AIKATSU!

DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME MusicAikatsu! 2
ANIME MusicAikatsu Friends!
ANIME ComedyAikatsu Stars!
ANIME MusicAikatsu on Parade!
MANGA ComedyAikatsu!
ANIME MusicAikatsu Planet!
ONA MusicAikatsu Academy! Animation PVs

REVIEWS

• 

  user60989

  70/100
  Average anime with stellar soundtrack.

  *Note: This review will cover the full run of the original Aikatsu! which is 178 episodes in length.

  Aikatsu! as an anime brings a different and unique flavor to the idol genre. An arcade collectible card game from Bandai's Data Carddass line, it was released in late 2012 and has since cemented itself as a popular choice in Japanese arcades. An anime adaptation followed the game's release that has been ongoing for 6 years with sequels such as Aikatsu Stars! and Aikatsu Friends!. A very simplistic anime aimed towards a younger female audience, Aikatsu!'s bright and colorful characters, along with a healthy selection of songs ranging from cute pop to hard rock to electronic dance music, make it a solid entry in the world of idol anime.

  "If, like Ichigo, I've become able to ease someone's unpleasant feelings or bring them a smile, then that's all I could ask for. I'll work harder and harder – even if something bad happens, even harder – always doing my best!" – Ozora Akari, Episode 177

  The music in an idol anime is arguably one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of the show. Music is somewhat of an international language, it is understood by all. The ability to connect, to feel, to have fun through music makes it a wonderful medium that is enjoyed all over the world. A great soundtrack can take your enjoyment to the next level and if you're looking into idol anime chances are you already have an interest in music. The music is the strongest aspect of this show with plenty of great songs that'll get stuck in your head.
  What makes Aikatsu! different than it's anime counterparts is its wide variety of catchy, upbeat and fun music. This plays into the game's concept where idols are classified into four different types: cute, cool, sexy, and pop. There is something for everyone to enjoy.
  SHINING LINE is a fan favorite cute-type song with it's catchy and bright melodies. Feeling something a bit heavier with a strong guitar track? Glass Doll is an incredible cool-type song with a riveting and sinister feel that'll suck the blood right out of you. Trap of Love delivers a funky rhythm coupled with a soothing vocal that brings a sexy-type feel to the table. CHU-CHU♡RAINBOW, a personal favorite in the pop-type category, is cheery and bouncy with a very cute vocal to boot. The four songs I've listed here all appear at the beginning of season one, there are countless more down the line to be heard.

  "Back then, I would have never imagined that I, someone like me, could become an idol!" – Hoshimiya Ichigo, Episode 1

  Where Aikatsu! falls a bit flat is it's plot. There is a storyline and there is progression, it's just not very captivating or direct. There is an overarching goal, every idol is striving to be her best, and the characters do work towards achieving that goal but the things they do are a bit unrealistic at times. Every now and then the girls will be doing something so ridiculous that a character will semi-break the fourth wall and question what they're doing as a running gag. The premise of each episode follows the same pattern as well for the majority of the series which does create a feeling of repetitiveness which can be detrimental for such a long running anime. If you're looking for drama or a more captivating story, you will not find it here. If you're wanting a real world setting with realistic interactions, you will not find it here. The drama is kept to a minimum, the show really reinforces the belief that we can all be rivals but still remain the best of friends at the same time. The show's primary target audience is really obvious in this case and this is where a lot of people will turn away from the show. The anime's colorful tones reflect it's message of positivity throughout which can be a hit or miss. "Cute idols doing cute things", would be the best way to describe it.

  Despite all of this, the story the anime does tell is heartwarming and fulfilling right until the very end. Through even the worst of times these young idols still hold their head up high and push themselves even harder to becoming the star they dream of being. Each episode typically presents a challenge to the idols that in turn help them grow. Character development is there but, like the plot, it's very subtle.
  Where Aikatsu! also differs from other idol anime is how the characters have a normal talking voice and a singing voice. The voice actors who voices the characters do not provide their singing voice. This can be discomforting to some but the disparity isn't all that noticeable. The singers themselves are very talented to say the least. Most of them worked under Akihabara's DearStage, a venue in Japan where girls work towards becoming an idol or singer. It's oddly fitting to have real life want-to-be idols voice characters who are also striving for idol-hood.
  Another thing to mention is the majority of the singers provide the singing voices for multiple characters as well. While you may be able to hear similarities the singers are talented enough to alter their voice to make each character identifiable and unique. A great example of this is singer Mitani Remi, who provides the singing voices for Miyabi and Yurika along with a couple others. Her ability to alter her voice has led to fans claiming they were unable to recognize her when first listening to Light Pink Day Tripper, Miyabi, and Eternally Flickering Flame, Yurika.

