Having recently watched Wake Up Girls! which was decent, I became interested in all the other much more famous idol shows I never watched, and I picked this one because I was primed for it as I saw this on Youtube now getting close to TEN MILLION views:
I knew The First Take as videos of you know, real artists performing, so seeing an anime girl here was certainly new to me. The song was ok but it didn't immediately grab me as I didn't pay much attention to what the lyrics were saying. However having watched the source material now, I have to say the episode where this insert song appears in IdolM@ster, has to be one of the greatest episodes in all of anime.The show as a whole is of course also extremely high quality, thanks to infinite CD money, the animation is very consistent and good looking, with beautifully varied line weights, and can you believe it, no CG figures for the entire season. The songs, there are so many songs, I know it's because the songs have already been made but if you only watch the show like me, it just feels luxurious, extravagant, almost every episode they have a different song that fits the mood, which ups the fun in a way most other pure anime shows cannot hope to match.
This is an ensemble cast show so naturally the structure is main line arcs happen at very beginning, middle (because it's 25 episode) and end, with focus onto specific characters or character groups to fill the middle. The stand out difference with this show, I would say, is the variety of those filler episodes. There's for example a Who'd dunnit detective episode, there's a Disney princes wondering around Tokyo episode, there's also an episode that's basically entirely the in-universe TV variety show hosted by the girls. The variety does a great job breaking up the rhythm of, oh today we focus on girl #7 and #8, what personal issues will they solve this week?
Some would say this show is unrealistically optimistic and cheerful, and that's factually true, spoilers all the girls "make it big". There is no true malice or incompetence, things always somehow work out in the end, all the employers and even competition are nice and noble etc. However firstly, the stories are expertly arranged such that it mostly do not feel too convenient, characters learn their lessons and therefore things work out, which is valuable in of itself. It isn't about dealing with truly evil people sure, but it isn't without value just because of that. Secondly the fact that all the girls make it big in unrealistically short time frame, is used to great effect for the final main arc of the show, and that wouldn't be possible with a realistic pace of achievement, so that's also forgiven.
On the other hand, I felt the show is very realistic where it counts, there's an episode focusing on one of the girls whose quirk is she's poor. It's a story about other girls visiting her home and seeing how she deals with her 6 younger siblings and having dinner together, and that's a very realistic depiction of that lifestyle, from what they eat, who's responsible for what, and the details of the interior of her home. Yet the character still shines because of her strength and virtue. Likewise, in the end, the show is very successful, through the choices they make, convince us that each of the girls have some very unique and beautiful quality we ought to be inspired by.
The only bad thing I can point to about this show, is the appearance of a very weak villain in the second half. 961 Productions, or actually just their boss, is a cartoon villain who just wants to ruin the day for our main cast, he has no depth or believable incentive, his plots are similarly cartoonish and inconsequential. Luckily he gets out of the way just barely in time to not ruin some of the best episodes. I feel like his addition is a failure, and the same challenges could've occurred by bad luck or happen stance, without the presence of such an antagonist.
One bonus point for Chihaya
One bonus point of Harukaねえ今 見つめているよ
Yes, I see it now
離れていても
Even when apart
Love for you 心はずっと
The love for you has never
傍にいるよ
wandered afar
もう涙を拭って微笑って
Time to brush away those tears and smile
一人じゃない どんな時だって
No matter what, we are not alone
夢見ることは生きること
To dream is to be alive
悲しみを越える力
and the light against sadness
聴こえてるよ君のその声が
Yes, I hear them, voices of yours
笑顔見せて 輝いていてと
"Show me your smile, and shine"
痛みをいつか勇気へと
"Your pain will be your courage"
想い出を愛に変えて
"Let memories be your love"
あどけないあの日のように
Remember when we were so innocent
両手を空に広げ
We would spread our arms
夢を追いかけてゆく
And go after our dreams
まだ知らぬ未来へ
Into a future yet unknown
歩いて行こう 決めた道
Let us walk, the path we chose
歌って行こう 祈りを響かすように
Let us sing, so our wishes resonate
そっと誓うよ 夢を叶える
Softly we vow, dreams will come true
君と仲間に 約束
With you and our friends, I promise