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172-445: The central aspect of the plot for The Idolmaster deals with the training of prospective pop idols on their way to stardom. The main talent agency featured in the series is 765 Production (765 Pro), a rising studio located in a small office. Other studios include 876 Production (876 Pro), 961 Production (961 Pro), 346 Production (346 Pro), 315 Production (315 Pro) and 283 Production (283 Pro). At 765 Pro, there are initially 10 idols

344-417: A parasocial relationship with a financially loyal consumer fan base. Japan's idol industry first emerged in the 1960s and became prominent in the 1970s and 1980s due to television. During the 1980s, regarded as the "Golden Age of Idols", idols drew in commercial interest and began appearing in commercials and television dramas. As more niche markets began to appear in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it led to

516-402: A break, which ends that in-game week. There are multiple responses to choose from, and the player is given a limited amount of time to make a choice; if no choice is made before time runs out, the choice with the worst possible outcome is automatically chosen. Depending on which choice is made will affect an idol's enthusiasm, which is displayed at certain points throughout gameplay by the color of

688-882: A cameo costume for Mel in Namco's RPG Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X . The game Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology had several of the girls' costumes featured as purchasable and wearable armor. Downloadable content (DLC) costumes can be bought of custom outfits from The Idolmaster for the Namco Bandai games Tales of Graces and Tales of Xillia . In Graces , Sophie, Pascal and Cheria can have costumes purchased for them, and in Xillia , Milla, Leia and Elise can have costumes purchased for them. A stage in Beautiful Katamari set in

860-578: A card battle system and over 100 additional idols, including the 13 idols from 765 Pro. In September 2012, the Nikkei Shimbun reported that Cinderella Girls earns over 1 billion yen in revenue monthly. The second social network game, The Idolmaster Million Live! , was released on February 27, 2013 on the GREE browser game platform for iOS and Android devices, and feature phones sold by au , NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank . Like Cinderella Girls ,

1032-438: A closeness between idols and fans, some talent agencies offer meet-and-greets in the form of handshake events , where fans have the opportunity to shake hands, take a photograph, and speak briefly with the idols. AKB48 's business model created more opportunities for fan interactions with their "idols you can meet" concept. An example of this are their elections, where fans can vote for their favorite member, thereby including

1204-515: A completely new cast, including 25 idols and 3 employees at 283 Production (including the producer). The fifth spin-off, named Gakuen Idolmaster , was announced on March 5, 2024. The game was released on May 16, 2024. In the early 2000s, there were arcade games already in use that allowed players to save their progress on magnetic stripe cards so as to continue playing later. In 2001, Namco designer Akihiro Ishihara chose to create an arcade game that used that technology. Ishihara wanted to make

1376-582: A darker image than that of the idol scene norm. Beginning in the mid-to-late 2010s, the Japanese idol industry crossed over with K-pop with the third Korean wave in Japan, which was sparked partially from positive reception of the Japanese members of the South Korean group Twice . In the years that followed, several Japanese and South Korean companies collaborated to form K-pop influenced groups for

1548-686: A demand for idols over the industry's growth. Work schedules for idols have been criticized for being excessive, as idols are expected to work even when sick. Miki Gonobe from Nikkan Sports noted that idols generally do not have a labor union and agencies see no need for one, as they view idol activities akin to extracurricular activities at school. She voiced concerns about young girls becoming idols at an early age, especially elementary school students. In addition, Sasetsu Takeda of GQ Japan criticized some idol managements for intentionally preventing their talents from taking time off, mentioning it "strange" that idols are only notified of their assignments

1720-595: A different episode for each of the three versions. An anime film adaptation, titled The Idolmaster Movie: Beyond the Brilliant Future! , was released on January 25, 2014. An original net animation adaptation of the spin-off manga by Akane, Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster , was produced by Gathering and directed by Mankyū. The 64 short episodes streamed between January and March 2013. A second season titled Puchimas!! Puchi Puchi Idolmaster streamed 74 episodes between April and June 2014. The series revolves around

1892-770: A form of escapism from the troubles of daily life. Idols are predominantly singers, but are also often trained in acting, dancing, and modeling. This style of recruiting and training was pioneered by Johnny Kitagawa , the founder of Johnny & Associates , and has since been used in other pop idol industries such as Korean idols in K-pop . Idols often spend time isolated from family and friends while enduring busy work schedules, with some agencies withholding job assignments from their talents and notifying them of work on short notice to prevent them from taking time off. Some talent agencies do not rigorously train their idols and market them as amateurs who will gain experience over

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2064-400: A game that would make players want to come back to play every day, which would be tied to the growth of video arcades . Ishihara realized that players would need an emotional attachment to the game for them to play it every day. With the target audience to be male players, Ishihara thought that a raising simulation where players could befriend girls and young women would lead players to form

2236-400: A game that would make players want to come back to play every day, which would be tied to the growth of video arcades . Ishihara realized that players would need an emotional attachment to the game for them to play it every day. With the target audience to be male players, Ishihara thought that a raising simulation where players could befriend girls and young women would lead players to form

2408-429: A given category. The interest level of the judges is indicated by three gauges which increase and decrease depending on how well or poorly an appeal is received. The appeals are also affected by how well the player stays in rhythm with the chosen song. If one judge is appealed to too many times, their interest level may drop to zero, at which point all the stars earned for that category will be revoked. The player also has

2580-472: A global consumer base, such as Iz*One , JO1 , and NiziU . Passionate male fans of idols are colloquially referred to as wota ( ヲタ ) , derived from the word " otaku ." Beginning in the 1980s, they formed cheering groups known as bodyguards ( 親衛隊 , shin'eitai ) to support idols at concerts and public appearances. During these events, the wota perform wotagei , an organized sequence of fan chants and dancing to show appreciation for

2752-454: A group are often given a farewell concert known as "graduations" ( 卒業式 , sotsugyō-shiki ) . The term originated from the idol group Onyanko Club , as the group's youthful concept drew similarities to an after-school club, and the fact that Miharu Nakajima 's final single before retirement was released around graduation season in Japan. Prior to the 1980s, the terms "retirement" and "disbandment" were used. "Graduation" saw usage again in

2924-516: A heart on the heads-up display . An idol's enthusiasm ranges from black, to teal, yellow-green, violet and finally red as enthusiasm increases. The player can view the state of an idol's statistics at this time, which are divided into three categories: vocal, dance and visual image. As these increase, an idol's overall image level will also increase. The player is shown an idol report which shows an idol's rank and level, and contains current popularity trends in vocal, dance and visual image, which gives

3096-430: A limited amount of time to make a choice, though the player can pause the game to be given more time. Depending on which choice is made will affect how well or poorly the communication is received. As mutual trust builds between idol and producer, good memories are formed which help the idol in auditions. In contrast, if bad memories are formed through poor communication, this will adversely affect an idol. This communication

3268-457: A male-to-female ratio of approximately 50:50, based on a December 16, 2023 survey conducted by Nikkei Entertainment . The raising simulation system in the series has been described as simple and easy to understand, and the various minigames have been described as "addictive". However, the audition system in later games such as The Idolmaster 2 has been called strategically weaker, but at the same time easier to understand than previous games. As

3440-411: A mix of video game livestreaming , entertainment, and music. The idol system has been criticized for its strict rules, intense work schedules, and offering idols little control over their personal lives. The system has been likened to salarymen in Japan who are unable to disobey their employers. Labor rights activist Shohei Sakagura stated that idols get very little revenue and are ill-prepared for

3612-459: A national online network. Koyama suggested that it would be interesting to have a touchscreen so that players could touch the girls at certain times during gameplay and get interesting reactions. While developing the game, Koyama realized that most bishōjo games at the time focused on specializing characters for players' specific tastes, which he felt was detrimental to the community surrounding such games. Therefore, one of Koyama's goals in developing

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3784-405: A player's attachment with the idols. The ultimate focus was to create a game with a "cool, club-like image" that would be close to the feel of a music game . Originally, the protagonist was going to be put in the role of the idol's manager, but it was later changed to the idol's producer because the latter was perceived to be "cooler". The basic concept of the game dealing with a producer training

