History YMMV / Aikatsu

*** She would eventually be the main protagonist of the ''[[Anime/AikatsuFriends Aikatsu on Parade!]]'' 9-minute mini-webseries years later, and regardless [[BrokenBase the opinions on the said mini-webseries (or ''On Parade'', as a whole)]], at least that's something.

* AmericansHateTingle: Mizuki is hugely popular in Japan. In America, she's one of the very few characters the fandom considers TheScrappy, partially because she is seen as kind of bland and [[spoiler: her departure to Dream Academy for rather poorly written reasons]]..

*** She would eventually be the main protagonist of the ''[[Anime/AikatsuFriends Aikatsu on Parade!]]'' 9-minute mini-webseries years later, and whether the said webseries (or ''On Parade'', as a whole) was [[BrokenBase good or not]], at least that's something.

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the colorful designs for characters and outfits, the surprisingly good production value (up until ''Aikatsu On Parade!'', at least), and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and pacing, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans will admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* AmericansHateTingle: Mizuki is hugely popular in Japan. In America, she's one of the very few characters the fandom considers TheScrappy.

*** Sora and Maria. While they ''do'' have their fans, they are disliked for being boring and [[FlatCharacter one-dimensional characters]].
** Otome's whole schtick is seen as either cute or annoying.
%%** Mizuki, partially because she is seen as kind of bland and [[spoiler: her departure to Dream Academy for rather poorly written reasons]].
%%** Akari after replacing Ichigo as the Main Character in seasons 3 and 4.

%%** Mizuki, partially because she is seen as kind of bland and [[spoiler: her departure to Dream Academy for rather poorly written reasons]].

* LesYay: Fairly mild but becomes blatant when Yurika is around and when she and Ran (and later Kaede) are together.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: One common criticism for the anime (and the franchise as a whole). Some fan-favorites do not get a fair amount of screentime; such as Hikari, who is supposed to be TheRival for Ran but only shows up in a few episodes; and Shion, who is Aoi's partner in their detective show, remains in the supporting role, although she has a couple of episodes dedicated to her.

* HilariousInHindsight: During the New Year's episode, one of the judges was a scary-looking bear as far as this series will go hailing from a horror show. [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys That premise sure sounds familiar...]]

* SpecialEffectFailure: One thing fans can't deny is that the CG of the first season's concerts, especially in the earlier episodes, look... [[UnintentionalUncannyValley quite off]], to say the least. Thankfully it has been significantly improved in the following seasons.

* CultClassic: While not as hugely popular and successful as Creator/BandaiNamco’s other [[Franchise/TheIdolmaster idol]] [[Franchise/LoveLive franchises]], Aikatsu still has gained a decent and dedicated fanbase over the years.

* MemeticPsychopath: Poor Sumire, a plenty of fanworks portray her as a [[StalkerWithACrush psychotic]] {{Yandere}} who acts violently towards anyone who gets closer or even simply talks to Akari, particularly Sena.

* SpecialEffectFailure: One thing the fans can't deny is that the CG concerts of season 1, especially in the earlier episodes, look... [[UnintentionalUncannyValley off]], to say the least. Thankfully the concerts have significantly improved in the next season.

** Akari's roommate from season 2, Yuu Hattori, never really stood a chance. She had some appearances in Season 2, but gets sidelined at the very beginning of Season 3, thanks to a terribly convenient roof leak. Her cool-idol type essentially got given to Sumire while her short blonde hair got passed to Hinaki.

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the colorful designs for characters and outfits, the decent production value (specifically after the first season of the original show), and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and pacing, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans will admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

%%* Special Effect Failure

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the colorful designs for characters and outfits, the decent production value (specifically after season 1 of the original show), and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and pacing, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans will admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the colorful designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and pacing, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans will admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the colorful designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans will admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* MemeticPsychopath: Poor Sumire, a lot of fanworks portray her as a [[StalkerWithACrush psychotic]] {{Yandere}} who acts violently towards anyone who gets closer or even simply talks to Akari, particularly Sena.

