Idol Anime

[Pinkie-Dawn]

I'm curious about where everyone's stand is regarding the Idol genre, ever since the backlash towards Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, which uses a heavy load of Idol tropes. It seems like the Idol genre is being treated as the cancer of modern anime, at least from the perspective of the western audience, as they are seen as nothing but marketing schemes towards the male otaku demographic and their ongoing waifu wars, as well as a threat towards manly anime and edgy anime such as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Kill la Kill respectively. The two most popular Idol series are Idolmaster and Love Live! - School Idol Project, and even both series started in gaming programs, their anime adaptions made their presence known and are now everywhere in Japan. In the west, however, this unfortunately turned some, both veteran anime fans and newcomers, off from watching anime altogether and constantly spew out "Anime was a mistake" to express their distaste towards the popularity of the genre. Does the Idol genre deserve all the hate it's getting from the western audience or do you remotely enjoy Idol anime because manly/edgy anime isn't your cup of tea?

 

[Skip Class]

I don't really mind them and then again I've only watched UtaPri and Starmyu

I feel like I can't really have the same opinion as most people since I barely watch the popular ones such as Idolmaster and Love Live! and I spend most of my time watching irl idol and idol groups than animated ones - and yet I pay only attention to male idols instead of female ones.

I've only watched minimal male idol anime BECAUSE of the irl ones I pay attention to.

Really, I don't think much of it. It's a genre which incorporates a part of life in Japan with their idols and such. People in the creative industry create works, shows, animation that can be inspired or based on real life. The area of idols is normal for people in Japan and not normal for people in the West. So I just look at it as any other genre with a specific fan base.

Honestly, it is more the fan base that I hate than the actual genre of idol anime itself.

After seeing all the horrible stuff going on within a irl idol/idol groups fan base, the fan base of those in animated idol group can come of just as worse or even more. It's the people who obsess over their husbandos and waifus, create shrines, fight over them, insult and scare others within the fandom is what I really hate the most.

 

[donavannj]

I'm curious about where everyone's stand is regarding the Idol genre, ever since the backlash towards Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, which uses a heavy load of Idol tropes.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 got blasted for this. Several games over the years that more casual western audiences don't get have been blasted by certain segments of the western fanbase for "less".

It seems like the Idol genre is being treated as the cancer of modern anime, at least from the perspective of the western audience, as they are seen as nothing but marketing schemes towards the male otaku demographic and their ongoing waifu wars, as well as a threat towards manly anime and edgy anime such as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Kill la Kill respectively.

If anyone sees idol anime as the cancer of modern anime or as a serious threat to those types of series, they need to step back and BREATHE and think about the business side of things. Think of idol anime as a cash cow that can help a studio fund other adaptations and original IPs. JJBA is an adaptation itself. The end goal of that anime is to boost sales of the source manga. The vast majority of the anime produced since 2000 are made with the intent to move manga and light novels. Idol anime are no different from those adaptations.

The two most popular Idol series are Idolmaster and Love Live! - School Idol Project, and even both series started in gaming programs, their anime adaptions made their presence known and are now everywhere in Japan.

WELL, Idolmaster got its start as a game series. Love Live got its start as a group of performers performing and recording songs, then a CGI group animating music videos for those songs, which then get popular enough for those performers to go perform those songs in concerts.

In the west, however, this unfortunately turned some, both veteran anime fans and newcomers, off from watching anime altogether and constantly spew out "Anime was a mistake" to express their distaste towards the popularity of the genre.

Uh, I think you're spending too much time on /a/, sir. I'm inclined that most people who "claim" that are shitposting or otherwise giving **** to people. Anime fandom on most communities is self-mocking to a pretty intense degree.

I mean, you don't see me dropping anime as a hobby simply because Gantz and Parasyte are things that have grossed me out.

Blaming Idol anime for poor sales of your favorite show is playing the lazy blame game. It may just be that Japan is not a fan of the genre to begin with. Manglobe went under because the stuff they did was definitely not popular with a Japanese audience.

Does the Idol genre deserve all the hate it's getting from the western audience or do you remotely enjoy Idol anime because manly/edgy anime isn't your cup of tea?

It doesn't deserve the hate. I don't hate shows with intense gore just because I don't like them and other people do. Certain segments of the various idol fanbases however do deserve hate because some of their views on things are utterly stupid.

Try one, you might like it. I've tried all sorts of series I didn't think I'd like in the past two years that I've ended up liking.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

Regarding idol anime, I have only one thing to say.

I immensely...
love to live with them.

 

[derozio]

Regarding idol anime, I have only one thing to say.

I immensely...
love to live with them.

