User blog:Lucy554/Aikatsu Stars: Will there be a protagonist switch?

Npw, I'm sure everyone who watched the original Aikatsu remembers the movie, and how that was (basically) the conclusion to Ichigo's story, so that the show could shift its focus to Akari for Season 4. Now, Akari was introduced halfway through season two of the original, and I personally liked her Season 2 and early Season 3 self better than the later episodes, but that's not what I'm here to talk about. Today, I thought it would be a good thing to talk about whether or not there will be a protagonnist switch, and, if so, who will be the new protagonist? Have we already met them, or will they be someone completely new?

What would happen if there is no protagonist switch?
Well, this is a big question. Most likely, the series would end. Yume would defeat Elza in the Aikatsu World Ranking, and that would make her the greatest idol in the world. She would likely defeat Elza with the help of Ichigo & Co., but that isn't the most important factor here. But yes, I do believe that Stars would end as an anime if there does not turn out to be a switch in the lead role. The original Aikatsu could have ended on a happy note on its hundreth episode, with Ichigo and Seira having overcome Mizuki as a duo, and Mikuru leaving to pursue her career as a gardener. And everyone would have been satisfied! But instead, they shifted the focus to Akari, and promted for an amazing ending with the two forming Cosmos, but I persoanlly would have liked the anime to end after the second Season. We would have been left with an amazing cliffhanger with the combination of Ichigo still being just below Mizuki, and Mikuru's decalration of Mizuki being her new rival. The fans could have gone on to talk for years about what would have happened to Dream Academy, Mikuru, and whether Ichigo ever became the Top Idol she set out to be. But instead, they shifted the focus to a new idol, and gave us a somewhat less satisfying end to the anime with Akari becoming the Starlight Queen. Even more than either ending, I would have loved for the movie to be the end. We could have gone as far as the Unit Cup (I can't recall the actual name. But it included the formation of Luminas and the return of Tristar, as well as PowaPowaPuri's first real show.) and then had the movie, giving us an amazing end, leaving us with Akari and the girls' rivallry to Soliel, Mizuki's final live, and Ichigo achieving her goal.

So, after that rant about the ending of Aikatsu, what about Stars? Well, in all actuality, this would be a great ending! The only thing we would need after the Ranking would be for Yume to challenge Hime to a battle, and to see once and for all that she has overcome her idol! That was what she set out to do from the beginning, and it would be a satisfying end. We wouldn't even need for Hime and Yume to form a unit or anything of the sort, it would just be a good ending alone! (Though I think it could be added to by the disbandement of Venus Ark and the Venus Ark idols realizing just how much they leaned into the fact that they were acknowledged by Elza so as to gain a fanbase...)

So, what if there is a switch?
Well, I believe that an ending with a switch and four Seasons would work better here than it did for the original. I think here Yume wouldn't beat Elza. In this world, the new protagonist would take up the matle and Yume would still overcome Hime, but nto Elza. This would work because the ranking would be held again and after Yume mentors the new protagonist, she would overcome Elza by growing not only as an idol, but as a person. Now, this might not be the end, as the new protagonist would likely idolize Yume as Akari did Ichigo, and I would love for the finale to be the protagonist challenging Yume and losing by just one of two points. Then, Yume could contragulate them like only Yume could, and I would love it if after this Yume went to tour the world like Hime and Ichigo, and then we could get a Season about her travels, much like the Luminas tour. While a Season about Yume's travels isn't required, I think it would be a nice touch. Although, the end of the previous Season would be the real end, not the end of this next season.

All right, so is this mysterious new protagonist???
Fine, impatient reader, I'll tell you who I believe them to be: '''Alice Carol. '''What?!? Yeah, I think that this would work. We've already met her, and she vowed to overcome Elza in the same episode. I would love for her to return, and after seeing Yume barely lose to Elza, for her to enroll in Four Star and ask Yume to mentor her. This makes sense, as Alice already has an established bond with Yume, and Yume was shown successfully acting like a mentor to Alice! She fits the bill for traditional Aikatsu protagonist as well, with her cute typing, blonde hair, and ribbon! Along with that, she would bring something new to the group of protagonists with her dolly feel! So far we've had Ichigo, who's persona is hard to describe, but feels like a fairy/angel to me. Then we have Akari, the Sky Idol as I think of her, and Yume, the Rainbow Idol. Alice would be something we've never seen before, and she already has an established goal, not being a total blank slate that they can mold like Akari, who all they had to was get rid of her Ichigo-Syndrome and she could become a perfect protagonist! Alice already is one!

So, do you think that they will switch protagists? Will they end the anime? Will Yume continue on as the protagonist? Let me know! And, if they do switch, who do think that the new protagonist will be? See you next time!