velda82 - 2016-05-20 21:59:00

The past few months have been full of a lot of firsts for me. First was my reintroduction to the shonen genre with One Punch Man, then there was my entry into the magical girl genre through Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Now, I jump into my first idol/music-centric anime, Love Live! School Idol Project. What did I think of it? Let's find out!

The general plot is that, due to declining birth rates and a general disinterest in liberal arts (the latter of which is a legit problem in today's society), Otonokizaka Academy plans to close its doors in three years. This does not bode well for student Honoka Kosaka, who is against the closure of the school and starts brainstorming ideas to keep it open. When she stumbles upon a performance of the school idol group A-RISE, she is inspired to form her own school idol group to arouse interest in the school.

Although this sort of project could just be an excuse to make some fancy music videos, I must say that the plot and characters were given quite a bit of attention. There is a lot of focus on the very real trials of starting up something larger than oneself, and the drama never gets heavy-handed, nor does the story grow into anything too complicated. This is a very character-driven story, with every decision and emotion impacting the direction the story goes.

Speaking of characters, Love Live is blessed (or perhaps cursed?) with a ton of them. There are nine main members of Mu's, the idol group that is the focus of the show. Each girl has her own distinct personality, although none of them are too different from each other, as that would defeat the point of character parallel. Each girl gets a brief focus as they are converted to the group, although it becomes clear that Honoka is the protagonist of the overarching plot. It's hard to pinpoint a clear favorite of mine, as some girls are more likeable while other girls have better singing voices.

Beyond all else, the best parts of the show are the songs. From the OP to the many insert songs, nearly every music video is enjoyable to watch. The only one that really falls short to me is the ED, which I often skip regardless. On the subject of music, the background tracks are simple melodies that aid the setting or situation. I'd even say they're worth purchasing if a soundtrack exists, but let's be honest here. The whole reason you watch this show is for the vocal tracks, so hold on to those wallets unless you find it.

When it comes to Studio Sunrise, I expect no less from them in the animation department. Love Live impresses in this aspect, but some parts, particularly the CG, leave a lot to be desired. The CG is restricted to the music videos, but it's definitely noticeable and bothers me quite a bit. You'll probably be more distracted by the awesome music, but the shift between 2D and 3D animation isn't as subtle as I'd like it to be.

Love Live! School Idol Project was an experiment I definitely thought was worth a try. And you know what makes me happy about this? I'm not even halfway done! :D

frederik.connelly - 2015-08-19 03:40:24

Let's start with how cute this was. The art style was definitely appealing and attractive. The dancing was cute and so were the songs.
Many different characters in this, and I never lost track of them, which is a good sign of great characters. This has fantastic character development and the writers did such a great job with it, I'm really sad that I dropped it, but then came back to in a month. 

Lots of drama near the end of the first season, but the second season had a better story line. 

It moved me to tears, and that's saying something. 

Hope you watch it

nels.jast - 2015-08-13 05:41:27

The counter part to Idol Master, is more focused on the friendship side and the journey to being able to became and idol. If you like the genere it's a must watch since the music is really good.

hilton90 - 2015-03-17 14:10:18

My time with Love Live! is much like the few members of its nine strong cast who were reluctant about being school idols. I wonder how a pushy, narrow sighted girl managed to rope me into this crazy gig, and then I wonder if this idiot turned friend will drag me to another adventure that was more fun than I ever thought possible. The nine strong cast is μ's (pronounced ‘Muse’), named for the Nine Goddesses of Music. Gods don’t die, and neither can my love for their antics, their struggles, and their story.

But Umi Sonoda would suggest I explain everything before acting sentimental, and I wouldn’t expect less from little miss ‘modesty and logic will hopefully win the day (or at least try to guide it).’ She’s the kind of person who tries to keep others on track, sometimes a bit too much when her friends would rather relax at the beach. Thankfully, her sense of discipline is never misguided, as she’ll often pick up her friends after they fall from a mistake. She doesn’t move past being the voice of reason, but she is a major reason μ's goes far.

μ's itself is lead by Honoka Kousaka, whose motive for being a school idol is as crazy as it sounds. Her school is close to closing down due to the lack of new students, and the juniors before her will be the last new students the school accepts. After a chance glimpse at how a concert from a school idol group has brought attention to their school, she has the idea of being a school idol to hopefully attract new students to her school. Enough students to the point where her school won’t close down. Surely such an impulsive idea won’t be where the story takes off from, right?

