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Love Live Bluebird: Last Post of 2025
Dec. 31st, 2025 11:35 pmThe past two weeks I’ve been switching between freaking out that it’s already been 7 months since they debuted and feeling like they’re just getting start and are about to take flight in earnest in 2026. I’m excited for what 2026 will have in store and where their potential will lead.
I was surprised to see that they really did some of the things I hoped for last time. I still have some complaints with how they’ve been handling the story, but it’s crazy how much those two chibi illustrations added to my enjoyment of this arc. I also feel that the story has picked up again from the slump it was in during the autumn school festival and Noriko UTX transfer arc.
I wasn’t expecting Shion to drop UTX lore on Christmas. Honestly, I was (and still am) a bit nervous that all the mentions of previous groups was just going to be cheap nostalgia bait or worse, overshadow Bluebird as its own thing, so I feel a little better for now that it seems to have story significance but also innovate. The current UTX students who revived A-RISE as A-Rise could make an interesting rival, especially since they started because of Ikizuraibu and have little experience yet, just like them.
I speculated this back when I was still coping they’d do something interesting with the Noriko transfer arc, but it’d be cool if they really will be rivals and have hidden accounts we can find.
I think the main thing I want to know more about going into 2026 is how the group functions. Who is the lyricist? Who is the composer? While I do like that this format allows us to learn more about the girls’ personal lives than other entries, I think that side has been neglected and it feels strange not to know basic group details 7 months in.
Also, it did worry me a bit when rereading the Christmas event arc today that their tweets rarely even get 1k likes.
I think the most confusing decision staff has made so far is keeping Shion’s height and blood type a mystery even after they revealed other details like her location. I thought back in August that they were saving it for the first IRL meeting and would have never guessed that it would still be a mystery going into 2026.
So it’s even more confusing that they decided to display height accurate standees at the Gamers in Akihabara. Someone grab a tape measure and resolve this. Unfortunately they don’t have them displayed in a straight line, so I can only see from the pictures that she’s definitely taller than Noriko and Miracle, the shortest girls. The angle is horrible, but it seems like she might be around Hanabi’s height (160cm).
160cm would be surprising though. I didn’t think Love Live would be that brave but even the JP side started to speculate about Shion’s gender, so there was always a part of me that wondered if her height being a mystery is because she is significantly taller and they didn’t want it to be obvious. Being an average, unremarkable height is the funniest outcome.
I didn’t know what to expect from this livestream since unlike the past few, they didn’t tease any reveals in the date announcement. So I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t just a cozy and fun holiday stream, but also had some major announcements.
I was really unsure about the concept of uniforms at first since I think plain clothes was a good way to express the themes of individuality and freedom in Bluebird, but I like the execution. Wearing a club uniform is a good way for them to feel connected even when they’re hours apart. I love that there’s three levels of customization: the entire group, the satellites, and the individual. In what other group will one girl turn her school uniform into a kimono and another have shorts visible under her skirt?
Everyone looks great, but I’m especially happy with my favorite girls. I love getting to see Shion in another one of her beloved uniform and how she alone has a tie instead of a ribbon. I also really like the shorter jacket on her. Yukuri looks great in her long sleeves and has a skirt to flutter around in. I hope one day we can see her in a gakuran like Midori mentioned in the video.
I’m really glad they put Noriko in a modest long skirt this time instead of completely abandoning that characterization for cheap fanservice. I would have never predicted it myself, but Miracle looks handsome in her sweater vest. I can’t wait to see all the Miranori art in those outfits (and should draw some myself).
The art for the “Kimi Janaka Dame Mitai” cover was cute and fitting, but I didn’t like how the instrumentation was pitched up and thin compared to the original, so I’m not sure that I’ll return to it frequently.
I love the new casual designs… Aurora looks great in jeans and a flannel tied around her waist. I also like the combination of a frilly blouse and skirt with the denim (?) jacket Yukuri is wearing.
I was disappointed that they broke the pattern and released “UNDEAD” so early in the morning that I got spoiled for the reveal (despite waking up at 4:30 for the livestream), but it unexpectedly ended up being my favorite alongside “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” and the one I’ll probably listen to the most. It’s funny how I only ended up liking the covers of the songs where I didn’t like the originals.
