With only a couple of days to go until Christmas, at the time of writing, it seems apt that Aikatsu Friends! gives us a Christmas episode. There’s also the small matter of deciding who will be going up against who in the Diamond Friends Cup.
Pure Palette will be facing Honey Cat in the first round of the Diamond Friends Cup
We’ll start with the drawing for the Diamond Friends Cup, and Pure Palette find themselves facing Honey Cat in the first round. That leaves Reflect Moon to take on Love Me Tear.
All four Friends are looking forward to the Cup, and start putting in extra training. Before that, though, Christmas is coming up.
Love Me Tear’s first Friends present exchange
When Christmas arrives, Friends exchange presents – and of course, Love Me Tear’s first Friends present exchange was legendary. Karen was abroad at her family’s holiday home, but all that filled her heart was the desire to spend Christmas with Mirai. Mirai just happens to show up. Being able to spend Christmas with Mirai is the best present Karen could get, and Mirai says that Karen’s smile is the best present a girl can get.
Christmas party
Returning to the present, Aine is holding a Christmas party at her place. Mio, Honey Cat and Reflect Moon all arrive, but Aine is nowhere to be seen. They enjoy themselves in the meantime, but Aine not being there has got Mio worried about their Friends present exchange.
With time getting on, the Friends decide to exchange their presents despite Aine still not being there. First up are Honey Cat, and their initial reactions to each others’ gifts seem a little ungrateful. They get over it pretty quickly, though.
Up next are Reflect Moon. Sakuya gives Kaguya a new pair of ballet shoes, whilst Kaguya gives Sakuya a new parasol. Both are happy with their gifts.
That leaves Pure Palette, and just as it seems like Aine won’t make it, she comes bursting in through the door.
Aine’s gift to Mio
Aine was cutting it close, but she makes it back and gives Mio her present. She had noticed Mio looking at it before, and decided to get it for her. Unfortunately, it had gone by the time Aine returned to get it, so she had to enlist the help of her friends to track down another one.
Aine participated in a karaoke contest with Snow White Maidens to win the penguin
After tracking down the penguin, it wasn’t just a case of going over to Hokkaido to pick it up. Instead, it was the prize in a karaoke competition – one that Snow White Maidens helped Aine to win. That was the reason behind her absence.
Finally, Mio gives Aine her gift; a sealed envelope she asks her to open when she is alone.
Aine opens the letter she got from Mio
After seeing a few still shots of the girls spending time with their friend and families, we get to Aine who opens the letter she received from Mio. Inside are the first lyrics that Mio has ever written; composed with their memories together in mind. After reading the letter, Aine holds it close to her chest. Honestly, it might as well just have been a love letter.
A rare joint performance from Pure Palette and Honey Cat
Pure Palette and Honey Cat have a joint Christmas show, where they perform their own rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas. It feels a little odd to have a song that is almost entirely performed in English at this point.
We’ve seen Pure Palette, Honey Cat and Reflect Moon exchange presents, so that just leaves one more pair.
Karen and Mirai exchange ribbons
It has become tradition for Karen and Mirai to exchange ribbons for their Friends present exchange, and this time around is no exception. It all started back when they were completely rushed off their feet, and didn’t have time to find presents. All they had to hand was their ribbons, and thus the tradition was born.
That brings this festive episode of Aikatsu Friends! to a close, and I think the girls are in for a very yuri Christmas.
I was looking forward to watching this episode, and it delivered. As far as the present exchanges go, Love Me Tear’s was pretty good, but I think Mio’s letter and lyrics give Pure Palette the win.
I really want to hear Pure Palette’s new song, mostly to see what the lyrics Mio wrote are. Since she composed it with memories of herself and Aine together in mind, I feel like it might easily be interpreted as a love song. Of course, it could go in an entirely unexpected direction, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
An excellent Christmas episode. I’ll be saying this at the end of my Hugtto! PreCure post as well, but merry Christmas.
Rory Muses 