Idoly Pride

Shingeki no Kyojin sundays? More like Idoly Pride Sundays. Idoly Pride was second only to Mushoku Tensei in terms of enjoyment for me this season, and it was pretty damn close. This was definitely the hidden gem of the season.

Idoly Pride was always going to get a high score for me. It’s really hard to mess up the idol formula. Cute girls, cute outfits, songs that are bops, etc. But, the show exceeded all expectations that I had and was such a pleasant surprise. The best way that I could describe the series is a mix between 22/7 and Love Live. It’s quite a bit ... darker than LL, but not quite as dark as 22/7.

The focus on Kotono’s self-discovery and individual development was great, and the conclusion that she and the other girls get was very satisfying. What I really loved about IP compared to other idol projects is the social commentary that it gives on the idol industry. At one point, a traditional LL-esque group go up against one of the show’s new gen idol groups and it does a great job highlighting society and the music industry’s preference for idol music. Why some groups get hot and others don’t. The more realistic approach that it takes compared to LL, Bandori, Lapis etc., is a welcome change of pace.

In any anime, one of the biggest factors in evaluating it is the performances. In Idoly Pride, I was honestly taken aback quite a bit by how well done and high quality the performances were. The CGI was amazing. At points I couldn’t distinguish between 2D and 3D CGI. I’d even argue it was better than LL Nijigaku. Music wise, the songs from the groups are all bops. Liznoir and Moon Tempest have no skips in their catalogs, and watching the show will introduce you to some amazing music.

Honestly, at this point I’m not sure which I like more as a multimedia project. LL or IP. Yes, to me this show and project are that damn good. If you’re a fan of idols, or want to try out the genre, I highly recommend Idoly Pride. It’s an enjoyable show full of diverse personalities that provides insight into the Japanese idol industry as well as a heart warming story of self-discovery and redemption after loss. Idoly Pride gets 10 mics out of 10.

PRIDE. What do you associate with the word "pride"?

Every idol would surely want to be able to say with full pride one day: I have fulfilled my dream to become the very best. The idol dream requires a lot of hard work in addition to talent. You always have to train and practice more than the competitors. But if you manage to be at the top, you can be proud of yourself.

Imagine you are at the peak of your career, you are only one step away from climbing the top and then the most terrible imaginable thing in life happens: a fatal accident. Mana Nagase ... was the pride of "Hoshimi Productions". She is pretty, has a friendly character and was very successful as a solo idol, she was just one little step away from her dream... It was a deep shock for everyone. But a few years later the production decides to make a second attempt in the idol world. At the beginning only with a duo of the girls Sakura and Kotone, it later expanded to two idol groups with 5 members each. Supporting each and with full pride in their hearts, they aim to be the best in the world and fulfill Mana's lifelong dream.

Even if Mana is no longer with us, she can be seen in the form of a spirit. However, besides Mei the producer Makino-kun is the only person who can see Mana. After her successful debut, she quickly gained popularity and was also known as the "starry miracle". Mana told Makino-kun that she believes she can reach peace and stop appearing as a ghost once Kotono achieves her dream.

Kotono is a member of the idol group "Tsuki no Tempest" (Tempest Moon). Despite her cold look, she is a rookie idol with a secret passion. Mana's death was the hardest for her to swallow and so she became more and more a loner. At first only with the aim of pursuing her older sister's dream, her character develops with the help of her friends.
Nagisa is Kotono's best friend. She became an idol to support her. Nagisa embraces everyone around her with a cheerful smile. She has a calm and devoted personality, and she often supports people who are in trouble.
The leader of the group "Tempest Moon" is Saki. She is the student council president at school; she wanted to break free of her honor student lifestyle and fulfill her childhood dream which was becoming an idol. She takes care of everyone in “Hoshimi Production” as well and is the leader of their group.
Suzu is the fourth girl from the group. She is a confident, clumsy and easily teased young lady. She joined the Hoshimi Production as an escape from her own personal troubles. Suzu is a devotee of Mana, calling her "Mana-sama" and collects her CDs and other goods.
The last member of the group is Mei who, as mentioned before, can see Mana too as the skill of seeing ghosts has been passed down in her family. She and Mana became very good friends quickly since with Mei Mana found a girl who she can talk to.

The other successful idol group in the production is "Sunny Peace". Compared to the moon they are the light of the sun; the ruler of the day and they shine brightly in any sky. Each of them has their own individuality as well.
Sakura was the first girl to join “Hoshimi Productions”. She is also the leader of "Sunny Peace". Sakura is a naive girl who cherishes the ordinary days. She had a difficult past in which her life could only be saved with the help of a heart implant. She has a deep connection to Mana and also had the same singing voice as her before deciding to make people happy with her own voice.
Shizuku has always been a very big idol fan. However, due to her lack of physical strength, she wasn't sure whether she would make it. But with the encouragement and support of her friends, she never gave up.
Chisa is the younger sister of Saki who is a member in the other group “Tempest Moon”. Chisa is a timid girl who always seems to be hiding behind her sister. Because she was constantly protected by her as a child, she did not have the courage to do things on her own. In order to break out of her shell and overcome her own complex, she knocked on the door of the production office.
Rei and Haruko are the remaining two members of the idol group. Rei is very ambitious and has always been an excellent dancer, she didn't like it when the others are not at her level. Initially cold towards the other girls, she changes over time and supports the others.
Haruko is the oldest member of the entire production. At first glance, Haruko appears to be a cool beauty, but inside she is a humble late-bloomer idol. She made her solo debut a few years ago, but sadly didn’t become successful as she wished. Haruko thinks she doesn't have any talent as an idol, but she keeps pushing forward towards her dream.

The most unique and wonderful point about "Idoly Pride" is that we don’t only get to hear the songs from "Tempest Moon" and "Sunny Peace". With "TRINITYAiLE" and "LizNoir" we experience two more idol groups which fascinate us with their songs and dances. In addition to our ten main characters, we also learn the story and the rivalry of them with Mana. Although they are rivals, they encourage each another.
Those two groups are known by the names "TrySail" (e.g. Eromanga-Sensei, High School Fleet) and "Sphere" (e.g. Hanasaku Iroha) in real life as their “Seiyuu-group”. "TrySail" was created as the successors of Sphere. The fantastic songs from these two groups should be known to one or the other. "Tempest Moon" and "Sunny Peace" show with their music that they are on the same level. In addition to the OP "IDOLY PRIDE" and the ED "The Sun, Moon and Stars", sung by the entire "Hoshimi Productions", we can hear many more songs during the anime. Every song is unique and fantastic. The music part is the absolute highlight.

Besides singing, dancing is also part of being a successful idol. The choreography has to be beautiful, every step has to be perfect. Making THE animation for this is certainly not easy, but the studio "Lerche" did it in an excellent way. When the girls enter the stage ready to perform, the environment is becoming like a miracle show where all the elements fit together. We viewers experience every little detail, even their sweat and exertion. I would particularly like to emphasize the transition of the dance lesson with "LizNoir" from the third episode. It’s one of the best dance animations ever, it’s something unique that amazes the whole idol world.

I have to say that I was a bit skeptical about the story at the beginning. It is very unusual and doesn't fit the idol genre. But after watching all twelve episodes, I have to admit that everything in "Idoly Pride" is unique and stands out, yes even the story. I've already written so much about the characters, but each of our girls has even more to offer. They are all wonderful in their own way but only together they form a complete unit and bring us a wonderful idol story. What particularly fascinated me are the songs without doubt. I love the music from "Sunny Peace". But also, the other groups are excellent and you enjoy listening to their songs. Their singles and albums which are already released have even more to offer!

Finally, I really recommend this anime to every idol fan. Don't let the unusual story put you off. Enjoy the animations and the music, feel how the girls train every day to make their dream come true!
I wish from the bottom of my heart that we can experience a second season. They will surely fascinate us even more!

While “idol anime” could be considered a genre unto itself, idol shows typically fall into a “slice of life” or “comedy” genre classification. Cue Idoly Pride – which, despite sharing the basic industry setting as many other idol anime – delivers an emotional story of soul-searching and self-discovery, as opposed to episodic bits of comedy or daily life in showbiz.

While most of the idols of Hoshimi Production (the main agency in Idoly Pride) get their introduction and basic characterization in the first half of the show, Idoly Pride breaks from the common “girl of the week” format often found in idol shows with large ... ensemble casts. A heavy undercurrent looms in the background and takes full stage in the latter half, as the story sharpens its focus on the central characters, their relationships with each other, and their rivals.

