雨音に寄り添う (三峰結華 Good-bye ラブレター)
※This is written mainly in ENGLISH
※Beware of SPOILERS (ネタバレ).
※Some of my own translations may not be 1:1 accurate
Pardon the flowery title, I was thinking about that official Shinymas BGM… But yeah, she's finally here, huh? It's very surreal… I'll mainly just summarize key points and what my reactions are to the commus. I will also reference earlier commus. Again please be aware of spoilers.
Preface (rant)
We have waited for 1320 days. That is OVER 3.5 YEARS for Yuika Mitsumine to have a limited pSSR!
Was this long wait and endless suffering worth it??
Yes. Absolutely yes. This is a good precedent. I have been wanting a Mitsumine "bride commu" for the longest while now, and to my annoyance, Shinymas released "Kawaii Hito" sSSR making it seem that Mamimi, Sakuya, and Yuika are "ineligible" for a proper June Bride pSSR. And what made matters worse was when L'AnticaPs were expecting Kiriko June Bride last year 2023 but instead the release of the June Bride was done at the end of the month rather than beginning-- where Shinymas management decided to give Alstroemeria a SECOND June Bride pSSR when L'Antica was the last of the initial 4 units that have yet to be represented as a pSSR June Bride. It was very understandably frustrating.
What I had been wanting so badly was NOT a pSSR June Bride costume of Yuika, but a "bride commu" where she shares her thoughts on a topic of marriage and possibly relating it to her career as an idol and also provoke a thought on how she should adjust her distance with the Producer.
So in comes "Good-bye Love Letter" (GBLL for short) to give me what I have been craving. Furthermore, it sets a precedent that a "bride commu" can exist outside of the June Bride gacha, so I'm pleased with that idea from Shinymas management. Anyways, let's get into it.
今夜、幸せを約束して
This title…! They really like to reference pSR1 True End あの日、幸せが約束されたの do they?
But anyways… ShinyP wants to be able to help Yuika stand out in this engagement ring CM, so he'll do anything to help her…
…including acting out as if he's proposing to marry her so that she can react appropriately and genuinely and polish her reaction to being proposed to (by the producer.)
The producer is no stranger to helping his idols out even for stuff like this. And Mitsumine's no different…
You get to choose how he'll propose, and they all turn out pretty funny. For those that couldn't tell what Yuika said (since it wasn't in text), here:
In this one, she comments that it would be his style to do a direct proposal and figures that he'd look straight into her eyes. This one is probably the most genuine one and the style of proposal she'd expect coming from him.
In this one, ShinyP goes down on one knee and passionately declares his love. The 君を攫わせてくれないか (Won't you allow me to have you all for myself) line in particular is very yabai lol
Yuika thinks that the act of him being dramatic and going down on his knee may be embarrassing for her, but she thinks that the joy she'd feel from being proposed to would make up for that.
Interestingly, the "nonchalant/suave" option to propose is the one where she and P's reaction are equal (hehehe). Yuika comments to herself that P needs to watch himself better for saying cheesy, extra, overly romantic lines like this because it can give people the wrong idea, turn people off, or unintentionally putting on the rizz. She still puts her guard up anyway, saying that "no one else can brush it off with a joke."
Reminds me of this bit from ♡Comedy
Anyways, in Commu1, it may seem professional at a glance where Mitsumine is just asking him to help her imagery for the engagement ring CM, but the title of this commu is 今夜、幸せを約束して (is tonight, promise me happiness) , so I'm very inclined to take this as Mitsumine also wanting to indulge in the happy idea of ShinyP asking her to marry him.
Compare with あの日、幸せが約束されたの , where she mentally remarks that she was promised happiness on the day she and the producer met. 今夜、幸せを約束して in comparison, seems like a request or expressing her desire for "happiness tonight," which is the idea of being proposed to (by him). It's very Mitsumine-like, to put her idol career up as an excuse, reason, or as a shield to mask what I think are ulterior motives. She gets help with her job and in turn also indulges in the fantasy or possibility of a "taste outside of an idol's life." But most importantly, she gets the producer to reveal to her how he would propose to someone (or to her in this kind of scene.)
The producer's proposal ideas, however, seem generic enough, and it seems that two of the three example proposals are out-of-character for him. (Which makes me wonder where he gets these ideas.) Even if they all aren't necessarily his own personal idea, Yuika still indulges in this "happiness" of being on the receiving end. She is sure to conjure the image of him proposing to her for the shoot!
私の薬指に指輪がはまる時
This is Yuika's monologue… And it seems to me that this is how she thinks whenever she's put into some acting role?
Expression… The word they used here is 表情 (facial expression). The expression she puts on during work is a "mask." Mitsumine dons an appropriate mask according to what's demanded of her, but she does it in such away that the mask she chooses is the より正解の振る舞い (the more correct behavior). So not only is she an idol that meets expectations, but is an idol that exceeds expectations. If it means standing out from the rest, then Yuika is the one to do it.
Another apt way of describing this is that Yuika changes "colors." She puts on different colors appropriate for the job; it's the same as her fashion or changing glasses— the change and versatility of her clothes is synonymous with her ability of change masks or colors appropriately for the situation or the task at hand.
Anyways, doing idol work and especially work where she has to don a mask or equip a color makes her think that she's like a main protagonist. Doing so, I think, is what will eventually have her "become the mask" and make her feel like she's the main protagonist in her own life outside of her idol life… That being said, her life as an idol is intimately intertwined with her life outside of that, so any positive developments during work gives a positive change for her entire life.
私の薬指に指輪がはまる時 (the moment when the ring fits my finger) from how I interpret it… Yuika adopts a mask / color / feeling of a woman who has accepted a marriage proposal. That's why the ring fits in her ring finger. It's because of her immense expressive ability that she is able to become someone who is "suitable for this / his engagement ring."
He was referring to her, not the ring.
In my opinion, she deflected it to the ring, saying how beautiful the ring is and how it sparkles when the light hits it. (She already said in last commu that she'll try to play up a joke to brush things off.) Anyways, ShinyP agrees that the ring is indeed pretty and asserts that Yuika is the best. She dials it down and mentions how the main event is "Yuika wearing the ring" and not "Yuika."
I'm glad that he retorted, saying that as it was his job to promote her and have her standout from the other women doing this CM, the main event is also "Yuika wearing the ring." I believe this is why he was referring to her as "beautiful" and not necessarily the ring. Of course he's promoting the ring, but he's also promoting HER.
It's not the first time he's been entranced…
Producer and his lines... He says that he isn't embarrassed because he's not embarrassed to say the truth.
Perhaps Yuika is getting buffed by the magic of the engagement ring, but I was happy that she was able to compliment herself! Usually she can't take a compliment and can't compliment herself either, so it's nice to see that she sees herself the same way ShinyP does— a high specs woman with people wanting to propose to her lol
She may sound like she's joking, but I think she believes this much about herself at least. She's come a long way.
It cuts there, but her feelings are palpable despite being unsaid. On the topic of marriage, she isn't just saying "because it's [P-tan] who showed me what how it is to be with someone," she's saying that it's because he showed her what it means to be with someone for life. Her thoughts about it show the burden of being by yourself, but it's after meeting ShinyP that she appreciates the idea of being with someone for the rest of your life.
Surely many people will line up to offer Yuika a ring and a promise to be with her for the rest of her life… but 私の薬指に指輪がはまる時. I believe that the only ring that fits is the ring that only ShinyP can give her. Quite a romantic spin to it. I think the correct answer for the time being is that they both stay together for life as "producer and idol." Perhaps that's the only ring that fits and the only ring that she's willing to accept for as long as she remain an idol and for as long as he remains her producer. That being said, the image she uses for the CM shoot is the the image of ShinyP proposing to her and her reaction to that.
I especially like that 私の薬指に指輪がはまる時 can mean more than one thing to me. One meaning about how she plays up the role of someone suitable for the ring, but also the meaning of her only finding "P-tan's ring" to be the only one that fits her without her "mask" or with her "true color." The ring that fits is the one that she'll accept. I think it can only be P-tan’s ring.
That being said, Commu 2 is a fantastic one.
This line surprised me actually. Since her banter power with the Producer was pretty damn high in WING… Did she change that much after meeting him? Perhaps its because she's comfortable with teasing him in her own way that she's alright to be with such a person for her entire life…
Is this because of her Lv15 Trust line???
Yuika's on the offense here, huh? I miss this old style of her being direct, but what's new is that she doesn't seem to retreat from being bold. In fact, it seems to me that ShinyP is the one that's trying to put up a defense.
It's funny. Because this is an idol sim, and she's saying "thanks for raising/guiding me." Yuika using 育てる(raise/foster/grow) so his mind wandered off to feeling more like a dad than as a someone of equal (heh) status with her. Her reaction was gold too, implying that he is acting very presumptuous since he's actually pretty young. 【お願い、ただの少女がいい】tells us that their ages aren't far off anyway too. Still, she set herself up for that one, or Producer's banter power gained levels the more he interacts with her.
