Posted by OP2 Sequence
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OP2: 「CHANGE!!!!」 by 765PRO ALLSTARS
Watch the 2nd OP!: Streaming ▼
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「みんなと、いっしょに！」 (Minna to, Issho ni!)
“Together With Everyone!”
I was anticipating A-1 Pictures to pull out all the stops for the 765 Pro’s New Year Live, but they really outdid themselves with a fully animated, 2.5-minute special performance of “READY!! & CHANGE!!!!”, followed up by a second insert song, “Itsudemo mo, Dokodemo mo”, before wrapping the series up with one more ending theme. It was just about everything I could’ve asked for in IM@S’ finale. There wasn’t much in the way of story, except for maybe the Producer sneaking out of the hospital to check up on everyone, but there really didn’t need to be as this was more of an uplifting epilogue than anything else. It was nice to see confirmation that the Producer knew something was bothering Haruka though, simply because it led to a rather touching moment for Haruka. After that, all that was left was to enjoy the live performance, which featured more consistent animation than all the previous ones.
It probably goes without saying, but the amount of effort required to produce a live performance sequence like this shouldn’t be underestimated. On top of the choreographed dance that’s heavily accentuated by the girls’ animated hair — a clear sign that the extra budget’s been invested — the free-floating camera pretty much ensures that very few frames can be recycled with only minor changes. As such, I’m generally quite forgiving of any shortcuts that are taken for the in-between animation, but I actually didn’t notice any disproportionate faces in any of the frames while I was screen capping. I did in previous performances, such as “SMOKY THRILL” in episode six and “Jibun REST@RT” in episode thirteen, but not here. Even the characters’ faces in the distant shot looked pretty darn good. In motion, the difference is practically indistinguishable, but the extra attention to detail really shows when I’m stepping through the animation frame by frame to capture the exact shots that I want.
Overshadowed by the animation quality was of course the more sentimental side of things with the girls getting Ritsuko to perform the second song with them. The flashbacks with character credits were very bittersweet, but it wasn’t until Kotori broke down in tears at the end did it actually hit me how much I’m going to miss seeing the 765 Pro girls. That’s not to say that I want to see this show go on indefinitely though. It’s just a testament to how much the show’s grown on me over the past six months, especially considering that I wasn’t really planning to watch it at first. This was a great finale for a (surprisingly) great series.
* Haruka was finally able to give the Producer the wallet. She inadvertently made Miki jealous too. Go Haruka!
* The opening sequence didn’t actually change this episode, but I wanted to put together a collage of all the character shots.
* Full-length images: 05, 06, 40.
INS25.1: 「READY!! & CHANGE!!!! SPECIAL EDITION」 by 765PRO ALLSTARS
Watch the INS!: Streaming ▼
INS25.2: 「いつまでも、どこまでも」 (Itsumade mo, Dokomade mo) by 765PRO ALLSTARS
Watch the INS!: Streaming ▼
ED25 Sequence
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ED25: 「いっしょ」 (Issho) by 765PRO ALLSTARS
Watch the 25th ED!: Streaming ▼
Final Impressions:
The most telling impression that I can give about IM@S is probably, “I’m glad I decided to watch it.” I had known that the franchise is really popular in Japan and much less so overseas, but as someone who hasn’t played any of the idol producer simulation games and wasn’t very familiar with any of the characters, I simply figured that I wasn’t the intended audience for this adaptation. Twenty-five episodes later, I can tell you how wrong I was, as the anime slowly introduced the characters and highlighted all their various nuances, much like the games probably did. This adaptation is by no means only targeted toward existing fans, as I can speak from experience on how someone can come into this show with little knowledge of the 765 Pro idols and leave intimately familiar with all of them. When I first started watching, I was able to get into it relatively easily by picking a favorite character (i.e. Miki) and then watching mainly because of her. However, as the show went on and featured more episodes about others (…and Miki became obsessed with her “Honey” Producer), I was no longer fixated on any one character and was more interested in the group as a whole and the difficulties they encountered to realize their idol dreams.
