Ah, Love Live!, an anime series with fans the world over. For those not familiar, Love Live! is a Japanese entertainment franchise focussed on a group of fictional idols who via their real life voice actresses release songs and related projetcs. Easily the most famous arm of the franchise is the anime, produced by Sunrise. Attempting to save her declining school from closure, Honoka Kosaka decides the best strategy is to form an idol group with fellow students and promote the school by entering the Love Live! talent contest under the name of μ’s (muse). The show depicts the trials of the eventual nine member group as they face off with rivals and attempt to save their school.
Now fictionalised adventures of bands are hardly a new thing. The Monkees, New Kids On The Block, S Club 7 (now there’s a surprise reference). Heck, even the legendary Beatles had movies and an infamous cartoon exploring the concept. So it’s not exactly under the ‘bonkers Japan’ classification to see something like this.
The first third of the movie is primarily comedy driven, with μ’s being sent to New York in order to promote the concept of Japanese idols to the west. This of course presents many culture shock gags, spotlight moments for each of the girls and a few direct references to popular moments from the show (Umi’s poker face has not improved). However the important thing about this part is to set up the issue of Honoka’s lack of maturity, seen twice when her characteristic good natured bumbling lands others and herself in trouble. Upon returning to Japan this partners with the other major issue of the fact three of the members will shortly be graduating, bringing into question if μ’s will continue to perform without them. In this respect the arguably pandering first act becomes a needed relief as although the movie never loses comedy or levity, the story becomes a more sombre one with the question of what comes next for a group that succeeded in its stated goal of saving their school and will systematically see its members leave by graduating.
Now it wouldn’t be too difficult to look at this cynically. Japan isn’t known for being the most forward thinking when it comes to sexual equality and the movie itself even has one of the former rival groups openly state their desire to continue performing together after their own forthcoming graduation. But the point made here is one of balance and satisfaction. μ’s achieved the goal they set out for and although they love performing the question is does their meteoric rise threaten the very reasons they began this journey. The sheer weight of these questions I feel actually makes the film stronger than similar ‘rags to riches/grab everything you can’ success stories about aspiring talent that the West has produced. The issues here are about enjoyment and the transitionary stages of life, something that is actually stinging if you hold any affection for these characters and certainly not what I was expecting from a film aimed primarily at the ‘best girl’* type of fanbase.
One of the stranger ideas is a Japanese woman Honoka meets in New York during a moment of crisis and a few other times later. It’s never spelled out what the deal with this timely saint is but key hints are dropped in a way to give you something to play detective with.
Like any band movie there are of course musical numbers. These generally take the form of music video cutaways, utilising different scenarios and line ups with smaller ones being traditionally animated while larger ones are cel-shaded. I have to admit most of these didn’t really stick with me, with the exceptions being the number performed by the senior trio of Eli, Nozomi and Nico about over whelming fame and a full line up number performed during the finale. I’ve heard it remarked that catchy songs is ironically the one area Love Live! fails at as a franchise but I think the film has a good enough balance.
Animation quality is about the standard for a modern Sunrise theatrical outing, meaning more detail and frames which helps punctuate the enormity of not only visiting a foreign country but the weight of the central dilemma of the story.
The Love Live! Movie is a curious thing to recommend, as I’m sure the bemused forty something cinema security guard I found myself sat next to can attest. The film clearly assumes you’re already familiar with these characters in much the same way as people don’t usually go to concerts for bands they don’t already enjoy. The film embodies its stated spirit that idols are there to make people happy but this is ultimately a send-off show rather than a latest album tour. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes but with MVM holding the UK rights to the television series, hopefully a wider home media release for this film is not too far behind.
*Eli. ALWAYS Eli!