Aikatsu Friends! Shining Jewel Episode 22: Back to Basics

I’m getting around to writing this post a little later than I had initially planned, but sometimes that is just the way things go. Regardless of what is happening, the twenty-second episode of Aikatsu Friends! is about a pair of Friends that we haven’t seen on stage together in quite a while.

Aine and Mio tend to the preparations for the Jeweling Festival

In this episode, Aine and Mio are busy putting together the Jeweling Festival. That includes inviting other Friends to perform, but there are one pair that they struggle to get in contact with: Mirai and Karen.

Honey Cat, Reflect Moon and Wakaba will all be performing at the Jeweling Festival

Being able to sing and dance is all good, but this episode seems like Pure Palette are also gaining valuable experience when it comes to being producers. Their world of Aikatsu is expanding, even if that isn’t particularly the focus of this episode.
Instead, the main focus here is on Aine and Mio trying to reach Mirai and Karen to get them to perform as Love Me Tear at the Jeweling Festival.

I Believe

Of course, I Believe are hard at working preparing for the Jeweling Festival as well; after all, they were the ones who asked Pure Palette to produce it. Aine and Mio have a conversation with them, and realise that they haven’t seen Love Me Tear perform together for a year and a half.

Karen and Mirai

Love Me Tear are acutely aware of how long they have been apart, and they spend time together catching up on what they have both been doing. Mirai takes Love Me Tear back to basics, whilst Karen shares her stories of success and failure.

Love Me Tear return to the stage

The fact that the title of this episode is “LOVE ME TEAR” is a dead giveaway about who’ll be performing. It has been quite a while since Love Me Tear have taken to the stage together, but this marks the next entry of Love Me Tear Legends – and naturally, everyone is pleased to see them back.
Funnily enough, it was I Believe who motivated Love Me Tear’s return, and now I Believe are motivated by Love Me Tear to get even better so they can stand as equals again.

Love Me Tear’s return to the stage was fantastic, as was this episode. Karen and Mirai’s bond is rock solid, and the scenes where they shared their experiences with each other were lovely.
Wouldn’t have minded getting a new song, but Love Me Tear’s “Pride” is definitely amongst the best that Aikatsu Friends! has to offer. Perhaps the new songs are being saved for the Jeweling Festival, too.

I’m still disappointed that Aikatsu Friends! is being cut short (or perhaps the second season was always planned to be this short, I don’t know) for Aikatsu on Parade!, but it seems like it intends to go out on a high.
With the Jeweling Festival Pre-Fest next episode, I sincerely doubt that we will be getting a Coco episode – and that is probably my biggest disappointment with this season. Other than that, it has been spectacular.

Another wonderful episode of Aikatsu Friends! in my book.