It all started as a small project centered around nine girls, but it soon evolved into something bigger, and now Love Live! is by far one of the most popular cross-media franchises, not only in Japan but worldwide. With several anime seasons, manga volumes, two different mobile games, three real-life idol groups, and a wide range of hit songs, Love Live! has managed to grow fast and earn a place in the hearts—and wallets—of fans across the world.
Since the announcement of the Japanese version of All Stars, fans around the world were dreaming of a Western release... and now it’s finally here! Oh, and the thing we love the most about All Stars is one of the new idols, a girl who doesn’t even need to show her face to melt our hearts.
Our First Pull Brought Rina Tennouji Home. Was That A Sign?
One of the most exciting—and sometimes disappointing—moments in games like this, is spending gems (and sometimes real money) in order to obtain the card of the character you love. Some people may be discouraged by their first pull and that’s why re-rolls are a thing, but it feels awesome when destiny comes knocking on your door. In fact, we were not expecting it, but our first pull brought Rina Tennouji home!
A first-year student at Nijigasaki High School, Rina never shows her face to strangers because she struggles to convey her feelings with facial expressions and is very shy to even try. Instead, she draws in a sketchbook she likes to call “Rina-chan Board” that also wears like a mask, something that makes her stand out among the other girls. Since she’s very fond of technology, she also designed a digital board to wear whenever she goes on stage! But what makes her so unique as a character is also what made her position on the Love Live! popularity polls so unstable...
Rina became one of the most popular girls as soon as the project was announced, probably because her face was a mystery and people were expecting it to be revealed soon. But when some of her fans noticed there were no plans to show how she actually looked under her “Rina-chan Board”, her popularity plummeted and she ended up in the last places several times in a row.
Lucky for us, her face was finally revealed in some recent Story chapters (although players of the global version will have to wait to discover it in-game) and suddenly Rina gained popularity again. This shows that sometimes people don’t like to be kept in the dark, especially when it comes to cute idols.
It’s Not The Board That Makes Her Stand Out
In a world where beauty and charisma are highly appreciated, Rina Tennouji is a rare case for a wannabe idol. Not only is she shy (although that’s a more common trope nowadays, just look at 22/7’s Miu) but she also covers her face, so what makes Rina so exceptional?
Hard-working and honest, Rina doesn’t let her own insecurities stand in her way to stardom. Plus, let’s face it, her solo song is so sweet yet full of power, and the choreography is extremely cute and fitting too! For us, the question remains, though: will Rina be able to overcome her own troubles to finally show her true emotions and reach her fans? Let’s hope the upcoming Love Live! anime has an answer to that. We’re so waiting for that face reveal scene!
Final Thoughts
We can’t deny that being able to fully understand the story and gameplay mechanics is an interesting and important plus, but it’s just so hard to let go of our Japanese save and focus on the global version now. How can we abandon an account full of rare cards and pretty costumes?!
To be honest, we can’t wait to see how the story unfolds, and we’ll be paying special attention to Rina, both in the game and the anime. If you wanna join Rina’s fan club, you can download Love Live! School Idol Festival All Stars too, available for both Android and iOS devices.
Author: Yaz L.