After the cliffhanger surrounding Arale, Ritsu, and Viola’s relationship, I couldn’t wait to see what BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA Episode 4 had in store and it didn’t disappoint. Fair warning though, that this article contains major spoilers, so I highly recommend watching the episode first on Crunchyroll or Muse Asia. Episode 4 answers many of the questions raised in the previous episodes and finally gives us a much clearer understanding of why everything has unfolded the way it has.
This week’s episode dives into the past of Arale and Ritsu and how close they were when they were kids. Eventually, the journey of La La La La Girls, the five-member group that Arale, Ritsu, and Viola once belonged to was also shown. They seemed like a tight group with a promising future at first glance. But after a series of unfortunate events, it slowly drove them apart until the group ultimately broke up.
The biggest revelation was learning that Arale had been framed as the “bad apple” of the group. Now her fear of the word “group” back in Episode 1 makes perfect sense. While the episode never explicitly shows who orchestrated everything, it’s pretty obvious who was pulling the strings and of course it’s none other than Viola.
I think this might be the first time BanG Dream has introduced a character who is just a genuine master manipulator and gaslighter. She’s incredibly good at stirring conflict, twisting situations to her advantage, and even playing the victim whenever it benefits her. And what makes her even more interesting is that we still don’t know her clear motives behind her manipulations. Is she obsessed with hogging all the spotlight? Is she trying to ruin Arale’s life? Or is there another reason behind everything she’s done? Maybe another sad past we can sympathize with again?
Whatever the answer may be, I both love and hate her character.
I hate her because she’s written to be hated. Every appearance leaves you frustrated at how effortlessly she manipulates everyone around her. But at the same time, I love what this character brings to the entire franchise. If I recall correctly, BanG Dream has never really had a straight-up villain. Characters like CHU2, Sakiko, and Nyamu were initially portrayed as “villain,” but as their stories unfolded, we came to understand their perspectives and sympathize with them. Whether you considered them villains often depended on your own interpretation as some angles do exist for them to be considered “villains.” But Viola feels different.
At least for now, she’s just simply bad and full of red flags. However, honestly, that’s a refreshing take. Introducing someone who thrives on manipulation adds a completely new kind of conflict to the BanG Dream universe, and it makes this story stand out a bit from the franchise’s previous stories.
With the past finally laid bare, I’m even more excited to see where the story goes from here. I can’t wait for the inevitable reunion between Arale and Ritsu, especially knowing that we know their past and we now understand the pain separating them, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they’ll eventually overcome Viola and finally form as the complete Mugendai MewType we all know and love.
That said, I hope though that the series doesn’t rush to resolve everything. Episode 4 gave this conflict genuine emotional weight, and I’d rather see the story take its time exploring the scars left behind instead of wrapping things up too quickly. If BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA continues building on this drama with the same care it showed here, I think we’re in for something special.
Anime Corner was given BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA episodes in advance for review.
Screenshots were taken from Muse Asia.
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