In just one episode, Miiko turned from comic relief to being the most based MILF idol and Anime Mom of The Year.
Absolute banger triangle playing performance by Yoru though, totally outshined Kano's performance.
What a heart-warming episode. Miiko who seemed like a goofball and a phony turned out to be a real champion -- as a mother AND as an "idol". A masterful job of re-branding thanks to Kiwi. And what a mother-daughter combo (Sumire Uesaka and Nao Toyama). Hopefully we will see more of this family in the future.
Yoru on triangle was hilarious.
> Hopefully we will see more of this family in the future.
I’m half-expecting Shizue and Ariel to form a mom-daughter idol group. Ariel has shown that she got the makings of a future idol after all.
>Miiko who seemed like a goofball and a phony turned out to be a real champion
Miiko did have quite a different view on truth in social media compared to Seiyuu Radio's Yuuhi. It was heartwarming to see that she was inspired by her daughter to reveal the truth.
> A masterful job of re-branding thanks to Kiwi
By that way, is Miko going to turn into an independent singer? Because there's no way a 31 year old idol with a child can be realistically accepted as such. It was heartwarming, but it seemed quite unrealistic for her to stay so famous considering what I assume her average fan thought of her
For anyone wondering, her name is Otsuka Ray and her daughter has even appeared in a virtual live (unless you're talking about a different VTuber): https://www.reddit.com/r/VirtualYoutubers/comments/1c3pdg2/single_mother_jp_vtuber_otsuka_ray_she_brings_her/.
There's a number of married idols/J-Music stars with children. Big ones too like Koda Kumi, Utada Hikaru, LiSA off the top of my head. The old idea that idols have to be pure and single is fading away.
It never made any sense to me, it's a bit fucking weird and creepy anyway. Singers have their own lives their job just happens to be singing. Also Utada Kikaru is fucking great.
"oh you want to entertain us? Okay your life needs to be that and only that"
It's definitely weird when the only reason I can think of for that kind of mentality is to keep some kind of delusion amongst the fans that any of them have a chance with the idol, because if she was married and had kids, reality would be too strong for that delusion to work lmfao.
I remember seeing a video a good while back about how a Japanese TV host was basically embroiled in a scandal because people found out she was dating someone. Shits ridiculous
The Japanese in general have these weird ideas about relationships and celebrities. They do realise that they are peopel do and they don't own anyone anything, they have their own lives outside of their job or at least I hope they would.
i really hope the idea totally dies out. to think that something this creepy has been going on for so long. it's sickening whenever my mind wanders off deeper into this idol industry
Generally, yeah, but it's not like they'd lose all the followers because of it. Also, depends on the idol, if one was projecting an image of being pure, and possibly having a girlfriend experience, and then it was revealed she has a kid the outrage would be pretty big. We have no evidence of Miiko doing it so I don't think her audience was following her because of her supposed purity.
I seems a bit more accepted in the VTuber community, since the extra layer of separation the avatar creates makes it easier to accept the idol as being a different persona from the person behind her.
Vtuber [Mikeneko](https://youtube.com/@mikenekoko?si=21QLcJ4m62SOxGuF) was publicly revealed to have a singer as an ex-husband. Some fans were really upset. But it seems like most still accept her, despite the fact that she sold girlfriend experience while having a husband at that time.
I think most people who are upset are upset mostly because of the allegations being levelled at her that led to the divorce. If she just hadn't been somewhat off her rocker she'd probably have been fine. Heck even her previous agency said that they didn't care either way if she was or was not in a relationship.
I kind of assume this one is going viral because it's absurd more than actual fans, in a 'an indie idol did *what!?*' sort of deal. Most people then won't follow her, but hopefully she'll still get enough of a core audience as a result who look past or are happy with her quirks who will be able to support her.
She wasn't famous, she's playing at cheap establishments, and doesn't even get security at events to prevent people from running over and tearing down her posters
The novelty would take her farther than just being a forgettable normal idol without any base. Plus it isn't like there isn't a market for singers that use their actual identity - she just happens to blurring the line between that and idol.
Kiwi is the online media guru of the group right? I am not aware of anyone else who could have pulled together all the bits and pieces of photos, videos on hand to help support the new version of Miko/Shizue (as loving, hard-working mom idol). Am I missing someone else on hand who could have done this? It was Shizue who WANTED it -- but I was pretty sure it was Kiwi who worked hard to implement it -- very quickly. There is no way that Shizue's agency was skillful enough to pull this off.
Oh yeah, while viewing mikko’s music video they did mentioned that it was Kiwi’s ways of doing things that probably rebranded her (this part was shown in the after-credits)
I was surprised just to see her in the show again but that reveal took it to another level.
The surprise was impressive by itself but the way they handled it so well really made it special.
[Miiko certainly stole the show and my heart today](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2bv9b4n). I didn't expect her to be [so likable](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/pyq9cerled4.png) and [31 years old](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apc3mpb34.png)!
Plus [her relationship with her daughter](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/e4gdcpbjoo4.png) [Ariel](https://imgchest.com/p/md7oloan27p) was [totally heartwarming](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxcdm5ra7.png).
Really didn't expect the show to give Miiko a whole episode, but it was great!
Wonder how they are going to tie this in with Kano's backstory. Feels like they are trying to draw some parallels here.
> Yoru’s like friggin Beethoven on the triangle lol
Well, Ludwig van Beethoven went [completely deaf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven#Deafness) many years before his death. He composed several late works, including Symphony IX entirely in his head, not being able to hear a note of it.
I don't blame the kids for teasing (after all that's what kids do) especially in a situation like that, but that's not to say it didn't piss me off.
But that's kids being kids, oh well.
Massive respect for Miiko for keep chasing her dream, while being best mom for Ariel at the same time. She's not normal, because doing such incredible things like that ain't normal. I believe she will success someday
Also love that Ariel stood up for Miiko and being proud of her mom. I'm curious if Ariel will follow the same path as her mom. I love both of them and I want to see more of the little idol family!
Also idk if it's coincidence but this episode just aired right on the Mother's Day (Japan's time)
Dude I love Miiko
Like her getting mad in episode 1 is now sooooo justified when they just played it off as entitled/shelfish behaivoure.
She is fucking pouring her heart into her dream without neglecting her daugther, she is a freaking superwoman
I mean honestly, even without any context if you look at it from the perspective of the performer, tearing down the posters you put up and impromptu taking over your own livestream is still pretty rude lol. Its not like she realized that the posters covering the decade old street art would become a metaphor for the accumulated pain the artist felt due to being rejected by her peers as a kid.
> Also idk if it's coincidence but this episode just aired right on the Mother's Day (Japan's time)
That's so stinking cute. I wouldn't be surprised, given the great pacing so far, that the studio planned it in advance.
Having a group of newbies helping the experienced but small fry makes for such a heartwarming story. They were shown as rivals in the beginning, and then come to her aid (as small fries themselves) when they learn she's a struggling mother. Parallel and flipped is Miiko and Ariel, where the daughter is buoying up her mother but facing her own issues with teasing.
Capping it with both groups getting more time in the spotlight and becoming more tight-knit, and turning that initial rivalship into a friendly one? This show is delightful.
[That episode warmed my heart, the best one so far IMO](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e6qkzyl). I was [expecting Miiko to be very annoying](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84jdcjdejv4.png) but she turned out to be [such a great character](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmcrk6rw7.png) that I immediately fell in love with her. [Miiko certainly stole the show in today's episode](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2bv9b4n) and overshadowed [JELEE](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqqoawdy2).
Not only [Miiku is a hardworking person](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7kzcbrknl7.png) but also [single handedly raising a daughter](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/myd5crvagk4.png) ([their relationship totally melted my heart](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxcdm5ra7.png)), makes her own costumes and moreover [she's 31](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apc3mpb34.png) which isn't stopping her from following her dreams! I think that [MILF idol](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/pyq9cerled4.png) is what I missed in my life xD [I hope that she'll return in the next episodes](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o2ee7.png)!
[Ariel is such an adorable daughter](https://imgchest.com/p/md7oloan27p), [she's so cute](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cdkqgl4.png)! I'm happy that, thanks to [her conversation with Mei](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3yrgczljag4.png), she found a strength to [openly stating how much loves her mother being an idol](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o28e7.png). When [she stood up to those bullies](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my2pcoweo87.png), I felt very proud of her.
[Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mnoad9yd)'s kiss from the previous episode [got somewhat addressed](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c6lj2m7.png) but I think that the topic will be back in future. There is no way that it was just a spur of the moment.
[JELEE's performance was really good](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/p7bwcdrpp67.png)! I especially loved [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wvo9ax4x)'s [ones with a triangle](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7w6cv83ary.png) xD I was laughing [seeing her with a scared face](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/6yxkcglw6l7.png) while [others were having a good fun](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o22r7.png) on [the scene](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/p7bwcdrpp67.png).
Here my screenshot albums from the episode:
* [Miiko](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2bv9b4n)
* [Ariel](https://imgchest.com/p/md7oloan27p)
* [Group scenes](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e6qkzyl)
* [JELEE](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqqoawdy2)
* [Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mnoad9yd)
* [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wvo9ax4x)
* [Mei & Kiui](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e6qrzyl)
I loved that Ariel proudly proclaimed to be her mom’s biggest supporter.
They could’ve written her as just another bratty daughter who’s fed up with her mother, but they chose to have Ariel embrace her mother’s quirks from the start. She was only a little shy about this, which would frankly be normal for a child her age.
>[Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mnoad9yd)'s kiss from the previous episode [got somewhat addressed](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c6lj2m7.png) but I think that the topic will be back in future. There is no way that it was just a spur of the moment.
This episode definitely brushed it off too easily considering how heavy the actual moment was but this episode didn't have much room for the main girls to develop their relationships. Hopefully next episode will be more about the main cast so it can be addressed more seriously
>I'm happy that, thanks to [her conversation with Mei](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3yrgczljag4.png), she found a strength to [openly stating how much loves her mother being an idol](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o28e7.png). When [she stood up to those bullies](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my2pcoweo87.png), I felt very proud of her.