“UNDEAD” is chaotic and overstimulating in both its music and the music video, so I wasn’t sure how they would approach it, but I like the result. This was definitely a good pick for Suzunose to show off her range. I think “Trick or todic” also focused on showing Shion’s coolness and cuteness, but this still felt fresh and like we got to see more sides of Shion. I do like how none of Shion’s depressing songs have had a somber delivery, it’s always cheeky and cute.
I was hoping for more Shion art than one illustration, but to be fair, it’s a really great illustration. There’s so many details that it terrifies me to draw. There’s too many to list them all, but my favorites are the oversized shirt with the black strap top underneath and her completely mismatched legs. On one leg, she has a leather boot with thigh high tights and on the other, a Mary Jone (?) shoe with a leg warmer. What a crazy Shion, I love her.
All the chapters from the Ikizulive comic so far have shown that the girls have such individual and eccentric worldviews. They’ve already included Akira’s search to see what’s beyond in her introduction videos and solos, but I’m glad they elaborated on it more because it’s more interesting than I thought. I think my favorite quote from this chapter is “ 期待、圧力、夢、希望。重い荷物がなければ鳥のように空も飛べる?」(“Expectations, pressure, dreams, hope. If I didn’t carry this heavy baggage, would I be able to fly through the sky just like the birds do?” The idea of hopes and dreams being a burden, that there is no point in running if you know the destination, is intriguing to me.
It seems like they might be starting a new Days of Ikizulive feature called “Moment” where they pair up the girls. Shion got a deceptively cute illustration of her gazing at the sea glass, but which was actually captioned with her wondering if she’ll disappear one day like the sea glass after it has been eroded. Classic Shion maneuver.
There should be 6 more chapters of the Ikizulive comic this year (but no Shion…), so I’m looking forward to seeing all the backstory we get of the girls.
The excitement had already been building up the more I’ve had anecdotes about their release events from mail during the livestreams and Shiranranradio, but it didn’t set in just how close it’s getting until I saw people start planning flower stands on the timeline. I’m even more excited now that I know that the 1st day is going to be streamed on YouTube for free. Waking up that early is going to be rough, but since anticipation usually wakes me up quite early for the livestreams lately, it won’t be as hard of an adjustment to make as it would be otherwise.
I’ve heard many things like this or that girl being good at MC, etc., so I’m interested in getting to see that for myself. It’ll be the first time there’s a full performance of the solos.
Story Developments
I was surprised to see that they really did some of the things I hoped for last time. I still have some complaints with how they’ve been handling the story, but it’s crazy how much those two chibi illustrations added to my enjoyment of this arc. I also feel that the story has picked up again from the slump it was in during the autumn school festival and Noriko UTX transfer arc.
I wasn’t expecting Shion to drop UTX lore on Christmas. Honestly, I was (and still am) a bit nervous that all the mentions of previous groups was just going to be cheap nostalgia bait or worse, overshadow Bluebird as its own thing, so I feel a little better for now that it seems to have story significance but also innovate. The current UTX students who revived A-RISE as A-Rise could make an interesting rival, especially since they started because of Ikizuraibu and have little experience yet, just like them.
I speculated this back when I was still coping they’d do something interesting with the Noriko transfer arc, but it’d be cool if they really will be rivals and have hidden accounts we can find.
I think the main thing I want to know more about going into 2026 is how the group functions. Who is the lyricist? Who is the composer? While I do like that this format allows us to learn more about the girls’ personal lives than other entries, I think that side has been neglected and it feels strange not to know basic group details 7 months in.
Also, it did worry me a bit when rereading the Christmas event arc today that their tweets rarely even get 1k likes.
Shion Height Crumbs
I think the most confusing decision staff has made so far is keeping Shion’s height and blood type a mystery even after they revealed other details like her location. I thought back in August that they were saving it for the first IRL meeting and would have never guessed that it would still be a mystery going into 2026.
So it’s even more confusing that they decided to display height accurate standees at the Gamers in Akihabara. Someone grab a tape measure and resolve this. Unfortunately they don’t have them displayed in a straight line, so I can only see from the pictures that she’s definitely taller than Noriko and Miracle, the shortest girls. The angle is horrible, but it seems like she might be around Hanabi’s height (160cm).
160cm would be surprising though. I didn’t think Love Live would be that brave but even the JP side started to speculate about Shion’s gender, so there was always a part of me that wondered if her height being a mystery is because she is significantly taller and they didn’t want it to be obvious. Being an average, unremarkable height is the funniest outcome.
