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The story
The Love Live! school idol unit “Ikizurai-bu” has reportedly overtaken the once hugely popular “Liella!” in popularity after just a single year, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Love Live! board. Commenters noted that after Liella! shot up in its first year, it lost steam in year two following “self-inflicted” missteps such as changes to the group’s lineup, and many argued that the “neatly paved path” laid out by the production side makes it harder for fans to feel any sense of ownership over the group. Others questioned the reliability of the source cited as evidence of Ikizurai-bu’s popularity, and opinion was also divided over comparisons with Nijigasaki.
What people said
but it self-destructed in year two and that was that
but took a spectacular tumble in year two
Does it get lines forming outside the women's restroom like Aqours or Liella?
and having a neatly paved road laid out by the production committee, really isn't a good thing
without a sense of crisis — a “we'll never lose” or “we'll show them” mentality — this is what you get, and watching Liella really drives that home
This is so true
When the path already looks neatly laid out (or at least seems that way), it's hard for fans to feel “we have to be the ones supporting them!” and it doesn't win much sympathy either
There's actually a pretty goofy lyric that goes something like “we'll never lose, we're gonna win”…
but even though the anime's poor quality that delivered the finishing blow wasn't the cast's fault, it was already too late
The voice actors having to develop a sense of crisis is way too much, lol
sounds like it must have already fallen apart on the inside
If there's staging good enough to let you enjoy being fooled, that's all you need to feel good. Even if the voice actors' opinions do get reflected, it'll take at least a few years from the start. Bandai Namco isn't stupid enough to go in without even a plan for the first few years. Whether the plan actually works out is a separate matter
It's obvious that every series has a path laid out for it, not just Liella — but at least hide the path
The problem with Liella is it didn't even try to hide it
you can't leave the fans behind
Public opinion
It's exactly because it's an even number that the blue balances it out — lucky save
timing-wise, it's clearly largely because Aqours fans flowed over to them
though the series' image color is light blue
Judging by how the production side thinks, they probably figure making a bunch of different pairings lets them show off character chemistry and relationships, which sounds like a good deal, but it's spread too thin and every relationship ends up shallow
Compared to a unit that's stuck together the whole way through, the bond just isn't the same
At best they're on par with Nijigasaki
and now that Aqours has settled down, Ikizura is just the right next thing to switch over to
I know quite a few people around me who feel the same way
There are probably plenty of people who fully enjoyed the tasty early days of both Liella! and Hasu, but stopped following closely once those groups self-destructed by adding or cutting members
Of course, if Ikizura pulls some weird move later and self-destructs too, I'll drift away again
Even in the cheap “talking heads” animated shorts, every character really stands out
This part definitely feels like Sakurako Kimino's writing
it's built entirely out of a pile of “poke them like this, they react like that” reaction gags
in performance, in turnout, even in acting
I guess the strongest Nijigasaki solo is Chase?
Honestly that song's kind of boring
It's got this weird faux-stylish vibe, kind of like Liella
HIBANA is like a hundred times stronger
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
The Love Live! franchise has a history of rolling out a new school idol unit every few years — μ’s, Aqours, Nijigasaki, and Liella! — and the “Ikizurai-bu” discussed here represents the newest generation in that lineage. Where opinion in the thread split was over whether momentum right after a debut is enough to judge a group’s future prospects. Many pointed out that Liella! was similarly popular in its first year but lost momentum in year two due to lineup changes, and some argued that the “neatly paved path” laid out by the production side makes it harder for fans to develop a sense of ownership. Meanwhile, a post presenting the tweet quoted in comment 21 as “public opinion” drew pushback arguing it merely reflected opinion within the fan community itself. A point readers may easily misread is that these kinds of in-franchise popularity comparisons are often based on the impressions of hardcore fans rather than on objective metrics like sales figures or attendance numbers.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Love Live!) thread “Why Did Ikizurai-bu Surpass Liella in Just One Year?”
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