Selection Project

Selection project: Can I copy your homework? I promise I’ll change it

Idoly pride: Ok, but seriously make sure you change it.

In all seriousness, Selection project and idoly pride have a lot in common. It’s pretty apparent that DG were really influenced by Idoly Pride’s story and wanted to put their own twist on that. Right down to the heart transplant, dead sister that was an idol plot-line. While the story was basically copy and pasted, I still really liked Selection Project and actually think it to be the best idol show this year, yes, including Superstar!.

What made me feel that way? Well simply put, ... I loved Idoly Pride. Since this was basically Idoly Pride season 2, I loved it. The girls all have really cool backstories and were given their time to shine, as well as some great music. Some of the songs from the project are among the best of the year for sure. The animation during performances is really solid and with it being Doga Kobo, the art in general is great. Even though some of the same plot-points from IP were rehashed, I still loved and cared for the girls which is integral to any idol project.

Selection Project may not be completely original, but it’s a must watch for any fan of the idol genre. Loveable characters, emotional story, great performances, what’s not to love?

SelePro gets 10 microphones out of 10.

Selection project. Out of all the seasonals I never expected this one to be my favorite. Comparing this to more known shows including the love live franchise, what really caught my eye is how good the production quality for this anime is. After the series ended I can firmly say that I am keeping my 10 and here’s why,


Firstly, I would like to put out that I find it great when idol MCs show/vent out their frustrations because in reality life isn't always great. Having an MC that isn't always happy can present more humanity towards the anime. I absolutely loved the first few episodes, ... it's clear how they identified what the "challenges" the MC would have to face as the plot progresses, and opening the anime showing the vulnerable side of the MCs life, well you'd just want to cheer for her more. Character dynamic isn't that uncommon when it comes to these types of anime, there is always a "rival" or a "best friend". Well in this one, although Suzu and Rena may have the "rival" aspects, it can just be seen as 2 people who aren't particularly friends but both look up to someone dear to them, namely amasawa akari, and it's great how they addressed that connection later on.

Story- 10
It has the classic rags to riches kind of story where the mc starts out as a singer/dancer aspiring to be an idol. What stood out to me is the fact that our mc was hospitalized in her childhood due to a chronic illness, overcoming such illness would be considered the plot of the anime however as we move on later into the episode at the qualifiers where we can say that "tragedy strikes" I can really see a connection with Shibuya kanon (Love live superstar MC) as they have similar events that occur. The first few episodes were amazing to open the anime as we got to know our MC, her story, and what inspires her to become an idol. I really liked the competition foundation that they laid out in the beginning and I believe this helped further deepen the connections between the “9”.

(Spoilers)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is also worth mentioning that the issue faced in the later episodes where you have to vote 2 people out poses a psychological dilemma to the young group. How they handled their issue was shocking but it was reasonable considering the previous events that originated from Suzu’s reveal before “Naked Blue”. Now just because it’s the most reasonable choice for the group, it doesn’t change the fact that it is a wasted opportunity. We can see this from characters from the previous audition appearing before the first street live. Even if karin ono (one of the eliminated contestants) had some negative thoughts against 9-tie for their decision, the previous contestants still gave their support regardless. I also liked how the CEO and sumipan still acted as the guardian angels of 9-tie even after they left the competition. These interactions and connections just show how impactful 9-tie was on their short time onstage.

Near the end of the anime my theories were confirmed, however I was still shocked by the brilliant execution on Suzu’s inner struggles. The surprise appearance of akari amasawa was honestly shocking, I saw this type of interaction in other anime (siesta is dead the anime as an example) as well, but what was so great about this was that it was short and meaningful. We didn’t see akari carrying Suzu throughout the whole anime, we didn’t see Suzu always asking for help either. This just helped us remember that Suzu was able to do this with her own strength and even in the end when she was unconscious in the hospital, we could see that Akari merely gave her a push to wake up.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art- 10
Personally, one of the best CGI I have ever seen for the Idol genre, the quality is superb and I really think this should set the standard for the future idol anime.

Sound- 10

B.B cover by Suzu.Rena was honestly what got me hooked into this the most, symbolisms aren’t that uncommon in songs especially with choreography. But in this particular song we could see moments where Rena looked up to Suzu, we can see that the lyrics accomplish the struggle of being catchy and inspiring at the same time and I loved it, it was a great touch for the overall song and I got goosebumps all the way. I believe the songs really captured aspects of the characters who sung them as the episodes they were molded around made you get to know the idols a bit more and I found this really great especially since the songs are very memorable.

