“Dreamland Is Now Open”
What They Say:
Nijigasaki High School is known for its diverse subjects and the freedom they give to students. Second-year student Yu Takasaki has been turned on to the charms of school idols, so she knocks on the door of the School Idol Club with her friend, Ayumu Uehara. Sometimes friends, sometimes rivals, the members of this club each contribute their own thoughts and motivations to the group.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
It’s decided that there will be a pre-show before the Cultural Festival and that the drama club will be in charge of the event. I guess Shizuku is going to be a busy bee! In the clubroom, the girls discuss what they want to do for the School Idol Festival. Ai wants to have a super punny MC segment with Karin. I personally think that’s a great idea. Karin, not so much. Aww, but Ai was asakaing her to be more karing! I love Ai’s puns. Shizuki reveals to Yu that she wants to form a unit with Setsuna and Ayumu. Ah yes, A・ZU・NA!
The next morning, Ayumu spots Yu walking around town. The normal thing to do would be to let her be, right? But then Yu meets up with Shizuku. Ayumu is not amused. Oh no, is this going to be another jealous Ayumu stalker episode!? I thought we were done with those. And what’s worse is that she ropes an unsuspecting Setsuna to join her. For shame! So yeah, Ayumu and Setsuna follow Yu and Shizuku around. Shizuku shows Yu a script for a play that she wrote after observing Setsuna and Ayumu. She was hoping she could use it as an inspiration for a unit song. That does sound nice. Yu loves the idea. Ayumu doesn’t like the fact that Yu is having so much fun without her. She’s going to get to the bottom of this! Setsuna thinks they’re detectives! That’s adorable. So innocent, so pure. Setsuna’s smile must be protected!
Yu and Shizuku decide to visit the amusement park. Also, Ayumu and Setsuna get discovered rather quickly. Not a very good spy now are ya, Ayumu? Since they’re all here, might as well enjoy the rides together, right? As they have fun on numerous rides, Shizuku observes everyone. She’s still trying to decide who should play what part in her play. On a side note, Ayumu makes grumpy faces every time she doesn’t get to ride with Yu. Not surprising but still very funny. When they decide to take a food break, Shizuku tells Ayumu and Setsuna about forming a unit with them. Ayumu is relieved to hear that’s why she met up with Yu. On the other hand, Setsuna thought they were on a date, haha. Setsuna is great.
Afterward, the girls go to see a school idol exhibit. They run into Lanzhu who tells Yu to start taking her studies seriously. Hey, she’s doing her best! She also says that the other members of the club spoil her. Well, that’s actually true. Her dreams are overlapping with those of the School Idol Club. That may also be true but I’m sure Yu will be fine. Lanzhu’s words get to Shizuku though. Are her dreams overlapping with everyone else’s? Maybe it was selfish of her to want to form a unit with Setsuna and Ayumu. That’s not true! Setsuna and Ayumu decide to ab-lib the play in hopes of lifting up Shizuku’s spirits. They do a pretty good job at first but they eventually start struggling. That’s when Shizuku steps in and continues the story. By the way, a crowd gathered while they were performing and they seemed to enjoy it. I guess it’s safe to say that their performance was a success. Freedom of expression is pretty cool, you know? I think Shizuku, Setsuna, and Ayumu will have as a unit. At night, Yu and Ayumu have a date on the Ferris wheel. They even hold hands! I keep forgetting this is an anime about Yu’s harem…
In an after-credits scene, Shioriko may or may not have discovered that the student council president is actually Setsuna. Uh oh!?
In Summary:
A lack of a new song always leaves me a bit disappointed. Mix that with Ayumu’s stalker tendencies and well, there’s not a lot for me to be excited about in this episode. We get it, she REALLY likes Yu. She doesn’t have to be so weird about it though. Some people find her possessiveness cute. I am not one of them. On the bright side, I am looking forward to A・ZU・NA’s performance in the next episode. Setsuna is a treasure. Her energy is honestly infectious. I just hope that something doesn’t come along that would rob her of her smile. Speaking of which, does Shioriko know the secret behind Setsuna Yuki!? What will she do with the information!?!?
Grade: C+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
