Lanzhu Zhong is an interesting character, and I have seen many say some unkind things about her, but I believe she’s misunderstood and it saddens me, as the way I interpret her fits me and my own story extremely well. I want to explain who I believe she is, through the lens of someone who has behaved identically.
I will be talking about the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club anime. Not the game, or Nijiyon Animation for that matter, even if I would consider Nijiyon Animation as part of the same canon. This also does not take the movies into consideration, due to the movies simply not being out yet as I’m writing this! Well, the first movie is out, but not in any accessible way to me, so I have not seen it. If I have more to say after seeing the movies, I’m sure I’ll make an update post!
You could consider this an analysis of her as a character in the anime, and I will dive deep, but I will also reference myself throughout. …Which might be a little poetic given what I’ll talk about. I hope you’ll understand by the end of this post.
If you’re wondering how long I can talk about Love Live!, consider how long I can talk about this single aspect of this single character in this single season. 🤭 Safe to say I’m passionate!
Since it is so long, there will be a summary at the bottom to quickly get my thoughts across, but you’ll be missing a lot of context. This is fine of course if you just want to know why I take this liking to her, so long as you believe what I say! If you read the summary only and don’t believe what I say in it, context will be in the full post. I’ve made sure to tell you which episode the info is coming from throughout the post. ^^
Note that when I refer to an episode of the show, it will be in reference to the second season.
Also note that quotes are translations, since the show is in Japanese, and could be translated or interpreted with different words.
Spoilers for like the entire plot of Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club from here on out. Come back after you’ve seen it pretty please… If you’re not gonna see it, this probably isn’t gonna make much sense to you anyway!
This will also include the OVA, and a single screenshot from the trailer of the first movie. And sorry for spoiling that Lanzhu Zhong is in the anime 😔
A lot of this will go over what’s happening during each moment, so if that kinda thing is repetitive for you, I apologize. Summary at the bottom will be for you! Tho each moment has it’s purpose in the post. I suppose this is like a video essay, just without the video, as I’m giving and showing examples in detail. Maybe one day I can rewrite all of this and do a voiceover… Anyway!
Lanzhu Zhong is a second year who introduces herself in episode 1 as a short-term exchange student from Hong Hong, arriving in Japan to join the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. The way she first appears in the show, has her seem confident and dominant. She has someone, Mia Taylor, produce songs for her, and in her following scene immediately makes her objective clear and asks to be taken where she wants to go.
Bear with me with this post, please. I’ll explain everything, I’m not leaving a single stone unturned. Trust me even if you disagree with this first point I’ll run with.
She’s very arrogant at the start, isn’t she? In episode 1, she appears friendly and supportive, but as soon as Yu Takasaki and Ayumu Uehara start talking about lifting spirits, supporting each other, and supporting others, she seems unfamiliar. Even her first song in the show literally running with the idea of her being “the best.” “Top of the top.” “Top of the world.” This is the way she wants to be perceived. She performs this right after taking control of the attention the school idol club was given, and before noticing how unprepared they seemed to be, which she was not very amused by.
She later decides not to join the school idol club, due to a difference in ideals, because she wants competition so that she can show that she’s the best, and believes it’s ideal to be able to perform solo without support from other school idols or fans. She views that need for support as a weakness, as she herself has strived to get where she is without it. She calls the school idol group pathetic for needing this support, and asks Yu directly about why she’s in the club. I’ll get back to this moment later…
In episode 9, Lanzhu explains how she saw the solo idols, and thought it was perfect for her, as she believes she works best while alone, but she finds out how the school idol club work as a team, and decides it’s not for her. In episode 2, Emma Verde, Kanata Konoe, Rina Tennoji, and Kasumi Nakasu figure this out, and decide to perform together as QU4RTZ to show her how solo idols can work together and still put on a great show.
