Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49

With an all male cast, you'd expect the producers to take the usual fan-service route as we watch the bight, glistening lives of these up and coming idols. But Shounen Hollywood gave me a pleasant surprise.

First, this show won't please everyone. That's just that. For the same reason not everyone loves a bubbly romance or a quirky comedy, it's all preference and personal taste. Also this is just going to be an informal review focusing on the pros of the series.

If you've been watching loads of fast pace, action packed shows and need a little breather, then maybe you might want to give this ... anime a chance. Shounen Hollywood is a slice of life through and through, and also one of the most realist works I've seen in a long time. The art style itself is more realistic then most anime (but hey different's not bad and it is all still just an art form). It's has a slow, easygoing pace most of the time, and that's where I think this series deserves some credit. It doesn't try to entertain it's audience with tones of drama, traumatic back stories, or shinning comebacks. Rather we see these teenagers as they struggle with their personal problems, insecurities, how they deal with each other, and how they ultimately grow together to make Shounen Hollywood (their group) a success.

Anyone familiar with the world of music would know that it takes A LOT of time and work if you want to make a name for yourself. And I like how Shounen Hollywood takes it's time, using a good majority of it portraying how they're just practicing to improve nonstop. Cause the reality is, your not going to get those fans unless you put your best efforts out there.

A last point worth mentioning is how fun this is to watch if you are a J-pop fan. Btw, I said this show was realistic but there's probably some people who would beg to differ. And I want to clarify that this show is realistic from a more Japanese perspective. Just different cultures, different values, different norms, you probably get it. So anyways back to my point. The Japanese idol industry is quite different then western pop music, and it was great to see it from a behind-the-scenes sort of way. There were several moments when I saw how several of my favorite guy groups had done or said the exact same things as these characters. And I laughed when realizing, like the Shounen Hollywood members, they probably get embarrassed having to say cliche catch phrases and pickup lines too. The songs themselves remind me of the J-idol style of music.

Despite what I've said about it, Shounen Hollywood does have times it could have been better. I truthfully enjoyed it but after all is said and done, I really can't say it was an extraordinary show. Other reviews say plenty on what kind of flaws it has so I won't. But since none of them highlighted what Shounen Hollywood did do right, I though I'd be the one to at least mention them.

I never get interested in writing a review before but this anime is really underrated and underscored even though it did it's job well. Please beware that english is not my native language and the review is more and less cover both seasons.

At first I thought Shounen Hollywood will be just like other generic idol animes like Utapri or Idolmaster. But this anime actually took a different route, and it was a great decision. Instead of talking positive craps like 'idol is about your heart', Shohari taught the audience that 'there is no thing such as an eternal idol'. This shows conveyed the reality ... in a very humble way; not criticizing it but also not glorifying it. You can dream as high as you can, but Shohari reminds you that dream can change and your future does not equal your dream.

They are practically talks about realistic things such as the importance of handshaking event, had to do embarrassing introduction, forced to do ridiculous TV job as a newbie, fans rejection of the new debuted group (Shohari actually has 2 generations and this anime revolves around the junior group), the rotation of who stands on the center, etc. One part I like about it is that they don't restraint of showing the rivalry between band members, but also not exaggerate it to turn into unnecessary drama. Before rival and friend, they are team mates.

The anime takes a slow pace, slow enough to make general audience get confused which direction this show is taking. But actually every episode this anime has its own importance. If you miss one episode, you will miss one great moment of character development. The characters are lovable and relatable, at least for me. Their worries are too ordinary that we even forgot we also has that kind of useless worry when we were young.

The script was also well done. It was not the best out there but it has deeper meaning than what it seems.

The voice acting is OK too, at least for the junior group. The casts for 1st generation was kinda unfit, but you can endure it because they are not the focus of the show. On the other side, the music is really good. They don't make it half-assed even though this is an underdog shows. I really love the OP and the changing ED songs are entertaining too, to the extent I never skipped it.

Animation is so-so. There are a lot of derp faces but not that much to turn you off. Instead they compensate it with an awesome backgrounds. Well, you can't expect much from a low-budget show.

Overall, it could be hard for a non J-pop fans to get into this because this anime bring a lot of J-idol references and that is one of the reasons why I enjoyed it. I as a fan of Johnny's, think that this show tried to make a vague reference of real Idol like AKB (the handshaking event) or Johnny's groups (the scene of counterfeit photos in unofficial idol shop, their performance in Mste, and actually the 1st generation kinda resembles Hikaru Genji). However, if you wanted a fresh Idol anime without unrealistic nonsense and you have enough patience in your mind, then you should not miss Shounen Hollywood.

*) probably will edit this after season 2 completed

I watched both seasons of Shounen Hollywood.

Most important: this anime is really underrated and I recommend it.

This is not a generic anime and should not be judged before viewing.

This anime is dripping with metaphor and depth. This anime is bittersweet. I found this anime both depressing and joyful at times. I found this anime emotionally engaging.

The passage of time and one's youth is a predominant theme in this artistic work.

