Episode 02 - So Many Idols!

So Many Idols! (アイドルがいっぱい！) is the 2nd episode of the Aikatsu! TV anime series and the 2nd episode of its."1st Season" The episode aired on October 15, 2012.

Synopsis
''Ichigo Hoshimiya and Aoi Kiriya have entered Starlight School and are ready to start their idol training. However, as soon as the two get settled they must face off against each other in a "special audition".''

Summary
The sun sits tall at Nandemo Bento. Ichigo and Aoi show Raichi their brand new school uniform and he decides to take pictures of them; though he mostly spends the time focusing on Aoi, who claims that today is the day to celebrate being accepted into Starlight School. She brings up that their very first autographs will be worth a lot. Having been watching them, Ringo asks if she and Raichi can join in on the fun so they all begin to pose for pictures.

Ichigo and Aoi take their leave for the Academy soon afterward, and upon arrival at the gate, Aoi says that once they step past it and their Idol Activities will begin. They wish each other good luck before Aoi states that no matter what was to happen to them while they are here, they will always be friends.

Meanwhile, the headmistress of the school tells Mizuki that Ichigo and Aoi have enrolled into the academy. She mentions that they will be taking part in that audition, which is coming up in a few days. Mizuki also notes that the two are best friends and Orihime starts to wonder what would become of them as they are studying.

At this point Aoi finds her idol expert instincts kicking in after she spots a bunch of girls she is able to recognize. Like Neguchan, a young girl who is known for her unique bedhead hair; a single, long cowlick with a heart on the end of it. She also spots Naomin, who had surpassed much of the modern-day dance choreography and even made up her own, Su-pyon, known for her exotic appearance, and a girl named Perorin. She is overwhelmed with glee to finally join Starlight Academy, then she grabs her cellphone and takes a picture of herself, then one of Ichigo in order to remember this moment.

They come to the entrance of the building and take a self-given tour of it while Aoi explains various features. They will learn dancing, singing, coordination, and many other things. As they come to a hallway decorated with statues of previous students who have moved on to become famous idols or gained the title of "top idol", she identifies a duo statue as the legendary Masquerade. One of the members is Hime, the headmistress of this academy, but the identity of the other girl, Miya, is unknown. They both became national-level idols and soared to the highest peek in popularity, but they "suddenly" retired. Hime became the headmistress of Starlight Academy, while Miya was never seen again.

Now in their dorm, the girls begin to decorate and unpack. Ichigo places down a holographic picture frame on her desk as Aoi hangs up a poster of Mizuki. In this time, Ichigo starts to wonder if she has what it takes to become a famous idol like Mizuki, and having sensed this, Aoi starts to encourage her again, and Ichigo returns the favor. It is then Aoi wonders if they really have enough room for the both of them before heading off to speak to Orihime.

As they stand in the door way, Aoi explains the proper way of approaching someone with such a high status- only for Ichigo to quickly show a lack of tact when she walks right inside.

They approach Orihime, who formally introduces herself and congratulates the girls. She makes note of how Ichigo was able to perform a Special Appeal during the audition, which is something she doesn't see that often- although Ichigo replies that it only "sort of happened". She then compliments Aoi for getting the top scores in the entrance exam, setting down a tray with two sets of cards for each girl containing the coords they wore for the entrance exam as she explains how vital they are for them right now. Ichigo regains her Pink Stage Coord, while Aoi gets her Blue Stage Coord. It is then Orihime tells the two of them that the cards act as their primary "type" choice, then she places down another tray containing their Student ID Cards and their Aikatsu Phone. The phones have the ability to activate the Aikatsu System, as well as store their outfits as digital data.

Amazed by all of this information Ichigo asks if Mizuki also uses the phone, which Orihime confirms before saying "these cards are life itself", an important phrase for all users to keep in mind. She explains how the girls will be using various cards to customize their outfits and stages, just like Mizuki and the others students have been doing. Before the girls go, she informs them of how important Auditions are, as they include prizes that can help an Idols future performance, along with bringing up the importance of lessons.

She wishes them luck before a man joins them, an energetic dancer and homeroom teacher by the name of Johnny Bepp. Aoi is able to recognize his name and mentions that he is an Artisan Dancer, and has even taught Mizuki all of her choreography. The girls are a bit apprehensive about him, but he shows them a little dance and shakes their hands, leading them to his homeroom to have them meet their classmates.

Once class ends, Johnny informs Ichigo and Aoi that their first audition has already been decided. It is a "super special" audition just for new students, which Aoi questions. He explains that normally an audition is for promotional things like photo shoots, radio, and TV shows. The special one, on the other hand, is for the role to become a temporary manager of Mizuki for a day. This delights both girls as Johnny continues on to say that this is was specifically made for new students to learn how a top idol does her job. The winner will get to follow Mizuki around, but as only one girl can win it, they will be competing against each other. After noticing their concern, he informs them that he expects them to do their best because this is a special opportunity.

The girls go to change into their track suits while Aoi admits that she anticipated this. Although Ichigo clearly never did, and she finds herself stunned. Regardless, she refuses to hold back and they go to work, beginning with their lessons from Johnny. They dance, sing, run laps, and partake in some crazier training; such as extreme handshaking. While Aoi is able to perform well with everything, Ichigo has a tough time keeping up.

By the time class ends, Ichigo feels that Aoi may be too good for her and asks how she can try this hard. Aoi replies that it's because she really wants to become an idol, and it has been like since since first grade. She used to try getting into all sorts of traditional hobbies, like Calligraphy, Piano, Equestrianism, and Violin. One day while walking down the street she happened to see a report on Idols and was instantly taken by their singing and dances. Since then she dreamed of becoming one herself, and has been obsessively watching them. As her passion grew over the years she eventually sat down with her parents to reveal her new dream and how she wanted to study at Starlight Academy. Seeing how much this meant to her they agreed and let her apply. She was so happy to be able to follow this dream, especially with Ichigo.

After hearing this, Ichigo begins to think to herself again. It encourages her to try even harder, and she will definitely see to it that she gives it her all.

Eventually, the two girls find themselves in an empty room with a trio of doors. A voice announces to them that the Special Audition is about to start and it instructs the girls to choose their three Aikatsu Cards to create their outfits, then takes to the stage. After exchanging words the girls separate and come to a booth, where they place their cards down, including the School ID on the crests before them, then head into the Magical Door that appears. They are led to the Magic Corridor and change into their chosen coords, appearing on stage as the Announcer explains that their scores will be decided by the live audience at the school, as well as people who watch it through the internet. Ichigo is highly impressed, and they begin to perform Idol Activity!.

Suddenly, Ichigo trips and falls onto the floor. Shocked by this, she quickly shakes it off and resumes performing in time to finish.

A bit later, Johnny-sensei reveals that Aoi has won. Everyone applauds her efforts, including Ichigo.

Eventually,  night falls and the girls have retired to their dorm room. But concerned over things, Ichigo gets up and heads outside, where she reaches the gazebo and recalls what happened during the performance. While she had a lot of fun and she is happy for Aoi, she feels envious. Suddenly someone calls out to her and she finds Mizuki, who brings up the audition and claims that despite Ichigo messing up, she followed through to the end and that is worth admiration. Ichigo thanks Mizuki and voices her desire to become a top idol like her, which is why she decided to attend the school with Aoi to begin with. It's then Mizuki sternly points out that no matter how close they are, they won't be together very long. A lot of idols suffer from failure, but it is part of the journey. As she presses on he challenges will get harder.

While concerned, Ichigo proclaims that she will do her best, and Mizuki bids her a good night before leaving. She wonders if someone like Ichigo could really catch up to her.

Character Appearances

 * Ichigo Hoshimiya
 * Aoi Kiriya
 * Mizuki Kanzaki
 * Raichi Hoshimiya
 * Ringo Hoshimiya
 * Orihime Mitsuishi
 * Johnny Bepp

Major Events

 * Aoi wins the special audition and becomes Mizuki's temporary manager.
 * This is the first time both Ichigo and Aoi take a special audition.
 * Aoi's parents appear for the first time.