Is it bad that I saw that pun coming from a mile away? :p

Anyway, Idol anime is equivalent to how "SoL" anime genre was for me in my initial anime watching days. Back in the days when I was a full-fledged shounentard, I used to stick with shounen and adventure/comedy/sci-fi anime and used to consider SoL as a waste of time and definitely not a genre I'd be willing to give a shot anytime soon.

Needless to say, after a while, I watched a lot of shows from the so called SoL genre and I haven't been disappointed so far. My views on idol anime have undergone this transition over the years:

1. During my shounentard days - Shitty genre and a complete waste of time. Terrible fans.
2. During my SoL watching days - Okay, SoL turned out good. Might give this a genre a shot too. Someday. Maybe not.
3. Now - I'm really itching to watch Love Live! and Idolm@s. XD;

Those two are referenced a lot over the internet, the girls are cute and I have nothing against trying to go into unknown territory such as a new anime genre.

And I've heard nothing but good things about UtaPri - I'm not even the target demographic - its the fujoshis, I guess? - but I still wish to give it a shot because I've heard it is still a pretty damn decent watch anyway. I've seen reverse harem shows in the past and I can't say I dislike them. UtaPri seems like one of those that I'd enjoy, too. :p

 

[正真正銘]

I'm curious about where everyone's stand is regarding the Idol genre, ever since the backlash towards Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, which uses a heavy load of Idol tropes. It seems like the Idol genre is being treated as the cancer of modern anime, at least from the perspective of the western audience, as they are seen as nothing but marketing schemes towards the male otaku demographic and their ongoing waifu wars, as well as a threat towards manly anime and edgy anime such as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Kill la Kill respectively. The two most popular Idol series are Idolmaster and Love Live! - School Idol Project, and even both series started in gaming programs, their anime adaptions made their presence known and are now everywhere in Japan. In the west, however, this unfortunately turned some, both veteran anime fans and newcomers, off from watching anime altogether and constantly spew out "Anime was a mistake" to express their distaste towards the popularity of the genre. Does the Idol genre deserve all the hate it's getting from the western audience or do you remotely enjoy Idol anime because manly/edgy anime isn't your cup of tea?

I see nothing wrong with idol anime. I don't really think the hate is centered on idol anime but more really the moe genre in general including K-On, Clannad, Kantai-Collection, etc. To be honest, my first real anime was Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika (I don't consider watching Dragon Ball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh as a child). It was actually the moe style that lured me in watching anime. I don't believable idol anime are a cancer. Honestly, it's culmination of things that turn Western fans off from anime. I believe that hentai/yaoi fandom does a better job of scaring away potential anime fans (not that there is anything wrong if you like that stuff). It also seems kind of childish to some (animated cartoons means it's for children apparently). I also don't mind if there's less anime fans from the West. I really don't like the emphasis on the violent, shounen demographic anime. So many good anime that aren't shounen get ignored like Nichijou, Clannad, etc.. So yes I enjoy idol anime and don't care if there is less anime fans in the West due to presence of idol/moe anime.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

Is it bad that I saw that pun coming from a mile away? :p

Well, what can I say? :D

hentai

Why did I immediately connect this with idol anime? xD

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

Why did I immediately connect this with idol anime? xD

Because that's how the western audience view the characters from Idol anime due to their attractive appearances, despite being underaged according to the west's age of consent, thus calling their fans "creepy" due to the numerous kinky fanarts of them that I encounter from pixiv and the booru sites.

Uh, I think you're spending too much time on /a/, sir.

You are correct, because I always believe they represent the majority of the anime fandom.

 

[Lunaturret]

Iv never been to much of a fan as its a genre i havent really looked into as im always watching many other kinds of anime. I think theres a saying that goes like dont knock it till you tried it. So ill update my post when i actually have more insight into it but a really good thread to come up with as if this wasnt posted i wouldnt of really thought to much about it. So thanks

 

[Kenchiin]

I'm just gonna say AKB0048 had a fictional world where entertainment was banned, and an exceptional cast of mechas and lolis.

So yeah, pretty much into Idol Anime I think.





*edit*


AND NOW THAT WE ARE HERE, LET ME SHOW YOU WHY CINDERELLA IS THE BEST IDOLMASTER

*STARTS FLAME WAR*

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

lolis.

I approve.

AND NOW THAT WE ARE HERE, LET ME SHOW YOU WHY CINDERELLA IS THE BEST IDOLMASTER

*STARTS FLAME WAR*

Nope. xD

 

[Crackin355]

I've watched Love Live and Idolmaster. They were both enjoyable, I'm not interested in them tbh but I'm not against watching them. Both of those I watched with a friend who I think must really enjoy idol anime or something. I probably would have only watched Idolmaster on my own but probably only on a whim.

I enjoyed Idolmaster slightly more. The only other idol anime I've been somewhat interested in is Wake Up Girls since I heard it was a more realistic look at the industry, but I also heard it was bad so I've just sort of ignored it.

