During a rainfall, the roof in Akari's dorm room starts leaking, resulting in Akari and her roommate, Yuu, having to move into separate dorms, with Akari moving in with Sumire Hikami, who she met by coincidence that morning.

On the day before her job with Ichigo, Sumire gets a less than favorable horoscope, but finds a way to twist it into something positive. Later, Akari helps Sumire read up on Ichigo, with Ichigo herself giving her a bag of things to look over.

Akari meets Hinaki Shinjyo, a child actor from Sumire's class, who has been interested in her ever since her entrance audition where she inadvertently introduced herself as Ichigo.

As part of her role as the Pon Pon Crepe Girl, Akari needs to come up with a pose for a promotional poster. With help from Hinaki, Akari manages to come up with a variety of poses, but also notices Hinaki seems to be downhearted about something.

With Halloween approaching, Johnny tasks students with collecting as much candy as possible in order to star in the annual Nightmare Party.

Akari is informed about her first solo concert, which will take place in a shopping mall. Feeling that this could be a decisive moment for her, Akari decides to try and obtain a Premium Dress from Dream Crown's designer, Tsubasa Sena, who is wrapped in mystery.

Wanting to get a Premium Dress herself, Sumire and the others visit Yurika for advice on how to appeal to Loli Gothic's top designer Maya.

As an audition is held for the starring role in a new drama alongside Ichigo, Aoi, and Ran, a new transfer student, Juri Kurebayashi, expresses her passionate desire to win the role.

Juri feels downhearted as she isn't satisfied with her own performance for an upcoming episode. Karen explains to her that when she was in an acting rut, it was a premium dress from her favorite brand, Sangria Rosa, the helped her overcome it.

Raichi and Noelle's classmate, Asahi Azuma, who is a big fan of Akari, learns that she'll be appearing in her first handshake event alongside Sumire.

After Ichigo announces her own Great Starmiya Ichigo Festival, which is being produced by Aoi and Ran, Akari decides she wants to help with the preparations.

With a week until Christmas, Sakura is put in charge of preparations for the Christmas Party, which includes a special Aikatsu Christmas Stage. Aiming to audition for the stage alongside Akari and Sumire, Hinaki decides she needs to get a Vivid Kiss Premium Dress so she can perform a Heroine Appeal.

After Hinaki receives her Premium Dress from Kayoko, the girls focus on the preparations for the Christmas Party. Both Akari and Juri reminisce about three years ago, when Ichigo and her friends cut down a large Christmas tree to cheer up their fellow student, with Akari taking up the challenge of cutting down another tree in the same way.

With her family on vacation, Juri joins Akari and her family in celebrating the new year, where Akari becomes a little embarrassed by her parents' obsession with soil.

With the start of the new semester, Akari makes a new year's resolution to find something she is good at. To this end, Akari decides to audition to become a weather girl, with Sumire and the others helping her to train.

As Akari begins her job as a weather girl, Sumire decides she needs to find her own speciality too. However, she gets a throat cold just as she receives word of a shampoo girl audition, which seems to favor her beauty rather than her singing talent.

Yuu goes off on a month-long exchange program with Himezakura Girls Academy in Kyoto, who send one of their own students, Miyabi Fujiwara, to Starlight Academy in her place.

Miyabi meets a fan of hers named Tomoyo who feels downhearted because of her boyish looks, feeling she can't be 'cute' like she considers Miyabi to be.

With literally truckloads of chocolate arriving from fans for Valentine's Day, Orihime announces a "Thanks, Valentine" event to show not one piece goes unappreciated, with cafeteria chef Shun Yotsuba put in charge as head patissier.

With only three days remaining before Miyabi must return to Kyoto, Akari and the others make plans for a proper send-off. Meanwhile, as Miyabi is offered a stage for her final day, she decides she wants to compete against Sakura in order to challenge herself.

The girls get together to watch a mystery movie that they all starred in together. When Sumire Gelato is abducted by the vampire Yurika, vampire hunter Jurius Caesar Salada is sent to Starlight Academy to investigate.

As Tsubasa struggles to come up with a design for his next Premium Dress, Akari's popularity as a weather presenter earns her a stage during a concert being planned by her TV channel, feeling she needs to up her game to earn the right to wear the Premium Dress.

The Starlight Queen Cup is moved up to Spring, with the entire middle school section eligible to participate. As the girls are asked by Otome to help her move out of her current dorm, which is reserved for the next Starlight Queen, Sakura, who had previously lost against Otome, keep her distance, feeling she doesn't yet have the right to enter the dorm just yet.

Soleil announce they will be launching a half-year long nationwide tour in the spring, setting up a project room at Starlight Academy to plan the tour.

With Akari, Sumire, and Hinaki on their long-awaited off-time, Akari suggests they go on a camping trip at the Dreamy Lake near Tsubasa's headquarters.

As the second year begins, Akari and Sumire are assigned as the respective mentors of two new freshmen; Rin Kurosawa, a skilled dancer who admires Johnny, and Madoka Amahane, the granddaughter of Angely Sugar's Asuka Amahane, while Naoto becomes the freshmen's new homeroom teacher.

When Rin gets an offer to appear in a dance event, she decides to get a Premium Dress from her favorite brand, Dance Fusion, whose top designer, Sonny, used to be in a dance unit with Johnny.

