Line #125 Franchise/TheIdolmaster


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/_733.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: ''Let's Smile Countless Times'']]
3
4	''THE iDOLM@STER'' is Creator/{{Bandai Namco\|Entertainment}}'s long-running flagship [[IdolGenre Japanese Idol]] franchise. Part RaisingSim, part RhythmGame, the series revolves around the player becoming the producer for an {{idol\|Singer}} or several, helping them train, preparing them for concerts, and boosting their popularity. It began with a self-titled arcade game which was ported to the Platform/Xbox360, with a group of trainable rookies from the fictional company 765 Production. In between choosing songs and outfits to perform in, scheduling events, and bettering your relationships with the idols, the game became a surprise hit and helped introduce a wider audience to the world of idol management. Several spinoff games would follow until the releases of ''Dearly Stars'' and ''THE iDOLM@STER 2'' started their own ContinuityReboot, titled ''2nd VISION''. An anime based off of the ''2nd VISION'' continuity would later air in the summer and fall of 2011, whose popularity helped to lay much of the groundwork for later idol MusicStories: the day-to-day life of idols, problems with work, emotional moments between group members and their producer/manager, and especially the focus on rivals. Along with other early New '10s idol anime like ''Anime/PrettyRhythmAuroraDream'', it would grow to be one of the frontrunners in the budding IdolGenre, and stick around for many of its years.
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6	The success of the 765 Production games has spawned four subseries, ''[[VideoGame/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls Cinderella Girls]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheIdolmasterMillionLive Million Live!]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheIdolmasterSideM SideM]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/TheIdolmasterShinyColors Shiny Colors]]''. First released as Mobile/Browser CardGames, they feature unique idols and have spawned numerous [=CD=] releases and Anime/Manga adaptations of their own. ''[=SideM=]'' is also noteworthy for being the first game of the franchise with females as its main audience: it features solely male idols. ''Cinderella Girls'' spawned a big enough {{fandom}} to gain an [[Anime/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls anime]] that premiered in January 2015. It has also received a RhythmGame for smartphones named ''THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage'' (with gameplay similar to fellow rhythm phone games such as ''Franchise/LoveLive School Idol Festival'' but using 3D models), its own ''Gravure 4 You!'' series, and a VR live "game" called ''THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls: Viewing Revolution''. ''Million Live!'' has its own Rhythm Game similar to ''Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage'' named ''THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!: Theater Days''. ''[=SideM=]'' followed soon after with the announcement of not only a ''Starlight Stage''-like game of their own (''THE iDOLM@STER [=SideM=]: Live on St@ge!''), but an animated adaptation within the same year during the Fall 2017 Anime season.
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8	Also, as all good successful franchises do, ''The iDOLM@STER'' managed to inspire other series to try and latch on the same crowd. ''VideoGame/DreamCClub'' was [=D3Publisher=]'s answer to Bandai Namco's giant, with some unique elements in order to not look like they're the same thing.
9
10	Tropes that are common for the franchise as a whole, please, list them on this page. For tropes specific to individual titles, see the franchise list below.
11
12	----
13	[[index]]
14	* ''VideoGame/TheIdolMaster'' - A page for all the main series games. Includes the arcade and Xbox 360 game, ''SP'', ''One for All'', ''Stella Stage'', and ''Starlit Season''.
15
16	[[AC:1st VISION]]
17	* ''THE iDOLM@STER'' - The original arcade and Xbox 360 game
18	* ''THE iDOLM@STER: Live for You!''
19	* ''THE iDOLM@STER SP''
20	* ''THE iDOLM@STER LIVE IN SLOT!''
21
22	[[AC:2nd VISION]]
23	* ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterDearlyStars'' - the first spinoff game to take place in a different agency. Includes tropes from the three manga adaptations as well.
24	* ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster2'' - Despite the name, it's actually part of the ''2ND VISION'' reboot.
25	* ''THE iDOLM@STER: Gravure for You!''
