Aikatsu on Parade! (ONA)

I wish I could give this a 6.5. But honestly, somehow, this series managed to be more enjoyable than the main On Parade series, so for that reason alone I'm bumping it up to 7. STORY: 6 I've seen much more done in three-minute chibi series. There's almost no reason for this to have been a separate, webisode show instead of inserted into the main series. It's on-brand, sure, and easy to follow, sure, and it allows for an otherwise forgotten character to get some screen time, sure, but it's just not all that interesting. CHARACTER: 6.5 Raki, thank goodness, takes a slight back seat for this OVA.She's still annoying, she still manages to get better despite putting in near-zero levels of effort, and she still sounds like a whiny toddler. But she's not the only lead, which helps. Noelle/Noeru is her co-lead and is, frankly, a much better character. This season does a great job of building her existing friendships with the other idols, including her sister, despite having a very limited timeframe to do it in. The supporting cast are basically just props at this point, using the same gags we've seen them pull for years. In some ways, this is good, because it allows the other two to shine, but given how often they're on screen, it's sure to bore any long-term Aikatsu fans. ART & SOUND: 7 Again, somehow, it's actually better than in the main series. Probably because a lot of it is just being re-used and re-made rather than being entirely new and rushed. It's no masterpiece, by any means, but it's cute and appropriate.

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