3956-496: A port of the game had been discussed as early as May 2005. Namco Bandai Games producer Yōzō Sakagami was initially unsure if The Idolmaster would be suited for a video game console due to hardware and network limitations, but he felt that the Xbox 360 and its Xbox Live network could handle the game's specifications. This would also allow the developers to improve the game's quality and attract attention from those who never played

4128-457: A prospective idol to reach the top of the entertainment industry was only solidified late in the development process. The development team had many problems with creating a game that had no close equivalent or preceding game that involved training idols, so trial-and-error served to lengthen the development process. The balance between the graphics, music and gameplay system had to be adjusted to lessen concerns about players being embarrassed to play

4300-614: A rank of E or F are split into two categories, Rookie and Local, and the national auditions now require a minimum rank of D to participate. Up to five photos can now be saved during a performance. The game also includes 10 achievements . The Idolmaster was primarily developed by Metro, in conjunction with Namco. In the early 2000s, there were arcade games already in use that allowed players to save their progress on magnetic stripe cards so as to continue playing later. In 2001, Namco designer Akihiro Ishihara chose to create an arcade game that used that technology. Ishihara wanted to make

4472-545: A rehaul in Seiko Matsuda 's public image. Namie Amuro , who gained fame as the lead singer of Super Monkey's , found popularity among young girls who emulated her appearance. At the same time, Speed also found a fan following. However, neither Amuro nor Speed referred to themselves under the idol label. While idols appeared less in mainstream media, the popularity of Onyanko Club from the 1980s led to an increase of idol groups with large numbers of members debuting in

4644-462: A relationship between an idol and her producer. The game uses the touchscreen Rewritable Stage arcade cabinet, which issues the player two rewritable cards containing the player's profile and save data . It also makes use of the ALL.Net network service to keep track of national idol rankings. The network was discontinued on September 1, 2010, though a few of the arcade cabinets still survive. A port of

4816-646: A rival idol working for the 961 Pro studio, and introduces the new characters Hibiki Ganaha and Takane Shijō , also working for 961. Hibiki is in Perfect Sun , Miki is in Missing Moon , and Takane is in Wandering Star . SP also introduces a multiplayer mode for up to three players where each of the players' idols can interact and audition together. A slot machine titled The Idolmaster Live in Slot!

4988-512: A significant growth in the industry known as the "Idol Warring Period." Today, over 10,000 teenage girls in Japan are idols, with over 3,000 groups active. Japan's idol industry has been used as a model for other pop idol industries, such as K-pop . Sub-categories of idols include gravure idols , junior idols , net idols , idol voice actors , virtual idols , AV idols , alternative idols , underground idols, Akiba-kei idols, local idols, bandols, and Japanese- South Korean idols . An idol

5160-535: A specific concept appealing to certain audiences. The popularity of young female singers can be traced back to Sayuri Yoshinaga in the 1960s, as well as the Takarazuka Revue and theater shows from the Meiji era . In 1962, Johnny Kitagawa founded Johnny & Associates and created the group Johnnys , which is retroactively considered the first idol group in Japan. He is also credited with pioneering

5332-410: A specific concept appealing to different audiences. To celebrate the diversity of idols, AKB48, Shoko Nakagawa , and Leah Dizon performed a medley called "Special Medley: Latest Japan Proud Culture" at the 58th Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2007, introduced as " Akiba-kei idols" with each act described as a different sub-genre of idols. The idol industry experienced a rapid growth in the beginning of

The Idolmaster - Misplaced Pages Continue

5504-429: A strong emotional attachment for the game. Next, in order to effectively use the competitive culture that surrounds video arcades, Ishihara thought about various themes for the game, including professional wrestling and volleyball . Ishihara finally settled on a game featuring pop idols , who players would raise and compete against other players' idols to reach the top of the entertainment industry. The popularity of

5676-575: A strong emotional attachment for the game. Next, in order to effectively use the competitive culture that surrounds video arcades, Ishihara thought about various themes for the game, including professional wrestling and volleyball . Ishihara finally settled on a game featuring pop idols , who players would raise and compete against other players' idols to reach the top of the entertainment industry. There were some members of Namco that thought it would feel awkward to play The Idolmaster in public and that it would not be well received by players. However, when

5848-529: A total of 52 playable and produceable idols. The third social network game, The Idolmaster SideM , was released on February 28, 2014 on the Mobage platform for mobile devices. The game features a card battle system similar to the other social network games, but instead focuses on male idols at the talent agency 315 Production, which also includes the three idols formerly from 961 Production . A rhythm game with 3D models titled The Idolmaster SideM: Live On Stage!

6020-495: A way of having a long-term relationship without the prospect of supporting a family or dealing with awkwardness outside of a controlled environment. The idol fan culture idealizes the idea of moe , where vulnerability is seen as an attractive trait. Using idols from Johnny & Associates as an example, male idols appeal to female fans by representing a pseudo-romantic ideal for them. However, there are some female fans, particularly in Japan, who prefer to put themselves in

6192-512: A year. Beginning in the 1980s, companies would compete to secure contracts for idols in dramas, which led to the current four-season television cour in Japan. Variety, talk, and music shows also became popular, in part for featuring idols as guests or the stars of the show. The idol industry has crossed over to anime and video games. Using a media mix strategy, various multimedia projects have used fictional idols to market Japanese pop culture and anison music. The series Creamy Mami,

6364-452: Is a rhythm game , and unlike previous games does not feature any raising simulation gameplay. The Shiny Festa games were released on iOS and localized into English on April 22, 2013. The titles of the games were changed for the port: Honey Sound became Harmonic Score , Funky Note became Rhythmic Record and Groovy Tune became Melodic Disc . An app for the PS3 titled Imas Channel

6536-405: Is a type of entertainer whose image is manufactured to cultivate a dedicated consumer fan following. Talent agencies commercialize idols by recruiting preteens and teenagers with little or no experience in the entertainment industry, and market them as aspiring stars. Idols are marketed for their image, attractiveness, and personalities. An idol's main objective is to "sell dreams", offering fans

6708-544: Is chosen, the player can view the rank and level of the other idols who are auditioning. While the game's network was still active up to 2010, the game would match up to five other players from around the country who were auditioning at the same time; if enough players could not be found, non-player characters would fill the necessary spots. When taking an audition, the player guides the idol to appeal to three judges in vocal, dance and visual image by receiving points in each category. How many points an idol receives when appealing

6880-407: Is dependent on her statistics. Each audition is divided into three segments of nine attempts at an appeal followed by a mid-audition review. At the end of each segment, the three idols with the most points in a given image category will receive a number of stars in that category dependent on the current popularity trends from the idol report; an idol will also lose a star if she has the fewest points in

7052-498: Is further expanded in The Idolmaster SP with the introduction of a promise system. The communication phase is supplemented by the idol taking on various jobs to further her exposure and gain fans. The audition phase is the main way for an idol to climb the idol rankings by gaining fans. The audition process involves another series of minigames, which allow the player to appeal to the judges or audience by earning points in

The Idolmaster - Misplaced Pages Continue

7224-719: Is increased to 16 in the Xbox 360 port, as it includes 6 new songs. More songs have continued to be introduced in later games, which include: five in The Idolmaster Live For You! , five in The Idolmaster SP , four in The Idolmaster Dearly Stars , 13 in The Idolmaster 2 , and four in The Idolmaster Shiny Festa . Additional songs initially released on various music albums and singles have also been featured in

7396-420: Is indicated by the level of an idol's tension meter. Games in the series also explore relationships between characters, ranging from the relationship that develops between an idol and a producer, to the rivalry between idols and production studios. In the main series of games, the player usually assumes the role of a producer who is put in charge of one or more idols as a part of a raising simulation . The player

7568-496: Is initially put in charge of a single idol, but this can increase to more idols once the player gains enough experience as a producer. The player starts by arranging the idol's daily schedule, which gives the player a large amount of freedom on what the idol does, including giving the idol the day off. The schedule includes time for the producer to communicate with the idol, take them to jobs, train them during lessons, and offer directions during auditions and performances until they reach

