As I would like to call it, the now famous Uma Musume formula of involving sports and idoling, CGDCT style, it certainly has seen a major success incorporating such a genre that back then, didn't have a lot of competition. And CyGames definitely took advantage of that formula by being the first anime adaptation of their popular mobage game to do so, such that it was the precedent going forward. And many similar other tried to replicate this exact styling from the likes of "PuraOre! Pride of Orange" and now this show, but it's very clear that the concept didn't work out as it should, being a novel concept on paper but forgetting about everything else that came with it. And this is exactly what Masaki Tsuzuki, the creator of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Dog Days did, that try as hard as he might to hope to make a splash, but like the useless Pokémon Magikarp that takes long enough to evolve into a Gyarados, this show couldn't evolve from having a now generic formula, with basically nothing unique to show.
I do love underdog stories, and Extreme Hearts' story plot shows a newbie group's rise to fame: Team RISE, consisting of team leader Hiyori Hayama, members Saki Kodaka, Sumika Maehara, Yukino Tachibana and Lise Kohinata, does feel just that. The always enthusiastic team leader, Hiyori has actually made a name for herself as a guitarist, but even with a solo debut, that's still not enough to break even. That's where her one and only fan Saki Kodaka comes in to persuade her not to give up music, for this competition/tournament for idol groups that's known as Extreme Hearts provides her another avenue to use her talents in a better way. Subsequently, with the rise of the team, comes more girls that bred from the necessity of evolving the team to greater heights: Sumika Maehara with her knowledge on Hyper Sports, Yukino Tachibana in baseball and last but not least, Lise Kohinata...in just making the team complete in numbers, that's all. That to me, screams inconsistency, though props must be given for having members that are of necessity other than just a want "because I'm a fan".
The other girls of rival groups, yeah...it's just how PuraOre! did the same thing to satiate the tastes to generic boringness, though there are some that I like. Case in point: the 2-member team Snow Wolf compromising of Michelle Jaeger and Ashley Vancroft, both dedicated to their craft of robot manufacturing and making the world a better place. It's just absurd how an even smaller side group like this ironically is my favourite team, though they ultimately become assistants to Team RISE, which isn't all that bad.
Honestly, director Junji Nishimura has recently been in a rolleroaster of shows that director-level or not, hasn't really been working things out for him. Being the director and one that has the most input on Mamoru Oshii's Vlad Love, it's a very unique take on the madman's creative side that however, just feels like it's a "style over substance" show. And most certainly as studio Seven Arcs's in-house director, shows like Bermuda Triangle: Colorful Pastrale really only cater to the kids style, and I'm left wondering if like Extreme Hearts, he's gonna screw up the upcoming anime adaptation of Mato Seihei no Slave (which the original source material is actually quite good). But I can only judge what he has now, and it's starting to feel like Junji Nishimura is feeling his ripe old age whom he is at the limit of making good decisions and leaving everything else to his production staff team. And truthfully, it is sad and a shame.
The OST...forget it, it's the same generic idol-ness that doesn't really stand out in its uniqueness, or might as well that I say that character-centric songs are somehow getting worse, at least it is to me.
I've already said this once in my PuraOre! review, but like a certain Touko Machida, Masaki Tsuzuki's writing prowess is leagues behind the times, and although the enjoyment may have sufficed with both Nanoha and Dog Days back in the day, Extreme Hearts is a comeback that honestly, it's better off without in its entirety. Just don't waste time on this show unless you have a penchant for similar shows like these that you'll enjoy, no matter its overall quality.
