Yohane’s Summer Homework

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 4 may be the best episode yet. I was getting a bit worried about the state of the series after Episode 3. That one was pretty bad. But, things have already turned around.

Episode 4 is good for many reasons. But, the biggest two reasons are the Aqours members who make their debut in the episode. The first is You Watanabe, who seems to be a fan favorite from Love Live! Sunshine!! She’s not my favorite, and I probably called her bland back when I watched the main series.

But, I’ve come to appreciate You more over the years. Yes, she’s a bit generic. But, she’s not annoying like some of the other Love Live! girls are. And, I’d now say that the fact that she’s generic is actually something that makes her stand out.

In this world, You is a mail carrier. She meets Yohane when she has to deliver a letter to Yohane’s home and Hanamaru shows her the way. And it turns out that this letter is from Yohane’s mother. She wants to know how Yohane’s “summer homework” is coming along.

So, what is Yohane’s summer homework? Well, she’s not in school, so it’s not real homework. Instead, Yohane’s mother tasked her with finding something fun that only she can do. Basically, Yohane’s supposed to find her calling (and a job) by the end of the summer.

The thing is, Yohane doesn’t know what she wants to do. Even though she calls herself a fortune-teller, that’s not her dream job. But, how does one figure out what their dream job is? By experiencing other jobs, of course. So, that’s exactly what Yohane does. And she starts by helping You deliver mail.

The Best Love Live! Sunshine!! Girl

For the most part, delivering mail with You isn’t anything special. Yohane likes it, though. She likes seeing the smiles on the townspeople’s faces when she hands them their mail. However, there’s one aspect of mail delivery she wasn’t prepared for.

To deliver the final letter on time, Yohane and You will have to hit the skies. They get fired out of a cannon and glide to their destination on a pair of magical wings. And to land safely, they’re each equipped with a pair of air-blasting hover boots.

Coincidentally, the final letter they need to deliver is to the creator of those hover boots. And, this is where the best Aqours girl makes her debut into Yohane the Parhelion. That’s right, Kanan Matsuura is better than every other girl from Love Live! Sunshine!! and it’s not even close.

In the main series, Kanan worked as a dive instructor or something like that. In this series, she has a somewhat similar role. She still spends her time diving in the ocean. But, it’s so she can collect ocean trash which she then uses to develop gadgets.

She’s a scrap tinkerer. But, don’t think that means the things she makes are simple. No, she makes some crazy stuff, like Tonosama — a giant, robot frog with a personality of his own. Not everything Kanan builds is as impressive as Tonosama and the hover boots, though. She makes normal things, too.

At the end of the episode, Yohane, Hanamaru, and You help Kanan with her next project. A swingset in town has become dilapidated and run-down. So, the girls use ocean trash to fix it up like new — and give it a fresh Kanan-inspired design while they’re at it.

Between the Sky and Sea

With the introductions of You and Kanan, all nine of the Aqours members have debuted in this series. And, of course, they saved the best (Kanan) for last. Though, my other favorite Aqours members debuted earlier — those being Riko and Mari. I’m excluding Yohane since she’s the protagonist.

Anyway, at this point, I feel like I need to justify some of the things I’ve said about Yohane the Parhelion. I called Episode 3 bad but also called Episode 4 the best, so far. What’s the difference between the episodes? Is it just the characters?

As you might expect, the characters are a big part of it. Episode 4 had a higher average score in terms of characters I like. Hanamaru’s fine, You is pretty good, and Kanan is top-tier. Meanwhile, Episode 3 had Chika (lame), Dia (lame), Ruby (fine), and Mari (good).

There’s more to this episode being good than only the characters, though. Do you remember how I complained about the superhero stuff from Episode 3? That just wasn’t good content. Even if it involved better characters, it was never going to be good. But, the content in Episode 4 is better.

Kanan being a steampunk tinkerer with a robot frog is cool. Dia being a TRON Avenger and Chika being a cat superhero aren’t cool. I know that’s not going to make sense to some people. But, it makes sense to me. Steampunk stuff fits better in a traditional fantasy setting.

And yes, I know this isn’t actually a “traditional fantasy setting.” After all, in Episode 1, Yohane was trying to make it as a singer in a large, modern/almost futuristic city. So, in many ways, Dia’s not out of place. But, she goes against the vibe of the series.

Conclusion

What do you think of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 4? Of all the Aqours girls’ jobs, which is your favorite? Are you a based Kanan enjoyer like myself? And, do you agree that this has been the best episode, so far? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about becoming a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 5 is available now.