The characters’ struggles deserve special mention, as what appeared to be a slice-of-life series with an idol twist on the surface proved to be much more than that. The last quarter of the series really dialed up the drama aspect in a way that didn’t come off unnatural whatsoever. It received proper build-up — most notably in regards to Chihaya’s traumatic childhood — and provided a completely unexpected dimension to the series. The drama may not compare to an actual drama series where it’s the main focus, but within the context of this relatively lighthearted series and the characters it’s established, it worked impeccably well. From episode twenty onward, I had a completely different image of the show, and it didn’t disappoint in carrying on with what it started when the focus shifted to the main heroine of the series, Haruka. The best part of it all was how the drama just crept up out of nowhere, as newcomers probably don’t expect to get choked up watching IM@S. I know I didn’t, though I’m quite glad that I did to take in everything that this adaptation had to offer. A-1 Pictures, director Nishigori Atsushi, and all the staff involved have done well in promoting the IM@S franchise as an anime — from the animation, series composition, and of course the music — so if a continuation is ever made, you can be rest-assured I’ll be watching.
This anime made me buy the ps3 special edition.
Thank You for blogging this Divine.
As someone who has not played any of the games, and his only exposure came from an acquaintance who is an Iori fanboy: I am honestly glad I picked this up. Ben-To died. I was never interested in Fate. Working!! barely catches my interest, etc. Besides Last Exile, this has been the highlight of my week. Shame to see it gone now.
/sadface
Agreed, thanks for blogging this every week. Thoroughly enjoyed this episode, and I liked the new songs that they introduced. I expect to see it in the PS3 DLC soon enough (more money for me to waste). Glad to see that the animation was great, too. Justifies the questionable faces the last few episodes.
Here’s to hoping that there’s a Season 2 somehow.
(PS: The “Ritsuko” image links to Otonashi.)
Damn. That was… just… Fabulous Max.
Overall, IM@S ended turning into one stunning product. The characters have individual personalities and flavor despite some of their intentional archetypes, a plot actually exists for the series, the soundtrack is huge, expansive, and notoriously catchy, and the animation quality, despite some very obvious dips, is drop dead gorgeous, especially in the OP’s and performances. While a few of the girls may at first seem like typical cardboard cutouts of anime stereotypes, none of them are; at first I assumed that Iori was another typical Kugimiya Rie loli, but she’s much, much more than that. One of IM@S’ strong points is redeeming those who at first seem to be annoying characters.
Still though, I have two main beefs against IM@S. First of all, the girl/boss of the week formula was hugely prevalent all throughout the series, and some character’s episodes fell into the shadows of others. A certain few of the girls had much, much more screen time and special treatment and while Haruka’s, Chihaya’s, and Miki’s subplots were fantastic and utterly enjoyable (especially the former two), they made me wonder why those three got so much more favorable screen time over the other Idols. Another is Kuroi’s very Team Rocket-esque plans to foil the Studio 765. While the situation with 961 was wrapped up nicely, I had wished that Kuroi actually had made much more malicious schemes than foiling around with the audio and playing chess or Go with himself.
While there are a few dents here and there, THE IDOLM@STER is definitely one of the better series which premiered this year (and note that this is one the greatest years in anime since like, forever). For a slice-of-life, IM@S is damn impressive, with a kicking soundtrack, likable cast, and niiiice animation. While most may be skeptical at first, once you dip your feet in you will be pulled in. THE IDOLM@STER is definitely worth your time, and perhaps the slice-of-life of year (okay no, Usagi Drop is still probably better).
And oh yeah, what the f**k? Broducer never banged Miki? WHAT THE HELLLLLLL!!!!
You do realize 961 was trolling them through a good chunk of the series, and as you know, Kuroi is good at exploiting even the smallest chinks of armor.
1) Broducer is in mid-20s. Miki is what, 15?
