AIKATSU! & PRETTY SERIES: TWIN IDOL JUGGERNAUTS

MAX R. - Writer, 3rd Year, Japanese

"I don’t even like idols, just some idol anime."

MILD SPOILERS FOR AIKATSU! & PRETTY SERIES

Upon hearing ‘idol anime,’ one would likely think of multimedia titans like Love Live! or Idolmaster, even titles happening to include idol elements such as Senki Zesshou Symphogear, or reaching back in time, works among likes of Full Moon wo Sagashite, Mahou no Tenshi Creamy Mami, Mahou no Stage Fancy Lala or Idol Densetsu Eriko may come to mind. However, I’d like to spotlight the often overlooked landscape of children's anime, harboring two behemoth franchises, Bandai’s Aikatsu! and Takara Tomy’s Pretty Series, which I had admittedly avoided for the longest time, but have grown to appreciate over the years. Consisting of multiple standalone installments adapted from arcade games to follow various protagonists’ rise up the ranks, the franchise begins with the original Aikatsu! (shortened to OG- Katsu), a lengthy 178 episode trek, followed by Aikatsu Stars! (100 eps), Aikatsu Friends! (76 eps), Aikatsu On Parade! (26 eps) and Aikatsu Planet! (26 eps). OGKatsu in particular revitalized my interest in the medium at a point where it was waning and embodies much of what I seek in anime, exhibiting a colossal, charismatic cast and striking tonal balance between episodic whimsical antics and its plethora of poignant moments bound by a more comprehensive overarching narrative, lighthearted enough to experience as a silly morning cartoon, but simultaneously sincere enough to grow invested in as a longform character journey. Much in line with how dramatically the CG improves over time, the series wasn’t originally a favorite, love for it growing and only registering in my mind after the passing of dozens of episodes. An individual episode taken on its own may not mean much, but when considered in the context of 177 more, OGKatsu epitomizes this idea of accumulation, much like sand in an hourglass, of myriad tiny powerful moments as pieces that constitute a much larger, comprehensive journey.

Contrary to what one may believe considering its target demographic, the series doesn’t entirely glorify idols, highlighting many downfalls, including severe overwork derived from juggling such a massive quantity of responsibilities in conjunction with the crushing pressure of maintaining a consistent clean image. The simplest of acts like smiling, writing signatures, greeting and handshaking are transformed into surprisingly difficult endeavors that the cast trains to master. Along with regular lives and practice arrives an onslaught of other work ranging from interviews, variety shows and movie shoots to song recordings, advertisements, tours and anything in between. Heavy emphasis is placed on effort and hard work to where I basically consider it a sports series, and I wouldn’t hesitate to group it in the realm of works containing a similar abundance of training like Kaleido Star, Glass no Kamen, Pretty Rhythm (which I’ll note later) or even Ashita no Joe. In fact, Aikatsu! almost never skimps out on showcasing practice in some fashion practically every single episode, albeit often through unconventional means such as cliff scaling or tree felling, in which the questioning of what ‘idol activities’ entails exactly becomes a running gag; throughout of course are also numerous instances of traditional training as well, consisting of running, weightlifting, song, dance, gymnastics and etc, characters often pushing themselves to exhaustion. Lives aren’t the aspects of the show that I enjoy most, but their frequency, especially accompanied by transformation, feels ritual-esque, routine performances serving as consistent buildup, hence a sense of gradual progression is present even within supposedly one-off episodic adventures, causing future emotional payoff to feel earned and deserved. Meanwhile, a humbling shared spirit of sorts concerning self-betterment permeates the show’s cast, characters well aware of ample room for their own improvement and the long road that lies ahead, even for those already at the top of the rankings (notably Ichigo’s adversary Mizuki) and there lies an active effort on part of the cast to put themselves out there, jumping at opportunities regardless of how seemingly minor, involvement in one project spiraling into another, a chain reaction escalating to achievement of fame.