After Kasumi opens up to the idea of her, she explains how she believes Lanzhu’s performance is missing something. This something is a connection to her audience. Seems familiar, no? The same thing Lanzhu seems to avoid with the people around her.
After she distances herself from the club, Lanzhu continues to show an interest in the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, even throughout their rivalry. She is obviously still a fan, and cares about them. In episode 2, she buys Nijigasaki merch, and admires it at home.
She gets personally invited to the school idol club’s upcoming performance and seems happy about this! She actually attends all of their performances. During QU4RTZ’s debut, she even made eye contact with Emma and they had a cute little exchange of acknowledgement! In general, she is a massive fan of school idols. She came all the way to Japan to be one after all! Part of the school idol club happen to meet her at the school idol exhibit, fully decked out in various merchandise in episode 5.
Continuing episode 2, Lanzhu meets some of the school idol club members after having done another solo performance, and invites them to her place where she asks them what they thought of her performance. The members of the club recognize her skills as impressive, and add “Everyone in the audience was head over heels for you!” She responds saying “That’s the type of idol I want to be.” “Nothing beats the look on the faces of my fans as all their eyes are on me.” This is when she explains she wants to be a successful solo idol, and that includes not getting direct support in the things she does to achieve it. She doesn’t want to be held back by a club. She doesn’t understand why a solo idol would worry about other people.
This is when I want to talk about the importance of Yu in Lanzhu’s story.
Back in episode 1 when Lanzhu was practically scolding her for being in the school idol club despite not wanting to be a school idol, Yu took it as a chance to be optimistic about her and herself, the same thing she does for everyone else. Perhaps seeing the potential in Lanzhu, she nudges her towards competition, as that’s the language Lanzhu would understand best. Lanzhu takes her up on this offer. Yu is showing Lanzhu friendliness and kindness where she hasn’t felt it before.
In episode 2, the school idol club is informed of the fact that Lanzhu held a solo performance, and Yu is the only one to seem upset she missed it. I think it’s a great display of character, and of how she aims to lift everyone up equally. It is worth noting that Emma is also showing a want for supporting her at this point, and Rina Tennoji seems like a fan, explaining them being in the first group of people to encourage her. The whole club can see her talent, but they don’t know how to properly approach her. Emma explains her reason for being drawn to Lanzhu as a sense of familiarity, as she came all the way to Japan to become a school idol just like her.
More of the school idol club seem more and more friendly towards Lanzhu as time goes on, and they end up all wanting to bring her into the club, as they believe it’s a place for all kinds of idols.
If you’re wondering when the “me” part of this post shows up, you might already be seeing it, but it’ll become more obvious, trust the process!
In episode 5, Lanzhu is sitting at a table with Setsuna Yuki, Shizuku Osaka, Ayumu, and Yu. She decides to bring up Yu and Yu’s grades to make a point.
She doesn’t think Yu is taking things seriously enough since Yu is spending her time in the school idol club instead of chasing her own dreams and goals. Lanzhu thinks this way because this is how she treats herself. If she’s not being efficient and seeing results, she’s not doing enough. She also wants to see Yu do something better for herself. She wants Yu to leave the idol group to do her own thing. Tells her she’s wasting time. The girls around the table begin to defend Yu, but Yu stops them. Yu sees what she means by this, sees where she’s coming from, then thanks her and says she’s a nice person. She sees how Lanzhu really does want the best for people, she just has a very strict or demanding way to go about expressing it. Lanzhu is again met by friendliness and kindness from Yu despite the tough act she puts up. Yu says she took Lanzhu’s words to heart and worked to do more of what she wants to do, and says that if she’s worried about her, to give her more time. Yu sees her intentions for what they are, and Lanzhu isn’t used to that, and doesn’t quite know how to act in response, then leaves.
