Anime/Wake Up, Girls!

Yamakan-directed anime, and about idols at that. Kind of eyebrow-raising, right off the bat.

So let's get to the nitty-gritty of things. Yamakan's return to the industry after putting his foot in his mouth too many times, is about a former idol, Mayu, trying to get back into the business after she flunked out of her old unit (who incidentally are building a stadium in her town, talk about awkward). It's obviously not easy, especially going into the industry again with a new group, but she's determined to do it... somehow.

Oh, and there's a movie "prequel" for the series called "The Seven Idols", which is a required watch to find out how Mayu got to this point. It's 53-odd minutes long, so it's not a hard watch.

Sameface syndrome aside, what's getting the attention of watchers is the perceived cynical view it has of the industry (see the sleazy producer at the end of the first episode). It's gotten people talking in 2chan certainly, mostly positive, though there's people wondering now if the gloomy atmosphere will be a bait-and-switch, and whether it'll stay that way for the run. Too early at this point to say, really.

The anime is mostly hand-drawn, even the idol sequence, which has got to have cost some animators hand cramps.

First-episode reactions for English-speaking watchers have been mixed. Half are expecting a trainwreck already.

edited 11th Jan '14 5:17:25 PM by MyssaRei

The movie is basically a two episode premier for the show itself made into a movie. The first episode picks up practically right after. I decided to watch this since I've been a sucker for idol shows after watching iDOLM@STER, AKB 0048, and Love Live! and they all left me with warm fuzzies and were pleasant little shows. So I picked this up and figured it'd be the same.

-3 minutes in-

"Well screw you, bitch!"

"I hope they fail and have to sell their bodies to survive."

Not what I was expecting. ._.

So far I am enjoying it though. The colors are certainly more muted that most idol shows out there but the cast seems pretty enjoyable. I can't remember anyone's names off the top of my head except Mayu and Airi just yet but I liked the older red head. Her "I hate my job" look when you first see her made me feel a kindred soul. I'm also amused that it's the youngest who seems the most serious and driven of the bunch.

Really hope the panty shots aren't going to be a regular thing though. Nothing kills my interest faster than trashy camera angles.

Let's hope that Matsuda gets a clue about said sleazy producer, and fast, or else this is going to be very painful to watch very quickly.

Considering how long it took Matsuda to catch on to Kira, I wouldn't get my hopes up!

edited 11th Jan '14 7:43:24 PM by Savoie

I suppose I can give WUG one more point for having traditional animation for it's concert sequences. As much as I love AKB 0048, I was always bummed out that the big dances were CG. Maybe iM@S spoiled me, but it's good to see it this way again.

No comments on the lack of magic skirts leading to the large amount of panty flashes? :> It bugged people for some reason, but newflash, skirts sort of behave this way in real life.

They even said as much before their concert. Matsuda planned on heading to buy something proper for them to wear under the skirt just because physics is a thing and pleated skirts are rather flighty, especially during an energetic dance. That's downright levelheaded.

Personally it distracts me more if there's an obvious case of Magic Skirt than not, because a disregard for physics tends to draw my attention. Though not as bad as when people jump and change direction midair without any forces helping with it. Or boobs spontaneously jiggling. Or landing into an implausible Accidental Pervert entanglement after crashing into someone.

Anyway, there's no problem with this series. And it wasn't that much anyway.

@Parable: Funny, I liked it despite being about idols. Not usually my favourite genre.

edited 13th Jan '14 5:37:22 AM by AnotherDuck

Kind of a reference to how real-life idols are now forced to wear spats under their skirts.

They are? Well, I knew that was common practice, for obvious reasons, but didn't know about being a rule of some kind.

The first impression is good so far, but it is only on par with Love Live!. There's still a long way to go before it can match the likes of Aikatsu! and Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live. The songs are great, the art is decent but the storyline is rather bland. Still, it is one of the better anime this Winter 2014 season.

Myssa: My post before my last one is still my feeling on the matter. If "Skirt Physics" is their excuse then they could easily have made the girls wear something besides skirts, or skirts that didn't expose them so easily.

You totally remind me of this. Replace one P-word for another.

Annoying thing in life: When your favorite blogger isn't writing about the only show you've started watching this season.

So this was basically Episode 2: Sexual Harassment. I never thought watching a bunch of girls in bikinis would actually be a painful thing to behold. Man I just wanted to beat that sleazy producer in the face. Glad the president went ahead and did it.