Million Dollar and the Kitten

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 3 was the first bad episode of the series. I thought Episode 1 was good. And I also thought Episode 2 was pretty good. But, Episode 3 was hard to get through.

I’m hoping the rest of the series is going to be more like the first two episodes. But, I’m also not going to hold my breath for that to be the case. Based on what we saw in this week’s episode, there’s a good chance I won’t end up liking the series.

So, what was wrong with Episode 3? A few things. And the first is Million Dollar, the pseudo-superhero group. Million Dollar is the name Chika Takami and her sisters use when they’re protecting the town. And Big Mom is their mother/boss — not to be confused with the pirate of the same name.

My problem with Million Dollar is that it’s cringe and lame. I thought Yohane the Parhelion was supposed to be a fantasy series. I didn’t sign up for cat superheroes using air cannons to fight animals. It came out of nowhere and doesn’t fit the theme of the rest of the series.

Oh, and they also have a magic ocarina. At least that seems to be magic, so I’ll allow it.

But, don’t worry, Million Dollar isn’t the worst offender in that regard. In the next section of this review, I’ll be going over the one thing even worse than them.

Why do I think this isn’t going to be a one-off thing for the series, though? Because the mystery behind what’s causing the animals to go mad seems important. And if it’s important, it — and Million Dollar — are going to come up again.

Scarlet Delta (and Ruby)

As you may have suspected, the worst part of Episode 3 is Dia’s appearance as Scarlet Delta. Apparently, Dia is also a “superhero.” But, she’s not affiliated with Million Dollar. Instead, she’s sanctioned by the local government. Million Dollar is more of a vigilante group.

As Scarlet Delta, Dia wears a futurist suit of armor, rides a flying motorcycle, and wields a sword. If Million Dollar was a bit much, Scarlet Delta is way too much. At this point, I’m not sure Yohane the Parhelion is a traditional fantasy series anymore.

Oh, and let’s not forget Ruby. As you may remember from Episode 2, Ruby is a small fairy. That doesn’t mean she isn’t still Dia’s sister though. And, not only is she a fairy and the sister of a human, but she can enter electronics. Or, at least, she can enter Dia’s motorcycle.

When Ruby combines with the motorcycle, she also causes Dia’s armor to glow. I’m not sure why that is. But, I guess it also gives Dia a power-up.

So, yeah, nothing about Scarlet Delta makes sense and I’m not sure why it was included in the series.

Even if this Scarlet Delta content was in another series, I don’t think I would care for it. It’s not for me. But, the fact that it was in this series is what makes it even worse. It’s the same as when there’s comedy thrown into a serious scene. It ruins it because it doesn’t fit.

Also, the combination of both Million Dollar and Scarlet Delta pushed it over the top. If it was just one of the two and was quick, I’d ignore it as a gag. But, as I mentioned earlier, it seems to be more than that.

The Demon Lord of Warshimer Island

The only good content of Episode 3 came in the second half when Yohane went to meet the Demon Lord. As expected, the Demon Lord is none other than Mari Ohara. However, that’s about all I got right with my prediction.

I assumed Mari was the one behind the animals going mad. I assumed it was all going to be a misunderstanding. But, that’s not the case. Mari has nothing to do with the animals. Though, she is concerned about what’s happening to them.

While Mari doesn’t like it when people call her a demon lord, that’s kind of exactly what she is. She has horns and lives in a castle with a bunch of monsters, one of which is named Pellapie. But, if she doesn’t want people to call her a demon lord, why does she live like this?

It turns out that most people in Numazu aren’t as open-minded as Yohane is. They’re afraid of Mari because of her horns — and probably the demons that surround her, too. So, because of that, Mari decided to hide away on Warshimer Island.

Though, as I’m sure already know, Mari’s not going to be alone for much longer. She’s a member of Aqours, so there’s no way the other girls won’t accept her. And, I think she’ll find that the people of Numazu are more understanding than she thinks. So what if she has horns? She’s still cute.

I just wonder how long it’s going to take for Mari to leave the island. Is it going to happen as soon as the next episode? I doubt that. The next episode seems to be about You and Kanan. But, I also expect Mari to join the group before the last episode.

Conclusion

What do you think of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 3? Do you like the inclusion of Million Dollar? What about Scarlet Delta? If so, why? Also, how many episodes do you think it will be before Mari leaves the island? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about becoming a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 4 is available now.

