Line #14 Headscratchers/TheIdolmaster


1	'''As a Headscratchers subpage, all spoilers are unmarked [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff as per policy.]] Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''
2	----
3	* One would think that a multibillion dollar global corporation like [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco]], wouldn't have GratuitousEnglish and BlindIdiotTranslation, as seen in song titles or advertising posters. Corporate interviews have proven they have professional English translators on staff, and the company has localization offices in the USA and UK. A quick email or phone call gets access to these resources with minimal cost and a one day turn around. Then again, maybe they just don't care about it...
4	** The most likely answer is that they deliberately do so, just to spice them up. Remember the fact that none of the idols (save for the foreign-born ones) are known to be fluent and perfect English
5	* In the last episode of the anime, Ritsuko goes on stage with the girls to sing the song [[HardWorkMontage "Itsumade mo,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7CVqPRF3c4 Dokomade mo"]], which is nice and all, but it doesn't explain why was she ''wearing'' a stage outfit identical to the one of the girls are wearing in that moment? Early in the episode, she's clearly wearing her suit. One could say that she wore when she was proofing it, but she wouldn't be wearing it ''after'' the girls were already on stage. Of course, the Producer or the President, or even Kotori could have delayed her or something, but since nothing is shown onscreen, or even implied, it just comes as a little too convenient to not break the SuspensionOfDisbelief.
6	** Maybe because it was a last-minute decision.
7	** This was one of the MythologyGags from Idolmaster 2 (a similar event occurred at the end of Ritsuko's route in the Playstation 3 version's Extra Episode), but in the anime [[{{Foreshadowing}} this event was hinted at]] earlier in the episode when Ritsuko asks Ami what's in her bag. Note how the twins replied - it's the stage outfit in question.
8	* In iM@S 2, Yayoi always has her arms raised up to her chest as if about to cheer. ALWAYS. She stands like that, she walks like that... Is that even healthy?
9	** At least for me I've never heard it was unhealthy.
10	* How come four of the Cinderella girls get Figma figures before any of the main girls?
11	** Cinderella Girls has a larger player population than the main iM@S titles, most likely because it's a mobile phone game and there's at least one idol a person will like.
12	* In episode 7, what was Yayoi doing in the kitchen all the afternoon when bean sprouts were raw to be cooked in the table and the melon soup don't take that much to prepare? She's even seen cutting butter but apparently none of the recipes she made contain it.
13	* Azusa's entire motivation for becoming an idol is to find a potential husband. Does she not realize that having a boyfriend when you're an idol [[ContractualPurity is a very, very bad idea?]] If she successfully found her special someone, [[YokoOhNo her fans would abandon her]]. If her career ever took off, she would have to pretty much abandon her dream of getting married [[OldMaid until it's too late]].
14	** There's actually a bit of FridgeBrilliance behind this. In the first console ''iM@S'', when Azusa first meets the Producer, she immediately wonders aloud if he's the Destined One. From that moment on she sticks by the Producer for her idol career. Yet while being under his care, she's rather flirtatious, schemes up situations where he's posing as her fiancé (or subtly dating), and gets ''REALLY'' angry at people who insult him. She never minds if he's a bit perverted and quickly accepts he stole her SacredFirstKiss. In short, Azusa had LoveAtFirstSight for the Producer: becoming an idol was only a pretext for being with him on a constant basis. Even putting that aside, in the other renditions of ''iM@S'', Azusa has indicated she might quit being an idol upon finding her Destined One. The career is a means to an end, rather than the actual end itself. Given that by canon the Producer is her Destined One, the game simply handles the situation by having their relationship being a secret.
15	** While this could've just been a case of her in-universe fans disregarding the ContractualPurity or her massive fame overriding it, Mai Hidaka had left the idol business when pregnant with her daughter Ai ([[CaptainObvious she'd have to have had sex at some point during her career]]), and was still capable to make a comeback much later on (and much older than Azusa currently is now) after her daughter debuted as an idol herself. It's entirely possible that breaking ContractualPurity simply doesn't mean as much in this universe as it does in RealLife.
16	* Regarding SideM.... Why the hell would some of these men with very high-paying, important, respectable jobs quit their current job and become idols? For instance, Kaoru Sakuraba is a former surgeon. He went through medical school, likely saved countless lives... And decided to leave that in favor of becoming an idol?
17	** For Kaoru specifically, given his backstory regarding his CoolBigSis the reason he left being a surgeon could have been to do with her - just as becoming a surgeon was to do with her. But just because you may have a high-paying, important, respectable job, does not necessarily mean you're happy with it or with life.