  "Galaxy! Amazing! It's SHOWTIME!" – Johnny Bepp-sensei's main catchphrase

  One of the defining features of Aikatsu! are the stage performances or, more commonly referred to as, "lives". Usually at the end of every episode there will be a live performed. You'll get to listen to a short version of whatever song they choose to feature in that episode along with a 3D CGI performance, example here on YouTube. The 3D CGI is a bit odd at first and even for me it took some time getting used to but thinking about the technology at the time it's not unbearable. It's actually a replication of what the arcade game play looks like. Fortunately, the animation quality does improve over the course of the series and it actually looks quite decent by the end. A small thing to note are the character designs and Aikatsu! falls victim to having the same body and facial structure for nearly all of their characters. They are made to be lovable and cute as typical of "moe" shows. Perhaps this design decision was made to make it more appealing to it's younger intended audience but it's a common criticism among viewers.

  With it's popularity stable and rising in Japan, both in arcades and on the television, Aikatsu! brings a lighthearted and bright anime infused with great music and an adorable cast that'll keep it around for years to come. While its target audience is reflected in how the show presents itself, along with it's repetitive nature, it still manages to bring excitement and fun to every episode. The lack of presence in the West plus missing qualities that appeal to the Western fan base may make it a bit harder to get into. Comparable to a diamond in the rough, I highly recommend this show to anyone looking for something cute with a splash of terrific music on the side. With that being said, despite my love for Aikatsu! as a franchise, the anime is very simplistic with not much to offer for viewers wanting more depth. Come for the cute idols, stay for the amazing soundtrack.

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• 

  MetaThPr4h

  100/100
  Fun, heartwarming anime that won't let you stop smiling, with fantastic music and even better characters.

  This is a review covering my opinion on the four seasons of the original Aikatsu, a series that I had for a long time as a "I would try it out, but it's so long..." until the day I finally gave it the chance it deserved, and boy I sure didn't expect it to become one of my favorite works.

  What is Aikatsu?

  Aikatsu is a series set in a school that has as objective training idols to make them reach stardom. This includes seeing the characters practice for concerts, facing problems and how they improve thanks to them, and seeing them participate in idol-related activities like TV programs, firming autographs (and all the awesome moments that come from seeing fans interacting with them) or being actresses in movies/TV dramas among others things. This gives a very solid variety to the series and together with the nice comedy coming from the cast makes each episode so enjoyable to watch.

  It's worth saying that this anime has zero fanservice and has quite a lighthearted tone compared to others from the idol genre. Outside of some unique (and greatly executed) moments, the drama is never particularly big, being “rivals” is another way to say great friends to improve with, and damn if it's wholesome, it's hard to not smile all the time watching this! That doesn't mean that Aikatsu doesn't have emotional moments though, instead it actually delivers the hardest when it comes to payoff when seeing the characters succeeding and taking a step towards their dreams.

  Becoming a star and inspiring future idols

  A big theme of the series is finding the inspiration for a dream thanks to another person, with the own protagonist at the start of the series, Ichigo, being clueless about what she wanted to be until she was invited to the concert of the most popular idol of the moment and was so impressed with her performance that she wanted to become one as well.

  

  This is something that will happen many times in the future as we see the characters grow and how they end up inspiring the next students that join the school as the years pass with their actions (yes, years pass as the series progresses, leading to more focus on new characters progressively). That is such a satisfying feeling because we don't see the characters just in the “getting good” phase, but further than that.

  Dances and CGI

  As it's to be expected of a long length series that has a dance scene (or more) in the majority of the episodes, Aikatsu uses CGI animation for them and, being honest, they don't look too good at first, but that changes fast with the pass of the episodes to the point they look fantastic.

  

  If you want some examples, here are (visual spoilers for the characters who dance) Episode 71 and Episode 110, and they only keep getting better!

  Episode 71 (dance starts at 1:00)
  

  Episode 110 (starts at 0:50)
  

  Characters

  Ichigo Hoshimiya, a cheerful girl with a heart of gold, absurdly likeable and a big eater, and damn if she can be badass too, nothing stops her!

  Aoi Kiriya, a total expert when it comes to idols, she's more of the cool type and combinates so well with Ichigo, who is her childhood friend.

  Ran Shibuki closes the main trio with a more mature personality, she has been working as a model since she was younger and is praised for her style.