7740-404: Is needed for each line. A performance serves to increase an idol's number of fans, which in turn can increase an idol's rank if enough fans have been obtained for a given rank. An idol's rank starts at F, and goes up in stages to E, D, C, B, A and finally S. It is possible for an idol to make mistakes during a performance if she has not trained enough, which may affect the number of fans gained from

7912-533: Is their relationship with fans, and they are marketed intentionally by talent agencies to have a high emotional connection with their consumer fan base. Fans are built as active supporters into the narrative of the idol's journey to become a professional entertainer, viewing them as siblings, daughters/sons, or girl/boy next door types due to how easily they can relate to the public. One documented example are fans of female idols, typically consisting of men from 30 to 40 years of age, who seek interactions with them as

8084-534: The COVID-19 pandemic , and then further to October 14, 2021 for quality improvements. The franchise's third stage called "3.0 Vision" was announced on December 26, 2022. The first social network game in the series, The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls , was released on the Mobage browser game platform for feature phones on November 28, 2011, and for iOS and Android devices on December 16, 2011. The game features

8256-504: The Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. In the late 2000s, Vocaloid software Hatsune Miku was received positively among amateur music producers, who used her as an avatar to perform their compositions, influencing Akiba-kei music. In the early 2010s, idol-themed multimedia projects, such as Love Live! , The Idolmaster , and Uta no Prince-sama , became popular. Professor Marc Steinberg suggested that

8428-515: The PlayStation 4 (PS4) was released on July 28, 2016. The Idolmaster Stella Stage was released for the PS4 on December 20, 2017. The Idolmaster Starlit Season , a crossover game featuring idols from the original series, Cinderella Girls , Million Live! and Shiny Colors , was originally planned to release in 2020 for the PS4 and Windows via Steam , but was delayed first to May 27, 2021 due to

8600-716: The 1980s to be known as the "Golden Age of Idols", in part due to Japan's economic bubble and growing commercial interest in them. Several figures who defined the Golden Age of Idols are Seiko Matsuda , Akina Nakamori , Kyōko Koizumi , and Onyanko Club . Television programs in which idols appeared often enjoyed high viewer ratings. Dentsu also created the "CM idol" business model , where idols were able to gain fame by singing and appearing in commercials. Onyanko Club, in particular, shifted public perception of idols from professional stars to ordinary schoolgirls who would gain experience throughout their career. They were also

8772-409: The 1980s, uses idols' public image as a marketing asset. As the career of idols are dependent on their image, contracting offices create their image based upon trends in the market and with the intent of generating as much revenue as possible. Along with promoting products, commercials are also a cross-platform to promote idols at the same time by keeping both brand and idol product in the forefront of

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8944-454: The 1990s during the revival of idol groups when Tsunku , who produced the group Morning Musume , used the term as a euphemism regarding one of the members leaving the group. An idol having a "graduation" ceremony is seen more favorably than terminating a contract or voluntarily withdrawing, as the latter two terms are negatively connoted with scandals. The diversity of Japan's idol industry has created several sub-category markets, each with

9116-495: The 1990s, performing under independent record labels. These idols became known as underground idols. Because of the lack of publicity over idols on television, many turned to the Internet. Johnny & Associates observed the popularity of former Shibugakitai member Hirohide Yakumaru's success as an MC on variety shows, which prompted them to develop and market their current acts with distinct public personalities. Groups from

9288-464: The 2007 Japan Game Awards partially for its unique take on raising simulation games at the time. The Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster sold 25,000 copies in its first week of sale and was the fifteenth best selling console video game in Japan for the time of its release. The Idolmaster Live For You! would see better success, selling 44,000 units in its first week of sales as the fifth best selling console video game in Japan. In their first week of sales,

9460-465: The 2010s, and the media coined the nickname "Idol Warring Period" ( アイドル戦国時代 , Aidoru Sengoku Jidai ) to describe the phenomenon. Lawyer Kunitaka Kasai cited the Internet as a reason for the rapid growth of idols, as anyone can upload videos onto websites, and AKB48's business model encouraged this even further through creating more opportunities for fan interactivity. The 2013 television drama Amachan also inspired more idol groups to appear,

9632-491: The 765 Pro idols as they are accompanied by super-deformed versions of themselves. An OVA episode was bundled with ASCII Media Works ' Dengeki Maoh magazine in October 2012. An animated music video of the spin-off game The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls , featuring the song "Onegai! Cinderella", was streamed within the game on November 28, 2013 in celebration of its second anniversary. A special animation video featuring

9804-520: The Brilliant Future! (2014) grossed $ 7.84 million in East Asian theaters, including ¥772,973,700 ( $ 7.65 million ) in Japan and ₩212,428,000 ( $ 187,797 ) in South Korea. The Idolmaster merchandise grossed ¥5.42 billion ( $ 68 million ) in Japan retail sales during 2007. In terms of fan demographics, the fanbase of The Idolmaster franchise within Japan has an average age of 31 years, and

9976-467: The Magic Angel was the first notable anime series to use a media mix marketing strategy, where Takako Ōta would provide the voice to the main character and portray her at music events; the series was used as a vehicle to launch her singing career. The first fictional idol to cross over to mainstream media is Lynn Minmay from Macross , whose 1984 single, " Ai Oboete Imasu ka ", charted at #7 on

10148-521: The Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster is Hiroyuki Onoda. Several returning scenario writers for the series include: Shōgo Sakamoto, Tomoyo Takahashi, Emi Tanaka, Yoshihito Azuma, and Akihiro Ishihara. The original character design was handled by Toshiyuki Kubooka up to The Idolmaster SP . After that, Kiyotaka Tamiya based the character design used in The Idolmatser Dearly Stars and later games on Kubooka's designs. The graphics of

10320-486: The Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster , the characters had to be entirely redone, including the motion capture, which used the same actors as before. Further details were able to be added to the character designs because of the Xbox 360's improved, high-definition hardware. The titles in the series feature a variety of music sung by the idols, many of which are featured in multiple games either initially or as downloadable content . The original arcade game has 10 songs, and this

10492-537: The Xbox Live Marketplace. The updates include new costumes, accessories, stages, and additional side-stories called "Idol Dramas". The Idolmaster features 10 songs in the arcade version and 6 additional songs in the Xbox 360 version written and composed by a variety of songwriters . Ishihara asked Hiroto Sasaki, one of the music composers, to compose normal pop songs that would not sound odd or similar to songs "from bishōjo games." The music staff

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10664-497: The arcade game for the Xbox 360 was released on January 25, 2007. This version introduced an additional idol, Miki Hoshii , and includes new songs. The port makes use of Xbox Live , and the game has been credited with making Japan's ratio of sign-ups for Xbox Live compared to the number of consoles sold as the world's highest. Over four times as many Microsoft points were sold on the date of The Idolmaster ' s Xbox 360 release as on

10836-538: The arcade game. The staff wanted to strike a balance with the character designs so they would not appear too moe . It was decided from the start the characters would be rendered using 3D graphics , so Toshiyuki Kubooka was chosen to do the character design because his art could be easier translated into 3D. The developers employed motion capture to present a realistic view of the characters—not only during normal gameplay, but also during performances, which were rendered using motion capture from professional dancers. It

11008-422: The arcade game. Many people who were interested in the arcade game but never played it would tell Sakagami that this was either because their local arcade did not have The Idolmaster , or because they were embarrassed to play it in public. According to Sakagami, to the development team of the port, there was a large significance in correcting these issues. Their other focus was on allowing players to comfortably play

11180-468: The arcade version, taking a lesson, taking an audition, or taking the day off. If the player chooses to take the day off, a conversation event will sometimes occur, but does not include any choices for responses as during the normal communication phase. Otherwise, choosing to take the day off will cause the game to immediately proceed to the next in-game week and will cause an idol's enthusiasm to automatically increase. The rank up limit has been removed, and

11352-408: The availability of having home television sets gave audiences greater accessibility of seeing idols at any time compared to going to theaters. Momoe Yamaguchi , Junko Sakurada , Saori Minami , and Mari Amachi , some of the idols recruited through television, were some of the more popular figures of this era, along with groups such as Candies and Pink Lady . Saori Minami, who debuted in 1971,