Well, the story starts there but it doesn’t take off until three episodes into the first season. Reality hits Honoka as her first concert fails, and from that point on the story really begins. Much of season one is about our lively lyrical leader bringing other students to her cause. Despite this, the story doesn’t get serious but doesn’t lack for purpose either. One of the main strengths of Love Live! is an unbridled sense of fun that never loses sight of its story. There’s enough stage practice to make the lead up into every concert believable, but even the antics outside that are always meaningful.

From the change into crazy costumes to reinvent their image for fear of growing stale, to the beach episode that brings Maki Nishikino out of her shell in more ways than one, to the odd responsibility shared by Honoka, Umi, and Kotori Minami in season two, every moment is more than its humor. Despite the fun, there are still times when the story gets serious, and it’s almost never unfounded as even things mentioned in passing come to show their importance later on.

It especially shows with Kotori, whose story deals with the issue of what it means to contribute to a team through humorous bouts of ‘writer’s block.’ Kotori herself hasn’t a single aggressive bone in her body, but that doesn’t mean a sweet and cheerful persona is all she is. She has her doubts and worries, and her reticence at one point truly tests the friendship between herself, Umi, and Honoka. Her story implies the question of what it means to chase a dream, and whether the chase can make someone lose sight of what’s around them.

And for third year student Nico Yazawa, being a part of μ's is another chance to chase her dream. There’s a good, if prideful, reason she wants to become a school idol, and her over the top ‘cute’ persona shows that dedication. In truth, she’s very smug and cynical, but not without good reason. In every jaded person is an optimist waiting to let loose, and Nico does quite enjoy herself as the series goes on, however smug she still acts. Her vast array of idol stuff like concert DVDs also shows her dedication to the art, even before going into her backstory. Much to the pleasure of first year student Hanayo Koizumi.

Hanayo is the old case of how passion can call out an entirely different side to someone. At a glance, she’s timid, and her joining μ's is partly thanks to a small push from her friend Rin Hoshizora and classmate Maki. But from that point on, she’s often energetic, especially in the presence of idols and being an idol fan herself, and of course during μ's concerts. There’s a kernel of truth to how her interests and hobbies suddenly bring out such an involved side to her, but it isn’t over the top to the point of unbelievable.

Then again, the only unbelievable—and weak link by extension—part of the story is Rin. She’s mostly ‘just there’ in season one, while season two messily develops her with an issue that’s never brought up or hinted at save for early in season one. Her time in the spotlight involves being the temporary leader of μ's for…some reason, and wearing an outfit that’s not her style just because. Though still a quite likable tomboy with a penchant for cat speak, the brief change to that other side of her is largely unfounded to the point where likability is all she has going for her.

Compare this to Maki, who doesn’t lack for believability and likability. Despite being as young as Hanayo and Rin, she carries herself with a senior like demeanor to speak level even with third years Eli Ayase and Nozomi Tojo. At the same time, her true self often shows whether she’s flustered or just being a little more open around Nico and Nozomi, and everyone else. And yet, her want to hide her feelings is less about any one of her friends and more about being truly reticent despite her apparent sharpness. Maki is well developed, and not just for her body as Nozomi learns firsthand(s).

For the curious, the big chested Nozomi has a small running joke throughout the series where she gropes the girls of μ's. Nozomi herself is often in the background, but due to her role and reason for being in μ's, it makes sense. Her role is someone who watches over these girls (especially Eli), her reason more than just wanting to watch over them as she befriends them. Mischievous and motherly, Nozomi looks after μ's as if it was her own creation, and the creation of her own person isn’t lacking despite (or maybe even because of?) her lack of screentime.

Of course, her friend Eli isn’t open to μ's being a thing at all. Not at first. Her doubt towards them is rooted in her past success, and doesn’t think they’ll do anything for the school’s future. She has an interesting parallel with Honoka for much of season one, in that despite thinking differently about school idols, they both want to save the school. As student council president, though, Eli works behind the scenes as μ's grows in numbers, ever tempted to let it go and just have fun with them. Her struggle between her duty and desire, despite her pedigree, makes her nothing short of compelling.