2) I never liked Miki. Too one-track WORLD IS MINE for no Goddamn reason. Preferred Chihaya and Haruka
3) Having worked as a stagehand, I find the crap Kuroi pulled in messing with the sound department utterly nonsense. Unless Japanese Roadies are really that spineless.
You’re right. Miki is too old.
I don’t think I’d enjoy much this anime, but boy it’s been a blast watching these screencaps for the past two seasons 😛
I might download the final episode just for the sake of those last dance videos you uploaded here…Best animation quality I’ve seen in a while in any anime…
Hope there’s some much-acclaimed MikixProducer in it too…
The anime convinced me to go buy the game. And PSN yen cards for the DLC.
Congratulations SCAMCO for parting my money from my wallet.
This show leaves that same “I can’t believe it’s over” feel I had when K-ON has ended.
I would recommend this to be nominated as “surprise package of the year” for RC’s upcoming 2011 poll. (In fact, 2011 is turning to be an excellent vintage year for anime. )
PS LOL at 765Pro still stuck in their crummy old office despite everyone achieving stardom. I understand that in the game you get to upgrade your office. (Kuroi, in a last act of vindictiveness before he succumbed to bankruptcy, managed to con 765 into considering buying his soon to be derelict office block)
If you ask me, it’s not only one of the surprises of the year. It’s one of the best anime I watched this year. So much careful attention went into every aspect, even for the lighthearted, carefree slice of life episodes to the music/dance choreograph, the storytelling. Sure, there’s been more buzz worthy anime this year. But this show deserves a shot at the best of 2011.
I wish I could get the game. =( But…sadly…I can’t.
And I agree with you Kinny! I can’t believe it’s over too. T_T I dare say that it’s show of the season.
Even if the series is over, I still intend to buy the Idolm@ster game for my ps3 and all the anime soundtracks just to show my newly dedicated fandom to the series.
I am shamless to say this, but I want the OVA with either Awakened Miki, or maybe Black Haruka??
Heck no. There needs to be an OAV featuring the 876 Pro Idols. They have their own fun, likeable personalities. That would actually make sense, especially since Ai Hidaka has appeared most recent DLC of iM@S2. Its only natural that Eri and Ryo will follow in the next DLC’s. I for one would like to see Ryo’s trap antics animated.
Make it happen A-1! I demand it.
Heck no. There needs to be an OAV featuring the 876 Pro Idols.
Screw just an OAV, go for a one-cour season with the 876 idols!!
And on a DLC-related note: For the Ace Combat fans, there’s already iM@S paint schemes for Assault Horizon in both normal and monochrome versions. Currently, there’s paint schemes for Chihaya (F-15E), Miki (Su-33) and Haruka (F-22). Though I can’t help but wonder which plane Takane’s going to be put on. I hope she gets the Sukhoi PAK FA. 😀
Anyway, since being a sub watcher is suffering, I’ll be back in a bit once the subbed version is out. Reading through this is only getting me too excited to watch it!
Awakened Miki and Black Haruka are only viable if they animated IdolM@STER 1 and not IdolM@Ster 2. But since they did IdolM@STER 2 instead I could only see the idols from Deary Stars and the group of Jupiter being made to OVA.
Come on Deary Stars, Ryo for “dropped a Bridget” moments! Come ON!
High there animation budget! Or should I say goodbye animation budget?
Love the remix of songs, the dance number and the moving camera. Cute outfits too, and they even made some sort of music video although it was a little bit less animated. Its a fun and lighthearted way to end the series after all the melodrama
As for the series I like how they succeeded in making everyone shine. The large cast keeps it from being too dull, as we get different dynamics every episode. On their own, the girls are just stereotypes but its their interactions with everyone that makes it fun to watch. Much like the games, iM@S subscribes in a “Something for Everyone” philosophy so even with the large cast a viewer will find something to like.