  

  This is really just an introduction to the main trio, between the other idols who get the spotlight (who are a lot), the designers of the brands each idol uses, Ichigo's family, and all the other characters who have chances to shine, the cast becomes really big, but it's done in a well paced way and each character has a nice personality and actions that makes them stay memorable. And I haven't even talked of best teacher Johnny Bepp yet, yeah!

  

  In conclusion

  Do you like following lovable characters and seeing them grow over time in their journey to fulfill their dreams, inspiring future generations to do the same? Do you like great dance scenes with music that you will most likely add to your playlist to listen to again? Do you want to feel awful when you realize that you're halfway through the series and you don't want to see it end of how much fun you're having watching it? Well, Aikatsu is just what you're looking for!

  I hope this post gives you the push needed to watch this anime in the future, as Aoi would say, it's really something special!

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• 

  JabroniPie

  80/100
  a strangely fun, heartwarming idol anime.

  (this review will cover only the 1st season) Honestly, I didn't expect much out of this series coming out of it, especially when I initially attempted to watch the 1st episode only to be EXTREMELY turned off by the dance cgi, thus making me not want to watch the series even with it's supposed interesting lighthearted idol premise. However, I gave it another try, and honestly, after finishing this season, I didn't expect a series like this to resonate with me so well. Let's start off with the plot. If you're looking for something dramatic and serious in this idol anime, then you're not gonna find it here. It's more of an episodic slice of life cute-idols-doing-cute-things with levels of natural character development and nicely-done cathartic moments. And I like that, as it gives room and time for us to know and personally get attached to the characters, especially with a sizable 50-episode span that this season has. Moving on to the characters. They're overall likable, but I feel like some of the supporting ones can be a bit underwhelming in terms of charm and overall personality (except Yurika, she's great). Although, the main three girls we see and encounter a lot in this series; Ichigo, Aoi, and Ran, are surprisingly good and have nice chemistry with their interactions and personalities. Ichigo is your typical gung-ho optimistic cute girl who likes to eat a lot, Aoi is your cool-type girl who is a very big nerd when it comes to the world of idols, and Ran is your mature, multi-talented model girl who can get embarrased being pestered by her friends. Their development is slow, but meaningful, something that surprised me a lot about the three. Sure, the series has a generally happy optimistic viewpoint about the world of idols and is a bit unrealistic, but the way they realize and handle their hurdles and problems makes you care about them more overtime. And I can't end this section without mentioning Mizuki. Personally, I can find her idol decisions as the series later goes on weird and her personality a bit underwhelming, but she serves as a decent mentor/senpai figure to the younger idols such as Ichigo, who receives astounding amounts of insight and understanding about the idol world from her. Onto the artstyle and animation. Outside of the CGI (which I will get into a bit), the artstyle and animation of how the world is detailed and the characters move are average. Nothing too spectacular, but nothing shitty either. Though as more episodes pass by, you can see the slow transition of the color palettes and character designs being more defined and less clunky. And now let's get to the main bone of contention which can make-or-break this series for you... The CGI. Oh boy, the early episodes of it were... pretty bad. The way the characters were designed make them look like noodle figures, and the way they articulate and move around (combined with prior mentioned noodle structure of their bodies) makes watching them dance a bit of a painful sore of an eye to handle. But if you can handle these portions of the early episodes (as it's generally a few mins per episode), then you're good to go and luckily, the later episodes slowly improve on the CGI and makes the dances and character designs more refined and fluid. Example: . . . . . . . .

  And lastly, the music. Aside from some really good musical pieces (such as Glass Doll and Wake Up My Music), the overall music palette and vibes are generally what you expect from an idol series. Though in this case, there's more variation with the sounds and melodies but not enough to strike or impress me a lot, but it's definitely passable and if you love idol music, their wide selection of musical choices will make your idol fandom in you happy.

  And I almost forgot to mention the OST's (the bgm side) they use in this series, and quite frankly, I like it. It sets the overall Aikatsu-wholesome atmosphere well, and it's never afraid to use some of the more melodic, emotional pieces in their more cathartic scenes (which I won't mention certain cases obviously cause spoilers). Overall, while I did mention some technical flaws such as the atrocity of the CGI in the early episodes, I pretty much love this series. From it's lighthearted fun episodic premise with natural development to its fun and charming cast of characters, it's no wonder I was able to finish this series in the span of like what, 2 days. If you want a series that will make you happy and feel a bit inspired from the rough times you've been suffering through, or just want to see cute anime girls doing cute idol-themed things, then this series is for you.
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