自慢の担当アイドル
Short commu. Basically ShinyP is watching Yuika's interview for the CM shoot.
Yuika's "expression" is rock solid. A lot of times, Yuika plays the role of her mask as a means to hide and protect her private self from the public eye. But that's not to say that this isn't genuine.
Hark back to her MSC card,【鏡界フィクションレイン】
表現 (expression) is the key here, and is one of Mitsumine's prime assets. In her solo image song, Plastic Umbrella, the girl in the lyrics is about her, but ShinyP instructed her to express and show off what the girl is about rather than linking the girl as her.
Other examples of her expression come from Landing Point commu regarding her playing a "mendoukusai onna" and【No Life】where she had to play the role of someone's girlfriend, but she expressed these in a way where she doesn't reveal how authentic it is. (The True End for【No Life】shows what an authentic lover's message looks like by comparison.)
So she is very talented when it comes to expression! And it doesn't surprise me that her mask hid her nervousness so well. Reminder that the color/mask she adopts puts her in a certain headspace…
Isn't she such a 自慢の担当アイドル?!
The interview goes on… yada yada, eventually she was asked if there any plans of getting married, which she denies, citing that at the moment "she is married to the job" and states that hopefully she can stay "married to her job" with everyone's support.
So the producer is watching this and remarks how thorough this interview is… suddenly, the CM plays and ShinyP watches Yuika on screen…
The やっぱり really made it seem to me that he really was referring to her the first time.
No surprise there. Yuika is canonically 美人 !
手に入れましょう、全部
What a scary title. When I first saw this, I wondered if she would show more of her selfishness here, AND SHE DID!
It starts with Yuika pretty much just looking at the interviews done by the "competition." All these women… a young actress, a famous model, and a center idol… All of them are formidable and have more fame and reach judging by their fans' reactions and presumably their followers.
! ? ! ? ! ?
Hana Suzuki?!
Isn't she amazing?!
All of these from Tsuki ga Kogareru Taiyou Tsuki…
And Yuika's final push from her oshi idol in【一夏・泡沫・ギフテッド】…
These events helped her become more confident in herself! Sure, she still sees herself as lacking in some aspects, but she uses what she lacks as a motivator for her to learn AND TO BEAT EVERYONE!
In Yuika's GRAD route, she was "admiring" other idols. As an idol fan, she sees what they have that she doesn't and adds to her material. It may seem that this is the same as before, but the reason is different now. She knows now that this isn't the time and place to BE AN IDOL FAN. I think she goes from "admiring" idols to "researching" idols here… Before, she would be offended if indulging in her hobbies is considered "research" or "study"… but it seems to me now that a fierce competitive streak is taking over… Not only does she want to improve on the things she lacks, she wants to BEAT THEM IN THEIR OWN GAME! FOR THE SAKE OF WIDENING HER AUDIENCE AND KEEPING HER JOB AS AN IDOL FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!
You did it, ShinyP! I'm so happy that they get see what you see!!! Consider your promotion of "Yuika Mitsumine wearing an engagement ring" a successful one!
ALL THESE CHOICES CORRESPOND TO EACH OF THE WOMEN IN THE CM!!!
P gives her a list of those attending, and Yuika recognizes "center idol-san." Ahhhh I love Yuika's reaction here! She's all "Oh? So you're against me for another round, huh?" AAA SO COOL!
The producer tells her that a jewelry company saw the CM and decided to choose Yuika to be their model! Yuika was actually super surprised that she was chosen when there was a famous model in the CM. But ShinyP tells her that Yuika was chosen for her "expressiveness."
She not only showed-off the engagement ring well enough, but also showed off her own charm! Essentially, using the image of ShinyP proposing to her, expressed herself as someone who is made for the ring. Her highlight of the ring's appeal (letting the light reflect off of it) didn't tarnish her splendor as the model wearing the ring! The main event isn't merely the engagement ring, but YUIKA MITSUMINE WHO WEARS THEIR ENGAGEMENT RING! 私の薬指に指輪がはまる時!!!
"She likes it when you're sincere. It's because of that [sincerity] that she invited you."
