So, who actually won the final preliminaries? It’s obvious.
Last week, I was disappointed for the fact that we didn’t get to see A-RISE perform, but rather saw Honoka, Kotori and Umi struggled through a snowstorm. While the last episode was a slight disappointment, I felt that it was justified after watching this episode. They wouldn’t make it this far without the support of the whole school. Don’t forget that Honoka saved the school from being shut down by forming an idol group. In return, I felt that the whole student body wants them to actually succeed so that they can achieve the dream that they couldn’t before: to win Love Live. In short, Honoka didn’t make Muse successful on her own. She received help from everyone through support, friendship and hard work. This is probably the reason they were able to beat A-RISE even if they were around the same level in terms of talent and popularity.
With the talk of succession, what will happen to Muse once the 3rd years graduate? One of the members mentioned during the prequel that if one of the members quit, then Muse will cease to exist because it will never be the same. Then again, even if the third years graduate, I think there will be a good chance that the group will keep going not because Arisa wants to join, but one can share the legacy through old performances and photos so that the newcomers will uphold their traditions. Even so, it will be curious to see what they will decide if there is a third season.
As a whole, I’m glad that Muse’s victory was something meaningful rather than wanting the underdogs to win. Even so, I have to admit that I liked how they ship-teased Maki and Nico together as both looked cute together in traditional clothing. Not only that, Rin looks adorable in the new outfit she got for Christmas. Aside from that, I do look forward to the final rounds and hopefully they will win.