Story: The story of Idolm@ster starts off with a documentary of a small idol company in Tokyo as a way of introducing the staggering 13-person cast. It's large, but the anime more than makes up for this through fantastic interpersonal interactions and personal episodes for each character during both halves of the show. The first episode isn't just great as it's own stand-alone episode, but also as an amazing introduction throughout the show. What the show does amazingly though is its portrayal of not only growth but as matureity. If you compare the characters(both the managers and the idols themselves) from the beginning of the show and the end, they are more mature, more grown up. And that's the best part about Idolm@ster. Every character grows in some way, gaining insight not only into the world around them, but also their own individual flaws. Subconsciously or consciously this change doesn't just occur within a single episode, but throughout the entire show as the cast tackles themes of trying hard, talent, and even corporate corruption. These themes can be presented in a silly manner(I love the scenes with Kuro-P) but the impact is still there. The anime strikes a great balance between silly and serious, something that is hard to due in anime.
Art, Sound, and Animation: But this is an idol show after all so lets talk about the songs. The majority of the songs are interspersed in both daily life moments and in actual live performances(mostly in short bursts to provide CD sales) and for the most part are pretty catchy. The OPs and EDs as well have this same upbeat nature to them that is typical of idol music but that isn't a bad thing either. One thing that is great though is addition of hand drawn dances(something that is both expensive and very tedious to do in-studio). It really shows the passion and love the animators have for this project which I loved.
Characters: Yes each character is either a characterature or fetish personified in some way. It ultimately leads to plain characters that can be summed up in a single sentence. But that doesn't bog down the show. Instead it allows for more growth in the characters and makes each and every one of them rememberable and likeable. It's a great contradiction that works for the show instead of against it, as one might think.
Closing Thoughts: Overall, "The iDOLM@STER" is a great show that exemplifies what I love about the idol genre. Upbeat songs, cute girls, memorable moments, minimal drama, interesting themes, and unique costume designs. If you love idols and jpop, watch this show.