Also I think the Producer deserves special mention. In a show where he hangs with thirteen girls, its begging for every harem stereotype ever. Instead the show opts to portray him as a sane, professional and respectful individual who genuinely cares for his charges and never takes advantage of them. BROducer indeed is good nickname for him. Its a breath of fresh air.
In this case something for everyone turned into wow I like them alllllll. lol I don’t think there is any other show where I can honestly say I liked so many of the characters. This has set a record for me. Usually there’s 2 or 3 good ones to like not 14+ lol. I started out enjoying Ami and Mami’s comedy but they all grew on me.
Yes I second that. Thank you so much for blogging this Divine as I like reading your inputs on the anime. I came in expecting your everyday idol cute moe anime…and it delivered more than that. It came full circle when they showed Ready! and the same stage from the first opening. I like it too that they didn’t forget producer’s wallet and I just had to smirk a little seeing Haruka get the last laugh on Miki by making her jealous. Thursdays will feel hollow without this around. I’m just hoping this won’t be the last since they ended it with a “mata ne.” Kudos too that you released your blog entry the same day the show aired, something I rarely see here in RC. And thanks a bunch for the collages from OP2! Put all those pics together and you get a pretty wallpaper. Also I think you can say this is one of those rare good game->anime/movie adaptations that breaks the curse. It’s interesting to think what it’s gonna be like if you didn’t blog idolm@ster. Good thing you decided to give episode 1 a shot. PS. It might be just me but for a second from the hospital scene I thought Kotori and Producer together looked like a cute couple.
You’re welcome, but I’m not that slow am I? I still release most posts on the same day an episode airs, at least in my time zone. That was actually the norm at RC before, not the rarity.
Slow? I don’t think so. And it’s understandable since we all have real life stuff to deal with so. Point is you weren’t slow. Sorry If the way I wrote it sounded that way. Either way your finale post for iDOLM@STER is here. All is good…well except for the fact the iM@S season is done.
Another thank you for blogging this. Really had me worried, with that poll you had going while back on shows ya were gonna cover/drop with IM@S dead last.
think they will produce a OVA special.
they MUST produce an OVA special.
I would love to see a 90 minutes concert movie 🙂
What a great way to end the series! The concert performance was just too awesome for words.
Among the many finales I’ve seen today, who would have thought IM@S’ would be the one that exceeds expectations on all fronts and importantly, leaves the best impression overall! This is easily one of my favorites of the year and I’m not even that big of a fan of slice-of-life. Anyone who hasn’t seen this gem should go watch it!
Divine, please make a poll to see who is the most popular character in “THE IDOLM@STER” 🙂
And thanks for blogging!
I vote for Azusa. Gotta love those sexy long legs in the special performance 😀
An iDOLM@STER favorite idol poll is a great idea, but I honestly will not be able to vote for just 1 idol. I’d go as far as say I’ll put a vote for all 13 765 idols plus Kotori.
I vote for haruka(loli ver.)
Miki won’t lose! 😉
There’s a 765 Pro Idol Poll now! My word you can only choose ONE! I’m torn between all of them even if I’m more for Miki…but my vote goes to Azusa for that epic episode 8.
Thank you for taking Care of me, Idolm@ster. You was a very good Anime. In the beginning i was like Divine, but thanks to him, too. I began to be a Fan of this.. Because you have the Guts to Show not only the Light Side of this Business.
If you was an Story writer Padawan at the Beginning. You rise to a Jedi in the Middle. And in the End, your are a truly Jedi Master. You can Train other Padawans, under your Guide. Dreams, yes. Create Dreams, because everybody has a Dream and a Inner Child. *Nippon’s Deep Bow Style*
Sadly, i can read Katakana or Hiragana or Kanji. As you can see, i only understand Romanji. And English Language. Sadly, Microsoft surly put Chains to IdolM@ster on XBo360 only released for Nippon. Dunno, if this are for PS3 Version, too. But then, i can’t read your Language. Gomene
Oh, i forgotten to Thank you Divine and your Blog Team,for your Hard Work. I appreciate your Precious Free Time for bring us the Animes here. Please,continue if you can. Domo Arigato
If anybody a half a year ago said “Best anime of 2011 will be Idolmaster”, people would have laughed or even worse, call the poster mentally challenged or an idiot.
