UniteUp! Uni:Birth

I'm not surprised that the series composition for this season is credited under some faceless committee; I certainly would be embarrassed to attach my name to this uninspired follow-up. While the first season definitely fumbled how it handled its drama, there was clearly real heart and charm to its writing, especially in how it depicted the friendship between the main three in Protostar in such a natural and effortless manner. The second season however is bad in the same unremarkable way that many idol shows are bad: shallow episodic stories with dull stakes and a too large cast that only pre-existing fans care about. Theoretically ... the deep personal drama and emotional climaxes in each episode would be fine, decent even, but aside from Protostar, it's a struggle to care about them because the audience has no attachment to these characters. Their stories hinge upon a foundation that the writers never spent the time to build up in the first season, and it's not like the Protostar episodes this season were all that compelling either. To exacerbate the issue, the writers clearly weren't lacking for time in this season. Almost every episode is fluffed out with some extended montage as if the writers couldn't bother writing a full script, and it's egregious to the point that even the winner of their big season-spanning idol competition is revealed in a montage sequence. At least the soundtrack is competent and the unique EDs are cute, but they can't carry a show by themselves. Aniplex mismanagement at its finest, I suppose.