Amami Haruka, Hoshii Miki, Kisaragi Chihaya, Minase Iori, Miura Azusa, Takatsuki Yayoi, Hagiwara Yukiho, Kikuchi Makoto, Futami Ami, Futami Mami, Shijou Takane, Ganaha Hibiki, Akitsuki Ritsuko
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「みんなで、少しでも前へ」 (Minna de, Sukoshi demo Mae e)
“Moving Forward a Little with Everyone”
How dare those Shinkan Shoujo girls make Yayoi cry! The 765 Pro girls may have been the better person about it, but I was ready to bust some idol heads by slapping a bitch. I dare say I would’ve enjoyed it too after Hikari (Higasayama Tsugumi) proved to be one tough customer.
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「ふたりだから出来ること」 (Futari Dakara Dekiru Koto)
“The Things We Can Do Together”
An entire episode about a search for missing pudding? Only on IDOLM@STER. It ain’t just any old pudding either, but Sweet Gorgeous Celeb Pudding.
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「しあわせへの回り道」 (Shiawase he no Mawarimichi)
“A Detour to Happiness”
Wedding dresses, wedding dresses, and more wedding dresses. The focus may have been a wild goose chase centering on the angelic Azusa, but I know who I had my eyes on.
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「大好きなもの, 大切なもの」 (Daisuki na Mono, Taisetsu na Mono)
“The Things I Love, The Ones I Cherish”
I never quite know what to expect from IM@S, as the series continues to throw the girls’ names in a hat and pick a few out at a time. Or at least, that’s what appears to be happening from my perspective, with Hibiki and Iori sharing some screen time with Yayoi after already getting a bunch in episodes four and six respectively.
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「先に進むという選択」 (Saki ni Susumu to Iu Sentaku)
“The Decision to Continue Forward”
It’s kind of hard to believe that I was going to let this series go unwatched let alone uncovered a month and a half ago. Good thing I took the plunge after A-1 Pictures’ visuals caught my eye, because IM@S is already busting out fully hand-drawn idol performances only six episodes in. Compare that to the second season of K-ON, where Kyoto Animation held out until the twentieth episode.
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「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.
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「自分を変えるということ」 (Jibun wo Kaeru to Iu Koto)
“What It Means To Change Oneself”
It was no Iron Chef — one of my favorite cooking shows — but the 765 Pro girls were surprisingly good at cooking.
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「すべては一歩の勇気から」 (Subete wa Ippo no Yuuki kara)
“Everything Starts with a Courageous Step”
This may have been a Yukiho-centered episode, but I made sure to get a reasonable amount of Miki shots in as well. You didn’t really think I’d let a shutter chance slip by did you?
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「”準備”をはじめた少女たち」 (“Junbi” wo Hajimeta Shoujo-tachi)
“The Girls who Began ‘Preparations'”
It turns out I was pretty spot on when I said I can do with less of the Futami twins and Iori last time, as this second episode quickly lumped them together on the more idiotic side of 765 Pro.
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「これからが彼女たちのはじまり」 (Kore kara ga Kanajo-tachi no Hajimari)
“It’s the Beginning of These Girls from Here On”
Fans of the IDOLM@STER franchise should be happy about this incredibly faithful adaptation, as it felt like I was watching someone play the Xbox 360 game it’s based on before my very eyes. The twelve aspiring female idols (and one producer) constantly broke the fourth wall to communicate with the nameless cameraman (soon to be producer), whose unvoiced lines were subtitled for most of the episode.