*** She would eventually be the main protagonist of the ''[[Anime/AikatsuFriends Aikatsu on Parade!]]'' 9-minute mini-webseries years later, and [[BrokenBase whether it was executed well or not]], at least that's something.

%%** Kaede is also surprisingly popular.
%%** Shion, to the point where some wish she had her own brand.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Yurika, judging by the amount of fan art she gets.
** Kaede is also surprisingly popular.
** Shion, to the point where some wish she had her own brand.

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the colorful designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans will admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans will admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* MemeticPsychopath: Poor Sumire, a lot of fanworks portray her as a psychotic {{Yandere}} who acts violently towards anyone who simply talks to Akari, particularly Sena.

* PeripheryDemographic: The arcade game has a fanbase of adults, notably older women who play alongside their daughters, or are attracted to its clothing designs.

* LGBTFanbase: A good portion of the female fanbase is lesbian/bi.

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being a MerchandiseDriven series, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note and underdeveloped]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being a MerchandiseDriven series, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven series, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

%%* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven series, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

%%* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: ''Aikatsu Planet''
* ToughActToFollow: The first season of the original show is widely regarded as the best season of the series in terms of writing, character development and world-building in spite of the less-than-stellar animation. Some of the franchise's most iconic songs, namely "Diamond Happy!" and "Calendar Girl", also come from this season. The following seasons and [[Anime/AikatsuStars its]] [[Anime/AikatsuFriends succe]][[Series/AikatsuPlanet ssors]] are generally considered to be significantly weaker in the aforementioned categories despite the improved animation.

** Older men who play the arcade game is commonly called "Aikatsu-ojisan" (Aikatsu uncles).

* PeripheryDemographic: The arcade game has a fanbase of adults, notably older women who play alongside with their daughters, or are attracted to its clothing designs.
%%* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points despite being MerchandiseDriven series, such as the designs for characters and outfits, the production value of its shows, and the overall feel-good vibe, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as the franchise goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note]]. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].
* SurpriseDifficulty: Prospective players who watched the anime first beware: while the game itself is easier than most arcade rhythm games, the game itself is ''not'' a cakewalk. Strict timing judgements and quick time events will make careless players fail.

* ToughActToFollow: The first season of the original show is widely regarded as the best season of the series in terms of writing, character development and world building in spite of the less-than-stellar animation. Some of the franchise's most iconic songs, namely "Diamond Happy!" and "Calendar Girl", also come from this season. The following seasons and [[Anime/AikatsuStars its]] [[Anime/AikatsuFriends succe]][[Series/AikatsuPlanet ssors]] are generally considered to be significantly weaker in the aforementioned categories despite the improved animation.

%%** Mizuki, partially because she is seen as kind of bland and [[spoiler:her departure to Dream Academy for rather poorly written reasons]].
** The Dream Academy girls are well accepted among the casual crowd, but in serious circles they are hated, The fact that two of them use already established brands instead of new ones is also a point of contention.

%%** Akari after replacing Ichigo as the Main Character in Season 3 and 4.
* BrokenBase: Fans are divided with the second season. Some welcome the rival school Dream Academy, its characters who are new, and the competition between the two academies. Others believe that S2 would be better off ''without'' them since they do not give room for the less established fan-favorites from the previous season (Shion, Hikari, Sakura, among others). The fact that [[spoiler:Mizuki transferred to Dream Academy]] gives her haters another reason to loathe her.

** On forums, there's a lot of good to be said about Johnny Bepp-sensei for his bombastic reactions and his genuinely caring attitude towards his students.
** Sunao Yoshikawa, Ran's former singing voice, still has fans to this day that want her back thanks to her unique mix of cute and mature voice that fit well with the character. The fact that the franchise has declined pretty badly shortly her graduation has made her lack of presence sting all the more.

%%** Japanese fans take a liking to shipping Akari with Sena Tsubasa due to the ShipTease going on with them in Season 3 and 4.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: The first 3 episodes of second season are criticized for reusing the same insert song, which is a rock remix of the second insert song of the first season. This also happens in the first season, albeit that it was the first two songs that get recycled for 3 episodes as well. Thankfully, the third season avoids this.

