THE IDOLM@STER - CULTIVATING CAPTIVATION

MAX R. - Writer, 4th Year, Japanese

"Proof that learning Japanese actually pays off, sometimes."

Lately, I finally resolved to my demise of plummeting deeper down the Idolm@ster rabbit hole. Seeing as this is the ‘drip’ issue, make no mistake, as by no means do I claim to be a fashion connoisseur, but considering how this is a massive idol franchise with characters who shuffle through multitudes of different outfits in accordance with their daily endeavors, I’m granted a suitable excuse to speak on it. The Idolm@ster has had an enduring history of myriad installments as Bandai Namco’s flagship idol franchise, spanning various mediums among video games (mostly rhythm games and raising simulators), anime, manga, live performances, television dramas, you name it, to spawn such an abundance of content that it’s virtually impossible to keep up with it all, let alone consume everything that has ever existed, especially these days considering that older arcade machines and obsolete hardware systems that once hosted many of the series’ games are nearly nonexistent. It doesn’t help either that plenty of material is region-locked to Japan without any plans of going global in the foreseeable future, creating further barriers of entry for potential new fans. I enjoyed the 2011 A-1 Pictures adaptation, which may honestly be the only legitimately great-looking show in the studio’s entire repertoire; as for even their more palatable works, being visually unremarkable is an understatement. Barring said adaptation however, I’m still but a fledgling Idolm@ster enjoyer myself as I had, until recently, barely skimmed the surface of the franchise at large. Nevertheless, I’ll go about unscrambling some of my thoughts surrounding this behemoth.

Twelve protagonists, even divided up across a two-cour, is a tight fit in terms of screen time being divided up effectively. Regardless, 765 Production’s idols in the 2011 anime, who from hereon I will simply refer to as the 765Pro AllStars, demonstrate cohesiveness and end up blossoming into somewhat of a family of sorts, everyone sharing mutual struggles, fighting amongst one another, and expressing genuine compassion as opportunities to convene grow sparse, a metaphorical ‘leaving the nest’ upon gradually acquiring more work if you will. Granted, I don’t care about the entire cast as Ami and Mami are annoying gremlins whose very presence make the show worse, as is the laughable antagonist who is amongst the most comically evil in recollection, acting as an impediment because ‘bad people do bad thing.’ Cast dynamics aside, where the show really excels is its character animation, which perfectly sells the perpetual shenanigans that fuel the office’s chaotic atmosphere. In certain respects, the series is very impressive, presenting choreographed group dance sequences without reliance on CG, and palpable emotional climaxes Idolm@ster 2011 also notably focuses on its characters’ work in their given industry and all the challenges that arise, snuggly fitting alongside titles like Planetes, Shirobako, and Patlabor: On Television, indulging matters with a degree of seriousness without wholly abandoning the fun factor. While nothing groundbreakingly original, the 765Pro AllStars are iconic and firmly help establish the franchise’s strengths. I can’t really say anything regarding Xenoglossia, which is somehow a mecha show and seems to alter the cast, to many fans’ dismay, but I suppose this is just the natural conclusion when you hurl an IP Sunrise’s way. Sasuga Sunrise.

On the other hand, the Cinderella Girls anime is a major disappointment. Visual quality drops off a cliff, adding insult to injury. However, the biggest nail in the coffin has to be the cast. As much as I love Kaede Takagaki, who I deeply relate to in delivering the dumbest puns imaginable, she doesn’t receive much screen time, and the cast outside of her isn’t particularly memorable, at least for viewers of whom the adaptation serves as an introduction. Juxtaposing 765’s producer, a likable, generally competent, and proactive individual, the Cinderella Girls anime producer is an utterly inept doormat who nearly has his division terminated due to mediocre performance and allows himself to be arrested by mistake, twice. The cast lacks group chemistry, to which a quantity-over-quality approach quickly becomes apparent. Vague attempts to explore each character faceplant as I’m unable to shake the impression that they feel significantly more ‘mass-produced’ compared to other entries, which in turn inhibits my ability to grow as invested in the bulk of them, Kaede being the exception again of course. No disdain to those not prominently featured in the anime though, as it stands that Cinderella Girls is truly composed of 180+ idols, so perhaps other titles under the same umbrella, such as its games or the upcoming U149 adaptation, would work in favor of dispelling this notion.

I unfortunately have to largely skip over Million Live and SideM for now due to my more limited exposure to them, but do keep in mind that they exist and have potential from the little I’ve seen. Million Live jumps back to 765 Pro, having grown to feature over thirty new idols alongside the original 765Pro AllStars, who I am eager to witness in new mentor roles, and is slated to finally receive an anime adaptation later this year. Meanwhile, SideM features an all-male cast and supposedly handles its characters well, remaining interesting in its own right. This segways right into Shiny Colors, which currently also sorely lacks anime adaptation. Even so, it bears my unequivocal favorite cast in the entire franchise. There’s just something immediately captivating about the 283 Pro idols, given how I had previously liked some even long before knowing where they originated from. They not only exhibit the most polished designs, but phenomenal fashion, with deliberate, distinct styles of dress that subtly reflect their respective personalities and unique traits. Unit dynamics are handled with utmost care and finesse. Taking Illumination Stars as an example, the trinity of Mano as a soft-spoken, empathetic, binding agent for her companions, Hiori as a rational, diligent, motivating force, and Meguru as a bundle of positivity and enthusiasm, strike a delicate balance, contrasting former protagonist-esque units among the likes of New Generations in terms of having both genuine chemistry and charm. They aren’t solely defined by these blanket characteristics either though, with each displaying more vulnerable sides that showcase their insecurities and constant contemplation regarding how to tackle new problems that emerge. This goes for the rest of the units as well and communications really emphasize learning to understand absolutely everyone. Perhaps these haven’t been the fairest comparisons as I’ve been pitting the more constrained format of anime up against a browser game that has the luxury of time to delve into each character, but even just considering the manga adaptation, I still feel that it’s safe to say that I’ve grown attached to 283 Pro more than any other as the majority of my favorite Idolm@ster characters are derived from Shiny Colors.

I write this having just come fresh off of watching the final day of The Idolm@ster M@sters of Idol World 2023 concert at the Tokyo Dome, which was splendid to behold and reinvigorates me while ruminating the various facets of the franchise I’ve yet to explore. I’ve been going through the multitude of manga adaptations one by one and dipped my toes into Starlit Season (some of the stages are gorgeous), to which each have proven themselves intriguing in their own ways. I’m sure that my impressions of the franchise will oscillate over the coming years, but this serves as a good-as-ever milestone to put my thoughts to the page.