But even as Eli becomes a kind of second leader in season two, it’s still Honoka at the heart of μ's. Honoka herself is emotion personified, the sheer range of her facial expressions communicating what dialog can’t. A melancholic gaze, a smile that triumphs over her tears, a crossed scowl, an indifferent but thoughtful gaze, an infectiously energetic smile, and many more faces all serve to perfectly round out her persona. That doesn’t mean she’s without her faults, as she can be focused to the point of losing sight of what’s around her, something that comes up toward the end of season one and the start of season two.

It’s during the second season that Honoka tries to stay aware of what’s around her, partly due to a personal incident in season one, partly from an extra duty as student council president in season two. Yeah. I don’t know how she became student council president either. The best guess among viewers is, after the school was saved, nobody was better fit to be student council president than the school’s savior. Yeah. I don’t know how rallying school idols translates to running a kind of government either.

Thankfully, Honoka eventually, if reluctantly, grows into the role of student council president, and never misses a step as part of μ's as they look to compete at the Love Live! event. During season one, they learned about the Love Live! being a chance for school idols to really show off what they can do. Unfortunately, they had to drop out at the last minute, but they got enough attention anyway to the point where the school was saved. So why would μ's still want to compete at the next Love Live! event?

To which I answer: why must there be a deeper reason to want to do something? Does it matter if passion starts from duty? If they’ve made it this far, why let that effort go to waste? With the introduction of its nine strong cast being largely finished in season one, season two changes the focus from ‘Honoka and the rest of μ's’ to ‘here is μ's as a group of equals.’ Not just Honoka, but all of μ's wants to compete in and win the Love Live! event. Their time in the spotlight much more even, each girl no less passionate than the next. But with their sights set on Love Live!, rival school idol group A-Rise has their sights set on them.

In many ways, A-Rise is the antithesis to μ's. The latter starts as a group of three with Honoka, Umi, and Kotori, and blossoms into nine great performers, while the former is only the trio of Tsubasa Kira, Erena Todo, and Anju Yuki. For how alike these six look respectively, they still take on their own identities, μ's donning frills and youthful vigor while A-Rise sports sleek smooth sensuality in their wardrobe and dance moves. In a refreshing change of pace, though, A-Rise isn’t a conniving group trying to sabotage the main cast. They simply want to win the Love Live!, and truly look forward to facing μ's. There’s mutual respect between both groups.

But as μ's gets closer to the big event, the story becomes less about the actual competition and more about the looming finale they can’t avoid. This plays perfectly into why Nozomi is part of μ's, as the story of nine comes full circle before she, Eli, and Nico are to graduate after the Love Live! event. The thought weighs on their minds, but the show must go on and they rightfully cherish every moment together. Every misadventure, every squabble, every concert teaches them to accept the bitter with the sweet.

Unfortunately, the concerts during season one are mostly nothing sweet to look at. It often looks like a smile plastered on a dancing doll. Thankfully, season two greatly improves the animation during these scenes, blending the 2D and 3D work into a cohesive showcase. The coloring and design makes for vivid variation. Even the darker colors of A-Rise shine brightly, and the thematic unity across costumes still have subtle differences to reflect each person, such as Anju being A-Rise’s only wearer of frills, or Umi’s outfit in one concert rocking shorts instead of a skirt.

So the show looks great, but it also knows HOW to look great. The series knows its girls are the cover attraction to itself, but thankfully it doesn’t overplay its hand. It forgoes sexualizing its cast for an emotional connection through personality and appearance. It’s flattery that induces a star struck state, without objectifying the cast in any negative fashion. Even the swimsuit episode is fairly harmless, while Nozomi’s groping antics miraculously avoid falling into the suggestive moans that are prone to happen in other shows. Early concert scenes aside, I see no reason to call the visuals nothing short of excellent.

Now, no amount of outstanding outfits or lovely lighting will do anything without music. And indeed, Love Live!’s soundtrack is far and away its strongest aesthetic element. There’s music for every occasion, from the quick tempo of a chase scene, to an over the top piece for a joke, to the slow piano keys for matching melancholy, and even the revitalizing recap music at the start of each of episode, all compliment the mood to great effect. And the few moments where music is absent are well chosen, and stand out that much more for it.