The prototypical idol anime protagonist is a genki girl, someone with a sunny disposition and abundance of energy who never gives up. Examples include Kousaka Honoka and Takami Chika from the Love Live! universe, Amami Haruka and Shimamura Uzuki from the Idolmaster series, and Hoshimiya Ichigo from Aikatsu. Genki girls are well suited as leads for optimistic and frequently humorous stories about the path to stardom in the entertainment world. But Idoly Pride’s protagonist, Nagase Kotono, is no genki girl. Aloof and sullen, she is a lone wolf singularly driven to become an idol after being scarred by a past trauma. Kawasaki Sakura, her foil, is warm and spontaneous, and while being cut from the more typical genki girl cloth, she has a unique history of her own. Evolving circumstances and relationships challenge the two girls, and the people around them, to grow and discover new motivations for living and continuing as idols. In this regard, Idoly Pride bears similarity to dramas like Your Lie in April and Anthem of the Heart, in which soul-searching, redemption, and overcoming grief/trauma are prominent themes. There is also a strong supernatural element, carrying echoes of Angel Beats and AnoHana. All told, Idoly Pride occupies a unique place as one of the few “serious” idol shows, and is a worthy addition to the genre. Despite some predictable plot beats, it succeeds as a story with heart wrenching and sincere moments.

On the technical front, Studio Lerche puts forth a solid effort, flexing their muscles for brief, but brilliant flashes of dance sakuga. While 2D animation purists might be disappointed by the show’s use of 3D models in ensemble performances that first look a bit choppy, these scenes have otherwise solid direction, modeling, and choreography. The 3D animation also gets much smoother later – a sign of the teams’ growing familiarity and experience with the medium. As a multimedia project with immense financial backing, Idoly Pride brings aboard well-known composers and performers from the anisong world such as kz-livetune, PA-NON, Sphere, and Trysail. Throughout its run, Idoly Pride features a large catalog of pop music, frequently switching up its ending songs to exhibit music from different idol groups within the show’s universe.

Regardless of my fondness for the show, I cannot unconditionally recommend Idoly Pride. Among genre fans, viewers expecting a happy, feel-good experience will find the atmosphere too somber or melodramatic. Interestingly, this gives the show potential crossover appeal for drama fans and others who do not typically watch idol anime, as they may appreciate the more serious, character-driven narrative – especially if they are a fan of tearjerkers. This positions Idoly Pride as a decent entry point for idol anime newcomers – provided they are willing to keep an open mind about a show in an already niche and saturated field.

Idoly Pride has turned out to be more than likely the best idol show of the season, with it's interesting and different kind of story. Along with a set up that might be the first of it's kind.

Story and characters
The story follows Kouhei, who is scouting talent for a new idol group, the new hit two years after the incident which involved the company's previous idol in Mana, whom sadly lost her life. We learn this after seeing how Kouhei joined the company, and became Mana's manager, as the two we're close classmate friends, and Mana was the one who asked him to join her. ... However, she sadly died in an accident. Though, something strange is now happening, with Kouhei being able to see her ghost! And only he is able to see her for that matter, as she lends advice whenever she can! But not just that, the sister of Mana wants to become an idol for her sister, along with another who can sing just like Mana could previously. Now we'll see how this new idol group does, as others also join the already good cast of characters.

Kouhei is good natured, and has a very kind heart, along with being a professional in terms of management. Mana is a really good girl, and is rather charming too. Her sister Kotono gives off a more serious vibe, but she's a good girl, wanting to pay respect to her sister, it's real sweet. We also have Sakura, the more upbeat one to match up to Kotono, she's real sweet and just lovely. We also have a mix of other idols too, that we're sure to know and appreciate as the show goes along.

Art and sound
Sound is what you would expect when it comes to an idol show, with the songs always being good within it, along with the other sounds in general being good as well. The art style on the other hand feels like it's own. A nice mix of bright and dark that fits real well with what it is presenting. Really good stuff here.

Idoly Pride won't pull anything amazing, but it is certainly a good show within this season, that deserves a watch for sure.

NOTE: This is an early review and will be updated as more episodes are released

STORY & CHARACTER: 8

The series description does it no justice. Mana, an upcoming teenage idol, hits her stride very early in her career only to... well, not succeed so to speak.

The series also follows Kōhei a quietly hopeful, if naïve young that Mana chose from her school to be her manager, and who is haunted by his failures. The other lead is Mana's disillusioned sister Kotono, who views the idol world as a harsh place, and as a means to an end. Mana's cynism of the idol world makes for a ... bold contrast to the usually peppy idol leader type.

The two are joined by a large cast of idols, both rivals and group members, each of which have their own, largely Mana-related reasons for their idol dreams. It's an unusual choice for a shared motivation, and it's interesting to have such a normally positive genre be opened in such a real, and painful, way.

Given only a few episodes have aired (I'll edit this with updates!) the characters besides the core trio are very trope-heavy, and their personalities feel very reused, but there's clearly intentions for them to grow over the series and hopefully come into their own a bit more.


ART: 8.5

The art is, shockingly, spectacular and unusual. The details put in are lovely and delicate, and the character appearances manage to suit their personalities well while also being unique enough that you couldn't mistake them for any other series.

SOUND: 8

Okay, so far, the same song has been repeated a few times by different singers, but it's a darned good song ok? The OP and ED are catchy, but subdued compared to similar series, which suits the more serious motivations of the characters quite well.

Please note this review is intended by those that have finished watching Idoly Pride and while care has been taken to minimize story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned.

Based on an original concept Idoly Pride is a Music genre anime that gives us the unique opportunity to see into the unique star-studded but hard-earned road that chronicles the evolution of a group of young girls as they transform from teenagers and schoolgirls who dream of becoming stars to professional idols that are able to not only bring light and hope to their fans with their dazzling ... performances and songs but also prove to not only themselves but to their loved ones as well that where there is a will, a dream and determination to reach the top there is no dream that you cannot make a reality if you work with your friends and allies. The only real struggle is whether you are able to muster the courage to take that first step and ascend the stairs to stardom that many have attempted but only few had succeeded in. Only with courage and teamwork and an unshakable desire to reach the top will they be able to achieve their dreams of becoming pros and be recognized nationwide as full-fledged idols.

The concept of idols is something that can be said to be very alien to western audiences as there is largely no western equivalent to them in the west unlike how popular and widespread, they are within both Japan and in the Asia Pacific region with notable one’s being the rightly famed AKB48 which is among Japan’s highest-earning musical acts and most recognizable idol group to date known not just in Japan but worldwide as well. While the groups are popularized in medium from manga, tv shows, movies, and games within the anime medium there have been few major successes as the concept is something that while easy to create in the real world is less so in the anime world due to the question of who the protagonist is. Despite that, over the years there have been many successes that while starting off relatively small served to thanks to their massive and often unexpected successes served to expand and become multimedia franchises in their own right with notable examples of this being the famed Idolmaster and Bang Dream series who served to popularize the image of young teenage girls who embark on a hard and exhausting journey that will see them not only learn how to effectively sing and dance and captivate the audience but struggle to achieve their dream of reaching the height of their careers with like-minded friends and teammates.

While the concept and premise of Idoly pride can be said to be very similar to the above-mentioned franchises what served to draw me to the series consisted of two things which were my own personal experiences at not only meeting actual idol groups and the opportunity to see the kind of hard work that goes into their performances as well as my interests in stories that feature young adults struggle against fearsome odds to achieve a goal that has been their dream for a very long time and adventures and bonds that they share with others as they forge their way to the top a premise that this series served to feature in spades. The first episode of the series while serving well to showcase the kind of ages that aspiring idols need to be before joining the industry and introducing the core characters of Mana and Makino also did well to showcase the sense of rivalry that exists in the struggle to get to the top and become the next shining if brief star within the hearts and minds of fans and fellow idols alike. While the first episode did prove to have quite the shocking development in terms of plot it also served as an effective foundation for the core members of the soon to be ascended Idoly Pride group to make their debut a development that served in my eyes to keep my focus on the series in a desire to see what will happen next a decision that I'm glad that I heeded upon.