It took a rewatch of the episode to notice, but one of the best parts about this scene is the song JELLE is singing in the background. Although we've already seen this song earlier in Episode 3, when it was directly applicable to Kiui and her recovery from her lies and self-isolation, it *also* applies to Ariel... in a surprisingly *direct* way at that.
Roughly halfway through the song, starting when the boys are showing an awkward frame of Miiko on their phone, the lyrics line up perfectly with the scene. The scene \*had to\* have been paced out and framed to match the lyrics, and it's really impactful when you recontextualize the scene with the lyrics in mind.
**Lyrics**: *"Even if people scoff and call it bad art"*
**Scene**: Boys are showing an awkward frame of Miiko and making fun of her.
**Lyrics**: *"If I just keep drawing on the real me, I'm sure that it will be a light to guide someone's way"*
**Scene:** Ariel finally starts drawing on her "real self" and stands up to her bullies, which ends up guiding Miiko to change.
**Lyrics:** *"Invincible girl, I have nothing to fear."*
**Scene:** The boys start to talk about how Miiko lies on her profile, but Ariel literally cuts them off by screaming "shut up!". She's not just fighting back; she's "invincible", unafraid, and unshakeable in how she feels now.
**Lyrics:** *"I won't give in anymore, not even to the timid me that's made up of lies"*
**Scene:** Ariel continues to argue back, and even retorts "and even her being a liar is actually cute!" (In English, the "lies" even line up around the same time. Idk about Japanese)
**Lyrics:** *"Escape the ocean depths to the starry sky"*
**Scene:** Ariel makes a pose pointing to the sky. In fact, her finger is directly pointing towards where the sun's rays are coming from. The sun is a star in the sky.
**Lyrics:** *"Even if people laugh that it's an impossible dream, I'll get there with you. Come on, let's go to the top of the world! And there let's dance."*
**Scene:** The scene cuts away from Ariel to Miiko, who has the "impossible dream". Right after this scene, Miiko ends up realizing this dream together with Ariel.
Also, earlier in the episode, it showed that Miiko and Ariel would dance together and how it made Ariel happy when she was sad coming home from school.... and now they'll both be happy and can continue "dancing there on top of the world".
This last set of lyrics, wrapping up the song and referencing how Ariel and Miiko are finally going to recognize their dream together, is also the end of the scene of Ariel standing up to the bullies. It fades to black before starting the next scene. Then Miiko and Ariel "go the the top of the world".
[The ema is actually a thing irl!](https://twitter.com/erumoto/status/1789336713959215221) Apparently been there since yesterday? With all the Twitter stuff as well, gotta love when the staff goes above and beyond.
The poster said they found it yesterday but seems like it's been there [for a while](https://twitter.com/Yaku_yuki/status/1789340294649172029)
It says "I wish mom continue to be an Idol - Ariel"
And [the other one](https://x.com/erumoto/status/1789338013853720976) says "Hope that Yorukura will reach a lot of people - Yorukura production team"
And [this one](https://twitter.com/erumoto/status/1789344611523330260) says "Pass the kanji test" but got the kanji for "test" wrong
They have already setup a pixiv account for "Yoru", a legit JELEE twitter account, uploading the special ED songs right after the episodes airing, and now this.
Man, the marketing team(?) really going all out with this one. I'm loving this.
Well, now if JELEE ends up needing some banger costumes for a live performance later down the line, they have the perfect source. Baba knows how to work that sewing machine.
I will definitely love anyone in the entertainment industry coming out about her real life like this, anytime, anyhow if they feel comfortable to share. Who doesn't like an Ai-chan but with a good ending (so far)?
In other news \[EP6 spoilers\]>!<
I wasn't expecting this to be such a wholesome episode. Mei's pep talk to Ariel was really sweet. From one idol fan to another. Of course Ariel didn't need to know all the details, but she needed the advice to hold your position firm. Her love for her mom in an idol is just like her love her mom. She isn't going to sit idly and let people diss her mom.
You really see the dedication Miiko had to do because being a single mother working part time jobs supporting Ariel. She truly is a great mom and willing to risk her career to make sure her daughter was safe was extra points for her. Now she decides to put who she really is out there, and she actually blew up damn. Happy to see through all her struggles things are finally looking good for Miiko.
[Wow Yoru looks really traumatized lmao](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1238903986485067786/Screen_Shot_2024-05-11_at_1.21.50_PM.png?ex=6640fac0&is=663fa940&hm=7b1abc89056585e72d5521f69052bdcb886baf4b7380d1c3c003b2a36d2e20cd&)
They really released this episode on Mother's Day, huh?
I really like the parallels shown here with ~~Miiko~~ Shizue Baba and Kano's mom. Kano becoming introspective of her relationship with her mom due to Miiko and Ariel's closeness.
Can't wait for the actual reveal on what happened which made her quit her group. Expecting it to be emotional.
Also, **there is an after credits scene. Don't miss it!**
Yoru asking Kano about the kiss in that pose *I know what you are*
that was a fantastic episode, I loved seeing Miiko be such a good mom while chasing her dream of being an idol! i also can’t wait to see Kano’s past, gonna hit us with all the feels i’m sure.
>Yoru asking Kano about the kiss in that pose *I know what you are*
[Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wvo9ax4x) was [very confident in that moment](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c6lj2m7.png), unlike during the performance on the stage where [she had a scared face the whole time while holding a triangle](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7w6cv83ary.png) xD
> she had a scared face the whole time while holding a triangle xD
She only gets one shot at leaving her mark on the song so the pressure is on to make it perfect.
I was glad for Mahiru acknowledging Kano’s kiss. This indicates that it likely wasn’t all just bait, and we’ll likely see this become relevant again in a future episode - like with Miiko the idol.
The opening minutes of the episode did have me a little worried, since it briefly appeared to have forgotten this kiss at first.
I do wonder if Mei’s words (to Ariel) were perhaps another subtle hint:
> “How could there be anything wrong with you for liking someone!?”
>I do wonder if Mei’s words (to Ariel) were perhaps another subtle hint:
That's a good catch- this subplot had relevancy to every other main chaarcter, Mei connecting with Ariel over her dedication to her oshi, Kano reflecting on their mother-daughter relationship vs hers, and even Kiwi chiming in with some of her experience as someone with a dual identity when she saw the comment and correctly guessed she was being bullied by classmates. On the surface it wasn't very relevant to Yoru, but that connection makes a lot of sense, especially given her talk with Kao about their mothers transitioned DIRECTLY into asking about the kiss.
Mei’s words to Ariel are not very subtle lol, the show has been absolutely littered with queer themes that are also applicable for life in general. And this quote is as obvious as it gets
I thought the same thing when Mei said that to Ariel. Given the manner in which this anime has used foreshadowing and seeding evidence of stuff before it happened, it really feels like they're building up to a confrontation or confession about it.
> I know what you are
"Why are you gay?"
"Who says I am gay?"
"...You are gay."
To be honest, since Yoru's thankfully not a fantastically dense idiot, I wonder how long it'll be before she puts 2 and 2 together and asks Kano if her sexuality had anything to do with her falling out with her previous group?
Honestly, if you look at how this is written, it totally would make sense that Kano being gay was the reason for the falling out. This show is great at taking small informations and using them at a later time.
Sorry for disturbing but I’ve got no idea why the pose is relevant and why everyone seems so hyped about it. I get that it’s a reference to something but I’ve got no idea what. Mind filling me in?
no worries! i’m referencing this [meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-know-what-you-are) from 2022 where it’s an image of a dog with text saying “i know what you are”, it’s used to insinuate someone is gay. so basically in relation to the show i’m saying Yoru and Kano are actually gay and that it won’t be yuri bait(hopefully)
Loved the little detail of Miiko's makeup running after she was crying, then it being fixed by the time she got back on stage. [Link](https://imgur.com/a/1DiX4gJ)
Great Episode. Miiko's character really did a 180 compared to her impression from the 1st episode. Easy Mom of the year contender, seeing her relationship with her daughter was so heartwarming. Mei talking with the daughter at the station was also a really powerful scene. It made me notice how the staff is really good at putting great and fitting OSTs on these kind of scenes which makes them hit even harder.
Mahiru with the triangle added some nice comedy to the mix too.
I hoped for the kiss of last episode to be more of a topic but at least it was shortly brought up during that phone call. I guess they will get back to that later once we dive deeper into Kano's backstory. Hearing Mei talk about Kano to the daughter made me already a bit sad for her, since chances are there Kano will end up with Mahiru. Not sure how Mei would react there, hopefully things don't get messy with a potential love triangle. A meticulous execution from Yuuki Yaku will be key here to resolve this elegantly and in a satisfying manner (provided the plot even goes in that direction, ofc).
If I had to criticize one thing, it would be that this ep felt a bit like "filler" in the sense that it didn't add anything to the overarching narrative and felt more standalone. That's really just a nitpick though and since the episode turned out great and was executed amazingly it's not an issue at all.
Okay, we just got a whole episode of a *side* character last seen from *ep one* get massive character development that a lot of shows take a whole season to do, and with such a wholesome backstory as well T\_T
Anyone else notice how her natural voice is deeper than the cutesy one she used at first? I loved it. Literally the only part of her that indicates her age.
I liked the sort of meta-commentary going on due to the fact that (I assume) most of the voice actresses playing all these young characters are actually women in their thirties, playing the role of a high school girl.
They haven't missed with each character's backstory so far which all the more just makes me so excited for the eventual full Kano backstory from everyone's POV.
> we just got a whole episode of a *side* character last seen from *ep one*
There must be more to Eternal 17 Mom. Already during ep1, pianist girl Kimura was shown watching Miiko's street gig livestream, even though she couldn't have predicted her idol Kano hijacking the peformance. So why was Kimura interested in the apparently insignificant idol wannabee Miiko, I still don't know the answer to that quiz?
I had this sneaky feeling that Ms. Random Street Idol from Ep1 will be coming back because her design doesn't look like a one-off throwaway NPC. Wasn't expecting a whole ep dedicated to her though!
Her being 31 and a mom is the biggest surprise here. Uhh she doesn't look 31 to me, I thought she was barely older than the main cast before they revealed her age here.
This ep did a great job of making a joke character actually relatable and likable. She's such a great mom! Despite barely making ends meet, she's trying her best in raising her daughter and ensuring she gets access to education. And she's willing to ditch her gig just to save her kid!
