User blog:Staraptor Kwan/Aikatsu Stars! Episode 4 Review: Throwbacks aplenty

Alright, people, let's be honest for an bit here. If you didn't catch the true meaning of this episodic review's title, then either you (1) haven't watched this episode yet but chose to read this review thus encountering major spoilers or (2) are a newcomer to Aikatsu Stars! and haven't watched the original series, or (3) you don't have the slightest idea of what the word "throwback" actually means. Jokes aside, let's begin the review, shall we?

Episode 4 begins almost exactly the same way Episode 3 did; our Dynamic Duo consisting of Yume and Laura are informed by Anna-sensei of a upcoming event, aka S4 Presents: A Premium Night that is going to be broadcasted on Aikatsu TV.  (TB#1: At 00:29 there's a Aoi-lookalike gal) Yume's pretty excited to the point where she imagines Hime forming an unit with her. (TB#2: Ichigo did the same thing as well with Mizuki).Everyone's excited when they are told that they will be "part" of the glitz and glamour of Aikatsu TV. Sounds awesome, after all nothing could go wrong for Yume and co, right?

Yeah, right. Being the rookies that Yume and co are, they find themselves working backstage, far from your exact definition of "glitz and glamour." Nevertheless, as Laura says, "Backstage work is educational in it's own way." After all, this scene serves as a reminder that without the efforts of the backstage crew, all entertainment shows will fail to perform well in front of their audiences, while also represents a massive throwback to the core principles of the original series, that is to educate viewers about the harsh realities of the idol industry.

Also, Jumbo Ribbon. "BURSTS OUT LAUGHING."

Returning to the narrative, Yume and Koharu are now in their room, talking about their respective experiences of working in the backstage. One can't help but smirk when Koharu describes Yozora's schedule in plain detail; obvious fangirling is obvious. Then a chilly breeze blows; Koharu's about to close the window when Koharu seemingly hears someone playing a piano in the far distance. Yume's curious, but Koharu dismisses it as her own imagination. Yume then remarks that she might see Hime-senpai tomorrow.

Nope. Once again, Yume's stuck in backstage breaking her back while her beloved Hime-san is out there bathing in the "glitz and glamour" of reality television. Laura slides over to help her out; and during breaktime both of them feast on bagel sandwiches(TB#3: Yume's gluttony basically mirrors that of Ichigo on a smaller scale) which Laura notes that are actually handmade.

Later on, Yume's transporting some parts to the storage room when she comes across a photoshoot involving Yozora, aka Ran and Sora's lovechild aka Koharu's waifu-senpai. Yume realizes that it's the Aikatsu Style Girls Photoshoot that Koharu mentioned to her. The photoshoot itself pretty much serves as a another throwback torwards Ran's own photoshoots, only that this time Yozora cuts an far more relaxed figure, must be due to inheriting Sora's personality traits.

The next day, Yume's jogging on her own when she hears the mysterious piano music again. Naturally, she's drawn torwards it, and who should she find playing it? You guess it, her own waifu-senpai in the form of Hime-san.

Yume follows Hime into a room with a gigantic piano, and Hime teases Yume by stating that she might have given her and the rest of her classmates a heavy burden. Uh-huh. Now here comes the important part: Hime asks Yume whether she's seen the inside of a piano before. When the latter obviously says no, both of them open it together. Hime then lectures her about the need for the countless strings and hammers to work 100% percent (hence the real name of this episode) otherwise a proper melody can't be played.

What Hime is actually trying to explain is that,''' the same way a piano operates in order to play a proper melody is exactly the same way that everyone, from the backstage staff to the producers and to the idols working on a show, that enable said performance to be an complete success. '''

Before I continue, let's reflect on has been reviewed so far. Generally speaking, this episode has included plenty of throwbacks to the previous series, even on a larger scale compared to the series premiere. Given the spin-off nature of Aikatsu Stars!, it's to be expected. It's good to see that these familar elements derived from the narrative of the previous series are being shown here, and BNP does it in a way that strives to appease the nostagia in our hearts while presenting those throwbacks a brand new yet familar form.

The comedy is also top-notch; it gives us plenty of laughable moments such as that brown-haired guy calling Yume by the moniker 'Jumbo Ribbon';Yume's lack of knowledge about the S4 event and the resulting reactions from both Laura and Koharu; and especially smaller yet subtle moments, like Yume panicking over the possibilty of overeating without permission, and most of subtle of all: Laura's face when she's eating a bagel. These comedic yet funny moments also fit into the narrative properly without disrupting the natural flow of the episode's storyline.

