We're all in this together: an "IDOLiSH7" review
Male idol anime is a force to be reckoned with. There are so many iterations of the genre, whether the boys are in school or trying to start out in the industry itself, and the fandoms of these shows are some of the most passionate fans you'll see on the Internet.
But I personally haven't had much success in finding a male idol show to fall behind. Uta no Prince Sama started out fine but over time lost itself to its frustrating reverse harem love mess. B-Project provided some insight into the negatives of fame before becoming an over-the-top soap opera with the most outlandish plot twists I have ever witnessed (they also decided to queer-bait me, and that means war). And Dynamic Chord...we don't talk about Dynamic Chord. I may have only watched one episode of that show, but if you want to know one of the greatest anime memes of last year, I'd recommend looking up the hashtag somewhere and seeing the horrendous animation quality for yourself so you can save yourself from the full trying-to-be-edgy-but-really-we're-Dora-the-Explorer nonsense that is the pilot. The only pro is that there wasn't a harem, but that may have spiced things up. This is even coming from a guy who despised the two former anime for bringing in those elements!
I went into IDOLiSH7 hoping for the best despite the countless amounts of reverse harem idol shows and bad slice of life idol shows I had seen in passing. Based off on a rhythm game with character designs done by one of the most popular shojo mangaka, Arina Tanemura, there was proof of this turning out to be the male version of the popular female idol show Love Live. Despite the reverse harem set-up, all of the guys seemed perfectly distinct from each other (both in color and personality), and I liked the idea of a show pursuing an idol group from their inception to hopeful stardom. With that in mind, I decided to watch this show with my brother and hope for the best.
Honestly, this is the best male idol anime I've seen.
Yes, even with Iori's face being that grave "this is what it is" look.
IDOLiSH7 is the freshest male idol anime out there and serves as an excellent introduction into the world of the genre. It's the first show in my memory that actually wants to spend its time focusing on the growth of the boys and the perils of the industry instead of a love octagon. A lot of the writing focuses on why the boys want to be idols, what they hope to accomplish, and what they have given up or left behind to become what they've wanted to be. There are also a lot of scenarios the guys get put into, and although it leads to some pretty intense drama that makes me want to break out in hives, it leads to powerful scenes and sincerity so strong it overrides the cliche drama tropes present. Add some endearing humor, strong animation, and catchy music (because an anime about music needs that), and we have a winner!
The story starts when Tsumugi Takanashi becomes employed as a manager to a new idol group her father is starting up at his agency. The group is made up of seven hopeful young men, ages ranging from 17 to 22, and Tsumugi's first job is to break the news that not all seven will continue on in the hopes of becoming Japan's Next Top Idol. Four must be cut after auditions. Despite this request, Tsumugi can't go through with it. The boys have already clicked together as an ensemble and bring their own strengths to the table. Her father admires Tsumugi's dedication to keep all seven and lets her in on a secret: this was a test. Now he knows she'll be a great manager because of her unwavering faith in IDOLiSH7. With that, the boys are off.
As the show continues and the group goes from holding their first concert, having two people from the group debut as a duo, to attending an awards show, they're confronted with new conflicts at every turn. The boys also reveal more about each other as they get closer and closer to their goal. We get to see more of Nagi Rokuya's heartfelt love for the group despite his boisterous love of anime and women, Mitsuki Izumi's perseverance against rejection and an idolization of a legendary idol from his youth, Iori Izumi's hope of making his older brother's dream a reality and what happens when his selfless perfectionism affects how he performs, Sogo Osaka's sacrificial work ethic and the anger he can unleash when lit like a match, Riku Nanase's bewilderment at why he feels someone left him behind and his rocky health, Tamaki Yotsuba's desire to find someone he lost and the yearning of understanding beyond his childish demeanor and need for pudding, and Yamato Nikaido's gradual shift in happily leading the group and the weight of the secrets he has chosen to hide. All of these boys grow as people and never fail to be entertaining, and to see them interact with each other and learn to understand how they're different is inspiring and touching.
Of course, an idol anime can't be complete without rivals, and naturally more boys must fill the screen. TRIGGER is somewhat of the main cause of conflict throughout the show, mostly because their manager (who happens to be Silver-Haired Boy's father) controls them like puppets so they can bask in all the fame and MONEY MONEY MONEY. However, TRIGGER is slowly beginning to realize they want to make their fans happy with music by their own volition, not thanks to their pieces being moved by the dictatorship of their management. They also notice IDOLiSH7's rising power and are curious to see if they'll rise to a challenge if they win the JIMA New Artist Award: facing against them at a year-end face-down that will be considered a rite of passage.
Part of IDOLiSH7's focus extends to these boys and fleshes out their seemingly nefarious positions. Tenn Kujo, TRIGGER's center, may seem cocky and proud of himself, but his direct link to Riku, both in the past and their conditions, may make him more delicate than most would think. Gaku Yaotome (the aforementioned Silver-Haired Boy) has to deal with the harsh demands of his father and the admittance that IDOLiSH7 is really good, enough to be a fair fight. Ryunosuke Tsunashi may embrace all of his sexual appeal in the public eye, but in reality he's too gentle for that and has to act as a mediator when Gaku and Tenn share barbed words with each other. I was surprised by the show's willingness to flesh out these characters, especially since the only prior experience I had with rival groups had them show up in a second season and not get development until the third, where they also proceeded to fall in love with the main girl and fight over the other group for her. TRIGGER was refreshing.
To compliment these characters, Studio Troyca has done their best to create colorful and vibrant art and animation that may not be the most impressive but still captures the excitement of the world of IDOLiSH7. When there are good moments, they really shine, particularly when it comes to close-ups on characters' faces. The blending of traditional animation and CG is also very smooth in performances.
The score, composed by Tatsuya Kato, is lively and contains some excellent callbacks to the songs performed throughout the series if you listen close. There are some fun EDM-inspired songs that hit hard and leave an impact.
Lastly, the voice acting and singing are really good here! Some of the actors revealed they are more versatile than I thought, particularly KENN as the boisterous Tamaki and Takuya Eguchi putting on one of the most bizarre and wonderful accents I have ever heard in anime as Nagi (it's Engrish but in Japanese), and it was fun hearing from one actor for the first time. Yusuke Shirai's take on Yamato contains the perfect mix of older brother to the rest of the group and sharpness when it comes to emotional swings. The only voice I had to grow to was Satomi Sato's Tsumugi; it's very high and breathy despite sounding a little older than some of her other characters. I did like what she brought to Tsumugi's flustered moments, though; they were well-acted and hilarious.
Whether you love idols or male idols or are curious in starting this genre that can get predictable but have incredible devotion, I'd recommend checking out IDOLiSH7 (you can stream it for free on Crunchyroll!). It's an anime of many colors, both dramatic and heartfelt, and it offers a fictionalized but still interesting view into the perils of the male idol industry, the cutthroat nature of some of the higher-ups, and, of course, the power of coming together and just singing some awesome music. If you want something to feel passionate about and have 17 episodes to binge, watch this show and be prepared to scream along to the opening.