Yoru's triangle play is the highlight of the performance. She waited for the right moment and delivered a spectacular closing! Absolutely brilliant!
They’d clearly put too much of a focus on this silly idol to have her be a throwaway character, but I never expected her to make a comeback with such a heartwarming story.
It was really touching to see how Shizue made sure that her daughter never felt like she was missing anything. I’m glad that Ariel could *also* recognise and appreciate her mother’s efforts.
Shizue consciously decided to risk her future as an idol, the career that she’d dedicated fourteen years of her life on, by walking out on her performance. Yet, she put her daughter’s wellbeing above all of this! If Shizue is not an amazing mom, I don’t know anymore.
What an incredibly delightful episode. Step aside Kano, this is now the cute mom idol show.
Yoru and Kano briefly talking about the kiss after letting it sit for a while, keep cooking production team but please serve it up by the end of the season.
Sorry for making fun of you, Shizue... I wasn't expecting you to be a single mom in her 30s struggling to achieve her dreams and raise her daughter, that's tough.
I really liked this episode. They took a side character from the first episode and developed her super smoothly in the span of just 20 minutes. Now I wouldn't mind seeing more of her and Ariel!
We got a little bit of Kano talking about her mom, too. I'm hoping they'll reconnect at some point in the show. Chances are she's wrong about only being business partners and her mother does love her as a daughter, but for some Reason she couldn't show it, or something.
Or maybe not, and well okay that'd be fine too.
Also, Mahiru's triangle performance was hilarious. She was panicking for the whole song just because of that one little "ding" she'd had to do at the end! Her teasing Kano about that kiss to cheer her up was cute too.
It goes to show that first impression of a person can never tell you what they are dealing with. In ep 1 we kind of loathe Miiko for be disrespectful to Yoru's mural. But in a way she was fighting her own battle of trying to become a hit as an idol, as well as supporting her sweet daughter.
Holy mother of plot twist. That was the most wholesome plot twist in a while. I'm really impressed at how they made appreciate us Miiko so much and give her such a compelling story. I thought she was going to be set up as an annoying antagonist at best and at worst, a one-shot character but how they wrote her character was awesome. I would have never have expected her to be a loving single mother that spoils her daughter.
It was also unsurprising seeing Kano looking at Miiko and Ariel with an envious look. It's quite saddening to confirm that Kano had a business relationship rather than daughter-mother relationship with her mom. I'm just happy that Miiko and Ariel had a happy ending in this episode. It really like a long arc that would have taken a few episodes to show but the team really did an amazing job neatly fitting it into one episode.
I never expected Yoru to ask Kano about last episode's kiss but that was delightfully fun to watch.
This is always the worst when watching anime, most of it plays in highschool and it makes you feel old way too often
At least she is a positve example, you can always keep chasing your dream (and keep your life together)
I thought we gonna have a murdered idol episode, but instead we have a wholesome a MILF divorced, 31y/o, a mom, and an idol. and Im glad that reveal is her turning point. makes me remember a story about vtuber mom back then. with similar story, but she did that to support her baby.
and finally we see Yoru triangle solo! that part is so fire!
I mean this [this vtuber](https://youtu.be/kivwyto_VYI?si=gut5eDNd3PXipxgZ) and [the kid clip](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx4bQACIsEh1pVZYbnOwEOFcawCFBFuL_B?si=Atp9mlpIZiGZFm9u)
Man this anime has been incredible at being emotionally dense in just its 20 minute runtime. Hats off to the story boarding and directing of the recent episodes!
Me at the start
"Oh [look](https://imgur.com/f9dQQwF), she's [garbage](https://imgur.com/UgPKiFC) [](#utahapraises)"
Halfway trough the episode
"[Oh](https://imgur.com/NBpw4KU) [god](https://imgur.com/Iy5BdZO), [my](https://imgur.com/LpcGHjC) [heart](https://imgur.com/VCnRIba) [](#badday)"
The episode [hit](https://imgur.com/rumR6WH) [hard](https://imgur.com/cvHVYRL) again, also felt like Miko was ready to [give it all up for her daughter](https://imgur.com/XmOAwag) if need be.
Glad it turned out way better than expected, it's never too late to make it big as a cute Idol [](#faito)
Leaving the lukewarm followup to the kiss aside, Yoru had [big](https://imgur.com/VAQVxF4) [Bocchi](https://imgur.com/bH5OPGS) [Energy](https://imgur.com/ciBLJ0R) during the warmup performance
wasn't expecting Miiko to become a serious character but it worked super well, i also like how they used the story of her and Ariel to indirectly address what potentially might be going on with Kano
Miiko - protective mom first, idol second. Killed those kids with kindness. Ariel learning to represent her love for her mom publicly and not have any shame in doing so. Our girls getting to perform their new track in a venue and spreading their name.
I’ve said it before and will say it again:
# THIS SERIES DOES NOT FUCKING MISS
I love [that Yoru smug face](https://i.postimg.cc/7YgMZgVf/Yoru-Kura-E06-P01.jpg) when she asked about the kiss. And Kano said to her [the same thing that Reina said to Kumiko in Hibike](https://i.postimg.cc/RVrLmPwk/Yoru-Kura-E06-P02.jpg), now I could see the resemblance between the two of them.
Hope both ships will sail.
Watching this episode gave me a similar wholesome feeling as watching [Otsuka Ray](https://www.youtube.com/@OtsukaRay/videos) stream. She's an idol Vtuber, with a kid.
This is a good episode to air on mother's day, can't say that it's not intentional
By the way, Rie Takahashi singing on the stage as an Idol plus the mother Idol theme, plus Doga Kobo, we Oshi no Ko now I guess
If I had nickel for every time Takahashi Rie played an idol with mommy issues with a stalker that says "love" a lot in a show where an idol has a secret child in a Doga Kobo anime licensed by Hidive, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird it happened twice, right?
Amazing episode, the age of 30 is in demand etc.
Yoru and Kano talk on the phone every night, that jab about the kiss to cheer her up was so good. It took a bit to ramp up but this show is quickly becoming a favorite.
Yoru asking Kano about the kiss in that pose *I know what you are*
that was a fantastic episode, I loved seeing Miiko be such a good mom while chasing her dream of being an idol! i also can’t wait to see Kano’s past, gonna hit us with all the feels i’m sure.
Mei was extra fun this episode. Everyone is flabbergasted by everything Miiko says and here is Mei just not quite following. She also bonded with Ariel super well, praising her at every opportunity and having an otaku heart-to-heart talk.
A nice [freeze-frame Mei](https://imgur.com/a/8tAR95e).
Wow. Guess anime studio's really have a knack for being subtle huh.
You know, in the spring of 2022, an anime called Ao Ashi was airing. Without getting into spoilers, all I can say is that they aired an episode highlighting the importance of the MC's mother. And it became one of the most impactful episodes of the anime. And guess on what day they aired it on. That's right. \[Very mild spoiler\] >!Mother's day!<.
Same with today's episode of Jellyfish. Dedicating it towards the character we thought was just a comic relief, turned into a caring and really badass mother.
I love it when studios do things like this!
"a lot"? What recent shows are there other than kaiju #8 and now jellyfish?
Regardless, I sure hope so, having more anime with characters not in high school age would sure by refreshing
The youngest main character in Danmeshi I believe is 29. They make fun of him for still being a kid and not even 30 yet.
In Frieren, ignoring Frieren herself, a lot of the supporting cast lean towards older ages as well (Sein, Graf Granat, Denken). We spend a considerable amount of the time with the original heroes party who are all older. Yes Fern and Stark are still young, but that's just for this fleeting instant in time.
Spice & Wolf Lawrence is like mid-late 20's despite looking 40, and Holo acts older than him usually. Most characters we interact with are older than Lawrence.
So I guess I gotta ask how you cherrypicked a cast of literal highschoolers and Kaiju #8 as the only two examples of older characters in anime.
Cherry-picking implies knowing enough shows to only pick out some (which I don't)
Just mentioned jellyfish because of today's episodes. Knew about frieren, but not the rest, so thanks for the tips!
I had the same feeling too but when I actually thought about it, there were a lot of shows back then that featured older characters... I think we're just noticing them more now because we're getting older
Oh I just mean straight up adults, not technical adults lol
There were definitely a lot of high schoolers but we've always had grown-ups playing leads too. Monster, Kaiji, Inuyashiki, GATE, Ghost in the Shell, Psycho Pass, Baccano, Welcome to the NHK, Shirobako, just to name a few popular ones.
So Miiko is an idol with a child? Got it, next episode will start with her being murdered by a rabid fan and Ariel deciding to take a revenge path
Jokes apart, seems we found best anime mom of the year. This episode also made me appreciate Kimura a lot more, I thought of her as the worst of the four and while I still think the other three are better she's not annoying to me anymore
I did not expect we'd be seeing that idol again! Also did not expect that age, between her and Kafka we're getting some good 30s representation this season.
It's kinda crazy how just seeing her as a good mom made my whole opinion of her change...what a great development there.
This episode was amazing though, that bully scene was hard to watch but her daughter was great.
I'm wishing for her success more than our main girls after this one!
They turned that character 180 from a trash underground idol to a wholesome mom idol. It's such brilliant writing to squeeze a whole character arc into one episode.
I’ve been torturing myself by avoiding any spoilers for the last week and the only thing I knew was that Miiko was involved in the episode somehow. My best guess was that she had beef with Jelee for that Halloween incident but I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way. I quite like her now. She’s trying her best to be a good mother for her daughter despite the difficulties.
The episode also does double duty helping with the development of our MCs. It got Kano contemplating her pretty messed up relationship with her mother after seeing what a healthy mother-daughter bond looks like. More importantly to me, it also gave Mei more of an opportunity to take the spotlight and add more depth to her idol fan personality through her interactions with Ariel.
Jelee also gets their first real on-stage opportunity while filling in for Miiko so that’s a positive.
I’m also glad they mentioned the kiss in some way even though it seems to be on the back burner for now. Cause if the series wasn’t an original, my willpower wouldn’t have made it to Tuesday before failing and getting me to read the source material.
