Episode 04 - Yamato Nadeshiko Rock Change

Yamato Nadeshiko Rock Change (やまとなでしこロック変化) is the fourth episode of the Aikatsu Planet! TV series. It aired on January 31st, 2021.

Summary
Mao, who has lost her confidence after being told that Hana has been somewhat different recently, is paid a visit by the ladylike Kyōko who is admired by all the students. Her identity is, surprisingly, the rock idol Beat! Mao is surprised at the gap, but while spending the day with the girl who enjoys Aikatsu! her way, she comes to realize something important.

Plot
At school, Ryōka tells Keito and Shō that Hana has another battle stage coming up. Although excited, Keito brings up the fact that Hana has been differently recently, feeling more approachable when in the past she's had the aura of being an unreachable top idol. Mao, who is listening in to their conversation from afar with Shiori, becomes worried.

Shiori attempts to console her, saying that they haven't found out about her identity, but Mao is dispirited at the idea that she hasn't been doing a good job acting as Hana. In the hallway, a crowd of students disperses to make way for Kyōko. She enters the classroom and introduces herself to Mao, asking to speak with her.

Mao's classmates are amazed at her appearance, as Kyōko is well-known and admired by the student body. Coming from a respectable family, she's both athletic and intellectual, as well as a member of the student council. Mao addresses her as Umekōji-senpai, but Kyōko tells her to instead call her by her given name.

On the school rooftop, Kyōko tells Mao that she knows about her being Hana. Mao and Shiori start to panic, but Kyōko then reveals she was just teasing and that the situation was explained to her by Izumi, having requested for Kyōko to spend the day with Mao as a senior idol.

At the agency, Segawa says Mao is sure to be surprised as it isn't yet public that Kyōko is an idol. Izumi states that was her intention, as Mao needs to learn an important lesson from her. Sala chimes in that there is no idol who is truer to themselves than Kyōko.

Mao and Shiori follow Kyōko as she does various activities, such as traditional dancing and playing the koto. Kyōko then has the pair sit in during a student council meeting, led by Kanade as the president. Kyōko wishes for the council to go over the school regulations, citing absurd rules written from when the school was founded.

The other council members wonder if that's necessary, as no one remembers or enforces those rules anyway. Kyōko then counters that while no one had a problem with the female school uniforms, they were met with good feedback when they started allowing girls to have an option outside of skirts. To that end, Kanade decides for the council to review the regulations.

Kyōko reveals to Mao and Shiori that it was under her suggestion that the school began providing shorts for the girls, stating that she often questions things that people usually assume to be "natural". They then hear a scream and rush to the source, finding two female students who had been on their way to take out trash, one of whom has tripped and hurt her ankle.

Kyōko sends them to the nurse while she, Mao and Shiori clean up the garbage. As thanks for helping her, Kyōko shows them a secret room that she has set up in an abandoned storage closet underneath the school's maintenance building. She prepares jasmine tea for them, and says that she finds secrets to be exciting, hence why she hasn't told anyone that she is an idol. Mao and Shiori assume that her avatar is that of a princess, and Mao says that she wants to see Kyōko do Aikatsu.

Heading to the agency, the three enter Aikatsu Planet. Mao changes into Hana and meets up with Shiori, although Kyōko is nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, they are met with the rock style Beat, who says that she is Kyōko. Beat takes them to get hamburgers, where Shiori informs Hana that Beat is in the upper ranks of the Aikatsu Ranking. Hana marvels at the difference, but recognizes Kyōko when Beat elegantly drinks soda in a teacup.

Beat reveals that she is Hana's opponent for today's battle stage when a group of skateboarders arrive. Beat is familiar with them and greets the skateboarders, who are surprised to see her with Hana. They say that Hana is different from what they expected, having never seen her hanging around other idols before.

Hana is once again disheartened to hear that she doesn't act like the former Hana. Beat agrees that they are quite different, but declares that it's fine that way. She explains that before becoming an idol, everyone had their own image of her that they expected her to be.

When she found about Aikatsu Planet, she felt free as no one there had any assumptions of her - she could finally be herself. Beat says that this is a place where you can be who you want, and that it's the same for Hana. Encouraged, Hana then joins Beat and the skaters, with onlookers surprised at her appearance yet still finding her to be cute.

Before the battle stage, Beat tells Hana that the reason she wanted to perform with her was because she wanted to know more about her, and on stage, there's no hiding your true self. Hana summons Aurora Pegasus and Smart Kyūbi, while Beat calls upon Bloody Rock and Hip Hop Break. The pair perform a duet of "Glittering☆Party♪ Time", with Beat as the victor.

Back at the agency, Mao tells Izumi that she's disappointed at having lost, but at the very least she was able to be herself on stage. A pleased Kyōko high fives Mao, and they both resolve to keep doing their best.

Characters

 * Mao Otoha/Hana
 * Kyōko Umekōji/Beat
 * Shiori Motoya
 * Sala Itoi
 * Izumi Watanuki
 * Itsuki Segawa
 * Keito Kirihata
 * Shō Kurosaki
 * Ryōka Dōba
 * Kanade Otoha
 * Aurora Pegasus
 * Smart Kyūbi
 * Bloody Rock
 * Hip Hop Break

Trivia

 * Episode Title Reference: "Yamato Nadeshiko Seven Changes" (ヤマトナデシコ七変化) by Kyōko Koizumi
 * This episode marks the debut of main character Beat.
 * This episode premiered on the birthday of Aoi Kiriya from the original Aikatsu! series.
 * Bloody Rock and Hip Hop Break make their debut in this episode.
 * "Glittering☆Party♪ Time" makes its debut as an insert song in this episode.
 * The ending sequence mistakenly credits Shiori despite not appearing.