Line #118 Main/IdolGenre


1	In JapanesePopMusic, the IdolSinger industry makes big money. Idol singers are a huge force in advertising, appearing in 85% of Japanese commercials alone and crosspromoting the products of the company along with their own face and singing abilities. In addition, because idols have a dedicated fan base, companies can produce a lot of income through selling merchandise. It's a win-win situation. And now the anime industry has realized how much of a marketing powerhouse it is, so much that idol singers have now become their own genre in entertainment.
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3	Back then, it was common for actors or singers to release music as their characters from movies they starred in as a musical tie-in. Up-and-coming {{Idol Singer}}s often used anime or movies as a vehicle to launch their music career, with ''Anime/CreamyMamiTheMagicAngel'' the first of its kind to do so. Voice actors of anime often released {{Image Song}}s on character [=CD=]s. But with the rapid growth in the number of IdolSinger groups debuting during the late 2000s and TheNewTens, known in Japan as the "Warring Period of Idols" (Aidoru Sengoku-jidai), the anime and video game industry naturally caught onto this phenomenon. They began creating multiple IdolSinger-related {{Cash Cow Franchise}}s, taking full advantage of the fact that most popular voice actors can already sing and that idol fans are the second biggest category of {{Otaku}} after anime.
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5	Enter the Idol Genre, multimedia franchises featuring {{Idol Singer}}s and performers, where music and performance is integral to the entertainment of the story. Not only that, but the characters also have real-time activities and music is now {{Defictionalized}}. Songs are not only released under the characters' names, but the characters are also marketed as idols in real-life contexts, topping music and Blu-ray charts and competing against real-life {{Idol Singer}}s. Actors perform in musical festivals and concerts as their characters in real life, drawing in large audiences. These series are also very likely to have [[ScreenToStageAdaptation 2.5D stage plays]], and fans attend these performances like they would an idol concert, penlights, ''uchiwa'' signs, and everything.
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7	Idol Genre series tend to focus on attractive people of the same gender competing in the cut-throat entertainment industry, thrust into team-building and heated rivalries on who will become the top star (which draws similarities to GamingAndSportsAnimeAndManga). Common episode plots involve the characters partaking in other idol-related activities such as acting or modeling, where they may have to [[TeethClenchedTeamwork work with their rivals]]; training to perform a new move; struggling to write lyrics for their next song; or even being concerned about scandals.
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9	The IdolSinger culture is mostly an Asian phenomenon, though there are Western examples that fit the bill (such as Creator/DisneyChannel and other kids' series). A series is only part of the Idol Genre if it fits the following:
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11	* It is a CashCowFranchise specifically built around a main cast of fictional (or fictional interpretations of) {{Idol Singer}}s or other related performers (i.e. through RhythmGame tie-ins)
12	* It also advertises the characters' music and image in a RealLife context (i.e. {{Character Blog}}s, actors performing as their characters in concerts, endorsing real-life products)
13	* The target audience is predominantly children or {{Otaku}} (especially idol {{Otaku}}).
14	* The plot usually follows conventional MusicStories. Becoming the best in their category is often the main characters' goal, and the story at most follows their journey to the top, much like how real-life idols are marketed (i.e. through a TournamentArc).
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16	Idol genre series mostly got defined during the late 2000s and early 2010s, when the Warring Period of Idols began in Japan, but there are several series focused on a main cast of {{Idol Singer}}s that may be grandfathered in. '''Note that if a series focuses on one particular character, or it doesn't fit any of the criteria, the entry is best listed under IdolSinger or MusicStories.''' Reality shows are ''never'' this, because the genre focuses on fictional idols, or fictional interpretations of idols.
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18	[[folder: Subtropes associated with the Idol genre]]
19	* CharacterBlog
20	* ContractualPurity
21	* FiveManBand
22	* FormerChildStar
23	* IdolSinger
24	* ImageSong
25	* MagicIdolSinger
26	* MarriedToTheJob
27	* MusicStories
28	* NewJobEpisode
29	* RhythmGame
30	* SchoolIdol
31	* TeenIdol
32	* TournamentArc
33	* YokoOhno
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	----
37
38	!!Examples
39
40	[[foldercontrol]]
41
42	[[AC: The following are works or characters that are not part of or predate the genre, but have been influential in defining the genre]]
43	* Music/HelloProject, the collective group for all {{Idol Singer}}s under Up-Front Promotion (who famously produced Morning Musume, Japan's top GirlGroup in the early 2000s), was heavily involved in children's anime series on Creator/TVTokyo in the late 2000s, right when the Warring Period of Idols was taking off. Aside from ''Manga/KirarinRevolution'' and ''Anime/SpellboundMagicalPrincessLilPri'', they also had their idols perform music and act in live-action segments for anime such as ''Manga/ShugoChara'' and ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven''.
