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If you come into IDOLiSH7 thinking this is going to be a happy, gentle, soft, fluffy anime, you're in for the ride of your life. Although it does have those aspects... what you're about to enter is a world full of flaws, imperfection, angst, hurt and inferiority. If that sounds like what you're into, step right up and enjoy because before you know it, you'll end up finishing the series and be eagerly awaiting for season 2 in 2020, just like the rest of us. Rest assured, this review is completely spoiler-free!

Story= 10/10
The story is really good! It starts with seven boys coming together with ... none of them knowing each other (aside from the Izumi brothers) - the only thing they know about each other is that all of them are here to become idols. Unlike usual idol anime, it doesn't start off with them being known by everyone. In fact, these boys are nameless - they aren't popular and no one knows about them. Heck, they haven't even debuted. They're invisible. You see them work hard to be successful as they struggle against rival idol groups and internal conflict, while you also watch them screw up big-time and suffer from the consequences.
On another note, this isn't the type of story where there are episodes of a character being worried over something and then 'bam!', it's resolved in one episode. Those worries end up spanning across several episodes and it's going to leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering what the hell is happening and when it's going to be resolved, only to know that you're met with cliffhangers on some parts and you'll have to wait for the next season to get your answers (or you can read story translations).
By the way, it's not really a shoujo anime, save for Nagi's flirtatious nature and one person being in love -starts coughing out loud at a certain character- (not going to reveal because spoilers). Romance is not the focal point of this series. This isn't the type of anime where everyone is trying to get a piece of their cute female manager because love is the least of their concerns right now!
Ergo, what you should be getting from this is that the story is absolutely amazing. Although, I admit... at the same time, perhaps it's my bias since I'm updated on the latest story on IDOLiSH7 since I'm playing the game.

Art= 10/10
The art is adorable. The boys are cute, the scenery and backgrounds are nice too. Moreover, IDOLiSH7 is really a series that focuses on the details! After all, there's an emphasis on the physical appearance of the characters since they're idols! The angles during monologue and dialogue is good, while their dancing is amazing. You even see them having fun while they're dancing! Furthermore, it focuses on even the minor details. The colour of the clouds... the dancing man in WiSH VOYAGE's MV... and the colour schemes of each character! Furthermore, Tanemura Arina... she designed the characters! If you love her works, you'll be sure to enjoy the characters' appearances!

Sound= 10/10
The sound is good. There's an abundance of music and a lot of songs. IDOLiSH7 caters towards a lot of preferences through the peppy music of IDOLiSH7, and the more... sensual music of TRIGGER, while there's also the music from the rival groups! If you're anything like the rest of the fandom, you'll be singing along to some of the songs and be making playlists for all the songs in IDOLiSH7. The background music is also quite nice! The emotional music really gets me in Episode 9 during Tamaki and Sougo's dialogue. Furthermore, the lyrics of IDOLiSH7 songs are quite inspiring and energetic as well! As for TRIGGER, it's more, uh, sensual! -sweats nervously- If you somehow don't like the story, then you'll definitely enjoy the music!
The voice actors are also doing a wonderful job... you can hear the sorrow, weakness, happiness or anger in a character's voice! It's conveyed to you through both their voices and facial expressions, so kudos to the art once again!

Characters= 10/10
The characters are absolutely amazing. They're fleshed out, they're more human and relatable! They have worries outside of being an idol and that can affect their performance. Furthermore, they're not perfect - they're flawed, they're still learning, they're making mistakes and suffering from the consequences, they're crying, and they fight with each other too. They're inexperienced and sometimes, even they don't know what to do with themselves. Also, they have needs, wishes and things they want to do. Their personalities, hobbies, the things they like/ dislike are even echoed in some of their actions.
Moreover, they're relatable through various means. Perfectionism? Izumi Iori. A sense of inferiority? Izumi Mitsuki. Obsessed with anime? Rokuya Nagi. I promise you that you'll be sure to relate to one of the characters! My personal favourite is Osaka Sougo and he is extremely relatable.

Enjoyment= 10/10
I really enjoyed IDOLiSH7. I'm constantly coming back and rewatching episodes. I'm urging all of my friends and everyone to watch the series because it's just that good. I had fun watching every episode - they were never boring.

Overall= 10/10
I love this series, it's one of my all-time favourites. I always sing to the songs when they appear if I know the parts because they're catchy... I remember character details because they're easy to memorise... the characters are lovable... there are so many aspects that you'll be able to enjoy in IDOLiSH7.
Thank you for reading! I hope this has convinced you to watch IDOLiSH7.