English Dub Review: Heroines Run the Show: The Unpopular Girl and the Secret Task “Idols Run the Show!”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Aizo and Yujiro aren’t exactly happy to get assigned to the relay race for Field Day. Is there anything that can motivate them to run?

Our Take: 

Aizo and Yujiro are pretty much motivated about anything. Singing, dancing, and even arguing with one another. However, they don’t seem very fond of running, unlike their young manager Hiyori.

The episode starts with Hiyori choosing the volunteers to be a part of the school festival’s relay team. Unfortunately, no one in the class is enthusiastic about participating in the relay. The teacher wound up deciding for them, resulting in Aizo and Yujiro being chosen to run for the team. While Hiyori is highly excited about Field Day, the idols thought otherwise, with them pointing out its pointlessness. However, that all changes when a group of bullies picks on Yujiro for his successful career. When they find that the bullies are part of the relay race, Hiyori and the idols attempt to beat them on the track.

Heroines Run the Show marks yet another show that features an episode involving a school festival, with Sakuragaoka High School celebrating Field Day. Although, it’s technically less of a festival and more of a track and field competition. Anyway, it still counts as a festival-themed episode. I have enjoyed plenty of episodes from different shows involving specific types of festivals so far, and “Idols Run the Show” is unsurprisingly another addition to that list.

The episode’s plot represents motivation by having Aizo and Yujiro find a reason to run for the team. The reason is that the upperclassman bullies are cruel to Yujiro because of his idol lifestyle. When Hiyori overhears this, she figured the only way to fight back is to win the relay race. This moment sends a respectable message showcasing that violence is never the answer. The only solution is to beat them in a race. More importantly, it represents the motivation to do things people aren’t fond of, as explained by the idols during the radio talk show.

In addition to those moments, the episode offers some fun humor to coincide with the competition. One of them is Hiyori worrying about the fan girls coming after her after she accidentally high-fives Aizo and Yujiro. As a result, it became another fun episode that saw Hiyori and the idols working together to conquer a high school dilemma outside of their jobs.