11524-524: The career of a producer in charge of training prospective pop idols on their way to stardom. This includes arranging the idol's schedule, taking them to jobs, training them during lessons, and directing them through auditions. As gameplay continues, a relationship will develop between the idol and her producer fostered through talking with the idol and forming good memories. Development for the game began in 2001 to make an arcade game that would make players want to come back to play every day. To effectively use

11696-791: The center position in the group's choreography and thus receives the most focus. Another example is the leader, usually relegated to the oldest or most experienced member in the group, who acts as an intermediary for the members and the staff. Idols are seen as role models to the public, and their personal lives and image can sometimes be tightly controlled by their talent agencies. Common restrictions include not being allowed to smoke or drink in public, or pursue romantic relationships. Idols generally perform in elaborate costumes for specific performances. Costumes are created for each song in their promotion cycle, as well as graduation events, and some groups have their own in-house costume designer. AKB48 , in particular, has had over 1,102 costumes created for

11868-488: The character Mirai Kasuga was streamed within the spin-off game The Idolmaster Million Live! in commemoration of its first anniversary. An anime television series adaptation of The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls , produced by A-1 Pictures, aired thirteen episodes from January to April 2015. A second season of The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls aired with 12 episodes from July to October 2015 plus an OVA episode released on February 25, 2016. An anime television series adaptation of

12040-441: The company began gaining more attention, drawing in fans from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and their marketing success led to many other idols doing the same. In the mid-1990s, there was an increase in young idols in the elementary school age, which the media described as the "Chidol (child idol) Boom." The term "chidol" was coined by journalist Akio Nakamori in the magazine Weekly Spa! In the 2000s, "chidol" saw fewer usage, and it

12212-497: The competitive culture that surrounds video arcades, the game was developed so players would raise and compete against other players' idols on a national network. A port of the game had been discussed as early as two months before the arcade game was even released. The Xbox 360 was chosen because the development team felt its hardware and the Xbox Live network could handle the game's specifications. The original game features 10 songs

12384-459: The consumers' minds. Pitches for commercials are often made with a specific idol who matches the company's image in mind. Idols contracted to particular brands are expected to uphold the brand's image and may not work for competing brands or networks; the agreement extends to magazine advertisements, online videos, and appearances in dramas. Idols may also provide the music or jingle for commercials. The idol industry makes approximately $ 1 billion

12556-411: The course of their careers and with support from their fans. Despite being trained in multiple roles in entertainment, idols in Japan are not expected to meet the high standards of performances that professionals in their fields do. Because of their manufactured image, idols are generally not regarded as authentic artists. Likewise, many young Japanese artists pursuing careers in acting or music reject

12728-452: The date before it. A sequel to the arcade game titled The Idolmaster Live For You! for the Xbox 360 was released on February 28, 2008. In Live For You! , the player assumes the role of a "special producer" due to the sudden absence of the original producer and is charged with coordinating the idols' concerts. The game focuses mainly on the concert coordination aspect of the original and expands on it in many ways, with higher customization of

12900-530: The early 2000s. When AKB48 debuted in 2006, the group used a school concept and the members have performed in various stylized costumes based on school uniforms. Since then, other groups have used stylized school uniforms as costumes, such as AKB48's sister groups, Sakura Gakuin , and Sakurazaka46 , with some modifications to suit the groups' image and choreography. In 2017, Nihon Tarento Meikan noted that stylized school uniforms being used as costumes gained popularity through AKB48 due to their unique designs,

13072-407: The early 2010s, the diversification of the idol industry led to several acts mixing pop music with other musical genres such as alternative rock and heavy metal ; this was pioneered by Bis and Seiko Oomori and was given the sub-category " alternative idol " by English-speaking publications. They have also been known for utilising shock value to gain public and media attention and making use of

13244-440: The emotional ups and downs of the game, including the passing and failing of auditions, was very enjoyable. In reviewing the Xbox 360 port, he likened the 52-week limit to the heartlessness that surrounds the entertainment industry. The game has also been criticized as presenting a narrow and unrealistic view of the idol world. Dom Nguyen writing for Wired described the arcade version as awkward at times and felt apprehension about

13416-486: The fans directly into the members' individual success. Because idols share an intimate relationship with their fans, fans may feel "betrayed" if idols reveal unfavorable parts of their personal lives that are different from the image they present, or break the illusion that they are there exclusively for fans. Idols often appear in advertising, with 50–70% of commercials in Japan featuring an idol. The "CM idol" business model, conceptualized by advertising agency Dentsu in

13588-402: The film sold more than a million copies in Japan. Vartan was heralded for her youthful, adorable looks and musical talent, leading the Japanese entertainment industry to assign the word "idol" to singers who shared a similar aesthetic. Television greatly impacted the popularity of the idol phenomenon, as beginning in the 1970s, many idols were recruited through audition programs. In addition,

13760-414: The first game of the series, was first released in Japan on July 26, 2005 as an arcade game using Namco Bandai Games ' Namco System 246 arcade system board . Developed by Metro, it introduced many gameplay and plot themes common to the franchise. The player assumes the role of a novice producer who works with prospective pop idols through lessons, auditions and performances. The player can also develop

13932-442: The first group to introduce a "graduation system", where older members would eventually leave the group while newer inexperienced members would join, with the system being named such as the group drew similarities to a school club. Onyanko Club also led to idols becoming closely associated with television due to the popularity of their variety show, as the visual component became important to the overall enjoyment of their music. At

14104-428: The form of five minigames which serve to increase an idol's statistics in either vocal, dance or visual image. Each lesson is divided into six parts, and the lesson's overall performance is ranked from bad, to normal, good and finally perfect. Sometimes a lessons is temporarily unavailable. The communication phase of the gameplay mainly deals with the player talking with the idol and doing jobs to further her exposure to

14276-468: The franchise grossed ¥1,845.9 million in home media (videos, manga, music, novels) sales. In 2014, anime DVD and Blu-ray sales generated ¥125.6 million . The Idolmaster home media (videos, manga, music, novels) sales earned ¥10,104,641,518 in Japan between 2015 and 2016, and then ¥13,365,945,920 between 2017 and 2018. This adds up to approximately ¥37.717 billion ( $ 389 million ) in home media sales revenue, as of 2018. The Idolmaster Movie: Beyond

14448-505: The franchise's characters in their promotions both individually or as a group. Miki Hoshii was named the store manager of Tower Records ' Japanese branches on March 21, 2011 at the retailer's Shinjuku branch. In 2012, the Tokyo Shrine Agency distributed posters and pamphlets featuring the 765 Production idols as part of a campaign to attract hatsumōde visitors. Sagan Tosu featured the idol characters of Cinderella Girls on

14620-407: The game and enjoy its various scenarios without the rushed gameplay found in the arcade version. When developing the Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster , the characters had to be entirely redone, including the motion capture, which used the same actors as before. Further details were able to be added to the character designs because of the Xbox 360's improved, high-definition hardware. The Idolmaster

14792-460: The game features a card battle system and another 37 additional idols, which also includes the 13 idols from 765 Pro. GREE officially ended the service on March 19, 2018. A successor game to The Idolmaster Million Live! titled The Idolmaster Million Live! Theater Days was released on June 29, 2017. The game features all 37 Million Live! idols from the preceding game and the 13 765 Pro idols, but also introduces two brand new idols, bringing it up to

14964-416: The game was first tested in arcades, there were long lines of people waiting to play. As word spread and its popularity grew, rival game companies said they had wanted to be the first to create a game like The Idolmaster . The goal of the development team was to create a raising simulation game that would have gameplay distinctive of arcade games at the time, including making use of a large touchscreen and

15136-459: The game was first tested in arcades, there were long lines of people waiting to play. As word spread and its popularity grew, rival game companies said they had wanted to be the first to create a game like The Idolmaster . Following the success of the arcade game, Namco Bandai Games went on to develop its Xbox 360 port starting in early 2006, though a port of the game had been discussed as early as May 2005. Namco Bandai Games producer Yōzō Sakagami

15308-424: The game was to restore a community where players would discuss what parts of which characters they like or find cute. Ishihara focused on developing realistic characters because of his view that there were too many bishōjo games at the time that had characters who were developed to be convenient for the player. Ishihara wanted to place the burden of an idol's mistakes on the player for not training her enough to deepen