26	* ''THE iDOLM@STER Shiny Festa''
27	* ''THE iDOLM@STER Shiny TV''
28	* ''THE iDOLM@STER One for All''
29	* ''THE iDOLM@STER Must Songs'' - spinoff with ''VideoGame/TaikoNoTatsujin'' gameplay
30	* ''THE iDOLM@STER Stella Stage''
31	* ''THE iDOLM@STER Starlit Season''
32
33	[[AC:3.0 VISION]]
34	* ''THE iDOLM@STER Tours''
35	* ''PROJECT [=iM@S=] vα-liv''
36	* ''Gakuen iDOLM@STER''
37	[[AC:Mobile entries]]
38	* ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls'' - Page for the mobile game as well as ''Starlight Stage''.
39	* ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterMillionLive'' - Page for the mobile game as well as ''Theater Days''.
40	* ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterSideM'' - Page for the mobile game as well as ''Live on St@ge!'' and ''GROWING STARS''.
41	* ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterShinyColors'' - Page for the mobile game as well as ''Song for Prism''.
42	* ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]: Poplinks''
43
44	[[AC:Adaptations]]
45	* ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]: Dearly Stars'' manga - Manga series adapting ''Dearly Stars''' three routes.
46	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]: Splash Red for Dearly Stars''
47	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]: Innocent Blue for Dearly Stars''
48	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]: Neue Green for Dearly Stars''
49	* ''Anime/TheIdolmaster'' - The animated adaptation based on ''The [=iDOLM@STER=] 2'', as well as its manga sequel.
50	* ''Anime/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls'' - The animated adaptation based on ''Cinderella Girls''.
51	** ''Anime/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirlsTheater'' - The yonkoma series of ''Cinderella Girls'' and its animated adaptation.
52	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Cinderella Girls U149'' - The animated Adaptation of ''U149''.
53	* ''Anime/TheIdolmasterSideM'' - The animated adaptation based on ''[=SideM=]''.
54	** ''Manga/TheIdolmasterSideMWakeAtteMini'': The chibi spinoff of ''[=SideM=]'' as well as its anime adaptation.
55	* ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Million Live!'' - The manga adaptation of ''Million Live!''
56
57	[[AC:Spinoffs]]
58	* ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]'' (Hinata Yaya)
59	* ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] relations''
60	* ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]: BREAK!''
61	* ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=]: Nemurihime''
62	* ''The [=iDOLM@STER=] 2: Colorful Days''
63	* ''The [=iDOLM@STER=]'' (Tatsuya Takahashi)
64	* ''Manga/TheIdolmaster2TheWorldIsAllOne'' - A manga that was also based off the second game, but with more liberties and development for its main characters.
65	* ''D@YS OF JUPITER: THE [=iDOLM@STER=]'' - Another manga based on the second game, focusing on the rival group Jupiter.
66	* ''Ayasake no Koganeiro: THE [=iDOLM@STER=]'' - A backstory focused on secretary Kotori Otonashi from the main series, during her teenage years. Takes place in the anime continuity.
67	* Cinderella Girls Spinoffs:
68	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Cinderella Girls: Honjitsu no Idol-san''
69	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Cinderella Girls: Rockin' Girl''
70	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Cinderella Girls U149''
71	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Cinderella Girls [=After20=]''
72	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Cinderella Girls Wild Wind Girl'' & ''Wild Wind Girl BURNING ROAD''
73	* Million Live! Spinoffs:
74	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Million Live! Back Stage''
75	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] Million Live! Blooming Clover''
76	* [=SideM=] Spinoffs: Unlike most spinoffs, these take place in the same continuity.
77	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] [=SideM=]: Dramatic Stage''
78	** ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] [=SideM=]: Struggle Heart''
79	* ''Anime/IdolmasterXenoglossia''
80	* ''Manga/PetitIdolmaster'' - A bizarre manga featuring the 765 girls living with chibi doppelgangers of themselves.
81	* ''Series/TheIdolmasterKR'' - A South Korean TV drama series produced under the direction of Bandai Namco and Korean-based Interactive Media Mix (IMX).
82	* ''[=VOY@GER=]''
83	[[/index]]
84	----
85	!!Tropes:
86	* AlternateContinuity:
87	** Akihiro Ishihara, [[WordOfGod Bandai Namco's director]], said that ''[=iM@S=] SP'' and ''[=iM@S2=]'' are parallel worlds, as in ''[=iM@S2=]'', Hibiki and Takane are 765Pro's idols from the beginning.
88	** ''Million Live!'' does take a lot of reference from the ''1ST VISION'' titles, even if they're mostly in the ''2ND VISION'' continuity.
