During breakfast the girls turn on the S4 morning program, where they are discussing their casting for the brand new Drama that Tsubasa is helping direct. They will be holding a school wide audition to cast extras, and anyone curious can look at the billboards placed around the school. Yume excitedly decides she must try out.

Around one of the posters a crowd of students are overlooking the information. The drama is titled "The story of a group of studyholic girls who formed a rock band and got into a music university on their first try" -also known as ''Rock! Rock Girls''- and Koharu reveals what she's found out thus far. The setting is a prep school full of students who could care less for current trends and view their classmates as enemies as they fight for the best grades. They have no friends, but everything changes after they form a rock band and slowly gain popularity until they finally take to the stage of everyone's dreams, Rock Koshien. Their bands fame gives allows them acceptance into the same university together and they are immortalized as a band of miracles. S4 are playing the leads while students around the school will play their classmate's.

While Yume and Laura are convinced to try out, Koharu is worried that she couldn't do it until Yume encourages her by reminding her that she could get a chance to act with Yozora. But as they go to class, Yume voices concern to Laura, as she's had no acting experience before. Laura isn't worried, but they can't discuss any more as Anna has come to begin her class. She explains bringing in a special instructor for today, and to their shock Tsubasa walks into the room, explaining her plans on lending all of the different classes a hand to learn the basics in acting.

In the lessons room, Tsubasa decides to start by having everyone read the script. The story begins with act 18, in which Tsubasa -a student- is awakened to rock music after she sees M4 playing near a fountain. Everyone compliments her acting but this begins to make some of them feel more anxious as she resumes, explaining how in the next scene the protagonist hands out flyers to try to recruit band members. She demonstrates and shows that nobody gives her a second glance and she goes ignored- then she decides to have them act indifferent and uncaring. Yume and Laura are too tense and stiff to come off convincing, but the next student gracefully passes, earning a compliment from Tsubasa. The students near Yume and Laura quickly begin to chatter about the girl -Ako- saying that she's one of the top acting freshmen. Laura remarks to Yume that she'll make the audition with no problem.

During break, Koharu brings up that because of Bird Theater being an acting class to begin with they are at a disadvantage. Yume remains hopeful though, suggesting they focus on some special training. Laura an Koharu agree and after school the girls head out to a book store to learn more about studyholics. Koharu suggests they wear makeup to look tired and worn out, and Yume eagerly agrees; a bit too loudly, attracting the attention of two members of M4 and Ako, who was following around Subaru. The girls try to continue their discussion but Yume is so loud that they're forced to leave when they start getting complaints.

Subaru and Nozomu follow the trio to see what was going on, and Subaru observes Yume's notes before laughing. Nozomu brings up that they will be in this drama and Yume asks how they act. Subaru suggests they shouldn't try at all because people who aren't used to acting try to force themselves and come off as fake or really bad. He suggests Yume act confident and they take off- everyone unaware of Ako angrily watching from nearby. The trio acknowledge that the guys made a valid point when Ako suddenly runs up to Yume and gives her a hard push. This surprises Yume as Ako makes a demand and tries attacking her again. Yume attempts to be friendly with her, but when Ako storms off promising not to lose to her, Yume expresses utter confusion.

The following day, everyone is introduced to the main Director of the drama, Jirou Okamoto. Tsubasa asks that he gives them a few words of encouragement, but he provides very little and the auditions get underway. Throughout the morning the students give various auditions, and at the end of it all he chooses Yume, Koharu, Laura, and Ako as the classmates. They make an attempt to play the scene with the girls and see how everyone does, and flawlessly everyone gives it their best shot. When they go on break Yume approaches Tsubasa later for some opinions on their acting, and she explains that while it's obvious they're unfamiliar with acting, they did extremely well.

On the next scene, Tsubasa attempts to form a band by asking Yozora, Yuzu, and Hime. None of them are interested, saying they need to focus on important things like exams. Tsubasa manages to stop Hime before she leaves and asks her if studying is really worth it if she only pleases her parents, but she is unhappy. Hime begins to reconsider.

Later, the band has been formed and they were gaining popularity, which isn't ignored by M4. They note that these girls will be their rivals, but they will still win regardless. Koharu and Laura are impressed by their acting but Yume stubbornly insists that S4 is much better. As this is going on Ako resumes spying on Subaru and fawns over how cool he looks. Just then, the director calls a cut to the scene and seems troubled, believing something is missing from it. Subaru suggests that to make his character less-shallow, he should have a girlfriend because he would have a reason to win. The Director agrees to this and spots Yume, so he calls her over. Ako is furious as he explains the change in plans and he suggests they ad-lib.

Yume attempts to tell him that she isn't prepared as she hasn't done that before, but Subaru angers her by accusing her of being frightened and too afraid to try. Yume chews him out by saying that while she is afraid of failure, she isn't the only one. But she knows that if she runs away her dreams won't ever come true, so she refuses to do that. She will ensure they do come true as long as she doesn't give up. Suddenly, Subaru embraces Yume as he continues his lines, much to her surprise and Ako's shock. The scene ends and Nozomu compliments Yume's acting, bringing up that she sounded like his actual girlfriend by the passionate way she spoke. Yume criticizes him for this and insists that she'd never like someone like Subaru. Subaru calls her rude but she claims he's the one who is rude and he takes off, missing Ako attack Yume once again.

Just as Yume spots her, Subaru comes by with a bottle of water for her. Yume notices Ako's attention to the bottle and offers it to her as a friendly gesture, exciting Ako initially. But she refuses to accept charity and turns her down. Noticing her behavior, Koharu asks Ako if she has a crush on Subaru and quickly Ako denies it- but she does it so poorly that nobody believes her. She runs away crying from them, causing Laura to remark on her obviousness even though she's an acting student. Koharu finds her behavior to be cute though, and Yume calls her funny.

Later, the film resumes, with Anna acting as the announcer at the Koshien Rock performance. She announces the girls' band will be taking their turn, but only Tsubasa steps onto the stage. Surprised she asks where the other members are, and Tsubasa reveals they abandoned her to focus on their studies and the exams. As she prepares to begin, a motorcycle suddenly shows up to reveal Yozora with the Moon Beauty teacher driving it, followed by Yuzu skydiving, and lastly Hime, who comes down the stairs nearby. She explains that they came for Tsubasa, realizing that their exams will come again and this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform together there. Tsubasa is touched by the gesture and their performance begins, and in the end, Anna reveals that the Rock! Rock Girls won in the end. As they embrace each other and the audience cheers, Tsubasa narrates the ending of the drama.

Yume bawls as Laura criticizes her for being overly emotional as its revealed the trio were watching it. Koharu compliments S4's acting skills as Ako returns to tell Yume that she stands no chance; only to get flustered and in her hurry drop a tray of items. Yume grabs everything and asks if she is alright, and Ako starts to answer until realizing this, then she rushes off. Laura and Koharu comment on how interesting Ako is as Yume chases after her and tries to wish her luck towards her acting aspirations. Ako hisses and angrily threatens to claw Yume, saying she doesn't need luck.

Characters

 * Yume Nijino
 * Laura Sakuraba
 * Koharu Nanakura
 * Ako Saotome
 * Hime Shiratori
 * Tsubasa Kisaragi
 * Yuzu Nikaidō
 * Yozora Kasumi
 * Subaru Yūki
 * Nozomu Igarashi
 * Asahi Kasumi
 * Kanata Kira
 * Jirō Okamoto

Trivia

 * This episode marks the official debut of Ako Saotome.