15480-418: The games apart from its characters. A 17-minute original video animation (OVA) episode titled The Idolmaster Live For You! , produced by Actas and directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi , was included in the limited edition of Live For You! released on February 28, 2008. The OVA involves Haruka, Chihaya and Miki trying to reach Tokyo in time to catch up with the rest of the girls in their latest concert after

15652-459: The games, including remix versions of some songs. A 26-episode anime television series set in an alternate universe titled Idolmaster: Xenoglossia , produced by Sunrise and directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai , aired in Japan between April and October 2007 on Kansai TV . The series centers around mecha and reimagines the ten prospective idols as fighter pilots of those robots, with eight of them posing as students. Xenoglossia has no relation to

15824-641: The group since 2017. The outfits worn by female idols are generally described as "cute", while outfits worn by male idols are described as "cool." Among many idol groups, school uniforms have been used as a standard costume. The integration of school uniforms in the idol industry originated from Onyanko Club , who debuted in 1985 with a concept based on school. Following their disbandment in 1987, other groups began adopting school uniforms as costumes, such as CoCo and Ribbon , two groups put together by Fuji TV 's audition programs, followed by Seifuku Kōjō Iinkai  [ ja ] in 1992 and Morning Musume in

15996-559: The group's dating ban to similar dating bans for baseball teams competing at the Kōshien , where dating is seen as a distraction from preparing for tournaments. On the other hand, critics have suggested a dating ban is implemented in order to sell a fantasy of idols being accessible to their fans and disagreed with them for being inhumane. The Japan Times noted that aside from talent agencies, idol fan culture has contributed to this, especially with male fans of female idols; male fans buy into

16168-472: The group, and Nagata filed a counter lawsuit for libel and resigned several days later. On February 10, 2020, the Tokyo District Court dismissed his claims and ordered him to pay ¥1.1 million to the woman in damages. Most idols are not allowed to form romantic relationships or must obtain permission from their agencies to get married. Yasushi Akimoto , the producer of AKB48 , likened

16340-403: The heart containing the number of the idol's good memories. An idol's enthusiasm ranges from black, to blue, yellow and finally orange as enthusiasm increases. Each idol unit can now perform at most five different songs, but these songs can be switched any number of times as before. The scheduling system now offers four choices: doing promotional work, which is the same as the communication phase in

16512-569: The heart on the heads-up display. When the player chooses to do an audition, the idol will use the previously chosen song and costume if she passes the audition; the song is also used during the audition. Each costume and song have either a vocal, dance or visual attribute which will affect the idol's statistics and thus the results of the audition. There are three types of auditions: ones limited to idols with an E or F rank, national auditions for idols of any rank, and special auditions that can be taken after satisfying certain conditions. Once an audition

16684-548: The idea of " moe ", which fetishizes weakness and submissiveness while asserting "complete control" over the girls' sexual independence. Several idols who were confirmed to have been dismissed, suspended, demoted, or forced to leave their groups following reports of them dating or having sexual relations include Mari Yaguchi , Ai Kago , Aya Hirano , Rino Sashihara , and Minami Minegishi . Minegishi, in particular, caught international media attention after her apology video went viral, causing international criticism over

16856-410: The idol label in their bid to be seen as professionals. Music from idol singers is generally categorized under J-pop , though talent agencies may label them under the sub-genre "idol pop" for further distinction. Many idol singers find success as groups rather than individually. Within each idol group, the members are sometimes given distinct roles. One example of a role is the center, who occupies

17028-480: The idol system commodifying youth, the industry is criticized for putting minors at risk, most particularly junior idols , who are aged 15 years and younger. Idol swimsuit photo books are often sold in the same sections as pornographic titles. In 1999, Japan banned production and distribution of sexually explicit depictions of minors, which outlawed photo books depicting nude junior idols. Multiple junior idol distributors closed after possession of child pornography

17200-627: The idol trainee system, where talents would be accepted in the agency at a young age and train not only in singing, but also dancing and acting, until they were ready for debut. However, the concept of an idol was not defined by mainstream Japanese media until in November 1964, when the 1963 French film Cherchez l'idole was released in Japan under the title Aidoru o Sagase ( アイドルを探せ ) . Many Japanese audiences took interest in Sylvie Vartan , whose song " La plus belle pour aller danser " from

17372-400: The idol's unit name. The player is initially able to train a single idol, but this can increase to up to three idols at a time once the player gains enough experience as a producer. The game depicts the activities of the producer and idol during one day of each in-game week. At the start of every in-game day, text progression pauses when the player is given the option to greet the idol or take

17544-413: The idols perform, which is increased to 16 in the Xbox 360 version, later released on several music albums. The raising simulation system has been described as simple and easy to understand, and the various minigames have been described as "addictive". However, the game has been criticized as presenting a narrow and unrealistic view of the idol world. The Idolmaster is a raising simulation game in which

17716-581: The idols' accessibility may cause fans to be unable to distinguish between fantasy and real life. Talent agencies have also been criticized over offering inadequate protection towards idols after several incidents of violent attacks on female idols such as the saw attack on Anna Iriyama and Rina Kawaei , the stabbing of Mayu Tomita , and the assault of Maho Yamaguchi . Idols are often sexualized, especially female idols, some of whom also work as gravure idols and have suggestive swimsuit photo shoots that are published in magazines targeted towards adults. With

17888-476: The idols. Fan chants where an idol's name is called after each bar is sung was popularized by Mari Amachi 's fans in the 1970s. Because mainstream Japanese media exercises self-censorship over taboo, controversial subjects, fans are influential in circulating under-reported news through social media. Idol fan culture has introduced several slang terms into the Japanese public, including: A notable trait of idols that sets them apart from typical celebrities

18060-627: The majority of them being "local idols" who performed in specific rural communities. Several independent idol groups also crossed over into mainstream, such as Dempagumi.inc , Dorothy Little Happy , and Rev. from DVL , the latter of which gained mainstream popularity after a photo of then-member Kanna Hashimoto went viral. Since 2010, the biggest idol concert festival, Tokyo Idol Festival , has taken place. More than 200 idol groups and about 1500 idols performed, attracting more than 80,000 spectators in 2017. During 2014, about 486,000 people attended AKB48 and Momoiro Clover Z 's live concerts, which

18232-419: The management of her group, AKB48, as well as the Japanese idol industry. A talent agency filed a lawsuit against a 17-year-old former idol singer for accepting an invitation to a hotel room from two male fans, which had caused her group to disband within the first 3 months of their debut. In September 2015, Judge Akitomo Kojima, along with the Tokyo District Court , ruled in favor of the talent agency and fined

18404-433: The night before. He also condemned the idol industry for not providing talents access to better mental health resources, as idols are often suspended or dismissed for publicly showing they are stressed out of concern that they may cause fans to feel worried or upset. In March 2018, Ehime Girls member Honoka Omoto died by suicide, with her family launching a lawsuit against her talent agency in October 2018. Allegedly, Omoto

18576-470: The option to use up to three good memories during each audition which serve to dramatically increase an idol's appeal points and the gauges for the judges. At the end of the audition, the number of stars received determines if the idol passes or not. If an idol passes the audition, she is chosen to do a televised performance of the song previously chosen. In the case of a multiple idol unit, the player can choose who sings which lyrics, though at least one singer

18748-614: The original arcade game were limited by the Namco System 246 arcade game board released in 2001, which is compatible with a PlayStation 2 . Since the arcade game, characters have been rendered using 3D graphics with pre-rendered backgrounds, except during auditions and performances which use a full 3D environment. The developers employ motion capture to present a realistic view of the characters—not only during normal gameplay, but also during performances, which are rendered using motion capture from professional dancers. When developing

18920-399: The original arcade game, six in The Idolmaster SP , and three in The Idolmaster 2 . The other aspect of the game which increases an idol's statistics depends on their costumes and accessories. In the communication phase between the producer and an idol, text progression pauses when the player is given multiple responses to choose from over the course of a conversation and the player is given