But while the instrumentals are good, the real reason Love Live! is a musical treat are the actual songs, which it never lacks. ‘Private Wars’ and ‘Shocking Party’ play hard, fast, and clean, capturing the aura of coolness about A-Rise. ‘Advance Tomorrow’ reflects the spirit of the show, being loud and fun but starting from genuinely heartfelt intentions through a soprano style voice. And of course, the two opening numbers, ‘We’re All In This Moment’ and ‘That Is Our Miracle’ carry lyrical significance with what happens in the story. This isn’t music that’s just a joy to listen to, but pieces that say something more when listening closely.

One of the two songs this is most exemplified in is ‘Start;Dash.’ Unlike much of μ's other songs, it starts with an almost melancholic feeling, starts singing in a defiant fashion, and ends in a manner that says ‘we’re down, but not out.’ It’s the piece Honoka, Umi, and Kotori sing at their first concert, and the piece μ's sings at the end of season one. The other song is the unforgettable ‘Snow Halation,’ testifying to the heights people can reach as they work together and understand one another’s feelings; words do no justice to the power of this track.

There are still more songs than these, from ‘No Brand Girls,’ to ‘Our LIVE, Our LIFE with you,’ to ‘Wonder Zone,’ to ‘The Door To Our Dreams’; the sheer number of great songs, well done instrumentals, and amount of story significance on each piece, makes the soundtrack of Love Live! nothing but a musical masterpiece. And yes, I’m only counting the music the show itself had, tempted as I am to talk about ‘Love Marginal’ among others.

What I DO want to talk about, is how hard it is for me to discuss Love Live! in any critical manner. It’s a series that caught me completely off guard when I was just looking for something to pass the time. It’s a show that makes me wonder just how much aesthetics matter to the viewing experience. It’s a story that forces me to see that even the simplest looking things can be more than meets the eye. And it’s a tale of gung ho dream chasing that’s infectiously optimistic.

Now, some people will surely have problems with the ending, and it’s usually not the kind of finale I go for either. Then again, every rule has exceptions. For those people who’ve already seen both seasons of Love Live!, let me say that I can overlook season two’s ending because I’m not expecting another adventure.

I just want an encore.

nannie94 - 2015-01-04 18:54:59

When someone mentions idols, the one and only group that springs to my mind is μ's. 

At first, Love Live! School Idol Project looks like your typical idol anime. With the almost cliche stereotypes, the flashy smiles and the cheesy sounding plot; unfortunately most people look down on Love Live. And yet, there is something incredible about this anime that you can't just help smile whenever it comes up on your news feed.

Story: 

'Kosaka Honoka loves her school, Otonokizaka Academy. It's the school of her dreams, and naturally when the school announces it's plans to shut down, Honoka asks her friends for help in order to prevent it from happening. Upon discovering the popular idol unit, A-RISE, a plan begins to form in her mind - why not make an idol unit of her own? Honoka, alongside her childhood friends Umi and Kotori, decides to save the school - in the form of music!'

When my friend recommended Love Live! to me, I'll admit - it sounded lame. However, as the story progressed, I noticed that I was biting my lip at their first performance, wondering if anyone would show up. My heart was racing! It's a story that drags you along at a comfortable speed and although there are some sad times, it makes up for it with either a heart-warming scene or a fast-paced song. However, I would not recommend this anime to anyone who's looking for a serious or episodic anime. This is because, to put it simply, Love Live wasn't really made to be taken at all that seriously. With a far-fetched plot line like it's own, Love Live is just an anime to be enjoyed and loved. 

Animation:

Someone once said to me that Love Live's animation looked slightly creepy. Now, I actually agree on that one. I've lost count on the amount of times that there have been weird face shots, or strange body stretches or even crazy background character fillers. However, it's not painful to watch. Some scenes are pleasing to look at, and most of the time - especially with the second season - it's a smooth ride that doesn't disappoint. If you can overlook a few awkward shots, then animation shouldn't be a problem.

Sound: 

With sound being the main focus of the anime - it doesn't disappoint. 

The variety of the songs allows a number of various people to enjoy μ's songs. The OP is really invigorating, and the ED is a soft song that I found myself loving it every time it rolled on. The songs are so addicting that I was humming them on the way to school, and I still do on the bus - after two years! μ's really knows how to knock you off your seat as well, with greatly put together performances and catchy tunes that make you instantly download once the episode's done. However, I found that listening to some of the characters individually was surprisingly dull. And most fans agree - μ's is better as one as they harmonize. Yet, if you listen to some of the spin-off groups, you will most definitely find that the voices aren't as pleasing or powerful. 