Akari, Sumire, and Hinaki are set to appear together on a popular talk show. However, after meeting the show's host, Maguro, Akari has doubts she'll be able to keep up a conversation with him on the real thing.

When asked to form an idol unit for her next single, Sumire decides to ask Rin to become her partner, feeling that the new song fits Rin's dancing ability perfectly.

After Sumire and Rin name their new unit Dancing Diva, they are approached by the same shampoo company who approached Sumire before, who want to use their song for their next commercial.

Juri tries to search for a partner for her own unit, but finds herself turned down by everyone she asks. As Hinaki helps Juri search for partner that contrastly compliments her like a chocolate-covered potato chip, Akari and Madoka notice that the two seem perfect for each other.

With Sumire busy with Dancing Diva, she asks Akari to watch over Madoka, who is offered a gig. Madoka wants an Angely Sugar Premium Dress for her performance, but is reluctant about asking her grandmother for one as she doesn't feel she is worthy enough. Akari decides to spend the next week training with Madoka to build her self-confidence, assuring her that even the pros aren't perfect when it comes to being confident.

Deciding she wants to be in a unit herself, Madoka asks Akari to become her partner, to which she immediately accepts. Jumping straight into meetings to decide the nature of their club, Akari takes Madoka with her as she goes about her daily work schedule, seeing how she interacts with her fans and learning about why she chose her as her partner. Inspired by Madoka's spontaneous skipping, Akari decides to name their unit "Skips".

Yuu goes on another exchange program, this time to Etoile Academy in Kobe, who send over their student, Kokone Kurisu, who is friends with Miyabi. Upon arriving at Starlight Academy, Kokone, used to being the center of attention, becomes downhearted that she's not as well known outside her hometown.

Following the formation of so many units, Orihime announces a Unit Cup for both existing and new units. Wanting to enter the event herself, Kokone invites Miyabi over to be her unit partner, naming their unit Fluffy Sweet Nadeshiko.

As the Unit Cup gets underway, it is revealed that, in addition to their stage performances, the participating units will also be ranked on backstage reports conducted inbetween performances.

With only a matter of time til their performance, Akari and Madoka search their room for their missing cards with no such luck. When Hinaki and Juri come over to do their report on Skips, they deduce that the cards got mixed up with the gifts, which were taken back to the Academy.

After Akari and Sumire are requested for a wedding-themed event, they overhear Johnny discussing an upcoming wedding over the phone, jumping to the conclusion that he's getting married.

Akari and the other idols all star in a broadcast play, in which Juri and Madoka run a failing restaurant that is struggling to get any customers.

Hinaki and Juri are hired to be image girls for a Mexican food booth at a world food festival. While helping with the booth's preparations, Hinaki suggests calling in Juri's father, Kamino Serio, to make a special dish using jalapenos, among many other ideas.

As the end of her transfer program approaches, Kokone seems defiant about Akari and the others holding a send-off party for her, leading them to think that she doesn't want to leave.

After Orihime gives Akari and the others a day off for summer vacation, Naoto arranges for them to spend a day on an island, which turns out to be the same island where Akari faced her hellish boot camp.

Akari and Hinaki participate in a hidden camera show in which they must try and spring a surprise on Sumire. After their initial pranks fail to provoke any kind of reaction from Sumire, the girls try using raw fish to spook her, only to discover that she had learned how to manage them since last time.

Rin and Madoka look forward to attending a summer festival wearing yukatas designed by Suzuha, also being joined by Juri. As the girls enjoy the sights of the festival, Rin and Madoka become curious when they overhear Juri talk about going on a date and decide to follow her, eventually learning she is just meeting up with her father, while Tsubasa and the teacher enjoy a guy's night out.

With the Aikatsu8 Election results drawing hear, Akari speaks with Ichigo, who had just returned to Starlight Academy, hearing about her desire to get all of Soleil into Aikatsu8 this time around, whilst also stating those who don't get chosen still have a chance to shine on their own.

Hinaki decides to join Akari and Sumire for their three person unit, wanting to become more passionate after losing out on the Aikatsu8. After doing some model shoots for Kayoko, Hinaki is a bit concerned when she is asked to retake them, only to learn that Kayoko wants her to demonstrate a new Fine Drum Coord that she made just for her.

As PowaPowa Puririn prepare for the Great Starlight School Festival, Shion learns that the recording schedule for the movie she is starring conflicts with their concert, but becomes determined to attend both.

Madoka, Rin, and Juri all decide to form a unit together, but soon become concerned that their preferences and styles clash with each other. Looking for a way to feel united, the girl meet up with Encierro's disciple, Atsurou Muleta, who offers to make them unit dresses. However, Atsurou struggles to come up with a design that unifies the girls all together.

As Luminas work to improve themselves before the festival, Kaede approaches Yurika about entering the festival as Tristar. While initially believing it to be impossible, Yurika eventually realises from spending time with Powa Powa Puririn that she wants to reform Tristar too. After being approached by Kaede and Yurika, Mizuki feels the same way and gets Orihime's okay to reform Tristar.

Both Soleil and Luminas are lined up for the final day of the festival, with Akari and the others struggling to nail their unit appeal. Nonetheless, with Akari's optimistic outlook, the girls train until the last minute, finally managing to perfect their appeal.

Wanting to challenge themselves, Akari, Sumire, and Hinaki decide to take Luminas on a nationwide tour. After they manage to get Orihime's approval, the girls receive help from their friends to decide on the theme of their tour; encounters.