Ai Mizuno/History

"“That’s not the kind of legend I wanna be...”"



Ai Mizuno was a popular idol in the early 2000s from the idol group called Iron Frill, she and her group was only starting to gain the attention of the people all over Japan, until something shocking happens to her.

Early Life
Ai was the leader of Iron Frill, an idol group formed in 2007 and that was already quite recognized in the short time in which they made their debut, on the first national tour, Sakura Minamoto became a fan of the group. Unfortunately in one of concerts in 2008, Ai was struck by lightning in mid concert with thousands of people watching the tragedy, contrary to popular belief, she did not die instantly, but suffered a few more minutes to finally die in the ambulance that was taking her to the hospital.

Death
She was struck by lightning during a live outdoor performance at Tosu Stadium in Saga. The lightning bolt that caused her death was traumatic, but was overcome on the Saga Rock stage.

Afterlife
At first she doubts Kotaro's plan, because she thinks it is a waste of time and that none of it makes sense, fortunately she reconsiders her point of view and manages to reconcile with Junko after Saga rock



Episode 1
At the beginning of the episode, Ai appears on Sakura's PC screen with her idol group, Iron Frill. She later appears as a zombie lying in the room to which a now-amnesiac Sakura escapes as she runs away from Tae Yamada. Zombie Ai along with the other girls tries to attack Sakura, only to have Ai stabbed in the head with a poker. The next day, when Kōtarō formally introduces Sakura to the other zombies, Ai is familiar to her, though she seems to remember nothing more of her former life; but she can't understand why Ai feels that about her. After their successful performance at a death metal festival, all the zombie girls regain their senses. She wakes up along with Junko Konno and Lily Hoshikawa but was scared to see Tae.

Episode 2
Finding Kōtarō's idea of ​​a group of zombie idols ridiculous; Ai, Sakura and Junko attempt to escape and head to Tokyo only to strike fear into the hearts of 3 rappers and a Police Officer, after which they run back to the mansion in low spirits. Later, Sakura and Saki enter into a heated rap battle that finally turns Sakura into teasing Ai and Junko for their doubts about the band despite being the "celebrity couple".

Episode 3
Ai remains in an abysmal mood for much of the episode, vehemently rejecting Sakura's recommendation that she become the band's leader and only reluctantly participating in the rehearsal for a short time before Lily travels again, prompting her which convinces Ai that the newly named "Franchouchou" is doomed to failure. She later responds to Junko's belief that the band should give up by saying that she herself believes that the other girls' performance will still be appreciated if their efforts are sincere, but she remains skeptical of that sincerity. When the time comes for the performance, she and Junko sit back but observed the others with hope. The acting was not good, but at the last moment when Sakura forgets her lyrics, Ai steps in to save the song with a bright smile, like an idol, and together with Junko she manages to bring the show to a close. After the performance, Sakura is deeply grateful for the couples' help, and after everyone else leaves the room, Ai smiles to herself, apparently ready to commit to her new band.

Episode 4
A month after the events of Episode 3, Franchouchou embarks on a promising commercial adventure in the city where Kōtarō leaves them alone for several hours. By majority vote, the band decides to use their first outdoor experience they had in a month as an opportunity to have fun in the city instead of practicing. Ai does not offer her opinion vocally about the rest of the group's decision, but is shown following the band at a certain distance sighing at almost all stops, indicating that although she did not speak to prevent the girls from having fun, she personally I'd rather they were practicing. The group stops in a footbath where the conversation largely turns to her and her opinion on the possibility of the band succeeding. She hesitates to answer, Sakura reminds the others that they need to practice and again when Sakura solemnly affirms her commitment to making the band a success. She is then shown enjoying a successful performance with others on stage. The final scene of the episode shows her even sharing a laugh with the band in Tae's accident with Saganship Z.

Episode 5
The band launches an advertising campaign of their own by participating in a commercial for Drive-In Tori, a famous restaurant, as well as Gatalympics, a popular series of mud sports activities. Junko expresses her doubts about the way they dress for the commercial, but Ai points out that, ridiculous as it may seem, it has merit to do so, since it will help them dress appropriately in the future, perhaps making a difference. first time that Ai agrees with something that Kōtarō has planned. The commercial requires multiple takes since Tae acts continuously and ruins the performance, but Ai can identify a change that can be made in the harmony of the song so that Tae plays correctly, indicating advanced skill in the musical arrangement. Later in Gatalympics, the group collectively performs poorly on the bike track and only a few perform well on the Tarzan swing, Ai is not one of them due to slipping off the rope almost immediately despite Sakura's trust in her.