The voices in the anime are not amazing. When I first watched it, I realized that some of the character's voices were greatly irritating and some were really soothing to listen to. However, there is a big cast, so that can be ignored if you have that kind of resolve.

Character: 

Unfortunately, some character development is left to the second series and some of it felt rushed or copied. Where some characters practically have all the spotlight, it did feel that some had none at all - or if they did, you could probably find someone with a similar background who did it better. Some characters do get annoying, or feel useless at some points, but again - μ's really wouldn't be μ's without the full cast. Despite the slightly annoying characters, the cast is a lovable one and you do find yourself enjoying watching them go through their various adventures throughout the show. 

Besides, there's always that one character we could all do without in almost every anime.

Enjoyment: 

Despite all the criticisms I have made, I really did find myself enjoying the first and second season of Love Live! School Idol Project. It's comedy actually made me laugh, the characters made me smile and the songs are really engaging. I really do love Love Live! and I don't think - that for me - there is a better idol/musical anime out there.

Overall: 

I would recommend Love Live! to all those idol fans out there - or to those would are looking for a bit of slice or life/comedy. 

However, to those who are looking for something a little more serious or episodic I would not recommend this simply because it does not fall under those categories whatsoever.

Love Live! really is a worthy anime to watch - so go give it a try!

gaylord.elmira - 2014-12-25 00:08:18

everything in this anime are perfect ..especially the music 10/10 :)

etha62 - 2014-12-10 15:14:02

I've watched and enjoyed tons of musical and idol anime in the past, but Love Live tops them all with its perfect combination of cuteness, superb animation and chara design, extremely emotional scenes, excellent music and hilarious comedy.
I won't write a full, in-depth review this time because this anime is so popular that I'm quite sure someone else already did it better than I would, but I felt the need to at least write this recommendation. If you love cute girls doing cute things, music and idols you HAVE to watch this!

alfreda57 - 2014-08-30 01:47:12

Story: Honoka Kōsaka is a girl who loves her school, Otonokizaka Academy. When the school is planned to be closed down due to a lack of applicants, Honoka becomes determined to save it. After learning about the popularity on idols, she and eight other students come together with one thing in mind: to form a pop idol group to revive the school's popularity and keep it from shutting down. Their goal is simple: Become an overnight sensation and use their nationwide media exposure to promote their school and bring in a wave of new students to the ailing area. A simple but solid plan, they figure. Naturally, they're nervous and wonder if this plan can really succeed, but for better or worse their new journey has begun...

Pros: I really like the story in this and how it breaks the clichés you'd see in those dull idol anime. The characters all have a reason to become idols and not just... want to cause its cool and stuff. They're trying to save their beloved school and get more students to apply there. It also does a more realistic take on the anime showing that they don't become popular instantly and slowly grow more fans like other anime that do this. Yeah Wake Up Girls broke the cliché and made it more realistic, but this anime did it better by showing the character interactions and not those stupid annoying side characters and forced drama (ok there is some drama but not until the end of the show). The ending of the show is also very satisfying :D

The animation is really good, everybody moves nicely when running and talking and I didn't spot any animation errors. I also like the artwork, its very pretty and nice to look at (especially the outfits) even though they're designs I've seen in countless anime already. The dancing is fluid and I like how it mixes CGI and 2D animation too (well, it looks CG and 2D honestly) and I wish more anime did this.

The voice acting is also very well done, all the characters voices fit each other nicely, no one seems to have bad or annoying voices or unfitting ones and their singing is amazing.

Oh, and speaking of, the characters are all likeable and have great personalities. Honoka has a cheerful personality and she never gives up on anything, to the point of usually overexerting herself. Her hobbies include swimming and collecting stickers. Honoka took the longest for me to like mainly cause she seemed to be annoying and selfish, but later on in the show she realizes this and tries to redeem and make it up to her friends which I do kind of like and understand some of her actions later on.

