All of my reviews contain spoilers for the reviewed material. This is your only warning. 880https://magicplanetanimedesign.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/tglstki.jpg?w=1568 I believe in everyone In the grand scheme of things the 2010s are only just over. In every artform at every level of discourse there are discussions to be had and evaluations to be made. What defined the New 10s now that theyre in the rear view? Perhaps more importantly what deserves to be taken into the future? 2011s The Idolmster turns ten next year but it remains the gold standard by which nearly every other idol anime since has been judged. If its not the best idol anime it can feel especially at its heights like the only one that truly matters. The first interesting thing about Idolmster is how unselfconsciously normal it is. This is an idol anime with zero gimmicks perhaps simply due to being from a time where you just didnt need one. Being adapted from an alreadypopular IP probably helped too. Instead you have a large cast of characters a shared dream of stardom among them and some snappy sugary Jpop to soundtrack it all. 880https://i.ur.com/F2hHJQ9.png Despite these simple and few ingredients and the aforementioned size of the cast Idolmster never really feels like a marketing tool even though on some level it is. The earnest unfiltered look into the lives of twelve girls who are at the start of the show workingclass entertainers conveys a kind of honesty more associated with rock documentaries than it is the idol industry. This is not to say that The Idolmster is realisticthat would be absurd. Rather it has a kind of focused idealism. The Idolmster does not depict so much the realities of becoming an idol though theyre an influence on it but rather the dream of becoming one. The series imagines a world where the truism that hard work and dedication can lead even the most humble of person to fame and fortune is not just true but provable. This is an important distinction because for all the mundanities it does depict especially in its forehalf The Idolmster is interested less in being about idols than it is being about people who want to become idols. It is a series at its best moments of character study which elevates it above idol anime that come off as simply trying to sell something.https://anilist.co/review/6198 880https://i.ur.com/Bm1vMCg.jpeg In an impressive feat of economy over its 24 episodes nearly every member of its cast including a few who arent members of the core 765 Pro group gets at least one focus episode a few get fullblown arcs. Chihayas where she comes to terms with the death of her brother and learns to sing for herself is probably the best but several others are also very strong. This includes Harukas also something of a broadreaching arc for the group itself which concludes the series. Not all of them quite get the screentimeor the considerationthey deserve and The Idolmsters few flaws are always somehow tied to this. Makotos abbreviated story never reaches any satisfying conclusion the gap between the masculine way she is sold to her audience and the feminine way she wants to actually present herself is never properly addressed and it is the series sole serious misstep. Importantly though not a single character feels like anything less than a fullyfledged person. Even those with somewhat silly personalities such as Hibiki and her affinity for animals have layers to them and the show is keen to show off its writing in this regard. Harukas aforementioned showconcluding arc takes a sledgehammer to her surface personality as a hardworking good girl only to build it back up with a healthy dose of magical realism present in a few of the shows strongest moments in the penultimate episode. 880https://i.ur.com/zGp5Z5l.png 880https://i.ur.com/KDozLST.jpg But of course as with everything technique is only as valuable as the resonance it creates. The thing with The Idolmster is that even though statistically speaking most people watching it are not and will never be idols it is shockingly easy to relate to what these girls go through. I suspect what connects with whom varies somewhat but going back to that character writing every characters motivation is simple concrete and deadeasy to get your head around. That means that when you see them struggle you can put yourself in their shoes. I love for instance Zombieland Saga but most people are not say undead bikerdelinquents and struggles that stem from being one require a lot more levels of abstraction to really hit the audience in the heart. By contrast and to return to my earlier examples things like Harukas fear that her friend group is drifting apart Mikkis simple desire to be the center of attention and Chihayas nearcompulsive need to keep singing are all things that will touch different kinds of people in a very immediate and personal way. I write about anime because I love doing it and I often find myself internally debating whether or not doing it just because of that is okay. Chihaya sings as she eventually comes to terms withhttps://anilist.co/activity/108362740 because she loves doing it and struggles with whether or not thats okay. We are by any reasonable metric vastly different people but The Idolmsters strength of craft is such that I can see myself in someone who is fundamentally very little like me because when she bares her soul at the climax of her focus arc belting out Nemuri Hime acapella I feel it in mine. What is art even for if not that? And that ultimately is what I intend to reflect here. This is a show that gets it. The appeal of a lot of anime is that everyone fundamentally can sometimes use a glimpse of a world where pop music or some other silly thing really can save your soul and getting there requires a deft touch and a subtle command of high emotion. And Idolmster is very emotional indeed. So nearly ten years later it feels safe to say that we canand shouldbring it with us into the 20s and beyond. This is the one almost every idol anime since is still vigorously copying notes off of and its easy to see why. Something this focused on looking forward could only age amazingly. Onward to a sparkling future as one of the shows many songs would put it. Are you ready?https://www..com/watch?v=U4er33Spk10 Notes Disclaimers Usage of Anilists review feature does not constitute endorsement for Anilist as a platform the Anilist community or any individual member thereof or any of Anilists policies or rules. All views expressed are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons groups or organizations. All text is owned by me. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.