Love Live! Sunshine!!

Love Live! Sunshine!! (ラブライブ! サンシャイン!!, Rabu Raibu! Sanshain!!) is a Japanese multimedia project co-developed by ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine, music label Lantis, and animation studio Sunrise. The project is the second series of the Love Live! franchise and is a spin-off sequel of Love Live! School Idol Project. The story of this project revolves around a new group of nine schoolgirls who become idols in order to save their school from shutting down. It launched in April 2015 with music CDs and anime music videos, followed by a manga version in 2016.

Love Live! Sunshine!!
Promotional image featuring the main characters of Love Live! Sunshine!!. Left-to-right, from top: Mari, Yoshiko, Kanan, Dia, Ruby, Hanamaru, You, Chika, and Riko.
ラブライブ! サンシャイン!! (Rabu Raibu! Sanshain!!)
Genre	Musical[1]
Created by	Hajime Yatate Sakurako Kimino
Manga
Written by	Sakurako Kimino
Illustrated by	Masaru Oda
Published by	ASCII Media Works
English publisher	MY: Kadokawa Gempak Starz
Magazine	Dengeki G's Magazine
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	May 2016 – present
Volumes	3
Anime television series
Directed by	Kazuo Sakai
Produced by	Tadashi Hirayama Yūki Makimoto
Written by	Jukki Hanada
Music by	Tatsuya Kato
Studio	Sunrise
Licensed by	Crunchyroll (streaming) AUS: Madman Entertainment SEA: Mighty Media UK: Anime Limited
Original network	Tokyo MX, SUN, KBS, BS11, TVA, SBS, TVh, TVQ
Original run	July 2, 2016 – December 30, 2017
Episodes	26 (List of episodes)
Anime film
Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow
Directed by	Kazuo Sakai
Written by	Jukki Hanada
Music by	Tatsuya Kato
Studio	Sunrise
Licensed by	Crunchyroll (streaming) AUS: Madman Entertainment
Released	January 4, 2019 (2019-01-04)
Runtime	100 minutes

An anime television series was directed by Kazuo Sakai at Sunrise; the first season aired between July and September 2016 while the second season aired between October and December 2017. Both seasons are licensed in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand by Funimation, Anime Limited and Madman Entertainment, respectively. An anime film titled Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow was released on January 4, 2019 in Japanese theaters.

An anime spin-off television series titled Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror premiered in June 2023.

Plot

Love Live! Sunshine!! is set in Uchiura, Numazu, Shizuoka^[2] where one of its schools, the seaside Uranohoshi Girls' Academy, is planned to be shut down and merged with another school in Numazu. Chika Takami, a girl who lacks desires, is inspired by μ's (pronounced "muse") to gather friends and form her own school idol group called Aqours (アクア, Akua, pronounced "aqua"). To prevent their school from shutting down, Aqours enters the Love Live school idol contest which has become more competitive since μ's won.

Characters

Where appropriate, plot descriptions mentioned below refer to the anime television series. Other parts of the franchise, such as the manga and novel series, feature some variations in the storyline.

Aqours

"Aqours" redirects here. Not to be confused with Aquos.

Group logo

Chika Takami (高海 千歌, Takami Chika)

Voiced by: Anju Inami^[3] (Japanese); Jad Saxton^[4] (English)

Chika is a second-year student at Uranohoshi Girls' Academy. Always claiming herself to be too ordinary, she finds that the girls of μ's manage to "shine" brightly despite being normal students. This leads her to form a school idol group, with her determination compounded by the fact that her school is facing the crisis of education reform (consolidation with another school, with Uranohoshi's students moving to the other campus). The youngest among three daughters, her family runs a traditional inn known for its open-air hot springs with an ocean view. Sometimes Chika loves to insert terrible puns between her words, even explaining them. She acts as Aqours' leader and primary lyricist.

Riko Sakurauchi (桜内 梨子, Sakurauchi Riko)

Voiced by: Rikako Aida^[3] (Japanese); Jeannie Tirado^[4] (English)

Riko is a kind, polite, modest, and down-to-earth second-year student from Akihabara's Otonokizaka Girls' Academy. She is a talented young pianist, but felt that she had stopped improving, and moved to Numazu to take inspiration from the sea. She is also a capable violist. She has a fear of dogs, which is not helped by the fact that the Takami family's dog, Shiitake, seems to take an interest in her. She eventually gets over her fear of dogs to the point that she now loves them, and adopts her own puppy by the end of the series. She is also revealed to have an interest in various shōjo and yuri manga, often buying collections on her brief returns to Tokyo. After joining Aqours, she becomes the composer of the group.

