English Dub Review: Ensemble Stars “Marionette ~Part 2~”

Overview (Spoilers)

Nito’s story ends with a tragic conclusion — the demise of Valkryie at the hands of Eichi Tenshouin. Despite the group’s best efforts to push forward, they fall short when they enter their first Dream Idol Festival competition. When Valkryie suffers from an unexpected blunder on stage, the group is forced to improvise, prompting Nito to defy Itsuki’s wishes to save their performance. To Valkryie’s dismay, this isn’t enough to save the group and they are put under a permanent hiatus. Or are they? Regardless, the episode ends with Nito warning Trickstar about Tenshouin and the dirty stunts he’s willing to stage in order to curb his competition.

Our Take

The episode does a decent job of conveying a sense of empathy for all of the members of Valkryie, including Itsuki, while strict and demanding, is truly passionate about being an idol. So to see Valkryie’s crushing defeat is all more moving to the viewers. Not only that, but it ignites a sort of repulsion for Tenshounin, who establishes his colors as a morally ambiguous character who isn’t willing to bend the rules to meet his needs. Who knows if he’ll try to pull the same tricks with Trickstar and what kind of antagonist he’ll become for the duration of the season.