44	** ''Manga/ShugoChara'': Music/HelloProject trainees portrayed Amu's four transformations in the live-action segments along with releasing music as those characters. Shugo Chara! Egg comes to mind.
45	** ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'': Sayaka Kitahara, an idol trainee, had previously portrayed her character from ''Manga/KirarinRevolution'' both in voice and real life, did the same for Aoi Sorano.
46	* While the ''Macross'' series makes use of IdolSinger characters, it is primarily a mecha and space opera. However, it has influenced the presence of IdolSinger characters in anime. One example is ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' introducing IdolSinger characters Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee, whose character songs were promoted and hyped as if they were real-life singers. The series also jump-started the careers of singer May'n and voice actress Creator/MegumiNakajima, both of whom would portray the characters in real life when performing in ''Anime/MacrossFrontier''-related concerts and television spots.
47	** The Anime/MacrossDelta series fits the idol genre near-perfectly (complete with real-life performances and Walkure music marketing).
48	* The freedom of producing music for Music/{{Vocaloid}} characters, the Crypton models being the most popular has allowed them to be treated as idols in real life, most notably Music/HatsuneMiku. There have been rhythm games based off of her, and she's made multiple crossovers and endorsements in media, one most infamously remembered as her [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr3gbpmrwX4 shampoo commercial]] with, of all people, Creator/ScarlettJohansson. Miku herself was one of the first fictional idols who really became popular in mainstream. The ''Music/{{Tsukiuta}}'' series was started as "Vocaloid Producers x Seiyuu".
49	* Music/{{Kara}} was the most popular KoreanPopMusic GirlGroup in Japan next to Music/GirlsGeneration during the second Hallyu wave in 2011, coinciding with the Warring Period of Idols. Japan tried to build a franchise around them, including giving them an anime series. Though Music/{{Kara}} faded into obscurity, it is of note that their popularity in Japan has caused their company, [=DSP=] Media, to produce a "sister" group: enter Puretty, who would later co-headline ''Anime/PrettyRhythmDearMyFuture'' (the second season to the IdolSinger CashCowFranchise ''VideoGame/PrettySeries'') as fictional versions of themselves.
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51	[[index]]
52	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
53	* ''Manga/AKB49RenaiKinshiJourei''
54	** ''Anime/AKB0048''
55	* ''Manga/BackStreetGirls'' features three Yakuza forced to undergo a sex-change and become idols.
56	* ''Anime/BangDream'': A multimedia franchise focused on female Rock Bands.
57	* ''Anime/BProject'', which has had a 2.5D adaptation.
58	* ''Anime/DreamFestival''
59	* ''[[Music/{{Argonavis}} from ARGONAVIS]]'': A multimedia franchise and formerly a SpearCounterpart of ''[=BanG Dream!=]'' focuses on male Rock Bands.
60	* ''Anime/HighSchoolStarMusical'' is about students in a musical theatre school, but it is marketed this way, and their songs and costumes are more like idols than musicals, other than those from the ShowWithinAShow performances. It has had a 2.5D stage adaptation series.
61	* ''Anime/IdolDensetsuEriko'' features idols competing against one another, and the characters also perform the opening and ending theme songs, credited by their character names.
62	* ''Anime/IdolAngelYokosoYoko'' focuses on two girls from rural Japan in The90s travelling to Tokyo to make it big, one wants to be an idol, the other wants to be an actress.
63	* ''Manga/IdolXIdolStory'': From [[Creator/ShotaroTokuno the author]] of ''Manga/NewGame'', this manga gives the idol genre a RealityTV spin. It focuses on sixteen idols who are sequestered on a cruise ship and filmed while the producers whittle their numbers down to the top five. Mimi Nagisa, a washed-up and nearly over the hill (at the ripe old age of 22) former idol is dragged out of retirement by a younger idol she inspired, and the series does not shy away from the fact that some people just aren't cut out for stardom.
