From our other sites
The story
A thread titled “The story of Liella!, now the weakest group in the series, begins its climb back from here” appeared on 5ch’s Love Live! board. With new anime and manga releases drying up, fans argued over how to turn Liella! around. Some said the group should narrow its focus to its core fanbase and change its musical direction; others said it should give its sub-units clearer, more distinct identities the way other groups do. Still, pessimistic voices pushed back, saying “we’re long past the point where the music alone can fix this,” and the thread never reached a consensus.
What people said
This is the final chapter of 'The Story That Grants My Wishes' (a real Liella! song title).
My bad for assuming this was an anti-fan thread — it's actually a pretty reasonable take.
Maybe they should lean harder into selling the cast (voice actors) as personalities too.
Maybe they should lean harder into selling the cast (voice actors) as personalities too.
Re: #6
The only way is to target balding middle-aged guys and low-status men (a Japanese term for socially/economically disadvantaged men). Forget the 'family-friendly, general audience' approach — that's trying to turn a 0 into a 1. Turning an existing 10 into a 20 is Liella!'s real path back to life.
The only way is to target balding middle-aged guys and low-status men (a Japanese term for socially/economically disadvantaged men). Forget the 'family-friendly, general audience' approach — that's trying to turn a 0 into a 1. Turning an existing 10 into a 20 is Liella!'s real path back to life.
As for the music, there'd be no problem at all if they just covered 'Snow Halation' (a classic μ's song) at a live show.
Sure, it'd stir up backlash afterward, but the people who'd complain don't spend money on Liella! anyway, so just ignore them.
Sure, it'd stir up backlash afterward, but the people who'd complain don't spend money on Liella! anyway, so just ignore them.
Re: #9
That's dead-on, but honestly, no group — Star (Liella!) included — has the guts to actually pull that off…
That's dead-on, but honestly, no group — Star (Liella!) included — has the guts to actually pull that off…
I think the biggest problem is the music, so they should completely overhaul the sound.
Re: #15
They've been running the same playbook for six years, and even the cast themselves have been asking for songs with more of that flashy energy, but nothing's improved at all — at this point just covering 'KNOT' would be faster.
They've been running the same playbook for six years, and even the cast themselves have been asking for songs with more of that flashy energy, but nothing's improved at all — at this point just covering 'KNOT' would be faster.
There's no doubt Star's songs are absolute garbage-tier, but we're long past the point where the music alone can fix this.
Re: #18
That's probably true, but doing something still beats doing nothing.
With no anime and the manga cancelled, all they can do otherwise right now is sit around and wait to die.
That's probably true, but doing something still beats doing nothing.
With no anime and the manga cancelled, all they can do otherwise right now is sit around and wait to die.
Re: #18
They finally brought in Takezawa (a songwriter), but it was way too late.
They finally brought in Takezawa (a songwriter), but it was way too late.
Nijigasaki's high-energy songs were designed from the ground up purely to hype up a crowd, so they wouldn't actually showcase what Liella! is good at performance-wise.
They should be ruled out as cover options.
They should be ruled out as cover options.
Re: #19
Maybe so, but if you don't have any hype cards of your own, you have to borrow them from elsewhere.
It's like starting a trading card deck — you throw in something like Blue-Eyes White Dragon even though it clearly doesn't fit your deck concept, just because you don't have anything better. That's basically where they're at.
Maybe so, but if you don't have any hype cards of your own, you have to borrow them from elsewhere.
It's like starting a trading card deck — you throw in something like Blue-Eyes White Dragon even though it clearly doesn't fit your deck concept, just because you don't have anything better. That's basically where they're at.
Re: #19
They've been saying that this whole time, and look where it's gotten them. You only earn the right to lead with performance once you can actually compete on the songs themselves.
They've been saying that this whole time, and look where it's gotten them. You only earn the right to lead with performance once you can actually compete on the songs themselves.
To begin with, these girls' voices are hopelessly mismatched for hype-up songs.
Re: #24
Ouch, can't argue with that.
Go a little easier on them.
Ouch, can't argue with that.
Go a little easier on them.
Still better than Nijigasaki, which has zero demand, or 'Ikizu-Live' (a mocking nickname — 'hard-to-live-with Live' — for a rival group), which only ever gets talked about for its live shows.
