Aikatsu! 87-88
Soleil is back, and all the better for it. Mikuru's really proving herself to be likable, and she's made Mitsuki far less distant and mysterious than she was for the first half of the second season. These past two episodes have been a lot of fun, but next week looks like a Yurika focuser, one of the first ones in a long, long time. Yurika's the best!
Is The Order a Rabbit? 11-12 + Final Thoughts
I'm predisposed towards liking series from the Manga Time Kirara family of magazines, so GochiUsa had a head start on everything else this season before the first episode even aired. And it ended up just where I was hoping it would, as my favorite show of the season. Pleasant to the eye, several of my favorite voice actresses - including reuniting Mayayan and Ayaneru again after Vividred - and humor that landed almost all of the time. The Christmas episode was a great way to bring everyone together, and the final episode's exploration of Chino and Cocoa's relationship was a touching way to bookend the series.
If there was any element of the series I disliked - and really, there's very little - it's that I was never totally onboard with Rize's military otaku thing, but that's hardly going to take away from everything else. I love Syaro and Cocoa because of their VAs, but Chiya was my favorite character overall. Her purple prose naming sense and love of pranks, the trickster of the group, instantly shot her up to favorite. The light supernatural elements with Tippy also gave off some good Tamako Market vibes.
It was a joy to watch each week, and as long as there's at least one Kirara show each season (or something in this quasi-genre), then my spirits shall be alive and well. GochiUsa wins as my show of the season, for whatever little value that's worth. Love Live may have good narrative flow and Wixoss has a great atmosphere, but GochiUsa has the best characters. And character is king.