* AccidentalInnuendo: Aira's version of "Heart-pounding Experience" zooms in on her chest with a shaking effect, which looks like bouncing if you didn't look clearly enough.
* AbandonShipping: Viewers were entirely sure that Jun and Kyoko would get together come the end of the anime, as that meant that not only would the path be cleared for Mion/Wataru to happen, but also that [[OldMaid Kyoko]] would finally get the husband she seeks. However, in episode 41, [[spoiler:it was revealed that they are actually half-siblings born from the same mother.]] But then in DMF episodes 44-46, [[spoiler: it was revealed that [[NotBloodSiblings they're not related after all]]. Her mother adopted him after his parents died in a road accident.]]
* AdaptationDisplacement: Most people know that ''Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream'' is based off an arcade game, but not many know that there was a version preceding ''Aurora Dream'', which was ''Mini Skirt''. The first arcade game, ''Pretty Rhythm: Mini Skirt'', featured Rizumu, Serena, and Kanon as the only playable characters. Much of the marketing was focused on Rizumu, who was the first-billed in the group. When the game was rebranded under the ''Aurora Dream'' name to tie in with the anime adaptation, Aira was not only added as a new playable character, but [[AscendedExtra she also became the main character of the anime adaptation]], while Rizumu was made a secondary character. Serena and Kanon were subsequently made into recurring rival characters. There was also a manga adaptation by Mari Asabuki far before ''Aurora Dream'' got adapted, which starred Rizumu, Serena, and Kanon as the main characters.
* BizarroEpisode: Episode 27. You're watching an anime about girls achieving their dreams in show-biz when BAM! Random plot about returning magical dolphin to its parents right in your face!
* BrokenBase:
** The results of Prism Queen Cup in the finale of ''Aurora Dream'' caused complaints [[spoiler:because of Rizumu getting disqualified for not finishing her Prism Show. While performing "Aurora Rising" and finding her mother had always been Rizumu's main goal over competing in tournaments, to critics, it felt like a cheap shot at making [[VanillaProtagonist Aira]] win and that all of Rizumu's efforts in learning "Aurora Rising" went to almost nothing.]]
* CultClassic: Among adult idol anime fans, the series still holds up despite it being less popular than [[Anime/PriPara its]] [[Anime/PrettyRhythmRainbowLive succes]][[Anime/KingOfPrism sors]] and [[Anime/{{Aikatsu}} rivals]], especially for its competitive and somewhat dramatic plot.
* FandomRivalry: Most prominently with ''VideoGame/{{Aikatsu}}'', but also with other idol series, such as ''Anime/AKB0048'', ''Franchise/LoveLive'' and ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster''[[note]]Which is aimed at an older audience than Pretty Rhythm or its SpiritualSuccessor Anime/{{PriPara}}. Not only that, but The Idolmaster is also aimed at older males as well.[[/note]]. And after the mega successful spinoff series ''Anime/KingOfPrism by [=Prettyrhythm=]'' took off, it has some infighting of its own.
* LesYay: Lots. Episode 19 had Mion invite Rhythm and Aira (one at a time) to go on a date with her, so she could decide who would be the best partner. And until episode 22, Mion felt like she was being a third-wheel in Aira's and Rhythm's relationship.
** Aira and Rhythm are always supporting and worrying about each other in their Prism Shows, so much that the usually determined Rhythm decided that she would tone down her act so Aira could follow her moves.
** Until [=MARs=] had been formed, Aira always referred to Mion as 'Mion-sama' and looked at her with starry eyes. When Mion tells her to cut it out and call her just 'Mion', Aira turns even more starry-eyed and repeats her name several times, which flusters Mion.
** Mion and Rhythm at times seem {{Tsundere}} towards each other.
** Kaname is always hugging and jumping onto Aira and telling her how much she loves her. She has also touched Mion's chest and licked Rhythm's face.
* OlderThanTheyThink: The arcade game did not start with ''Aurora Dream''. The first title is ''Miniskirt'', which didn't get animated.
* UglyCute: The mascots aren't exactly attractive. Penguin-sensei is... what he is.
* ValuesDissonance:
** To become the Prism Queen, the girls must acquire specific clothing items as they progress through tournaments, which all leads up to wearing a wedding dress and showing off a performance that displays how much they love Prism Shows. All of this is basically a metaphor for the girls literally getting married to Prism Shows. While this seems strange, a lot of it has to do with the IdolSinger culture in general -- basically, {{Idol Singer}}s must be devoted to fans instead of themselves and be MarriedToTheJob. Since the concept of IdolSinger is mostly an Asian thing, Westerners will find it strange.
** The characters' attitude towards marriage in episode 11 may raise some eyebrows, especially when Jun says that it's "a woman's dream to get married" and also Aira telling Kyoko that a wedding dress is the proof of "all accomplishments a woman made in life." A running joke in the series, in fact, is Kyoko being an OldMaid and emphasizes how embarrassing it is for her to be unmarried at her age. To Westerners, it comes off as sexist, but to the Japanese, since their programming is more gender-coded, it doesn't bother them as much. However, in recent years, less Japanese women are getting married and having children because they want to stay in the workforce, showing that this ideology is slowly becoming outdated.
* ViewerGenderConfusion: The mascots. Do they even have genders, honestly?
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