* HilariousInHindsight: During the New Year's episode, one of the judges was a scary-looking bear as far as this series will go hailing from a horror-show. [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys That premise sure sounds familiar...]]

** Episode 42, Johnny dress up as a pirate. Remember the guy is based on [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Johnny Depp]].
* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: How some fans reacted to the Sangria Rosa brand. It's supposed to be a flamenco/Spanish-culture inspired brand, but it comes off more as the [[SomethingAboutARose rose version]] of Spicy Ageha, which focused more on butterflies but had plenty of coords with roses on their designs (including one Premium Rare, which was Ran's first in the anime).

** The axe scene from the Christmas special is this for many fans. It's not exactly uncommon to find fanart of Ichigo weilding it for any number of crazy reasons.

* {{Moe}}: A lot of female characters fall into this category, such as [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold Ichigo]], [[{{Tsundere}} Ran]], and later [[PluckyGirl Akari]] and [[RoseHairedSweetie Madoka]] to name a few.

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: Minor example: the first 3DS game, ''Cinderella Lesson'', adapts the anime's setting very well, but the rhythm game part plays like ''VideoGame/TaikoNoTatsujin''. This was fixed in the games following it, staring with the second 3DS game, ''Futari No Princess''.

** Season 2 also introduced Agent S, a scandal hunting photographer who is considered TheDreaded amongst idols. Of his very few appearances, the biggest thing that happened was that he was forced to hold the IdiotBall after catching some massive scandal, was thwarted and bolted. He hasn't been heard from since.
** Tsubaki Saionji, ''full stop.'' When the anime episode featuring her was aired, many of the fans were hoping for the development of FriendlyRivalry between her and Akari that was established then. Tough luck, she didn't reappear until the third movie... with her name ''not even appearing onscreen'', unlike nearly ''everyone else's.''

** Two background idols from the first season, Yuna Nakayama and Michiru Kurosawa, are an interesting case. Yuna [[ADayInTheLimelight managed to get an episode dedicated to her]] while Michiru has been [[HeroOfAnotherStory shown to be a fairly successful idol in later seasons]] and both surprisingly got fairly significant amount of voiced lines. The latter also has the interesting distinction for sharing the same eye color and surname with the Akari-generation character Rin, though the kanji for both of them are spelled slightly differently. Nothing ever comes up from these points and both of them fell to the wayside.

** The Summer Tour of STAR☆ANIS, where the eight main characters of the first season travel the country together as a group, lasts...barely two episodes. All the events except the start and the end happen off-screen. What a way to disappoint fans, huh? Especially considering they did an episode and half of build-up.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The CG concerts of the anime's second season are very good looking. So does the 2014 update to the arcade game. Strangely enough, the latest game, ''Aikatsu 365 Idol Days'' for UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, does not use the improved CGI the anime uses.

%%* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans usually see this franchise as a whole. while it has some positive points such as the designs for characters and outfits, production value, and the overall feel-good vibe of the series, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as it goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, [[ClicheStorm typical stories]] that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, [[FlatCharacter one-note]] and underdeveloped. Not to mention the franchise's tendency of poorly developing or [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot outright wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].

%%*** Sora and Maria. While they ''do'' have their fans, they are disliked for being TheGenericGuy.

%%* SoOkayItsAverage: This is how non-fans see this series as a whole. while it has some positive points such as the designs for characters and outfits, well-animated CG concerts (starting with season 2 of the first anime), and the overall feel-good vibe of the series, it suffers from a number of issues that become more apparent as it goes on, like the uneven writing and worldbuilding, typical stories that focus more on each show's protagonist and their personal triumphs, and characters who, while mostly likable, are seen as either basic, not very interesting, or, at worst, one-note and underdeveloped. Not to mention the Series' tendency of poorly developing or [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot outright wasting several of its storylines]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter and characters]], a problem even the fans of the series are willing to admit that [[FranchiseOriginalSin keeps getting worse in each show]].