In episode 8, Yu reveals that she is doing everything in her power to prove her work for Lanzhu by writing the big closing song for the ongoing festival, and is struggling with writers block from the pressure. She cares a lot about her thoughts. She gets encouragement from the rest of the club, and gets motivation back. I could tell a whole other story about this through Mia’s perspective because this moment is big for her too, observing Yu’s process, and getting to apply it to her own work later. Some episodes prior, in episode 3, Mia reveals she has a similar mindset to Lanzhu by explaining to Yu how she makes music people want to hear, rather than making music as a form of self expression or love, and maybe that’s why Mia and Lanzhu work together the way that they do.
I now want to talk about Shioriko Mifune. So many parts to this, I know, I told you it was gonna go deep!
In episode 3, Lanzhu approaches Shioriko to ask her if she’s coming to see her performance. “Of course!” Lanzhu is happy to hear that. She really seems to treasure her friendship with Shioriko. Shioriko then says she’s going to see the school idol club’s concert as well, and Lanzhu is taken aback from this, but when Shioriko asks if Lanzhu is gonna come too, Lanzhu turns around and responds yes with a smile on her face. I read this moment of hers as a small sense of betrayal, or her being scared of losing Shioriko, her only friend. She’s hurting for the first time this visit. I recognize this due to having struggled with the same thing. Having this one-sided conflict in my head, then having my one and only close friend interacting with the other side, it hurts. It could also be the fact that her one and only friend is interacting with other people with this type of enthusiasm at all. This theory of mine makes more and more sense the further we go.
Like in episode 7. Lanzhu begins approaching Shioriko, but another person reaches her first, and Lanzhu is again seemingly having her optimism drained by her only friend talking to somebody else. She feels so alone when she’s only momentarily out of options for people to connect with.
Later on in episode 7, Lanzhu is watching from afar when Shioriko joins the school idol club, and she looks depressed. She’s believes she’s losing her only friend. Does she like them more than her? Why didn’t Shioriko mention she had an interest in school idols? Why does the school idol club get to know her only friend better than she does?
In episode 8, Lanzhu says to Shioriko that she didn’t know Shioriko wanted to be a school idol. Shioriko begins to explain herself but Lanzhu cuts her off, says it’s fine, and walks past her. Saying she’s used things like this. She’s used to friends distancing themselves from her. Like being dishonest and not telling the full story.
Shioriko appears to feel guilty. Lanzhu says a few words to the club before leaving. I believe in this moment, she doesn’t feel welcomed or liked by anyone, and she feels betrayed by Shioriko, but she’s putting on a strong face.
Of course, Shioriko has her own story to be told, where the reasons for her actions do have a very reasonable flow, as she is very well written. Shioriko struggles as well, she’s no bad person. When I say Shioriko is being dishonest, I’m only saying that as if from Lanzhu’s perspective.
Later on in episode 8, Lanzhu is shown all alone in a dark classroom.
She is lonely and doesn’t know what to do with herself on her own. There are many things she could be thinking about in this moment, and I’m sure she’s thinking about all of them.
She still finds the motivation to attend their final performance.
While there, she hears them say on stage that someone important to them made the song for them. They go on by saying how they were motivated by their fans and each other. They give Lanzhu acknowledgement on stage, not by name, that her performance inspired them. By the end of their performance, she realizes they were right. They proved to her that working together gave them a greater result. Now, with the event she came to Japan for having happened, and her not achieving her goal of being number one despite giving it her all, she gives them the credit they deserve, then walks off. Shioriko again looks like she feels guilty.
Defeated, “Bye-bye.”
She failed in achieving her goal, and lost the last bit of what mattered to her. She lost her only friend. She thinks of herself as a failure, and leaves with less than she arrived with.
In episode 9, instead of talking in person, she sends Shioriko a text saying she’s going back home soon. When Kasumi asks why she wouldn’t talk to her in person, Shioriko doesn’t respond, but again looks guilty. Mia shows up at Lanzhu’s apartment, and confronts her. Lanzhu explains “I did everything I wanted to do.” “I did everything I could and can’t do more, so I quit.” She gave it everything she got, but the idol club still surpassed her. That (while reaching her hand out) no matter how far she reached, she couldn’t reach her goal. That the school idol club made her realize this.