Kotono Nagase

Kotono Nagase portrayed by new seiyuu Mirai Tachibana is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the main protagonists of the series being not only one of the members of the Hoshimi productions newest generation of idols but also the leader of one of its two subgroups Tsuki no Tempest. The younger sister of Hoshimi production and the idol world’s most prominent solo idol Mana Nagase before her tragic passing Kotono from her initial appearances was shown to be a quiet, composed, calm and confident person by nature that despite still being in high school was shown to have a level of maturity, independence and diligence to her that would surprise most girls her age. While an intelligent person she was also shown to be a realist and was someone that was seen to put every effort into achieving the goals that she sets for herself whether they be academic or ones that define her future path in life. Though an admirable quality for one so young this also had the unfortunate effect of making her judge others rather harshly when encountering people whose reasons for their chosen paths may not resonant too well with her own a fact that is shown well in her reaction to Sakura’s reason for wanting to become an idol. Arguably for Kotono the base personality trait that served to make her stand out from her peers, in the beginning, was both her determination to become not only an idol but also a solo one and the fierce sense of determination that lay within her eyes that signified her earnest desire to find out the truth that lay behind the life of an idol and determine what was it that had served to fracture the relationship that she had with her beloved sister and fracture the loving bond that they had shared before her death.

However, determined as she was to set about becoming an idol and experience the kind of life that her sister had prior to her demise even if it meant staying away from the fun social life that defined girls her age as Kotono not only becomes an idol but also find herself unwillingly join an idol group instead of having a solo career that she desired things start to gradually change as for the first time in her life Kotono was not only able to sing and dance with like-minded girls who though not having the same kind of motivation for becoming idols nonetheless possessed their own unique reasons for becoming ones that were able to stand toe to toe with her own. Perhaps more importantly their shared aspirations and the fact that they are now a group served to give Kotono a rare opportunity to rediscover something that her desire to become an idol had served to obscure which was how to have fun with girls her age and how to befriend and bond with them and use that power to improve not only her own performance but the groups as well.

In the beginning of the series Kotono due largely to her core desire of wanting to become an idol and attempt to experience the life that had taken her beloved sister away from her was shown to be somewhat of a recluse that while possessing a sense of independence that was rare for her age was offset by the fact that she had few friends and had an aura about her that served to push away all but the most determined of girls within her class with the notable exception, in this case, being her sole best friend and eventual groupmate Nagisa. As a result of this Kotono, in the beginning, was noted to have a rare lack of individuality and indeed while not lacking in communication skills was nonetheless lacking in her ability to bond easily with others as demonstrated In her first days interacting with her groupmates factors that served, in the beginning, to create a wall between herself and her groupmates despite the attempts by them and Makino to break through them. However, as she continues to train alongside the girls and got to see not only their sense of determination but their different but yet similar level of motivation that fueled them Kotono began to realize that while her desire to emanate her sister and rise to the top of the idol world as a solo singer in order to see the kind of life that she had was one that had while serving to get her to where she is today also in the process served to cut her off from the fun and memorable moments that would have defined the life of girls who are amid perhaps their best stages in life and in the process making her a weaker person in society as well.

When combined with the revelation that unlike in the past where solo idol singers were able to grasp the hearts of their fans and achieve great success by their individual skill in the present world such rises were no longer possible and the new idols of this era not only needed individual skill as both a singer and a dancer but also the ability to not only work well with others but be able to harmonize and support her groupmates as well elements that due to her shunning of contact with others her age made it clear that in order to both achieve her dream and at the same time take the first steps out of the shell that she had formed around herself that she needed to change. While understandably hesitant Kotono while still retaining her serious, logical, and calm nature gradually breaks out of her shell and not only tries to bond with others but also work with them to not only improve their skills but also her own and in doing so helping them all take one step closer to their shared dream while also in the process finally understanding the sense of fun that can come from not only training together with like-minded comrades and friends but also from being able to interact with and be open with her feelings and concerns with them something that until then had been utterly alien to her. Perhaps more importantly Kotono likely due to a desire to atone for the hardship that she caused to her friends also served to take up the role of an elder sister similarly to her groupmate and friend Saki that allowed her to not only look out for them but also be able to analyse the decisions that were made by the managers with Makino, in particular, being her particular focus. This aspect of her development while reflecting well on her determination to rise to the top with her friends also reflected well on her new desire to do so on their terms by doing so through hard work, teamwork and a determination to work with everyone to achieve their shared dream and to do that she has to make sure that Makino as their manager is able to choose the correct paths forward for them.

Kotono’s most prominent sense of development as a character in my eyes however was without a doubt the resolving of the complicated relationship that she had with her elder sister Mana a person that while she was very much in awe off and respected greatly was also someone that she had a complicated relationship with as a result of the amount of time that she spent on her career as an idol that kept her away from their home and thus taking away the time that was needed for her to forge strong bonds with her that served to cause her to view the career field with a certain amount of disdain that only changed after her sister's tragic death and her enlistment as an idol for Hoshimi productions the same company that had managed her sister. Although the time that she spent with her fellow idols and eventual friends served to make her realize the many things that she had been missing in her single minded determination to become a solo idol in a bid to see exactly what her sister saw before her death this also served to make her realize that was only the first step for like all of her fellow idols she also had a wall of herself to surmount if she wished to be able to stand on her two feet and prove herself to the world that she was not merely a replacement for Mana and she was Kotono Nagase an idol whose ability at song and dance should be judged by its own merit and not unfairly compared against someone else a wall that over the course of the series that she was able to overcome successfully thanks to not only the support of her friends and fellows but also from overcoming the high expectations of her seniors who though viewing her with some amount of venom due to her being the younger sister of someone that they were never able to beat was nonetheless a new star that while unpolished and crude at the start was one that when nurtured properly would be able to not only shine in the spotlights of the idol world but also motivate themselves to do an even better job at being idols that can conquer the hearts of their fans aspects that ensured that when they were needed that they will be there to help.

Sakura Kawasaki

Sakura Kawasaki portrayed by new seiyuu Mai Kanno is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of Hoshimi Productions' new generation of idols and the leader of Sunny Peace which is one of the subgroups of that unit. From her initial appearances, Sakura was shown to be a kind, cheerful and positive person by nature that while friendly and polite was also energetic and very adept at conversing with others. While this image of her can sometimes give the impression that she will be easily deterred if faced with a strong front it can be said that here the opposite was true in that Sakura was not someone that was easily deterred and when presented with a problem that she cannot overcome through normal means she will persevere with other methods aspects that show well the strong sense of determination she has within her that serves as the core of her motivation to become an effective idol. When compared to her friend and fellow member of Hoshimi productions Kotono Nagase who had trained extensively to take up the role of a solo idol that showcased her sense of determination to get to the spot where her beloved sister was Sakura can be said to have the opposite in that while she may seem rather frail in comparison Sakura’s core traits of being carefree, gentle, positive and understanding and considerate were traits that managed to synergize well with her desire to not only work ever harder but also in her core belief that only by working together as a group that’s able to follow the desire that lay within their hearts will they be able to reach their desired goal successfully. A belief that within the series was shown to have an excellent effect in not only unifying the girls as a group but also ensure that each girl was not only able to offer and exchange ideas freely but also that any problems and concerns that they may have with their careers and personal lives are dealt with a fact that I felt shows well Sakura’s determination to be able to rise to the top with her friends every step along the way.

The character of Sakura Kawasaki I felt was one that was both well designed and developed with her baseline attributes of being a kind, cheerful, positive, friendly if somewhat frail person being combined well with her personal arc to create a character that was not only the polar opposite of Kotono Nagase in terms of baseline motivation but also serving well to allow both Sakura and Kotono to mature as individuals thanks to the synergized development that her arc brings to not only her earnest desire to rise to the top and find a true voice that will define her but also in doing so put to rest the sense of regret that both she and Kotono had discovered in hearing Mana’s last gift to the idol world. While a large part of Kotono’s subsequent development as a person was due to her own hard work and desire to overcome the giant shadow that was her sister I felt that Sakura’s determination to unite the girls and making them work better as a group had a hand in not only making Kotono realize the error of her beliefs but also give the little push that was needed to get her back on the correct path a fact that I for one was thankful for. Overall while her seiyuu was still a rookie to the industry I felt that for her first main role Mai Kanno did an excellent job portraying the character of Sakura.

