Episode 23 - Descent of the Tundra Songstress!

Descent of the Tundra Songstress! (ツンドラの歌姫、降臨！) is the twenty third episode of the Aikatsu Stars! Anime Series. It aired on September 15th, 2016.

Summary
"The Lucky Seven of Four Star Academy" is where if you collect every wish, something will come true! Yume and Laura, start looking for these wishes, but they can't find the seventh "Tundra Songstress" who is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Yuzu Nikaidō of S4 is at an event, and announces that her show is going to be replaced by another idol who is about to make a guest appearance.

Plot
As Yume and Laura sit in the cafeteria, they discuss how shocking it is that it's already been half a year since the began their Aikatsu at Four Star Academy, and Yume is reminded how Anna is always talking about originality. Yume asks Laura what she thinks her originality is and she thinks for a bit and replies it is maybe her energy. Yume is disappointed by this because she feels it is too generic, and comments that Laura has her unique rock star style, which Laura says she couldn't found it if not for Yume, and that it's Yume's turn to find her own originality.

Meanwhile at Lilie's house, inside her bedroom Yuzu offers her a ticket to her next event, telling her that she always wanted to have Lilie watch her perform. Lilie looks out the window and says that she would be delighted to attend, now that the weather has cooled down and it is nearing autumn. Yuzu asks her if she's read all the books on her shelf and she replies that she had.

Later on, in cafetaria, Koharu enters and tells them about Four Star Academy's seven lucky stars. She explains that if they can find all of them, their wishes will be granted. Yume is excited about this and wants to look right away.

Laura describes the first lucky star as an emblem with four stars, that whoever finds will shine just as bright as the stars. Koharu noted that it's like S4's logo, and then Mahiru, hearing the conversation, told them she might found what they're looking for. They find on the sports field the four stars described. The next lucky star is described as "say a prayer to the endless world" and at first the girls are confused but then head to the changing room and open a mirror reflecting an array of mirrors behind it, seemingly endless.

Next they must find the tiny fairy, and they find her dancing.

The next is "if you find a beautiful person in the art room you will become just as beautiful". The girls go to the art room and wait a while, they don't find anybody, until they notice a painting called "Beautiful Person" hanging on the wall. They then ask the woman in the painting to lend them her beauty.

Next they must "dance to the rhythm of time", they infer that this refers to the clock in the library as it's the only clock in the school which plays music. They go to the library and dance to the rhythm that the toys in the clock play on violins, Arisa finds the girls dancing in the library and gets mad and asks what are they doing there, they're not supposed to be there but Yume asks her to let them finish the dance.

Next they are told to listen to the music of a tiny piano on night. They go to the music room and find a large piano, but later hear music from the other side of the room and find a tiny piano hidden within the book shelf.

On the next day, at the backstage of Yuzu's performance, while stretching to practice for her show, she feels a rush of cold air and notices Lilie has come to see her. Yuzu then asks Lilie to help her stretch and so Lilie sits beside her and presses in her back hard, causing Yuzu to laugh remembering that they would stretch together like this as kids. When Lilie presses so hard that Yuzu can't handle it, she comments that "Lilienne, you haven't changed a bit" and seeing her struggle to remain balanced Lilie tells Yuzu she hasn't changed a bit either. She reminds Yuzu that failure lies in giving up so she tries to stretch anyway even with Lilie pushing up against her back.

Outside of the tent, Yuzu encounters her manager. While talking with him Yuzu offers Lilie a spot in her performance, which was unexpected for her, until Yuzu assures her that she nailed it even on such moments, like when she have to play on two roles on the drama due to one of the performers suddenly getting sick on the main event back then. Lilie then quotes Anne of Green Gables saying that jewels encrusted within the earth can not shine, that only jewels with time to polish shine brilliantly, which Yuzu understands to mean that she needs time to prepare. Yuzu then offers to devote some of her practice time to Lilie, but she says this will mean Yuzu has less time to practice than scheduled. Yuzu says it's not a problem at all and Lilie agrees to appear on stage.

Having found the first six, Laura reads about the last lucky star, the Tundra Diva who brings a chill to that which she touches. The girls are confused and don't know where to start. Outside on the bench Yume says that since they found the first six they can call it a victory, but Laura reminds her that their wishes will only come true if they find all seven, and that Yume does want to find her originality, right? Yume agrees and decides they will find the seventh lucky star. She also asks what is a tundra, and Laura explains that it is a region covered in a layer of ice.

Back in the cafeteria, the girls find Miki and Yuri who discover that they're looking for the seven lucky stars, as eventually do all idols at Four Star Academy. Miki explains that the Tundra Diva is an actual student of Four Star Academy, called Lilie Shirogane, and she is also a senior manager but is not currently attending school because of health issues. She also says that she will be returning soon, but Yume wants to find her right away. They also ask what is the meaning of the tundra part and Yuri says it is rather hard to explain, and advises them to look for a video of her from last year on the school computers. Miki and Yuri also explain that the seventh lucky star changes every year, and asks them to guess who the Greek statue outside the school is, and Yume says it's Tsubasa. They take this to mean Tsubasa was the seventh lucky star last year. The girls then go to the computer lab and find a video of Lilie, which causes a chill to run up Yume's spine.

After Yuzu's performance, Lilie steps on to stage. Her peers instantly recognize her and say they're glad she's returned and cheer for her. Lilie then performs "Dreaming bird" for the audience and it is very popular with the crowd. After the performance, Yuzu congratulates Lilie on her comeback and give her Vienna coffee for the hard work.

Meanwhile, back in the computer lab Mahiru comments that while they found the seventh lucky star, originality must by gained by one's own effort. Yume then decides that they all should have catchphrases of their own, like Lilie is the Tundra Diva. While Yume tries to find the perfect catchphrase for herself, Koharu comments that Yume's search for her originality is far from over.

Characters

 * Lilie Shirogane
 * Yuzu Nikaidō
 * Yume Nijino
 * Laura Sakuraba
 * Koharu Nanakura
 * Mahiru Kasumi
 * Tsubasa Kisaragi
 * Yuri Ashida
 * Miki Katsura
 * Arisa Sakamoto

Trivia

 * Although she doesn't appear in person, Ako Saotome is shown for a brief moment in a picture on Yume's phone, alongside the other first years.
 * This episode marks the debut of Lilie Shirogane.
 * The Green Shadow Coord makes its debut in this episode.
 * Dreaming bird makes its debut as an insert song.