... If the above doesn't appeal to you, then if you're interested in the entertainment industry then you'll find Shounen Hollywood entertaining.

I really could feel the artistic vision here. It's difficult to put into words but this was definitely a ‘passion project.’ There was a ton of potential here but I'm forced to give it a 7/10 for technical reasons. I still strongly recommend it.

The bad: production quality is mediocre at best. It is arguably poorly directed. My greatest criticism is that 26 episodes is a lot of time and that time could have been used more effectively. There was so much potential for greatness and some of it was squandered.

I expected to drop this on episode 1 but it completely blew away my expectations. Just give it a chance.

I generally don't write reviews on anything I've seen, but I really think I should write on this anime.

From what I've seen on many websites, people bash this anime because it is not like Uta no Prince-Sama. Personally, I'm glad it's not UtaPri. I do enjoy UtaPri, but there are some things that I like here more the UtaPri.

People also need to realise that UtaPri and Shounen Hollywood may be about idols BUT one does not focus on love and beauty of the idol life, but the realism of it.
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Story [7/10]
The story does start off a little slow, but it is very enjoyable. It is ... about high school boys who want to be idols, but they face hardships. They are the second generation of Shounen Hollywood. However, many people are not fond of them being a second generation and send very hurtful letters to discourage them, however these boys persevere. These kids do it through hardwork and build up their talent without going to a school specifically for it. These guys start from the ground up. The only problem is it doesn't explain too much on why they were chosen for the group. (Maybe it does next season).

Art [7/10]
The art...is a little bit awkward for me. I got used to it though. It was pretty realistic, but there are some moments where the art was a little iffy.

Sound [8/10]
I really like the songs, but there weren't any jaw dropping songs. I think their voices go well together. My favourite song is Eien Never Ever.

Character [8/10]
The character development is very good. I'm not too sure where some people say it was absolutely terrible??? But of course, there are a few things that seem kind of confusing, but not enough to outright say it was terrible.

Enjoyment [9/10]
I quite enjoyed watching this anime. I really liked how it focused more on the realism of the idol industry and was not all happy 24/7. I also liked how they didn't throw any romance in here. I really think that's what made me enjoy it so much.
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Overall [8/10]
It's a pretty good show. I recommend it to those who want to see something that deals with hardships and realism of the idol industry without all the mushy love scenes and ideas.

Did you expect something cliché like boys singing and dancing and lalala? Then, that’s a wrong impression you have there mate. Shounen Hollywood Holly Stage for 49 is way beyond that.

One word is all it takes to make any anime worthy to be watched: interesting. It’s simple. If you think it’s interesting, then watch. If not, then don’t. It all boils down in asking yourself: Is it interesting enough to make me watch it?

So? What makes this anime interesting?

Well, what is an idol? Is being an idol the right path to take? What does it takes to be an idol? --- ... These are the questions that swirls around the anime.

The episodes are mild and slow-paced, in a good way. This anime shows a different angle of idols. The masses only see idols as they are on screen, on a poster or on a picture. They shine. They sparkle. They always smile like they don’t have any troubles. However, what happened before all of that? What kind of road could they have taken to get there? What kind of lives do they lead?

The characters are fascinating especially, the five main characters. They aren’t boring at all since they have different personalities which blend well together. Each of them has quirks that make them interesting and stand out on their own. In addition, they are all eye-candies. Red, pink, blue, yellow and green… I couldn’t pick out a favourite out of the five.

So? Is it worth it?
Yes, I enjoyed watching this anime. Actually, I didn’t expect it to influence me this much. I’m so glad that I stumbled upon this show. I don’t mind watching the two seasons all over again.

This is only a small review.
As you may know, Idols' anime are not the most popular when it comes to story, plot and character development. (Utapri is alive just because of the fangirls and the "good-looking seiyuus") So if you think there won't be a good Anime about idols besides Love Live, you're wrong.

Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49 is a nice and almost simple anime that show us the way an idol is and have to be born, how to act and also, how the idols feel themselves.

Nice music, a good character development and well desings is a cool combination; it ... will include questions about life with Kakeru (one of the main characters) and the clichè part of being an Idol with Tomi but keep in mind: Shounen Holywood is great, you have to watch at least 3 episode to know if it is your thing or not. If you don0t like it, that's ok, but that doesn't mean Shohari is not good.

I decided to grade each and every scoring board a hard 10 because there is no f*cking way Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49 only scored an average lame 6.14.

Thanks to the popular notion regarding Idol-genre anime, both the studios and the audience always imagine such anime as flashy, colorful, packed with smokes and mirrors, and last but not least: easily digestible. For decades now, Idol anime is seen as a strawberry parfait of anime industry. Each season will always offer at least two or three Idol anime and they all seem to serve as a complementary dessert accompanying the main dishes such as Shounen-battle ... anime or formulaic Shoujo saga. Shounen Hollywood tried to be more than just a strawberry parfait. Unfortunately for the classicists out there, there is neither flashiness or smokes or mirrors in this anime. Shounen Hollywood focuses on only one thing: the trials and tribulations of being an idol in real life. Yes, the last two words may have already turned off the readers of this review.

