Night Of The Loving Dead: Part 2 (Zombie Land Saga Revenge) [2.2]

(Continued from 2.1)

2.2: RIP, The Unsmashed Barriers Keeping Us From Letting Our Voices Be Heard As We Make An Impression On Our Idol Rivals!

Yes, just as Zombie Land Saga Revenge isn't afraid to parallel two strands of the same theme with a Saki and Lily episode apiece, so too do we get another two-part story arc involving Ai and Junko. Given that Junko rocketed up to become my favorite Franchouchou member after I wrote up season 1, you can bet I'm excited about this. There's going to be emotional resonance, girls wondering about their place in Franchouchou, lament over the past, and at least two moments where Junko's performance moves me deeply. I'm excited. Are you excited? Let's begin.

Opening episode 3 is Ai, looking up idol stuff online. In particular, an Iron Frill performance. Her old idol group's got incredible moves, moves that Ai admits are beyond Franchouchou just yet. Then autoplay puts on an acoustic guitar song which Ai reacts to in surprise before Sakura bursts in and Ai closes the browser all flustered like. Put a pin in that. Still, even if Franchouchou aren't on the level of Iron Frill, they're doing well for themselves in their own pond here in Saga. Between performances and TV appearances they're making real progress in climbing back out of the hole that was the EFS bomb, but Ai warns everyone not to be complacent or else they'll always be "those local idols what bombed at the EFS". No, they have to go beyond that, rise above what the people expect of them; rise above what happened to them in the past. If they can't, they'll just be dead and rotting corpses, figuratively and literally. It's a very Ai way of looking at things, refusing to let the traumas of the past define you and always striding to move forward from it at all cost. Even Junko agrees that regression in the entertainment business is the same as dying. The pair of experienced idols in life know what's up, and they each have a unique outlook on all of this.

Point is, the group depends on Ai for advice and help on a lot of things because of this, and Kotaro notices it... and so he pulls some of his usual bullshit. Iron Frill are coming back to Saga to headline at a brand new venue, the Saga Arena. Franchouchou just got booked as the opening act, and though everyone else seems in shock and awe at it, Ai thinks they can manage to pull it off. That's when Kotaro drops the bombshell: Ai's sitting this one out. I mean, think about it. It's Iron Frill. The idol group that Ai famously died on stage while a part of thanks to a fucking bolt of lightning. Is it really a good idea to parade Ai right in front of Iron Frill themselves? The rest of the girls object to this, saying that it's bullshit to suddenly care about being recognized now and that they already did perform at the same event as Iron Frill during Saga Rock. Franchouchou is only Franchouchou when they're all together, they say... but Ai takes it in stride. Kotaro's lined her up for solo stuff in the meantime, and this can be a chance for everyone else to grow and learn. Besides, Junko will be there and Ai trusts Junko and her experience to help lead the others to a successful opening act for Iron Frill.

I just think this shot's neat.

Even so, Ai has her reservations as she later shares with Kotaro backstage after a TV interview. She's wondering just what in the fuck Kotaro is thinking splitting them up now of all times. Kotaro's simple response is that they can handle themselves, and Junko's there to lead. What's wrong, Ai? Don't you trust her? Junko, meanwhile, is not exactly the leader Ai was. Again, look back to season 1, it's that Showa idol vs. Heisei idol mentality again. They're from different times with different experiences, it's not going to be the same leadership style. The stress of it all is making Junko slip at her day job, and she comes home to see Ai on TV being interviewed. Seeing Ai work and even do a good solo job makes Junko ponder. Ai would probably have been a great Showa-era idol if she were alive back then. Speaking of TV, Iron Frill have landed in Saga and are being interviewed as they step off of the plane. Their new center, a lady named Shiori, is quite a lot like Ai in many regards. She's saying a lot of the same stuff about always moving forward and not getting left in the past. She also mentions that her desire is to prove to their original center that Iron Frill are one of a kind. You know. Ai, who Shiori only knows as the tragically killed legendary center. As the other Franchouchou girls minus Ai watch the interview, Junko's stress and worry only builds. Iron Frill are top of the top, best of the best. Can Franchouchou really leave an impression as their opening act?

Well, Junko gets home late from work one day to find the other girls doing a weird impromptu jam session thing with hula hoops and stamping brooms and Tae banging on the bottom of a bucket like it's a drum. The rest of them are excited about it, having come up with something to try and leave their mark on the show and wondering if Junko thinks it's any good. Junko's a little taken aback and running on low battery, so she says she'll think about it before heading off. Sakura knows that look, though. It's the same look Junko had on the beach all that time ago, when she was lamenting. The girl's got a lot on her mind, and so Sakura heads outside to see where she's gotten to. As the sun sets on another day in Saga, Sakura wanders outside and hears the soft strumming of an acoustic guitar from the roof. Junko's up there, and she has a song to sing...

