User blog:Staraptor Kwan/Aikatsu Stars! Episode 16 Review: A Switcheroo of Controversy



You guys wanna know something?

Sometimes, even a good episode (or videogame), no matter how well-crafted it is in terms or graphical art, story content, great characters and so on, all of that can be overshadowed by just a single controversial decision that can single handedly turn the fanbase's opinions against it immediately regardless of how good it is, to the point where fan opinion about said episode and the series that it originates from can become extremely polarised (remember Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 2 and his protaganist bait-and-switch, anyone?). That said, what I wrote above also applies to Episode 16 as well, and for good reason.



It's early morning, and what better way to start it off than with the filming of Laura-chan's ridiculously cute takiyaki commercial? After all, it's not like anything is gonna prevent Laura from performing alongside Hime, right?

Yeah, right. This being Aikatsu Stars!, it doesn't take very long for a situation to crop up, no thanks to the camera not recording any footage due to a internal problem (maybe the god of coincidences tampered with that camera?). Laura informs Anna of her predicament while Yume stands by (co's she's the main character), and the situation quickly becomes crystal clear; if Laura can't finish her replacement shoot and make it back on time, Flower Song will have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

That said, the scene where Laura decides against postponing the shoot despite Kaoru's wishes showcases her strong determination to get something done even at great cost, and you really can't help but admire Kaoru's concern for her star representative. It's evident that their working relationship that began way back in Episode 9 has evolved into one based on a mentor-mentee role; something which may prove to be a crucial storyline element at some point later on in this season.



Back at Yotsuboshi Gakuen, Anna calls for an emergency meeting consisting of all the Flower Song first-years and gives them the rundown on Laura's predicament. The initial reaction, although one of shock, quickly shifts towards one of optimism, as most of the students believe that Hime could pull a Mizuki and solo her entire competition without even blinking a eye. Reality ensues however as Hime appears and reminds them that even by herself, there's no way she could surpass last episode's performance by the Kasumi sisters, in which she needs someone who is capable of keeping in sync with her own level by her side. As I mentioned before in my review for Episode 11, this is what separates Hime from Mizuki; the former is well aware of her own limitations and knows what is required to overcome any situation that a single person can't handle by themselves.

Speaking of which, both Hime and Anna decide upon a replacement; that of the student who ranked second behind Laura. Said student is none other than Yume herself, which sheds light on one of the major criticisms aimed at this episode; you do have to wonder whether she got 2nd place by being competent enough or just by default due to being the main character.



Anyway, while the two contestants hold a strategy meeting with Anna, it's blatantly obvious that Yume is having second thoughts about the whole substitution scenario, so she heads out to wait for Laura's return instead. Speaking of which, the atmosphere and the accompanying background OST during this scene was well thought out as usual; the facial expressions and mannerisms of the trio are all in contrast to their usual, upbeat (and in Anna's case, eccentric) moods. Given the severity of the situation, these factors make this scene seem much more realistic, which is a nice little touch as usual.

That said, next up is the scene featuring Bird Theater's representatives, Ako and Tsubasa, which for the most part doesn't have that much significance other than having those two interact with each other "suggestively" in order to give birth to a new shipping couple. But hey, this is Aikatsu Stars!, so it's a given. Switch over to Laura's perspective, however, and it's clear as day that the writers really want nothing more than to implement all sorts of obstructions in order to prevent her from performing alongside Hime, as Laura's entourage gets stuck in a middle of a traffic jam. Even the train isn't a viable option, as once again, the god of coincidences intervenes again to ensure that no thanks to a signal failure, all lanes have been temporarily closed off.



And thus, this scenario sets the stage for yet another true test of friendship  for both Yume and Laura, both whom know that the inevitable can't be denied. Yet when the former still persists on her belief Laura doesn't deserve to not be on stage alongside Hime, the latter, in a smug yet accepting demeanour, tells Yume to raise her hand and by doing the same, manages to pull off a spritual baton pass, its significance being now that the responsibilities of ensuring victory for the Flower Song Class have been passed on by Laura to Yume herself.