Unfortunately not every producer is as decent as Mr. Producer.

Yeah, seriously. The entire time I was all like, "Girls, put your clothes back on and get out of there. You don't need to put up with this bull."

You know, I get the feeling that in most shows, this entire scenario would have been played for laughs. Instead it just felt uncomfortable. They spent 3/4 of the episode in bikinis and I can't really say I considered it fanservice. Especially considering what Miyu and Kaya had to put up with.

By the way, just for context, this episode came in the heels of a tweet by Yamakan that he needs animators. Kind of worrying there.

Also the show is on of the most posted-of series in 2chan for this season, but because it's so uncomfortable (otaku generally don't like the skeeviness of their hobbies shoved in their faces, idol otaku in particular) half of them are negative.

Yeeeeeah, Ordet is kind of walking a fine line between making a point (the idol industry ISN'T fun and flowers) and keeping the studio afloat (BUY OUR BLU-RAYS PLEASE!), and I'm not sure it's working when you're ticking off prospective buyers. Which Yamakan tends to do even without being connected to any production.

edited 18th Jan '14 1:11:26 AM by MyssaRei

Episode 2. In which we see the backside.

The first part of the episode was basically just waiting for one of them to just say no.

But really, not reading the contract properly? That's all kinds of unprofessional.

And then we have the triumphant return of the prez.

That's the second time we hear that song.

Miyu has fans. Real fans.

Prez is competent.

As for the uncomfortableless of it all, I'd say there's little problem with the swimsuits and some of what they were doing in and of itself. The outfits weren't that skimpy, and just performing and posing (depending a little on actual poses) isn't that big of a deal. However, when it comes to getting up close and personal with people of a lewder degree it crosses a line. As long as there's a manner of respect for what they do and how they do it there's really no problem. I mean, I don't think Miyu would really object to doing many of the exact same things in the maid café, just because of the different way the clientele views and respects her. There's a difference between being a fan and being a lewd horndog. I think I'd know what I'd classify anyone getting offended by this episode as.

Just watched the movie.

I really love their debut song. It was awesome. You can also somewhat tell that the seiyuu aren't all that experienced yet, which is great because it totally fits the characters, who are all amateurs themselves.

That president is a bitch.

Will start with the series soon. Probably this weekend or so.

For those who missed the NHK interview with Yamakan, here's a link to the dubbed version. Interesting, at least as far as knowing what he plans for the series, where he lays out that he wants to show an idol group's conception to its eventual dissolution.

Whether it turns out like he says in two more months is another matter entirely of course.

edited 21st Jan '14 10:41:59 PM by MyssaRei

That either implies a time skip or a pretty short lived idol group. :/

Just finished episode 1.

Matsuda needs to pay more attention to his phone.

And that producer looks like a friggin' mobster. It's like they were trying to shove the fact that he's shady as all hell into our faces.

So...that's the maid cafe girl in the preview...and who? And who's in the background lol.

EDIT: And now I've watched episode two. Fuck Sudo. Forget what I said about Tange, she's freaking awesome for beating the shit out of him. Atta girl! Kinda wish Matsuda had more of a spine though...and he should've read through the contract himself instead of leaving it all up to that bastard Sudo.

edited 22nd Jan '14 10:41:05 PM by HanabiraKage

So will this show do to idols what Madoka Magica did to another industry that seeks pretty young girls? I'm reminded of Italy's veline who sing and dance in skimpy outfits on every television show. The first episode didn't leave me with much of an impression, but the movie made me care (but seriously, it was not theatrical standard).

I can see that the panty shots came where they made sense, but they would have looked more natural and incidental if the camera didn't focus on them. Good job on discomforting the audience in the second episode, though I'm sure much of the audience was able to enjoy it.

The bad character design might be making a point about the producers' narrow standards of beauty, but giving them varied faces and body types would have distinguished it from the conventional idol shows. As it is, they look both generic and drab.

Does "you want to do it" foreshadow rifts over how far each is willing to go for the audience? Will boyfriends crop up? Yamakan could still take this to its conclusion without alienating anyone if the dissolution seems like the natural end of a project that has run its course and everyone is moving on.

They're certainly in for a tough ride with one manager who is far too naïve and unprofessional and another who has the will but no skill or responsability.

Reading the OP, is there any definite reason behind why it's called "Wake Up Girls!"?

Name of the band? Name of the company? Name of the main character's favorite TV show?

It's the name of a motel that the talent agency president decided to steal the name from.