Umi is Honoka's classmate and childhood friend who is a member of the school's kyūdō club, in which she is quite accurate. She believes Honoka is bossy and pushy, but realizes the perks of having an adventurous friend, usually acting as the voice of reason for her. As the daughter of a traditional family, Umi has expertise in kendō, koto, nagauta, calligraphy, and traditional dancing

Kotori is Honoka's other childhood friend who is known for having her head in the clouds despite holding responsibility as the group's wardrobe supervisor and choreographer. She also has a really kind heart, not wanting to hurt anybody. She also wishes to be useful in helping save the school by fundraising money and even designing outfits for the girls later on...

Nico is the supervisor alongside Kotori. She grew up admiring idols and aspires to become one. However, much to her chagrin, Nico is child-like in appearance and behavior despite her age, looking much younger than the rest of the group. Within the group, she is a very good cook. Nico formed the Idol Research Club, but all of her club members left one after another because of her high standards. When Honoka and her friends ask her to have the club as μ's base of operations, she is reluctant at first, doubting how far they are willing to go to become successful idols, until she approves their effort and also joins the group.

Eli is the president who also wishes to save the school, she's reluctant on Honoka's plan at first but eventually decides to give it a try on it. People say she's cool and calm headed but also says that she's a different kind of person (in a good way) once you got to know her. Eli's specialty is quilting, and her experience with ballet qualifies her as the group's choreographer.

Nozomi is the voice of reason to Eli, who was the first friend she made after spending her whole school life transferring from one place to another due to her parents work, choosing to live by herself in order to stay studying in Otonokizaka. She also acts as the spiritual leader of the group, and has an almost all-knowing vibe to her, acting when she knew things got too far and even naming the group based on events that were yet to happen. Although she is not from that region, Nozomi speaks in Kansai dialect. Her hobby is fortune-telling and she has the habit of groping the other girls when she finds them distracted or depressed in a form of "cheering them up".

Maki wants to become a doctor and inherit her father's work in her parents' hospital despite being a talented singer and pianist, which leads her to refuse joining μ's at first. Maki is the main composer and vocal coach of the group.

Hanayo is a first-year student interested in drawing and origami. She is referred to as Kayo, an alternate reading of the kanji in her name. Also, among the main cast, she is the best at handling children. She is also a shy girl who dreamed about being an idol since she was little.

Rin is an athletic first-year student skilled in hurdling, association football and basketball. Her closest friend is Hanayo, who is her childhood friend. Like Honoka, Rin has a cheerful personality but loses motivation easily and is a tomboy. She also has a habit of acting like a cat.

Even the side characters have some depth and charm, not as much as the main characters but that's not what its intended to do. They're still nice and memorable to a T :)

Cons: Well... the beginning is pretty slow and tedious. It basically is Honoka trying to convince girls to join (she just whines and keeps on asking them over and over until they say yes finally... I know they have chemistry and wants to save the school but still, can't the girl take the hint?), Eli going against their plan, and the girls slowly reaching their goal with just a few members. Yeah that's what its like for the first few episodes. The ending to that first episode is bizarre :S

The songs, including the opening, ending, and the songs they sing in the episode span running time while sung good, are pretty forgettable and dull and they probably won't get into your head for a while... the same thing goes for the dances.

Oh yeah, there's also the last few episodes with their own attempts on drama. I get why it had to be there and it wasn't poorly handled but it still seemed to be kind of forced and how they resolved it was kind of silly in my book.

Overall: It's A very lovely anime that does a great job with idols, better than Wake Up Girls in fact. If you're tired of the generic idol anime and want to look at a good idol anime, then I highly recommend you check this one out (I can't wait to see the second season also, here's hoping its just as good if not better than the first)~

Thanks for reading my 59th review~

loreilly - 2013-06-04 20:41:17

Four girls want to save school, so they decided to become idols. Plot isn't seem to be interesting, but it is. Music is wonderful, all character are likeable, and art is very good. Absolute must-see for music anime fans. And not just for them.

kunze.alejandra - 2013-06-03 03:36:04

Love Live Is a very interesting take on the popular "idol" genre, providing a much more realistic approach to it rather than it's competition's "fairytale life" plot lines. It gives an interesting view at what it actually takes to be an idol, and nothing is handed to the cast at all, allowing the viewer to see the cast progress through their popularity and uprising into idols. 

With great character design, character progression, and a exceptionally good soundtrack, Love Live is a show that will keep you wanting more until the very last episode, and then some. If you enjoy idol plots but hate the "handed to you" cliche, I highly reccomend watching this show.