Mei Hayasaka

Mei Hayasaka portrayed by new seiyuu Moka Hinata is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of Hoshimi production’s new generation of idols and is a member of Kotono’s subunit Tsuki no Tempest. A high school freshman and one of the youngest within the unit Mei from her initial appearances were seen to be a cheerful, positive and friendly person by nature and was someone that was seen to have an almost boundless amount of positivity in her. While a friendly girl Mei despite her young age was also someone that was noted to be rather inquisitive for her age that when combined with her boldness in approaching and interacting with strangers and her desire to walk her own path in life served to create quite the well-balanced personality for Mei that allowed her to fit in almost anywhere a fact that no doubt played an important part in Makino’s recruitment of her to Hoshimi productions. While serving well to add additional talent to the ranks of Hoshimi productions new generation of idols Mei’s innate single-minded focus along with her carefree nature did serve to cause some headaches for Makino and the girls in her first days this was offset by the fact that she was able to encourage the free-flowing of ideas between them and serve to provide support to Sakura in her desire to unify and focus the team’s efforts while being able to motivate them even more by creative usage of nicknames an aspect that I felt added well to her charm.

As a character Mei I felt was an interesting character that was well designed and developed. While she has neither the single-minded determination that Kotono had or the desire to unite and guide the girls as a group towards a shared dream that Sakura possessed what Mei served to have instead was a sense of adaptability that allowed her to not only be able to fit in easily in new settings but also bond with others and understand them on an individual level relatively quickly which when combined with her default cheerfulness and friendly nature allowed her to easily switch between supporting the girls and helping them overcome their own personal problems and improving the group's performance by not only motivating them but also suggest new ideas that can broaden their horizons and enhance their performance even more and by doing so serve to draw them ever closer to their dream. Her seiyuu Moka Hinata I felt did an excellent job portraying the character of Mei.

Suzu Narumiya

Suzu Narumiya portrayed by new seiyuu Kanata Aikawa is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of Hoshimi productions new generation of idols being a member of Kotono’s Tsuki no Tempest subunit. A middle school student in her last years of middle school Suzu in her initial appearances was shown to be a confident, proud and high-class girl that while prone to being teased and falling for the most obvious of pranks was nonetheless a direct, honest and kind person by nature that always maintained a positive and friendly attitude towards all she meets and tries to be helpful whenever she can. While shown to be a member of a relatively well-off family to which she was shown to have great pride in Suzu was shown to have none of the bias that can result from such pride with her instead being shown to be both considerate to others and loyal to the friends that she makes within the group. While certainly mindful of the image that she needed to cultivate as a young lady that within the series manifested itself in the form of a curious display of pride and high-minded descriptions of what young ladies her age should be like this image of hers served to clash often with her genuine desire to simply have fun with other girls the resulting effect of which was not only amusing to see but served to add additional charm to her character with perhaps the best example being their time chilling in the pool on their first day off as a group.

Indeed this latter trait of hers shows well that while Suzu was someone that had great pride in her family she was not someone that lets that interfere with her interactions with friends and was someone that while clumsy and somewhat on the cocky side was someone that always spoke from the heart which when combined with her innocent nature and determination to always do her best in everything that she does served to make it not only endearing to all she meets but also someone that was extremely difficult to hate a fact that was shown well in the end of the debut performance of Tsuki no Tempest in ep6 where she greeted the fans warmly despite it not being necessary. The character of Suzu I felt was an interesting one that was both well designed and developed with her character displaying an excellent series of contrasts that not only served to showcase her determination to pursue her dreams by breaking free of the constraints that she had with her family but do so by opening her true self to girls her age and walk the path to stardom together as equals rather than as rivals. I felt that her seiyuu while still new did an excellent job portraying her assigned character of Suzu.

Saki Shiraishi

Saki Shiraishi portrayed by new seiyuu Koharu Miyazawa is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the members of Hoshimi productions new generation of idols and is a member of Kotono’s Tsuki no Tempest subunit. A high school senior and one of the oldest members of the group alongside that of Haruko and Rei Saki alongside that of the subunits leaders of Kotono and Sakura acts as one of the leaders of the ten girls that make up Hoshimi productions new generation of idols. From her initial appearances, Saki was shown to be a calm, composed, and positive person by nature and was someone that was not only diligent but responsible to a fault qualities that if she were not an idol would certainly have fit the image of an honor student. True to her image as a picture-perfect elder sister like persona Saki was also a kind, caring, and intelligent person and was shown to be readily capable of picking up on issues and quirks of the girls that should be addressed quickly demonstrating not only her perceptive nature but also her willingness to take care of girls that are younger than she is a fact that she served to inherit from taking care of her fellow idol and younger sister Chisa and a fact that the girls are ever thankful for.

While for the most part, Saki was someone that was calm, composed, and graceful and someone that seemed incapable of showing anger it can be seen that she like most girls did possess it but, in her case, she was able to keep it contained until it was needed. When sufficiently worried or angered Saki was shown to possess quite the impressive death glare that when combined with her kind but gentle tone served to create quite the chilling effect that was more than capable of placating even the strongest willed of girls an aspect that I felt worked well in combination with her role as a leader within the group. In a way given that Saki was someone that was shown to have reached a point in her current life stage that she can be proud of one can’t be blamed in wondering what lay behind Saki’s decision to become an idol a role that not only featured far more stress but also demanded far more perfection than simply being a student would have needed. However, in analysing her thoughts and interactions with her sister Chisa it can be seen that this curious lifepath change was a result of not only Saki’s desire to break out of the constraints that being a picture-perfect honor student have brought to her life but also her desire to be able to pursue a childhood dream that would allow her to live her life far more freely doing something that she can truly enjoy an aspect that I felt reflected well not only on Saki’s base traits but also show the kind of steely determination that she had when looking towards her future as an idol.

Rei Ichinose

Rei Ichinose portrayed by new seiyuu Moeko Yuuki is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Hoshimi Productions' new generation of idols and a member of Sakura’s s subunit Sunny Peace. A high school senior and one of the last girls to join Hoshimi Productions lineup of new generation idols alongside her fellow Sunny Peace member Haruko She alongside Haruko and Saki form the senior cadre of girls within the group that serve to not only provide effective leadership within the individual subgroups but also serve to teach the younger girls the valuable life lessons that they have gathered as a result of their age. From her initial appearances, Rei was shown to be a cool, calm, confident and mature girl by nature that was shown to be someone that approached each new day with both determination and a desire to improve her own skills as a means to better herself. While not shown to be as talkative when compared to the likes of Sakura Rei was nonetheless someone that was polite, intelligent, and composed and was someone that was readily capable of showing kindness and unique insights to others when needed. Unlike the great majority of her fellow idols, Rei with the exception of Haruko Rei was someone that had valuable experience in performing which when combined with her skill at dance to which she has shown to have great pride in ensured that she will be a potent asset to the girls when needed if ever called upon. However, this sense of pride that Rei had while serving as an effective source of motivation for her, in the beginning, was also combined with the unfortunate air of perfection that served as Rei’s core focus in her passion one that demanded of her to continually review her performances and identify any shortcomings that can be improved upon to give a better performance next time.

While this attitude of hers was one that was admirable for not only Rei but for young girls who aspire to become pros in their respective fields this aspect of her personality also had the unfortunate effect of creating distance between herself and her fellows after she become an idol for she would try and motivate the girls into putting the same kind of effort into their training efforts that while understandable from her perspective only served to create unnecessary tension between herself and her teammates. However as the series progresses and Rei’s personality is gradually expanded upon and she bonds with her teammates it can be seen that Rei while a cool, level headed and independent young women that’s trying rather too hard to be perfect was also someone that while certainly not as openly friendly as the likes of Mei and Sakura nonetheless was a girl that understood the value and importance of friendships and bonds and the power that it can infuse within the bonds of a team. While not one that’s particularly open about expressing her feelings openly Rei was nonetheless someone that cared deeply about her friends and was shown to be pretty considerate of them as shown in her desire to both watch over the younger girls and ensure that their training was giving them all the knowledge that they needed while also keeping any developments that are unnecessary in her eyes away from them so as to not affect their determination to uphold their quest and rise to the top.

The character of Rei Ichinose I felt was one that I felt was both designed and developed with Rei in particular representing well the kind of attitude that some young girls who are on the verge of joining a career field in which they had prepared and train themselves extensively for can develop. In the case of Rei, while her base personality traits and her talent for dance was indeed real and formed a potent combination that served to make her stand out among her peers her sense of wanting to be perfect in every performance, I felt only served to highlight one of the pitfalls that can come from such a lifestyle. However, thanks to the intervention of her fellow teammates in Sunny Peace Rei was not only able to understand that while aiming to be perfect in every performance was an admirable goal what was even more so was being able to reach the top alongside that of your teammates and be able to celebrate the success together. This revelation when combined with the series own core themes of being able to forge bonds that not only change yourself but those around you as you start alone but rise to the top with them as a new sense of hope I felt really served to highlight what it really meant to not only become an idol but one that was trying to achieve the coveted goal of being the top one within the industry.

