Yohane the Parhelion -SUNSHINE in the MIRROR

Episode 10

This is one of those episodes that's difficult to write about. Not for any complex or unpleasant reason, but rather that it's mostly set up for the final act. After last week spent its runtime firmly establishing the emotional dynamic and stakes of Yohane and Lailaps' relationship, this week is mostly about spinning all that into the larger plot and building up toward our eventual climax. It's a fine viewing experience, with some very nice moments and an uncharacteristically somber atmosphere, but it's necessarily reiterating stuff we've already covered, biding time until the other shoe can drop at the episode's end.

Mostly we're just solidifying Yohane's character arc by introducing some necessary plot elements. She's unexpectedly scouted by one of the talent agents(?) who rejected her back in the first episode, with a chance to once more audition in the big city. The offer, plus the ensuing farewell celebration the townspeople throw for her, is just there to give an immediate structure to the personal conundrum Yohane is already facing. She has to decide if she wants to give it another go and risk failure or stay with her new friends and community to find happiness in Numazu. While the farewell event gives her some perspective and comfort from seeing everyone come out to support her, it mostly just puts a stricter time limit on when she has to make her choice, rather than adding anything significant to that decision.

Similarly, we don't learn anything new or more concrete about what's going on in Lailaps' head. The biggest change is that her simmering misgivings finally boil over in front of Yohane when the good doggo cryptically refuses to go to Tokai with her. That doesn't give us, the audience, anymore to go on, but it does allow Yohane to react to her closest companion seemingly abandoning her. It speaks to how far she's come that Yohane's able to take that in stride and put her feelings into words, rather than crumpling into a ball of self-loathing, and there's a very palpable sadness to the idea of having to leave Lailaps behind to follow her dream.

Come to think of it, this is kind of the best-realized version of a story Love Live! has tried out a few times now. Be it the potential farewells of Kotori in School Idol Project or Kanon in Superstar!!, or even the lingering anxieties of graduation in the second season of Nijigasaki, the possibility of one of our group leaving the pack is very much a pet theme for the franchise. Yet here it feels most possible, in part because this is a spin-off that doesn't endanger the future marketability of Aqours as a unit, but also for how this is pointedly Yohane's story. There is a very believable possibility that Sunshine in the Mirror ends with Yohane having to say at least a semi-permanent goodbye to Lailaps, rather than sticking around to maintain brand marketability, and I'm very interested to see where they decide to go with this story (again).

That is, however, speculation on stuff that decidedly isn't in this episode. I do appreciate when shows are willing to give their characters and personal conflicts room to breathe, but it does leave this episode feeling like pure build-up. There are several scenes that are subdued and somber, perfectly capturing Yohane's hesitancy as her decision looms larger and larger outside her windows. It's good stuff to follow in the moment; building tension while slowly inching towards the expected cliffhanger ending with the return of that pesky Calamity. While that makes for an enjoyable watch, it also leaves this episode feeling transitional. It's a necessary and effective setup, but it also needs the follow-up to complete it.

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Yohane the Parhelion -SUNSHINE in the MIRROR is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.