Re: #27
Sorry, this isn't the thread for that — take it elsewhere.
Sorry, this isn't the thread for that — take it elsewhere.
This is more thought-out than I expected.
I also think they should unify everyone under the 'Suzuhara' route (going full cutesy-idol style, like that character).
I also think they should unify everyone under the 'Suzuhara' route (going full cutesy-idol style, like that character).
Re: #28
If everyone became Suzuhara, that'd be the end…
Even if they need to prioritize low-status men, that doesn't mean the whole group has to go full 'aren't-I-cute' pandering mode.
If everyone became Suzuhara, that'd be the end…
Even if they need to prioritize low-status men, that doesn't mean the whole group has to go full 'aren't-I-cute' pandering mode.
Love Live! used to be extremely reluctant about crossover collabs and covers between its groups — doing that is actually a pretty recent thing.
If they'd started crossover covers back during Aqours' peak, the groundwork for fans accepting it would be laid by now, but doing it this late just seems likely to invite backlash.
If they'd started crossover covers back during Aqours' peak, the groundwork for fans accepting it would be laid by now, but doing it this late just seems likely to invite backlash.
Re: #30
Yeah, it was right around 'Ijigen Live' (the 'Dimension' concert) that covers and shuffle units started happening.
The fact that the very first 'Love Live Fes' was basically just each group performing separately in one-third slots is still having lingering effects.
Yeah, it was right around 'Ijigen Live' (the 'Dimension' concert) that covers and shuffle units started happening.
The fact that the very first 'Love Live Fes' was basically just each group performing separately in one-third slots is still having lingering effects.
The OP is also treating writing off the anime as a given premise from the start.
That mindset alone means it's not really Love Live! anymore.
That mindset alone means it's not really Love Live! anymore.
Re: #34
It's not that we're writing it off — there's simply no more anime coming, so we have no choice but to treat it as a given. Sure, having it would be better, but you can't work with what you don't have.
It's not that we're writing it off — there's simply no more anime coming, so we have no choice but to treat it as a given. Sure, having it would be better, but you can't work with what you don't have.
Re: #34
I do genuinely feel bad that they got hit directly by COVID, but
they also never fully made the most of the material they had from three anime seasons.
I do genuinely feel bad that they got hit directly by COVID, but
they also never fully made the most of the material they had from three anime seasons.
I want them to actually put the sub-units to use.
If they can't write new songs, covering other groups' sub-unit songs is definitely a viable option.
If they can't write new songs, covering other groups' sub-unit songs is definitely a viable option.
Re: #35
Personally I think the sub-units are the whole reason Liella! fell apart, so I want them scrapped for good.
Every sub-unit just feels like a scaled-down version of the full 11-member Liella! to me, and even if they did cover other groups' unit songs, you can't even picture which unit would take on AZALEA's songs or which would take on DiverDiva's, right?
Personally I think the sub-units are the whole reason Liella! fell apart, so I want them scrapped for good.
Every sub-unit just feels like a scaled-down version of the full 11-member Liella! to me, and even if they did cover other groups' unit songs, you can't even picture which unit would take on AZALEA's songs or which would take on DiverDiva's, right?
I honestly don't get what Star (Liella!) even wants to be going forward.
After the anime ended, all they gave us was variety shows and school-play-tier stage skits — don't come at me about the music after that.
After the anime ended, all they gave us was variety shows and school-play-tier stage skits — don't come at me about the music after that.
Re: #44
Seriously, so true.
Why are they pouring their limited resources into weird stuff like that — I DO NOT GET IT.
Seriously, so true.
Why are they pouring their limited resources into weird stuff like that — I DO NOT GET IT.
As for the sub-units… even 'Ikizu-Live' (the rival group nicknamed for constantly making shuffle units) manages to give each shuffle unit its own distinct flavor every time, but Liella! barely manages that at all.
Re: #46
Someone compared it to 'Iron Chef' if all three Iron Chefs who showed up specialized in Japanese cuisine.
Someone compared it to 'Iron Chef' if all three Iron Chefs who showed up specialized in Japanese cuisine.