Pretty soon, Yozora arrives at the scene with her faithful waifu-uh, sorry, personal assistant Koharu-chan in tow. Hime pops up as well and apologises to her kouhai's and other backstage staff for requesting a change of stage setting on such short notice. Pretty considerate of her, I guess.



Afterwards, Miwa Tamagorou, the' bishounen head teacher of the Moon Beauty Class presents the audience the stars of today's show, aka Hime and Yozora themselves. I admit I was surprised by their entrance via underground podium instead of appearing from behind the curtains. Yume's awestrucked as usual, and then brown haired dude comes along to chat with her about the incredible amount of effort that both Hime and Yozora have put into ensuring the success of the live show. Then more suprises crop up; it turns out that the refreshments given to them were actually made by Hime and Yozora as well ( bagel sandwiches and vegetable juice respectively). Needless to say, Yume's even more amazed by the fact that the two of them still managed to procure refreshments for the entire crew despite their busy schedules.

And pretty soon afterwards, both Hime and Yozora present their respective coords for today's performance. On Hime's side, the Dreaming Princess Coord from Episode 1 makes its appearance again. And on Yozora's side...guess what she presents? Yup, the final throwback of many throwbacks in today's episode is none other than the Arabian Sparkle Coord. (TB#7: Seriously, this one is so blatantly obvious to the point that even you guys already know what I mean). Afterwards, both of them head into the dressing room and undergo standard prodecure as usual  (keep in mind that we are seeing S4 members going through the changing procedure for the first time).

And at long last, after three consecutive performances of Aikatsu Step, we finally get Episode Solo as a insert song. And boy oh boy, the tempo and atmosphere do not disappoint. The colour and CG effects of the stage also contribute to the sheer awesomeness of the song. Unfortunately, the performance seems lacking in two areas: (1) Episode Solo is a quadruple effort by S4, and the absence of Tsubasa and Yuzu dampens the excitment by an little, and (2) Hime's dress is just too long and doesn't actually fit into the theme of the song properly. But it is what it is. Still, to see Hime perform again as well as Yozora for the first time (Miho's voice is soothing to the ear) is just pretty awesome as usual.

At the end of the day, everyone congratulates each other for their hard work. Yume has learnt a lot from today's experience working at backstage, a factor which will defintely boost her chances of joining the S4 and even become the top idol. That is, if the brown haired guy doesn't stop joking about Yume's "bright", alternative career-in backstage work. Hahahaha. Jumbo Ribbon, anyone?

Verdict

The Good:

​The Bad: ​Score: 8.1/10
 * The episode's inclusion of many throwbacks to the previous series provides some warm familarity to Aikatsu fans.
 * Plenty of comedic and funny moments occur within this episode; they also fit perfectly within the narrative without compromising the storyline.
 * As a standalone episode, while it doesn't advance the series plotline, it still draws from the core principles of the original series by educating the audience about the realities of the idol industry.
 * Episode Solo replaces Aikatsu Step as the insert song, and boy it is terrifically good as usual.
 * Depending on your point of view, this episode might be considered filler full of fanservice-style throwbacks that admittedly isn't really relevant to the main plotline.
 * Absence of Yuzu and Tsubasa from Episode Solo performance makes for an lacksture display.
 * Lack of originality regarding Yozora's Premium Dress. 

Conclusion

'''Episode 4: Always 100% renews the tradition of "educational" standalone episodes dating back from the original series in Aikatsu Stars!. The many throwbacks found in the episode, as well as plenty of genuinely funny moments are solid reasons why Episode 4 is considered an excellent standalone episode rather than one filled with useless fanservice and nostalgia. The core principles of the original series still apply here; and as long as the Aikatsu Stars! franchise continues, they will always be present in episodes like this one.'''

Afterword:

FYI, I always maintain an eagle-eye stance when I watch every single episode of Aikatsu Stars! so as to catch and analyze every single, no matter how small detail in each episode. That way, I can present my ideas and views about each episode I review, and Episode 4 is no exception. That's how I managed to notice all the major and minor throwbacks to the original series this episode contained. I hope you liked this review as well as comprehended the true meaning of this episode. I bid you people adieu for now, so let's wait until Episode 5 comes out then!