The First Thrill

The First Thrill (はじまりのトキメキ) is the first episode and season premiere of ''Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club's'' first season and the anime's series premiere. It aired on October 3, 2020.

Summary
Best friends Ayumu Uehara and Yu Takasaki are second-year students at Nijigasaki High School, located in Odaiba, an island city floating atop Tokyo Bay. One day, the two are relaxing at a park and suddenly overhear the sounds of applause nearby, eventually leading them to a performance by a lone school idol named Setsuna Yuki. Yu is mesmerized by the display, and upon learning that a school idol club exists at their school, she and Ayumu attempt to investigate the club the following day, only to find out that it had been disbanded.

Being disappointed by this realization, Yu and Ayumu nevertheless continue their usual, uninterrupted routine of school and shopping. But while walking home together one night, Ayumu suddenly confesses that she could not let go of what happened at the park - that she too loves school idols and dreams of becoming one.

On the steps of their apartment, Ayumu then declares that both she and Yu should realize that dream together.

Cast
Japanese English
 * Hinaki Yano as Yu Takasaki
 * Aguri Onishi as Ayumu Uehara
 * Mayu Sagara as Kasumi Nakasu
 * Kaori Maeda as Shizuku Osaka
 * Miyu Kubota as Karin Asaka
 * Natsumi Murakami as Ai Miyashita
 * Akari Kito as Kanata Konoe
 * Tomori Kusunoki as Setsuna Yuki
 * Maria Sashide as Emma Verde
 * Chiemi Tanaka as Rina Tennoji
 * Momoyo Koyama as Head of Drama Club
 * Sayumi Suzushiro as Nagashi-somen Club Member
 * Tomomi Mineuchi
 * Anna Mugiho


 * Madeline Dorroh as Yu Takasaki
 * Suzie Yeung as Ayumu Uehara
 * Kayli Mills as Kasumi Nakasu
 * Jill Harris as Shizuku Osaka
 * Shara Kirby as Karin Asaka
 * Daisy Guevara as Ai Miyashita
 * Lindsay Seidel as Kanata Konoe
 * Laura Stahl as Setsuna Yuki
 * Lisa Reimold as Emma Verde
 * Hayden Daviau as Rina Tennoji

Trivia

 * Ayumu wearing a rabbit onesie as a child is mostly likely reference of her Exciting Animal card in Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS.
 * A front foot piece of the Unicorn Gundam statue can be seen behind Yu Takasaki during Setsuna's performance.
 * Yume e no Ippo plays as a ringtone on Yu's cellphone.
 * Setsuna performs CHASE! on the large staircase at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, which is also where Nijigasaki High School Idol Club's seiyuus held their first live performance and release event for their 1st album, TOKIMEKI Runners, in November 2018.
 * A Sasuke plush can be seen in Ayumu's bedroom.
 * The club leader of the Drama Club is voiced by Momoyo Koyama, who is known for voicing Karen Aijou in Revue Starlight, another Bushiroad production.
 * The staircase where Ayumu performs on is at the Shinonome Canal Court.
 * The Lemon Custard Salted Bread Roll, Cherry blossom Bean Paste Bread Roll & Raclette Cheese & Honey Bread Roll from Kasumi's Bread Roll Campaign made an appearance.

Differences with the ALL-STARS story

 * Both Yu and Ayumu...
 * Were shopping/hanging out at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba.
 * Heard a commotion and checked what it was about, and it was Setsuna performing CHASE! live.
 * Went around the school to look for the school idol club room, with both Rina and Ai's assistance.
 * Found out from Nana that Setsuna had already quit being an idol and the club is now disbanded.
 * Emma never travelled back to Switzerland.
 * Outside of the club, Emma was already friends with Karin prior to the show's events.
 * Ayumu confesses that she also got inspired by School Idols and announced to Yu that she wants to be one too.

Errors & Goofs

 * At 02:33, Yu's thigh-high socks disappeared, and at 18:29, they were replaced with knee-high ones.
 * In some occasions, Ayumu's hair tie on her bag disappears.
 * The School Idol Club's poster at 03:07 was not displayed.
 * 07:02 Ayumu's animation paused for a moment as she walks off.

Changes in the BD/DVD release

 * The scene where Yu and Ayumu are heading to the Club Room is redrawn.
 * Ayumu's lipsync in the last moment has been corrected