AMV

In terms of character design, I felt that each of the girls that were featured within the series were both well designed and showed an excellent variety that emphasized not only their youth but also their determination to enter the hard-fought world that was the idol industry at such a young age instead of opting to enter further and perhaps higher education and perhaps enter other careers that would have been easier. Another aspect that I loved regarding their designs was the performance outfits that each of the girls wore over the course of their performances within the series with notable favorites of mine being the outfits that Tsuki no tempest wore in their debut performance in ep6 and the semi-finals in ep11, Sunny Peace’s outfits in episodes 6 and 10 and the outfits that TrinityAile wore in episodes 4 and 10. These outfits while being ones that were well designed I felt also served to reinforce the central feelings and themes that each song tried to get across to their fans a sense of synergy that was not only a nice touch but also strived to represent well that an idol was someone that was able to bring happiness to their fans not only through their voice but through their dance performances on stage as well.

location wise while the series only featured a handful of locations that included among other things the office that Hoshimi Productions used as their HQ, the studio in which the girls trained at, the various venues in which the girls competed against each other, and lastly the dormitory that served as the home for the girls as they take up the role of idols. While each of these locations I felt had an important role in showing how the girls mature as individuals and in doing so become effective idols some of these locations I felt had both a larger impact on this while also serving to expand upon their characters as well with this group including the girl's dormitory that gave us the unique opportunity to see not only how the girls bond with each other but also how they find their true self and the motivation that they need to rise to the top as well as the stages in which they competed against their rivals that when used in combination with the race to get to the top served to add an excellent sense of tension to the series and enhancing the kind of feelings that can come from the outcomes of their competitions.

Music-wise while the series only featured one opening and ending theme in the form of Idoly Pride and the Sun, Moon, and Stars it also featured a surprising number of insert songs that were performed by the many idol groups that were featured within the series. Of these, the series opening theme Idoly Pride and the series main ending theme The Sun, Moon and Stars I felt were both excellent songs but gave off a very different feel to them with regards to feelings and emotions when listening to them with the former being an uplifting and positive song that showed well the girls teamwork, chemistry and a determination to rise to the top by working together as a unit a fact that was complemented by the bright colours of both the performance and the outfits that the girls wore as they performed. The series ending theme The Sun, Moon, and Stars on the other hand while still emphasizing on the bonds that were formed between the girls via their shared aspirations also served to emphasize on the bonds of friendship that were formed between the girls that serve to strengthen and reinforce the girls motivations both on stage and off as they take their first steps into the battlefield that is the idol industry. Of the series insert songs of which there were 13 in total of which consisted of First Step that was performed by Mana Nagase through her assigned seiyuu Sayaka Kanda, The Last Chance and Girl-Girl Borderless World that was performed by LizNoir, Shine Purity that was performed by the girls of Hoshimi Production before their split into units, Realizer and Les Plumes which was performed by Trinityaile, Sunny Peace Harmony, Shining Days, Song For you, Everyday! Sunny Day! Which was performed by Sunny Peace and lastly Gekka Hakanabi, Daytime Moon and the One and Only which was performed by Tsuki no Tempest. While each of these songs I felt was excellent ones that provided not only an excellent performance that showcased the girl's determination but also did well to show the seiyuu’s vocal abilities as well my favourite ones were Gekka Hakanabi, Shining Days, Song For you, Les Plumes, The Last Chance and the One and Only.

In terms of voice acting, I felt that overall the series main voice cast all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters whether they were main or support characters and whether did they appear in one episode or several. In particular, I felt that Mirai Tachibana, Mai Kanno, Moka Hinata, Kanata Aikawa, Koharu Miyazawa, Moeko Yuuki and Kokona Natsume all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters of Kotono, Sakura, Mei, Suzu, Saki, Rei and Nagisa respectively. Other seiyuu’s that I felt did an excellent job in portraying their assigned characters include Veteran seiyuu singer Sayaka Kanda the members of the seiyuu girl group Trysail formed around veteran seiyuu singers Sora Amamiya, Momo Asakura and Shiina Natsukawa and the two members of the seiyuu girl group Sphere veteran seiyuu singers Haruka Tomatsu and Ayahi Takagaki who feature in the series as the one time queen of the idol world Mana Nagase and the idol groups TrinityAile and LizNoir respectively. While I didn’t feature them within the review I also felt that Yukina Shutou, Nao Sasaki, Kanon Takao and Haruki Ishiya all did an excellent job at portraying the characters of Shizuku, Haruko, Chisa and Makino respectively. With the exceptions of Sayaka Kanda, Kanon Takao and the members of Trysail and Sphere respectively each of the seiyuu’s that formed the main cast are new seiyuu’s and having seen their performances in this series I wish them the greatest success in their careers that this series had served to open up for them.

Overall conclusion

In overall Idoly Pride, I felt was an excellent anime that did an amazing job at showing not only how modern days idols are born starting from their auditions and the forming of the units that will serve as the vehicles for their journey upwards but also the kind of tough training through hours of singing and dance practice that they go through as they prepare for not only their debuts but also their rise to further success. While the physical part of their training was handled pretty well I thought that this within the series was used well in combination with the kind of mental challenges that comes from entering the entertainment sector as a newly debuted idol. While this aspect served to affect each of the girls to some degree it also served to allow the characters of Kotono and Sakura to be developed more as it allowed us to not only see the innermost worries that lay within their heart from their past that they may not want to tell their friends and teammates about but through this also serve as a catalyst that will allow them to break through the walls that they were hiding behind in the past and grasp the future that the many bonds of friendship that they had forged with their teammates and friends in the present had forged for them and stand alongside them to achieve their shared dreams. While Sakura’s struggle to find her true voice served as an effective development and subsequent awakening for her I felt that this aspect of combining physical and mental challenges that needed to be overcome in order to forge a future for themselves was used most effectively for Kotono as well as for her there was also the added layer of the shadow that was her beloved sister Mana Nagase that she had to overcome in order to be able to stand and prove to the world that she was not Mana’s replacement but instead she was Kotono Nagase an idol who can stand on her own two feet with her own talent and shine just as brightly.

While the series like most idol themed animes did an effective job at showcasing both the budding professional careers that the girls and their managers had nurtured and the mental challenges that this, in turn, creates for them due to the effects that this has on the idol industry via the intense media focus on their past I felt that as a series Idoly Pride also did well to introduce the highly competitive nature that is the idol industry by introducing not only powerful idol groups in the form of TrinityAile and LizNoir that serve as powerful rivals and opponents that they needed to surmount but also excellent sources of advice that will be useful to the girls as they begin their ascent to stardom. While the fierce competition between the groups served to provide us with many great performances and songs that defined the skills of their members I felt that this within the series also served to showcase not only the growing skill and confidence of the girls but also the fact that even though the girls see each other as rivals that despite this they were all too willing to provide much-needed advice and direction when the going got tough as shown in Rio’s help of Kotono in providing the final piece of the puzzle that was needed for her to unlock the closed-off heart that had lain within her for a long time a fact that while reflective of the girls personalities also showed that even though they were rivals and that only one group will get to the top in the end that as long as you have proved your commitment and your desire to get to the top that they as rivals and fellow idols would do what they can to cheer you on and provide what help they can to aid you.

In overall Idoly Pride, I felt was an excellent anime that while on first impression seemed to be another idol themed anime reminiscent of the likes of the famed Idolmaster and Bang Dream franchises was also one that served to differentiate itself from them via the insight into not only how idols are recruited but also the kind of reasons that served to motivate them to join the industry, the physical and mental challenges that each girl has to meet and surmount and the surprisingly high emotional walls that they had to not only face but also come to terms with and convert into a stepping stone that will allow them to get ever closer to their shared dreams of becoming a top idol within the idol industry. While the series overall did an excellent job of developing the girls and transform them from rookie idols to immensely popular ones I felt that whether its Kotono’s strong-willed but fragile unit Tsuki No Tempest or Sakura’s cute but heartfelt group Sunny Peace that while their initial image of an idol differed that by series end to them an idol was someone that was able to bring fun, happiness and a smile to everyone’s faces by virtue of their powerful heartfelt performances on stage a point that I felt accurately reflects what they are to everyone that they encounter within the series. As a final score, I would say that Idoly Pride easily deserves a score of 8/10.

