Rating: B+
Though setting Ruby into the footsteps that her mother followed has been a plot element since episode 2, she has largely remained on the back burner over the last several episodes as the story has focused more on what Aqua is up to and his recruitment of the other two girls who will compose the revival of B Komachi. This episode represents a key transition in the series, as the focus shifts mostly to the establishment and development of the new B Komachi.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Ruby has become the focal point character, though. Except for one key scene featuring Aqua, the episode is split roughly evenly between the the three girls: the gung-ho Ruby, the more jaded and reluctant Kana, and newcomer MEM-cho. The latter has an interesting secret: she’s actually much older (just turned 25!) but using her youthful look and attitude combined with a technicality that can still allow her, in a roundabout way, to claim that she’s still a high school student to pass as 18. This allows the series to make some commentary about the extreme ageism in the idol industry, and it makes for a neat sort of irony; as much of a bombshell as her real age being revealed publicly might be, it’s probably nowhere near as explosive as the even bigger secret that Ruby is hiding. Her experience as a YouTuber also makes her a good fit both for attracting attention in the digital age and because Strawberry Productions already specializes in virtual talent. It certainly doesn’t hurt that MEM-cho is also every bit as enthusiastic about becoming an idol as Ruby is. (As a side note, MEM-cho’s age also makes her familiarity with Ai a lot more credible, since she’s old enough to have been a fan when she was a child.)
Now that the trio is established, it’s time worry about bread-and-butter issues of any idol group, such as the songs and routines they’re going to use. Using material from the original B Komachi incarnation works for now as they prepare for a debut at an upcoming idol event, but they are going to need new material eventually. One other extremely important decision also has to be made: who’s going to be the all-important center? The irony here is that the group member who least wants it is, in terms of singing talent, the best-suited for it, even if she doesn’t believe so herself. That outcome is not a big twist, since the brief shot of the trio together in the OP does show Kana in the center, but the music video she made of the insert song “Full Moon” is plenty convincing enough, even to the two girls who really want it the center position.
Though Aqua’s role is much smaller this episode, he is featured in one key scene: his promised dinner appointment with the producer, who dishes on what he knows about Ai. Some of the details he brings up have already been suggested to the audience through other voices, such as how Ai was a bit of a problem child early on but seemed to mature suddenly as one key point, which was almost certainly when she met Aqua and Ruby’s father. The new information here is intriguing: whomever that individual was, he was almost certainly either a member of the Lala Lai acting troupe (yes, the same one Akane now belongs to) or otherwise affiliated with that group. That adds another layer of significance to Akane patterning her personality on Love Now off of Ai, but also raises some interesting questions. Can Aqua now just cross-reference the people in Ai’s phone contacts against past members of Lala Llai? Somehow, I don’t think the story will let it be that easy.
What I do especially appreciate here is how neatly this ties everything together. The producer was a member of Lala Lai himself, so it’s only natural that he would have chosen the current teen star of the troupe for Love Now. Also, that a producer would be tracking talent who has worked for him, and recognizing the potential in them, makes perfect sense. Everything he’s doing has a purpose, and he’s playing a long game, just like anyone worthy of the job title of “producer” should be doing. (This is an aspect of the entertainment industry that too often gets glossed over in shows about entertainers.) Describing his reasoning also serves as both a contrast and a reminder to Aqua that, as big as his scheme is, he’s not the only one thinking long or big.
This episode also makes me appreciate even more how the episode is using Kana. We’ve seen plenty of potential idols that are as self-deprecating about their own talents as Kana is, but her grounded pragmatism and jaded attitude gives her a much fresher feel and allow for some nice, light humor. On the other side, her peckish behavior towards Aqua is also fun to watch, even when it does take a more serious turn. Though Aqua bears at least some of the blame for being either clueless or indifferent about Kana’s feelings, she also seems to realize that she’s not playing fair here, either, since her irritation over Aqua’s pretend-romance with Akane isn’t his fault; it’s not like she’s ever made her feelings clear to him.
Among a few other random observations, note the T-shirts that various characters are wearing; Kana’s “Baking Soda” T-shirt when doing dance practice is an amusing choice considering the wordplay she’s trying to live down, while both Aqua and Ruby are, at different points, wearing different fish-themed T-shirts. (Aqua’s is, of course, “Aqua,” while Ruby’s is “Taiyaki.”) Also, it feels like the book that first Kana, and later Aqua, is reading – titled “The In-Depth Guide to the Internet Sea Slug” – is meant to be some kind of joke, though the reference currently escapes me. Ruby also seems to be aware of where Aqua’s heart really lies concerning Akane, and I’m not sure quite what to make of Shiranui’s comments about Love Now. The contrast between her dry delivery and what she’s saying is rather amusing.
With only two episodes left for the season, I am curious about what the projected end point is. The big, upcoming JIF concert seems like a pivotal enough event that I could see the season ending with something big happening concerning that, but at the methodical pace that the series is progressing, that’s not leaving enough time. The series is such a big hit that it not getting a second season is almost inconceivable at this point, so the only question now is whether or not that will be announced with the airing of the final episode in two weeks.
USA Anime 