Yohane’s Fortune-Telling Shack

It feels like only yesterday I reviewed Episode 1. But, today’s review is of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 2. And, while I wouldn’t say this episode was as good as the first, it was still a good episode.

In this episode, Yohane realizes that she needs money. She can’t leave her hometown again and return to the city without it. But, how can she make money? Unlike Hanamaru, who can make sweets, Yohane doesn’t seem to have many skills.

Well, there is one thing she’s good at, singing.

So, Yohane hits the streets and begins singing for money like she did in the city, right? Wrong. That didn’t work out for her in the city. And so that may be why she didn’t even attempt it again now. Instead, she decides to open up a shop in her parents’ house.

If you thought Yohane’s shop would sell items, you thought wrong. Instead, Yohane’s selling her services as a fortune-teller. The only problem is that she doesn’t actually have the ability to tell fortunes. And this is hinted at almost right away. When some kids want her to use her powers to find their lost ball, she turns them away.

Of course, Yohane has an excuse. Why would she use her fortune-telling powers for free to help these children? They don’t have any money, so she has no obligation to help them. I guess that’s fair enough.

But, when her first “real” customer shows up, it becomes abundantly clear that Yohane has no talent. Every “fortune” she reads turns out to be wrong. And when she attempts to predict the future, that turns out to be wrong, as well. So, it’s not looking like fortune-telling is going to be profitable for Yohane.

Meeting the Townspeople

Yohane the Parhelion Episode 2 introduces a few more of the Aqours girls. Hanamaru takes Yohane around to meet some of the other townspeople. And the first person she takes Yohane to meet is none other than Chika Takami.

If you haven’t seen Love Live! Sunshine!!, Chika is the protagonist.

In this world, Chika and her family run a restaurant. It’s been years since I watched Sunshine!!, so I don’t remember if the same is true in that series. But, also, all the main Love Live! girls blend together to me. They’re all generic with some shade of orange hair.

So, something interesting we learn here is that Yohane doesn’t know the other Aqours girls. She knows Hanamaru from when they were younger. But, this is her first time meeting Chika. And, as we see later in the episode, it’s her first time meeting the others, too.

The next Aqours girl Yohane meets is Dia Kurosawa. Dia is the town’s chief of staff, which doesn’t seem like an office a high schooler should be holding. I mean, it’s not like Chika was the one running her family’s business. She just worked there. I guess this is what being the student council president translates to.

While Yohane doesn’t actually meet her, she does see Ruby Kurosawa in Dia’s office. As you likely noticed from the series’ OP, Ruby is a fairy. She’s small enough to hide between the books on a bookshelf. And, that’s exactly what we see her doing here.

Riko Sakurauchi is the final Aqours girl introduced in Episode 2. She only arrived in Numazu two days ago. And the reason she’s there is that she’s investigating the strange happenings in the area. Specifically, she wants to know what’s causing the local wildlife to go mad.

Investigating the Animals

As I just mentioned, Riko’s in town to investigate the animals. And, she’s apparently qualified to do this because she’s a zoologist. Isn’t she supposed to be the same age as Yohane? I thought they were both first-year students in Sunshine!! So, how is it that Yohane is a 16-year-old and Riko is a zoologist?

Anyway, that’s not the important mystery. The important mystery is that something’s causing the animals in the nearby forest to go mad. When Yohane enters the forest at the end of the episode, we see a black mist surround her. And it’s this mist that’s affecting the animals.

But, where is the mist coming from? In Episode 1, it looked like there was a dimensional rift of some kind. So, my guess is that’s the source of the mist. And, since this is a fantasy series, I’m going to make the bold prediction that a demon lord is involved.

Who could this demon lord be, though? Well, it’s probably Mari Ohara. We’ve already seen what Mari’s character design looks like in this series. And, in case you didn’t notice, she has large demon horns. So, my prediction seems like a pretty safe one.

Does that mean Mari’s going to be the antagonist of the series? I doubt it. And, that sort of goes against a prediction I made only yesterday in my Episode 1 review. I assumed Yohane would have to defeat an evil force threatening Numazu. But if that “evil force” is Mari, then I retract that prediction.

It looks like Yohane the Parhelion is going to be a slice of life series, after all. Though, I’m still holding out hope that it has at least a little bit of adventure-like content. Something’s going to come of the magic staff Yohane summoned.

Conclusion

What do you think of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 2? Were you expecting Yohane to actually be able to tell fortunes? What did you think of the four newly introduced Aqours girls? And, do you think Mari is going to be the demon lord causing trouble? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you can support this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 3 is available now.

