Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Spoiler-Filled Review

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror, also known as Genjitsu no Yohane: Sunshine in the Mirror or Genjitsu no Yohane, is a fantasy anime spin-off of Love Live! Sunshine!!. It re-imagines the characters of that series in a fantasy world. Asami Nakatani is the director, while Toshiya Ono is the series writer. Yumiko Yamamoto is the character designer. Tatsuya Kato is the music composer. Sunrise, a division of Bandai Namco Filmworks, an anime studio which produced animated series within the Love Live! franchise, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, produced this series.

This anime’s plot is simple. Yohane (voiced by Aika Kobayashi) fails her audition to become a music idol in Tokai. She returns to her hometown of Numazu after trying for two years to succeed and failing interviews for part-time jobs. Her mother (voiced by Hekiru Shiina) pushes her to return. She meets her sibling-of-sorts, a talking wolf named Lailaps (voiced by Yoko Hikasa). She encourages Yohane to talk with her childhood friend, Hanamaru (voiced by Kanako Takatsuki), who sells fruits and vegetables. However, there are continual mysterious magical energy surges for reasons unknown. In typical Love Live! fashion, she sings on a tree trunk stage, after remembering good times she had there. Hanamaru praises her singing, while magical energy subsides.

This is only part of the story. Yohane tries to figure out her place in the world, where she fits in, and believes she is a failure because she didn’t succeed in her idol auditions. Over the course of Yohane the Parhelion, she realizes that her magic can help people and that she should be honest with herself. There are hints at some romantic vibes between Yohane and Hanamaru, called Yohamaru. This likely overjoys fans of Love Live! Sunshine!! and yuri fans in general. There are episodes when they blush at one another. Even so, these vibes vary from episode to episode. In Love Live! Sunshine!!, Hanamaru and Yohane are childhood friends, and Hanamaru believes that Yoshiko is “an actual angel.”

On the one hand, the use of magic, combined with the music and idolness of the franchise, in this series, may garner additional fans. On the other hand, this magic somewhat resembles healing magic depicted in Healer Girl. However, Yohane’s powers aren’t exclusively for healing. She doesn’t have the bear magic or abilities of Yuna in Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear. The energy she exudes is only enhanced when singing with others. This is only possible after Yohane builds friendships with Dia (voiced by Arisa Komiya), who heads the town’s administrative bureaucracy. Dia is assisted by her fairy sister, Ruby (voiced by Ai Furihata), and Kohaku (voiced by Mao Ichimichi). Yohane garners positive vibes from the townspeople after becoming a “glorified errand girl” rather than a fortune teller.

Voice acting in Yohane the Parhelion is superb. Kobayashi, Takatsuki, Komiya, Furihata, Inami, Saitō, Suwa, Aida, Suzuki, Asumi, Itō, Kurosawa, and Yamamoto reprise their roles from Love Live! Sunshine!!. The difference is that this series is an alternate world. In addition, Komiya voiced Mana Kase in D4DJ First Mix and Koharu Hōen in Miss Kuroitsu from the Monster Development Department. Furthermore, Saitō previously voiced Miki Fukumoto in Akebi’s Sailor Uniform. Suwa voiced Kate Starven in Management of a Novice Alchemist.

Aida voiced protagonist Fūka Miyazawa in the yurish environmental-themed The Aquatope on White Sand. Suzuki voiced Jashin-chan in Dropkick on My Devil!, Miwa Honjō in Tokyo Mew Mew New, and Chiyo in Sweetness and Lightning. Kugimiya voiced Tōko Matsudaira in Maria Watches Over Us, Yamamoto in Paradise Kiss, and Yord in Otaku Elf. Asumi voiced Melty in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet. Itō voiced Suzuno Kamazuki/Crestia Bell in The Devil Is a Part-Timer!. Kurosawa voiced Misaki Okusawa/Michelle throughout the BanG Dream! franchise, Mitsumi Iwakura in Skip and Loafer, and Ayano Toki in Laid-Back Camp. The latter will have a new season in 2024.