I feel this sentiment of an ‘endless journey’ and cyclicity of goal-setting with OGKatsu, of no definitive endpoint even after finally achieving one’s ambitions, to which thereafter, one just embarks towards another objective. The series can be divided into Ichigo-gen and Akari-gen; after focusing on Ichigo for over a hundred episodes and resolving her major arcs, the series doesn’t just drop everything and conclude, instead opting to continue running, baton passing to another protagonist, starting an entirely new journey lasting dozens of episodes longer. With this comes an entirely new cast, though the previous one sticks around and acquire s new roles as mentors, their growth continuing further. Old milestones are retread by the new generation and doing so feels nostalgic as viewers recognize these callbacks. Contrasting Ichigo, who bears a seemingly natural affinity for idol work, Akari begins at rock bottom, struggling immensely at every turn, but passionately persists anyway; this stark juxtaposition in ability instills the journey with a sense of freshness. The way in which Akari looks to Ichigo as both role model and source of inspiration, to the point of even imitating her hairstyle, helps cement the resounding legacy and ripple-effect of the former generation, crowning Soleil (Ichigo’s unit) with a sort of legendary status akin to Masquerade of their own preceding generation. The former cast truly does begin to feel legendary and anytime they appear on screen feels like a special occasion, partially also due to the newfound extra distance that arises with no longer being the primary fixation after such a long time. Among other long-runners like Ojamajo Doremi or Keroro Gunsou, Aikatsu! follows the calendar, meaning that, for the most part, time in-series corresponds with the general time frame around which episodes would have aired. OGKatsu spans about four years, meaning four Christmas episodes along with multiple episodes dedicated to various other holidays/traditions are able to exist and consecutively build upon one another. More important is how this passing of time can be perceived by the viewer; as seasons pass and memories are made, one can observe characters’ improvement and the continual references to previous episodes, reinforcing ideas of continual progression over time. I feel that OGKatsu is at its best during its more reflective segments, most episodes incorporating a thoughtful conversation succeeding a performance, or revelation in summoning newfound strength amidst practice, not unlike something out of Aria. Small epiphanies and lessons, diverse in subject, but relevant for consideration, pile up to slowly influence characters’ evolution. Clear-cut solutions to specific problems may not necessarily arise, but responses given feel sincere and provide heartfelt catharsis. The compounding of these elements and unique timing regarding my viewing of OGKatsu as a catalyst to my discovery of entire new waves of titles that I would come to enjoy, plays into solidifying it as my favorite anime, something that I could just continue writing on about, but I would like to reserve space to talk about other titles as well.

While I consider OGKatsu to be the franchise’s magnum opus, I am aware that many would contest that to argue Stars! to be the best entry in the franchise, taking itself slightly more seriously with tighter writing, which some viewers may appreciate more, though it lacks OGKatsu’s same impression of scale and entire generational protagonist shift. Stars! is also significantly more competitive, containing a sizable cast, but rather than the friendlier rivalries of the preceding series, there exists a more cutthroat environment and legitimate threat in the main antagonist, Elza, an idol pirate sailing the seas, her academy, Venus Ark, equipped with high-end facilities and based on a literal cruise ship, attempting to recruit the best from all around the world to fulfill ulterior motives. I feel that Stars! works well as a complementary piece to OGKatsu in revealing an alternative variation of what the latter could have been had it leaned more heavily into its competitive aspects. As for the rest of the franchise, I feel a general decline for installments succeeding Stars! While I enjoy Friends!, it feels ‘sterile’ and not as nearly as ambitious as either of its preceding entries, easily the most lighthearted, so lighthearted in fact that sometimes it can become difficult to be invested in Aine and Mio’s journey at all. Friends! is Aikatsu! as a shell of its former self, tonal equilibrium attained by OGKatsu gabsent, and while on the surface it may bear resemblance, it has lost the soul that had rendered the original so charming. Units are reduced to pairs causing performances that include more than two characters to become exceedingly rare and while the side cast isn’t awful, it is easily the most underwhelming up to this point barring a few standouts. Faring worse though is On Parade!, which I had genuine hopes for as a crossover between every prior Aikatsu! installment, effectively merging universes to spark interactions among members of entirely different casts. Unfortunately, an overabundance of performances hinders it; if single episodic performances were too much, one would be thrilled to hear how On Parade! features about three every episode, which, with the addition of OP and ED, drastically diminishes usable screen time. Granted, I still have about half the show left to finish, but so much more could have been done as far as I can tell. Meanwhile, Planet! is an interesting case, the franchise experimenting and taking a huge gamble in transitioning to live action. Indeed, Aikatsu Planet! is an anime-live action hybrid that I expected to flop immediately, but I ended up able to sit through it. It can sometimes feel like a waste of character designs as live action generally takes up most of the episode, and many anime mannerisms don’t translate well to real people at all, but the final episode, detailing its production, made me slightly more appreciative of its existence and the literal Aikatsu! that actors would have had to undertake for the show to function.