EDITED: After episodes 7, 8, and 9, I can't believe this is really not just an idol anime, it's more than! Supernatural aspects here aren't just only the "spice" for this anime; it's the main theme of this anime! Even Idoly Pride just can tell the story better than Wonder Egg Priority :/ Anyway, since episodes 7, 8, and 9 too, we can also predict the last episode of Idoly Pride (and I predicted it will be satisfying because of its sports elements here, added with this will give impacts to the supernatural and drama aspects of the story).

Actually, I really want to write ... this early, but after I really know that actually this anime is developed like 'a movie but then edited and cut into 12 episodes because their byproduct is a 30-minute television show who airs once a week on Sunday night', and 'the first episode until the 6th episode is developed as one whole story, a story that is continuous and unbroken', I just can write this review after the airing of 6th episode and 2 days before the airing of 7th episode (some newly developed plot but still related to the first half plot, according to the 7th episode trailer that is released by staffs yesterday night).

In the middle of harsh winter 2021 anime season with much good anime, with many new genre formulations that have been developed, Idoly Pride is now one of my best experiences as a Japanese animation fan, not only on the plot itself but also on the production things information around this idol multimedia project. Actually, this project has been launched in December 2019, as the collaboration of QualiArts (CyberAgent Group), MusicRay'n (Sony Music Entertainment Japan), and Straight Edge, with Hanada Jukki (SATZ, and has been well-known in this genre enthusiast as a legend of idol-themed animes and multimedia projects due to his best works in this genre) as one of the original creators of this anime. But, what I expect Idoly Pride will be a great entertainment work, is how ambitious this project is developed; if you have watched this anime itself, or already follow this project since the first day, you might already know of the list of musicians that are getting involved on this project (Wicky.Recordings, kz-livetune, Ooishi Masayoshi, Q-MHz, and some J-Pop nationwide level musicians like Kishida Yuki, Okii Reiji from TWEEDEES, Kiyoshi Ryujin, yashikin, PA-NON, Kitagawa Katsutoshi from ROUND-TABLE, etc), or the list of works that will be developed and released in this project (those are anime, mangas, game, and discographies) who has been presented all and has been proven all as the high-quality works (even the level of the 3D animation of the game has been high level since the first day of presentation, or how they develop the live performances' scene in the anime on the most idealist yet cool animation development ever, or how they insert the songs in this anime, is maybe the coolest thing for this genre, even since the first idol multimedia project has been developed in the first decade of this century).

What these anime make me satisfying on a great level then is the casts. You know, because this is basically a MusicRay'n's project, Sony Music Entertainment Japan first seiyuu agency, also first and only seiyuu idols agency, until this time. MusicRay'n is the brainchild of Sphere (Tomatsu Haruka, Toyosaki Aki, Kotobuki Minako, and Takagaki Ayahi's idol unit) and TrySail (Amamiya Sora, Asakura Momo, and Natsukawa Shiina's idol unit), 2 legends of seiyuu idol units who have always been getting the spotlights, especially in Aniplex-produced animes as the super performers of opening and ending themes. Moreover, these 7 MusicRay'n talents are also the great seiyuus, and now also have well-known as top-qualified seiyuus in every single anime where they get the roles. For me, because I'm also TrySail fan and also have always been satisfied with many MusicRay'n works before, this is not just like 'seeing the high level of animation work', but also 'feeling super that finally, we can see many legends in only a multimedia project at the same time'. But this is not their main agenda; MusicRay'n priority on Idoly Pride project is to introduce their new talents, the winner of MusicRay'n 3rd Super Seiyuu Audition, who then will be known collectively as MusicRay'n 3rd Generation (until their unit name has been announced). If you see the names of Aikawa Kanata, Tachibana Mirai, Natsume Kokona, Hinata Moka, and Miyazawa Koharu, nah that's MusicRay'n 3rd Generation talents as I have already told. These newcomers themselves, have also shown their wonderful talents and skills as new content makers and content providers, the thing that always been MusicRay'n's core business in Sony Music Japan's system (One of them, Aikawa Kanata has gone a step more ahead when she, in this anime season too, has been trusted to voicing Wonder Egg Priority's Ohto Ai, the anime main character that now has been viral abroad in this season). With these outstanding casts, this anime has nearly perfect with some dramatic and emotional plots they already brought to audiences. Although, this isn't enough for MusicRay'n. For giving more entertaining aspects on this mix-media project, they also auditioned more seiyuus outside MusicRay'n even Sony Music Japan, with I think, the most ambitious audition ever, for finding seiyuus that are not only just capable and fit with the characters, but also finding the seiyuus who have the specialties that can make audiences shock. And from that audition, they get Kanda Sayaka (yes, a legendary Japanese idol that has 20 years-long careers and has been well known as Anna's Japanese dubber in Disney's Frozen project), Kanno Mai (a newcomer too just like MusicRay'n Generation 3, but have a super talent in singing even she can fulfill the special ability of Kawasaki Sakura as a Hoshimi Production idol who is been said as having a similar singing voice with Nagase Mana (that is voiced by the legend itself, Kanda Sayaka)), Shuuto Yukina, Takao Kanon (the seiyuus who can bring the characters with the type like Nijigasaki School Idol Club's Tennoji Rina, of course also with their kindly each different development routes around these characters (Hyodo Shizuku and Shiraishi Chisa)), Sasaki Nao (the seiyuu that have a mature voice, so can bring the character that has been developed as Nagase Mana's senior in Hoshimi Production, the senior of a legend-voiced character itself), and Moeko Yuuki (a professional singing artist that has been with good singing skill and an aesthetic artview as an artist since her debut as Megumi Wata in 2014, who then turned into animation industry as a seiyuu. Her character itself in Idoly Pride, Ichinose Rei, is also getting viral abroad for the dance scene in this anime). Of course, all of these kindly bring many new entertaining aspects to this multimedia works.

For the anime story, I recommend you should watch it by yourself. Until the 6th episode, I have always cried in happiness and pride at the end of the episode. The story is so emotional, even not only just in the context of the anime universe but also related to the real purposes and development of this project itself. Every detail of the story is so related to the plots even makes every moment in the anime more dramatized, some giving a much easter egg impression according to production and who are getting involved in this project besides of CyberAgent Group, MusicRay'n, and Straight Edge (yes, it's actually Sony animation development tradition, especially in original animes, where you should watch the animes until the details, if you are Madoka Magica audiences, or Magia Record audiences, or maybe also the audiences of Wonder Egg Priority this season, the knowledge of details seeking will be also useful in Idoly Pride because you will can understand the whole plot of Idoly Pride by elaborate the dialogues and the visual).

But, what I cannot stop respect much this project is the branding and the art of the project itself, thanks to CyberAgent Group teams especially to QualiArts team. Their level of aesthetic and art idealism is kindly on another high level than their compatriots in this genre. All of Idoly Pride works have been developed with such high quality and some strange art style that make this project is kinda unique than their any compatriots in this genre. You should check their official Youtube by yourself and see how super-creative these people behind this project. Also, QP:Flapper, with all of these character designs, is totally genius, undoubtedly.

Finally, what I respect much to this project is, how MusicRay'n (togetherly with its partner, CyberAgent Group and Straight Edge) develops this project for the first time as an independent content creator, being apart of their 'lord' who usually always get provided on their talents and human resources. Yes, they are Aniplex itself, Sony Music Entertainment Japan's anime-specialty subsidiary company. Every aspect of this franchise is much to say that MusicRay'n is a well-capable anime, manga, game content creator, even can have any competition with their senior, Aniplex. Moreover, MusicRay'n also, for the first time, appeared as a separate music label within Sony Music Entertainment Japan, particularly in the distribution of all Idoly Pride songs. Uniquely, MusicRay'n usually delegates the distribution of all its musical talents' works to other Sony Music Japan labels, namely Sony Music Labels, SACRA Music, and even Aniplex itself.

This anime has a lot of potential, I mean a HUGE amount of potential. The story is great, the art was good, the sound could be the best (If there is a bunch of songs), the characters can make your heart go all over the place. It just really lacks time. Time to make the 1st episode to be like 3 or maybe even 1 season, time to make all the songs when they perform, time to make this anime the best idol anime ever. This potential could really be great, it can top the love live. But it seems like they rush the story, ... rush the performance, rush every single thing about this. This anime could make you happy, sad, excited, and many more. It could make your emotions run wild, but they rush it. I really like the anime, the dancing made my heart go dokidoki and the goosebumps when I finally hear them sing. Yes, I like it but I really want to make this feeling turn into love. They should have not made the story quick and the songs rare. But nonetheless it really is great. I recommend you watch this.

