First Impressions / THE IDOLM@STER

「みんなとすごす夏休み」 (Minna to Sugosu Natsu Yasumi)
“A Summer Vacation Spent With Everyone”

It’s a beach episode and that means Mi… everyone in a swimsuit! Bah, who am I kidding? Between being the only idol to get hit on, stealing the Producer’s meat, and innocently seducing him in the bath, Miki was undoubtedly one of the highlights. I was surprised that Haruka isn’t shy about showing off her figure though, warranting some attention for the ditzy girl in the group. Chihaya also really stood out after the last episode, so it was pretty cute to see her feel inferior to the likes of Takane and Azusa. I dare say her complex actually made the scene with Haruka taking her t-shirt off much more alluring. It’s just something about Japan’s knack for making reluctance more appealing — those animals!

It feels pretty wrong to say that it was a lot of fun to see a bunch of teenage girls frolicking around in the sand and getting away from the depressing state of 765 Pro, but that probably best describes my view on this episode. Their inability to find work has become an ongoing gag of sorts, so with their air conditioner broken and all their schedules painfully open, I actually got a good laugh out of it all. Iori’s ghost stories weren’t too bad either, mostly because of Yukiho and Makoto’s reactions and how it came back to bite her in the ass at the very end. Along the same lines, I found it somewhat befitting to hear the girls talk about how they wouldn’t be able to get together like this again if their careers did take off like it’s a bad thing, simply because the show we’re actually watching thrives off the fact that they’re unsuccessful to begin with. Once a few of them start making it big, there’s a decent chance that it’ll have an adverse effect on my enjoyment. In my mind, IM@S is all about the trials and tribulations of the girls as aspiring idols and their energetic personalities toward their goals.

If we want to dumb the setup down, it can even be considered cute girls doing cute things, which from my experience doesn’t work too well when it looks like the group’s going to be broken up. We’re nowhere near that point at the moment, but there’s definitely a “sweet spot” where the girls become more popular yet still haven’t quite made it. For that very reason, it’ll be interesting to see how the group dynamic changes once Ritsuko’s newly formed unit, Ryuuguu Komachi, is formed. It’s a pretty odd trio at first sight, with 21-year-old Azusa partnered up with 15-year-old Iori and 13-year-old Ami (only one of the twins); however, this is an actual unit formed in the IDOLM@STER 2 game that this anime is based on, which a quick search online for 「竜宮小町」 goes to show. That threesome gets me just as much as how Ritsuko is only 18 years-old — younger than Azusa — and somehow a producer for 765 Pro already.

* Full-length images this week: 04, 06, 07, 10.

 

ED5 Sequence

ED5: 「MOONY」 by 今井麻美, たかはし智秋, 平田宏美, 長谷川明子, 沼倉愛美, 若林直美 (Imai Asami, Takahashi Chiaki, Hirata Hiromi, Hasegawa Akiko, Numakura Manami, Wakabayashi Naomi)
Watch the 5th ED!: Streaming ▼

Preview

30 Comments

  2. I just love Mi… I mean everything in this episode. I do feel bad sometimes for Chihaya, she doesn’t seem to get along well with the group. Glad theres Haruka to talk with her when shes all gloomy. I think I’m beginning to like her for that. I could do without her tripping over nothing every episode though.

    So thats what Ryuuguu Komachi is. Is that Azusa in the preview? She seemed like she had a haircut.

    Best episode for me.

    Nhelraios
    Reply

    2. Haruka has been my favorite girl since the start of the series. With her positive attitude, I’m beginning to wander whether there is going to be a moment where everything would go wrong & Chihaya would be the one to lift her up.

      Takane is quite a character. She has her own world & could be extremely calm under any situation. I like that Ritsuko joined the group to the beach, & the destination what fit for Yukiho who dug a hole as deep as she wants.

      HD
      Reply

  4. Miki you shameless dirty player!

    In image 05 you missed the timing with Chihaya’s breast jealousy. Poor Chihaya, at the very least her partner is an upbeat girl like Haruka (Takane can work too); I like your cap though.

    School swimsuit on Yayoi, I knew it!

    Kotori is forever alone in that dark, hot, and solitary building.

    I am not whoring on Azusa but I will keep Hibiki as my second option.

    Lectro Volpi
    Reply

  5. I’m not a fan of the Ryuuguu Komachi unit. It’s just WRONG!!!
    Azusa (my favorite) is paired with two of the most annoying idols and their personalities doesn’t gel at all. In fact, it seems like Azusa’s sultry appearance is the odd one among two lolicons. I supposed this is what happens when you have an 18-year old producer.
    Oh well, at least Azusa is still mad pretty with shorter hair ;D

    Seishun Otoko
    Reply

  6. Another good episode imo. The series has been meandering around for quite a bit, so it’s good to see the plot beginning to progress. And aside from all the bikini shots and some great Takane/Miki moments, the bed scene was actually a surprisingly intimate moment between the girls. Plus, including 2 completely brand new songs doesn’t hurt either. 😛

    Click
    Reply

  7. Decent episode. Can’t say no to beach episode with cute swimsuits and hot spring baths.

    Still I’m kinda feeling sorry for Producer now. Being pressured to burn the budget on a vacation for the entire agency. Can you really say no to this? And then its clear he really isn’t enjoying himself, probably because he is the only guy and forced to chaperon a bunch of high school girls. And it seems only Haruka tried to be nice to him by feeding him.

    fragb85
    Reply

  10. Not a bad ep. I like how A-1 was able to flush out the characters’ trait rather than a dumb down beach ep. I wonder if there will be a ep that covers Kotori since she does have a number of fan despite being a background character.

    Cool Master
    Reply

  14. lkaze graduated 13/13

    Haruka: clumsy one
    Takeya: weird UMA
    Chihaya: cute singer
    Miki: is huge
    Azusa: is BIGGER
    Mami: longer hair twins
    Ami: shorter hair twins
    Yukiho: scare of guy short of producer
    Iori: Rie
    Hibiki : is with a rat
    Yayoi: is poor
    Makoto: is cute tomboy
    Ritsuko: producer idol
    Kotori: the super assistant
    Producer: is producer

    Finally at episode 5, I can now remember all of the girls without referring to any source apart from my memories. Kudo to myself I suppose.

    lkaze
    Reply

  16. Fun episode. “Ryuuguu Komachi” caught me by surprise. So did the scene with the insert song, didn’t expect Miki to suddenly appear like that. This episode really let most of the girls shine at what they currently do best.

    x
    Reply

  17. I was actually kind of shocked to learn Ritsuko was younger than Azusa but I see why she’s in the opening on costume now being a former idol. It’s like she’s a secret weapon extra lol. If she’s former idol than it must be like a year retirement lol. Talk about mature business mind though. Good show.

    Breedo
    Reply

  18. Poor Chihaya and her chest complex. XD She’s instantly becoming my favourite iM@S girl.

    It’s a good thing she has Haruka to keep her in good company, lest she falls into despair over nothing.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  20. No Azusa!! Don’t cut your hair!!

    The amount of Miki in this episode pleased me greatly- she’s far too cute. But Chihaya is the one I end up feeling emotionally attached to. She’s awkward and doesn’t really know how to interact and have fun.
    Seeing the different bathing suit styles was very cute. Takane and Hibiki had some especially nice ones. I like how the individual suits each express the tastes of the girls more obviously than they do in other series.

    Aisu
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *