A/N: I will update this section when I watch the School Idol Musical and get a better feeling for the two groups in it and for Hasunosora's idol club ( the virtual idols) hence why they're absent from the list as of writing this.
Number one: μ's.
Now Muse, in my opinion, is the overall best group throughout all of Love Live. I really love their music and overall group dynamic as they really feel like a family. Like any family they bicker and tease one another, but at the end of the day they really do love and cherish one another deeply which really warms the heart. Their music is also very enjoyable, each member has a unique voice that harmonizes well within the group or sub-units, building off one another to make some really upbeat and real ear wormy tunes. Muse started it all and are gods among the other idol groups, their legacy lives through each subsequent group. I also like most of the members, with Kotori, Maki and Rin being my absolute favorites out of the 9 girls, and even for the ones I do not like as much ( Nico and Umi) they still are good people that have redeeming qualities to them. I also love Muse and see them as the best group of all time due to the fact that I have a really deep bond with them as they got me into Love Live and helped me throughout many parts of my life. It may sound cliche but they have really saved me countless times, giving me hope for the future when everything looked bleak.
Number two: Liella
Liella really reminded me of Muse in the fact that they made me feel that wonder I first felt when I started getting into Love Live through Muse. This group in particular has another really strong family aspect to them that drew me in and had me genuinely invested into their dynamics. I did like how they had five members, though I am not as gung ho about them switching the 9, like yes it means more idols and friendships but it does kill that uniqueness that they had which helped them to stand out. Despite this I still really love Liella, and like Muse they produce some really well thought and enjoyable music. Keke's occasional Chinese adds some spice into the songs, which is really unique and had only been seen with Lanzhu in her songs. Nonfiction has to be one of the best songs in Love Live only being beat out by Snow Halation and being the best Liella song to date. Everything from the costumes, instrumentals, and vocals combine to make a dangerously addictive song.
Number three: Aqours.
I will admit, I hated Aqours with a passion as I only saw them as a cheap knockoff of Muse disgracing their legacy. Though from getting more familiar with their group I can say I like their overall group aspect and music. I don't feel the same family bond with them like with Muse but I see them as really strong friends. They do a great job of carrying on Muse's legacy and really grew to be their own standout group, despite all their failures they pushed on and kept doing what they loved, something Muse would commend them for. Their music is enjoyable too, with My Mai Tonight being their best song to date as it had a really traditional Japanese vibe to it which I would love to see more of in Love Live.
Number four: Nijigasaki.
Nijigasaki being dead last does not mean they're an awful group as they're quite good, it's just personally I feel they're the weakest out of the main 4. Where they shine is in their solo's and subunit songs, which is unique with those aspects being their main focus as they're main groups songs are good, but not as good as the solo's and subunit songs. Nijigasaki is also mixed on what vibes they give off due to having different storylines in the game and anime, with the game tarnishing how I see them. I am getting at Ai and Karin's betrayal of the cast for Lanzhu's group, they threw away friendship for petty fame and that really irritated me and many others. Fortunately the anime did fix this but still feels weak in my opinion, as I do understand why they couldn't focus on the individuals or group as much due to there being so many members but it still bothers me.
Well that's all she wrote, hopefully you enjoyed what you read and please feel free to share your opinions and if you agree/disagree with my picks, until next time Ciao!