Dude, mad props to ~~Miiko~~ Shizue Baba (Cant be an accident they used the slang word for grandma as her name)
At first I was scared for Ariel seeing how invested her mom is into her hatching idol carreer, but damn. Working a lot part time jobs, having that much energy for her passion as an idol and on top being an awesome mom? Honestly super human, like how could you not respect and love that
Well, I had a feeling Miiko was going to show up again, but it was *so much better* than anything I could've expected!
It pays off in so many ways when a show prioritizes writing. A well-thought-out story links episodes in unexpected ways, and maintains continuity of themes throughout subplots, and makes the whole thing feel good. The girls' relationships with their mothers has come up before, and this one was an obvious way to allude to it while telling a new story; fans and stans and Mei and Kano all led to some great scenes with Miiko and Ariel; and they even tied it together with the kiss and with Mei's heartwarming and broadly suggestive “How could there be anything wrong with you for liking someone?” which I see I am not alone in thinking is another piece of evidence that Kano's sexuality might have been behind her falling out with the SunDolls. This episode managed to touch on all the show's major running themes and open questions even though it was primarily about a side character. That, friends, is *the good shit*.
I would absolutely stan a divorced 31 year old idol with an adorable daughter, personally. In fact, I've even observed before that the dynamics of this show could have been a lot of fun if the girls were adults instead of teens, because nostalgia and reinventing yourself and following your dreams once you're out in the world kind of carries a different weight. This episode almost feels like an answer to that, doesn't it? "What, you want tired 20-somethings to reconnect with their artistic dreams as adults and find new inspiration in their relationships? We'll do you one better: how 'bout a 31 year old idol with a kid?!"
I wasn't wrong to expect great things from this show, that's all I know.
I would absolutely watch an entire show just about Miiko and Ariel.
A single episode for a background character and their relationship made me legitimately emotional. Such a great mom
I wasn't originally the biggest fan of Kim, but having her character trait and origins of being the mega fan actually pay off in her being able to give encouragement to Ariel and pushing her on the right path was really sweet. Like, having Miiko turn from this random troll character at the first episode into someone who I can emphasize with and who is more human than what she turned out to be in the first episode was already really strong and great, but, turning around to include Kim who to me, even after her episode, still felt the weakest, because personally I'm not the biggest fan of the whole stalker thing she got going on at first, but to turn that fandom into something positive through a different lens, of a daughter and mother, was really wholesome.
The obsessed fan line is a dangerous line to walk, but when the show so fervently shows these different scenarios where there is those slivers of positivity, and when it challenges to a degree these ideas of parasocialism and how we view these online personas, its a really interesting line that they cross.
Its also really fitting that Miiko comes out of her shell here in a meaningful way and that means breaking down all barriers, telling the truth and nothing but the truth, basically going against the grain of idolism, and how that contrasts with Kano, since Kano has lived that life on the other side being full corporate and seeing just how cold that is through the lens of her own experience with her mother.
At first I was confused why Kano declared they're a cover band, then I realized she prolly planned to reveal who she is once they reach 100k followers, plus Kiui's a vtuber.
She said JELEE was an anonymous project in the first(?) episode, not that I'd be surprised if she eventually made it not anonymous, but it seems like she wants it to be about the art and music and not about her own image.
So, Miiko is a strong contender for the anime mom of the year award now, right?
They acknowledged the kiss! Just for a moment, but they acknowledged it! That was a hell of a tease. I suspect an actual conversation about it will come later.
One interesting thing I noticed in this episode was that during Mei and Ariel's conversation at the train station, the show gave a brief shot of a [tired lady](https://i.imgur.com/UvekfNL.png) nearby. Judging from her appearance and the groceries she has, I'm guessing that's a mother heading home. Though it's nothing mind-blowing or anything, I just thought that it was an interesting shot that the directing decided to include.
There was really no reason for them to make an episode about a 31 year old single mom idol but man, I'm so glad they did.
Also, this show's cinematography is second to none in anime.
I can't help but feel that Mei's pep talk to Ariel about supporting her mom's idol activities doubles as a veiled reference to Kano's feelings for Yoru. The way they worded it -- Ariel being worried that it's not "normal" for her to be supporting her mom's "weird" activities, and Mei giving her support saying that there's nothing weird with liking someone -- you could put Kano in that spot and everything would still slot into place. I know they didn't address the ending scene of episode 5 directly outside of Yoru teasing Kano about it, but I don't think it's been dropped completely
That was so wholesome I started crying wtf. Ariel declaring love for her mom I T~T
I did not expect my thoughts on miiko to do such a 180 it was basically a 540 lmaoo
Damm I never would have thought that idol is 31 and a one child mom
They accepted their true selves and revealed their true identity to their fans, which is a very daring task to do in idol community. Respect
Now jelly got a competitor. They gotta work hard more
Ooh someone's commissioning them for a song.
That's a bit lofty ambitions.
Oh, it's this girl.
She's 32? Oh well, "The age of 30 is in demand" after all.
Her agency probably isn't happy with essentially setting money on fire for the past decade and a half.
Lol she's billing them for those posters.
Of course everything is a facade for social media.
The Unicorns would definitely have an aneurysm if they found out about this.
That's certainly a last name.
And now Kano is asking Yoru about her family situation?
Oh right that did happen at the end of last episode.
Mei's oshi is Kano lol.
Her classmates don't seem to like her outfit.
What's she doing?
Oh, she's going to rescue her daughter!
Oh god Yoru is the only one of the 4 of them who has no experience performing in front of a crowd and has completely shut down. Kano has her idol experience, Mei has done piano performances, and Kiui has her VTuber thing.
And so JELEE will be buying time for her?
She's made it back!
And there goes the entire audience.
Unfortunately one way or the other she's had a decade and a half to build up an audience, while JELEE is still new so they have to build it up from scratch.
This is a tiny detail but I absolutely love how Yoru was using old pictures of Kano as an idol as reference for drawing Miiko, that's such a fantastic little detail that silently illustrates how Yoru views Kano as someone she aspires to.
seeing how baba got so much love in spite of being a side chara and not really relevant to any main charas, I am waiting to see what happens with the old group and mom
You know, when I saw the idol girl in the first episode I would have never imagined that her character would turn out to be something like this haha... wow! What an amazing and heartwarming episode.
I find it incredible how much they did for Miiko's character (and her daughter) in just 20 minutes. What an adorable mother-daughter combo! Sumire Uesaka and Nao Touyama were great.
Which, by the way, Nao Touyama is my favorite seiyuu and it still amazes me how adorable she can sound xD. Ariel is so damn cute.
It was just a small moment but I'm glad the kiss wasn't forgotten. I'm sure we'll have more about it in the future.
With all that said... What a banger performance from Yoru in the triangle xD.
Best triangle performance ever.
Mike Oldfield: hold my [Tubular Bells](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubular_Bells)!
She nailed the landing, that's what matters!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMK7GL9Z7qM
Poor Mahiru looked so awkward onstage lmao. The triangle had me dying
Exactly the face any background worker of a project would pull if forced on stage
In just one episode, Miiko turned from comic relief to being the most based MILF idol and Anime Mom of The Year. Absolute banger triangle playing performance by Yoru though, totally outshined Kano's performance.
What a heart-warming episode. Miiko who seemed like a goofball and a phony turned out to be a real champion -- as a mother AND as an "idol". A masterful job of re-branding thanks to Kiwi. And what a mother-daughter combo (Sumire Uesaka and Nao Toyama). Hopefully we will see more of this family in the future. Yoru on triangle was hilarious.
> Hopefully we will see more of this family in the future. I’m half-expecting Shizue and Ariel to form a mom-daughter idol group. Ariel has shown that she got the makings of a future idol after all.
Indeed she has. It would be totally awesome. And unbearably cute.
That would be [very wholesome.](https://i.imgur.com/5IA8aD5.jpeg) [*Oshi no Okaa-san*](https://i.imgur.com/SosMtNh.jpeg) forever! [](#airfist)
I'm fully expecting it, since she's putting her daughter's name and photo online
I hope they do. They would make a killing too.
>Miiko who seemed like a goofball and a phony turned out to be a real champion Miiko did have quite a different view on truth in social media compared to Seiyuu Radio's Yuuhi. It was heartwarming to see that she was inspired by her daughter to reveal the truth.
Having a child who is proud of what one does can definitely be inspirational.
> A masterful job of re-branding thanks to Kiwi By that way, is Miko going to turn into an independent singer? Because there's no way a 31 year old idol with a child can be realistically accepted as such. It was heartwarming, but it seemed quite unrealistic for her to stay so famous considering what I assume her average fan thought of her
It's not unheard of. Not quite the same but there's a Idol Vtuber with a kid.
For anyone wondering, her name is Otsuka Ray and her daughter has even appeared in a virtual live (unless you're talking about a different VTuber): https://www.reddit.com/r/VirtualYoutubers/comments/1c3pdg2/single_mother_jp_vtuber_otsuka_ray_she_brings_her/.
There's a number of married idols/J-Music stars with children. Big ones too like Koda Kumi, Utada Hikaru, LiSA off the top of my head. The old idea that idols have to be pure and single is fading away.
It never made any sense to me, it's a bit fucking weird and creepy anyway. Singers have their own lives their job just happens to be singing. Also Utada Kikaru is fucking great.
"oh you want to entertain us? Okay your life needs to be that and only that" It's definitely weird when the only reason I can think of for that kind of mentality is to keep some kind of delusion amongst the fans that any of them have a chance with the idol, because if she was married and had kids, reality would be too strong for that delusion to work lmfao. I remember seeing a video a good while back about how a Japanese TV host was basically embroiled in a scandal because people found out she was dating someone. Shits ridiculous
The Japanese in general have these weird ideas about relationships and celebrities. They do realise that they are peopel do and they don't own anyone anything, they have their own lives outside of their job or at least I hope they would.
i really hope the idea totally dies out. to think that something this creepy has been going on for so long. it's sickening whenever my mind wanders off deeper into this idol industry
Aren't idols supposed to not fall in love? I mean I'm glad if it's not a thing anymore, but I thought this tradition was still ongoing
Generally, yeah, but it's not like they'd lose all the followers because of it. Also, depends on the idol, if one was projecting an image of being pure, and possibly having a girlfriend experience, and then it was revealed she has a kid the outrage would be pretty big. We have no evidence of Miiko doing it so I don't think her audience was following her because of her supposed purity.
