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Pretty Rhythm Shōjo Idol Franchise Launches Pretty All Friends Project
posted on by Egan Loo
The official Twitter account for the PriPara anime franchise announced on Sunday that a new project in the franchise's magical girl skating predecessor, Pretty Rhythm, is launching under the title Pretty All Friends. The first part of the project is a newly drawn visual which debuted on the same day. The project will unveil more details in late January.
PriPara's Twitter account notes that the Pretty Rhythm franchise will reach its 10th anniversary in 2020, but does not state when Pretty All Friends itself is launching. (The visual's copyright lists a 2018 date.) The Twitter account also does not specify if Pretty All Friends includes a game, nor does it specify if the new project includes anime. (Takara Tomy launched the first Pretty Rhythm game in 2010, but the first anime did not premiere until 2011.)
Toy maker Takara Tomy and game developer syn Sophia began the Pretty Rhythm franchise with the 2010 arcade game Pretty Rhythm Mini-Skirt. The arcade games were targeted towards elementary school girls. The stories centered around aspiring idols who compete in Prism Shows, a new kind of event that combines skating, dancing, singing, and fashion.
The first Pretty Rhythm television anime, Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream, premiered in 2011. Two more television anime, Pretty Rhythm Dear My Future and Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live, then followed in 2012 and 2013, respectively. A Pretty Rhythm All Star Selection: Prism Show Best Ten film opened in March 2014, and Pretty Rhythm All Star Selection, a selection of 11 episodes from the previous television anime, aired in spring 2014.
Takara Tomy ended service on its Pretty Rhythm arcade game in July 2014, and began replacing them with PriPara that same month. Also that same month, the first PriPara manga and anime debuted. Two more PriPara seasons followed in 2015 and 2016, and then Idol Time PriPara premiered in 2016. The PriPara anime franchise also had several theatrical films.
Even though the last Pretty Rhythm television anime aired in 2014, it spawned two KING OF PRISM by PrettyRhythm movies in 2015 and 2016. These two movies centered around male Prism Show units.
[Via Otakomu]
