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Ensemble Stars! Ready for Star Manga Launches

A manga adaptation of Happy Elements' Ensemble Stars! smartphone game launched in Shogakukan's Manga ONE app on July 7. Nana Nanana (name romanization not confirmed) is drawing the series, titled Ensemble Stars! Ready for Star.

The "idol-training produce game" takes place at a private boys' idol-training school with a history of turning out many great talents in show business. The protagonist is the school's lone female student who transfers to the school because of a special situation, and enters the school's producer department. The game features eight different idol units and has a cast of more than 30 male voice actors.

The anime adaptation of the game also premiered on July 7. The cast from the game is returning for the anime.

Yasufumi Soejima is still the series director for the anime at david production. Novelist Akira (Sasami-san@Ganbaranai), who wrote the original scenario for the game, is in charge of the series scripts for the anime. Shinichi Inotsume (Hayate the Combat Butler, PERSONA 5 the Animation, Sket Dance) is the chief writer, and Haruko Iizuka (Children of the Whales, The Idolm@ster SideM, Little Busters!), Tomoyuki Shitaya (Bakuman., Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma), and Eri Nagata (Blade & Soul) are adapting the original character designs by Happy Elements (Cacalia Studio) for animation.

Happy Elements had confirmed the adaptation in 2015, and GENCO and Happy Elements had originally planned to release it in 2017. However, GENCO and Happy Elements announced in February 2017 that they were postponing the planned adaptation due to "various circumstances." GENCO is not currently listed in the anime's staff credits with david production.

The game's fourth stage musical adaptation ran in Osaka from January 19-21 of last year, and in Tokyo from January 25 to February 5. The first stage play, which debuted in June 2016, received VR software for PlayStation VR in October 2016.

The franchise also includes a manga, novels, and CDs. A new rhythm game will launch in the second half of 2019 under the title Ensemble Stars! (with two exclamation points).

Sources: Ensemble Stars! franchise's website and Twitter account