This is a pretty famous actress! She invited Yuika to be in the talk show to because she's a huge Yuika Mitsumime oshi! It's nice that someone like this recognizes Yuika as someone who has dedication and is sincere and that working on the CM together must have lead the actress to see this about Yuika in person! This would surely expose Yuika a lot more to this actress's audience too in the show! I wonder when this admiration started? Yuika not only is admired by fans… but by talented people too!
≠嘘≠本当
This True End commu wrecked me…!
(HER PAUSE AND GLANCE AWAY IS AN IMPORTANT DETAIL AAAAAA)
Another detail… this takes place during a sunshower!!!
This is known as a "Fox's Wedding," a strange and rare event, but is also a saying to describe a sunshower (天気雨 / tenki-ame). Isn't this a rare occurrence??? Bridal-commu outside of June???
An origami ring!!! Could this possibly be the "love letter"?
The title of this card is called "Good-bye Love Letter," the act of parting and saying "good bye" to this so-called "love letter." I have the image of Yuika Mitsumine writing a metaphorical love letter to ShinyP and folding it into a ring and giving this ring to him.
He accepts it and returns the feelings that she stated── "will you take me as your idol?" She asserts and reaffirms their position as "idol and producer" but… that's not all is it??
Because while this is the truth, it isn't the whole truth.
She is lying, but she isn't necessarily being disingenuous.
なって->[私のものに]なって
Become -> Become [mine]
This Lv5 Memory Appeal line is flat out incredible…! I see it as the embodiment of two things:
Yuika wants to "take" the qualities of other talented people as "hers"
Yuika stakes a claim on ShinyP (romantic and professional)
Become the the best version of myself!
But also "I want YOU to become MINE!"
Yuika Mitsumine is caught in a love triangle between her "work as an idol" and "ShinyP" and she chooses BOTH!
The wedding vows aren't just a reaffirmation of "idol and producer" but also an intent to keep the producer in her life.
手に入れましょう、全部 (Let's take it all. Every last one.)
Time of Goodbyes
This is the event title for this year's L'Antica event, and the main theme of this event scenario is that goodbyes aren't necessarily sad. Goodbyes and partings serve as opportunities for growth and also as the start of something new. Furthermore, a parting isn't permanent!
The L'Antica members, even if they go their separate ways, aren't sad about parting. They know that they'll reunite eventually, and bringing with them the experiences that came with their separate, individual journeys.
So Yuika's "goodbye" to her "love letter" isn't about her letting go of her feelings. Yes, she affirms "idol and producer" frame, but its not the only commitment that she wants from ShinyP.
The reality is that all good things must come to an end, and Yuika knows that "idol and producer" won't last forever. But the end does not scare her, because once "idol and producer" is over, the origami ring unfolds…
And with it unfolding, comes the manifestation of love that was written inside.
"Good bye" to being an idol isn't necessarily so devastating when this means that the "new beginning" is with the very man who used to be her producer.
It's important to know that Yuika Mitsumine has the resolve to continue for as long as she is able, but she also isn't saddened by the thought of it ending.
What she has come to learn and value was being WITH the person that changed her life for her ENTIRE life. I now firmly believe that this extends beyond that of "idol and producer." If she wants to hold onto the dream of being with someone for rest of her life, it has to be with ShinyP.
[私のものに]なって
Become [mine]
It is a declaration. Her selfishness to take everything. And Yuika is one who earnestly fights for what and who she loves. The truth is that she wants to be committed, but the lie is that commitment to her job isn't ALL that she desires… Hence the "not a lie, but not the truth."
Again, Yuika's selfishness is palpable here. I looooove that she shows so much without having to spell it out!
The woman who had the stray thought of losing the producer in her life or him being taken away from her in kaleidoscope-pinball was desperately fighting to keep him in her life.
Now she puts a ring on him…
She won't lose track of him. She won't lose sight of him. Because she wants him around when she's an idol, and she wants him around for not just for her life as an idol, but beyond that.
I believe that she decided to "tie it up,” connecting the Red String of Fate to herself and P-tan for life.
This is a ≠ -> = moment between them! The exchanging of (marriage) vows is symbolic of this "equal" relationship!
Final thoughts
Peak commu. Peak Mitsumine. Three peaks. It has every development that I was anticipating and even more! I would be even happier if Good-bye Love Letter get more and more people interested in her and make her even more popular from now on! Perhaps it's my selfishness as a MitsumineP, but it's ShinyP's selfishness for Yuika Mitsumine to be recognized and to be at the top and to keep her at the top! But anyways…
I used to think the following:
But…
この指輪で、未来が約束されるんだね
"With this ring, our future is promised"
This is her home menu voice line unlocked at 1-star.