19092-789: The paint schemes of the Su-33 and Su-47, Yukiho Hagiwara appears on the F-117A, Chihaya Kisaragi appears on the F-15E, Haruka Amami on the F-22A, Yayoi Takatsuki on the Mirage 2000-5, Azusa Miura on the F-14D, and Iori Minase on the Rafale M. Yayoi Takatsuki made a cameo in Namco's role-playing game (RPG) Tales of Hearts as a support attacker by using a move named High Touch. Haruka Amami made an appearance as

19264-544: The performance. The player is allowed to take photos during the performance, but only the last one taken can be saved. Once the day's schedule has been completed, the player returns to 765 Pro with the idol in the evening. The player will be shown the idol's rank, how many fans she has gained over the course of the day, and how many fans she currently has. If available, the idol will be given various presents and letters from her fans at this time. The player's idol unit may be forced to retire under certain circumstances, such as

19436-426: The player a guide on how to gain popularity. The player can next choose to either change the idol's song, her costume and accessories, or neither. Each idol unit can only perform at most three different songs, but these songs can be switched any number of times. The idol's daily schedule is divided into two choices: taking a lesson, which is followed by a communication phase, and taking an audition. The lessons are in

19608-432: The player assumes the role of a producer working for the talent agency 765 Production (765 Pro) who is in charge of training 10 prospective pop idols on their way to stardom. They include: Haruka Amami , Chihaya Kisaragi , Yukiho Hagiwara , Yayoi Takatsuki , Ritsuko Akizuki , Azusa Miura , Iori Minase , Makoto Kikuchi , and Ami and Mami Futami (who work as a pair). The player starts by choosing an idol to train and

19780-425: The player can choose: Haruka Amami , Chihaya Kisaragi , Yukiho Hagiwara , Yayoi Takatsuki , Ritsuko Akizuki , Azusa Miura , Iori Minase , Makoto Kikuchi , and Ami and Mami Futami (who work as a pair). Three additional idols later added to 765 Pro include: Miki Hoshii , Hibiki Ganaha and Takane Shijō . A recurring theme in the series emphasizes the struggles an idol must go through to achieve stardom. This

19952-487: The player did not have an emotional attachment to a given idol. However, another reviewer noted that it was easier to empathize with an idol when the story is told from the perspective of the idols in The Idolmaster Dearly Stars . Although, because other aspects of the gameplay in Dearly Stars are similar such as doing lessons and auditions, the sense of enjoyment is not that different from other games. Early aspects of

20124-435: The player is now given 52 weeks to produce an idol unit with the addition of specifying the month. This does not include an additional three weeks which take up the idol's pre-debut period. The port uses Xbox Live during auditions to match players online, but an Xbox Live Gold subscription is needed to participate. An Xbox Live Free subscription only allows a player to view player rankings. The auditions limited to idols with

20296-409: The player not gaining enough fans by a specified time, which is called the rank up limit. In addition, if an idol's rank is either A or S, the idol will be forced to retire on week 62. The Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster features several changes to its gameplay. Miki Hoshii was added as another idol at 765 Pro the player can produce. 　An idol's enthusiasm is now displayed in a horizontal bar next to

20468-453: The popularity of idol-related media mix projects may stem from the managerial aspect found in life simulation games, with The Idolmaster being the first notable idol franchise to include this. These franchises set the fans in the active contributing role of the "producer" and regularly involved interactivity, as input made by the players were crucial to the idols' success. The growth of idol-related media mix projects in anime and video games

20640-451: The port, and this approach to improving and supplementing gameplay elements has continued throughout the series. Most of the core design staff for each game is different, but there are several staff members who have worked for multiple games in the series. The arcade game was directed by Akihiro Ishihara, who also directed The Idolmaster SP and The Idolmaster 2 , the latter of which he shared directorship with Masataka Katō. The director for

20812-708: The producer's office features a song by ten of the girls titled "Danketsu". A remix was produced titled "Danketsu 2010" sung by all of the girls. Some of the Katamari Cousins in the game also represent the idols. Four songs from The Idolmaster series were featured in Taiko no Tatsujin 14 . An update patch for PlayStation Home features The Idolmaster slot machines inside the Namco Bandai hubs where one can win special clothing to make PlayStation Home avatars look like Haruka. A collaboration DLC package between Sega's Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd and The Idolmaster SP

20984-407: The public after retirement. In public, idols took steps to play a distinct character and uphold an illusion of perfection, such as maintaining a virginal image. Other examples include being told not to use restrooms in public and answering interview questions about their favorite food with feminine-sounding answers such as "strawberries" and "shortcake." The influence idols had on television led

21156-634: The public became disillusioned with the idol system. By the 1990s, public interest in idols began to wane, as audiences lost interest in singing and audition programs, particularly due to a shift in attitudes caused by Japan's economic collapse . The media coined the term "Idol Winter Period" ( アイドル冬の時代 , Aidoru Fuyu no Jidai ) to describe the stagnation of the idol industry beginning in 1990. More young people yielded aspirations to be defined as an artist instead of an idol. During this decline, public perception of idols again shifted from inexperienced amateurs to strong, independent women, in part due to

21328-421: The public. Independently managed idol groups offer even less protection, with idols given ambiguously worded contracts that keep them in their companies for years, while offering almost no pay and compensation for transportation and costuming fees. Lawyer Kunitaka Kasai stated management may be poor, especially among independent idol groups, because they were established by people with a lack of experience to fill

21500-464: The public. The player is given multiple jobs to choose from, which change as an idol's rank increases. Like when greeting the idol before, the player is given multiple responses to choose from over the course of a conversation. Depending on which choice is made will affect how well or poorly the communication is received from bad, to normal, good and finally perfect communication, which results in either good or bad memories. The good memories are tallied in

21672-439: The role of a producer, the player portrays one of the three idols introduced in Dearly Stars as they enter 876 Pro. In addition to the story mode, the game also features a cheering mode for up to 16 players, and includes wi-fi functionality. The idols from previous The Idolmaster games make appearances in Dearly Stars as already established and popular idols. Another sequel to the original arcade game titled The Idolmaster 2

21844-558: The role of an external observer. For them, the absence of other women is a way of watching the male idols interact with one another and imagining their interactions to be similar to yaoi . Fans spend money on merchandise and endorsed products to directly support their favorites, comparing it to spending money on "loved ones"; some express feeling happy that they were able to make someone they admired happy. Dedicated fans may give up their careers and devote their life savings to supporting and following their favorite members. To foster

22016-482: The same time, male idols gained popularity, with acts from Johnny & Associates normalizing idols singing and dancing at the same time. However, fewer male idol acts from other companies achieved the same success as Johnny's idols due to the company's CEO, Johnny Kitagawa, controlling the media and pressuring certain programs not to invite male idols from competing agencies, as he would continue to until his death in 2019. Around 1985, idols soon became unpopular after

22188-427: The series progressed, the improved realism in the idol's expressions, movements and manner of speaking was praised. As the first handheld release, The Idolmaster SP was praised as satisfying the needs of the fans who enjoy "lovingly raising their favorite idols" at all times. Overall, an enjoyable aspect of the series has been cited as deepening one's relationship with "cute and individualistic" idols while going through

22360-669: The series were criticized as presenting a narrow and unrealistic view of the idol world. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation , another Xbox 360 game developed and published by Namco, references The Idolmaster in special paint schemes for the Su-33 Flanker , F-117A Night Hawk , F-16C Fighting Falcon , F-2A Viper Zero , Su-47 Berkut , F-15E Strike Eagle , Rafale M , Mirage 2000-5 , Typhoon , F-14D Tomcat and F-22A Raptor as part of downloadable packs of extra aircraft colors made available for purchase between November 22, 2007 and March 31, 2008. The character Miki Hoshii appears on

22532-419: The short skirts, and the neatness of the uniform. The uniforms found popularity with men, as they represent their "eternal longing" and nostalgia for high school, while only gaining popularity with women in the 2010s through anime. Idols are typically expected to change careers after aging out of the industry, with female idols typically changing careers at age 25 and male idols at ages 30–45. Idols who leave

22704-443: The songs in the game, this resulted in 90 separate recordings over a period of two months. The songs from the arcade version were released by Nippon Columbia on a five-part CD series of compilation albums titled The Idolmaster Masterpiece between 2005 and 2006. The songs from the Xbox 360 version were released by Nippon Columbia on a four-part CD series titled The Idolmaster Masterwork between 2006 and 2007. The first release

