Resound the feelings of your heart… TOKIMEKI!
For girls, what does it mean to become a School Idol? Everybody got their own reasons or interpretations about it. Is it somebody who could help other people to achieve for their dreams, and making them come true? And what does it take to become one?
It all starts with just a curiousity. The frilly costumes and skirts, a dazzling smile and appeal, and also their usual signatured acts are the factors why some people do really follow these lovely ladies singing and dancing on the live stage platform. So then, you dreamt about being together with these ladies, singing and dancing together in one, big live stage. And if you are given a chance to stand along with them on the live stage together, what are you going to do?
In this one-shot review post, I am going to talk about the OVA Episode that some people don’t know about. Yes, we are going to highlight LoveLive! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club – NEXT SKY!
LoveLive! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club – NEXT SKY is a direct sequel to the Final Episode of the SEASON TWO of the Nijigasaki Anime. It has premiered in Japan theaters last June 23, 2023, lasting for at least 30 minutes on its runtime.
Visual and contextual spoilers ahead. Read at your own discretion.
A day after the success of their “Nijigasaki First Live” performance, along with Yu Takasaki, their club’s manager, Ayumu received an email fan letter from a person, who appeared to be a student from London. That fan wanted to see Ayumu’s live performance in person, and she wanted to see her. And so, Ayumu decides to fly to London in order to visit that fan who wanted to see her.
In just few weeks, Ayumu has returned from London, along with a friend who wanted to see her. The girl’s name is Aira, and she came from a school in London, who later appeared as a transfer student. She wanted to go to Japan in order to see and feel what School Idols are.
Shioriko is taking full responsibility as a student council president of Nijigasaki High School, accepting new applicants who wanted to study. When Aira wished to join the girls in the School Idol Club, they were happy to have her welcome. But at the day when she was able to make her dreams come true, Shioriko just received a bad news.
Review and Impressions
It may be short, but it has given a lot of insights for me to learn with. Especially with Aira who is really the “visitor” to the School Idol Club, it is really something that most people can even relate. Such as that, on how a person could literally blend themselves with other people who have common interests, previously from just being an introvert or a loner.
Storyline can be just short, since it is labelled as an “Episode OVA”, which acts as a “missing Episode” for people who had watched the Nijigasaki Anime Series. Of course, the storyline is just shallow and straightforward, and some other characters had never acted significant here. So far, the significant character who had made her frontline approach the most is Shioriko Mifune.
And then, there are some couple of cute and eye-candy animation music videos to view here, especially at the beginning of this OVA. As usual, the R3BIRTH unit did an impressive approach here, especially when they took lead ahead of the other Nijigasaki girls at their music video part at the end. So much details that I would like to mention, but I can’t detail them all for you, unless you watch this. And what you can see in the later ending credits of this OVA is the fan letters which are submitted by various people around through with the online form submissions and such related. So far, I had enjoyed well their animation music video that has played at the end of this OVA. But then, the animation frames are quite fast, in which I can’t see some of the parts anymore. That’s why I have to repeat and repeat all over again that MV part in order to maximize enjoyment! And their featured costumes… Not bad. Also, not to highlight that much, is the “key locations”, which were used in the Nijigasaki Anime, accompanied by still photos and direct blurred video recording of those locations around Tokyo.
For the insights, we can achieve our dreams and we overcome everything. But then, we do sometimes have our own limitations on our both physical and mental capabilities. We all know that we are humans who are making mistakes, and we are all the same. For Aira who did give up because she isn’t capable, that doesn’t mean it is the end of the road for her. But then, she was able to achieve for her own dreams, and she has made it a reality, thanks to the Nijigasaki girls for making it possible. Of course, when we had achieved it, what are we going to do next? It is really up to us whether we continue to walk this path to greatness or not.
Overall, the story is good, though that it is bit boring and shallow. However, I had learned some insights, in which some loner people like me can ever relate. Of course, the R3BIRTH unit is really the spotlight here, especially Shioriko, and I love them! Though that this Episode OVA is just bit boring at all, despite that it is a direct sequel to the final Episode of the Nijigasaki SEASON TWO, it is actually the “tail of the lizard”, where it would eventually lead into something big that Nijigasaki fans have never heard of.
School Idol Grand Prix. This is their “prologue”, and you know what that means?
Scores
For the LoveLive! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club – NEXT SKY, the ratings are as follows:
Animation: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Characters: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Music: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Story: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Lifespan: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
RATING: 6.4/10
Final Remarks
LoveLive! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club got some more tricks inside the sleeve, wherein it is ready to shock and excite some fans at anytime. Who knows? It is because when the foreseen Nijigasaki Movie Trilogy Series has been announced at the end of this OVA, fans can really tell and speculate. Of course, only the staff themselves can tell the future of these lovely Nijigasaki girls from LoveLive! Series.
Otherwise, it is really required for you to watch the original Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime series before plunging in to this OVA. And for this OVA, it’s quite good, but then, it’s falling short in story, for me.
And this ends the One-Shot Review for this one! Thanks for reading!