Uniform Reveal
I didn’t know what to expect from this livestream since unlike the past few, they didn’t tease any reveals in the date announcement. So I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t just a cozy and fun holiday stream, but also had some major announcements.
I was really unsure about the concept of uniforms at first since I think plain clothes was a good way to express the themes of individuality and freedom in Bluebird, but I like the execution. Wearing a club uniform is a good way for them to feel connected even when they’re hours apart. I love that there’s three levels of customization: the entire group, the satellites, and the individual. In what other group will one girl turn her school uniform into a kimono and another have shorts visible under her skirt?
Everyone looks great, but I’m especially happy with my favorite girls. I love getting to see Shion in another one of her beloved uniform and how she alone has a tie instead of a ribbon. I also really like the shorter jacket on her. Yukuri looks great in her long sleeves and has a skirt to flutter around in. I hope one day we can see her in a gakuran like Midori mentioned in the video.
I’m really glad they put Noriko in a modest long skirt this time instead of completely abandoning that characterization for cheap fanservice. I would have never predicted it myself, but Miracle looks handsome in her sweater vest. I can’t wait to see all the Miranori art in those outfits (and should draw some myself).
Final Cover Songs
The art for the “Kimi Janaka Dame Mitai” cover was cute and fitting, but I didn’t like how the instrumentation was pitched up and thin compared to the original, so I’m not sure that I’ll return to it frequently.
I love the new casual designs… Aurora looks great in jeans and a flannel tied around her waist. I also like the combination of a frilly blouse and skirt with the denim (?) jacket Yukuri is wearing.
I was disappointed that they broke the pattern and released “UNDEAD” so early in the morning that I got spoiled for the reveal (despite waking up at 4:30 for the livestream), but it unexpectedly ended up being my favorite alongside “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” and the one I’ll probably listen to the most. It’s funny how I only ended up liking the covers of the songs where I didn’t like the originals.
“UNDEAD” is chaotic and overstimulating in both its music and the music video, so I wasn’t sure how they would approach it, but I like the result. This was definitely a good pick for Suzunose to show off her range. I think “Trick or todic” also focused on showing Shion’s coolness and cuteness, but this still felt fresh and like we got to see more sides of Shion. I do like how none of Shion’s depressing songs have had a somber delivery, it’s always cheeky and cute.
I was hoping for more Shion art than one illustration, but to be fair, it’s a really great illustration. There’s so many details that it terrifies me to draw. There’s too many to list them all, but my favorites are the oversized shirt with the black strap top underneath and her completely mismatched legs. On one leg, she has a leather boot with thigh high tights and on the other, a Mary Jone (?) shoe with a leg warmer. What a crazy Shion, I love her.
Last LLDays of the Year (Episode of Akira)
All the chapters from the Ikizulive comic so far have shown that the girls have such individual and eccentric worldviews. They’ve already included Akira’s search to see what’s beyond in her introduction videos and solos, but I’m glad they elaborated on it more because it’s more interesting than I thought. I think my favorite quote from this chapter is “ 期待、圧力、夢、希望。重い荷物がなければ鳥のように空も飛べる?」(“Expectations, pressure, dreams, hope. If I didn’t carry this heavy baggage, would I be able to fly through the sky just like the birds do?” The idea of hopes and dreams being a burden, that there is no point in running if you know the destination, is intriguing to me.
It seems like they might be starting a new Days of Ikizulive feature called “Moment” where they pair up the girls. Shion got a deceptively cute illustration of her gazing at the sea glass, but which was actually captioned with her wondering if she’ll disappear one day like the sea glass after it has been eroded. Classic Shion maneuver.
There should be 6 more chapters of the Ikizulive comic this year (but no Shion…), so I’m looking forward to seeing all the backstory we get of the girls.
1st Live Excitement
The excitement had already been building up the more I’ve had anecdotes about their release events from mail during the livestreams and Shiranranradio, but it didn’t set in just how close it’s getting until I saw people start planning flower stands on the timeline. I’m even more excited now that I know that the 1st day is going to be streamed on YouTube for free. Waking up that early is going to be rough, but since anticipation usually wakes me up quite early for the livestreams lately, it won’t be as hard of an adjustment to make as it would be otherwise.
I’ve heard many things like this or that girl being good at MC, etc., so I’m interested in getting to see that for myself. It’ll be the first time there’s a full performance of the solos.
