Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-24187738-20151214152123/@comment-27459831-20151223230055

I'm a 25 year old male, and Love Live! School Idol Project is the only work in any media that has made me cry.

What's weird about it is that I'm not the type of person that gets weepy easily. I usually keep my feelings bottled up whenever I feel a little melancholy, and I guess that's why I can seem a little cold at first. There's been instances when I felt a bit emotional when watching anime and playing video games, but those moments have always been fleeting and enjoyable in the moment.

However, the Love Live! anime totally caught me off guard. I think I first started to really notice the girls near the end of the third episode, when they were about to perform in front of an empty auditorium. You see, I've always been a loner because of my impersonal demeanor, and I know the pain of being lonely all too well. Yet, I didn't want to see Honoka and the others cry. I wanted them to feel accepted because they tried so hard to get to that stage. It was a wish I myself had for the longest time, and I really, really wanted them to be acknowledged. Having these cute and cheerful girls suddenly face the reality of their dreams was heartbreaking for me. I was relieved when more audience members eventually started to show, and I was blown away by the energy of their "Start : DASH!!" performance. It really spoke to me how no matter the difficulty, µ's was going to keep at it to make their dreams come true.

The scene that really broke me down was the beach scene near the end of the second season. The acceptance of the disbanding and the sadness it caused was a feeling I was all too familiar with. I've always had difficulty making and keeping up with friends because I'm aware of how they can come and go at any time. However, watching µ's go through that experience was even more tragic. By that point, I've watched µ's grow even closer, experiencing their everyday life and the ups and downs of being a school idol. I've grown to love each and every one of the girls and enjoyed the magic of their performances. The thought of them going their own ways hit home deeply, and I couldn't help but have a good cry with the members at the train station. Even though they would eventually leave, their time together was precious to all of them, and I had come to respect them even more for that.

I'm thankful for Love Live! for showing me that life is indeed difficult, but if you never give up on your dreams, the memories of the good times will last forever. In a way, Love Live! really is a school idol festival. It's a celebration of what makes idols so appealing. The music. The dance. The beauty. The energy. The sadness of life. The joy of living. µ's has taught me so much about the world of idols that I can't help but fall in love with the group. What Nico once said still holds true, "An idol's job isn't to show people their smiles. It is to make people smile." So thank you, µ's, for letting me feel this way once again!