Kanan Matsuura (松浦 果南, Matsuura Kanan)

Voiced by: Nanaka Suwa^[3] (Japanese); Michelle Rojas^[4] (English)

A third-year student and Chika's childhood friend. Kanan lives alone with her grandfather on a nearby island where they run a diving gear shop. She is introduced as having taken a leave of absence from school, as she must take care of the shop alone while her father recovers from a fractured bone. She, Dia, and Mari are childhood friends who formed a school idol group in their first year named Aqours, but disbanded quickly, leading the three to separate. Kanan is responsible for their first disbandment, feigning stage fright to treat Mari's sprained leg and to convince her to pursue her studies abroad, all of which were kept secret by her and Dia. Kanan is the most athletic member of the group and acts as their main choreographer. She has a kind, supportive and selfless personality, and is also very mature and level-headed.

Dia Kurosawa (黒澤 ダイヤ, Kurosawa Daiya)

Voiced by: Arisa Komiya^[3] (Japanese); Morgan Garrett^[4] (English)

A prideful, third-year student council president of Uranohoshi Girls' Academy. She and her younger sister Ruby are part of a well-known and respected family. Dia also is a diehard fan of μ's and after she, Kanan, and Mari separated, she had been hiding her enthusiasm about school idols until she is convinced to join Aqours by Chika and the others. She is the origin of Aqours' name, passing it on to Chika's group from when she, Kanan, and Mari were school idols. She scolds and corrects the other members with her catchphrase "Bubbū desu wa!" (ブッブーですわ!), the Japanese onomatopoeia for an incorrect buzzer.

You Watanabe (渡辺 曜, Watanabe Yō)

Voiced by: Shuka Saitō^[3] (Japanese); Apphia Yu^[4] (English)

You is an energetic second-year student who is Chika's childhood friend and also aims to one day become a ship captain, just like her father.^[5] Her catchphrase is "Yōsorō!" (ヨーソロー!, (Keep her) steady!),^[6] also known as "Aye-aye!" in the English dub. She loves uniforms, whether they are idol costumes or work-related uniforms like police or shrine maiden outfits. Due to this, she is the main costume coordinator of the group.

Yoshiko Tsushima (津島 善子, Tsushima Yoshiko)

Voiced by: Aika Kobayashi^[3] (Japanese); Morgan Berry^[4] (English)

Yoshiko is a first-year student who tries to erase her chūnibyō and attend high school like a normal student. She refers to herself as "Yohane" (ヨハネ), claiming that she was a fallen angel for having angered God, and wants everyone to call her that (though nobody actually calls her that). The reason why she became a chūnibyō is because she feels like she is too ordinary like Chika, as her Yohane identity makes up her entire personality. After joining Aqours, she decides to keep her chūnibyō antics instead.

Hanamaru Kunikida (国木田 花丸, Kunikida Hanamaru)

Voiced by: Kanako Takatsuki^[3] (Japanese); Megan Shipman^[4] (English)

Hanamaru is a hardworking first-year student whose family runs a local temple without several modern-age utilities such as computers and hand dryers, but can get distracted. Because of this, she becomes enamored upon seeing them, much to the surprise of others. She refers to herself as either "ora" or "Maru", and ends many of her sentences with "-zura" because of her Shizuoka dialect. She is also a member of a local choir due to her talent at singing. Before joining Aqours, she is an avid reader at the school's library. She and Yoshiko were friends during kindergarten, and Yoshiko calls her "Zuramaru."

Mari Ohara (小原 鞠莉, Ohara Mari)

Voiced by: Aina Suzuki^[3] (Japanese); Jamie Marchi^[4] (English)

Mari is a third-year student at Uranohoshi. Her Italian-American father runs a hotel chain^[7] and in Japan, she lives in one of their hotels. Mari is an energetic individual who prefers to take action by herself, and does not feel herself to be suited to become a school idol. Her favorite music genre is industrial metal. Due to her background, Mari has an American accent and often mixes English and Japanese (Italian in the English dub) in her speech. Mari's family is one of the main sponsors of Uranohoshi, to the point of having her appointed as the school's chairman despite being one of the students. She was best friends with Dia and Kanan, having even formed their own idol unit in the past that was disbanded some time later due to Kanan and Dia wanting her to pursue the scholarship she got at a school overseas. Her catchphrase is "Shiny!" (シャイニー, Shainī), which she tends to exclaim whenever she gets excited.