64	* ''Manga/KirarinRevolution'': Kirari Tsukishima, the main character, was played by then-[[Music/HelloProject Morning Musume]] member Koharu Kusumi, who released music under her name and portrayed her in concerts and on ''Oha Suta''. This format became so popular that it was adopted for the other main characters in the second season, ''Stage 3''. Music/HelloProject trainees You Kikkawa and Sayaka Kitahara were cast as two original characters, who would team up with Kirari and release music as a group, while Ships was recast with younger actors to release music, perform, and appear on television as the characters. Several rhythm games for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS and arcade games were also released.
65	* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'': The seven mermaids can transform into {{Idol Singer}}s, with the main three girls each releasing their own [=CDs=] in real life. Rhythm games have also been released.
66	* ''Locodol''
67	* ''Franchise/LoveLive'': ''Love Live'' is one of the genre codifiers and made idols popular in mainstream anime media. The main gimmick is that the girls are "school idols" (not to be confused with SchoolIdol), who are not professional idols but rather average high school girls who produce all of the music, costumes and performances on their own.
68	** ''Anime/LoveLive'': Follows the school idol group µ's as they search for a way to save their school from closing down.
69	*** ''Manga/LoveLive'': Manga version.
70	** ''Anime/LoveLiveSunshine'': Follows a new school idol group, Aqours, as they search for the radiance that they saw from their inspiration, µ's.
71	*** ''Manga/LoveLiveSunshine'': Manga version.
72	** ''VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestivalALLSTARS'' and ''Anime/LoveLiveNijigasakiHighSchoolIdolClub'': Follows yet another school idol club from Odaiba who primarily focus on solo performances.
73	** ''Anime/LoveLiveSuperstar'': Follows a team of five 1st year school idols enrolled in a re-opened high school.
74	** 2022's ''Love Live! The School Idol Musical'' was the series' first stage adaptation. Rather than being an "anime-style" 2.5D production, it featured new characters with more naturalistic looks.
75	** ''VideoGame/LinkLikeLoveLive'': Follows a new school idol group based in Kanazawa, Ishikawa. Features a prominent VirtualCelebrity aspect with a focus on livestreaming.
76	* ''Lovedol: Lovely Idol''
77	* ''Anime/LuminousWitches''
78	* ''VideoGame/PrettySeries'': Originally an arcade game, the ''Pretty'' series focuses on a group of idols competing to be the top Prism Star, combining fashion, song, and dance with figure skating.
79	** ''Anime/PrettyRhythmAuroraDream''
80	*** ''Anime/PrettyRhythmDearMyFuture'': The direct sequel to ''Aurora Dream taking place 3 years after it.
81	** ''Anime/PrettyRhythmRainbowLive''
82	*** ''Anime/KingOfPrism'': A spin-off of ''Rainbow Live'', the story follows the male Prism Star group, Over the Rainbow, as well as a slew of new Edel Rose freshmen (later debuting as Septentrion) competing in the [[TournamentArc Prism King Cup Tournament]]. The popularity of the series has led to cheer screenings becoming well-known outside of kids' anime and a rhythm game. [=KinPri=] has had a 2.5D stage adaptation.
83	** ''VideoGame/PriPara''
84	** ''VideoGame/KirattoPriChan''
85	** ''Anime/WacchaPriMagi''
86	** ''Anime/SecretAiPri''
87	* ''Anime/SelectionProject'': Revolves around nine girls who must compete against one another in the titular reality TV idol show in order to become ''the'' top idol by the end of it.
88	* ''Literature/ShounenHollywood''
89	* ''Anime/ShoujoKagekiRevueStarlight'': While there are character songs attached to the series, it's a musical about actors in a Creator/TakarazukaRevue-esque setting rather than a {{Music Stor\|ies}}y about idols. Part of the confusion comes from real-life idols frequently collaborating with musical theater for projects. The stage plays were part of the franchise from the beginning.
90	* ''Anime/SpellboundMagicalPrincessLilPri'': After ''Manga/KirarinRevolution'' became popular, Music/HelloProject adopted a similar format with ''Lilpri'''s anime adaptation, where members of the idol group [=S/mileage=] (before they were known as Angerme) portrayed the characters in the series and also in real life, releasing music as their characters and performing as them in concerts.
