A two-parter wants a shared write-up.
The main gist of these episodes is the case of Konomi Kaneko, one of the founding members of Neko’s favorite idol group. She shows up with her face intact and in possession of her name, so she seems like she might be an easy one. Neko, of course, is thrilled to meet her idol even if the circumstances could be better.
Surprisingly shortly, we learn her fate: She’s dead, as a snippet of radio from the real world reveals. However, despite this, Kaneko isn’t ready to move on and, in fact, she has a request to perform a song she was never able to properly produce as an idol for the residents of the hotel. Neko quickly manages to recruit the manager for drums and Osoto on the Piano, but convincing Atori to play the sax again? That’s going to take some doing, and a transition to the next episode.
Throughout this, a man with a briefcase head is very critical of Kaneko and idols in general. As Neko continues to help, we see more out of him, recruit a makeup artist from among the other guests, and delve more into the complicated facts of Kaneko’s life and her relationship with the other shining founding member, who most of the world regarded as her fierce rival.
Finally, after Atori does some soul-searching, Neko manages to reach him, and the hotel has its concert in the bar, with a very nice song number. It seems her music touched a lot of people, as briefcase guy remembers his life and fate (his girlfriend was an idol fan even though he never got it. He tried to learn for her sake, but unfortunately he’ll never be able to show her because he’s dead), the make-up artist recalls she was an aspiring make-up artist and also alive to chase after that dream, Atori of cours has had to come to terms with his history with the saxophone… all that good stuff. All that seems to remain is Kaneko herself.
This comes to a head as her relationship with that other star is interrogated. Questioning about her causes Kaneko’s “face” to crack and shatter, revealing the same face beneath, but able to cry, suggesting that she actually started out as a mask of herself. She remembers the facts of her death, an overdose of the sleeping pills she’d become dependent on, and the facts of her life, how she and her friend grew apart and fans played up some hatred between them, like they were supposed to be enemies… but also that said colleague was the one she desperately tried to call as she laid dying, hoping someone would help her.
Which this revelation, which you could start to see the seeds of earlier in more of a return to “fair play”, Kaneko has reached the catharsis that lets her know how to get where she’s going, and she checks out. In the wake of her departure, Atori and Neko talk… and Osoto, seeing them, clearly has some evil scheme that he’s ready to launch, as the sight causes him to declare his evening drink “an aperitif”. We’ll see what he has cooking for the main course next week and on.