Ruby Kurosawa (黒澤 ルビィ, Kurosawa Rubii)

Voiced by: Ai Furihata^[3] (Japanese); Sarah Wiedenheft^[4] (English)

Ruby is a first-year Uranohoshi student as well as Dia's shy, timid younger sister, who has long since dreamed of becoming an idol. A very bubbly, sweet and kindhearted girl with reddish-pink hair, she is among the youngest members of Aqours as well as the most childlike in terms of looks and personality. Despite living in a seaside town, Ruby does not know how to swim at all and likes to avoid water. She also has androphobia (a fear of men), since she has never talked to anyone male outside of her own father. In the anime, her shyness is increased so she enters in panic when she is touched by anyone she is not used to regardless of sex, being only comfortable around Dia and Hanamaru at the start of the anime. Her catchphrase is "Ganbaruby!" (がんばルビィ), a portmanteau of her name with the Japanese verb "ganbaru" meaning to try hard or persevere; in the English dub, this is translated as "Do my Rubesty!"

Saint Snow

An idol unit from Hakodate, Hokkaido, which serves as Aqours' rival. Despite being rivals, they are on friendly terms with Aqours.

Sarah Kazuno (鹿角 聖良, Kazuno Seira)

Voiced by: Asami Tano (Japanese); Trina Nishimura (English)

One of the members of the idol duo Saint Snow, a rival of Aqours.

Leah Kazuno (鹿角 理亞, Kazuno Ria)

Voiced by: Hinata Satō (Japanese); Amber Lee Connors (English)

Sarah's sister and partner in Saint Snow. She and her sister were inspired by A-Rise to become school idols in a similar fashion that the members of Aqours are inspired by μ's.

Others

Shima Takami (高海 志満, Takami Shima)

Voiced by: Kana Asumi (Japanese); Colleen Clinkenbeard^[4] (English)

Chika's eldest sister and the eldest of the Takami family.

Mito Takami (高海 美渡, Takami Mito)

Voiced by: Kanae Itō (Japanese); Monica Rial^[4] (English)

Chika's older sister and the middle child of Takami family.

Media

Print

A manga titled Love Live! Sunshine!!, written by Sakurako Kimino and illustrated by Masaru Oda, began serialization in the May 2016 issue of Dengeki G's Magazine.^[8] The first tankōbon volume was released on September 27, 2016;^[9] three volumes have been released as of March 27, 2018.^[10][11] The manga is published in English in Malaysia by Kadokawa Gempak Starz.^[12]

A 160-page fanbook of Aqours, titled Love Live! Sunshine!! First Fan Book, was released on June 30, 2016. The book was published by ASCII Media Works and contains an introduction of Aqours' members, original manga written by Sakurako Kimino, and a newly drawn cover by Yuhei Murota.^[13]

Anime

See also: Love Live! Sunshine!! (TV series)

A 13-episode anime television series produced by Sunrise, directed by Kazuo Sakai, and written by Jukki Hanada aired between July 2 and September 24, 2016 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll.^[14][15][16] The series is licensed in North America by Funimation, in the United Kingdom by Anime Limited, and in Australia by Madman Entertainment.^[17][18] An English dub by Funimation began streaming from July 30, 2016.^[19] The opening and ending themes are "Aozora Jumping Heart" (青空Jumping Heart) and "Yume Kataru Yori Yume Utaou" (ユメ語るよりユメ歌おう) respectively, both performed by Aqours. Every week while the anime was airing, Bandai Visual released merchandise called "memorial items" inspired by an item in each episode only available for a limited time.^[20] A second season aired between October 7 and December 30, 2017.^[21] The opening and ending themes respectively are "Mirai no Bokura wa Shitteru yo" (未来の僕らは知ってるよ, Our Future Selves Know) and "Yūki wa Doko ni? Kimi no Mune ni!" (勇気はどこに？君の胸に！, Where is Courage? In Your Heart!), both performed by Aqours. "Aozora Jumping Heart" is used as the opening theme for the final episode. The second season was 2018's best-selling animated series on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan, with 330,102 sales.^[22] An anime film titled Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow was released on January 4, 2019 in Japan.^[23] An English dub of the film was released on February 25, 2020.^[24] The main staff and cast return to reprise their roles for the film.^[25]

