Original subtitles

She's that secret they want to know, mysterious

Even her ditzy aspect is her area

You, perfect and a liar are

A gifted idol-sama

What did you eat today?

What books do you like?

If you're going out to have fun, where do you go?

I haven't eaten anything

That's a secret

No matter what you ask me

I'm evasive

Yes, indifferently

But radiantly

The secret that seems to be in view\Nbut isn't in view is the taste of nectar

That is also absent, absent, absent

This is also absent, absent, absent

What's your type?

What of your companion?

Come on, answer

"I don't know what it means to come to love someone, you know"

It is unknowable whether it's a lie or the truth

Due to such words

Yet another falls hard

You once again make them love you

Everybody becomes fascinated

You are perfect and the ultimate idol

You never show up

The rebirth of the first star of evening

With that smile

With saying, "I love you"

You make one and all your captives

Those eyes are...

Those words are...

Even if they're lies, they're

The perfect Ai

Strawberry Productions, Inc.

Saitou

I should've hired you as a scout, huh?

Popular YouTuber and influencer, MEM.

I'm surprised to hear you were interested in being an idol.

Your YouTube channel has 370,000 subscribers.

And you have 638,000 followers on TikTok.

It seems you're quite popular online.

To start, can I ask if you're with an agency?

Well, I'm in the streaming business as a sole proprietor.

I currently work with an agency called FARM,

but I'm not directly signed with them - rather,\Nwe're business partners.

Under my agreement with them,\Nit's no problem for me to freely take on jobs.

Makes sense.

So, in this case, Strawberry Productions would be\Ncommissioning your services in the idol industry.

We have plenty of internet personalities with us,\Nso there'd be no problem making such a contract.

Pieyon

Channel!

It feels like a very timely offer...

but that look on your face tells me there's\Nsomething you need to get off your chest.

Well, I have a good idea of what it is.

Your age... You're misrepresenting it, right?

You can tell?

Yes, your bone structure makes\Nyou look quite young, but you can't fool me.

There's no need to be afraid.

Claiming to be younger by a few years is common for\Nindependent entertainers.

It doesn't bother me.

You really mean that?

That's a relief.

Well? How old are you really?

Um, well...

The truth is...

Uh-huh, uh-huh.

You fudged it big time!

I am deeply sorry!

Your claimed age is 18, which means...

You've got some nerves of steel, huh?

Please stop counting!

How many years did you subtract? Three or so?

Double that.

You totally mispresented it!

So, that makes you 24?

Twenty-four... was my age, until this spring.

So you're 25.

At this point, it's no use to downplay it.

So at 25 you went on the show\Nclaiming to be a high schooler...

That's mental toughness gone too far.

I had my reasons!

I... always dreamed of being an idol.

Ai's fan for

all eternity

But, I had a single mother and two younger brothers,

Post-Graduation Plans Survey

Get a job

First choice:

and I thought it'd be best if I went out and got a job.

But, my mom said...

Don't worry about that and follow your dream!

I'll do my best too, okay?

After that, I started to apply for auditions,

and I even made it to the final screening\Nat a major agency.

But, in my third year of high school...

my mom overworked herself\Nand ended up in the hospital.

The family needed money, you see...

So, I temporarily withdrew from school\Nand worked various part-time jobs.

That enabled me to send my younger brothers\Nto college, and our mom got better too.

But, I had turned 23 by that point.

Fresh

and 15

Fresh

even with

long hair...

Ecoff Model:

Nozomi

And in this world, they start treating\Nyou like an old lady when you reach 20.

Between the ages of 12 and 20

All the auditions stipulate they only\Naccept girls who are no older than 20.

When I was finally in a position to pursue my dream,\NI was no longer of the age where that was possible.

With that path closed, I channeled\Nmy passion into streaming.

I was still on temporary leave from high school,

so I positioned myself as\N"a high school girl - parentheses lol -"

and it went over better than expected.

I gained a crazy number of subscribers!

And soon, I'd gone too far to turn back!

I kept that up for another two years...

which brings us to the present.

It's hopeless, after all, isn't it?\NI'm fudging my age by seven years...

It'll cause trouble if I'm found out, won't it?

As if a 25-year-old could ever be an idol...

That's not true!

It's MEM-cho! In the flesh! So cute!

I've been listening in.

Arima.

I, too, was hounded about my age...

so I can sympathize a bit.

Seems like more than just a bit.

Once I reached 5th grade or so,\Nmy child-actor agency gave me the axe.

It really makes me sick!

Yeah...

Miyako-san!

Hey, I never said I was against her joining up.

How do you feel, Ruby?

I'm all for it!

Age has got nothing to do with being an idol!

After all, there's no stopping someone's longing!

Welcome to B Komachi!

Aw, thank you!

There goes my sister glossing over things again...

Arima, please look after Ruby and MEM.

Can it! Don't act all friendly with me.

Go make cozy with Akane Kurokawa.\NYou womanizing house steward.

I'll take care of this group without being told.

C'mon, let's go out to eat.

Yeah, let's go!

What's with you kids? You're so welcoming...

And just like that, MEM-cho joined our group.

The new B Komachi got its official start.

Aww, Love Now's already over.

Hey, hey, how'd ya feel havin'\Nyour big bro kiss on the show?

How did I feel?

Could you imagine anything\Nbesides super mixed feelings?

Yeah, I bet.

It was five times as awkward as when that kiss scene\Non that siblings TV series aired.

Yikes!

I bet ya will eventually meet Akane-chan in person, huh?

I mean, she is your brother's girlfriend.

Girlfriend...

But...

Aqua's feelings toward Akane...

are surely...

Are you talking about Love Now?

Um, yeah.

Oh, you know the show, Shiranui-san.

I know someone in the cast, after all.

It was entertaining.

You don't need to be so considerate...

It was full of hot guys and beautiful girls...

A real feast for the eyes.

"Feast for the eyes"?!

So even top stars say that kinda stuff...

No one hates good-looking people, right?

It truly was easy on the eyes.

I feel like my vision improved by 0.5 or so.

She's funny!

Personally, I enjoyed seeing\NMEM-cho acting like a maiden.

Had I been one of the male cast members,\NI totally would've pinned her down.

I was thinking, "Fire yourself up and win that girl over."

Shiranui-san is cool as a cucumber on TV,\Nbut I guess this is how she is in private...

I hear it's actually totally a thing.

It's hard for funny girls to get popular 'cause\Nguys'll see 'em as rivals before catchin' feelings for 'em,

so they won't joke around while they're usin'\Ntheir pristine image as a sellin' point.

How dreadful...

It might be in part because I know Aqua-san personally,\Nbut he really made my heart race.

I bet everyone feels that way.

In-Depth Guide to

the Internet Sea Slug

(Halgerda Okinawa)

"Big Brother" Aqua... seems to be quite popular\Nwith the general-ed girls.

It appears a number of performing-arts girls\Nhave taken an interest in him, too.

Well, he's officially in a relationship,\Nso they'll all probably just watch and wait for now.

Strawberry Productions, Inc.

Saitou

Love Now actually drew a lot of attention,

and it likely ended up as a big show in terms\Nof how it'll impact my brother's future.

B Komachi Channel!

And it had a sizable effect on B Komachi, too.

New B Komachi

High School Girls' Pajama Party: Frank Chat

I'll do it quick and be done with it

With the addition of MEM-cho, we were able to make\Nvideos for our channel that really looked the part.

Maybe I'll try doing it, too

Ah, but that's a bit...

Wow, we have 10,000 subscribers!

Well, I used my channel to draw viewers over.

It'd be embarrassing if we\Ndidn't get this many, you know?

It kinda... feels like we're official now!

In-Depth Guide to

the Internet Sea Slug

(Halgerda Okinawa)

What else would we be?

We still haven't uploaded much\Nbesides a self-intro video,

and I'd like to post a music video\Nsooner rather than later...

How're we doing on the music front, anyway?

It seems the president has asked\Nsome artists she knows for help.

But we can't do anything until the music is finished, right?\NThat's still some way off.

Let's just take it easy for now.

Not a chance!

Have you forgotten that we're B Komachi?

And B Komachi has all the B Komachi songs, right?

Oh, that's right!

It's no problem for us to use any of the old songs!

Exactly.

You're a genius, MEM-cho!

Tch, they've realized...

Starting now, we'll do as much as we can!

If we dillydally, I'll be 30ish before I know it!

Self-burn!

The first duty of idols!

It is the pride of idols and yet also\Nthe most exhausting aspect!

The choreographing of dances, which begins now!

Dance Lessons

with B Komachi!!

Youth Kiss

There are 30 songs with choreography\Nthat remain on video...

There's no way I'll be told to memorize them all, right?

I can't match the motivation of those two idol otaku...

Why'd I ever agree to be an idol in the first place?

Good work out there.

Thank y-

I don't want it! Get outta my sight!

You've been acting like this toward me all the time lately.

I know you've got a foul mouth and an attitude.

Water

But...

even I'll feel hurt if you keep it up.

What the hell? What...?

You started it...

You...

Aqua!

What I'm about to tell you is like digging up\Nthe grave of the deceased, so to speak.

Why exactly is it you want\Nto know about Ai-kun so badly?

Deep

Gratitude

I'm a fan of hers, hopelessly so.

Is that not reason enough?

The illusions held by fans are shattered\Nonce they come to know the real person.

There is not a single exception to this.

The entertainment industry is\Na competition in bluffing, as it were.

When appealing subject matter tells appealing lies,

it produces a charisma that doesn't exist in reality.

Basically, we're in the business of doing\Nthe kind of stuff people will do

when they're trying to land a job at a good company.

Even so, I want to know.

If you're her fan, that's all the more reason\Nit's better not to know...

But, things don't always go as we wish.

As I said before, I had a close connection to Ai-kun,\Nand I sent a lot of jobs her way.

At the time, she was country bumpkin\Nfresh out of the sticks.

She lacked professionalism,\Ndidn't try to become friendly with those around her,

and would show up for work wearing clothes\Nshe got on the cheap that didn't suit her.

She was that kind of child.

So, I thought about what might help her, and I introduced\Nher to a workshop hosted by a certain theater company.

A workshop?

It's a place I was a member of myself back in college.

It's called Lala Lai, the same theater company\Nthat Akane-kun belongs to.

Though, it wasn't all that famous in those days.

They say that love changes people.

It must've been there...

that Ai fell in love.

After she started attending the workshop,\Nshe began taking more care with her appearance,

and she started asking me about nice places to eat.

As you might expect, I don't know\Nexactly who the guy was,

but I do remember how she suddenly\Nhad the face of a grown woman.

If you're interested, I'll introduce you\Nto the leader of Lala Lai.

There, I suspect you'd come closer to the answers you\Nseek.

Why would you do all that for me?

I'm a failed actor without any accomplishments.

Because I sense the potential in you.

This industry is a place of creating\Nand calling in obligations.

Film List

Release Date

Title

Box-office Revenue

Starring

As you know, in Japan's entertainment industry,

the exchange of obligations between the agencies\Nand production side plays a big role in casting.

Starring

And based on the casting, earnings can\Nchange by hundreds of millions of yen.

So much money moves around it makes\Nthis 40,000-yen sushi dinner feel like small change.

If I make you obliged to me now, when you\Nbecome an in-demand actor who's at his very peak,

I'd be bound to gain a big advantage\Nin battles over casting.

That's what the job of a producer is, you see.

And I'm not just doing this for you, of course.

I can see the potential in Kana Arima-kun\Nand MEM-cho-kun, too.

It seems you guys have embarked\Non something intriguing.

I hear you've revived the famed B Komachi.

B Komachi Channel!

B Komachi Channel!

10.1K subscribers

I see it as a rather promising target for investment.

No way...

Japan Idol Festival?!

Yeah, the producer I worked with\Non Love Now has a connection.

If we're interested, he says can\Nsqueeze us into the lineup.

JIF is next month, isn't it?!

Impossible! There's no way! We aren't prepared at all!

The idea of newcomers like us going\Non such a big stage all of a sudden-

C'mon, c'mon, let's do it!

This is JIF we're talking about! JIF!

Isn't it amazing that the reborn B Komachi can have\Nour first performance on such a huge stage?!

But it's a sure thing we'd make a bad impression.

They'd go on and on about\Nhow we must have connections.

Oh, it'll be fine! After all, we're the successors\Nto the legendary group B Komachi!

Yeah, because you just went and started calling us that.

Actually, I think it would be a waste not to do it.

It's a stage that ordinary groups are only able\Nto stand on after years of tireless work.

If we don't take this opportunity,\Nwhat're we even being idols for?

I guess you have a point...

If you insist, I'll do it.

This is my job, after all.

Alright, it's settled!

Well, the next matter is THAT!

It's about time we decide on it.

On what?

On who'll be B Komachi's center!

Is that all that important?

Does it really matter who it is?

You bet it's important!

Centers are the stars among idols!

A role for a cute girl who can really sing\Nand dance, they're the face of the group!

It's the most important position of all!

Right?!

I see you two get on well...

Well, anyone want the role?

I-it's not like I'm champing at the bit...

but if everyone really insists...

Sure enough, it comes down to the wisdom of age.

Not that I want the role or anything,\Nbut my life experience brings the group together.

You both look like you're dying to get the role.

I'm a great dancer, so shouldn't it be me?!

No, with my media savvy and wealth\Nof experiences, it should be me!

If that's the criteria, my senpai should do it.

She topped the Oricon charts with "Bell Pepper\NExercises" and went on tons of music programs.

Wow, that's a blast from the past!

Don't dredge up my dark past!

Bell Pepper

Exercises

Vocals: Kana Arima

Bell Pepper Exercises is starting!

If you eat bell peppers, you'll be Superman

If everyone dances along, you'll be Peter Pan

Aww, the way her singing was slightly off-key...

Yeah, it was so childlike and adorable.

They made us dance to it in preschool.

Sing it a little for us!

Not a chance in hell!\NEven I can tell that I'm a lousy singer!

Actually, maybe singing ability is\Nwhat's needed to be center.

Good point. If the center is gripping a mic,\Nshe won't shine, right?

How shameless...

How about whoever gets the highest score\Nat karaoke will be the center?!

You're on!

You're coming too, Senpai, right?!

I'll pass.

Huh? But...

You fool. The center is the face of the group, right?

If I'm made the center,\Nthe group would never get popular.

That's not true...

I have more than enough evidence to back that up.

Hm?

Considering that I persevered in this industry\Neven after my flash-in-the-pan child-actor days ended,

do you think acting is all I did?

Despite never gaining popularity even\Nwhen I tried my hand in a number of fields

and causing lots of companies - which gave me jobs\Nbased on my fame as a child actor - to lose money,

I still shrewdly collected my performance\Nfees and eked out a living.

In short, I, Kana Arima, don't have any dependable fans!

I totally get why they wouldn't wanna spend money on\Na foul-mouthed girl who's lost her innocence, though!

Come to think of it, didn't the Sweet Today\Ndrama come out in the red, too?

MEM-cho has tons of subscribers.

You've at least got a very pretty face,\Nand I think your innocence would go over well.

Besides...

it's accommodating, cute girls like\Nyou two that people take a liking to.

Not troublesome, cynical girls like me.

Just think of me as the one who livens things up.

Decide on the center between you two\Nwith karaoke or whatever.

You've been beating yourself up lately.

Did something bad happen?

Not in particular...

It's gonna be alright. I mean, even my brother\Nwho hardly compliments anyone called you cute.

You're not troublesome or cynical.

But, he said that same thing to MEM-cho on Love now.

What a troublesome, cynical girl you are...

You find fault with everything I say.\NAny guy who dates you will have it rough.

Well, entertainers are pretty much all difficult people.

Wait a minute... both of them joined up\Nafter Aqua asked them to.

I'm getting an increasingly good idea of the type of girls\Nmy brother's into, which is kind of off-putting.

Come join us later, okay?

'Kay.

Karaoke

Points

Try just a bit harder!

Points

Uh... yeah. Try harder?

How could you dare to compete with a score like that?!

Y-you're bad too even if you make it look good!

Idols are all about individuality!

Even if I'm not the best, I have commercial value!

But it's totally hopeless if you're straight-up bad!

The joy of watching an unskilled girl gradually get\Nbetter over time... That's what I plan to offer fans!

There's a sense of drama to it!

We should've practiced singing more seriously.

Both of us need some intensive training!

Hey, could you not lump me in with you?

Why don't we take a little break?

Yeah. Let's see, a light song we can relax with...

How about singing my senpai's Bell Pepper Exercises?

You've got some personality, Ruby.

I like it, to be honest.

Kana Arima

Bell Pepper Exercises

Fresh Satellite

Turning Point Forecast

Secret Love

Kana Arima

Arima-chan...

put out a number of songs after Bell Pepper Exercises.

I had no idea.

Kana Arima

Kana Arima

Wanna give it a listen?

Sure.

Kana Arima

She really is a difficult person...

She calls herself a bad singer?

Points

I'd say she's too hard on herself.

Points

Amazing!

Episode 9

B Komachi

Toes hungry for a last chance

To this nocturnal sky they soared while breaking into dance

With a common stance, it won't bend

Stars are the longing of jewels

The tears and sweat that surface are the vestiges of blood

If I can only swim in my eyes, it's a play

But the stage won't let me go

Forever and ever I am longing, you know

I've never seen such a liar

An innate fervent insatiability

This lie is love. And this lie is a gift to the world

Remember who you lived with

I'll risk my life, I'll give it

You gave me time, didn't you?

If I grant each and every one of your wishes, oh,\Nif I could make them come true

I want to see you

I wish upon a star

Come now, O children of the star, sleep well

The radiance will not dull, if it is you guys

Come now, O children of the star, sleep well