Review | Phantom of the Idol (Episode 9)

“The penultimate episode of Phantom of the Idol delivers the usual laughs. But it is also quite poignant as we are starting to say goodbye to the characters.”

Another week, another episode of Phantom of the Idol. This is the penultimate episode as the Anime Summer season is drawing to a close. But don’t worry we will have plenty of anime reviews this Fall as well!

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

Throughout the episode, you can definitely tell the series is coming to an end. We have spent the Summer with these characters. So, it is obviously a bit sad to say goodbye. This is how it is. A series with a concept like this one cannot run forever. At one point, the ghost of the Idol has to go. But, there are still a few things to happen before it all ends.

An important part of this episode focuses giving time to all the different characters we have encountered throughout the series. That includes CGrass, the super fans, the manager, the super fan of CGrass and even Sweet Pharmacy. Even though, for some of these it is a just a small scene, it is meaningful to bring everyone back. I especially appreciated the interactions between the different members of CGrass despite not having Setouchi present. After all, Setouchi is a big fan of ZINGS, so he has other things to do in his free time.

Likewise for the super fans, they have a whole preparation for the concert. As usual, they bring the laughs. They reminisce about the rise of ZINGS. It is a funny scene but also quite moving. And it really hits you. It is the realization that this is almost the end.

ON THE WAY TO THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

Moreover, Niyodo and Yoshino are also getting for their concert, not just the fans. It is beautiful to see how far these two characters have come. Yoshino is so nervous and shy but he has gotten through that. And now, he has a role in a TV series. We see a little bit of his series at the beginning of the episode. As for Niyodo, he has also grown significantly. When the series started, he wanted to quit being an Idol but Asahi came into his life and things took another path. Everything that happened since then has lead Niyodo to believe in himself and to actually want to be an Idol. During the introduction of the concert, Niyodo has the most powerful scene of the series. He finally accepts that people really believe in himself, that everyone around him works hard. And that encourages him to be better. This speech is quite poignant. This is character development at its best.

On a side note, the big stage we saw each week in the opening credits is actually the stage we see in this episode. It is the stage of their second anniversary concert.

POST CREDITS SCENE

For the penultimate episode, the usual post credits scene is back. And the post credits scene is the direct continuation of the final scene of the episode leading us directly into the actual concert. So the concert should play an important part in the series finale.

VERDICT

The penultimate episode of Phantom of the Idol delivers the usual laughs. But it is also quite poignant as we are starting to say goodbye to the characters.

Phantom of the Idol is now streaming on ADN and HIDIVE.