An anime fantasy spin-off television series titled Yohane of the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror (幻日のヨハネ, Genjitsu no Yohane) was announced on June 26, 2022. Originally a set of fantasy illustrations appearing in Love Live! Days and featuring Yoshiko as the main character as the name suggests, an anime adaptation was previously announced as an April Fool's 2022 joke before it became official in June. The series is produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks and directed by Asami Nakatani and written by Toshiya Ono, with Yumiko Yamamoto designing the characters, and Tatsuya Katō returning to compose the music.^[26] It premiered early on Abema on June 25,^[27] and it premiered on July 2, 2023, on Tokyo MX and other networks.^[28] The opening theme is "Genjitsu Mysterium" (幻日ミステリウム) by Aqours.^[29]

Video games

In January 2016, Love Live! Sunshine!! live streamed a special announcement regarding Aqours joining the Love Live! School Idol Festival rhythm game app starting in July 2016.^[30] In the game, the Aqours idols get their own stories, new songs, and cards. KLab also added R rarity cards for each Aqours member, even though they were only voiced after July. In June 2016, Chika and Riko were featured in the in-game regular events for the first time. A spin-off game which includes Aqours, Love Live! School Idol Festival All Stars, released in September 2019.

In 2017, Hanamaru Kunikida succeeded Rin Hoshizora as the face of Puyo Puyo.^[31][32] Along with μ's, Aqours appears in a game based on the "nesoberi" stuffed dolls sold resembling the characters titled Puchiguru Love Live!.^[33] It was released on April 24, 2018 for Android and iOS,^[34] and was shut down on May 31, 2019.^[35]

Between August 9–21, 2018, all of the members of Aqours appeared in the mobile RPG Granblue Fantasy as a collaboration event titled Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours Sky High! (ラブライブ！サンシャイン!! Aqours スカイハイ！). The characters are divided into three teams based on their school year. Second-year students (Chika, Riko, You) are obtainable through the event story, while first-years (Hanamaru, Yoshiko, Ruby) and third-year students (Dia, Kanan, Mari) are obtainable by trading material obtainable in-game.^[36]

A side-scrolling action game titled Yohane the Parhelion: Blaze in the Deepblue (幻日のヨハネ -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE-) was announced in June 2023 and is currently in development by Inti Creates. It was released in Japan on November 16, 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows.^[37]

Music

Main article: Love Live! Sunshine!! discography

The nine idols of Aqours are grouped into three subunits: CYaRon! (You, Ruby and Chika), Azalea (stylized in all-caps; Dia, Kanan and Hanamaru), and Guilty Kiss (Yoshiko, Riko and Mari).^[38] Seven of Aqours' singles include an anime music video, while another includes a live-action music video featuring the members' voice actresses.

Saint Snow has their own singles, as well as one music video. Some songs are included in Aqours' own singles and albums, while others have their own standalone releases. Aqours and Saint Snow also have a joint idol group named Saint Aqours Snow.

Reception

Nick Creamer from Anime News Network reviewed the first season in 2018.^[39] He was critical of the overall plot reusing story elements from the original series but said it was utilized very well in making its "genuinely imperfect" main cast relatable and having a more "emotionally resonant" adventure than its predecessor. Creamer wrote that director Kazuo Sakai did an admirable job maintaining the series' visual comedy previously helmed by Takahiko Kyōgoku, giving each character a distinct and expressive trait from one another and improved the CG dance models and scenes to be more eye-pleasing and presentable than before, concluding that: "Simultaneously too similar and extremely different, suffering many of the same failings but rising to its own dramatic heights, Sunshine is ultimately a rewarding show and a fine followup for the Love Live! franchise."^[39]