I really hope you can watch and listen to that, because it's something special. As Junko begins to strum on her guitar, the presentation of the show itself changes. The aspect ratio shrinks from 16:9 to 4:3, the colors become more muted... for just a few moments, as Junko sings her heart out, we are in her world. The long-gone world of the Showa-era idol, hearing Junko's song. Readers, I must confess. Last time I made a big show out of headcanoning Junko association with upbeat 1980s city pop. I can still feel that to some degree, but that illusion was completely shattered by just... listening to Junko sing here. It's that deep connection I've made with this character by sincerely thinking about her and writing about her insecurities and anxieties. I have seen Zombie Land Saga Revenge through three times. The first two times, I just thought it was a nice song. The third, the rewatch I did for this project... was different. When Junko's song hit and she played her heart out on the acoustic guitar, I was moved to tears. I am listening to it right now as I write this and I still am. City pop isn't her song. This is her song. This is the song of Junko Konno's heart, which stopped beating long before I was born only to resume again decades later. This simple feeling, that simple heartfelt strumming and powerful voice... that's Junko Konno. My favorite Franchouchou member. Play your undead heart out, Junko, and let's get Sakura up on that roof to help you vent again.

So, as it turns out, Sakura recognizes Junko's song from commercials in her time. It was Junko's first chart-topping hit, a song she plays whenever she wants to feel better. Junko expresses herself through the song, and she expresses her feelings and concerns to her friend Sakura. She's the solo Showa-era idol. She doesn't know how to lead a group, how to make her expertise pay off in a group setting. She's not the type of leader Ai is, and she doesn't think she's been doing a good job at leading in Ai's absence. Sakura disagrees. She likes the way Junko teaches them, finding it easy to understand. Junko's attentive to all of Franchouchou, and she's taught them a bunch... but then Sakura gets an idea. If Junko's worried that her experience can't help in Ai's absence, then why don't we talk to Ai about it? Kotaro never said they couldn't talk to Ai about things, after all. The idea seems to cheer Junko up, and so she and Sakura head out after dark to go meet up with Ai and talk it over. Unfortunately they're not the only ones who want to talk to Ai. As they go to meet with her, Ai is met by Shiori of Iron Frill. The pair of them hide in the bushes so they're not seen and overhear the conversation to follow, as Shiori lays out her way of thinking...

Well, this is exactly the opposite of the reassurance Junko needed. This is an outright existential nightmare. At the top of episode 4, Sakura tries to reassure Junko's anxieties. There's no way Ai would ditch us to join Iron Frill! She's a part of Franchouchou, a zombie, one of us! For the time being the pair decide to keep what they overheard a secret, but Junko is clearly affected by it. She's not the only one dealing with a lot. We'll see later, as Iron Frill check out their fancy new venue, that Shiori is approached by one of her bandmates inquiring about Shiori's attempt to recruit Ai. The other bandmate can see what's going on here, though: Franchouchou's No. 3 very clearly looks just like their deceased legendary center, Ai Mizuno. There's something more going on here, all as Shiori's been talking about becoming ever stronger and always changing and evolving... and yet here she is, clearly obsessed with this reflection of Iron Frill's past. Shiori says it's because of No. 3's potential and there's nothing else to it, but there's more going on under the surface here. It shall be uncovered later, but let's get back to Junko and Ai.

As Junko's taking a break, completely out of it and unfocused in rehearsal, who should show up but Ai herself? Junko tries to brush off her bad mood, but Ai is too concerned for the well-being of Franchouchou and Junko herself to let Junko sulk off without explanation. Junko won't let it slip and Ai won't let it go, and finally Junko does let the question slip: did Ai enjoy being in Iron Frill more than Franchouchou? Junko and Sakura never heard Ai turn down Shiori's offer. Well, great. We're back to these two in a sour mood at each other again. Well, what's going to solve this? We're threatened to go back to Season 1 territory again, so let's crib a solution from there of sorts. Junko sneaks back into Kotaro's office to borrow his guitar, presumably to play some acoustics on the roof to ease her worries. That's when Kotaro starts shredding on an electric guitar in the room. Ah, yes. Kotaro Tatsumi is many things. He's an absolute gonzo madman, that much is certain. Much like how a broken clock is right twice a day, though, occasionally Kotaro has his moments of lucid utopic inspiration. As Junko finally vents her fears that Ai will quit Franchouchou for Iron Frill, Kotaro comes in with his amplified advice.

