English Dub Review: Smile Down the Runway “This Is My Story”

Overview:

The Geika competition comes to a close.

Our Take:

The final showperson on the runway is Ayano, and we get to see what he accomplished with his large team behind him. His collection is a little different; a combination between avant-garde and ready to wear styles. While it’s two models on the runway at once, it’s pretty cool to see not just his construction ability, but also how each outfit can be translated. What’s on the runway is often to show off the designer’s abilities, but it isn’t really to show off what would translate into stores. Ayano being able to do both is really good.

In the end, the winner is… Kokoro! I’m really glad for her, because both her and Chiyuki’s careers rode very heavily on her victory. The stakes were much higher for them (as those have to do with entry into the industry reasons), so their victory tastes all the sweeter. Even though Kokoro still has confidence issues that she needs to work through, she is now given a place where she can do just that, and that’s pretty cool. Chiyuki also finally got attention for her hard work and modeling ability– not because of her height, but despite it- so she can at last pursue her dream. It makes all the effort she put in before the show feel so much better, and I love that.

Ikuto alas didn’t win, as he didn’t get too creative with his designs comparatively, so that did leave him in the dust a little bit. However, he did get an offer from a buyer, which is really good for a debut collection. He also got an offer to study at Geika and to possibly join Aphrodite later on, which is a great gateway into the industry himself. His talent was recognized on different levels, and through those means, it can be polished into something much greater. I think that’s really cool, and I’m happy for him.

I think it’s a pretty nice conclusion. Even though only one person can feasibly win the competition, each person did get something out of putting themselves forward and competing. Whether it’s recognition, validation, or a possible shuttle into a career, those are all really good things to get. While the show isn’t going to have a ten years later portion or anything like that, we’re left with the confidence that these kids can and will succeed in whatever they do.