Cinderella Girls S2 E12

## Message

Okay, so by the time I finish writing this, the hell on Earth known as the year 2020 A.D./C.E. will be less than twenty four hours away from *finally* ending, ushering in 2021 A.D./C.E., which will *hopefully* be better. Then again, I've been hoping the next year will be better since 2016 A.D./C.E., and it never is. Also, yeah, I dropped this show for a few… years. I still don't watch a lot of anime, streaming has become much more popular and widely available, partly because movies that were planned for theatrical releases are now being delayed, and then inevitably released on streaming services due to a global pandemic forcing movie theaters to close their doors. I can't possibly afford all of those subscriptions though. Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, Crunchyroll, etc. AT&T and Time Warner merged. Sprint and T-Mobile also merged. Warner Brothers and Discovery merged and cancelled finished products to use them as tax write-offs to callously save money, because capitalism and Reaganomics is all about maximizing profits for the people at the top, and not one else, which doesn't make any sense when you actually think about it from a mathematical or logical standpoint. Disney bought 20th Century Fox. I've been forced to stay inside for the past nine months so I don't catch a deadly disease. I had my first (and unfortunately, not my last) fully online semester. I somehow managed to get a perfect 4.0 GPA. I graduated high school awhile ago. I'm in college, and I transferred to a four year school from a community college because it's cheaper. The only other anime I managed to get into was *Lupin the Third*, and I could only watch all of Part 5 in the original Japanese with English subtitles, even though there's an English dub available. I've been getting more into smaller, amateur animation projects on YouTube for awhile now, but that means they don't always continue, and even if they do, the wait in between episodes can literally be years, and it can be easy to lose track of them, especially if you're like me and you never bother to actually use your YouTube account and subscribe to channels you want to keep an eye on. I have a Patreon account, but I don't use it. I read a lot more fanfiction and keep my eye on more stuff made by fans for fans. I haven't actually made something fan related in years though. I've never been much of an artist, and my earliest (and so far, only) fanfics are cringy AF and unfinished. I swear, the only reason I don't just delete most of them is because, as terrible as they are, they're still a part of my writing. They're still a part of me. And also because I despise leaving things unfinished. I guess it's just for posterity or something. Anyways, because it's been years, don't expect me to recognize anyone's voice right off the bat. This is kind of bad though when there are so many monologues. I just want to finish this at this point. They made another *iDOLM@STER* anime about male idols. I didn't watch it, and don't plan to.