I would also like to highlight the effort they put in to include more variations of “only on yell” throughout the anime. Overall the ost is amazing, the music is able to set the mood as well and I could sit here and listen to them the whole day.

Character- 9

It would seem at the begginning that we would have the generic go-getter idol mc type of character, but as we journeyed through the anime, we were able to uncover what was within this mask that she kept hidden to herself. But even before this we were able to see her character development in the earlier episodes and I loved how they depicted her story to the audience. It was great how they made it so you could sympathize and relate to her story in the beginning about having someone we look up to and one day hoping to be in the same "stage" as them. We could also notice generic types among the other idols but their chemistry and how there is a whole episode devoted to the development of each "sub-group" is really what made me like them more.

I also find it amazing on how the dynamics for each subgroup was determined because we could say that even when there were clashes in personality, almost all of the characters had their redeeming moment and I loved it.

Enjoyment- 10

Could probably rewatch it again and again and again without getting bored. Really love the characters, story and the songs as well.

Overall- 10
I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the idol genre, truly a hidden gem.

So far, in my opinion this is one of the gems of this season!

Its basicly a "sing battle" between all the girls.

Hopefully on the next couple of episodes we get to know them all a little bit more and are able to support every single one of them but MOSTLY the best girls! ;)

Beautiful Art Style with great Music and an amazing protagonist!

Even if you´re not into idols pleaseeeee watch Selection Project!

... I literally cried in the first and third episode, almost in the second, idk it is really adorable and human until now.

THE CGI IS REALLY GOOD! (and til now almost nothing of cgi so if you dislike cgi dont worry please :3)

Its so underated ;-; please watch it :)

To be an idol.

Selection Project takes an interesting concept on the whole idol franchise, and looks to find the world's next top idol. Taking the idea of holding contests through different regions of Japan. Holding a nation wide singing contest, in order to get the most voted one, and move on to the next round and so on. Making it look like a mix of their own X Factor, or American idol. Quite the spin.

We start through Suzune Miyama, a poor sick girl, who's want to sing, mainly came from watching, and listening to said legendary idol Akari Amasawa. Taking it as her inspiration, and ... part of her drive to sing. A dream and motivation can really push people beyond themselves. In this case, with how it's presented, it's put it to a point, where you want to root for her, and ope that she achieves such a dream.

The characters of course, are a huge part of this show. The large cast can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but that slowly goes down to look a bit more normal, and allows the watcher to follow a certain number, rather than trying to get to like a dozen faces. Along with that these faces each have their own backgrounds, and personality. You pretty much will have a girl that might end up being your favorite, and as the episodes go on, we'll get to know them more and more. Making for a much more interesting set of cast. Not just the main girl we met at the start.

The art is fresh and colourful, just what you would expect from an idol show such as this. Much like the songs, and other sounds. I honestly cannot say anything wrong about it. Idol shows are normally known for these kinds of things the most, and while it won't be super top tier, but it's very good in terms of sounding, and top notch quality. In both ends of the field.

Selection Project so far seems like a mix of Idoly Pride meets Love live. Two idol shows/series that made their own mark, one more so than the other. We'll just have to see, who comes out on top. So let's all enjoy the ride! Give this one a shot, as you won't regret it.

Alright, after seeing the 13th episode, here are my thoughts (and opinion) about this show.

This might contain minor spoilers! (Also, English isn't my first language so there might be errors, please mind them!)

The plot is a lot like Idoly Pride, if not exactly the same, but I won't go into the details of it, you'll just have to watch both of them and find the similarities!

The art is actually pretty good, the 3D feels fluid and it fits the animation, not too stiff and not out of place.

The characters are all likable and have interesting backstories. They all have unique character designs, like Shiori with ... her cat-like features.

The sound and music is really good, the songs are nice and I have them saved on Spotify already (plus the MV's are nice too).

Overall, this show is decent and enjoyable, the only nitpick I have here is that they almost entirely ripped off Idoly Pride. But, if you haven't watched Idoly Pride yet, you'll probably enjoy this more than me.

I will try not to mention the obvious AiPura similarities here…

SelePro is the only idol show that I've watched so far, and boy was I for a surprise. For starters, throw away the notion that this is an idol show upfront – this is really a reality slice-of-life show wearing the clothing of an idol show. When it comes to its plot, SelePro focuses more on the interactions between the characters and how the show binds them together as performers within and without the stage – a rare look into the hostile world of idols and performers (in real life, that is). The characters themselves are ... too cookie-cutter (even the trend of a genki lead and a tsundere co-lead wearing red and blue respectively is used here), but I don't mind it.