Look how it is now. Doesn’t sound unlikely at all. Idolmaster easily was the most likable anime this year (maybe other than Nichijou for me).
well, this is one of the more fun-to-follow shows that I’ve set myself to keep watch this year … even though I’ve (somehow) become a bit desensitized to the whole slice-of-life genre…
side note: I am considering this show to be one of them.
I really gonna miss this series, I want a second season!
2nd season is fine as long as there is no mecha involved *cough*xenoglossia*cough*
There wasn’t any Project Fairy.
A second season indeed warrants.
Project Fairy doesn’t exist in iM@S2 continuity. It was retconned out of existence since they were never part of 961 and were replaced by Jupiter.
I know that- but as the anime adaption (like all adaptions) doesn’t follow the story of the games to the letter- I was hoping that they’d find a way to squeeze Project Fairy in there.
It would have tied in nicely with Miki’s mini-arc.
Ah, it’s the end. Sad to see it happen. As for the episode, oh wow, the twist ending was unexpected, but it did make sense. And that wallet finally came in.
Overall, THE IDOLM@STER is a good example of that old phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The whole pitch of this series seemed pretty generic, and the first few episodes can make it easy for people to drop. But for those sticking with it, it becomes a treat to watch because of story elements that you wouldn’t expect at first and a staff that loves the source material dearly.
As for the characters, there’s someone there that you will like and favor, and the interactions between them are interesting to watch.
It’s also nice to see that every episode has some meaning in the later episodes.
I’m considering watching this series all over again…and I don’t usually do that for any TV series I watch.
This is definitely slice-of-life done right.
This was probably one of my favorite shows this year and the one I looked forward to most each week for this season. I was relatively familiar with the franchise before the anime (mostly specific characters like Miki and Chihaya), but now I’ve become a full-fledged fan. I think one of the strongest aspects of the franchise is that there really is a girl to appeal to everyone. There’s such a wide variety, there has to be at least one that you fall in love with. For me, that was Miki since the beginning as well. However, I have come to greatly love Chihaya, Takane, and Iori, along with all the rest.
It was stated when the series began that this wouldn’t be a harem series- it would be a series of the girls working hard to achieve their dreams. They were correct. It feels like time just flew by, seeing them go from their humble beginnings to stardom. The performances were always beautiful and despite some lackluster episodes (Hibiki’s, for example), overall everything was very strong all-around.
Thank you for not giving up on this, Divine! It really feels like we’ve all been through a journey with the girls together.
They double dosed me Ready and Change with the green/yellow and pink white uniforms. What a treat….and then the new stuff especially that shooting star dress…this ending did not disappoint. PS somebody give Kotori a tissue or something. She sure looked like producers gf in the hospital. Miki better watch out lol.
This show turned out to be surprisingly incredible, therefore I give it my highest grade for it. The anime really grew into me, and I went as far as to get the game for PS3 which is freakin awesome, although I wish I knew more Japanese though.
All I could say about this anime was that it was worth it.
I’m glad I decided to watch it.
All I can say.
I love how yayoi never got…………………………………………………………………………………………….screen time after episode 1
Episode seven was Yayoi’s episode.
In that case I like how yayoi disappeared after episode 7….only to be seen in the one episode involving the track and slowing fading away…..like all the good shows
Can’t think of a better way to end such a series. I’m impressed how seamlessly Change and READY!! molded together so well as if they were the same song(though I suppose they were in this particular case but still..)The performances were always the highlights for me especially Chihaya’s in episode 20. Hope to see more from A-1. This sets the marker for all future game to anime adaptations for me. I picked up the series the same way I picked up Modoka Magica. I wasn’t interested at first because I didn’t think it was my thing but after a few episodes I thought: “What if it’s good?” And of course the rest is history.