## Plot

The episode starts with girls, presumably Rin, Uzuki, and Mio narrating about Cinderella. What is magic? Does it really exist? The Cinderella Ball finally starts. There are *three* stages: Right, left, and main; and every idol from 346 Pro is participating in some way. Mishiro is once again watching from her swanky VIP box at the top. The manager tries to convince her to also enjoy the concert. She says that she's the general director of the idol division. She's not here to enjoy herself. He suggests that she check out how things are going onsite and try to give the producer a word of advice at least. Uzuki admits to Rin and Mio that she's a little nervous. Don't worry, she means it in the normal way this time, not in a mental breakdown way, thank god. Mio says she feels more happy than anything else. After all, they'll finally be performing together as New Gen again. The producer tells the girls that their concert starts at 18:00 hours, as in, 6:00 pm. Until then, they have to follow their schedules. The manager asks him if he has anything else to say. He tells them to go out, smile, and enjoy themselves at the ball, and they tell him that they will. The producer sees Mishiro watching things from a TV backstage/under the stage. He thanks her for everything. I know she's still everyone's boss, but I swear she did everything she could to sabotage you. It's become so big because they were able to work together with other projects, including Project Krone. Mishiro values those that have talent, but she still doesn't care for the producer's way of thinking. She takes back what she said about the Power of Smile being a fairy tale. You can't even call it that. For example, a girl like Uzuki, who Mishiro thinks is "an unfortunate Cinderella with no redeeming qualities." I swear, I don't think I've ever wanted to murder a fictional character more than I have right now. Like I said about Rin's seiyuu though, I've got nothing but respect and appreciation for her voice actress, Atsuko Tanaka. Mishiro says that in a story, it's important to have a goal to aim for, one that everyone dreams of. That's why a castle is awe-inspiring and beautiful. Those that stand on top must have an adequate shine, like the girls she picked out for Project Krone. Mishiro accuses the producer of protecting the girls that have lost their shine, which will destroy the castle's splendor and bring it to ruin in no time. Someone needs to tell this "lady" that real life isn't a fairy tale. Bad things and unexpected things happen to people that don't deserve it everyday. But then they get back up and bounce back, and their friends and family can help and support them if they need it. They keep moving forward. The producer tells Mishiro that the girls who aim for a castle have something they're striving for, and that desire differs from girl to girl. He believes that all of them have a valuable shine similar to a star. He admits that he can't see all those stars. There are things he sees that she doesn't, and the reverse also applies. She found different potential in Rin and Anastasia, while he was absorbed in his project's framework. She thought of a possibility that he never would have. The other members of the Cinderella Project were inspired, and the potential in each of them grew. He believes that these are just one of the infinite possibilities these girls have. She asks him if he's saying that her ideal is just one of those. He says that he doesn't know if their smile is the most important thing or not, but that's how he produces them. She tells him that they just can't see eye to eye. She considers the castle most important, and he considers the girls' dreams most important. They're like parallel lines. Chihiro arrives and tells them that the Cinderella Project will be taking the stage shortly. Before the producer leaves, he tells Mishiro that the girls are going to go beyond even their parallelism. Karen and Nao tell Uzuki and Mio to take care of Rin for them, and they promise they will. Mio hugs Mika, who tells them that they did their best to warm up the stage for them. Uzuki tells Miho that she's going to do this, and Miho wishes her good luck. Uzuki holds her hands and tells her that she'll do her best. Miho will be watching. New Gen plays rock, paper, scissors again to determine what they'll say. Mio says they're no longer New Gen. They're New Generations reborn: New New Generations. Rin and Uzuki point out that that's hard to say, and then they all laugh about it. Before they're launched up onto the stage, they finally say Uzuki's favorite food: Prosciutto e Melone, also known as Italian ham and melon. The song they sing is called Shooting Star Miracle. OMG lyrics! With flashbacks to past moments with our girls, both good and bad, sad and happy. YES!!! *Let's look for the shooting star before the darkness turns to dawn This story is about the miracle of morning stars meeting one another What do I want to become? What is it that I can do? I don't know; however, I want to shine! When I get ahead of myself, I'm scolded When I cry, you're by my side! Thank you. Thank you for being my friend After the rain falls, let's jump over the puddles And run! 1, 2, 3, let's go! Let's look for the shooting star If you fall, just take my hand Like magic bonds that bring two stars together If we find a shooting star, what should we wish for? I can't think of anything right now However, I want to smile together The three of us come together and become shooting stars Forever and ever* Mishiro is actually watching them at the front of the crowd. When the girls meet the producer backstage, he tells them that those are perfect smiles. They thank him, hug each other, and start crying as the other Cinderella Girls applaud them. Later that night, the other idols wish them luck for the last part of the night: Another team performance in their GOIN'!! outfits. Minami leads them in their usual Fight! cheer and they perform. *It's right here; I am sure this feeling is our magic Our hopes will open up the future Whenever you fall, I will quietly whisper There is a magical spell that stops pain "Tomorrow will be even brighter!" Will turn into a chant that will cheer you up Let's try going forward Let's try improving ourselves Now, let our singing, dancing, smiles And our hearts keep Growing up! It's right here; I am sure this feeling is our power After all, Cinderellas are hard workers, no? It's right here; hey, the real magic Is shining right here within our hearts It's right here; I am sure our bond is my greatest treasure After all, I have the best partners ever! Thank you; to send you this real magic I will sing right now To you, whom I met here And have always loved And alongside you Whom I met here* The manager meets Mishiro at the front of the crowd. She tells him that she thought it wouldn't be too bad to come out of the castle and look up at the stars once in awhile. Sometime later, the cherry blossoms are blooming on the trees. It's spring again. The producer is looking over the new girls for the Cinderella project's second draft. He tells the manager that they're fine and he's sure they'll shine, just like the other girls. Aw! He has the photo of them all together! Chihiro delivers a document for the Spring Festival. Another song plays in the background as the credits roll, and we see Minami training with Arisu and Fumika. She tells them to fight, and after this, they'll get something good to eat. Fumika tells her that she's tough. Anastasia is doing a sound check. She was thinking about her voice reaching everyone. Ranko is doing… something interesting. The other idols think she's cool. Kanako is giving an interview with another idol. She's decided to enjoy herself, no matter what the job is or how worried she may be. Chieri is brave. She tells another idol with her that's scared of heights that if you keep being scared, you won't be able to see a lot of the scenery out there. Anzu is lying down with her bunny. When the other idols ask her if she's okay, she tells them that they'll get through this somehow. It's not like they're on their own. Kirari is complimented by the other idols she's working with, who tell her that she was in perfect form again. She's always energetic. She tells the other girls that if everyone is connected, that's the source of her power. Mika and Rika are doing a photo shoot together. Rika assures her older sister that even though they're all busy, she's been hanging out with everyone. Miria gets a text from her. Riina and Natsuki are at another venue. Geez, how many events are going on in Japan at the same time? Miku is on a game show with other idols as part of the animal team. Chihiro tells Mishiro that she delivered the document. She actually compliments her and tells her good work, as she looks at a picture of Mio and two other idols, probably for a play or something. Sure enough, we see them finish their first show. The director tells Mio that he didn't know what to do with her at first, but she did well. She says it's because they all improved together. Rin, Karen, and Nao have just finished something together as Triad Primus. They tell Rin that she did really well today. She was smiling a lot. She's having fun. Uzuki is asked what's most important to her when it comes to what she does as an idol. She says she wants to shine. That feeling is important to her, even now. The manager is looking forward to seeing the results of the girls' adventures. We finally see the full, clear flashback of Uzuki, Mio, Rin, and the producer meeting for the first time the previous year. The producer tells all the girls to go out with a smile. The girls say that they still don't know what magic is or if it exists, but they'll climb the stairs one step at a time, together. The warmth of the hands they hold spreads and supports them. They're dreaming. They're living a dream. They believe in their dreams. They introduce themselves to the in-universe audience as the Cinderella Girls. The episode ends as we see a book flip through pages until it reaches Uzuki's blank star, and the photo of all of them with the producer. *Please Cinderella This dream won't end as just a dream It's beginning to move in anticipation of that shiny day*