Like Aikatsu!, Pretty Series, not to be confused with Pretty Cure, also originates from a line of arcade games and includes game mechanics, starting with Pretty Rhythm (153 eps), followed by King of Prism, PriPara (193+ eps), Kiratto Pri☆Chan (153 eps) and currently airing Waccha PriMagi. The entire franchise is characterized by performances arguably even more vibrant than those of Aikatsu! so I would advise anyone epileptic to proceed with caution. Pretty Rhythm is composed of three seasons; Aurora Dream (51 eps) and Dear My Future (51 eps), the first two entries, are interconnected and tonally reminiscent of OGKatsu. I find the original main trio’s chemistry of Aira, Rizumu and Mion to be particularly enjoyable; the shows themselves are rougher around the edges, though I still adore them nonetheless. Rainbow Live (51 eps) on the other hand is Pretty Rhythm’s final installment and crown jewel, a clean slate for a more polished and ambitious, chiefly standalone iteration which layers on heavier drama, tonally closer to the aforementioned Aikatsu Stars!, serious albeit displaying arguably more visual insanity. Rainbow Live’s Prism Shows are a spectacle, centered on figure skating, performances amassing symphonies of the usual song and dance, but having performers synchronously play instruments and execute tricks midair with an emphasis on consecutive Prism Jumps that only grow increasingly grandiose; initially, two or three may seem like a lot, but characters push their limits to become capable of six or even seven. The series still intermixes lighter moments as well, but Rainbow Live treats its sport seriously, even more so than the rest of Pretty Rhythm, characters earnestly competing against each other and willing to risk injury in the process. Rather than addressing activities of idols themselves, there is greater focus on personal character conflict without shying away from heavier subjects such as blackmail, manipulation, and death, exemplified by drama deeper into the show. Supernatural elements towards the tail end may challenge one’s suspension of disbelief, but Rainbow Live is an absolutely solid entry that feels complete, self-contained, and would make for a fine introduction to Pretty Series, though nothing subsequent has taken itself as seriously. King of Prism is a spinoff of Rainbow Live, and the only Pretty Series entry that I haven’t really seen much of, so it’ll be omitted.

Directed by Moriwaki Makoto, the individual responsible for the madness of Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, Onegai My Melody, Jewelpet Kira Deco! and Hime Chen! Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri, PriPara is also not a bad place to start, following Pretty Rhythm and showcasing Laala and friends’ path to Kami Idol (God Idol). The series is batshit insane, extremely flashy and often dumber than a sack of bricks, prone to inducing both blindness and brain damage, but simultaneously so explosively colorful and imbued with such pure radiating energy that one can’t help but smile. Extinguishing the sun, raiding Area 51, battling deities and preventing dimensional collapse merely scratches the surface of the series’s bizarre shenanigans. Original PriPara consists of the first 140-episodes, followed by Idol Time (51 eps) and soon to resume airing Idol Land which honestly seems promising. Comparably to Aikatsu!, PriPara sports a massive cast and also follows the calendar, but runs in a different direction, a character journey departing from nearly any semblance of self-seriousness (may occasionally attempt more serious drama), being purely fun with lives erupting into prismatic neon light displays, characters performing Making Dramas (illusions meant to convey emotions) and kaleidoscopic Cyalume Changes (essentially costume changes) midway through, in some cases even gaining wings to soar about the stage.

