— Why you should watch IDOLiSH7, a thread

Need something to watch? Looking for a series that has a good story, stellar character development, wholesome character dynamics, and catchy pop songs?

I’d like to suggest the anime IDOLiSH7 ( https://crunchyroll.com/idolish7 )

First, let’s talk about the IDOLiSH7 series and it’s origins:

IDOLiSH7, also known as アイナナ (Ainana) is a Japanese rhythm game developed and published by Bandai Namaco that was released in 2015. This series features character designs by artist Arina Tanemura.

IDOLiSH7 received an anime adaptation in Winter 2018, and was animated by the studio TROYCA, who worked on Aldnoah Zero, Re:Creators. Bloom Into You, etc. This adaptation is sometimes referred to as アニナナ (Aninana), a combination of Anime + Ainana.

“so… what exactly is this anime about?”

IDOLiSH7 follows the journey of seven idols trying to break into the idol industry in attempts to find recognition and success. This anime gives a realistic portrayal of the hardships faced in the idol industry, showing the hard work and

dedication needed to survive. The animation is fantastic: It’s dramatic, flashy, and keeps you on your feet! Buckle in for a ride and grab some tissues, this anime will give you a wide range of emotions, from happiness, sadness, anger, love, you name it! IDOLiSH7 has it all.

One of the reasons why the story is so effective is because IDOLiSH7 features extremely well-written characters that have stellar character development and growth. If you’re one of those people that love character-oriented stories, IDOLiSH7 is for you!

Every character in IDOLiSH7 has very distinct and defined characteristics, strengths, weaknesses; they are all three-dimensional. They have their own unique spin and talent to offer, as well as incredibly fun and interesting dynamics between each other.

Another way in which IDOLiSH7 is also comparable to a sports anime is the emphasis on character dynamics. The anime takes the time to flesh out the relations and dynamics between characters, allowing characters to develop naturally and feel human.

This human-like quality that the characters possess is amplified by the voice work of the seiyuus, as well as TROYCA’s ability to animate expressions. The staff that work on this project are incredibly talented, and really make the story an emotional ride.

To help you visualize what the characters are like, here’s a short spoiler-free rundown of the characters currently featured in the first season and Second BEAT! (IDOLiSH7’s second season)!

Starting off with the characters in the main group, IDOLiSH7:

IDOLiSH7 members part 2:

Of course, what’s an anime without rivals? IDOLiSH7 has a rival group in the form of TRIGGER; an incredibly popular group who debuted a year before IDOLiSH7 did and took the nation by storm. Regarded as kings, TRIGGER is incredibly professional and take their work very seriously.

Second BEAT! introduces another group to the cast: Re:Vale! This duo is incredibly iconic and beloved in IDOLiSH7’s universe, and have been around for five years. Known for their married couple act, they consist of Momo and Yuki.

Special shoutout and mention to IDOLiSH7’s managers who act as the support to IDOLiSH7, and making them successful: Tsumugi and Banri! (As well as IDOLiSH7's mascots, Kinako and King Pudding!)

I hope that these short bios gave a good overview of the characters and their personality. Keep in mind that the anime only covers part 1 and part 2; the game story is currently ongoing and has four parts. While all characters develop, not all of them will be seen in the anime.

As mentioned before, IDOLiSH7 features some pretty catchy tunes! IDOLiSH7 is a multimedia project that has received work from various people, featuring over 50 composers. You can find out more about them in this thread here: https://twitter.com/rokutosei/status/1253368238370508800

If you’d like to listen to IDOLiSH7’s music, you can stream it on spotify! It’s completely free and available worldwide!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXd7fmFWnsK8n?si=k-1z02H1R9mYhh8Ams2b3g

On the note of music, we currently have 13 music videos animated by various studios, including Kamikaze Douga, MAPPA, Bones, TROYCA, Orange, Ufotable, and TRIGGER.

You can find them on Banri’s channel here (some contain spoilers): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtr_hwio6G1o9kVgmhTOszqaTxNtxzSM2

At the end of the day, I wholeheartedly recommend this series from the bottom of my heart. I know it’s very easy to dismiss the idol genre because of the stereotypes, but IDOLiSH7 is a genuinely good anime with a lot to offer.

Everyone who worked on the project thus far has made IDOLiSH7 a very memorable and enjoyable series; the anime is just the most accessible way to introduce someone into the series! So I’d like to urge people to watch it if it piques your interest!

As a notice to anyone who is interested in watching the anime and tweeting about the second season, please remember to tag your spoilers with “ #i72spoilers” ! This tag was made by the unofficial wiki for IDOLiSH7 ( @i7wiki) so that everyone can have a pleasant viewing experience.

And if you’d like to see more, you can visit @LexMoooomoo’s masterlist of IDOLiSH7’s translations for all available story content (main story, side stories, manga, novels, CD, interviews, etc), which you can find here!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JtgBt4TUyGIZ6Vf74cCU5fC_7fhSOHJyqMPyAMFJbMc/edit

Also consider playing the game! You can download IDOLiSH7 via QooApp or a Japanese Apple ID! If you’re a person who likes rhythm games, or you just want to see the translations of IDOLiSH7’s stories in context, I highly suggest downloading it. It’s a lot of fun!

With that, thank you to everyone who read this thread! IDOLiSH7 is a series that means a lot to not only me, but other people as well. I’m really glad I’ve gotten a chance to experience such a well thought out story with wonderful characters and beautiful dynamics.

If you enjoyed this thread or have interest in the series, a retweet of the initial tweet would be very much appreciated! Second BEAT! resumes on October 4th from episode 3 onwards. I hope many people can experience this wonderful anime, please give it a chance if you can!