Connecting Feelings

Connecting Feelings (結ばれる想い) is the eight episode of the ''Love Live! Superstar!!'' anime series. It aired on September 19, 2021.

Summary
Ren Hazuki explained Kanon Shibuya, Sumire Heanna, Chisato Arashi, and Keke Tang about her loneliness and that her father left away, finally her mother leaving her with Chibi. Explaining these, she asks them to keep it a secret as it would make the students regret attending Yuigaoka Girls' High School. She then remembers but couldn't understand what her mother has said her when she was a kid. The next day at the school, some students argued with Ren about the injustice festival while Kanon and others tried to make them calm and work together. But they refused. Then at her speech, Ren apologizes to them for this and explains to them that her mother was a school idol and she loved them. For which she also wanted to be a school idol in Yuigaoka. But she failed to get the memories of her mother's school idol days for which she thought that her mother was failed to save the school which was the reason for delaying Kanon's clubroom. Then Kanon searched in the Library permission given by the principal. Ren came and said she searched there and found nothing. While leaving the place, Kanon asked Ren where she got their clubroom key. Ren answered that she found it in her home. Then Kanon runs to the clubroom and searched everywhere. At the time of Ren's speech for the festival, the general curriculum interrupted her by asking about their condition. While Kanon came and interrupted them by telling her that they found the memories of her mother. Kanon tells everything that is written in her mother's memory book. At one time, Kanon tells "School Idol memories are my treasure moments". Then Ren understood that her mother tells her the same thing when she was a kid. And at last, they showed her the idol dress of her mother. Ren cries out and then after the speech, the principal shows the many things of Ren's mother's memories. Ren then got surprised seeing general curriculum students and music program students working together. After being invited by Kanon, she became a school idol and join the General Curriculum and at last, they sang Wish Song.

Cast

 * Sayuri Date as Kanon Shibuya
 * Liyuu as Keke Tang
 * Nako Misaki as Chisato Arashi
 * Naomi Payton as Sumire Heanna
 * Nagisa Aoyama as Ren Hazuki
 * Aya Endo as Hana Hazuki

Notes & Trivia

 * NHK-E broadcast exclusive End Card: Liella
 * Yui-gao makes an appearance in this episode as a soft plushie.

Callbacks to previous Love Live! Series

 * To "What I Want To Do Is...":
 * Ren eventually softens up and joins Liella!, much like Eli reconciling with Muse.
 * Both Kanon and Ren does a handshake similar to Honoka Kosaka and Eli Ayase.
 * To “Love Live! The School Idol Movie”
 * The backstage scene before Liella! performs Wish Song is very similar to the backstage scene before Muse performs Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari.

Continuity Notes

 * One of the keys given by Ren in the 4th episode is for one of the boxes that contain Hana's book.

Changes in the BD/DVD Release
TBA