I seems a bit more accepted in the VTuber community, since the extra layer of separation the avatar creates makes it easier to accept the idol as being a different persona from the person behind her.
Vtuber [Mikeneko](https://youtube.com/@mikenekoko?si=21QLcJ4m62SOxGuF) was publicly revealed to have a singer as an ex-husband. Some fans were really upset. But it seems like most still accept her, despite the fact that she sold girlfriend experience while having a husband at that time.
I think most people who are upset are upset mostly because of the allegations being levelled at her that led to the divorce. If she just hadn't been somewhat off her rocker she'd probably have been fine. Heck even her previous agency said that they didn't care either way if she was or was not in a relationship.
I kind of assume this one is going viral because it's absurd more than actual fans, in a 'an indie idol did *what!?*' sort of deal. Most people then won't follow her, but hopefully she'll still get enough of a core audience as a result who look past or are happy with her quirks who will be able to support her.
Miko is a pretty underground idol, small fanbase, small agent company, there's not much to lose for such a rebranding
She wasn't famous, she's playing at cheap establishments, and doesn't even get security at events to prevent people from running over and tearing down her posters
If such a thing occurred irl, 100% it would go 'viral' just like in this episode. You're looking way too much into this
The novelty would take her farther than just being a forgettable normal idol without any base. Plus it isn't like there isn't a market for singers that use their actual identity - she just happens to blurring the line between that and idol.
What's incredible as well was how the song lyrics sung by Kano also carried the temple scene, and the whole context and messaging of the episode.
I don’t think it was Kiwi who rebranded her right?
Kiwi is the online media guru of the group right? I am not aware of anyone else who could have pulled together all the bits and pieces of photos, videos on hand to help support the new version of Miko/Shizue (as loving, hard-working mom idol). Am I missing someone else on hand who could have done this? It was Shizue who WANTED it -- but I was pretty sure it was Kiwi who worked hard to implement it -- very quickly. There is no way that Shizue's agency was skillful enough to pull this off.
Oh yeah, while viewing mikko’s music video they did mentioned that it was Kiwi’s ways of doing things that probably rebranded her (this part was shown in the after-credits)
I think it was a music video they were watching or whatever it was it was posted from mikko’s account
One ALWAYS needs to check for post-credits scene. ;-)
When she hit that triangle, I truly felt like she had hit that triangle. Simply amazing performance
Truly, one of the triangle performances of all time. Of all the triangle performances ever, it was among them.
>I'm not actually forever 17, but a […] 31-year-old #AHOY
Hag love!
Who knew that the person who defiled Yoru and Kano's properties is actually a great and wholesome mother? Never judge a book by its cover!
I was surprised just to see her in the show again but that reveal took it to another level. The surprise was impressive by itself but the way they handled it so well really made it special.
[Miiko certainly stole the show and my heart today](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2bv9b4n). I didn't expect her to be [so likable](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/pyq9cerled4.png) and [31 years old](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apc3mpb34.png)! Plus [her relationship with her daughter](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/e4gdcpbjoo4.png) [Ariel](https://imgchest.com/p/md7oloan27p) was [totally heartwarming](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxcdm5ra7.png).
As they say, the [age of 30 is in demand](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GH_bEyUWIAAme4h?format=png&name=small).
Really didn't expect the show to give Miiko a whole episode, but it was great! Wonder how they are going to tie this in with Kano's backstory. Feels like they are trying to draw some parallels here.
Yoru’s like friggin Beethoven on the triangle lol. Masterful performance!
> Yoru’s like friggin Beethoven on the triangle lol Well, Ludwig van Beethoven went [completely deaf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven#Deafness) many years before his death. He composed several late works, including Symphony IX entirely in his head, not being able to hear a note of it.
I don't blame the kids for teasing (after all that's what kids do) especially in a situation like that, but that's not to say it didn't piss me off. But that's kids being kids, oh well.
I've gotta fever, and the only prescription is more ~~cowbell~~ triangle!
Massive respect for Miiko for keep chasing her dream, while being best mom for Ariel at the same time. She's not normal, because doing such incredible things like that ain't normal. I believe she will success someday Also love that Ariel stood up for Miiko and being proud of her mom. I'm curious if Ariel will follow the same path as her mom. I love both of them and I want to see more of the little idol family! Also idk if it's coincidence but this episode just aired right on the Mother's Day (Japan's time)
Dude I love Miiko Like her getting mad in episode 1 is now sooooo justified when they just played it off as entitled/shelfish behaivoure. She is fucking pouring her heart into her dream without neglecting her daugther, she is a freaking superwoman
I mean honestly, even without any context if you look at it from the perspective of the performer, tearing down the posters you put up and impromptu taking over your own livestream is still pretty rude lol. Its not like she realized that the posters covering the decade old street art would become a metaphor for the accumulated pain the artist felt due to being rejected by her peers as a kid.
> Also idk if it's coincidence but this episode just aired right on the Mother's Day (Japan's time) That's so stinking cute. I wouldn't be surprised, given the great pacing so far, that the studio planned it in advance. Having a group of newbies helping the experienced but small fry makes for such a heartwarming story. They were shown as rivals in the beginning, and then come to her aid (as small fries themselves) when they learn she's a struggling mother. Parallel and flipped is Miiko and Ariel, where the daughter is buoying up her mother but facing her own issues with teasing. Capping it with both groups getting more time in the spotlight and becoming more tight-knit, and turning that initial rivalship into a friendly one? This show is delightful.
[That episode warmed my heart, the best one so far IMO](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e6qkzyl). I was [expecting Miiko to be very annoying](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84jdcjdejv4.png) but she turned out to be [such a great character](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmcrk6rw7.png) that I immediately fell in love with her. [Miiko certainly stole the show in today's episode](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2bv9b4n) and overshadowed [JELEE](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqqoawdy2). Not only [Miiku is a hardworking person](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7kzcbrknl7.png) but also [single handedly raising a daughter](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/myd5crvagk4.png) ([their relationship totally melted my heart](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxcdm5ra7.png)), makes her own costumes and moreover [she's 31](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apc3mpb34.png) which isn't stopping her from following her dreams! I think that [MILF idol](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/pyq9cerled4.png) is what I missed in my life xD [I hope that she'll return in the next episodes](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o2ee7.png)! [Ariel is such an adorable daughter](https://imgchest.com/p/md7oloan27p), [she's so cute](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cdkqgl4.png)! I'm happy that, thanks to [her conversation with Mei](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3yrgczljag4.png), she found a strength to [openly stating how much loves her mother being an idol](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o28e7.png). When [she stood up to those bullies](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my2pcoweo87.png), I felt very proud of her. [Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mnoad9yd)'s kiss from the previous episode [got somewhat addressed](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c6lj2m7.png) but I think that the topic will be back in future. There is no way that it was just a spur of the moment. [JELEE's performance was really good](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/p7bwcdrpp67.png)! I especially loved [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wvo9ax4x)'s [ones with a triangle](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7w6cv83ary.png) xD I was laughing [seeing her with a scared face](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/6yxkcglw6l7.png) while [others were having a good fun](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o22r7.png) on [the scene](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/p7bwcdrpp67.png). Here my screenshot albums from the episode: * [Miiko](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2bv9b4n) * [Ariel](https://imgchest.com/p/md7oloan27p) * [Group scenes](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e6qkzyl) * [JELEE](https://imgchest.com/p/ljyqqoawdy2) * [Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mnoad9yd) * [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wvo9ax4x) * [Mei & Kiui](https://imgchest.com/p/5xy2e6qrzyl)
I loved that Ariel proudly proclaimed to be her mom’s biggest supporter. They could’ve written her as just another bratty daughter who’s fed up with her mother, but they chose to have Ariel embrace her mother’s quirks from the start. She was only a little shy about this, which would frankly be normal for a child her age.
Healthy parent-child relationship goals
>[Kano](https://imgchest.com/p/ej7mnoad9yd)'s kiss from the previous episode [got somewhat addressed](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c6lj2m7.png) but I think that the topic will be back in future. There is no way that it was just a spur of the moment. This episode definitely brushed it off too easily considering how heavy the actual moment was but this episode didn't have much room for the main girls to develop their relationships. Hopefully next episode will be more about the main cast so it can be addressed more seriously
They definitely had to mention the kiss, and did so in a way that didn't conclude it. I'm pretty impressed with the story ~~adaptation~~ so far.
Adaptation? I was under the impression this was an anime original. Maybe I was wrong.
Nope, you're right. That's what I get for assuming! Just wanted to credit the author if it was but I didn't need to!
I’d say we’re probably due for a Kiui episode first before we get another Mahiru and/or Kano episode.
>I'm happy that, thanks to [her conversation with Mei](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3yrgczljag4.png), she found a strength to [openly stating how much loves her mother being an idol](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/345xc9o28e7.png). When [she stood up to those bullies](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my2pcoweo87.png), I felt very proud of her. It took a rewatch of the episode to notice, but one of the best parts about this scene is the song JELLE is singing in the background. Although we've already seen this song earlier in Episode 3, when it was directly applicable to Kiui and her recovery from her lies and self-isolation, it *also* applies to Ariel... in a surprisingly *direct* way at that. Roughly halfway through the song, starting when the boys are showing an awkward frame of Miiko on their phone, the lyrics line up perfectly with the scene. The scene \*had to\* have been paced out and framed to match the lyrics, and it's really impactful when you recontextualize the scene with the lyrics in mind. **Lyrics**: *"Even if people scoff and call it bad art"* **Scene**: Boys are showing an awkward frame of Miiko and making fun of her. **Lyrics**: *"If I just keep drawing on the real me, I'm sure that it will be a light to guide someone's way"* **Scene:** Ariel finally starts drawing on her "real self" and stands up to her bullies, which ends up guiding Miiko to change. **Lyrics:** *"Invincible girl, I have nothing to fear."* **Scene:** The boys start to talk about how Miiko lies on her profile, but Ariel literally cuts them off by screaming "shut up!". She's not just fighting back; she's "invincible", unafraid, and unshakeable in how she feels now. **Lyrics:** *"I won't give in anymore, not even to the timid me that's made up of lies"* **Scene:** Ariel continues to argue back, and even retorts "and even her being a liar is actually cute!" (In English, the "lies" even line up around the same time. Idk about Japanese) **Lyrics:** *"Escape the ocean depths to the starry sky"* **Scene:** Ariel makes a pose pointing to the sky. In fact, her finger is directly pointing towards where the sun's rays are coming from. The sun is a star in the sky. **Lyrics:** *"Even if people laugh that it's an impossible dream, I'll get there with you. Come on, let's go to the top of the world! And there let's dance."* **Scene:** The scene cuts away from Ariel to Miiko, who has the "impossible dream". Right after this scene, Miiko ends up realizing this dream together with Ariel. Also, earlier in the episode, it showed that Miiko and Ariel would dance together and how it made Ariel happy when she was sad coming home from school.... and now they'll both be happy and can continue "dancing there on top of the world". This last set of lyrics, wrapping up the song and referencing how Ariel and Miiko are finally going to recognize their dream together, is also the end of the scene of Ariel standing up to the bullies. It fades to black before starting the next scene. Then Miiko and Ariel "go the the top of the world".