18	* In the Nemuri Hime trailer in the movie: How could Iori do all those stunts during the fight with Yayoi? I mean, she isn't even very athletic and according to trick-tutorial pages those are in advanced level and it takes you a lot to learn basic stunts, in fact what she did is what only a professional gymnastic does, not even Makoto can do a fight scene like that.
19	** In the post-trailer commentary, Miki stated that the movie is CG-heavy. Through that statement, it may be taken for granted that Iori's movement is computer-generated using professional gymnastic athlete in her place (which happens, mostly, to have approximately same size as Iori).
20	* Akizuki Ryo. Why does no one from his school, friends, family, or anyone else even suspect that the nation-wide famous idol and the boy with the same face and name might be related? And how is he treated at home/school now that he has outed himself as a (former) crossdresser? Granted, I only read the manga, but is this aspect explored in the game?
21	* Why is Ryo's actual gender a secret while Saki from SideM is openly a crossdesser?
22	** 315 Pro is explicitly a male idol agency, and the opposite is probably true for 876. Even if 876 did have male idols, Ryo was introduced as a female idol to replace a no-show; they probably had no choice there but to keep up the charade.
23	* Why do female-focused agencies like 765 or 346 have idols who are no older than 25-27 while 315 which is male-focused even has +30 idols?
24	** Probably because MenGetOldWomenGetReplaced and the DoubleStandard related to that.
25	* In episode 5 Ami and Mami were playing in the water at the hot springs, isn't that prohibited in Japanese onsens?
26	** As far as I know (and my knowledge only comes from anime, so take it with a grain of salt) it's not strictly forbidden, it's just impolite and discouraged since you might upset the other patrons. There were only the 765 Pro girls in the water and they didn't mind, and there was also no staff to call the twins out on it, so they just did (and it's VERY in-character for them).
27	* While Miki performing two songs with strenuous choreography in succession in episode 13 was meant to show her maturity and desire to challenge herself in light of having been rejected for Ryuuguu Komachi, one can't help but think that scene was just there for drama and to create a false predicament. Since Chihaya would sing ''Me ga Au Toki'' after ''Heart of the Marionette'', what exactly is stopping the idols from subbing that performance from Chihaya in between ''Day of the Future'' and ''Heart of the Marionette'' so Miki can have that bit of rest in between, without having to cut any songs? Saying they can't alter the setlist anymore seems like a weak explanation, given that the setlist itself was flimsily put together at the last minute. Thus, it seems unlikely the audience would even have any knowledge of the setlist coming into the concert, and likely won't miss a thing if a last minute down to the wire change was implemented. As Chihaya wasn't performing in ''Day of the Future'' as a singer or backup dancer, she would still get ''at least'' one songs' worth of rest before having to perform if her ''Me ga Au Toki'' performance ''was'' placed in between Miki's two songs. If, hypothetically, there were any other songs between ''Me ga Au Toki'' and ''Jibun Rest@rt'', what was stopping the idols from postponing ''Heart of the Marionette'' to an ''even later'' point in the concert before ''Jibun Rest@rt'' to give Miki even more rest?
28	** You're forgetting something here, Miki and the rest of the idols were there to be Ryuuguu Komachi's supporting act, it was actually a Ryuuguu Komachi concert but since they were late and stuck in the rainy traffic the 765 Pro Idols had to extend their presentation as much as they could so that they were running out of songs, so the last option they had was to let Miki go out to the stage by herself and do her singing.
29	** The fact that it is a Ryuuguu Komachi concert is besides the point and pretty irrelevant to begin with. The issues here are, one, making sure the "opening act" runs for as long as possible to buy time, and two, making sure the idols all get adequate amounts of rest so they don't collapse or burn out from fatigue. The question was why Miki was allowed to do those two songs in a row and strain herself, and why the Producer even contemplated cutting a song, when a viable option (namely switching the order of Chihaya's performance with Miki's second song) exists to give Miki some rest and ''still'' allow the "opening act" to run for as long as it would have run in the canon episode. If the aim was to buy time, then surely, cutting a song is counterproductive, when it could simply be postponed. So long as ''Heart of the Marionette'' was sung at ''some point'' before ''Jibun Rest@rt'', the absolute last song the idols had, there shouldn't have been any issue with postponing it down ''at least one space'' on the setlist to give Miki that time to rest between performances they wanted to give her in the first place. It's not a "last option" to make Miki sing those two songs consecutively, when Chihaya's performance could have been placed between them. This, as mentioned, gives Miki time to rest, so she wouldn't have suffered as severe a burnout, and it doesn't actually affect Chihaya's fatigue level, since she had some time to rest already at the point in time when the ''Day of the Future'' was completed.

Context Headscratchers / TheIdolmaster