Oh god! 2:09-2:11 of the 2nd insert song. Look at that shot of Chihaya. She’s so cute when she looks so happy! This show is great! Haruka was right though. 765 Pro needs to be together for as long as possible.
i think the best part of im@s was it struck that magic balance for a game adaptation. or any adaptation really.
it was well enough put together to stand on its own; but clearly came from a staff that knew (or at least took to time to get to know) and cared about (at least enough to not try to insert too much personal fanfic) the source material.
I have a bit of a confession to make: I’m probably older than alot of you guys. I turned 40 this years. I never would have gotten back into anime if it had not been for the interest of my twelve year old daughter. My own parents never really took interest in what interested me; so I wanted to make damn sure I didn’t do that to my children. So, I got dragged back into watching anime, after something like a ten year drought. Ok, it wasn’t really a drag.
I’m an old punk from way back. So the very idea of idols smack as something fake to me. But you know, this show really exceeded my negative expectations.
I loved this show, because my little girl loved this show. But, I personally loved it for it’s honesty. Dream big. But those dreams are made of hard work. That hard work is achieved with help from the people you come to love. I cannot think of a better value for my kid to latch onto.
Sometimes she and I watched this together. Sometimes we watched it with me sitting in front of my laptop, she in front of hers in different cities. With an IM chat window open. Both of us laughed and cried together as we watched, no matter how close or how far away we were. This old punk, and the young punk loved this show for all it was worth.
BTW, we both love Hibiki. My girl is so much like her.
OK, it’s late for me. And the gift of Christmas wine has gone to my head. This was a good episode to end the series. And by myself and my Mags wait for season two.
Merry Christmas to everyone. Love and peace to all.
Dream Big, but to achieve it you must work for it.
That is a message so very few kids or teens get nowadays.
It’s always awesome to see actual adults within the fold. Helps disperse the negative stereotypes of anime fans.
They really outdid themselves with that performance. I’d say this has been the most satisfying finale so far of all the shows coming to end this season.
Thanks for blogging this show and not deciding to drop the coverage halfway back then.
Also, Merry Christmas to all of you here at RC.
Crazy how I my feelings towards the show was pretty lukewarm in the beginning, but I eventually became more and more attached to the show. The show has it’s problems, but still a light hearted and fun show that I enjoy watching every week. I just kind of wish there were most episodes so more characters would have gotten more screen time. I think we all can be expecting more of the IM@S anime in the future. As shown in the end of the episode, the message was”See you again” instead of the usual “End” which gives me an impression that it’s not over yet and there will definitely be more to come. 😀
I hear there’ll be an EP26 coming with the BDs
Damn, when this show first started, Madoka was simply too dazzling and i didnt bother to pay attention to it. After a few months and i continue to see Divine hard at work blogging this series sets me thinking if i should give it a try, even though it might just be some lame harem boring slice of life.
Perhaps the first few episodes or the first half of the show was pretty boring, and i simply watch a few episodes and waited a month or two before i get on to it again. But damn when Chihaya episode came in, it quickly skyrocketed to the top of my anime list. Heck i am more excited for this than Guilty Crown, any of this girls here will top Inori as the main female lead.
Thank you Divine, if you didnt blog this show i would have just label this as a crappy harem show and never bother to watch it. This is indeed a gem among the many disappointments this season
Back from watching the subs. All I can say is that the ending was a blast (and an enjoyable one at that). The animation during the girls’ performance was fluid, weaving between the idols from one camera angle to the next. A-1 totally pulled out all the stops for this episode (and then some), just like how Super Robot Wars Z2 blew the budget on Nu Gundam’s Fin Funnel attack. XD
It’s also good to see a few loose ends tied up, like Haruka’s present for the Producer (LOL at Miki getting jealous–inb4 Miki doing the Mirai Nikki yandere trance). Kuroi may have tricked Junjiro into buying an unfinished office building, but staying at the old building will do wonders in strengthening the overall camaraderie in 765 Pro. Not to mention keep our idols’ feet on the ground even as they reach new heights of fame.