Mia takes offense to this, asking if her songs aren’t as good as theirs, to which Lanzhu responds with sudden emotion she doesn’t usually express to people. This to me was an instance of that panic some neurodivergent people get when they upset people without meaning to, or the panic of saying the wrong thing or getting your words misinterpreted and needing to clear up the confusion as soon as possible. Funny enough, I’m worried I’ll have to do the same for when I make big posts like this. All of this is coming from the heart, but my heart gets pretty excited over Love Live! and Lanzhu, so I may say some things wrong. ^^; Please do let me know if something seems wrong regardless, mistakes are a great way to learn! Anyway, Mia then expresses her need for her, and doesn’t want her to quit on her, and Lanzhu gets even more conflicted.
Later on Shioriko finds Lanzhu alone while walking home. They meet and walk together. Shioriko says it’s the first time they’ve walked together since Lanzhu arrived. Lanzhu says how Shioriko has been busy with preparing stuff for the school. After Shioriko apologizes, Lanzhu says she’s not mad, and that she’s been busy with her performances anyway. Shioriko’s guilt boils over and she apologizes for keeping her interest in school idols a secret. Saying how she must’ve hurt and upset her. Lanzhu quickly responds saying she’s not mad, but cuts herself off and plays it off then says she has to go. She’s isn’t mad, true, but she’s sad because she’s feeling like she’s losing her only friend.
Mia approaches her later with her new song. Lanzhu listens to it and compliments it, but she has lost all motivation for being a school idol, and so she says the song is not for her. Mia, like the rest of them, doesn’t understand what Lanzhu wants, and Lanzhu doesn’t communicate it either. Rina asks Mia why she cares about results so much, to which she explains she feels worthless without Lanzhu performing her songs. Rina changes her mind over a brief conversation to be her own person instead of using Lanzhu to get her music out there. Mia, through realization about herself, reaches her hand out and is reminded of Lanzhu doing the same motion earlier, and is reminded of what she said. She gets motivation and figures out what she needs to do.
Lanzhu sends Mia and Shioriko a text saying she’s on her way to the airport to go home. Shioriko informs the school idol club and they all rush to show up before Lanzhu leaves.
They explain to her how Mia is writing another song for her, and to stay. Lanzhu, still without motivation to be a school idol, makes it clear yet again that she’s not going to accept another song, and walks off. They prevent her from leaving, and Lanzhu says again how she’s done everything she can do, and has no regrets. Mia finally shows up and says to Lanzhu “I’ve been thinking this whole time that there’s no one more perfect than Lanzhu.” “Yet you’re not going to reach out to your dream… Instead you’re giving up and going home.” “That’s not like you.” Lanzhu again attempts to explain how she’s not accepting a song, but Mia cuts her off and says it’s not for her. “There was a dream I couldn’t reach all this time either, but I’m not going to give up. Unlike you.” Mia explains how she lost confidence, but that the school idol club taught her that every type of school idol is accepted. She will reach out to her dream, “I’m going to grab my dream.”
Mia reaches her hand out for Lanzhu. All eyes on Lanzhu. Tears in her eyes, overwhelmed by everything happening around her at once. Shioriko says she wants to be a school idol with her, and Lanzhu bursts out saying she can’t. “I can’t stay with anyone.” “I’ve always been like that.” “I want to get along with people, but something always goes wrong…” She says how Shioriko is the only friend of hers who’s ever bothered to stick around. “Everybody else were fine with me at first, but eventually they’d distance themselves and go away.” She doesn’t understand what’s bad or why people avoid her. She can’t understand how people feel no matter how hard she tries, so she thought she’d be better off alone. She decided to become a solo idol, because even if she can’t understand how people feel, she can make them acknowledge her. Shioriko says how everyone feels like that sometimes, and Lanzhu then uses her as an example of exactly what she’s talking about, due to Shioriko not telling her about this secret interest, and first expressing it to the school idol club instead of her friend she’s known for way longer. “My only choice is to be alone.” She goes on to explain how she was surprised that a group of solo idols were working together so closely in the club. How they all believed in each other and lifted each other up. “If that’s what it means to be a school idol, then I can’t do it.”