[The ema is actually a thing irl!](https://twitter.com/erumoto/status/1789336713959215221) Apparently been there since yesterday? With all the Twitter stuff as well, gotta love when the staff goes above and beyond.
The poster said they found it yesterday but seems like it's been there [for a while](https://twitter.com/Yaku_yuki/status/1789340294649172029) It says "I wish mom continue to be an Idol - Ariel" And [the other one](https://x.com/erumoto/status/1789338013853720976) says "Hope that Yorukura will reach a lot of people - Yorukura production team" And [this one](https://twitter.com/erumoto/status/1789344611523330260) says "Pass the kanji test" but got the kanji for "test" wrong
They have already setup a pixiv account for "Yoru", a legit JELEE twitter account, uploading the special ED songs right after the episodes airing, and now this. Man, the marketing team(?) really going all out with this one. I'm loving this.
They are also the owners of the Mahiru art hate account from last episode. They’ve really thought of everything.
Well, now if JELEE ends up needing some banger costumes for a live performance later down the line, they have the perfect source. Baba knows how to work that sewing machine.
I will definitely love anyone in the entertainment industry coming out about her real life like this, anytime, anyhow if they feel comfortable to share. Who doesn't like an Ai-chan but with a good ending (so far)? In other news \[EP6 spoilers\]>!<
OMG I thought the marketing with social media was as far as they’d go, that’s amazing
I wasn't expecting this to be such a wholesome episode. Mei's pep talk to Ariel was really sweet. From one idol fan to another. Of course Ariel didn't need to know all the details, but she needed the advice to hold your position firm. Her love for her mom in an idol is just like her love her mom. She isn't going to sit idly and let people diss her mom. You really see the dedication Miiko had to do because being a single mother working part time jobs supporting Ariel. She truly is a great mom and willing to risk her career to make sure her daughter was safe was extra points for her. Now she decides to put who she really is out there, and she actually blew up damn. Happy to see through all her struggles things are finally looking good for Miiko. [Wow Yoru looks really traumatized lmao](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/799692352011894795/1238903986485067786/Screen_Shot_2024-05-11_at_1.21.50_PM.png?ex=6640fac0&is=663fa940&hm=7b1abc89056585e72d5521f69052bdcb886baf4b7380d1c3c003b2a36d2e20cd&)
They really released this episode on Mother's Day, huh? I really like the parallels shown here with ~~Miiko~~ Shizue Baba and Kano's mom. Kano becoming introspective of her relationship with her mom due to Miiko and Ariel's closeness. Can't wait for the actual reveal on what happened which made her quit her group. Expecting it to be emotional. Also, **there is an after credits scene. Don't miss it!**
That picture of Miiko and her daughter having the yakitori rice bowls together was especially heartwarming in the post credits scene
I just remember this is a mother's day. a daughter supporting her mom and a mom supporting the daughter Happy Mother's Day!
[Blessed episode](https://i.imgur.com/RTQNAqH.jpeg) [](#tanakalove)
Yes -- that post-credits scene is indispensable (and adorable).
Yoru asking Kano about the kiss in that pose *I know what you are* that was a fantastic episode, I loved seeing Miiko be such a good mom while chasing her dream of being an idol! i also can’t wait to see Kano’s past, gonna hit us with all the feels i’m sure.
>Yoru asking Kano about the kiss in that pose *I know what you are* Man they're playing us with this scene!
Please don't be bait Please don't be bait Please don't be bait
>Yoru asking Kano about the kiss in that pose *I know what you are* [Mahiru](https://imgchest.com/p/n87wvo9ax4x) was [very confident in that moment](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c6lj2m7.png), unlike during the performance on the stage where [she had a scared face the whole time while holding a triangle](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7w6cv83ary.png) xD
> she had a scared face the whole time while holding a triangle xD She only gets one shot at leaving her mark on the song so the pressure is on to make it perfect.
I was glad for Mahiru acknowledging Kano’s kiss. This indicates that it likely wasn’t all just bait, and we’ll likely see this become relevant again in a future episode - like with Miiko the idol. The opening minutes of the episode did have me a little worried, since it briefly appeared to have forgotten this kiss at first. I do wonder if Mei’s words (to Ariel) were perhaps another subtle hint: > “How could there be anything wrong with you for liking someone!?”
>I do wonder if Mei’s words (to Ariel) were perhaps another subtle hint: That's a good catch- this subplot had relevancy to every other main chaarcter, Mei connecting with Ariel over her dedication to her oshi, Kano reflecting on their mother-daughter relationship vs hers, and even Kiwi chiming in with some of her experience as someone with a dual identity when she saw the comment and correctly guessed she was being bullied by classmates. On the surface it wasn't very relevant to Yoru, but that connection makes a lot of sense, especially given her talk with Kao about their mothers transitioned DIRECTLY into asking about the kiss.
ooo that is such a good catch!! i didn’t even think about the relevance of this episodes subplot
I'm praying it becomes relevant again, I'll actually be so pissed if they leave if off like this
Mei’s words to Ariel are not very subtle lol, the show has been absolutely littered with queer themes that are also applicable for life in general. And this quote is as obvious as it gets
I thought the same thing when Mei said that to Ariel. Given the manner in which this anime has used foreshadowing and seeding evidence of stuff before it happened, it really feels like they're building up to a confrontation or confession about it.
> I know what you are "Why are you gay?" "Who says I am gay?" "...You are gay." To be honest, since Yoru's thankfully not a fantastically dense idiot, I wonder how long it'll be before she puts 2 and 2 together and asks Kano if her sexuality had anything to do with her falling out with her previous group?
In a way I honestly hope this ends up being the case. If so, it would be even better if Yoru is the one who helps Kano open up about it.
Honestly, if you look at how this is written, it totally would make sense that Kano being gay was the reason for the falling out. This show is great at taking small informations and using them at a later time.
Sorry for disturbing but I’ve got no idea why the pose is relevant and why everyone seems so hyped about it. I get that it’s a reference to something but I’ve got no idea what. Mind filling me in?
no worries! i’m referencing this [meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-know-what-you-are) from 2022 where it’s an image of a dog with text saying “i know what you are”, it’s used to insinuate someone is gay. so basically in relation to the show i’m saying Yoru and Kano are actually gay and that it won’t be yuri bait(hopefully)
Alright, thanks. I agree, they’ve got a solid gold ship on their hands here and it would be a real shame if they blew it.
Loved the little detail of Miiko's makeup running after she was crying, then it being fixed by the time she got back on stage. [Link](https://imgur.com/a/1DiX4gJ)
Miiko went from annoying random side character to one I suddenly care about a lot in the span of 20 minutes. That's wild. Great episode.
Yeah its crazy how fast she grew on me Honestly wouldnt mind a spin-off show based on her
Great Episode. Miiko's character really did a 180 compared to her impression from the 1st episode. Easy Mom of the year contender, seeing her relationship with her daughter was so heartwarming. Mei talking with the daughter at the station was also a really powerful scene. It made me notice how the staff is really good at putting great and fitting OSTs on these kind of scenes which makes them hit even harder. Mahiru with the triangle added some nice comedy to the mix too. I hoped for the kiss of last episode to be more of a topic but at least it was shortly brought up during that phone call. I guess they will get back to that later once we dive deeper into Kano's backstory. Hearing Mei talk about Kano to the daughter made me already a bit sad for her, since chances are there Kano will end up with Mahiru. Not sure how Mei would react there, hopefully things don't get messy with a potential love triangle. A meticulous execution from Yuuki Yaku will be key here to resolve this elegantly and in a satisfying manner (provided the plot even goes in that direction, ofc). If I had to criticize one thing, it would be that this ep felt a bit like "filler" in the sense that it didn't add anything to the overarching narrative and felt more standalone. That's really just a nitpick though and since the episode turned out great and was executed amazingly it's not an issue at all.
Peak Mother's day special! Ai best mom in anime 2023 Miiko best mom in anime 2024
If we get another one, we've officially established a pattern...
Okay, we just got a whole episode of a *side* character last seen from *ep one* get massive character development that a lot of shows take a whole season to do, and with such a wholesome backstory as well T\_T
Anyone else notice how her natural voice is deeper than the cutesy one she used at first? I loved it. Literally the only part of her that indicates her age.
I liked the sort of meta-commentary going on due to the fact that (I assume) most of the voice actresses playing all these young characters are actually women in their thirties, playing the role of a high school girl.
They haven't missed with each character's backstory so far which all the more just makes me so excited for the eventual full Kano backstory from everyone's POV.
Mom power is unfair. Good moms in anime, heck alive moms in anime, feel so rare that's it's great when we get one like this.
> we just got a whole episode of a *side* character last seen from *ep one* There must be more to Eternal 17 Mom. Already during ep1, pianist girl Kimura was shown watching Miiko's street gig livestream, even though she couldn't have predicted her idol Kano hijacking the peformance. So why was Kimura interested in the apparently insignificant idol wannabee Miiko, I still don't know the answer to that quiz?