Re: #46
I question whether every unit needed to go for the 'cool' image. Management was probably thinking something like 'heh, we can make three Guilty Kisses!' but all they actually did was split Liella! into three pieces.
I question whether every unit needed to go for the 'cool' image. Management was probably thinking something like 'heh, we can make three Guilty Kisses!' but all they actually did was split Liella! into three pieces.
Within voice-actor units (even though they're not playing themselves as voice actors), they read as young, cute, and good at singing and dancing — but judged as general idols, they're not especially young, cute, or skilled at singing and dancing either.
Even if they ditch their in-show characters, they should stay within the anime-song (anisong) scene rather than leave it entirely.
There are examples of franchise-born units — like Milky Holmes, Earphones, or WUG (Wake Up, Girls!) — that went on to work outside their original franchise.
But none of them ever actually left the anisong scene.
If they're going to separate Liella! from 'Superstar!!', the best move is to make it an independent anisong group — have them sing theme songs for other anime, etc.
Their audience is, after all, the anisong-listening crowd, not the general public.
Even if they ditch their in-show characters, they should stay within the anime-song (anisong) scene rather than leave it entirely.
There are examples of franchise-born units — like Milky Holmes, Earphones, or WUG (Wake Up, Girls!) — that went on to work outside their original franchise.
But none of them ever actually left the anisong scene.
If they're going to separate Liella! from 'Superstar!!', the best move is to make it an independent anisong group — have them sing theme songs for other anime, etc.
Their audience is, after all, the anisong-listening crowd, not the general public.
Re: #71
Even if they tried to get tie-in themes for other anime, their voices are way too lacking in distinct character for anyone to actually cast them — these are Liella!, not Aqours, remember?
Even if they tried to get tie-in themes for other anime, their voices are way too lacking in distinct character for anyone to actually cast them — these are Liella!, not Aqours, remember?
Re: #71
Love Live! fans go easy on the cast and shower them with praise, but other fandoms aren't like that — if they're not skilled or don't show respect for the source material, they'll get torn apart without mercy.
If the cast has the resolve to take that beating and the actual skill to win over other franchises' fans, I'd love to see it, but honestly I think it's a stretch.
Love Live! fans go easy on the cast and shower them with praise, but other fandoms aren't like that — if they're not skilled or don't show respect for the source material, they'll get torn apart without mercy.
If the cast has the resolve to take that beating and the actual skill to win over other franchises' fans, I'd love to see it, but honestly I think it's a stretch.
What about putting real effort into YouTube?
Every time, run a project like hand-selling CDs at Aeon (a supermarket chain) through YouTube, with some reward if they hit their goal — really commit to it.
Honestly, I ended up liking a certain idol group after seeing a video of its members grinding hard on YouTube.
Every time, run a project like hand-selling CDs at Aeon (a supermarket chain) through YouTube, with some reward if they hit their goal — really commit to it.
Honestly, I ended up liking a certain idol group after seeing a video of its members grinding hard on YouTube.
Re: #81
I don't think that'd work. The ones who want to make it as individuals already have their own channels, and it's way easier to just get showered with praise on TikTok — that makes it a tough sell.
I can't see them sticking with the grind.
I don't think that'd work. The ones who want to make it as individuals already have their own channels, and it's way easier to just get showered with praise on TikTok — that makes it a tough sell.
I can't see them sticking with the grind.
Re: #81
Whatever they do, they'll just end up as a watered-down copy of 'Seihasu' (apparently a nickname for a rival group known for this).
Whatever they do, they'll just end up as a watered-down copy of 'Seihasu' (apparently a nickname for a rival group known for this).
Background and Key Points of Debate
Liella! is the fictional school idol group featured in the anime “Love Live! Superstar!!” The Love Live! franchise runs several real-life performing units — μ’s, Aqours, Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, and Liella! — and in recent years, cross-group song covers and collaborations have started happening between them. What split opinion in the thread was whether the group should stick with its existing family-friendly, general-audience approach or pivot hard toward its core fanbase — a debate that recurs again and again around how to market idol content. It’s also worth noting that framings like “weakest in the series” or “anime and manga output has stalled” reflect the subjective impressions of posters in the thread, not externally verified facts.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Love Live!) thread “The story of Liella!, now the weakest group in the series, begins its climb back from here.”
Leave a Reply