アイドルマスター

THE IDOLM@STER

ANIME

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
25
RELEASE
December 23, 2011
LENGTH
24 min

DESCRIPTION

765 Production Studio manages the unique talents of 13 professional idols as they slowly make their way to the top and become country-wide celebrities. But the girls' journey is far from just fun and games: hard work, sweat, and tears are some of the prerequisites needed to flourish in this industry—and for 765 Pro in particular, a watchful eye out for their rival, the infamous 961 Production.

As the girls' fame grows, however, their time together as a family diminishes, and now the very popularity they sought is threatening to tear them apart. A difficult balance of work and bonding must be achieved, or they risk everyone going their separate ways. The personal and professional ordeals of these idols can't be conquered alone, but with each other's loving support, any obstacle or hardship can be overcome!

CAST

Chihaya Kisaragi
Asami Imai
Miki Hoshii
Akiko Hasegawa
Haruka Amami
Eriko Nakamura
Makoto Kikuchi
Hiromi Hirata
Takane Shijou
Yumi Hara
Iori Minase
Rie Kugimiya
Yayoi Takatsuki
Mayako Nigo
Hibiki Ganaha
Manami Numakura
Azusa Miura
Chiaki Takahashi
Yukiho Hagiwara
Azumi Asakura
Mami Futami
Asami Shimoda
Ritsuko Akizuki
Naomi Wakabayashi
Ami Futami
Asami Shimoda
Producer
Kenji Akabane
Kotori Otonashi
Juri Takita
Touma Amagase
Takuma Terashima
Shouta Mitarai
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Ryou Akizuki
Yuuko Sanpei
Hokuto Ijuuin
Daichi Kanbara
Eri Mizutani
Kana Hanazawa
Junjirou Takagi
Houchuu Ootsuka
Ai Hidaka
Haruka Tomatsu
Chigusa Kisaragi
Akiko Hiramatsu
Mitsuaki Yoshizawa
Mitsuaki Hoshino
Yuu Kisaragi
Asami Imai

EPISODES

Dubbed

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RELATED TO THE IDOLM@STER

REVIEWS

Necokeniii
85/100
Idolm@ster is truly an experience, I had the pleasure of watching.
I used to not be a big fan of idol anime, I used to view it as a high school musical with cute girls genre. Idolm@ster truly opened my eyes to idol heaven. Idolm@ster gives fans a taste on what goes on behind the scenes with our favorite idol groups in a fictional setting. The show flows like a reality tv show or documentary, you see what the girls do on and off stage. In the beginning, the show acts an important question to all the girls, what does it mean to be an idol to you. That question alone allowed the viewer to understand the personality and goal of the idols that belong to production 765. The beginning is kinda slow, but fitting because you get to see how the girls start off with little to no experience and witness them develop into wonderful idols.Once you get to the halfway point, things really pick up from there.I really liked how certain episodes focused on at least one or two girls but it's very clear at the halfway point who the main characters are.
The music and visuals are phenomenal, I never felt the need to skip the intros. The music and visuals in the opening complimented each other greatly. I really liked how you could learn more about a certain girl just by watching her sequence in the opening.I also enjoyed how every performance highlights the strength of the individual singer and the subunit. Seeing each girl practice and struggle in practice made seeing the final performance that much rewarding.
The story is probably the best I've seen for the idol genre, the girls learn the best methods for being the ideal idol and learn how to work with their other members of their subunits. Even if certain girls didn't get along or act strangely, it revealed more about the group chemistry. The main plot is how 765 productions want to do what's best for their idols and ensure they are in a healthy environment while the opposing production company only carries about efficiency and results over everything else. So towards the halfway point you are watching a big game of playing to your idols' strengths and being transparent vs manipulation & dominating your competition by any means necessary.
The only complaint I had about the series was how the idols treated the producer like he was their boyfriend at times, but for the most part it lead to a lot of funny and heartfelt moments.
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planetJane
87/100
Do you believe in rock 'n roll? Can music save your mortal soul?
*All of my reviews contain __spoilers __for the reviewed material. This is your only warning.*
_“I believe in everyone!”_
In the grand scheme of things, the 2010s are only just over. In every artform, at every level of discourse, there are discussions to be had and evaluations to be made. What defined the New ’10s, now that they’re in the rear view? Perhaps more importantly, what deserves to be taken into the future? 2011’s The Idolm@ster turns ten next year, but it remains the gold standard by which nearly every other idol anime since has been judged. If it’s not the best idol anime, it can feel, especially at its heights, like the only one that truly matters.