91	* ''Anime/WakeUpGirls''
92	* ''Anime/ZombieLandSaga'' is an AffectionateParody of the genre. It centers around seven girls who form a regional idol group to revitalize [[UsefulNotes/TheFortySevenPrefectures the Japanese prefecture of Saga]]... with the one small problem being that they're [[OurZombiesAreDifferent zombies]], which they need to keep secret from the public.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
96	* Creator/DisneyChannel has produced similar Western equivalents based on their {{Teen Idol}}s:
97	** ''Series/HannahMontana'': Hannah Montana is a TeenIdol with music, concerts, and rhythm games released in real life.
98	** ''Series/{{Violetta}}''
99	** ''Series/ShakeItUp''
100	* ''Series/IdolXWarriorMiracleTunes'': ''Miracle Tunes'' stars the idol group [=Miracle2=], who moonlight as {{Magical Girl Warrior}}s called Miracle Tunes. Their music releases, released under their characters' names, coincide with their journey of becoming top idols in the story, and the actresses also perform as their characters in music festivals. A rhythm game was released for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS.
101	* Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} attempted an Idol Genre series with ''Series/MakeItPop'', heavily influenced by {{Idol Singer}}s in KoreanPopMusic.
102	* ''Series/TheIdolmasterKR'': A live-action spin-off of ''Franchise/TheIdolMaster'', the series follows Real Girls Project, with a musical tie-in that eventually released music independent from the show.
103	* ''Secret Girls'', a web drama made in collaboration with ''Ciao Comics'' (Shogakukan) and Fuji TV, stars five middle school girls who lead a double life as members of the IdolSinger GirlGroup of the same name. They released music under the name and also performed in music festivals as their characters during the show's run.
104	* ''Series/AikatsuPlanet'', the first of the ''Aikatsu'' franchise to attempt a hybrid live-action/3D approach.
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Music]]
108	* ''Music/HypnosisMic'': The concept focuses more on rap battles and not JapanesePopMusic, but the marketing format is the same: attractive people competing against rivals on who is the best performer in music. Aniplex has also referred to this series as a "rap idol series." The project has had games and 2.5D stage plays.
109	* ''Music/MarginalNumber4'' started with music, and has had games and one stage play in 2022, featuring two members of the real-life idol unit Madkid (''Literature/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'' opening).
110	* ''Music/NanabunNoNijyuuni'': [=22/7=] (pronounced "nanabun no nijyuuni") is a multimedia project in collaboration with Yasushi Akimoto, Aniplex, and Sony Music Records featuring newcomer voice actresses who sing and perform as a fictional idol group of the same name. While the group has already released a couple of singles and videos, an anime series featuring the first generation was announced in 2017 and later aired in 2020.
111	* ''Music/SpiceGirls'': In the 90s, the Spice Girls were so popular that a franchise was built around them. They got a movie based on their stage personas called ''Film/SpiceWorld'' and a rhythm game for the Platform/PlayStation.
112	* ''Franchise/{{Tsukipro}}''
113	** The franchise's first series,''Music/{{Tsukiuta}}'', has characters who are [[MoeAnthropomorphism personifications]] of months, and it featured both male and female idols from the beginning.
114	** In addition to ''Tsukiuta'''s Six Gravity, Procellarum, Fluna, and Seleas, the franchise has expanded to include idols based on the elements (Solids for fire, Quell for water, Growth for earth, SOARA for air), and gemstones (the Vazzrock series).
115	** [[Theatre/{{Tsukipro}} The stage plays]] of the franchise are also an important innovation in the genre. They were one of the first to show their idols starring in complex fantasy AlternateUniverse ShowWithinAShow stage plays, and one of the first to de-fictionalize these stage plays into real performances. As of 2023, they have had over 35 stage plays.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Video Games]]
119	* ''VideoGame/{{Aikatsu}}''
120	** ''VideoGame/AikatsuStars''
121	** ''Anime/AikatsuFriends''
122	** ''Aikatsu on Parade!''
123	** ''Series/AikatsuPlanet''
124	* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'', which has had a long and successful series of 2.5D stage plays, including the ''Gekidan Shining'' series, featuring the characters performing in ShowWithinAShow stories similar to what ''Tsukipro'' has done. The cast features multiple ''Tsukipro'' graduates.