89	* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Although that is largely the point with this game.
90	* AscendedMeme: Fans noticed that Ritsuko's outfit resembled the uniform of Lawson convenience stores, and it became a meme. Bamco and Lawson noticed the meme, and started a cross-promotion campaign that is still ongoing; you can apparently buy raffle tickets for ''Idolm@ster'' goods at Lawson.
91	* BribingYourWayToVictory: The downloadable content.
92	* CastHerd: For the mobile games, the cast is easily separated into each of the idol groups featured rather than in out-of-job pairs. ''[=SideM=]'' and ''Shiny Colors'' are especially guilty of this.
93	* CatGirl: You can dress up your idols to look like catgirls in the main series games. In ''Cinderella Girls'', Miku Maekawa's stage act is based on this, while Kirio Nekoyanagi in ''[=SideM=]'' puts on a "cat alien" stage act.
94	* CharacterTitle: The Idolmaster in the title refers to ''you'', the Producer. One who can manage more than a handful of idols and catapult them to stardom deserves to be called no less than that.
95	* TheChosenMany: Zig-zagged in adaptations. While the classic series' adaptations showed different Producers handling different groups, ''Cinderella Girls'' had ''hundreds'' of idols thanks to their multimedia giant status, and therefore implied there were multiple producers to attend to them all. ''[=SideM=]'' averts it, since all the manga adaptations and the anime show it really is the one Producer helping them all.
96	* ColourCodedCharacters: All of the idols have associated colors. The colors for 11 of them can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfmNtbtoi3A here.]]
97	* ComicBookTime:
98	** This is more obvious in ''One For All'' and especially ''Platinum Stars'' and the mobile games but universal throughout the franchise - birthdays might be referred to from time to time, as are various events happening through the year, but with the exception of ''2'' and other entries set in ''2ND VISION'' nobody gets to age. Even then, the idols only aged up one year.
99	** The anime adaptations, especially those set in the A1 Pictures/Cygames continuity, are all within a few months to a year of each other. They often show a lot of different holidays, productions, and side gigs for the idols to go through, but nobody ever seems to get older. Only once is the passage of time acknowledged with ''Episode of Jupiter'' happening concurrently with the tail end of the 765 anime.
100	* CostumePorn: There's quite a bit of outfits to go around in the series, especially in the mobile games with their events. The main games at least give the player the ability to dress their idols up.
101	* {{Crossover}}:
102	** The cell phone ''Cinderella Girls'' and ''[=SideM=]'' each have their own separate events with the cell phone RPG ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', while ''Million Live!'' and the two aforementioned games got one with ''VideoGame/TalesOfAsteria''.
103	** Prior to these, Music/HatsuneMiku was DLC for ''THE [=iDOLM@STER=] 2'' as part of a collaboration (''VideoGame/HatsuneMikuProjectDiva2nd'' received some Idolmaster-based DLC in turn).
104	** The franchise as a whole would finally get one with its longtime mid-2010s rival, ''Franchise/LoveLive'', for its 18th anniversary.
105	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Your character is always referred to as "Producer" and its variants, except for certain idols who refuse to refer to you as such.
106	* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles
107	* TheFaceless:
108	** The PlayerCharacter in every installment.
109	** Every company president is drawn either in silhouette or without a face, including both Takagis (765), Kuroi (961), Ishikawa (876), and Saitou (315). In ''Asayake wo Koganeiro'', however, Junjirou Takagi and Kuroi's younger selves were given faces. 825's president is another notable aversion.
110	** Aside from Kotori and the Jupiter trio, every other character you come across in the primary games, including the satellite characters on the girls' routes, are all faceless.
111	* GratuitousEnglish: Quite a few of the songs. Geetah Solo, come on!
112	-->'''TAKANE:''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZHrvy4fu1Q#t=37s Haro, mai neemu izu Takane. Hau oorudo aa yuu?]]
113	** [[spoiler:As you go further into some of the girls' routes, a few of them change the way they refer to the producer, such as Miki calling him [[GratuitousEnglish Hanii (Honey)]] or Takane's Anata-sama (Dear).]]
114	* ImageSong: Each idol has at least one song just for them.
