Idolish7 Episode 16 Review: Resolve at Zero

Hey guys long time not see! It’s been a while, but we are finally at the final two episodes of Idolish7! Although the episodes aired on Japanese TV back-to-back, I have decided to write two separate reviews, and I’m actually writing this having not yet seen Episode 17! The last time we saw the boys, they had just been told by Otoharu that they were disbanded. Say it ain’t so! Well of course not, there are two more episodes. Let’s take a look at Episode 16!

Japanese title: ゼロ地点の決意

Story

The boys have been told they are to disband, and all of them end up sulking at the same place- the Zero Arena. They confide in each other their reasons for becoming an idol to some emotional plinky plonky music. In particular, Riku is finally able to confess to his brother that he just wanted to give back to his beloved Tenn-nii, who sang and dance to put a smile on his face when he was sick. It isn’t just Tenn who gets to listen to his confession, but their groupmates too! The mood is lightened, and they all go off for dinner.
The next morning, there is tension in the air as the boy wonder how they can convince the president that they are genuinely happy to have been nominated for JIMA. It is then that Nagi makes a huge revelation. Not only does he know who has been writing their songs, but he has been sending them into the agency himself. The writer of the songs is in fact Haruki Sakura, who wrote the hits for the legendary idol Zero! Sakura befriended Nagi in Northmare, and he learned about what it truly means to perform one of his songs. The news makes the boys rethink things, and they wonder if they can convince Otoharu that they really want to convey the true feelings behind the songs. Otaharu, however, has other plans. He takes them to the spot they first performed in public. There they see a busker performing. He is ecstatic when Otoharu buys one of his CDs. He tells the boys that there are still many people who haven’t reached their dream. Yet, the boys have been nominated for JIMA! That’s amazing! There are so many people who work extremely hard for that chance. This helps the boys to see things a little differently, and they feel proud of themselves for their achievements.
Cut to TRIGGER, and they are ready to confront Sosuke for pulling strings that have caused the rift between the members of IDOLiSH7. Good boys.

With that all sorted, the boys performed Monster Generation at the JIMA awards. They go onstage in a positive mood, and it really shows! We get to see a slightly different take on the familiar Monster Generation, as we get to focus on the individual/duo vocals of the boys.

It’s time for the announcement of the results. And the winner is… IDOLiSH7!!

Highlights

I really enjoyed seeing the cute child Tenn and Riku! We don’t get to see those kinds of things in the games, and they were really adorable! Seeing Tenn smile in general gives me fuzzy feelings.
I’m glad that so much effort was put into the scene where Nagi talks about Haruki Sakura. This is a VERY important story and even now, three parts into the in-game story, there are still many unresolved questions regarding Sakura. I also get chills seeing Nagi act seriously. Did you also see the Northmare backgrounds? Gorgeous.
TRIGGER telling off Sosuke was amazing. From blocking the doors to bribing the staff. The boys are of beauty AND substance.
I’m glad they kept in the scene of the boys imagining who the flowers came from. It’s one of my favorite scenes from the first part of the story and teaches me that positive feelings can come from within.
LET’S ALL HUG IORI!

Trivia

The boys all received flowers in the green room. Of course, giving flowers is a custom all around the world. In Japan, it is common for flowers to be sent before live performances. They always have the name of the receiving group etc and the name of the person who sent it written on a board exactly as shown in the anime. At concerts, they are sometimes displayed in the lobby for fans to admire.
When Ryu was threatening Sosuke, he was speaking in Okinawa dialect! This explains where the others didn’t understand him. I didn’t understand him either.

Making the dream! Making the sky!

This episode was very satisfying to watch. Not so much because the boys won JIMA, but because TRIGGER were basically just ‘f*ck this sh*t’ and called Sosuke out. Each member of TRIGGER is a pure-hearted soul who works unbelievably hard. It was also great to finally talk about Haruki Sakura. The friendship between him and Nagi, as well as the millions of questions that will come in the future, is one of my favorite storylines in Idolish7, and I hope this piques your interest a little and gets you crying out for a second season! I can’t wait to see how the series will end in episode 17. I will be back very soon with my ~~fangirling~~ review!