Story – 7/10
The plot in The IDOLM@STER is a simple one. It revolves around the lives of the 13 girls who aim to become prospective idols. The IDOLM@STER manages to tackle the entertainment industry quite accurately. Episodes in The IDOLM@STER feels divided into two separate types of episodes; the first being episodes revolving around a single character and the development of her personality and traits etc.; and the second episodes which focus on building the characters as a unit rather than individual’s. Unfortunately the majority of episodes are focused on building the individual’s. Why would I consider this something negative in the anime, especially when considering that The IDOLM@STER is a slice of life anime which are mainly character driven? The problem I have is that the majority of characters get a single episode dedicated to them as characters, after which they only feel significant whenever the plot calls for it. It is near impossible to have the audience immediately care for a character when they are given so little screen time to show us their motivations for becoming an idol, or just explaining why the character possesses some kind of quirk. The only characters who I believe got a backstory which actually meant something, was Yayoi and Chihaya. Both of these characters had to deal with issues which affect their lives, in addition to being idols.
Art – 7/10
Unfortunately the trend of being mediocre is something which this anime adaptation and its creators – A1-Pictures – have in common. I would describe the art style as average, because nothing stands out to me. Thankfully there was nothing about the art which was badly done either. The character designs are diverse and colorful, and work well with the characters personalities and their occupation as idols. Both the openings are vibrantly done and a joy to watch.
Sound – 8/10
Now if there is one thing an idol anime should excel, it has to be the music. The IDOLM@STER has some great tracks throughout the run of the anime. The only thing which annoyed me regarding the sound was Yayoi’s vocalist and the fact that we only heard snippets of the largest number of tracks throughout the anime. I have to applaud the vocalists for each of the idols as all of them –except Yayoi – was a true pleasure to listen to individually. Where they excelled at the most, were during songs performed as a group as much like the characters they were meant to portray, they complimented each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The ending character-/group songs are really fun to listen to and the openings even more so.
Character – 7/10
With a large cast, it is usually really hard to develop the entire cast and not neglect a few characters. Unfortunately The IDOLM@STER doesn’t succeed in creating a well-developed cast, as the characters don’t get enough screen-time. Producer was the character which made me hesitant to watch the anime, as I was expecting a bland character which every male in existence can fantasize about becoming – much like the protagonist from the games. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Producer was a kind-hearted individual who wants to help his idols accomplish their dreams. Heck, I enjoyed him so much that I felt sorry for him when my least favorite character – Miki – fell in love with the guy. How he doesn’t contemplate murder on a daily basis is a truly amazing feat. Other than Producer, other characters I enjoyed were: Makoto, because of she is awesome; Azusa, because she has a motherly charm surrounding her; Iori, because she is a cute tsundere loli; Chihaya, because her character arc made me cry and lastly President Kuroi, because he was unexpected and has a fantastic seiyuu.
Enjoyment – 7/10
The main reason I usually find myself watching idol anime is simple, they make me smile. IDOLM@STER had some genuinely fun moments throughout the anime, but unfortunately only four scenes actually made me feel something. Love Live, for example, is a fun anime to watch, because of the interactions between the characters which at times feel more like a family than close friends. Even though the music was pretty good, the lack of interaction between characters other than Producer made the anime less enjoyable.
Overall – 7.5/10
If pick-a-waifu anime is appealing to you, I guarantee that you will enjoy The IDOLM@STER. With the majority of episodes focused on developing a single character it should be easy to decide which of the characters you find most appealing. However if you are looking for a slice of life anime with well-developed characters, I suggest that you look elsewhere. As good as the music is, the rest of the anime unfortunately doesn’t manage to measure up to the high standards of the soundtrack.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review!