125	* ''VideoGame/IChu'', which has also had stage plays.
126	* ''Franchise/TheIdolMaster'': The ''[=iDOLM@STER=]'' franchise is one of the oldest examples that has primarily influenced the genre as a whole. The original game itself allowed the player (called a "producer") to pick songs, wardrobe, and help the characters grow as performers. The first idol group featured in the series, 765 All Stars, continues to hold concerts and release music.
127	** ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster'': collectively refers to the 765 Pro series, including the Xbox and arcade games, ''2'', ''SP'' and many more.
128	** ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterDearlyStars''
129	** ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls''
130	** ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterMillionLive''
131	** ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterSideM'': A SpearCounterpart.
132	** ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterShinyColors''
133	** ''Gakuen [=iDOLM@STER=]'': A spin-off that focuses specifically on schoolgirl idols, not unlike rival series ''Love Live!''.
134	* ''VideoGame/IDOLiSH7''
135	* ''VideoGame/LapisReLights'' is a multi-media franchise with a mobile game, manga, and an anime. It is significant for combining a standard WizardingSchool plot where the characters fight monsters with spells and live performances both.
136	* ''VideoGame/ShowByRock'' and its [[Anime/ShowByRock anime]]
137	* ''VideoGame/TokyoSeventhSisters''
138	* ''Franchise/UtaNoPrincesama'': Featuring idol groups [=STARISH=], Quartet Night, and [=HEAVENS=], the franchise started out as a DatingSim, but the popularity of the series has caused Broccoli to focus on the idol performance aspect of it more. The series was one of the first idol-related franchises to really get popular and helped define the Idol Genre, and their music consistently tops the music charts with every release. The series' stage plays have only been of the ShowWithinAShow variety, with the idols fully in character as another story.
139	[[/folder]]
140	[[/index]]
141
142	!!Works commonly mistaken for the Idol Genre:
143
144	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
145
146	* ''Manga/FullMoon'': Mitsuki is able to transform into IdolSinger Full Moon. However, the idol subplot is only secondary to the main story, which is more of a drama as it heavily focuses on Mitsuki and the Shinigami's relationships with life and death. On the other hand, the anime tries to make it an idol genre series with the amount of {{Filler}} (due to [[OvertookTheManga Overtaking the Manga]]) and even has Mitsuki's voice actress perform the opening theme songs. (However, Mitsuki's actress isn't credited as the character and the show was only used as a vehicle to promote her band.)
147	* ''Anime/KaleidoStar'': The main cast consists of circus idol performers, but the characters are not treated as a real band in real-world context, nor have they released music.
148	* ''Manga/{{Nana}}'': The story deals with the rock band Black Stones ("Blast" for short) trying to break out in the music industry and their rivalry with Trapnest. However, the music aspect is only a subplot to the main story, which is a {{Shoujo\|Demographic}} drama focused on the two Nanas' relationships and personal struggles. Despite that there have been albums and music released under Black Stones and Trapnest's names, they were never marketed in the same vein as Idol Genre series and do not cater to the idol {{Otaku}} demographic -- ''Manga/{{Nana}}'''s main fan base mostly consists of people who don't regularly watch anime.
149	* ''Anime/PerfectBlue'': ''Perfect Blue'' is a psychological animated film where Mima faces the fallout of qutting her IdolSinger career. While the film explores the dark side of being an IdolSinger, it does not establish nor market Mima as an idol in real life and also does not fall under the consumer demographic for Idol Genre shows.
150
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Theatre]]
154	* ''Theatre/MusicalToukenRanbu'': It's ''VideoGame/ToukenRanbu'' as a musical, and the actors release music and perform as their characters in concerts, but the story itself falls in the historical category.
155	[[/folder]]
156
157	[[folder:Video Games]]
158	* ''VideoGame/Persona4DancingAllNight'' is a rhythm game spin-off of the original ''VideoGame/Persona4'' series with a story about rescuing an idol group through dance and prominently featuring Rise Kujikawa, the series' resident IdolSinger character. Along with ''VideoGame/Persona3DancingInMoonlight'' and ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight'' the characters are not marketed as idols other than Rise, and the main games themselves are more of an action-adventure [=JRPG=].
159	[[/folder]]
160

Context Main / IdolGenre