Other voice actors, such as Yoko Hikasa, Hekiru Shiina, Kanae Ito, and M.A.O. (also known as Mao Ichimichi), are talented too. Hikasa voiced Mio Akiyama in K-On!, Lynn Lambretta in Bodacious Space Pirates, Diana Cavendish in Little Witch Academia, the Landlord in The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!, and Kaede Saitō in Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit. This fall, she is voicing Yu Bauer in the yuri isekai I’m in Love with the Villainess and Karen Helvetius in the adventure fantasy yuri The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess. Shiina voiced Ami Chono in Girls und Panzer. Ichimichi has many roles under her belt, including characters in Is the Order a Rabbit?, Flip Flappers, Teasing Master Takagi-san, Dropkick on My Devil!, Princess Connect! Re:Dive, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, or Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story.

Yohane the Parhelion introduces some male characters which is new for Love Live! franchise. The franchise is known for having an all-female or mostly female cast. However, these characters are one-offs. In addition, the gang of three named Million Dollar (Chika, Mira, and Shima), which saves Yohane from being swallowed up by the monsters, is new. This “gang” travels in something akin to the van in Scooby-Doo series, and has special tools and weapons. It’s all a bit comical.

It isn’t until the third episode that Ruby is formally introduced, after she incorporates herself into Dia’s bike. That episode also introduces Mari (voiced by Aina Suzuki) on Warshmier Island. Called the “demon lord” by local townspeople, she can hear sounds from the town and beyond, while sitting in her castle, since her horns are antenna of sorts. She begins a friendship with Yohane, who calls her horns cute. She tells Yohane that she has the power of “resonance.” Even so, Mari is afraid that people will see her as weird, but Yohane reassures her, She gives Yohane a present in response. Mari is very mysterious, but also very lonely.

Yohane the Parhelion avoids the focus on teenage idols in high school. Nor does it focus on the ugliness and horrific conditions of Japan’s idol industry. While no characters may be relatable to gender nonconforming folks, apart from Kohaku, the characters remain driven, spunky, and gorgeous young women, like other parts of this franchise. A target demographic is straight men, but many women, especially those who are queer, have been drawn to the franchise. As such, the fandom is filled with “women and queer folks” despite belief that “obsessive male fans” dominate the fandom. Surely, some franchise elements engender a male gaze, even if downplayed. Beyond this, the songs are catchy. The girls have personalities which are distinct from one another, even though they aren’t like real idols.

While recognizing criticisms and analysis of other parts of the Love Live! franchise, this series stands out. It is connected to Love Live! Sunshine!! but in its own world, as a spinoff fantasy. After all, there are new characters, characters which remain cute in this series. They differ from their portrayals in the aforementioned series. There are some parallels between depictions of Yohane and Hanamaru’s childhood in that series and what is shown in this series. In addition, as noted earlier, there is a Yohamaru dynamic in this series, which has resulted in some fanart.

Yohane the Parhelion was only rivaled this summer by BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! and Birdie Wing. It never directly competed with Birdie Wing, which ended on June 24. However, the aforementioned BanG Dream! series began on June 29, four days after the first episode of this series premiered on Crunchyroll. This series also eclipsed Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, which ended its 24-episode run on July 2. It would be a stretch to say this is the “best anime ever.” But, this series undoubtedly mixes action, cute characters, amazing music and beautiful backgrounds all in one.

Those positive feelings toward this anime are correct. This series is a cute story about friendship and self-worth, rather than singing. The blend between fantasy and idol makes an interesting show. For instance, in the fourth episode, she helps deliver the mail with You (voiced by Shuka Saitō), meets a made from parts Kanan (voiced by Nanaka Suwa), the recycling queen, found in the ocean, named Tonosama (voiced by Nobuo Tobita). As such, this series has some nice themes about reusing and recycling. In some ways, this echoes ethos embodied in Do It Yourself!!. In that series, and the associated manga (which follows a similar storyline), the characters often use materials left behind to make trinkets, and a treehouse.

These scenes mix cute characters and Yohane realizing her place in the world. She recognizes that she is at home in Numazu, by the fourth episode, causing three stars on her magic stick to light up. Her newfound friends have become her chosen/found family of sorts. The fifth episode expands these themes to social awkwardness and acceptance. This is mostly manifested in the character of Mari. She explains that she stays away from everyone for her own self-protection. After people made fun of her as a kid, she refused to return to the town, and fled to the island.