Episode 6
Ai has become the main dance instructor and choreograph for the whole group, because she is the best dancer of the group. The group, particularly Junko, has trouble pairing.

They accompany her on the new song, one in which they share lead, but she responds patiently and cooperatively. As Sakura watches Ai review the dance on her own, another memory that focuses more directly on Ai flashes through her mind. Later, Ai invites the group to snoop online using Kōtarō's computer while Tae keeps him busy, an activity in which she claims to have participated several times. The gang discusses the currently diminished state of the idol business, a talk that worries Sakura to which Ai offers encouragement. The group stumbles upon "Saga Rock", a large open-air festival that turns conversation into the possibility of performing there. A brief debate ensues between Junko and Ai; Junko indicates a preference to start smaller and take the time to achieve her perfect performance before taking the stage, Ai sides with the enthusiasm of others to get on stage as soon as possible, citing the methods used by her former band, Iron Frill. It quickly explodes in popularity and fans' preference for watching bands improves as they overcome pure perfectionism. Then she learns that Iron Frill will, in fact, be playing in Saga Rock. The next day, Kotaro announces that the band is starting to gain online followers after its ad campaign, a fact that Ai probably missed out on finding her website too "lame" to revisit. A small performance is organized followed by photo shoots with each member of the band during which Ai is reflexively backing away from the flashes of the camera, something that takes her by surprise. Later, Junko runs away from the operation, not wanting to participate in family activities with fans offstage. Ai and Junko fight hotly over the ordeal, with Ai emphasizing disagreement with Junko's Showa period "above all" way of thinking who, in turn, she leaves the building leaving the gang in disarray. Ai is pictured below on the outdoor balcony reflecting on her online readings of her death and the lasting impact it had on the idols of her time, especially those close to her; Readings that the end of her legend rejects as no. After a brief confrontation with several members of the gang, she also leaves the building but ends up caught in a sudden storm, causing her to panic. Saki finds her and the two take refuge from the rain inside a small playground. Ai then tells Saki the details of her death, who died on stage in front of tens of thousands and possibly on live television to a lightning strike that almost completely incinerated her; a death that, to her chagrin, it now appears to be the most prominent piece of its legend. The episode ends with the news that Kotaro managed to get them to the newcomer list in Saga Rock around the corner, and that they will be performing outdoors; The news that both excites the band and visibly sparks concern from them given the uncertain state of Junko's continued involvement and Ai's post-traumatic stress disorder-like reactions to the memory of her passing outdoors.

Episode 7
Junko has been locked up for two weeks and the rest of the band hesitates to continue without her letting Ai rehearse largely on her own and plan to cover the duet she was supposed to sing with Junko alone. The group worries about their new drive as it grows from a simple drive to unhealthy zeal to overcome both their past and their fear of what may happen in Saga Rock. She is shown absent from her bed at night and is reported to have practiced relentlessly for the two weeks following Episode 6, causing her body to literally crumble at one point and hallucinations of thunderstorms at another. Junko finally joins in for the acting and the two are shown in speaking terms once again as the band watches the new Iron Frill incarnation perform from a distance. Ai tries her best to bury her fear as the storm clouds begin to accumulate just as Franchouchou is about to take the stage while the rest watch with obvious concern. The song "Atsuku Nare" begins and Ai struggles with all her might to sing both her part and Junko's, but the repeated thunder proves too much; causing her voice to break throughout the introduction. At last, she collapses, but Junko rushes to her aid and continues where Ai left, reaching out to help her to her feet with words of comfort. Ai recovers her feet and voice, but is still unable to smile like the others for the rest of the song. When it ends, a massive lightning bolt strikes the gang, seemingly affirming Ai's fear, but due to her strange zombie physiology,. lightning is not only harmless to them. but it automatically tunes their voices, gives them a radiant profile, and allows them to direct light currents out of their fingers. Initially, the crowd is stunned, but eventually goes wild at the show before them as the group performs "Mezame Returner" with Ai smiling from ear to ear.

The performance was a huge success, Ai and Junko comfort Sakura, who is overcome by tears of joy at her breakthrough and the group becomes the highlight of the event.

Episode 8
Saga Rock's performance has essentially become the group's true debut and is now getting quite a bit of press, a fact Ai mentions will come with both good and bad reviews. After Lily has an encounter with her father, Ai mentions that being recognized out in the open could happen to anyone in the gang, especially her and Junko. While Sakura reflects on this thought, another flashback appears in her mind that makes her look briefly at Ai, who notices but does not pursue the subject. Lily comes out to the band as a trans girl later that night and Ai sighs at Saki's fit of laughter at the ironically masculine names that run in Lily's family. Furthermore, she is the first to question the implications that this transgender disclosure could have in terms of whether Kōtarō knew about this and what it could mean if he didn't know. However, the concern quickly disappears, as Kotaro knew this and is very supportive. As the group gathers around Lily in worship, Ai reflects on how they never realized despite how close they were, but together with everyone, agrees with Saki's declaration of acceptance. When the band is upset by simply letting Lily's situation with her father go unresolved, Ai claims that the answer to what they can do for her should be pretty clear, and along with Junko, suggest writing a new Lily song to Takeo and advises recruiting Kotaro for the project. Ai is shown training Lily directly for her lead role in "To My Dearest" before the show, which finally runs smoothly.

Episode 9
Ai does not appear prominently in this episode. Franchouchou begins taking steps to improve their image to the considerably large Saga elderly population, to which Ai admits that she had never heard of an idol group with a large base of elderly admirers, but seems happy to get involved with them, especially after the dance of a particular group. unexpectedly refined proves. During the return trip, she seems somewhat annoyed by Lily and Tae from the turmoil in the van and reacts in shock when Saki jumps out of the moving vehicle. During Saki's solo song at the end of the episode, Ai is shown with an extremely bright smile.

Episode 10
Ai continues to run the band's rehearsal and after finishing a number, she proudly exclaims that the group performed well. She, Saki, and Lily share a brief conversation in which Saki indicates that Lily is giving Ai more trouble (probably true given that she was shown to have struggled with footwork in previous episodes), but the conversation remains Kind and cheerful. In Sakura's internal monologue, she says that Ai (as well as Junko) has been very tense since Saga Rock and continues to recall her lost memories, showing another brief memory. Ai and Iron Frill. The group later learns that they will be hosting their first solo show with approximately 500 attendees, which surprises the others, but Ai says she believes the band is ready and on time. The location of their performance is revealed to be Arpino, the location where Ai acted in Saga for the first time, as well as a location that is familiar to Sakura. The two do not dispute it, but their memories overlap, indicating that Arpino is the setting where Sakura's faint memory of Ai comes from. The connection to her memories, as well as the hope of a successful show, also shakes Sakura, which concerns both Ai and Kōtarō, who watches their conversation. Kotaro sends the group to the mountains, hoping to teach Sakura a lesson in teamwork. While on the mountain, Ai proves to have significantly sharper eyes and ears than the other zombies, as well as being unexpectedly resourceful and skilled at hunting. She manages to create a fully functional bow and arrow without any tools and demonstrates an almost pointed shot with it, although in part due to Sakura's interruption, she never manages to shoot the boar she aimed at. After the group returns to the mansion, Ai again has to stop the rehearsal when Sakura still doesn't match their timing, leading Sakura to get mad at the gang, misperceiving that it was the rest of the gang who was neglected. Ai leads the girls to check out their choreography for the next show on Arpino and seems pretty happy that the others are coming up with their own ideas, unlike when she was doing it alone in Episode 6. After Sakura witnesses the gangs teamwork, she finally syncs up with them. Excited by the progress, she wakes up to run early in the morning.

The next day, Ai warns her to be careful with traffic. Sakura ends up being hit by a truck anyway and recovers all her memories of life, including several of seeing Ai admire, but at the cost of all her memories as a zombie.

Episode 11
Sakura wakes up inside Franchouchou's mansion and is scared to see each of the girls in the bedroom. A thunder can be heard in the background which seems to indicate that Ai's fear of lightning has subsided, but when Sakura picks up the same iron poker she threw at Ai's head in the first episode, Ai reflexively recoils from the trauma, indicating that she somehow remembers the event. The girls struggle to understand Sakura's awful reaction towards them, but just before Yūgiri slapped her, Ai finds out what could have happened to her. Sakura drops the poker and utters words of defeat before passing out, waking up later to find Ai sitting next to her in full makeup. Sakura finds a moment of joy in the midst of her despair when she wakes up next to the idol that she admired so immensely, but the moment is interrupted when Ai urgently explains everything she can about her situation. Ai returns together with Sakura to the others and explains to the rest what happened, but a rift forms within the gang when Sakura, who turned out to be severely depressed before she died, says that the gang should continue without her. Ai is visibly concerned about Sakura's defeatism, but she continues to assure others that she believes Sakura will come alone and that she is the only member of the gang who is not trying to force an individual conversation with her. The repeated efforts of the other make Sakura flee from the mansion where she remembers her memories of life. It is revealed that Sakura struggled with unfortunate coincidences that robbed her of success repeatedly throughout her life, ultimately leaving her in a state of sheer hopelessness. However, one day, by chance, she saw a televised interview with Ai whose attitude and raw determination reignited the spark inside her. She became a great admirer of Ai and used her message as inspiration to remind herself and try once again to find success as an idol; unfortunately only to die in an accident on the way to hearing.

Episode 12
Sakura's despair continues, as does Ai's passive treatment of her; just asking at one point what she thought of seeing the group dance, to which Sakura had several flashbacks but did not respond verbally. The others, especially Tae, continue to try to awaken Sakura's spirit or comfort her, but largely only manage to annoy her, with Ai at one point claiming that she knew her efforts to make Sakura sleep in the middle of everyone were going too far. After Tae and Yugiri begin to be forceful in their efforts to reach Sakura, Ai finally steps forward with a conference of her own. She points out the mutual nature of their collectively unfortunate lives and, to cap it all, reaffirms the same words of determination that Sakura valued so much when she was alive. Finally realizing how those words still applied even in their situation, Sakura's fist finally opens and her guard drops; responding hesitantly but cooperatively for the first time. The seven of the band rehearse together for the first time since Sakura's memory swap and it goes perfectly, to which Ai attributes the muscular memory of extensive training. The cracks in the mirror, which Sakura takes as a bad omen, but the others continue to provide support, culminating in a look of determination after Ai reassures her again. A heavy snowstorm haunts the venue and shortly after the performance begins, the stage begins to break down. A violent tremor shakes the sand and along with Sakura's fist finally opens and her guard drops; responding hesitantly but cooperatively for the first time. The seven in the band rehearse together for the first time since Sakura's memory swap and it goes perfectly, to which Ai attributes the muscular memory of extensive training. The cracks in the mirror, which Sakura takes as a bad omen, but the others continue to provide support, culminating in a look of determination after Ai reassures her again. A heavy snowstorm haunts the venue and shortly after the performance begins, the stage begins to break down. A violent tremor shakes the sand and along with Sakura's fist finally opens and her guard drops; responding hesitantly but cooperatively for the first time. The seven in the band rehearse together for the first time since Sakura's memory swap and it goes perfectly, to which Ai attributes the muscular memory of extensive training. The cracks in the mirror, which Sakura takes as a bad omen, but the others continue to provide support, culminating in a look of determination after Ai reassures her again. A heavy snowstorm haunts the venue and shortly after the performance begins, the stage begins to break down. A violent tremor shakes the sand and along with to which Ai attributes the muscular memory of an extensive training. The cracks in the mirror, which Sakura takes as a bad omen, but the others continue to provide support, culminating in a look of determination after Ai reassures her again. A heavy snowstorm haunts the venue and shortly after the performance begins, the stage begins to break down. A violent tremor shakes the sand and along with to which Ai attributes the muscular memory of an extensive training. The cracks in the mirror, which Sakura takes as a bad omen, but the others continue to provide support, culminating in a look of determination after Ai reassures her again. A heavy snowstorm haunts the venue and shortly after the performance begins, the stage begins to break down. A violent tremor shakes the sand and along with Junko, Ai catches Lily who is about to fall and offers the little girl a reassuring smile as they head to the front of the stage together. During a part where she holds an extended high note, Ai seems to know that the stage is in imminent danger of collapse and seems to signal a group of girls in the front row to back up on stage in an emergency. The girls back off and immediately after, the stage collapses. The audience watches the scene frozen in concern, while in the background, a slow applause from Kōtarō begins in an effort to continue the show. Before long, Ai resumes singing and stands up again; And one by one, the rest of the gang follows suit, stopping by Sakura as she waits for her to get up as well. Yūgiri and Kotaro before finally getting up and resuming the show.

Season 2
TBA

Ai Mizuno/Sipnosis