Yohane’s Adventure Begins!

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 1 was even better than I expected. Of course, I expected it to be good. It’s a spin-off of Love Live! Sunshine!!, which is objectively the best Love Live! anime entry. And, Yohane is one of the best characters from Sunshine!!

But, once I heard that this was going to be a slice of life fantasy series, I was a bit worried. I wanted to see Yohane go on a magical adventure. However, it seems that I had nothing to fear. Slice of life or not, it’s a good anime so far.

Also, there do appear to be some adventure elements already. It seems pretty obvious that Yohane is going to have to save the port town of Numaza from some evil force. Though, for now, it’s unclear if the power of friendship will come into play.

You might be thinking, “Of course the power of friendship will be important!” But, I’m not so sure. Remember, this story is all about Yohane, not the members of Aqours as a group. And, based on what we saw in this first episode, not all the girls would be helpful in a fight against evil.

With all that said, I guess now’s a good time to mention that this series is still very much about music. At the start of the episode, we find Yohane attempting to become a famous idol in a big city. That doesn’t work out for her, so she goes back to her hometown.

That’s not the end of her dreams of becoming a singer, though. Yohane still wants to sing and it looks like her singing is magical. At the end of the episode, she turns a stick into a magic staff with her song.

A Girl and Her Wolf

As much as I enjoyed this first episode, there is one thing I’m not sold on. There’s a new character who wasn’t present in the original Love Live! Sunshine!! series. Her name is Lailaps and she’s a giant wolf.

The fact that Lailaps is a wolf doesn’t bother me. In fact, I’d say it makes sense for Yohane to have a wolf familiar. But, that’s not quite what Lailaps is. While Lailaps may be a familiar, she’s not Yohane’s familiar. And instead, Yohane views Lailaps as a sister.

This is where my issue with Lailaps comes in. She’s effectively a human character. She can speak and does so frequently. And this is where I make some of you mad by saying that’s the big problem. I wouldn’t mind Lailaps if she didn’t speak. But, talking wolves don’t do it for me.

Unfortunately for me, it looks like Lailaps is going to be a main character of the series. I have a feeling she’s going to get more screen time than most of the other characters. And, I’ll go on record saying that’s a huge mistake if it turns out to be the case.

The appeal of a series like Love Live! is the girls. It needs a lot of cute girls and they have to be able to sing. Lailaps doesn’t add to that. She’s not a cute girl and she doesn’t sing. And while I know this technically isn’t Love Live!, the same rules still apply.

At least, there is one thing I can hope for in terms of Lailaps. It’s possible that at some point in the series, she’s going to turn into a human. Yohane kind of already tried to do that at the end of this episode. It didn’t work, though.

Hanamaru-chan Appears

Yohane wasn’t the only member of Aqours we got to see in Episode 1. Hanamaru Kunikida also made an appearance. And, I actually like Hanamaru a lot more in this series than the main Love Live! series. In Love Live!, I thought Hanamaru was pretty annoying.

You know, she’s always adding “zura” to the ends of her sentences. I get that’s supposed to be her cute quirk. But, I’ve never really thought verbal ticks like that for anime characters were cute. The only acceptable one is Naruto’s “dattebayo” because it’s so iconic.

Hanamaru still says “zura” in this series, though. So, why do I like her more this time around? Well, it felt like she was saying “zura” less frequently in this episode. I don’t know if that’s actually the case. But, it’s how I felt. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters.

The other reason I like Hanamaru more in this series is her outfit. Hanamaru’s character design got an upgrade. Her outfit is cute. But, she’s also not the only one for whom that’s true. Yohane’s outfit is even cuter. And based on what I’ve seen from the OP/ED, the same is true for the rest of the girls.

I’m looking forward to seeing more of the Aqours girls in their fantasy outfits. My favorite three Aqours girls are Yohane, Riko, and Kanan. And from what I saw, Riko and Kanan have pretty nice outfits, too. Oh, and Mari’s outfit is nice, as well.

But, which girl has the worst outfit? That’s the question I’m sure you’re dying to know the answer to. In my objectively correct opinion, it’s Dia. Dia was always one of my least favorite girls from Aquors. She’s not annoying, but she’s not as cute. That hasn’t changed.

Conclusion

What do you think of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 1? Did this first episode surpass your expectations as it did mine? Do you like Lailaps as a character? And, which of the new outfits for the Aqours girls is your favorite? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any new articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 2 is available now.