The "ring" here can mean the engagement ring or even the origami ring, but perhaps it can even refer to both?
今夜、幸せを約束して (Tonight, promise me happiness)
In Commu1, she was "given an engagement ring", or rather, she pictured P-tan proposing to her in such a fashion. It was fantasy and just a mental image to help form how she'll act in the CM, but she truly felt happy and moved.
In the True End, she gives the origami ring to P-tan… but this time, a "wedding ceremony" to bind them as "idol and producer," at least for the time being. There is reason to doubt that's all she wants given the True End title of ≠嘘≠本当.
But either way, this commitment to the producer whether as an idol or beyond gives her happiness. Commu1 was the "engagement" while True End was the actual "wedding ceremony."
I've never would have dreamt such a development. It felt too good to be true, and as cheesy as this may be, I feel as if Yuika Mitsumine's commu stories promised ME happiness too in spite of what hell Shinymas management gives me.
I would have thought that something like this was "too much" for Yuika to handle or accept, but she really did try to get Producer to take the hint in Commu 2 "The moment when the ring fits my finger"… I see now that them getting closer and closer doesn't make "idol and producer" more difficult, but makes it easier, and in turn benefits herself as a person and as an idol.
The important thing she demonstrated here was "commitment."
Commitment to her fans.
Commitment to her job.
Commitment to herself.
Commitment to the producer.
The promised future remains the same. Yuika Mitsumine will remain as an idol for as long as she can. She will be committed to stay as an idol since it is her calling, but with the ring, she also has made room for committing her LIFE with the "someone who she's comfortable with." It doesn't end with "idol and producer," and it truly doesn't end with her being an "idol." As a "sun," she IS an exemplary idol no matter where she is, even if the "idol and producer" frame falls apart and transforms into "you and me." She's come a long way from the "bibiri-mine" (Meek-tsumine) that she used to be.
The happiness that comes with being and living as an idol had already been promised…
この指輪で、未来が約束されるんだね
But it's because of this ring (engagement ring or origami ring) that there IS a future where they stay committed to each other whether its "idol and producer" or otherwise.
What a very satisfying card… Ahhhhh I can't stop thinking about it!!!
What's next???
I believe that the next course of action would be 2024's next produce mode scenario. Yuika Mitsumine has reached a point where she's feeling pretty invincible at the moment. She absorbed the mask, adopted every color, and feels like the underdog main protagonist idol wanting to became the best she is and beat every formidable foe in the entertainment agency that is in her way.
I'm somewhat scared, because… I don't want to see her… lose? Or become dispirited? I'm so impressed with her resolve in Tsuki ga Kogareru Taiyou Tsuki and in 手に入れましょう、全部 that I want to see her kick the ass of idols that she oshis! (I'm sorry Kogatan, but given Tsuki Tsuki and Yuika's newfound hunger to take everything, I think you might have to be the final boss that main protagonist Yuika Mitsumine has to overcome to be the ultimate idol?? What about with L'Antica members??)
Perhaps that's my selfishness as a crazy MitsumineP, but Mitsumine has demonstrated her resolve to compete with other idols and talents. There is less "akogare" now and more "competition" for her own sake.
She's changed so much… The Mitsumine of today is an exemplary, invincible, unbeatable, and resolved! 月が焦がれる太陽/月 and Good-bye Love Letter are indeed the fulfillments of her GRAD story as well as NOT≠EQUAL and kaleidoscope-pinball… I'm so glad that she's blessed with L'Antica, blessed by fans who adore her, and blessed by a producer who she wants to be with for the rest of her life…
Speaking of him, I do want to see how much of his life was affected by Yuika's growth (as with the other idols.) We've already seen in past commus how ShinyP is supported by her and how he also wants Yuika to be the promo-girl or the ambassador for all kinds of products and things! I want to see the producer's struggles in getting people to recognize her much like in 雨に祝福. Doing so would add onto the "equal relationship" that they're establishing.
What's what the rings are for, right?
誓います (I swear)
She stated that he shown and demonstrated to her what it's like to be with someone. If he showed her how beautiful such a relationship is, then she's willing to be "married." I think the person can be no other than P-tan!
Ahhhhhh どうか 幸せで!!!!! www
Shinymas needs to announce the next produce mode in Yokohama! I hope it's an avenue where Yuika Mitsumine can seriously go all-out with a desire to learn everything there is that to defeat everything there is!
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