Shopping Guide
 is an idol group working in Sendai, far from Tokyo, whose continuity of activities was endangered right from the moment of their forming, and ups and downs continue to follow each other. Episodes 5-8, which we are now going to recap, are also a story of laughter and tears. Let’s take a look!)
Wake Up, Girls! (WUG from hereon) is an idol group working in Sendai, far from Tokyo, whose continuity of activities was endangered right from the moment of their forming, and ups and downs continue to follow each other. Episodes 5-8, which we are now going to recap, are also a story of laughter and tears. Let’s take a look!
Episode 5
Shiho, who is the center member of I-1 Club (I-1 from hereon), the immensely popular top idol group in Japan, appears in front of Mayu, who once was a part of the same group. When Shiho voices her doubts about Mayu recommencing her activities as an idol, Mayu wavers and is unable to answer.
WUG has completed its new song, and at the same time, it was decided that they would hold a concert as a release event. The day of the concert, however, was on the same day as I-1’s Sendai Theater opening concert.
Although the members of WUG put a great amount of effort into practising, the concert ends with WUG not being able to fill even the small live house, unlike the I-1 concert, where the hall is in frenzy with many fans.
Later, president Tange takes WUG members to see the I-1 concert so they can learn from it. The girls are taken aback at the performance of I-1, whose members are good at singing, dancing, and talking as well.
Episode 6
Hayasaka, who is known for being the music producer of I-1, goes to president Tange and asks her to leave the producing of WUG to him after seeing their concert. Not only that, he offers his services free of charge!
Although president Tange and manager Matsuda can’t wipe off their suspicions toward Hayasaka, after estimating the merits, they decide to leave the producing of WUG to him.
Days of strict lessons and waves of concerts by Hayasaka begin. During the course, Hayasaka concludes that Airi Hayashida, who is falling behind on the lessons in comparison with the other members, is the bottleneck of WUG. And so, on a day after a lesson, he tells Airi, “You are not made out to be an idol.”
The weekend concert doesn’t go very well either, and the members of WUG, harshly bullied by Hayasaka, start to feel doubts about going on with WUG like this.
Airi is then absent from lessons. The girls are all worried about her absence, but Hayasaka goes up to them as they are gathered together, and gives them 10 minutes to decide on an ultimatum: They either vote to kick Airi out of the group or they choose to keep her, in which case they will all be fired from WUG.
Episode 7
After talking things over, the members answer, “We want to continue our activities with the seven of us, including Airi.” To convey the feelings of all the rest of the members, Yoppi, the leader, and Mayu go to Airi’s apartment. Airi wants to quit WUG, so Mayu speaks her mind: “It’s because of you, Airi, that I wanted to be an idol once more, so please don’t say you’re giving up.”
Yoppi also tries to convince her in tears, and in the end, Airi decides to try being an idol once again!
Meanwhile, the remaining four go to the game center to try and convince Hayasaka to continue managing them. Hayasaka poses a condition, that is, he agrees to continue with all seven of them if they get three of the mascots he wants from a UFO catcher. Although slightly confused, the four of them band together, giving it their all to clear his condition.
Fortunately, it has been decided that Airi would return to the group, and once more, the girls are determined to do their best with the seven of them when Hayasaka announces that they would be entering the Idol Festival, a gate to becoming top idols.
Episode 8
In addition to their entry to the Idol Festival, the girls are also handed a new song from Hayasaka, and they put more effort into their lessons than ever before.
Meanwhile, I-1 is also taking lessons to prepare for the Idol Festival.
The producer of I-1, Shiraki, motivates the group with harsh words: “You will stand against all the idol groups coming from other areas and break them apart!” At the end of the meeting, he announces the names of the members to be fired, and has the group chant the rules to being a popular idol: “Don’t rest, don’t complain, don’t think.”
As WUG is doing its best as one, Nanami tells manager Matsuda that she won’t be able to participate in the Idol Festival, as she wants devote herself to preparing for the entrance exam of the long-admired Hikarizuka Theater.
Mayu, in her eagerness in not wanting to lose to I-1, tries to raise the level of their performance a bit too assertively, which leads to a clash between her and Yoppi.
In Episode 8, just moments after their elation to find that Airi will continue with the group, there is a conflict between the members. What will happen to WUG?
© Green Leaves / Wake Up, Girls! Production Committee
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