Serving as the center of gravity is Kazami Kakeru, who accepts the offer of being an idol (or an ideal trainee, at the beginning) on a whim. In his core, he is a blank canvas who, as he dives deeper into the idol-hood, encounters more questions than answers. In fact, the whole five personnel encounter questions of their own as they deal with debuts, expectations, fame, disappointment, and (I'm not kidding) existential crisis. As this anime reaches it climax, the audience is served a flinching possibility of these idols most likely on the brink of failure. More often than not, IRL idol must gamble too much for rewards that are simply too little. Why are they still fighting their best to be an idol, then? Well, the season finale may not give the audience the solid answer but my gosh, these aspiring idols are very solid in their determination.

Personally, I get it-- very few people enjoy anime that offer more talking and less acting. Nonetheless, do not count Shounen Hollywood out just yet. Life is more than just about singing and dancing, and Shounen Hollywood totally nailed it.

#felixlovesanime

(Note: this a review for both Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49 and its sequel, - for 50.)

Shounen Hollywood tackles the lives of 5 boys as they work towards being idols - idols who shine, who inspire others, idols who are worth being looked up on. Quite the grand set-up, don't you think? One would expect a "kira-kira" fest, or a wave of "ikemen aura" seeing as it's about Japanese idols.

Except that this anime is actually so simple and realistic. It's so average - so average that it is, in fact, brilliant. From the media we consume (Jpop and Kpop), we have developed some high ... expectations of our idols, and oftentimes we complain about how they are so different from us, how they are so unreachable. However, in this anime, we get to see their journey on how they are before they were idols and what comes after debut. And no, don't expect dramatic scenarios like in Dream High (a kdrama about idols-to-be).

Story: 6.8 + Characters: 8
The episodes are almost on a day-by-day basis. Often, each episode focuses on one character to narrate their thoughts, their circumstance, and then show a development to their character at the end of the episode. It is a slice of life through and through especially with the slow pace and the normal-ness of the setting, not really too appealing if one is not a fan of the genre. The actual plot is actually not so much, I mean, the setting is there - the boys train to become and work as idols. The story works because of its focus on the characters and character development. It shows how normal the boys are, how they are in fact a far-cry from our image of idols - but with the slow pacing of the story, the idol lessons every day, the internal struggles of the characters, I can't help but be attached.

The characters are as normal as they can be. They actually seem so close to us: I mean, they are struggling like us! Sometimes they act so immature and selfish. Sometimes they doubt themselves. There's nothing extraordinary about the boys that sometimes, even I would doubt how these guys are going to be idols. The boys' talents barely pass the average level. In this sense, the story actually captures the essence of the idol system in Japan - the audience would see their struggle first, then see their growth and improvement throughout the years. I think that maybe the normal-ness of the anime is actually a tribute to this system. Japan's idol system after all induces the thought that idols are also humans, and any one can become an idol if they want to (so different from Korea's, where the idols should be as perfect as possible).

Even so, the anime does not show a "Just be yourself" vibe at all. Throughout the series, we see the boys develop to become more idol-like, whatever that is, and slowly grow up as they age. Moreover, the anime also doesn't go all omni-like. Sometimes it may seem that the president of the company has this all-knowing vision for the boys, but often everyone just really don't know how everything would go on. Just like in real life. There's no one babbling about "correct" ideals. Everyone just develop as they slowly collect experiences and meetings with people. The anime just really successfully shows the reality of people.

One more attractive note about the characters is how they are sometimes unpredictable (to me, at least). When we watch a lot of anime, we tend to predict their next actions based on the patterns and tropes from other anime, right? It's fun to see how my predictions would be debunked as the characters go do or say other stuff that I didn't expect.

Btw, 49 shows the story of the boys pre-debut, and 50 shows their lives as actual idols.

Art: 7
The art style also helped to the brilliancy of the story. It's one of those realistic style, so the characters don't have extraordinary and prince-like visuals as one would usually expect in idol anime. The characters have distinct faces, so one would know that the main boys do have good enough visuals (compared to the others) to be scouted to become idols.

Sound: 7
The soundtracks are all, again, average. They're the type that are not so remarkable on the first listening, but I do admit that some songs are actually my type and I liked them right away (as someone who actually likes Jpop). The voice actors did a great job with their characters: Makki's voice is tough but also playful, Kakeru's is calm like his character, Shun's is that boyfriend-type kind of voice (if you know what I mean lol), Tomii's is so distinct with the nasal sound and the VA did great with the optimistic character of Tomii, and Kira's is really good with the volume control and VA portrayed Kira's personality effectively with his technique.

Overall:
Honestly, this isn't for everyone. I think this would be more appealing to those who already has background on the JPOP scene. Personally, I got bored at the start and put it on-hold first because of the realistic art style, which I wasn't used to, and also because of the pacing. I found myself binge-watching it when I actually craved for a slice of life though, so I guess that's also one condition.