In celebration of her birthday, today we’re talking about one of the most central characters to the story of Love Live! Sunshine!! as well as the sequel film Over the Rainbow: Ohara Mari! Fans of the series see Mari as that upbeat, meme spouting ball of positivity that everyone seems to love, but what I feel is a bit undersold is just how central to the series, its themes and the development and understanding of its characters she actually is. The frivolity of a school idol, of wasting one’s youth doing nothing but having fun with others that you love that is one of the foundations of Love Live’s story lies at the core of Mari’s struggle, because for her who had so many expectations placed upon her, she found freedom in this world that she was introduced to by her friends. Arguably hers is a story of tragedy and reconnecting that lies beneath that bright surface, and in order to understand anything about Aqours or even Love Live! Sunshine!! itself, I feel it is vital to understand who she is and what her struggle poses to the world of Love Live! So on the birthday of Uranohoshi’s chairwoman and the ninth member of Aqours, let’s celebrate that girl whose life was forever changed by the wings of freedom that are school idols.
This is Ohara Mari, the girl who struggled against all odds to show her shine to the world.
Gatekeeping has become prominent in the discussion of fandom and especially the anime community as of late, with many fans arguing over who deserves and who doesn’t deserve to be an anime fan. Is it good? Is it bad? Or is the discussion far more nuanced than just that?
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