The true significance of this heartwarming scene is that it nulifies the misconception that it's all about Yume getting all the glory while Laura slowly fades into the background. No, in fact it's far more than that; in fact this scene is actually a continuation of the challenges that constantly tested the bonds of friendship between both of them. One of Aikatsu Stars! greatest strengths is that when the situation calls for it, it can rely on the events of previous episodes to make any scene related to said previous event feel even more meaningful.

By having Yume bring up Laura's previous shortcomings in Episode 7 and 9, and how she helped her out back then, it shows how much that those two have progressed in terms of friendship. and it also gives Laura's character even more depth; to have the courage to sacrifice your main role in order for your entire class to succeed marks the sign of having what it takes to be a true idol. That's why this writer felt that despite the contrary viewpoint of the fanbase, Laura actually gets to play a significant role during this episode; while Yume may have the honor of performing, without encouragement from the former, it's very likely that she could have remained stubborn and thus put the entirety of Flower Song at risk of losing out to the other classes.



Having gained enough confidence, Yume decides to head back and accept her new-found responsibilities, much to the relief of Anna and Hime. Together, the two of them train rigorously under Anna's supervision, which Yume does while swearing to pull this off for Laura's and everyone's sake, to the point where Hime actually witnesses a apparition of the latter materialize next to her kouhai. Or maybe she was just hallucinating, but who knows? That said, every cloud has a sliver lining, and despite how fans might feel about Yume performing instead of Laura, one must admit that having Yume and Hime perform Start Line together makes for quite a uplifting experience; the voices of Ruka and Sena blend together in perfect harmony without compromising the sheer quality of the stage, auras and the music itself, while their fairy coords represent a nice callback to Episode 13. Also, on a semi-related note, before the performance begins there's a little scene where Mahiru wishes Yume good luck, which is a good sign; she's part of the main team now, and by encouraging Yume, she now acknowledges that role as hers.

With the end result being a narrow win for Flower Song Class (Yume is gonna get a lot of free lunches starting next month), both Koharu and Mahiru congratulate Yume on her victory. And then guess who shows up with dat usual smug altitude of hers. Yours truly, the loyal and understanding friend, Sakuraba Laura. Cue hugs and tears of joy, which brings a really heartwarming conclusion to what could be considered a really excellent episode.

But...hold on, there's more! Turns out that Hikaru's in his office watching the S4 discuss Yume's victory, and while thinking about new ways to expel Yume (actually he was thinking about her capabillities), he then turns-and the camera shifts to the audience's view, revealing a framed photograph of a mysterious girl in S4 uniform.

Now that's how you create a cliffhanger.

Conclusion:

Despite its controrversial character switcheroo leading it to generate divisive opinions among the fanbase, Episode 16: Miracle Baton manages to deliver another high-quality and heartwarming story which touches upon the progress that both Yume and Laura have made with their friendship thus far while ending it with a powerful yet simple cliffhanger that brings the phrase " A picture is worth a thousand words" to mind.

Afterword:

I will be extremely frank here; when I was reviewing this episode, what agitated me wasn't the fact that Yume took over the spotlight from Laura (although I admit that being a Laura fan, I was a bit salty at first), but the general reaction by the fanbase torwards said scenario. Not to say that they had no right to criticise the decisons the writers made in Yume's favour, but by making a huge fuss over that rather than taking the time to analyse and understand the finer points that this episode had, they are just making things worse. That said, I'm pretty sure that Laura might get more chances to shine in the near future, so let's put our hopes and faith in the writers for now.

In the next episode though, we are heading from emo drama territory and into fun and games involving a certain nekocchi and four charming young men. Sounds awesome, right? Well, see you guys until the next episode, then! Adieu!

Rating: 8/10