AIKATSU STARS!

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MOVIE MusicAikatsu Stars! Movie
ANIME MusicAikatsu Stars! Hoshi no Tsubasa
ANIME MusicAikatsu Friends!
ANIME MusicAikatsu!
ANIME MusicAikatsu on Parade!
ANIME MusicAikatsu Planet!

REVIEWS

• 

  user60989

  74/100
  A sequel that improves on the original. Great for fans and viewers looking to get into the series.

  *Note: If you are a new to Aikatsu!, please read my review of the original anime first for a general understanding of the franchise. This review is primarily guided towards those already familiar with the series.

  *This review will cover the entirety of Aikatsu Stars! which is 100 episodes in length.

  

  Aikatsu Stars! is an excellent successor in many regards. Premiered in early 2016, it ran for two years airing 100 episodes before being succeeded by Aikatsu Friends!. It builds and expands from its predecessor without losing the charm of the original series. Fans of the first series will have no problems adjusting to this new world along with its entirely different line of characters. While the weaknesses that are prevalent in the original carry on throughout the sequel, it does attempt to improve on those qualities and, for the most part, actually succeeds in doing so. As a standalone anime, Stars! is pretty decent and new viewers do not need to watch the original to enjoy it.

  The story of Stars! is no different than any other anime of this genre. Here we follow Nijino Yume as she begins her journey to becoming a top idol. Sound familiar? The premise may be the same but the setting and direction of the anime differs slightly making Stars! a bit more interesting to watch.
  Four Star Academy, the school where the girls attend, is split into four divisions with each specializing in their own skill. They are: Flower Song Class, Bird Theater Class, Moon Beauty Class, and Wind Dance Class. This ties into the school's own idol unit group known as "S4" who sit atop of the school rankings. Each division's top idol make up a member of S4 making it a common goal for many young idols to become an S4 member of their respective class.
  This isn't any different than the models, producers, and designers from the original series but instead of keeping it as a side factor, Stars! brings it to the forefront of the story. What does being an idol mean to them? Because everyone isn't forced to fight down one alley it gives room for viewers to enjoy the efforts of multiple characters, ultimately creating a more satisfying story.

  "One day, I'm going to be the top star among the idols! Nijino Yume! Starting her Aikatsu!" – Nijino Yume, Season 1 intro

  On the topic of story, Aikatsu Stars! is definitely more interesting than the original. Though it brings some minor fantasy elements to achieve this, it never feels unbelievable. The show even introduces a villain-like character, which is not common for these types of shows, in the later stages as well to add more impact to the story. There's even some light drama, although minor and few, scattered throughout the story. It's not something that defines the show but it helped make it a bit more exciting to watch. Stars! tells only one story. The characters established at the beginning are the characters you'll watch grow right until the very end. It feels complete with everyone getting an appropriate amount of development. Even with these differences, the show never strays too far from its core. It takes the formula that we've already come to love and enhances it in just the right ways.

  "All of your experiences are reflected in your radiance. Both smiles and tears are valuable experiences you should use to shine even brighter." – Shiratori Hime to Yume, Episode 49

  Character wise, Stars! is very similar to Aikatsu!. Typical tropes are used just in slightly different ways. Many of the singers that provided voices for the original also provide singing voices in Stars!. There is also a male idol group known as "M4". They don't really impact the story much other than to change the pace every now and then. Overall, the characters are what you would expect them to be.
  On a personal note, I feel the teacher characters are the ones that are the most uninteresting. Bring back Johnny-sensei!

  The soundtrack is amazing, just like the original. Plenty of catchy songs to enjoy with a good variety of genres covered.
  The animation quality continues to improve from the original, especially in the 3D CGI segments.

  "Because my inspiration is you. There's no way I could've made it this far on my own. It was only because you were next to me, never stopping, that no matter how much it hurt, I could muster the will to try again, to win the struggle against myself." – Sakuraba Laura to Yume, Episode 99

  Aikatsu Stars! may look like a re-skinned and rehash version of Aikatsu! and to a certain degree I don't think anyone would disagree with that statement. But the decision to take a slightly different approach and add more interesting elements to the series makes it an admirable sequel, all while carrying the same heart and soul that is Aikatsu!. Like its predecessor, it has the same flaws and downsides. But the things that the show does right, it does it very well. Stars! is a great example of a sequel done right.
  If you are a fan of Aikatsu!, this show will not disappoint. New and want to get into the series? Aikatsu Stars! is the perfect anime to do so as it does everything the original anime does, but a little bit better.

  Continue on AniList
• 

  MetaThPr4h

  100/100
  A more serious and equally great take on the original

  After the amazing experience I had with the original Aikatsu, Stars had a big challenge to face trying to live up to its quality, did it succeed? Definitely!

  What is about, and differences with the original

  Aikatsu Stars keeps most of what makes the franchise shine with it's wholesomeness, heartwarming moments, and the constant pain in your mouth due to how much you're smiling watching it, but what this entry has is considerably more drama and serious moments through the story attached to the character development of the cast. If you prefer that this is a big bonus towards trying out Stars, while not really being a negative if you liked the original and you're thinking about watching this one since in my opinion it was well handled through the whole run.

  Outside of two fantastic crossover episodes with the original (which are perfectly skippable if you haven't watched it) this is a stand-alone story set in an idol school which focuses on “self-producing” (finding your way to stand out and shine, encouraging the search of what makes each of the students unique and great).

  There are four classes, each specializing on different things, like singing and performing, with the best student of each becoming part of the S4 (best school uniforms in anime btw), the top members of the school that everyone admires and wants to become a part of. The protagonist of the story, Yume, is one of the tons of fans they have and she joins the school wishing to reach the top, will she succeed?

  

  With the people behind Aikatsu having more experience with the franchise, there comes two quite strong positives in comparison to the original:

  • The dances are great from episode 1. The CGI of the original at the start of its run was… mediocre to say the least, but at this point of the franchise things are way different. If you can't stomach the performances at the start of the first series, Aikatsu Stars (or the also awesome Aikatsu Friends) is there for you.

  • The story is more compact and less repetitive: While the original has a ton of positives on what happens during the episodes, it's clear that they were just trying stuff at times and ditching them later on to do other things instead, or some parts were like doing 2-3 episodes in a row of the same thing but with different characters, Aikatsu Stars handles this way better and presents a well paced story while keeping the quality and the character development that the original shines with.

  Characters

  The strongest part of the Aikatsu franchise is its fantastic characters, and Stars is definitely not an exception to the rule.

  Before touching on the main characters, I will talk a bit more about the S4 girls, who are some of the best role model characters I have seen. They are at the top of the school and it's well deservedly so, being extremely good at what they do and always there to help the others to improve. They also get focus and development through the series, and the interactions between them and the main characters are some of the best moments of Stars. My own favorite character of this anime is the cheerful Yuzu, there are so many favorite-worthy characters even outside of the main ones!

  Now let's talk a bit about the main characters:

  • Yume Nijino is our protagonist of the story. She's a cheerful girl with strong determination and her talent for singing is incredible. You will see yourself cheering for her success and the smiles she wants to give to everyone.

  • Rola/Laura Sakuraba she's Yume's rival (and therefore best friend by Aikatsu standards) and one of the strongest characters when it comes to their drama and development. She doesn't like losing at all, and in a world full of competition like hers this proves to be a problem.

  • Ako Saotome, usually looking calm and confident, but actually quite hot-blooded, our (cat)girl loves acting and has a talent for it. She also has a massive crush on Subaru (a member of the M4, basically the S4 of the boys and source of lots of awesome interactions with the main cast) which leads to a lot of fun moments.

  • Mahiru Kasumi, the most mature girl of the main cast. She shines at modeling, and while her strong aura makes her look difficult to approach (her karate skills don't help with that), she's actually pure kindness.

  • Koharu Nanakura, a quiet girl and Yume's childhood friend. She joined the school together with her due to her admiration towards the S4, and they are always helping each other.

  This is just a part of the whole cast and it's definitely missing other characters you will probably get to love as much or even more as them (looking at you Lily!)

  Dances

  As mentioned above, unlike the original, Stars has quality performances right from the start, that together with the great songs the series has makes for such a fantastic experience and a filled playlist. When it comes to the visuals, this anime is always on point, with some of the most important episodes delivering crazy good animation to add to the impact of the moment.

  Here is just a taste of the CGI you will see watching this anime:

  Episode 10 (dance starts at 1:01)

  Episode 19 (starts at 1:07)

  Episode 38 (I love this one)

  Conclusion

  Keeping strengths from the original, presenting another fantastic cast, and giving us more awesome songs that will go to our playlists, Aikatsu Stars delivers a fantastic story full of both fun and emotional moments that, together with the solid character development, makes for a very memorable experience.

  Thanks a lot for reading! I hope this review convinced you to at least put Aikatsu Stars in the endless void that is the plan to watch from your list, now that I'm up to date with this franchise I feel so empty, a feeling I wouldn't be surprised if you felt as well after watching it!

  
  Continue on AniList

SIMILAR ANIMES YOU MAY LIKE

• ANIME

  ComedyKirarin☆Revolution
• ANIME

  DramaPretty Rhythm: Rainbow Live
• ANIME

  ComedyPriPara
• ANIME

  MusicShining Star
• ANIME

  MusicLove Live! School idol project
• ANIME

  ComedyTHE IDOLM@STER
• ANIME

  ActionHUGtto! Precure
• ANIME

  ComedyIdol Time PriPara
• ANIME

  Mahou ShoujoWaccha PriMagi!
• MOVIE

  ActionPop in Q
• ANIME

  MusicLove Live! Superstar!!
• ANIME

  AdventureMewkledreamy