Beyond lives, PriPara’s cast is divisive, parts of it downright obnoxious with irritating sentence enders and anarchic behavior, specifically Ajimi, who fits right in with the series’s chaos, yet remains a major headache regardless with a backstory which, rather than redeems her, worsens impressions of her as a person in straight up traumatizing another character for life. The mascots are atypical, rather than being an upstanding guide and moral compass for the protagonists like many shoujo anime, they express numerous detrimental qualities among unhelpfulness, greed, extreme anxiety and laziness, occasionally sabotaging the idol units they’re intended to support; one even essentially attempts suicide via cooking themselves multiple times as a sacrificial offering. Some are ultimately still well-intentioned, but viewers’ frustrations from their existence on screen is understandable. These eyesores aside, the rest of the cast really carries the show through their interactions; most of the main gang is always enjoyable to have on screen and their banter never grows tiresome. The series is also remarkably expressive, possibly even more smear-heavy than Pretty Rhythm and Pri☆Chan, going all out with facial reactions, only supplementing the ever-present zaniness.

A significant portion of the series takes place in a separate dimension (PriPara) entirely with its own strange rules and structure, which sometimes spirals out of control, allowing a certain freedom from the confines of the real world, not that the show isn’t chaotic regardless of location. The existence of numerous PriPara across the globe lends itself to potential for threats of planetary, if not cross-dimensional conflict, usually reserved for season finales, but then again, one never know with this show as sometimes crazy stuff just happens in standard episodes too; Parajuku’s (a play on Harajuku) PriPara essentially gets nuked at one point simply because a character didn’t feel like running to defuse a bomb, and it is not played off as a joke, instead an actual plot point, and the destruction remaining for nearly the rest of the show, leading to certain characters’ exile. It is precisely due to PriPara’s lack of self-seriousness that this brand of absurdity doesn’t feel out of place. The uplifting spirit that the show diffuses is contagious, predicated upon the show’s pervading mottos of friendship and latent idol abilities of everyone, in times of catastrophe often coalescing the entire audience in song for the common good and this aspect illustrates PriPara to be an odd mix of outlandish and sincere.

Kiratto Pri☆Chan follows PriPara, taking a middle ground between it and Aikatsu!, on the zanier side with an abundance of smears and occasional moments of more serious character focus, while still hosting bright, sparkly lives in the same vein as the rest of the franchise. Much of Pri☆Chan is unrelated to idols at all, instead fixating on video streaming, in doing so, de-emphasizing conventional training to the point of sometimes not showing any whatsoever. The first two seasons are largely enjoyable, the first providing a solid foundation for everything to come, and the second introducing probably the most memorable character of the series in Daia. The third plummets with the addition of mascots and overemphasis on them, Kiracchu being abhorrently grating, though the series feels more complete as a whole with its inclusion, said third season still assisting in tying loose ends and resolving foreshadowing. Meanwhile, speaking to current times, it’s too early to pinpoint the direction in which Waccha PriMagi is going, airing weekly on Saturdays, but with Junichi Satou as director, it has potential to be worthwhile.

Unfortunately, I should be nearing the limit as for what fits on three pages, so I better stop here. This has been a pretty swift rundown on various installments of Aikatsu! and Pretty Series, two very notable children’s anime franchises. It goes to say that both are still ongoing to this day and I welcome any coming entries with open arms.