That was a lot, but I believe it to be the most important moment for her and for me in the show. It makes me feel seen. Throughout my life, I struggled to understand what’s good and what’s bad, leading to people avoiding me, just like her. Instead of focusing on connections, like making friends, I’d focus on attention and acknowledgement, just like her. I’d act all high and mighty because that was the only way I would receive praise, just like her. I’d APPEAR arrogant, just like her. In fear of hurting people around me, I resorted to faking this arrogant confidence as a defense mechanism against making new friends, and to gain followers in order to experience that acknowledgement and appreciation without being able to hurt them. Of course this made me very lonely, and it would make her very lonely as well, as shown time and time again throughout the season. Even some moments I haven’t touched on.
Before Lanzhu headed towards the airport, she added herself to her collection of her favorite school idols.
She wants to be their friend, but because of her past, she didn’t want to risk hurting them, so she wanted to stay away.
Back in episode 7, she is approached by a group of friends to sign her autograph, and once they leave, she looks back at them and gets sad, seeing three friends hanging out makes her feel lonely. It could be more desperate than that even, it could simply be because now their attention is gone. The sense of being liked disappears once the audience leaves. She’s then surprised by seeing Mia hanging out with some of the school idol club. She gets invited to come hang out with them but declines, says she’ll catch up another time. Mentally she’s not doing well at this point, but she does a good job masking it.
In episode 2, she tells the soon-to-be members of QU4RTZ about how she lives alone in her high-rise apartment. “You’re the first people I’ve ever invited over.” She doesn’t have anybody.
Even all the way back to episode 1 during her first solo song. A line in this song can be translated to “This view from my castle of solitude.” She views herself as higher, but she is lonely.
Back at the airport in episode 9, Mia makes Lanzhu take a look around. “Who do you think everyone here came to see?” Showing her how she does have people who care about her. That she’s not alone. Mia says to her how if she can’t let go of her past, she’ll step on everyone’s feelings.
Emma says how Lanzhu inspired them to form units within the group.
Yu says how Lanzhu inspired her to work on herself and be herself.
It’s so great to me how Lanzhu is a core reason for all the units in the group, and for how Yu was able to inspire everyone individually.
Lanzhu gets convinced to stay and join the school idol club, and Mia, Shioriko, and Lanzhu have a heart to heart to heart where they warm up to this new idea of being rivals in the school idol club together like everyone else. Lanzhu worriedly and shyly asks if they can still be friends even if they’re rivals. Mia teases her about this and Lanzhu gets the message. She’s accepted into the club with open arms.
Even this little moment of having this misunderstanding due to taking it literally is so reminiscent of neurodivergent behavior. <3
Now we get into a completely different era in her life, but of course, her neurodivergent behavior doesn’t cease to exist just because we live happily ever after, but this time it’s very positive in comparison, and it just makes me very happy. <3 This is the fun part!
Episode 10! She awkwardly accepts her welcome into the club, Shioriko also equally as nervous next to her, but expressed differently. Seeing Lanzhu behave completely differently but still perfectly in character is so much fun to me, it genuinely makes me feel so happy seeing the way she behaves when she feels welcomed and accepted. She seems equally as happy as I am watching her, and it makes me feel great! <3 The way she’s written is perfect, they did an amazing job with her. She loosens up and shows how she cares a lot about happiness and fun, which she kept only to herself up until now, as we saw plenty of when she was dancing by herself at the end of episode 3, and when she was out enjoying herself at the school idol exhibit in episode 5. We also saw it in episode 2 as QU4RTZ was spying on her, which I haven’t even talked about past her buying Nijigasaki High School Idol Club merch! Tho I’ve got a little something about that moment to mention after I go over a few more things first. :3
This episode is about going to, and staying at Shizuku’s place for a slumber party. A little while into the trip, on the train with everybody, Lanzhu looks at her phone, troubled. She’s scrolling through the photos she’s taken so far but “can’t seem to find an opportunity.” Shioriko asks her what’s wrong and she gets embarrassed and says it’s nothing.