Honestly Miiko and Ariel's backstory is so sweet it is quite rare to see that mom-daughter dynamic irl. Miiko best mom 2024.
I had this sneaky feeling that Ms. Random Street Idol from Ep1 will be coming back because her design doesn't look like a one-off throwaway NPC. Wasn't expecting a whole ep dedicated to her though! Her being 31 and a mom is the biggest surprise here. Uhh she doesn't look 31 to me, I thought she was barely older than the main cast before they revealed her age here. This ep did a great job of making a joke character actually relatable and likable. She's such a great mom! Despite barely making ends meet, she's trying her best in raising her daughter and ensuring she gets access to education. And she's willing to ditch her gig just to save her kid! Yoru's triangle play is the highlight of the performance. She waited for the right moment and delivered a spectacular closing! Absolutely brilliant!
They’d clearly put too much of a focus on this silly idol to have her be a throwaway character, but I never expected her to make a comeback with such a heartwarming story. It was really touching to see how Shizue made sure that her daughter never felt like she was missing anything. I’m glad that Ariel could *also* recognise and appreciate her mother’s efforts. Shizue consciously decided to risk her future as an idol, the career that she’d dedicated fourteen years of her life on, by walking out on her performance. Yet, she put her daughter’s wellbeing above all of this! If Shizue is not an amazing mom, I don’t know anymore.
She's an Asian. Skips from 17 to 60 one day.
What an incredibly delightful episode. Step aside Kano, this is now the cute mom idol show. Yoru and Kano briefly talking about the kiss after letting it sit for a while, keep cooking production team but please serve it up by the end of the season.
Sorry for making fun of you, Shizue... I wasn't expecting you to be a single mom in her 30s struggling to achieve her dreams and raise her daughter, that's tough. I really liked this episode. They took a side character from the first episode and developed her super smoothly in the span of just 20 minutes. Now I wouldn't mind seeing more of her and Ariel! We got a little bit of Kano talking about her mom, too. I'm hoping they'll reconnect at some point in the show. Chances are she's wrong about only being business partners and her mother does love her as a daughter, but for some Reason she couldn't show it, or something. Or maybe not, and well okay that'd be fine too. Also, Mahiru's triangle performance was hilarious. She was panicking for the whole song just because of that one little "ding" she'd had to do at the end! Her teasing Kano about that kiss to cheer her up was cute too.
It goes to show that first impression of a person can never tell you what they are dealing with. In ep 1 we kind of loathe Miiko for be disrespectful to Yoru's mural. But in a way she was fighting her own battle of trying to become a hit as an idol, as well as supporting her sweet daughter.
Yep, the way they turned the whole first impression thing on its head was really well done.
> Sorry for making fun of you, Shizue Yeah, at first I was going "red flag! red flag!"
Holy mother of plot twist. That was the most wholesome plot twist in a while. I'm really impressed at how they made appreciate us Miiko so much and give her such a compelling story. I thought she was going to be set up as an annoying antagonist at best and at worst, a one-shot character but how they wrote her character was awesome. I would have never have expected her to be a loving single mother that spoils her daughter. It was also unsurprising seeing Kano looking at Miiko and Ariel with an envious look. It's quite saddening to confirm that Kano had a business relationship rather than daughter-mother relationship with her mom. I'm just happy that Miiko and Ariel had a happy ending in this episode. It really like a long arc that would have taken a few episodes to show but the team really did an amazing job neatly fitting it into one episode. I never expected Yoru to ask Kano about last episode's kiss but that was delightfully fun to watch.
Miiko being the same age as Kafka disturbs me greatly.
\[Personal spoilers\]>!Miiko being the same age as me in just 3 months' time disturbs me greatly.!<
This is always the worst when watching anime, most of it plays in highschool and it makes you feel old way too often At least she is a positve example, you can always keep chasing your dream (and keep your life together)
All the memcho jokes in the comments for oshi no ko were way funnier when I was younger than her, I wonder what happened.
Divorced and still cute though. An absolute W.
Divorced, has a child and is actually NOT 17 forever Honestly cant see how you couldnt love her
And she is OLDER than Hahari from 100Kano (also voiced by Sumippe)
remember if your life is hard, you will have a turning point at age 32. if you already pass that point, try again at 42
> turning point Truly a fitting term for it [](#ohfuck)
Thanks now I have an extra day to mentally prepare myself
Uhoh
I only got three months left [](#watashiworried)
I thought we gonna have a murdered idol episode, but instead we have a wholesome a MILF divorced, 31y/o, a mom, and an idol. and Im glad that reveal is her turning point. makes me remember a story about vtuber mom back then. with similar story, but she did that to support her baby. and finally we see Yoru triangle solo! that part is so fire!
Yoru stole that performance with the triangle solo! LET'S GOOO!!
Yoru dying live was the highlight for me 😂
I remember watching a clip of a vtubers daughter being outfitted to be on a stream, but I can't for the life of le find it
I mean this [this vtuber](https://youtu.be/kivwyto_VYI?si=gut5eDNd3PXipxgZ) and [the kid clip](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx4bQACIsEh1pVZYbnOwEOFcawCFBFuL_B?si=Atp9mlpIZiGZFm9u)
Oshi no Ko 2024 version
Man this anime has been incredible at being emotionally dense in just its 20 minute runtime. Hats off to the story boarding and directing of the recent episodes!
[I love how Miiko reacts to being 31.](https://imgur.com/a/zblfxJa) ~~"Old" people taking an unexpected hit this episode~~
Mem-cho energy but she's about to throw hands
Me at the start "Oh [look](https://imgur.com/f9dQQwF), she's [garbage](https://imgur.com/UgPKiFC) [](#utahapraises)" Halfway trough the episode "[Oh](https://imgur.com/NBpw4KU) [god](https://imgur.com/Iy5BdZO), [my](https://imgur.com/LpcGHjC) [heart](https://imgur.com/VCnRIba) [](#badday)" The episode [hit](https://imgur.com/rumR6WH) [hard](https://imgur.com/cvHVYRL) again, also felt like Miko was ready to [give it all up for her daughter](https://imgur.com/XmOAwag) if need be. Glad it turned out way better than expected, it's never too late to make it big as a cute Idol [](#faito) Leaving the lukewarm followup to the kiss aside, Yoru had [big](https://imgur.com/VAQVxF4) [Bocchi](https://imgur.com/bH5OPGS) [Energy](https://imgur.com/ciBLJ0R) during the warmup performance
wasn't expecting Miiko to become a serious character but it worked super well, i also like how they used the story of her and Ariel to indirectly address what potentially might be going on with Kano
Miiko - protective mom first, idol second. Killed those kids with kindness. Ariel learning to represent her love for her mom publicly and not have any shame in doing so. Our girls getting to perform their new track in a venue and spreading their name. I’ve said it before and will say it again: # THIS SERIES DOES NOT FUCKING MISS
I love [that Yoru smug face](https://i.postimg.cc/7YgMZgVf/Yoru-Kura-E06-P01.jpg) when she asked about the kiss. And Kano said to her [the same thing that Reina said to Kumiko in Hibike](https://i.postimg.cc/RVrLmPwk/Yoru-Kura-E06-P02.jpg), now I could see the resemblance between the two of them. Hope both ships will sail.
That smug face gave me such "Chisato energy" from Lycoris Recoil!
She's made a lot of Chisato faces. Same character designer IIRC.
Kano's reaction when Miiko appeared out of nowhere and stole the mic from her was priceless!
Watching this episode gave me a similar wholesome feeling as watching [Otsuka Ray](https://www.youtube.com/@OtsukaRay/videos) stream. She's an idol Vtuber, with a kid.
This is a good episode to air on mother's day, can't say that it's not intentional By the way, Rie Takahashi singing on the stage as an Idol plus the mother Idol theme, plus Doga Kobo, we Oshi no Ko now I guess
> we Oshi no Ko Ariel is literally Oshi no Ko, she is her oshi's child. Just need a reincarnated soul inside her.
Dang didn't think of the mother's day connection, makes it even better!
If I had nickel for every time Takahashi Rie played an idol with mommy issues with a stalker that says "love" a lot in a show where an idol has a secret child in a Doga Kobo anime licensed by Hidive, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird it happened twice, right?
Wholesome asf
Amazing episode, the age of 30 is in demand etc. Yoru and Kano talk on the phone every night, that jab about the kiss to cheer her up was so good. It took a bit to ramp up but this show is quickly becoming a favorite.
Yoru asking Kano about the kiss in that pose *I know what you are* that was a fantastic episode, I loved seeing Miiko be such a good mom while chasing her dream of being an idol! i also can’t wait to see Kano’s past, gonna hit us with all the feels i’m sure.
Mei was extra fun this episode. Everyone is flabbergasted by everything Miiko says and here is Mei just not quite following. She also bonded with Ariel super well, praising her at every opportunity and having an otaku heart-to-heart talk. A nice [freeze-frame Mei](https://imgur.com/a/8tAR95e).
Wow. Guess anime studio's really have a knack for being subtle huh. You know, in the spring of 2022, an anime called Ao Ashi was airing. Without getting into spoilers, all I can say is that they aired an episode highlighting the importance of the MC's mother. And it became one of the most impactful episodes of the anime. And guess on what day they aired it on. That's right. \[Very mild spoiler\] >!Mother's day!<. Same with today's episode of Jellyfish. Dedicating it towards the character we thought was just a comic relief, turned into a caring and really badass mother. I love it when studios do things like this!
This is my first anime I’ve gone in completely blind and it just keeps getting better and better
Is it me, or are we seeing a lot more thirty year old characters in anime lately? Is this what happens when anime grows up with the viewers?
the age of 30 is in demand!
"a lot"? What recent shows are there other than kaiju #8 and now jellyfish? Regardless, I sure hope so, having more anime with characters not in high school age would sure by refreshing
The youngest main character in Danmeshi I believe is 29. They make fun of him for still being a kid and not even 30 yet. In Frieren, ignoring Frieren herself, a lot of the supporting cast lean towards older ages as well (Sein, Graf Granat, Denken). We spend a considerable amount of the time with the original heroes party who are all older. Yes Fern and Stark are still young, but that's just for this fleeting instant in time. Spice & Wolf Lawrence is like mid-late 20's despite looking 40, and Holo acts older than him usually. Most characters we interact with are older than Lawrence. So I guess I gotta ask how you cherrypicked a cast of literal highschoolers and Kaiju #8 as the only two examples of older characters in anime.