The first interesting thing about Idolm@ster is how unselfconsciously normal it is. This is an idol anime with zero gimmicks, perhaps simply due to being from a time where you just didn’t need one. (Being adapted from an already-popular IP probably helped too.) Instead you have a large cast of characters, a shared dream of stardom among them, and some snappy sugary J-pop to soundtrack it all.

Despite these simple and few ingredients (and the aforementioned size of the cast), Idolm@ster never really feels like a marketing tool, even though on some level it is. The earnest, unfiltered look into the lives of twelve girls who are, at the start of the show, working-class entertainers, conveys a kind of honesty more associated with rock documentaries than it is the idol industry.

This is not to say that The Idolm@ster is realistic–that would be absurd. Rather, it has a kind of focused idealism. The Idolm@ster does not depict so much the realities of becoming an idol (though they’re an influence on it), but rather the dream of becoming one. The series imagines a world where the truism that hard work and dedication can lead even the most humble of person to fame and fortune is not just true, but provable. This is an important distinction, because for all the mundanities it does depict, especially in its forehalf, The Idolm@ster is interested less in being about idols than it is being about people who want to become idols. It is a series, at its best moments, of character study, which elevates it above idol anime that come off as simply trying to sell something.

In an impressive feat of economy, over its 24 episodes nearly every member of its cast (including a few who aren’t members of the core 765 Pro group) gets at least one focus episode, a few get full-blown arcs. Chihaya’s, where she comes to terms with the death of her brother and learns to sing for herself, is probably the best, but several others are also very strong. This includes Haruka’s, also something of a broad-reaching arc for the group itself, which concludes the series. Not all of them quite get the screentime–or the consideration–they deserve, and The Idolm@ster‘s few flaws are always somehow tied to this. Makoto’s abbreviated story never reaches any satisfying conclusion; the gap between the masculine way she is sold to her audience and the feminine way she wants to actually present herself is never properly addressed, and it is the series’ sole serious misstep.

Importantly though not a single character feels like anything less than a fully-fledged person. Even those with somewhat silly personalities (such as Hibiki and her affinity for animals) have layers to them, and the show is keen to show off its writing in this regard. Haruka’s aforementioned show-concluding arc takes a sledgehammer to her surface personality as a hardworking ‘good girl’, only to build it back up with a healthy dose of magical realism (present in a few of the show’s strongest moments) in the penultimate episode.

But of course, as with everything, technique is only as valuable as the resonance it creates. The thing with The Idolm@ster is that even though, statistically speaking, most people watching it are not, and will never be, idols, it is shockingly easy to relate to what these girls go through. I suspect what connects with whom varies somewhat, but, going back to that character writing; every character’s motivation is simple, concrete, and dead-easy to get your head around. That means that when you see them struggle, you can put yourself in their shoes.

I love, for instance, Zombieland Saga, but most people are not (say) undead biker-delinquents, and struggles that stem from being one require a lot more levels of abstraction to really hit the audience in the heart. By contrast, and to return to my earlier examples, things like Haruka’s fear that her friend group is drifting apart, Mikki’s simple desire to be the center of attention, and Chihaya’s near-compulsive need to keep singing are all things that will touch different kinds of people in a very immediate and personal way. I write about anime because I love doing it, and I often find myself internally debating whether or not doing it just because of that is okay. Chihaya sings, as she eventually comes to terms with, because she loves doing it, and struggles with whether or not that’s okay. We are, by any reasonable metric, vastly different people, but The Idolm@ster‘s strength of craft is such that I can see myself in someone who is fundamentally very little like me because when she bares her soul at the climax of her focus arc, belting out “Nemuri Hime” acapella, I feel it in mine. What is art even for, if not that?

And that, ultimately, is what I intend to reflect here. This is a show that gets it. The appeal of a lot of anime is that everyone, fundamentally, can sometimes use a glimpse of a world where pop music or some other silly thing really can save your soul, and getting there requires a deft touch and a subtle command of high emotion. And Idolm@ster is very emotional indeed.

So, nearly ten years later, it feels safe to say that we can–and should–bring it with us into the ’20s and beyond. This is the one almost every idol anime since is still vigorously copying notes off of, and it’s easy to see why. Something this focused on looking forward could only age amazingly. “Onward to a sparkling future”, as one of the show’s many songs would put it. Are you ready?