115	* InNameOnly: The "Producers" of most of the main franchises usually take on so many responsibilities for their idols that they really resemble a manager. ''.KR'' is one of the few titles that explicitly ''has'' a proper manager and producer.
116	* {{Joshikousei}}: Most installments have a few. ''[=SideM=]'' puts in a couple of ''danshikousei'' for their spin on the trope.
117	* {{Kawaiiko}}: Some characters from the series work hard at being cute or deliberately play up their cuteness, such as Iori Minase from the original games, Sachiko Koshimizu from ''Cinderella Girls'', or Mofumofuen from ''[=SideM=]''.
118	* LevelUpAtIntimacy5: Idols can draw on pleasant memories to boost their performance during the Audition stage.
119	* LuckyCharmsTitle: A ''@'' is used in place of the "a" in the "master" part of the name.
120	* MinigameGame: The lessons used to increase the idols' stats take the form of minigames.
121	* OneGenderRace: Producers, for the most part, are depicted as men. ''[=SideM=]'' attempts to be ambiguous with its game producer, but their anime appearance changes them into another guy. Ritsuko used to be a producer, at least in the 2nd Vision continuity, but she very quickly went back to being an idol. 876 Productions is the only other company that regularly shows female producers, but they rarely appear outside of ''Dearly Stars'', which has you play as their idols instead.
122	* OneSteveLimit: Averted trope. Within the mobile game spinoffs, many idols between them share first names. Notably, ''Cinderella Girls'', ''Million Live'' and ''[=SideM=]'' all have a character named "Nao" (Nao Kamiya, Nao Yokoyama and Nao Okamura in order, though only the first two share Japanese characters also), and the latter two games both have a "Tsubasa" in their respective game's main PowerTrio (Tsubasa Ibuki and Tsubasa Kashiwagi, same character).
123	* PowerTrio: Trios are always a focus component in this series, and the main idol group will often be a trio.
124	** From the foundation series: Haruka, Chihaya and Miki. Project Fairy (Hibiki, Miki, and Takane) as well, in ''1ST VISION''.
125	** From ''Cinderella Girls'': Uzuki, Rin and Mio.
126	** From ''Million Live'': Mirai, Shizuka and Tsubasa.
127	** From ''[=SideM=]'': Teru, Kaoru and [[OneSteveLimit Tsubasa]] (not to be confused with Million Live's), the members of DRAMATIC STARS. Technically Jupiter is also treated this way as the second "main" group. ''GROWING STARS'' adds C.FIRST as a third main trio.
128	** From ''Shiny Colors'': Mano, Hiori and Meguru, members of the Illumination Stars group.
129	** ''Dearly Stars'' has, of course, the titular group made up of Ai, Eri, and Ryo.
130	* PunnyName[=/=]GoroawaseNumber:
131	** President Kuroi of 961 Production ("961" can be read as ''ku-ro-i'').
132	** The 765 in 765 Studios is pronounced "na-mu-ko", from "nana" (7), "mu" (6, for counters), and "go" (5, where "go" and "ko" are the same character, mostly). If you still don't get it, this is how Namco is pronounced in Japan. This reference can also be found in other works by Namco, the ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'' and ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series being good examples.
133	** ''Dearly Stars'''s 876 Production is read as "ban-na-mu", with "ban" (8) and then the "na-mu" part as above. "Bannamu" is a portmanteau of "Bandai Namco", and is indeed a common short form for it.
134	** ''Cinderella Girls'' 346 Production ("mi-shi-ro", meaning "beautiful castle"), ''[=SideM's=]'' 315 Production ("sa-i-ko", meaning "ultimate") and ''Shiny Colors'''s 283 Production ("tsu-ba-sa", meaning "wing") apply for this trope as well.
135	* RuleOfCute: How can the girls have [[LuminescentBlush blushes]] on cue during the stage performances? [[{{Moe}} Who cares!]]
136	* SuperTitle64Advance: '''''D'''early '''S'''tars'' is for the Nintendo DS, ''[==]'''P'''latinum '''S'''tars'' is for the Playstation 4, and ''Cinderella Girls '''V'''iewing '''R'''evolution'' is for the Playstation VR.
137	%%* VideoGameCaringPotential
138	* VirtualPaperDoll: Many outfits are available for your idols, from fancy dresses to swimwear and children’s clothing (for teenage or older idols).

Context Franchise / TheIdolmaster