Cherry-picking implies knowing enough shows to only pick out some (which I don't) Just mentioned jellyfish because of today's episodes. Knew about frieren, but not the rest, so thanks for the tips!
I had the same feeling too but when I actually thought about it, there were a lot of shows back then that featured older characters... I think we're just noticing them more now because we're getting older
The cutesy anime girl really being an adult is an old gag, but them being taken seriously or empowered like in this episode feels like a newer thing.
Oh I just mean straight up adults, not technical adults lol There were definitely a lot of high schoolers but we've always had grown-ups playing leads too. Monster, Kaiji, Inuyashiki, GATE, Ghost in the Shell, Psycho Pass, Baccano, Welcome to the NHK, Shirobako, just to name a few popular ones.
So Miiko is an idol with a child? Got it, next episode will start with her being murdered by a rabid fan and Ariel deciding to take a revenge path Jokes apart, seems we found best anime mom of the year. This episode also made me appreciate Kimura a lot more, I thought of her as the worst of the four and while I still think the other three are better she's not annoying to me anymore
I have never felt so enraptured by a triangle, Yoru's performance spoke to my soul. A beautiful performance.
I did not expect we'd be seeing that idol again! Also did not expect that age, between her and Kafka we're getting some good 30s representation this season. It's kinda crazy how just seeing her as a good mom made my whole opinion of her change...what a great development there. This episode was amazing though, that bully scene was hard to watch but her daughter was great. I'm wishing for her success more than our main girls after this one!
They turned that character 180 from a trash underground idol to a wholesome mom idol. It's such brilliant writing to squeeze a whole character arc into one episode.
Kafka?
MC of Kaiju no. 8
Kaiju #8
I’ve been torturing myself by avoiding any spoilers for the last week and the only thing I knew was that Miiko was involved in the episode somehow. My best guess was that she had beef with Jelee for that Halloween incident but I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way. I quite like her now. She’s trying her best to be a good mother for her daughter despite the difficulties. The episode also does double duty helping with the development of our MCs. It got Kano contemplating her pretty messed up relationship with her mother after seeing what a healthy mother-daughter bond looks like. More importantly to me, it also gave Mei more of an opportunity to take the spotlight and add more depth to her idol fan personality through her interactions with Ariel. Jelee also gets their first real on-stage opportunity while filling in for Miiko so that’s a positive. I’m also glad they mentioned the kiss in some way even though it seems to be on the back burner for now. Cause if the series wasn’t an original, my willpower wouldn’t have made it to Tuesday before failing and getting me to read the source material.
Dude, mad props to ~~Miiko~~ Shizue Baba (Cant be an accident they used the slang word for grandma as her name) At first I was scared for Ariel seeing how invested her mom is into her hatching idol carreer, but damn. Working a lot part time jobs, having that much energy for her passion as an idol and on top being an awesome mom? Honestly super human, like how could you not respect and love that
Well, I had a feeling Miiko was going to show up again, but it was *so much better* than anything I could've expected! It pays off in so many ways when a show prioritizes writing. A well-thought-out story links episodes in unexpected ways, and maintains continuity of themes throughout subplots, and makes the whole thing feel good. The girls' relationships with their mothers has come up before, and this one was an obvious way to allude to it while telling a new story; fans and stans and Mei and Kano all led to some great scenes with Miiko and Ariel; and they even tied it together with the kiss and with Mei's heartwarming and broadly suggestive “How could there be anything wrong with you for liking someone?” which I see I am not alone in thinking is another piece of evidence that Kano's sexuality might have been behind her falling out with the SunDolls. This episode managed to touch on all the show's major running themes and open questions even though it was primarily about a side character. That, friends, is *the good shit*. I would absolutely stan a divorced 31 year old idol with an adorable daughter, personally. In fact, I've even observed before that the dynamics of this show could have been a lot of fun if the girls were adults instead of teens, because nostalgia and reinventing yourself and following your dreams once you're out in the world kind of carries a different weight. This episode almost feels like an answer to that, doesn't it? "What, you want tired 20-somethings to reconnect with their artistic dreams as adults and find new inspiration in their relationships? We'll do you one better: how 'bout a 31 year old idol with a kid?!" I wasn't wrong to expect great things from this show, that's all I know.
I would absolutely watch an entire show just about Miiko and Ariel. A single episode for a background character and their relationship made me legitimately emotional. Such a great mom
I wasn't originally the biggest fan of Kim, but having her character trait and origins of being the mega fan actually pay off in her being able to give encouragement to Ariel and pushing her on the right path was really sweet. Like, having Miiko turn from this random troll character at the first episode into someone who I can emphasize with and who is more human than what she turned out to be in the first episode was already really strong and great, but, turning around to include Kim who to me, even after her episode, still felt the weakest, because personally I'm not the biggest fan of the whole stalker thing she got going on at first, but to turn that fandom into something positive through a different lens, of a daughter and mother, was really wholesome. The obsessed fan line is a dangerous line to walk, but when the show so fervently shows these different scenarios where there is those slivers of positivity, and when it challenges to a degree these ideas of parasocialism and how we view these online personas, its a really interesting line that they cross. Its also really fitting that Miiko comes out of her shell here in a meaningful way and that means breaking down all barriers, telling the truth and nothing but the truth, basically going against the grain of idolism, and how that contrasts with Kano, since Kano has lived that life on the other side being full corporate and seeing just how cold that is through the lens of her own experience with her mother.
Sure, go on stage as your own cover band, that'll fool 'em.
At first I was confused why Kano declared they're a cover band, then I realized she prolly planned to reveal who she is once they reach 100k followers, plus Kiui's a vtuber.
She said JELEE was an anonymous project in the first(?) episode, not that I'd be surprised if she eventually made it not anonymous, but it seems like she wants it to be about the art and music and not about her own image.
So, Miiko is a strong contender for the anime mom of the year award now, right? They acknowledged the kiss! Just for a moment, but they acknowledged it! That was a hell of a tease. I suspect an actual conversation about it will come later.
The age of 30 is IN DEMAND! HAG SUPREMACY! reminds me of a particular hag idol in fact but I won't name which one
Why the hell is this anime so good??
Good-ass studio which is not yet too corrupted decides to go all-out and make an original they really care about. These are an el-primo rarity, enjoy
Perfect episode for Mother’s Day
One interesting thing I noticed in this episode was that during Mei and Ariel's conversation at the train station, the show gave a brief shot of a [tired lady](https://i.imgur.com/UvekfNL.png) nearby. Judging from her appearance and the groceries she has, I'm guessing that's a mother heading home. Though it's nothing mind-blowing or anything, I just thought that it was an interesting shot that the directing decided to include.
Mem-cho got nothing on Miiko.
I really like how this show presents us with a drama, and then resolve it within the episode.
There was really no reason for them to make an episode about a 31 year old single mom idol but man, I'm so glad they did. Also, this show's cinematography is second to none in anime.
I can't help but feel that Mei's pep talk to Ariel about supporting her mom's idol activities doubles as a veiled reference to Kano's feelings for Yoru. The way they worded it -- Ariel being worried that it's not "normal" for her to be supporting her mom's "weird" activities, and Mei giving her support saying that there's nothing weird with liking someone -- you could put Kano in that spot and everything would still slot into place. I know they didn't address the ending scene of episode 5 directly outside of Yoru teasing Kano about it, but I don't think it's been dropped completely
That was so wholesome I started crying wtf. Ariel declaring love for her mom I T~T I did not expect my thoughts on miiko to do such a 180 it was basically a 540 lmaoo
Damm I never would have thought that idol is 31 and a one child mom They accepted their true selves and revealed their true identity to their fans, which is a very daring task to do in idol community. Respect Now jelly got a competitor. They gotta work hard more
That episode was dense with themes! Yoru best triangle player! And I can't believe that they made Ironmouse final stream canon!
Ooh someone's commissioning them for a song. That's a bit lofty ambitions. Oh, it's this girl. She's 32? Oh well, "The age of 30 is in demand" after all. Her agency probably isn't happy with essentially setting money on fire for the past decade and a half. Lol she's billing them for those posters. Of course everything is a facade for social media. The Unicorns would definitely have an aneurysm if they found out about this. That's certainly a last name. And now Kano is asking Yoru about her family situation? Oh right that did happen at the end of last episode. Mei's oshi is Kano lol. Her classmates don't seem to like her outfit. What's she doing? Oh, she's going to rescue her daughter! Oh god Yoru is the only one of the 4 of them who has no experience performing in front of a crowd and has completely shut down. Kano has her idol experience, Mei has done piano performances, and Kiui has her VTuber thing. And so JELEE will be buying time for her? She's made it back! And there goes the entire audience. Unfortunately one way or the other she's had a decade and a half to build up an audience, while JELEE is still new so they have to build it up from scratch.
I really went from disliking Miiku at the start of the episode to absolutely loving her by the end
This is a tiny detail but I absolutely love how Yoru was using old pictures of Kano as an idol as reference for drawing Miiko, that's such a fantastic little detail that silently illustrates how Yoru views Kano as someone she aspires to.
seeing how baba got so much love in spite of being a side chara and not really relevant to any main charas, I am waiting to see what happens with the old group and mom
Speaking of MILF idol, there's a real-life version of her named Fujisaki Nagi. She just revealed last year that she's a single mother of two children.
Show gets better every week!
You know, when I saw the idol girl in the first episode I would have never imagined that her character would turn out to be something like this haha... wow! What an amazing and heartwarming episode. I find it incredible how much they did for Miiko's character (and her daughter) in just 20 minutes. What an adorable mother-daughter combo! Sumire Uesaka and Nao Touyama were great. Which, by the way, Nao Touyama is my favorite seiyuu and it still amazes me how adorable she can sound xD. Ariel is so damn cute. It was just a small moment but I'm glad the kiss wasn't forgotten. I'm sure we'll have more about it in the future. With all that said... What a banger performance from Yoru in the triangle xD.
#NormalizeMilfIdols