I am not a huge fan of idols.

I had a rocky start with this show. In a music, hobby, or even sports anime, I can generally at least understand what the characters' goals are and why they would want to achieve them. This was not the case with Idolmaster, as I wasn't really sure what "top idol" was supposed to mean, and to the extent that I understand what an idol is I'm generally very cynical towards the concept. Now admittedly, it's a bit of a foreign concept to me as a non-Japanese in the first place, and I can't deny there might be some unfair cultural biases as play. From my understanding and a cursory glance at Wikipedia: being an idol means singing, dancing, modeling, marketing, and profiting off a carefully cultivated parasocial relationship. It is commodifying a personality (that is not necessarily, and perhaps ideally completely disconnected from, your own -- the girls in Idolmaster don't know this, but more on that later). Again, this is very cynical, but it's how I see things, and from a certain materialist perspective that is just a clear-eyed description of this phenomenon.

Is this description really that different from influencers, or even celebrities in general? I don't think so. I had to think quite a bit about why idols specifically were eliciting so much aversion for me when a lot of celebrity culture just inspires indifference. In this show (and from what I can tell this is a bit reflective of real life idols) the fact that most of these girls are very young and naive paired with the depiction of their fanbases as being predominantly adult men definitely adds a layer of discomfort, I think. This, and the aforementioned inherent distaste for the heightened commodification aspect, were the causes of most of my issues with this show. Ironically, though, it's this very aversion that made me realize what I really love about this series, but I'll get to that later too.

But yeah, episodes like the one where Chihaya and Haruka have to fend off cameraman looking up their skirts, or the horrific panopticon of the Idol Olympics episode, had me questioning what the hell I was doing here. And while these issues are somewhat alluded to, they are never really addressed. We get hints of it, like how Makoto struggles with the gap between how she is marketed and how she wants to be seen. Chihaya and Takane both have run ins with the Paparazzi, and all the girls have to wear disguises to avoid prying fans. But in the show, none of those issues can't be solved by simply being authentically, completely, yourself. The lack of privacy, pressure from fans, and the inevitable alienation that comes from being both a person and a product never come in to play. But you know what? Maybe that's a good thing.

Ultimately, the problems I have with this show come from the fact that the characters, as goofy as they are, feel real, and I got attached to them. I don't want them to have to deal with this stuff. I don't want them to be subject to the horrors of idoldom. All this is to say, it worked! This show succeeded in its goal. I have developed a parasocial relationship with these cartoon characters. I deeply want them to succeed as idols and achieve their dreams. As an audience, we can have the parasocial relationship, we can enjoy the girls-as-idols while not supporting the girls-as-product, everyone can succeed and find their niche by just being their authentic selves, and for the most part, there is no guilt involved. It's a victimless crime. Idolmaster is a fantasy where you can have it all, all the good things about idols and none of the bad stuff. And maybe that's not such a bad thing?

Look, I still felt uncomfortable at many points throughout the duration of the show. I still don't like idols. But I was able to indulge in the fantasy and have a great time nonetheless. Now, here's everything that's great about this show:

I love almost all the characters. Hibiki feels a little one-dimensional, and Yuukiho and Yayoi's voice performances are maybe a little bit over the top (just a smidge), but the entire cast succeeded in fleshing out their own unique personalities and a few of them even had full character arcs. The first episode felt incredibly voyeuristic and uncomfortable, but once producer-san was revealed, I immediately loved him too. The character designs are amazing. There are some episodes with really lively and interesting directing (for example, the one where Ritsuko becomes an idol; Yuukiho's episode; or, my favorite episode in the show, Makoto's first episode). The OPs and EDs are good to great, and most of the performance sequences are too. There's some serious sakuga character animation. I teared up at the conclusion to Chihaya's and Haruka's arcs. The show as a whole is incredibly satisfying, as we see the characters grow and develop and achieve their dreams in a way that feels natural and believable.

I really think the peak of this show was episode 8, and again, I think this is the key to the whole appeal of this show and why it works. In this episode, Azusa and Makoto are just doing their job at a photoshoot and get involved in a masterfully constructed caper. What really works here is that the characters are or become idols essentially as a consequence of just being themselves, i.e. wonderful larger than life personalities (which is beautifully encapsulated when a taxi driver asked Makoto if she is a detective, and she responds that no, she is an idol). And it is precisely through this authenticity, through being themselves, that they will all eventually succeed. That's all they need to do.

Now, let's come back to my original question. What is an idol? I gave another answer before, but the characters give their own responses in episode 21. Chihaya simply says an idol is "someone who brings happiness into the hearts of others." And if you can just strip away all the cynicism, and just close your eyes and get carried away by this fantasy, I think she's totally right. I'm not sure this show totally cleared away all my issues with its very premise. But if its purpose was just to bring happiness into my heart, honestly, I can't say it failed.