Since I felt like it, I decided to write a review upon this anime (if that made any sense). The game is good by the way so if you can, try playing it since it's main factor isn't actual lives and rhythm games but somehow training the idols and participating in handshake events etc.

The plot was great to me, starting off with the backstory of the main character, Makino and the legendary idol, Mana. Then after everything that happened in episode 1, we come back to the present with Makino doing everything he can to manage both Tsuki-Suto and SunnnyP with someone (I'm so sorry, ... I forgot his name) to mentor him I guess (he was a good guy but I thought it was somewhat cliché when he came from the agenct popular units came from and refused to go back). I have to say though, the competition between them and their opponents were slightly rushed though..

I have to admit, some characters didn't get as much screen time as others so it was sad but since the rest of the anime was good, I forgive them. I like how everyone is determined even though sometimes they worried about the outcomes of how things went (like when Hoshimi Production split in two to emphasise more of the idols individually). I liked the character developments and the strong relationships growing between each character which was nice, especially between Kotono and Sakura, the two leaders of each group.

I also have to say, the fact that their opponents (LizNoire and TRINITYTAiLE) weren't all high and mighty was THE BEST. LizNoire was kind of confident and stoic in some way but they were pretty warm in other wats.

And Nagase Mana, the legendary idol. It was kind of cliché (yes the word appears again) that Kotono and Mana were siblings and Mana was from the agency of where the main characters are from, but I enjoyed watching them aiming to go high like how Mana did. The fact that Mana became a ghost and only Makino can see him (and later Mei because of her inherited stuff) was unique and I liked it too because of how he can see her because she was important to him (or was it the other way around) and she also had another goal so she waited for Makino to make it happen.

I spent two weeks listening to their songs on spotify. I never missed each live and it's true that sometimes the CGI (i think that's what it's called) sort of wavered a few times but the songs are good so I didn't mind it :) The seiyuus were pretty amazing and it was cool how TRINITYTAiLE were actually TrySail.

I admire the art in the anime a lot. I don't know if the animation were top notch or not since it's not like a fighting anime but I liked it.

this was a long review for my first review. I'm not sure if anyone agrees with what i said but Idoly Pride may be any regular music anime and I would rate it 10/10 for everything that happened in this anime! (unless my standards are low or my mind is like a 9 year old)

Idoly Pride got more depth in story and character development than the typical idol anime does. The premise of Mana becoming a ghost in the first eps is really interesting for me. As the story goes on, some of the characters got good character development, each having their own motivation, struggle, and regrets to deal with. Even we got a little glimpse of the side character’s background and development. Personally, I really like Kotono’s development. It’s good to see how she could finally overcome her regrets and finding her new purpose as an idol.

Rather than the cheerful atmosphere typically found in idol anime, Idoly Pride ... got more drama on their story. That school scene in the last eps sure hits the feel for me, even if it’s expected already. The story development got more interesting as the episodes go on and getting closer to its closure. I’d say that they ended the story well.

The songs are great as well, with good dancing animation to go along with their songs. They got good voice, especially for Kotono, Mana, and Suzu. Some of the songs that I like are TRINITYAiLE’s les plumes and Kotono’s version of Song for you, it’s totally recommended to hear out for.

SEMI SPOILERS


I loved this show, every second of it. The music was fantastic, and the storyline was a nice turn-off your brain and watch stuff happen. Then the story started developing. Over the course of the final few episodes, I was filled with enjoyment, and at the end, I was left satisfied with the entire story as a whole. It is a story about idols wanting to be the best, with an emotional love story which by the end, ties the whole show together, and leaves you sitting there, whether it be in sadness, contempt, or joy. It's been a while since I finished ... watching an anime and just sat there silently.

Only pet peeve is that best girl didn't get best ending, but it's all for the story and I can accept that.

but still

why

Idoly Pride, the first anime that I took upon myself to write a review for. This was my first idol show and boy am I extremely happy it was this one. I found this anime while searching through 2021 Winter anime. The front cover was beautiful and convincing enough for me to give it a shot. I usually have a setup where I watch the first one or two episodes and if it hooks me I watch until the end.

Idoly Pride did just that and more. Not only did the first episode hook me into the anime, it got me interested in all the characters. ... The singing and songs were clean, the story was amazing, and the animation was spot on. If you look Idoly Pride up on YouTube, you will find their YouTube channel which showed how much planning went into the show and how perfectly they executed it. This show was a hidden treasure that many overlooked. The OST as well was so good and they even include extra songs on their YouTube channel. I really recommend this show to anyone who has the time!

Story: 9/10. Im not usually a fan of idol anime, but this is the exception. Even though I can’t put my finger on why, I like it a lot! The story is distinct and very cute. It stands out from the other few idol anime I’ve seen because there’s more than just “let’s make music!” It shows the details of production, and though I’m sure it’s not 100% accurate to real life, it’s still interesting to see how it works.

Art: 9/10. The art is a fairly typical shojo style, but it has its details that help it stand out as unique. The cgi in some ... scenes is quite glaring, but I can understand the struggle of animating multiple people dancing at once, so it doesn’t bother me.

Sound: 10/10. The songs are really good. I don’t have much to say, but they’re all catchy and fun

Character: 7/10. With such a large main cast, it can be hard to flesh out all the characters, but Idoly Pride manages this pretty well. It could’ve been better, but with the 10 idols. Makino, Mana, and other side characters, I think they did about as well as they could have.

Enjoyment: 10/10. This anime is my guilty pleasure. I’m usually a sucker for deep, psychological and mystery anime like Code Geass, Death Note, etc, but sometimes I just want to watch my girls singing and dancing around!

Overall: 9/10. Idoly Pride has been a favorite of mine ever since it was first airing, and I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to write a review for it. It’s really good, I recommend it if you think you’ll be interested!

Idoly Pride is a standard “rise to the top” idol anime, similar to the popular Love Live series. The anime shows the recruitment process, how each member interact with one another, backstory, etc. (all the usual stuff).

Story (7) & Characters (6):
The story can be split into two parts: Pre-debut and Competition. The first six episodes shows the recruitment of the members and the work they put into preparing for debut. The other six shows the members competing in the competition. Without spoiling, I thought the story flowed well from one episode to the next. There’s tension that gets resolved. There’s backstory to build character ... for some of the characters, making them relatable and likeable. The characters all grow, some more than others (this is ok, though, since there is a focus on the “mains”).

In terms of the competitions that is common with idol animes in this genre, this anime takes a different approach to the audience-based voting system. Competition results are judged via an AI program (Venus Program) based on factors like popularity and audience reaction; there is no direct audience vote to impact the results of who moves on to the next stage of the competition. While I don’t have any complaints on this particular system, the way the story is told makes it obvious that the featured MCs will be successful and move on to the next stage. It’s kind of a convenient scape-goat to say the AI decided this group moves on (wouldn’t get too hanged-up on this detail; it doesn’t really matter).

Art (7):
I usually don’t really know what to say for art. I can say it’s great; nothing feels like it was drawn last minute and placed into any of the episodes.

Sound (7):
Some of the songs are pretty catchy; they have a nice melody and harmony to accompany each other. The OST is pretty usual for an idol anime. I know that doesn’t say much, but all idol anime’s OST sound similar in some ways. OP&ED is decent. A big plus that some of the EDs are different to match the featured rivals’ songs in that particular episode.

Enjoyment (8):
The general atmosphere of the anime for me is “relaxing”: the tense parts aren’t too tense; character interactions aren’t stiff and artificial; great music to accompany each situation. The episodes don’t feel long.

Overall: A solid 7 (good).

I love music genres and Idoly Pride is very good anime. Slice of life, comedy, music, drama etc. In the anime my favourite character is Nagase Mana. I love her.

Art / 9
Story / 9
Sound / 9
Character / 9
Enjoyment / 8
Overall / 9

Sum up, If you like; Slice of life, comedy, music and drama, you have to watch Idoly pride. Believe me, You will not regret. I love Sakura's sound her sound is relaxing me.
...
And when I watching the anime I was very exited.
I was wondering what would happen in the next episode. When I was watching the anime I was enjoy.