I’m gonna miss waiting for the next episode of iM@S every week (at least until the OAV comes along). I’m also gonna miss the characters that have grown on me these past few months: the 765 idols, Kotori and even the Producer. And I can’t help but say this again: It’s funny how I got interested in the series thanks to those DLC planes in Ace Combat 6…
Anyway, thanks for picking up and blogging this series Divine. And happy holidays to everyone here at RC.
the blu ray only episode 26, maybe we’ll see 765pro, jupiter, 876pro etc.
and to conclude the end, the game version of marionette has been released as dlc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpAPXSwyWls
The series was just beautiful. I wish the game was available in english though. I’ll get it for PS3 as soon as I can. Initially I wanted the special edition but it was too expensive. I prefer to keep the extra dollars to afford the DLC songs and characters.
i was having the same thoughts as you divine when the show first aired. it didn’t seem appealing initially but somehow or rather, it made me wanna stick on to it and possibly let it redeem itself and it did. though i dont quite like approx half of the characters, for one reason or another, there was an inexplicable charm in their interactions with one another. out of al the arcs, haruka and chihaya were the best. aside from that, some of the insert songs and ed songs were nice as well. esp those whose voice was slightly deeper or more intense/passionate
and when will winter listings be out? you guys gonna blog NISEMONOGATARI?????????
God, I wanted to cry all over again as soon as I saw the (END) bit in the blog…
I can’t take all these animes ending (for now)!!!! ;_;
I’m so sad that this series ended. It’s a great show! At least watching Marionette no Kokoro performances will cheer me up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llEj0RFT28g
Melon on strawberry
https://randomc.net/image/THE%20IDOLM@STER/THE%20IDOLM@STER%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
A nice series.
Has fun, has drama, pretty nice consistent animation.
Their new songs from the anime are some of their better songs to me.
Having seen this, I wonder how the AKB anime will be compared to this.
its a manga, however with foreseeable adaptations, check out AKB49
to answer your curiosity perhaps 🙂
a decent ending to a great series, to say at least.
i was expecting some resolution to the main cast, especially against their
eternal nemesis, but oh well it’s up to the creators to figure all that out.
still a great series to watch and watch again if you want to.
very unlikely to have a follow-up, but still a great series nonetheless.
Excellent ending for one of the hidden gems of the year. Thanks for giving this show some exposure, Divine. It seems that the people who took a chance with im@s were rewarded with a brilliant cast of unique and likable characters, (usually) very nice animation (and sometimes straight-up amazing), and most surprisingly, some of the most moving drama this viewer has seen. I swear even a month after I watched it, just THINKING about the end of episode 20 gets me choked up….in fact….*sobs
Ah ha, I forgot what I was going to say after that. Anyway, it’s sad to see it end, but it was such a fun ride.
https://randomc.net/image/THE%20IDOLM@STER/THE%20IDOLM@STER%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2039.jpg
Should I watch this show?
I watched maybe the first 2 eps and concluded “too many characters with annoying voices and childish behavior” and dropped it. From your final review I think I might have been mistaken – would you recommend me this show if I hated the first 2 eps?
The last 6 or so are the complete opposite of the first half of the season. So you could just watch those for decent drama that’s not over-the-top, along with fantastic concert scenes. The one in episode 20 will certainly stick with you, whilst the ones in this last episode have animation which far outclasses almost any that I’ve seen in anything thus far.
Geez. How could there be so few votes for someone as adorable as Yukiho? It seems like a lot of people here fail to see what makes her such a great and loveable idol.
I agree! Sure she is a tad over the top when it comes to her phobia, but at least she isn’t a punching demon like Inami.