When they get to Shizuku’s house, Shioriko explains how she’s nervous due to never having slept over with friends, and Lanzhu says she hasn’t either. They’re both tricked by Kasumi and made to think they were supposed to bring pillows.
The following day, Rina introduces “Nijigaku GO,” a Pokémon GO type mobile game but with cats, and everyone is gonna play it to compete over who can collect the most cats. During the introduction, Lanzhu is on her phone again, still disappointingly scrolling through her recent photos. Shioriko can see her phone screen this time.
Everybody is splitting up into smaller groups and finding cats, but Shioriko and Lanzhu can’t seem to find any. Lanzhu already feeling a little down, takes a break to think. Shioriko notices this and checks up on her. They get moving and run into Kasumi, who has been searching alone, also not finding any cats. They decide to search together but still find nothing. Kasumi ends up telling on herself and gets embarrassed then runs away, but Shioriko and Lanzhu thinks it’s nice she can be honest with herself. Shioriko expresses her want for Lanzhu to do the same. Lanzhu ends up telling her what’s been bothering her. She wants to take a picture with everyone. Shioriko finds it a little amusing that something like that bothered her so much, but gladly offers to take one with her to start! Which Lanzhu lights up at the idea of.
Later on that night, everybody is hanging out together outside in the backyard. Lanzhu watching everybody from the porch, phone in hand. Shioriko, who’s standing with her, turns to Lanzhu and tells her to go for it. Lanzhu gets the attention of everybody to ask for a favor. To take a picture together.
This aspect of Lanzhu, to me, makes me the happiest. She cherishes her friends very much, and loves to capture every moment with them. She finally feels loved. Whenever I see her take a photo with her friends I cheer up instantly. That little something I mentioned I’d talk about? This moment right here:
Words can’t express how happy this makes me <3 Sitting here giggling to myself from overwhelming joy and tears in my eyes teehee
Look at her and her friends!!!
Top image is taken from the first movie trailer. Bottom left is a magazine scan. Bottom right is a song cover art, and surely is a selfie, right? Look at it! 🤭 Even if not with anyone, she’s enjoying herself and that makes me happy <3
Episode 11 has her feeling pretty at peace and content with her company. Making it very obvious she’s happy to have friends around her who support her. Even directly saying it to them. Saying she loves them, school idols, and everyone who has accepted her. She later asks everyone for help on how to lift everybody up and connect with her fans. Just wanted to add that bit to show how she’s grown! <3 Not only wanting to do those things, but asking others for help.
In episode 12, Lanzhu continues her streak of creating units in the group by making her own with Shioriko and Mia.
In episode 13, she continues to encounter new things she’s always wanted to do with friends, I just think she’s neat, I’m glad she found happiness. She also finally gives Yu acknowledgement for her hard work!! <3
And with that, that concludes the season! But I’m not done check this out from the OVA :3 Selfie!!!!
Isla has a Lanzhu plushie?? Oh she’s awesome oh she’s awesome.
So to wrap up, here’s some minor things, or things that I could chalk up to just anime things, but still felt like at least mentioning!
Back to before she was in the school idol club, before she opened up and welcomed company. When Lanzhu introduces herself in episode 1, Ayumu (who she is speaking to) is startled, but Lanzhu seems like she doesn’t recognize this and doesn’t slow down. Despite struggling with noticing that kinda stuff, I believe she actually may have noticed Ayumu react that way, but just felt the need to keep this character up after committing to it.
At the start of episode 8, she reminds everyone how she will be the star of the show on this special day, the festival, as she has promised and has said for a while. She’s taking control and trying to make sure people still think of her as top of the top. Instead of being offended by this, everyone takes her up on this as a challenge, and keeps the mood up. Lanzhu seems happy with how they’re taking it. As her manners didn’t seem to put anyone down.
Later in episode 8, the “countdown” for Lanzhu’s performance goes wrong, and she decides to press on anyway. She says “I just want to give.” and that she’s only getting up on stage to prove that she can do that. “That’s the only way I know how to do it.” Yu looks at her and finally understands more clearly how Lanzhu thinks. She understands that Lanzhu cares about others, a lot even, which she knew already, but now she sees how Lanzhu only knows how to deliver the happiness she wants to share through performing on stage. Which in a way, I think she found inspiring.
To even further show how this didn’t come out of nowhere, as if previous comments weren’t enough, near the end of episode 3, Lanzhu is shown practicing her dancing at home, which she’s doing with a smile on her face. She may only have wanted acknowledgement, but she truly did enjoy being on stage. She loves sharing this joy on stage the same way other school idols do for her.
I’ll give you one more even! Back in episode 8, Yu is talking to Mia about Lanzhu, and says how thrilled she was to see her perform. How Lanzhu shines on stage. “You could really feel “This is me” from every part of her performance.” Lanzhu found her way to give people happiness, even if this was the only way she knew how to.
A silly moment I enjoyed in episode 13 is this here, the way she reacted to what was happening in front of her, then turning to Kanata. To be fair, why did they do that 🤭
One last thing, I know I said I wouldn’t talk about Nijiyon Animation, but episode 7 of season 1 is awesome~
Final thoughts!
Lanzhu is a very important character to me. She is worthy of love and respect. She deserves to be understood. I will forever advocate for her. Lanzhu’s story taught me how my past doesn’t define me. Her and her story means so much to me, I feel so seen by having witnessed her story being told. To feel this incredibly proud and happy for a fictional character feels unreal, this is a completely new feeling to me, but Lanzhu Zhong brings me an incredible amount of joy, and that feeling is real to me.
With this post, I’m not saying Lanzhu is 100% on the spectrum, I’m sure some would even argue they wouldn’t make a character like that for Love Live!, I’m just saying I relate to this character based on my own experience of being on the spectrum. Stuff like her struggle with social cues is written very well I think. This is my own personal interpretation of her character. If you see something else in her, not only is that great, but I encourage you to explore it deeper, as finding familiarity in the characters you love can be a fantastic opportunity in terms of expression, self-love, and self-discovery! Find your own happiness in the things you see around yourself. This is my own happiness maybe you even fully agree with me on my take. Besides, is it that outlandish to assume she could be autistic? It’s not like Nijigasaki is void of people more obviously on the spectrum <3
Summary
The way Lanzhu Zhong speaks, acts, makes decisions, and thinks is all something that I can heavily relate to. The way she struggles to understand what’s bad and what’s good sometimes, leading to friends distancing themselves. How she would then begin to fake this arrogant confidence as a defense mechanism against making new friends, and to gain followers, in order to experience that acknowledgement and appreciation without being able to hurt them. Ending up really lonely and paranoid about losing the last few friends that are left if any. Then finding someone who sees her for who she can be. Someone who sticks around again. More people who stick around. People who give her a chance. Realizing that these people actually care about her, and finally learning to retire this unhealthy character she’s been playing, and accepting kindness again. Learning to be a real person again, and to be happy. Wanting to share love and fun moments with friends. That has been my experiences explained with Lanzhu’s experiences. Almost a suspicious amount of overlap! Lanzhu’s story means everything to me, as it taught me how my past doesn’t define me. Please give her love like you would any of the other girls, I know I will.
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