Review | Phantom of the Idol (Episode 10)

“This finale brings a little bit of everything that we love from the series for an enjoyable and satisfying episode.”

Phantom of the Idol ends its run with only ten episodes. It was shorter than the common thirteen episode seasons but it has surely been worth it. So, is this a satisfying finale?

THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

This episode is literally the second anniversary concert. And I think ending the season with a full concert of ZINGS is definitely satisfying. This way, we can all enjoy our favorite songs from them. We experience the concert the same way that the super fans do. Plus, it shows how far Niyodo and Yoshino have come through since the beginning. It comes full circle. When they started they were just a small group and now they are performing on a big stage.

This finale shows the fans reactions to the concert as it happens and it does include Setouchi who is here. Even though, he denies it, he is a super fan of ZINGS. The concert is not all songs, Niyodo and Yoshino do exchange words on stage. Which obviously brings some laughs as Niyodo is becoming more and more exhausted as the concert goes. But, it wouldn’t be a proper ZINGS concert if Asahi didn’t step in for the end. After all, she is a member of ZINGS too.

VISUALS

However, the visuals when Niyodo and Yoshino perform their songs are quite bad. It is the same quality as the other concert scenes from the previous episodes. They clearly did not have the budget to animate all these scenes. So you just have to focus on the songs rather than what you see on screen. That is unfortunate. It does not ruin the episode but it would have been better if the animation in the scenes was as good as all the other scenes. On a plus side, I love how they filmed the concert. It feels like you really are watching a live concert.

OPENING AND END CREDITS

For the finale, we are getting new opening and end credits. The opening makes sure to tell you this is the finale. You get the credits in front of a white background and a piano track. The end credits feature ZINGS’ latest song as you see a video montage of the series. It is a pleasant way to say goodbye. And in true Phantom of the Idol fashion, there is a post credits scene as well. It is all about what it is to be an Idol. Which is exactly what the series explored throughout these ten episodes. Even though, it says ‘See You Again’ if it does end here with no second season, I think this is a satisfying ending.