**Notes & Disclaimers** Usage of Anilist's review feature does not constitute endorsement for Anilist as a platform, the Anilist community or any individual member thereof, or any of Anilist's policies or rules. All views expressed are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by me. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.
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R2R
75/100
My first "Proper" Idol Anime
https://anilist.co/anime/10278/The-Idol-Master/

This is my first introduction to proper idol show. I'm using the word "proper" because the first idol Anime I watched is "Zombieland Saga", but I think it's more of a parody of Idol Anime than being an Idol Anime (and the CGI was bad). Anyway, enough of that. Let's talk about this Anime.

The starting 10 or so episodes are just setup for all 12 idols of 765 pro, so they were more on the light-hearted tone. The middle 10 or so is when the drama begins. Things get a little heavy with a competition and some other stuff with 961 pro. 21-24 episodes are all about Haruka, and the final episode is just the Anime going out with a bang. Now I'll share what I like and dislike about the Anime.

Likes
- The Colorful Cast
I actually wanted to watch this Anime because of how bright & colorful everyone looks and I got what I expected. They all got different personalities to make things more colorful and livelier.
You want to see a normal girl? - You have it.
You want to see a tsundere? - You have it.
You want to see a kuudere? - You have it.
You want to see a Ara Ara oneesan? - You have it.
You want to see a princess? - You have it.
You want to see twins? - You have it.
You want to see a Tomboy? - I bet it does.
But despite their differences, they have one thing in common. They have the same dream, to become an Idol. Even though the meaning of Idol differs with person which kinda what makes this a little interesting.
- The Dance Performances
After watching Zombieland Saga, my expectations weren't high when it came to dances after seeing how CGI idols can put me off. So, it was a surprise seeing how they animated & choreographed these performances by not using complete CGI for dances and left me in awe after seeing some moments. Like the occasional winks & poses during those stage performances is what sold me to this show. My favorite one was "Rest@rt" from episode 13. I think, it was after that I really got curious about these live performances.
- The FUN Episodes
The first half was really enough to make me get invested into the show, with idols doing TV shows, idols doing murder mysteries, and then there's episode 8 - "The Indirect Route to Happiness", and it was a RIDE. It kinda takes the formula of Anime like Baccano! & Durarara!!, intertwining different characters into one coherent story with idols in a single episode and this became so unexpected & chaotic mess that I actually end up liking it. My favorite episode from the entire series.
- Development of Haruka Amami
She didn't have much spotlight in most of the show. She looks more like a supporting character than a main lead but her development that comes in the penultimate episodes is where the show really peaks. In those 3-4 episodes, they made it clear why she was the first character we got introduced at the beginning of the show.
- Makoto Kikuchi
Personal favorite. Best Girl. Fight me.

Dislikes
- No Proper conflict in second half
After a much livelier & light hearted first half, we get into the second half where things get little hectic when the rivals, 961 pro come into the play and this is when the show kinda degrades. 961 pro president is like the textbook definition of evil (& also VAd by DIO), who basically brings the conflict. And the drama in this "conflict" didn't really sit well with me. It's so predictable and melodramatic, that it became boring. Conflicts should bring tension to the show, especially when the characters we loved & care for are going through it, which helps them to grow but this conflict never really raised any tension. The conflict was just there to move the plot, instead of raising tension for some tight drama.
- Yayoi Takatsuki
(I'm really sorry).
There's nothing more frustrating than seeing the person you want to like, ends up making you mad. And that's Yayoi for me. I know, she's 13 year old and has family troubles but I really couldn't stand her child-like noises or exaggerations and mostly killed the entire mood for me. No personal hate, just frustrated.
- Some Character drama
There are 15 different characters so it stumbles on a few and this mostly varies with person. The first half is mostly episodic and while it did a good job at crafting some good characters like Chihaya and Hibiki, some characters like Iori, Yukiho and a few others weren't as effective as they wanted to portray.

Summary

Well, you gotta like idols, you know? After all, they spread LOVE.
I thought the Anime was really good. It sticks to concept of Idols, presenting with colorful cast and well animated dance sequences but couldn't reach it's full potential and stumbled at a few character arcs. If you are new to Idol genre tho, then I definitely recommend this. I'm not really saying this made me interested in the idol genre cause I was (& still am), a little hesitant to dig deep into this genre but it definitely gave me an enjoyable ride and it was damn worth the time.
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