Well how do i start it, first thing first, no spoilers, this is my first idol anime and i didn't expected to be like this, it has a pretty much decent story that is guessable and yet even though it was guessable i was never expecting that this anime will be that great...

for the story i give it 8, because like i said before this anime has a guessable storyline but still executed perfectly that makes me feel like a stupid for thinking that this will be a boring anime.

the art i give it 8, i do like the art, but not that much.

the sound ... i give it a solid 8, well i do like the sfx tho, nothing that special but still satisfying to hear.

the character i give it a 7, i do like some of the chara like the manager boy and mana-san, but for some reason i couldn't get attached to any of the idol member chara here (maybe bcs i don't really like idol in generals) but yeah that's it.

the enjoyment i give it a 8.5, i do really enjoy this anime from the first episode, the only think that i didn't enjoy prolly the part where the idol thing is started, but beside that i do really enjoy this anime.

overall i give it a solid 8, because i did enjoy the story the drama thats just great and makes me a lil bit sad :D

This Is One Of The Best Music Genre Anime I Have Ever Seen It Gives A Boost Of Emotion From The Very First Episode.....It Excel In Providing The Information Of Different Relation And In The End I Was Trying To Hold My Tears Back......You Should Definitely Give It A Try. Also There Is A Great Twist Between The Male and Female Protagonist Which Was The Very Reason To Make Not Only Me But Anyone Who was Watching It With A Great Focus. Talking About The Sound That Is Also A Masterpiece And The Voice Of Mana Is So Heartwarming. The Dance Of The Characters Are ... Also Great.

To be honest I don't think there is any need for me to write this review, however I really felt like it because it's the first Idol anime that made feel something.

I'm gonna be brief,

This anime does not feature an outstanding nor unique story. The story is quite unique and mature for the genre of Idol anime, however. It doesn't feel too generic despite being predictable, it has some touching moments and in general it's not bad, so I'm gonna give it that. The description of the anime might lead to believe that there's more to it than there actually is, unfortunately it hardly shows ... any "reality" behind becomming an Idol. If anything, I think the whole Idol thing here is more of a tool of telling the story, rather than the main object of it. Not that it's a bad thing necessarily, but it is something to keep in mind if you are comming here expecting to see some shocking behind-the-scenes Idol content.
6/10

Art is something that I want to give it some praise for. While the animations are not the smoothest, I really respect the fact that there's barely any 3d if any at all. The artstyle itself is nothing impressive, but it is beautiful and pleasing to look at.
8/10

Sound. Okay, so this is a musical anime, right? That means it has to have some good songs, right? Quite often it is not the case, however. Yet it is the case in this anime. Actually I didn't expect anything out of it, but this exactly is why I got really surprised. This anime is my #2 for the music right after Bang Dream. While not every song is amazing, it has some really nice memorable songs which I can totally see myself listening to outside of the anime itself and that fact alone is enough for me to give it a higher rating. I understand that some people will probably say that they've heard better openings/endings in this or that anime, yet I still believe that for a musical anime this one does a good job at fulfilling it's role.
9/10

Characters aren't exactly in the spotlight in this anime, I'm gonna be honest here. Still, there is some development going on, most of the characters are unique and have more to them than just a useless side character. I'd say that the characters in this anime perfectly accommodate the story. In other words, they are fairly mediocre just like the story, but they are certainly above average for Idol anime.
6/10

Enjoyment... Let's be honest, this is something very subjective to try and give a rating to, so I'm just gonna say that I found this much more enjoyable than Love Live.

To summarize, this is certainly a refreshing anime and I'm glad to have stumbled upon it. I probably gave it a higher rating than it deserves, but let me explain why:
- It's the anime that isn't about some random high school girls forming a group.
- It's the anime where (some) songs actually have lyrics with meaning and not just bunch of kira-kira doki-doki gibberish.
- This is the anime that actually showed me that Idol genre actually has potential and doesn't exist purely for little girls as the target audience. (not that the target audience ever prevented it from being watched by guys in their 20's).
To be honest I feel like with better writing and more depth in character and story development, this anime could have had what it takes to actually fully deserve this rating if not an even higher one. That's why I'll just pretend that it was there, because I really want to see an Idol anime that does everything right.
So yeah, 8(actually should be like 6.5)/10

I've seen a fair share of idol anime over the years (Idolish7 being the prime example), so giving this show a chance seemed obvious. Unfortunately, other things grabbed my attention and only now was I able to watch it. So, was Idoly Pride any good? Well, let's hop on find out, shall we?

Story
By now, we should know how generic and run of the mill idol anime can be, with the basic premise of most them being "underdog idol group attempting to become famous", but Idoly Pride puts a spin on this premise by A) splitting the main group into two separate groups and B) having ... both groups having a ghost as a mentor. Yeah, that's right. A ghost is a major character in this story and nobody pays any attention to it. Nobody asks questions like "what's the afterlife like? Does God exist? Does dying hurt?" Absolutely nothing. Everybody goes about their business as usual. Okay.

Anyway, the story is as generic as it can get. Don't get me wrong, it's still fun and enjoyable, but that's only because the characters, not the plot itself. do all the heavy-lifting. (6/10)

Characters
This is where Idoly Pride really shines, aside from its musical aspect, the characters are the show's true life-blood. Any good work of fiction should, in theory, have both interesting characters and excellent narrative progression, but Idoly Pride consciously chooses to focus on the characters rather than the story. The characters share excellent interactions with each other, such as Sakura and Kotono, Makino and Mana (the aforementioned ghost) and even the rival groups with each other.

You'll have plenty of characters to like in this TV show, even though none of them can be considered the actual protagonist of the story. Still, if I had to guess, I'd say the protagonist of the story is Kotono, with Sakura coming very close. She experiences the majority of character development, achieves a position of leadership and is revealed to be the living sister of Mana, making it clear right from the beginning that she is special to the larger story.

Unfortunately, as interesting as Kotono is by herself, she can only do so much to carry the story, which is where the other characters come in. It's very fun to see the characters interact and bounce off each other and that is one of Idoly Pride's biggest strengths. (9/10)

Art
I'm no art expert, so don't expect my art-critiquing to be good, but the animation and the art style were pretty easy on the eyes. The character movements were seamless, the designs were cute (albeit in a generic way) and the lighting and the backgrounds had great details. (8/10)

Music
Of course, this wouldn't be an idol anime without good music and Idoly Pride offers no shortage of good music, from the closing song from Sunny Peace and Moon Tempest, to the main song by rival group TRINITYAiLE. If Idoly Pride was a vehicle to release and sell good music, then mission accomplished.

Also, we can't talk about the sound department without bringing up the excellent performances by the VAs. The cast includes both established veterans and rising newcomers like Mai Kanno (Sakura), Sayaka Kanda (Mana) and even one of my personal favorites in the whole business, Sora Amamiya (Rui). Still, if I had to pick a favorite performance, I would choose that of Mirai Tachibana (Kotono). True, her non-singing performance can be understated and even downright stoic but she does understand her character in an emotional level, Haruka Nanase-style, and when she is given a chance to fully display her talent, you will not be disappointed. (9/10)

Conclusion
In closing here, Idoly Pride is a very good anime. True, the plotting could have been better, but it more than compensates with excellent character writing and beautiful music. This anime is a hidden gem among hidden gems and I highly recommend it. (8/10)

-Idoly Pride-

Honestly, Idoly Pride was the first idol anime I watched and the first anime I reviewed, and I can say that this anime has a pretty good story, it can make you happy, sad, excited, and more.

This anime has a simple plot that can be enjoyed which tells how the journey of an idol group is "Tsuki no Tempest and Sunny Peace to get to the top. Starting from episode 1 it starts with an interesting storytelling. The music is very good, and some of them are now my favorites. Moreover, the visuals of this anime are very good, even the 3D choreography itself ... is also very good.

Idoly Pride itself has a pretty meaningful ending. With two characters that caught my attention “Nagase Mana and Makino Kouhei” whose stories were developed and combined with the problems of the main characters, thus making them the main focus of the story.

In my personal opinion there are still shortcomings in this anime, for example simplified details. Actually, I think this is because the episodes are too few for an anime where the story can be made very complex. This is quite unfortunate, because I hope if this anime airs for two seasons, the quality of the story will feel even better.

But still, this anime is one of my favourites. I really recommend this anime to every idol anime fan or those of you who are just about to watch idol themed anime.