Definitely my strongest appeal to this show is how it integrates a shallow-yet-understandable story with amazing visuals (props to Doga Kobo for teaching everyone how 3D animations in anime should be used), nice music (the ED song "Only One Yell" is a wonderful earworm, and so are the insert songs especially "Butterfly Bright"), an assortment of plain yet interesting characters (the "interesting" part here is them working as a group), and a decision to be more realistic than ideal in presenting the "idol" genre here. Originally I thought taht like many seasonal favorites of mine, I'll forget this show anyway, but this show already got into my system now that I have fully embraced the SelePro life. Hiromi-senpai, Nagi-chan, and Uta-sensei Best Girls!

In summary, "Selection Project" uses the least ingredients for maximum enjoyment: when the "Idoly Pride" story is combined with the "drama" of "Big Brother" and the game mechanics of "Wonder Egg Priority" with a cadre of characters that remind me more of my other girl-led SoL favorite "Is The Order A Rabbit?".

Still for now though, I'd let SelePro to be the only idol show that I've watched and I am watching.
But yes, I might end up watching Idoly Pride as well because of the pesky comparisons made.

Welp I mentioned it again, the AiPura similarity… yabai!

7/10 - Story
The plot seemed very bland and fast at the same time in the first few episodes. But around episode 10 I started to give it a little more interest. Part of the reason it's not a perfect score is because at some points you can just tell what's going to happen next no matter how hard the anime is trying to reel you in and put you at the edge of your seat. In other words, it's predictable. Yet I find that that's what I found charming about this anime, it doesn't give me anxiety of sorts and just wants me to enjoy ... good ole anime lessons without much heartache.

10/10 - Art
The art is good and consistent, animation was pretty smooth. It's your average idol anime animation so I don't really have complaints. Although, if 3d isn't your cup of tea (then why are you watching idol animes /jk) then you would have to endure through the performances (imo it's not bad, great even).

6/10 - Characters
Characters, characters. Each have their own traits but sometimes it all feels plain and not that thought over. Like that one girl (i forgot her name) who's very athletic, I get that she comes from an athletic family but they didn't need to rub it in our faces every time her parents came into the shot. Small things like that are what threw me off a little, and maybe it's just me who feels that way. I would just like to note that the character development of the girls did not come off as smooth though it can be set aside because it doesn't cause any problems in the plot.

10/10 - Sound
The sounds were perfect! The songs got me, my favorite being 'Only One Yell' obviously. The voice actors did a good job with this one. Nothing else to say.

8/10 - Overall Enjoyment
I liked the anime despite it not landing any critical hits in my top lists. It's very enjoyable and light-hearted. If you want an anime that is sprinkled with lots of positivity, this one could be a good pick. Though, if you want something other than the norm then maybe you should keep looking.

Hi so this is my first review ever because I finally learned how to 😅
Its an idol anime and i usually dont like idol anime but it was surprisingly good! It teaches you to not give up on your dreams. All the characters looks special and their own even though they arent even the main characters yet their still made really nicely! Im talking about the first two episodes of the girls trying to be make in the idol audiotions finals :) They dont even look like side characters!
and for the rest episodes i'd say its okay.

Characters:
A lot of stereotype characters but they're designs are ... nice.
a 6/10
Music:
Songs are pretty nice and the dances that they perform are game cgi so its good! A 8/10
Now lets move on to the art style and animation.
I thinks the art style and the animation is very good in my opinion. Very refreshing! If i were to rate the art style and animation i'd definitely give it a 9/10
I believe the genre is idol,music,and slice of life. If you like to watch slice of life genre and "cute girls" i guess this for you 😬
I dont even like SOS and idol/music genre but it was okay! Overall an 7.5
Its a really nice new underatted anime in my opinion <3

!!SPOILERS FROM EPS 1-10 AHEAD!!
...



Feels like a higher quality rip off of idoly pride, with the main characters being pretty much polar opposites, the part where our 2nd main character Rena was the dead famous idol's younger sister, the competition, the dead popular idol, the heart disease, (especially the part where the dead famous idol gave our main character her heart after she died). The sound quality was great, and the production so far is extremely high quality and consistent. Solid 8/10. If you enjoyed this anime I highly reccommend Idoly Pride, though the final outcome is slightly different and the characters have a lot more plot protection.