Yukiho suffered in the anime because she had one of the worst character focus episode. She’s supposed to be adorably shy but they basically screwed of up her portrayal by taking her man-phobia and dialed it up to the extreme. Yes she’s afraid of men, but she doesn’t run away screaming like a retard. At worst she just cowers. They got her character right in the succeeding episodes but by then the damage was done, and most non-iM@S fans didn’t find her endearing anymore.
6 months ago?… I’ll be damned. I always get a sense of overwhelming nostalgia at the end of anything like a book, game or show, but 6 months!? Man alot has changed in half a year, for both the characters and myself… I hope those characters stay happy in their own universe! Good show.
any plans for the yearend poll for best anime of 2011…..
im@s for exceeded expectations
maaaaaaaaaaaybe asami imai for VA of the year
end of ep 20 for best moment of the year (if there is such a category)
Right now, i finished a to Watch all 24 Episode in a Row.. (Thanks to Holidays here) And i don’t regret it.
There was good Lyrics and Music Songs. But the most i liked was at the Episode 25. “However Long, however far”. It was really a easy going and mind getting Song… The Voice of all together in Harmonie and the Music Sync in time and “Emotion”. It was the most awesome piece i like in this “Watch Idolm@ster” Batch session.
Hope, the Producer and the Team (and i mean writer, arranger of music and Voice actors(no they are more then Voice Actors. You are Pro’s/Idol’s.) will be the same
if there is a change for that, i really like to watch it.
Long writing, short story
Awesome Anime. Thank you so much
Typo: i mean all 25 Episodes of course
Men, i really getting old. I forgotten to thank the [Chibiki] Subber Group. Thanks to them and Random Curiosity, i could enjoy a Anime with Heart since long time again…
As a Thank you, i just made little AMV Piece
Man, this is one of those adaptations that makes you want to learn Japanese to play the games. I really hope that this adaptation will lead to the games being translated like Corpse Party. Fantastic final episode as I was drooling at the live concert. I think it was too bad we didn’t get to see Ritsuko do a live performance and instead we got an AMV, which was fine.
Last summer Amagami took me on a romance roller-coaster and now it was IDOLM@STER with their surprisingly fresh idol-plot.
I started IDOLM@STER with episode 2 (curious about Miki and such) then left it till the beach episode (you know I can start interest in something out of fan-service) and then I picked up episode 1,3 and 4 (one of my favourites Gero~).
I only cared about Azusa and Miki and like you could Keep the show without Iori and the twins. Now I can´t really choose a favourite, they are all top-tier.
If you look back we never expected much of the show (it was in the verge of being dropped actually). I saw your season preview and this show was not in a good light hahaha~
I am glad I gave this show my time and if I can I will watch it again… Amagami too.
I will evaluate:
-Surprisingly good plot (I was ok with cute idols doing cute things). I know its not a masterpiece but it was better than expected.
-Affable cast.
-Choreography.
-High rewatch value. Watched every episode at least 2 times and in some cases even 5-6. I really care about the rewatch value.
-Sloppy art (a cancer in the show).
-Remarkable high and low between some episodes (Hibiki… man).
I will give it an 8 with a Lectro Volpi seal of approval!
I have done little Research with Youtube PS3 Idolm@ster Videos…
Seriously, why every “Idol” has the Body movements? And i am not Talking of Dancing. At last, give them different Movements for (example) Photo shootings at beach…
That why only the Hardcore Fans buy this kind of Games. Others will not pick up this, because this is just Mass Production…
Just marathoned the entire second half, AND….
I’ll be damned, I enjoyed this show a lot more than I originally thought. Dropped it halfway just before the new OP, though I still check the posts for the girls and the screencaps (amazing job BTW). So when it was over thought I’d check it out again, finish what I already objectified as just another show full of cute girls, but I guess I’ll be eating my hat for that.
Few things I did not like or rather found a little annoying, team rocket-ish Kuroi antics and well, AMAMI.
Great Show! Yukiho FTW!
@divine: is this link right?
sentimental side of things with the girls getting Ritsuko to perform the
Ritsuko links me to otonashi