Yohane is the driving force pushing Mari to change. Kanan and You recognize that Mari’s lack of self-confidence. Dia points out that when she visited the island, accidents in the town were stopped by notes Mari left behind. In contrast, Yohane metaphorically opens up Mari’s heart, recognizing she is shy, and that she worried what everyone thinks about her. This process happens at one step at a time, reflecting the reality that no one changes personalities with a finger flick. Subtly, Yohane encourages Mari to follow her back to town. Even though she does so, she has a panic attack after kids from the town swarm her without warning. By the episode’s end, she starts coming out of her shell, posing as a model for photos, and meets Dia, Ruby, and other townspeople for the first time. They thank her for what she has done for their town.

This fear of others isn’t unique to Mari or Ruby (who is shy). Take for example, Riko (voiced by Rikako Aida), who came from Tokyo, who lives in the town library which she “borrowed” and later begin living in. On the one hand, she saves Yohane, Mari, and Lailaps from calamity, manifested by cursed lightning and an infection-of-sorts which turns animals rabid. On the other, she lives in a library/home by herself, allowing her to focus on researching strange behavior of the animals. Later, she admits that she feels like an outsider and is bad at making friends. Her view somewhat changes after Mari relates to her, telling her that being shy isn’t bad. As such, she commits to staying in town a “little longer” so her skills can benefit the townsfolk.

At the same time, Yohane is often insecure. In one Yohane the Parhelion episode, she worries she can’t stand on the forest tree stage because it has been infected. In the episode which follows, she organizes a girl’s night. She is overwhelmed after everyone is too excited. As it turns out, she engaged in overwork because she wanted them to acknowledge her and make memories. This manifests in cooking sweets, playing baseball, and bashing a watermelon blindfolded. In another way, the episode criticizes overwork as unnecessary, a common anime theme despite overwork in the anime industry (and declining quality).

Although the episode has slice-of-life vibes, it draws you more into the characters and their lives. It serves an important part of the story. Yohane proposes that all nine (she, Hanamaru, You, Dia, Chika, Kanan, Mari, Riko, and Ruby) sing together, so the town can be saved. On the other hand, Lailaps seems distant and appears to have her own agenda, which is not revealed until later. This happiness doesn’t last. Everything goes off the rails in the next episode.

Yohane loses her staff and believes she can’t sing without it. Again, her insecurity returns. Even though her new friends help her, she lashes out at Lailaps, blaming her for losing it. Although she apologizes, she admits she was nervous to sing by herself and is glad everyone could join her. In the end, she and her friends sing together in some underwater stage (or at least they think it is underwater). They sing a musical number reminiscent of many settings and songs in the Love Live! franchise.

These musical numbers are mixed with fantasy. It moves Yohane the Parhelion more toward being an idol anime with fantasy flourishes, than a fantasy anime with idol flourishes. For shippers, they were likely excited that episode had some nice Yohane/Hanamaru moments, perhaps disappointing those who shipped Mari and Yohane, for which there is some canon support. This episode sets the stage for the one after, with flashback implying that Yohane gave Lailaps the power to talk.

The episodes that follow raise the stakes. Lailaps goes missing. People think she was kidnapped. Her newfound friends pitch her to find Yohane’s childhood friend/companion. Even though Yohane finds her, Lailaps implies that she will only stay by Yohane’s side until she is “grown up.” She won’t be with her forever. This is made worse when Lailaps refuses to attend Yohane’s farewell party. This comes after the latter gets a notice for an audition in Tokai.

As is a common theme in Yohane the Parhelion, Yohane’s insecurity bubbles to the surface. She isn’t sure she wants to attend the audition and believes she isn’t ready, although town residents are excited. Yohane attends but is exhausted. She thanks everyone for gathering and giving her the experience she needs to become an idol. The party ends abruptly when Lailaps declares it is cancelled. She unleashes her emotional strain onto Lailaps, asking if she is trying to ruin everything.

Their emotional conflict is not solved. The episode ends with the calamity getting worse than ever. Possessed animals are everywhere. It reaches a fever pitch when, in the 11th episode, Yohane blames herself for everything going wrong. She throws her staff in the water, and refuses to come out of her room. She tells Lailaps that she doesn’t have anything special and won’t be attending the audition. With Yohane out of the picture, the townspeople are sheltering in place, scared of their lives, and Lailaps leaves, on a quest to get back Yohane’s staff.

To get Yohane out of her funk, her friends bring her to a party hosted at a local hotel. With Yohane’s self-confidence at a low point, she admits she is grateful. She adds that she can’t accept their kindness, declares she can’t do anything in return, and is “nothing special.” Her friends, like Chika, cheer her up, and remind her of one simple truth emphasized throughout the Love Live!: you don’t have to do everything on your own. While they are having a fun time, she agrees to apologize to Lailaps. The latter is barely surviving after rescuing Yohane’s staff.

The Yohane the Parhelion penultimate episode begins to wrap up plot threads. Everyone is evacuated from the town, Riko saves a little kid, and Lailaps runs away again. Unlike the time before, Lailaps left so that she and Yohane could bond once again, causing her to recall long-lost memories of a fight between them before she left for Tokai. She realizes that Lailaps knew she was magic all along. In a way, Lailaps is her “mirror,” hence second part of the anime’s title “Sunshine in the Mirror.” She sings a song, in typical Love Live! style, blows up her favorite tree stump stage, and realizes that the staff isn’t magic, but she is! Sadly, one result is that Lailaps can only bark since she only was able to speak (in human language) thanks to Yohane’s magic.

While this episode disproves those who claimed that Lailaps isn’t real, it has more similarities to World Dai Star, than any other series. That latter is a mixed-media project by Bandai Namco Filmworks, created by Egg Firm, and written by Takahiro. Miko Pikazo does character designs. The anime adaptation aired from April to June of this year. In that series, Shizuka is the “sense” of Kokona Ōtori, helping her become a World Dai Star. Regardless of possible sanism (also known as saneism, mentalism, and mental health discrimination/stigma) or plurality metaphor, or yurish undertones, that series differs from this one.

In Yohane the Parhelion, Lailaps is not imaginary or a manifestation of Yohane. Instead, Yohane wishes Lailaps had the power to speak human language at an early age. However, this magic has a time limit, which Lailaps recognized, but Yohane did not. This differs from Elena Castillo Flores bringing a stuffed animal to life in the final season of Elena of Avalor, with her now-emotion-based magic, or Adora turning a unicorn into her mouthy steed, Swift Wind, by accident.

The series finale ends the series on a definite note. Everything seems perilous. Residential evacuation proves difficult. The town is surrounded by infected trees. The administrative bureau even loses power. However, Yohane talks to everyone with her magic and her friends come, allowing them to sing together in hopes they can sing the town. Their song has the typical Love Live! flair. To keep up the suspense, the song ends thanks to overly powerful evil magic.

In line with other themes in Yohane the Parhelion, which emphasize togetherness, and camaraderie, Yohane gets out her funk, comes back, and sings with her friends once more. With combined resonances from she, and her friends, along with everyone in town, the evil energy disappears, with everything back to normal. The reconstruction comes next, with everyone doing their own task in the town, while Yohane says she will stay in town rather than going to Tokai. The reason for this, in her view, is simple: she wants to stay in the place that she loves and do things with people precious to her.

The ending sequence in the series finale has elements of the usual ending sequence, but has some different scenes. There is a post-credits scene in which Yohane says the entire world is song, with happiness, sadness, rage, screams, and says songs change over time. In a possible hint at a continuation, all her friends say they want to sing together again, and she readily agrees. This series is a 13-episode-long sleeper hit. It is neither a wasted opportunity, nor mediocre, but cute.

Although more could have been done with a longer season, Yohane the Parhelion is good for what it was. Even so, a spinoff or second season would be nice. On the other hand, the existing series is wrapped up succinctly. A continuation could muddle that. Whether this finale has Symphogear vibes or not, singing saves the town. The latter somewhat reminsces what Steven Universe is known for. Songs are only one part of that series.

I could continue to write about this, either noting that opening song began each episode with a bang, or that some yuri fan sites wrote about the series. This isn’t even mentioning the web radio program, associated games, or crossover chibi anime. More than that, I’ll remember this series for its talented voice cast, mix of fantasy and idol genres, socially awkward characters, and themes of togetherness and family.

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror can be streamed on Crunchyroll.