Especially Tatchibana hit hard. Such a young girl burdened by so much responsibility. To me this anime illustrated the darker sides of the Japanese culture. Pressure to perform, corporate hierarchies, using young girls for profit, everything seemingly very sterile, but hiding the pain. The series felt thus very conflicting and absurd to me, as does the whole idol bussiness:
Lone men are marketted imaginary girls that supposedly care about you. - On the other hand, isn't all anime this and I am watching with gluttony?
Girls are marketted a specific image which to become, and everything is laced with shining make-up, fashionable outfits, youthful innocence, songs, love and kira kira. On one hand these dreams and desires are sweet, but for most they are some kind of deceptive mirages and spectres, with basically only old men on the top really benefitting from the system and younger using it just to suppress their desires in lack of a real girl.
This in regard, though, apart from Risa's lolicon jokes the anime was not sexualized, except for the one concert with the older girls. There I found myself weirded out by ~ second graders cheering for songs with sexual lyrics (although they did not perform). I personally would have liked more fan service, but this was confusing as it seemed out of place.
Nevertheless, there is also my favourite trope, the wise man on the top who has no further need for competition, but has reached personal growth and wishes to share it.
Finally, I especially disliked Producer-san trying to please everybody, and the implication, that this is the correct way to act usually. Yes, I see my Western individualism rising its head, but his kind of people pleasing leads to growth of neither the pleaser nor the one pleased and pampered.
But anyway, watching the series was a much more painful and deep experience than I had estimated. Raised some philosophical thoughts and issues, which is not bad. But next I want to watch some CGDCT without consumerism, such as Non non biyori.