22876-637: The spin-off game The Idolmaster Shiny Colors , produced by Polygon Pictures and directed by Mankyuu, is scheduled to air in 2024. Various guidebooks for the video games and anime adaptations have been published over the years. Two light novels based on The Idolmaster , written by Yūsuke Saitō and illustrated by Otoko, were published by Enterbrain in 2006. Two separate light novels based on Idolmaster: Xenoglossia were published by Fujimi Shobo in 2007 and Hobby Japan in 2008. The Idolmaster has been adapted into 26 serialized manga and several other manga anthologies , which include direct adaptations of

23048-536: The spin-off game The Idolmaster SideM , featuring male characters and also by A-1 Pictures, aired from October to December 2017. An anime television series adaptation of Sumeragi's Wake Atte Mini! spin-off manga, produced by Zero-G and directed by Mankyū, aired from October 9 to December 25, 2018. An anime television series adaptation of the spin-off game The Idolmaster Million Live! , produced by Shirogumi and directed by Shinya Watada, aired from October to December 2023. An anime television series adaptation of

23220-520: The sports genre in anime due to a similar competitive nature and team-building the characters face, as well as being linked to the Odagiri effect for featuring attractive people of the same gender interacting with each other. The idol fan culture is heavily tied to anime and manga , and most fans of anime are also fans of idols. The idea of " moe ", which was popularized by anime, can be projected onto both idols and fictional characters, linking

23392-570: The stage, costumes and songs. Live For You! also introduced a rhythm game aspect into the series, incorporating it as a minigame during an idol's concert. A collection containing both The Idolmaster and Live For You! was released on March 12, 2009 as The Idolmaster Twins . A game titled The Idolmaster SP for the PlayStation Portable was released in three versions on February 19, 2009 titled Perfect Sun , Missing Moon and Wandering Star . SP re-introduces Miki Hoshii as

23564-630: The talent search show Asayan partially influenced Ishihara in deciding on idols for the subject of the game, although he was still unsure if it was the right decision at the time. Video game producer Junichirō Koyama also points out that the concept of developing a simulation game featuring girls was influenced by the positive reception of bishōjo games such as Tokimeki Memorial and the horse raising simulation arcade game Derby Owners Club . There were some members of Namco that thought it would feel awkward to play The Idolmaster in public and that it would not be well received by players. However, when

23736-399: The three versions of The Idolmaster SP sold 129,088 units. The Idolmaster Dearly Stars sold 30,786 in its first week of sales. The Idolmaster 2 for the Xbox 360 was voted one of the most anticipated future game at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show by attendees. Despite this, the Xbox 360 version of the game initially sold 34,621 units and was the tenth best selling console video game in Japan for

23908-712: The tickets and merchandises for their September 12, 2015 match against the Shimizu S-Pulse and September 26, 2015 match against the Ventforet Kofu . Japanese idol An idol ( アイドル , aidoru ) is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture . Idols are primarily singers with training in other performance skills such as acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements by talent agencies , while maintaining

24080-757: The time of its release, but the PlayStation 3 version sold 65,512 units in its first week. The three versions of The Idolmaster Shiny Festa sold 119,132 units in their first week of sales. The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls earned more than ¥1 billion per month ( ¥12 billion annually) in Japan during 2012. The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage grossed ¥26.6 billion in Japan during 2017, and ¥22.5 billion during 2018. This adds up to at least ¥61.1 billion ( $ 598 million ) in mobile game revenue. Up until 2012, The Idolmaster anime DVD and Blu-ray releases grossed ¥2,275.4 million in Japan, while music CD and concert sales grossed ¥10 billion . In 2013,

24252-508: The time of its release. The Xbox 360 version received a combined score of 26 out of 40 from the Japanese video game magazine Famitsu . The port has been credited with making Japan's ratio of sign-ups for Xbox Live compared to the number of consoles sold as the world's highest. Over four times as many Microsoft points were sold on the date of The Idolmaster ' s Xbox 360 release as on the date before it. The raising simulation system has been described as simple and easy to understand, and

24424-422: The top spot in the entertainment industry. However, the schedule choices in the original arcade game are limited to doing a lesson or taking an audition. Training an idol has the player going through a variety of lessons in the form of minigames . These lessons serve to increase an idol's statistics in vocal, dance and visual image. The number and type of lessons change over the series; for example, there are five in

24596-460: The trio gets lost in the middle of nowhere. A faithful anime television series adaptation, produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Atsushi Nishigori, aired 25 episodes between July and December 2011 on TBS and other JNN networks across Japan . An OVA episode was released on June 16, 2012. Additional OVA episodes were bundled with the Shiny Festa games released on October 25, 2012, with

24768-491: The two. Some may prefer fictional idols due to them never disbanding, leaving groups, or getting into scandals. A 2005 study by the Nomura Research Institute revealed that idol fans were the third largest group of otaku interests, following comics and anime . In the late-2010s, the idol agency influenced the business model of VTuber agencies such as Hololive and Nijisanji —which focus on

24940-430: The ups and downs of the story. The introduction of rivals into The Idolmaster SP was described as effectively giving each game a different impression, and competing against rivals in the series has been praised. While one reviewer for Famitsu suggested it was natural to identify with the idols when watching them perform, a different reviewer in the same magazine issue stated that the game would be somewhat tiresome if

25112-535: The various minigames have been described as "addictive". Despite there being a limited number of minigames for the lessons, they are described as having an "abundance of variation" that do not get tiring because of their unexpectedly high degree of difficulty . Similarly, choosing correct responses, such as during the promotional phase, is also described as fairly difficult because each of the given choices often appear to be similar despite having radically different outcomes. While one reviewer for Famitsu suggested it

25284-679: The video games and anime adaptations, in addition to numerous spin-offs . The earliest manga was published in 2005 by Ichijinsha , and since then other manga have been published by ASCII Media Works , Enterbrain , Fox Shuppan, Hakusensha , Kadokawa Shoten , Kodansha and Square Enix . Frontier Works published 12 drama CDs from 2005 to 2009 for the games: six based on the arcade game, three based on its Xbox 360 port, and three based on The Idolmaster SP . Lantis released three drama CDs based on Idolmaster: Xenoglossia in 2007. Frontier Works also published two drama CDs based on Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster in 2011. There have been 15 radio shows for

25456-410: The video games and anime adaptations. A South Korean drama television series based on the games and titled The Idolmaster KR premiered in 2017, running for 24 hour-long episodes. It is streaming worldwide by Amazon Prime Video as an Amazon Original . Each installment of The Idolmaster has seen different levels of success. The Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster was awarded the special prize at

25628-445: The vocal, dance and visual categories. If an idol passes the audition, she is chosen to do a televised public performance. In later games, during the performance, the player is able to influence the idol by giving directions. The same gameplay in the audition process is also used during live concerts and festivals. The player can check the idol's rank, how many fans she has gained, and how much her singles have sold. The Idolmaster ,

25800-542: The woman to pay ¥650,000 , stating that the dating ban was necessary for idols to "win the support of male fans." In January 2016, a similar lawsuit filed with the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of a 23-year-old former idol, with Judge Kazuya Hara stating that the dating ban "significantly restricts the freedom to pursue happiness." Since handshake and other related events allow fans to be in close proximity with idols, critics also believe that marketing

25972-532: The women stated that they had performed the request anyway. The Idolmaster (video game) The Idolmaster is a Japanese raising simulation video game developed by Metro and published by Namco (later Namco Bandai Games ). It was released on July 26, 2005 as an arcade game and is the first game in The Idolmaster series. It was ported to the Xbox 360 on January 25, 2007 with many changes and improvements. The gameplay and story follows

26144-595: The work force after leaving their groups, as many of them spend their academic years learning poor job skills. In addition to this, Rob Schwartz from Billboard addressed that Japanese mainstream media outlets rarely bring attention to controversies and allegations of power harassment due to self-censorship on what they are allowed to write. Sasetsu Takeda of GQ Japan wrote that talent agencies dismiss idols regardless of their popularity, sometimes intentionally blocking job offers in order to pressure them to leave, all while declaring that they are "resting from illness" to

26316-660: Was also seen as an attempt from the Japanese government to market Japanese pop culture overseas through the Cool Japan initiative. Music produced by voice actor idols and fictional idols have crossed over to mainstream music charts, with Billboard Japan launching the Billboard Japan Hot Animation Chart on December 1, 2010, exclusively for anime and video game music releases. Fictional idols have been treated like real-life celebrities. Idol-themed anime and video game series have been compared to

26488-529: Was discontinued on September 1, 2010, though a few of the arcade cabinets still survive. The game was ported to the Xbox 360 on January 25, 2007, and it was released on Microsoft's Platinum Collection on November 1, 2007. The Idolmaster became available for download through the Xbox Live Marketplace on August 11, 2009. Namco Bandai Games released 12 downloadable content updates between January 24 and December 25, 2007 available through

26660-444: Was either because their local arcade did not have The Idolmaster , or because they were embarrassed to play it in public. According to Sakagami, to the development team of the port, there was a large significance in correcting these issues. Their other focus was on allowing players to comfortably play the game and enjoy its various scenarios without the rushed gameplay found in the arcade version. Certain gameplay elements were changed in

26832-808: Was eventually replaced by the term " junior idol " to legitimize them as part of the idol industry as well as removing the focus on their age. The 2000s saw the rise in popularity of idol groups again after Morning Musume 's debut in 1997 and the formation of their musical collective , Hello! Project . Around the same time, there was an increase in gravure idols , who competed in magazine and photo book sales. In addition, anime voice actors , such as Yui Horie , Nana Mizuki , and Yukari Tamura , were also marketed as idols to promote both their activities and singing careers. While idols briefly experienced another decline after 2002, AKB48 debuted in 2005 and later became known as nation's idol group. The public image of idols had diversified, with each idol group having

27004-613: Was first unveiled in February 2004 at the All Nippon Amusement Machine Operators' Union. It was released on July 26, 2005 as an arcade game using Namco's System 246 arcade system board . The game uses the touchscreen Rewritable Stage arcade cabinet, which issues the player two rewritable cards containing the player's profile and save data . It also makes use of Sega 's ALL.Net network service to keep track of national idol rankings. The network

27176-457: Was initially unsure if The Idolmaster would be suited for a video game console due to hardware and network limitations, but he felt that the Xbox 360 and its Xbox Live network could handle the game's specifications. This would also allow the developers to improve the game's quality and attract attention from those who never played the arcade game. Many people who were interested in the arcade game but never played it would tell Sakagami that this

27348-456: Was made illegal in Japan in 2014. However, junior idol content currently stands on legally ambiguous ground due to open interpretations of child pornography laws in Japan . In 2017, through a survey conducted by the Japanese government, 53 out of 197 women contracted with talent agencies stated that they had been asked to take part in pornographic photo or video shoots of which were not previously disclosed nor included in their contracts. 17 of

27520-416: Was natural to identify with the idols when watching them perform, a different reviewer in the same magazine issue stated that the game would be somewhat tiresome if the player did not have an emotional attachment to a given idol. In writing for Dengeki Online , reviewer Aogeyarō's first impression of The Idolmaster was embarrassment about playing a bishōjo game in public, but after playing it, he felt that

27692-502: Was noted by scholar Masayoshi Sakai to be the turning point of when teenage stars became popular in mainstream media. Music was produced by a shared climate of songwriters and art directors seeking a step towards a depoliticized youth culture. Idols grew in popularity over the 1970s, as they offered audiences escapism from political violence and radical student movements. Idols at the time were seen as ephemeral because of how short-lived their careers were, and how they would disappear from

27864-458: Was originally planned that the game would include 12 or 13 idols, and at least two of these extra characters also had character designs. The idols of Morning Musume were used as an influence to create character types in The Idolmaster traditionally found in bishōjo games. Following the success of the arcade game, Namco (now Namco Bandai Games following their merger with Bandai ) went on to develop its Xbox 360 port starting in early 2006, though

28036-413: Was otherwise given the freedom to compose what songs they wanted. The composers were first introduced to the characters, and then personally chose which girls they wanted to compose songs for. In the arcade version, the nine songs for the idols were composed first as theme music for each girl, followed by Koyama asking for one more song with a "European" feel to be composed. Since each idol can sing any of

28208-469: Was released August 17, 2017. A newer game titled The Idolmaster SideM: Growing Stars was released October 6, 2021. The fourth spin-off, The Idolmaster Shiny Colors was released for Bandai Namco and Drecom 's enza platform for HTML5 games on April 24, 2018. An app version was released for iOS and Android on March 13, 2019. The game is an idol raising simulator similar in style to the original games but with no rhythm game elements. This game features

28380-574: Was released for the PS3 from October 27, 2011 to June 28, 2012. Gravure For You! allows the player to give the idols directions while taking gravure photos of them in various poses, costumes and locations. On October 25, 2012, The Idolmaster Shiny Festa was released for the PlayStation Portable in three versions. Like The Idolmaster SP , the different versions—titled Honey Sound , Funky Note and Groovy Tune —feature different idols from The Idolmaster 2 to work with. Shiny Festa

28552-490: Was released for the Xbox 360 on February 24, 2011 and later for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) on October 27, 2011. Set in the same universe as Dearly Stars six months after The Idolmaster , the player can choose between most of same idols in addition to Miki, Hibiki and Takane. In The Idolmaster 2 , Azusa Miura , Iori Minase and Ami Futami now form an independent unit with Ritsuko Akizuki as their producer. A nine-volume fan disc series titled The Idolmaster Gravure For You!

28724-484: Was released on May 23, 2012 by Sammy using the Xbox 360 version of The Idolmaster as its motif. In May 2009, the franchise's next stage called "2nd Vision" was announced, which was described as The Idolmaster ' s next project that would further expand the series' world. The first 2nd Vision game is The Idolmaster Dearly Stars for the Nintendo DS and was released on September 17, 2009. Instead of playing

28896-484: Was released on the PlayStation Network on October 2, 2013. The app includes a Shiny TV component which features a PS3 version of Shiny Festa , and the nine Gravure For You! fan discs can also be downloaded via the app. The game The Idolmaster One For All was released on May 15, 2014 for the PS3 and allows players to produce all 13 idols from 765 Pro. A game titled The Idolmaster Platinum Stars for

29068-592: Was released, featuring a Haruka costume for Hatsune Miku , a combined version of Ami and Mami's costumes for Kagamine Rin , and a Chihaya costume for Megurine Luka . The package also comes with "Go My Way!!" redone by Miku and "Relations" redone by Luka and Rin. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon as well as the Ridge Racer series on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and Xbox 360 also include DLC for The Idolmaster series. Bandai Namco Entertainment and Aniplex has allowed third party companies and organizations to use

29240-418: Was the single for "Watashi wa Idol♡" ( 私はアイドル♡ ) on December 20, 2006. This was followed by three compilation albums. Songs from The Idolmaster were also released on The Idolmaster Master Box volumes one and two between July 19, 2006 and April 4, 2007. The Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster sold 25,000 copies in its first week of sale and was the fifteenth best selling console video game in Japan for

29412-593: Was the highest record of all female musicians in Japan. Momoiro Clover Z has been ranked as the most popular female idol group from 2013 to 2017 according to surveys by The Nikkei , There were more than 10,000 teenage girls who performed as idols in Japan in 2017. In 2019, there were over 3,000 female idol groups. From 2013 to 2018, boy band Arashi was ranked as the most popular artist overall in Japan according to Oricon polls of 20,000 people. Other male idols also found success as underground idols, as well as anime media mix projects and 2.5D musicals . In

29584-486: Was working 10 hours a day at the expense of her studies and when she had asked to leave the group, a staff member threatened her with violence while Takahiro Sasaki, the head of her managing company, told her she would have to pay a penalty fee of ¥1 million . In June 2018, a former member of Niji no Conquistador filed a lawsuit against Pixiv representative director, Hiroaki Nagata, and the group's management companies for voyeurism and sexual harassment during her time with

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