Kotaro waxes poetic about his shiny red electric guitar and how it can smash through anything, do the impossible, et cetera, before gifting it to Junko for the show. Well, whatever the fuck this rant was has lit a fire under Junko. She knows what has to be done at Saga Arena now, and soon enough the day of the show comes. Before curtain call, Ai does approach Shiori and tells her that she's not going to be playing today. Shiori's a little shocked, but Ai reveals a little of what she's come to believe throughout this journey of afterliving. When Shiori objects to Ai sitting out, claiming that without her Franchouchou are a bunch of nobodies, Ai won't take that disrespect. All this time, they've been growing and changing. Even Ai has to be cautious and forward-thinking, lest she get left behind. Having complete faith in what her girls are about to do, she just tells Shiori to watch the show. She'll get it. Kotaro and Ai watch from the stands, as Ai finally calls him on his little plan. All this was never about the worry of Iron Frill discovering who she was, was it? It wasn't, of course, but on come our girls... and Ai, along with the crowd, along with myself, are going to be shocked at what comes forth.

Holy fucking shit. Again, really hope you can watch these, because Junko goes fucking hard in this song. Leading on the electric guitar Kotaro lent her, pouring her heart and soul into the strong vocals and chorus... This is not the city pop girl I imagined in Part 1. This is not even the soft-spoken acoustic girl I was confronted with an episode ago who made me weep. The pure passion pouring forth from Junko and the rest of the girls as they howl into the void that they are here, they are everliving, and they are everlasting... it's incredible. They even got Tae's bucket jamming thing into a kick-ass drum solo opener! Hell yeah! Hell fucking yeah!!! Junko is FUCKING SMASHING IT!!! Indeed, in that video you can see Ai go through what I went through. I get to pull the pin out in text and tell you she found a video upload of Junko's acoustic song from 1983. Now she's staring down this passionate and loud roar from the very depths of an undead soul, 1983-circa-2019 letting itself be known... and then, at the song's close, Junko smashes the shit out of that fucking guitar and points the shattered neck directly at Ai from down the center aisle. Holy fuck y'all. 

At that, Ai tries to get on stage with her girls, but oops her arm's coming off and Junko falls off stage with her. There's still a live wire from the electric guitar being smashed. Fuck it. Let's encore, with the very power of Ai's death which we're now weaponizing for our revenge. Ai joins her group for the encore, Shiori watching in complete awe... as we see a flashback not unlike one we saw a season before. A younger Shiori watching Ai lead Iron Frill, being inspired herself to become an idol. Just like Sakura was. Yeah, Shiori was obviously dealing with the baggage of the loss and legacy of Ai in trying to recruit No. 3 of Franchouchou. She was so blinded by it she couldn't see the latent power of the group as a whole. Even so, she won't be fazed. She congratulates the girls after the show for performing better than she expected, but they're going to see what the best of the best looks like... and where Ai really belongs. Cue Junko tugging Ai to her side, saying that she's a part of Franchouchou and she ain't going anywhere. With Episode 4's end, Iron Frill are on TV after their tour, and they just so happen to mention the most memorable part of the tour was Saga's Franchouchou. Shiori even says they're Iron Frill's biggest competition, and the girls are shocked by that.

Holy lord God y'all do I adore Junko. This was a nice little mini-arc which showcased the comraderie between the two most experienced idols and their ways of doing things. If I didn't say it before, I'll say it for sure here. Junko Konno has become a part of my internal landscape, as important a utopic titan as a Sailor Venus or a Hibiki Tachibana. Ai gets great character work as well, and even Shiori is shown as a parallel to both Ai and Sakura at the same time in various ways. Shiori tried to boldly go forward, but she was stuck focused on surpassing the past. Ironically, it took a pure and soulful passionate cry from far beyond that past to stir her to realization, and I'm sure it's something Shiori will carry forward with her. It's a very lovely arc with some characters I quite like, but on some level we've done it before. An arc where Ai and Junko come to an understanding and grow a little as people and friends? Very nice, but it's been done. Frankly, we need to boldly go forward too.

Why don't we tackle the threat of narrative collapse that was teased last time? This little song and dance has gone on well so far, putting on makeup in a form of human cosplay, but what happens when the truth gets out there? What happens when people learn that there are zombies in Saga?

(Continued in 2.3)