I know the main thing with idol anime is the idol music part but I don't really care for those parts much unless it feels relevant, like Episode 20 of imas. That was a really good one. Good voice, great build-up, nice song choice. It gave me chills.

 

[Akiba]

Nico is trash.

 

[Bounsweet]

I just see it as the modern version of the moeblob crap that was being capitalized in the idk, mid-2000s, early 2000s. Lucky Star, Angel Beats, K-On, etc. Those shows were love/hate in their prime time, and they were pointless in plot and overtly feminine, too, so...

 

[Chikara]

I've never been a fan of Idol Anime. It makes me cringe, to be honest. There was that one episode in Kyoukai no Kanata where they did that little song, and even that made me have to pause it and walk away from the screen |D

UtaPri does the same thing, even though I do like BL quite a bit, and that show is about as homo as not-homo gets. On the same level as Free!, ya know?

Not sure why, I guess I'm just not into the cute singer thing.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

I've never been a fan of Idol Anime. It makes me cringe, to be honest. There was that one episode in Kyoukai no Kanata where they did that little song, and even that made me have to pause it and walk away from the screen |D

Best part of the anime :DDD

Nico is trash.

Been waiting for this =D

 

[Kenchiin]

Nope. xD

Oh well.

I just see it as the modern version of the moeblob crap that was being capitalized in the idk, mid-2000s, early 2000s. Lucky Star, Angel Beats, K-On, etc. Those shows were love/hate in their prime time, and they were pointless in plot and overtly feminine, too, so...

The idol phenomenon start during 1970, so it isn't exactly new. The concept of Virtual Idol (as Hatsune Miku) has been popular in Japan for a while as well.

 

[Bounsweet]

The idol phenomenon start during 1970, so it isn't exactly new. The concept of Virtual Idol (as Hatsune Miku) has been popular in Japan for a while as well.

I was referring to the anime popularity, lol. Idols themselves have been as popular in Japan as similar pop artists have been in the States and elsewhere. The idol genre of anime didn't really pick up with a lot of popularity until recently with the introduction of Love Live! and The Idolmaster in the past few years. Hatsune Miku has been hanging around for quite a while, and is probably one of the most iconic anime/manga/video game figures in Japan, but the genre as a whole only just started raising in popularity in the past few years.

 

[Kenchiin]

I was referring to the anime popularity, lol. Idols themselves have been as popular in Japan as similar pop artists have been in the States and elsewhere. The idol genre of anime didn't really pick up with a lot of popularity until recently with the introduction of Love Live! and The Idolmaster in the past few years. Hatsune Miku has been hanging around for quite a while, and is probably one of the most iconic anime/manga/video game figures in Japan, but the genre as a whole only just started raising in popularity in the past few years.

Oh, oh, I see what you mean, sorry for the misunderstanding :)

A friend of mine went to Japan a few weeks ago and basically explained to me the idol-obsession seems neverending lol

 

[Maki-Nishikino]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 got blasted for this. Several games over the years that more casual western audiences don't get have been blasted by certain segments of the western fanbase for "less".



If anyone sees idol anime as the cancer of modern anime or as a serious threat to those types of series, they need to step back and BREATHE and think about the business side of things. Think of idol anime as a cash cow that can help a studio fund other adaptations and original IPs. JJBA is an adaptation itself. The end goal of that anime is to boost sales of the source manga. The vast majority of the anime produced since 2000 are made with the intent to move manga and light novels. Idol anime are no different from those adaptations.



WELL, Idolmaster got its start as a game series. Love Live got its start as a group of performers performing and recording songs, then a CGI group animating music videos for those songs, which then get popular enough for those performers to go perform those songs in concerts.



Uh, I think you're spending too much time on /a/, sir. I'm inclined that most people who "claim" that are ****posting or otherwise giving **** to people. Anime fandom on most communities is self-mocking to a pretty intense degree.

I mean, you don't see me dropping anime as a hobby simply because Gantz and Parasyte are things that have grossed me out.

Blaming Idol anime for poor sales of your favorite show is playing the lazy blame game. It may just be that Japan is not a fan of the genre to begin with. Manglobe went under because the stuff they did was definitely not popular with a Japanese audience.



It doesn't deserve the hate. I don't hate shows with intense gore just because I don't like them and other people do. Certain segments of the various idol fanbases however do deserve hate because some of their views on things are utterly stupid.

Try one, you might like it. I've tried all sorts of series I didn't think I'd like in the past two years that I've ended up liking.

i like love live it can teach ya a thing or 2 also Donavannj i like your sig image I personally like Maki out of the group i like her smarts also im not into all the violence like most are in america these days and shows that usually have a female main character are usually hated in the US since our country seems to think only males should be the main character in things