References

1. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 22, 2016). "Love Live! Sunshine!! TV Anime Premieres on July 2". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
2. "ABOUT Love Live! Project". Lovelive! Sunshine!! Official Worldwide Website. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
3. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 27, 2015). "Love Live! Sunshine!! Idol Group's Name, 1st Single Date Revealed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
4. Ferreira, Samantha (July 30, 2016). "Funimation Announces Love Live! Sunshine!! Dub Cast". Anime Herald. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
5. "Love Live! Sunshine!! Characters". Dengeki G's Magazine (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. August 2015.
6. Kenkyūsha's New Japanese-English Dictionary (5th ed.). Kenkyūsha. 2003.
7. "Love Live! Sunshine!!". Dengeki G's Magazine (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. June 2015.
8. 電撃G'sマガジンにて『ラブライブ！サンシャイン!!』コミック連載がスタート！ (in Japanese). Sunrise. April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
9. ラブライブ!サンシャイン!! (1) (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
10. ラブライブ!サンシャイン!! (2) (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
11. ラブライブ!サンシャイン!! (3) (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
12. "Love Live! Sunshine!! 01 (English)". Kadokawa Gempak Starz. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
13. ラブライブ!サンシャイン!! FIRST FAN BOOK (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
14. Loo, Egan (January 11, 2016). "Love Live! Sunshine!! Idol Project Gets TV Anime This Summer". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
15. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 22, 2016). "Love Live! Sunshine!! TV Anime Premieres on July 2". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
16. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 1, 2016). "Crunchyroll Details Streaming for Sweetness & Lightning, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Fudanshi Kōkō Seikatsu". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
17. Ressler, Karen (June 23, 2016). "Funimation to Stream D. Gray-man, Servamp, Tales of Zestiria, Danganronpa 3, Love Live! Sunshine!!, First Love Monster, Handa-kun, Tsukiuta, Time Travel Girl, XechS, Regalia". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
18. "AnimeLab Summer Simulcast Lineup 2016". Animelab. Madman Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
19. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 14, 2016). "Funimation to Dub D.Gray-man, Servamp, Zestiria, Danganronpa 3, Arslan, Love Live! Sunshine, More". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
20. ラブライブ！サンシャイン!!』公式メモリアルアイテム紹介 特設ページ (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. July 9, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
21. Komatsu, Mikikazu (September 1, 2017). ""Love Live! Sunshine!!" TV Anime 2nd Season Confirms October 7 Premiere". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
22. Loo, Egan (December 19, 2018). "Top-Selling Animation in Japan on Blu-ray Disc/DVD by Series: 2018". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
23. Loo, Egan (June 9, 2018). "Love Live! Sunshine!! Film's Title, January 4, 2019 Opening Revealed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
24. "Love Live! Sunshine!!The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow - Movie - BD". Funimation. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
25. 映画「ラブライブ！サンシャイン!!」Aqours全員集合ビジュアル、ストーリー公開. Natalie (in Japanese). July 26, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
26. Loo, Egan (June 26, 2022). "Love Live! Sunshine!! Fantasy Spinoff Genjitsu no Yohane -Sunshine in the Mirror- Gets Anime Series in 2023". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
27. Pueyo, Ken (June 4, 2023). "Love Live Spin-Off Yohane the Parhelion: SUNSHINE in the MIRROR Reveals New Trailer". Anime Corner. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
28. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 4, 2023). "Genjitsu no Yohane -Sunshine in the Mirror- Anime's 2nd Video Unveils July 2 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
29. 7月2日に開幕のアニメ「幻日のヨハネ」第2弾予告、ABEMAでシリーズ作品一挙配信. Natalie (in Japanese). June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
30. Loo, Egan (January 11, 2016). "Love Live! Sunshine!! Idols Join School Idol Festival Game App". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
31. Loveridge, Lynzee (February 12, 2017). "Love Live! Sunshine!! Sega Image Girl Selected". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
32. Green, Scott (June 3, 2017). "Zuramaru Gotta Go Fast! Sega Picks Next Generation "Love Live!" Image Girl". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
33. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 25, 2017). "Love Live! Gets Puchiguru Love Live! Smartphone Game". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
34. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 19, 2018). "Puchiguru Love Live! Smartphone Game Debuts on April 24". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
35. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 28, 2019). "Love Live! Spinoff Smartphone Game Puchiguru Ends Service". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
36. 『グランブルーファンタジー』×『ラブライブ！サンシャイン!!』コラボレーションイベント開催のお知らせ (in Japanese). Cygames. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
37. Romano, Sal (June 26, 2023). "Inti Creates announces Yohane the Parhelion: BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
38. "Results Announced for Love Live! Sunshine Mini-Units Name Poll". Anime News Network. March 28, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
39. Creamer, Nick (March 19, 2018). "Love Live! Sunshine!! Season One BD/DVD - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2019.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Official worldwide website
• Love Live! Sunshine!! (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia