“Liella” Wins Fan Vote for Name of In-Anime Idol Group in “Love Live! Superstar!!”

The newest generation of Love Live! is slowly coming to fruition, as the 2.5D idol franchise juggernaut has announced the name of their newest group! According to the franchise’s official Twitter account, the name of the new group is “Liella”. Liella is one of the hundreds of names fans submitted for the new group, and it was the name that won the most number of fan votes among the 16 shortlisted names. This was the practice employed for previous Love Live! generations as well.

The name was submitted by a fan with user name “Tora-san” who explains that the name is a combination of the French words “lier” (to attach, connect, join) and “brillante” (brilliance). Tora-san further explains that the “lier” came from the name of the school the five main characters attend, Yuigaoka Girls’ High School (the kanji used for “yui” means “to connect”). The name is supposed to convey the unit’s inner brilliance even though they are still small stars, and they must connect with each other to become “superstars”.

The website describes the series’ story as such:

“Yuigaoka Girls High School is a newly established school that lies between the Omotesando, Harajuku, and Aoyama neighborhoods of Tokyo. The story centers on its first batch of students. With no history, no upperclassmen or alumni, and no reputation, it is a school full of unknowns.

Five girls, among them Kanon Shibuya, have a fateful encounter with school idols. Kanon decides, “I love singing. I want to make something come true with song!” Many feelings converge upon a star that has only started to grow. The future is blank and full of possibility for these girls, and their story that everyone will make possible has only just begun. Soar with your wings, our Love Live!”

The new idol project uses the tagline, “Watashi o Kanaeru Monogatari — Hello!!! Love Live!” (“The story of my dreams coming true. Hello!!! Love Live!").

Original work is once again credited to Hajime Yatate, the collective pseudonym for the staff of Sunrise. Original concept is still credited to Kimino Sakurako (Strawberry Panic). Takahiko Kyougoku (original Love Live! School idol project series and film) returns as director alongside Jukki Hanada, writer for Love Live! School idol project and Love Live! Sunshine!!. Atsushi Saito is adapting the original character designs by Yuhei Morata for TV. Yoshiaki Fujisawa also returns as music composer.

The new project was first announced on January 19, during the second day of the Love Live! Fes event which celebrated the franchise’s nine successful years in the business. First generation group μ’s (much to the excitement of OG Love Live! fans) shared the stage with other groups from the franchise: Love Live! Sunshine!!’s Aqours and Saint Snow, and smartphone game Love Live! School Idol Festival’s Nijigasaki Academy’s Idol Appreciation Club. The concert was held over two days at the Saitama Super Arena.

Love Live! is a multimedia project co-developed by ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki G’s Magazine, music label Lantis, and animation studio Sunrise. The project has encompassed several media including anime, manga, live concerts, and smartphone games. It was launched in 2010 with μ‘s as its faces. The project was adapted into an anime series in 2013, with a second season following in 2014. The project and the group μ’s proved to be a massive commercial success, topping CD sales in Japan and selling out concerts in venues as big as Tokyo Dome.

Source: Anime News Network