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REVIEW: Idoly Pride




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Aerodynamic41



Joined: 20 Oct 2015
Posts: 225
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 11:33 am Reply with quote
It's one of the better idol shows I've watched in a while, and I loved the songs. song for you (both versions), The Last Chance, Gekka Hakanabi and Aile to Yell are among my favorites.

But man, Tempest Moon and Sunny Peace have ridiculous plot armor during the competition. You're telling me that they barely passed the prelims but then proceed to steamroll the entire competition during the finals? Including the two rival groups who are not only described in-universe as being legendary, but are also voiced by the real-life members of Sphere and TrySail.
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4074
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:31 pm Reply with quote
Aerodynamic41 wrote:
It's one of the better idol shows I've watched in a while, and I loved the songs. song for you (both versions), The Last Chance, Gekka Hakanabi and Aile to Yell are among my favorites.

But man, Tempest Moon and Sunny Peace have ridiculous plot armor during the competition. You're telling me that they barely passed the prelims but then proceed to steamroll the entire competition during the finals? Including the two rival groups who are not only described in-universe as being legendary, but are also voiced by the real-life members of Sphere and TrySail.


It's not plot armor. Mana effortlessly crushed them on her own without a problem and I'd expect nothing less of her remaining representatives of her heart, mind... and courage.

I love this series, I totally freaking love this series. Even now, just thinking about the amount of thought that went into an Idol commercial, "Sunny Peace, Moon Tempest" and how they contrast on their own and together, what and how Mana left gifts for those who would follow her, Mana's relationship with Kohei and oh that troll moment in the final episode.

I already gushed about the series in an episode by episode basis in the its own thread... however, I have issues with this review both being spoiler heavy and while I agree with its conclusion, I disagree on why the reasons the show is great.

You cannot talk about the Idoly Pride show without going in hard with its main character, Kohei. A guy in an all girl Idol show? Who's more important than the girls themselves?! And it's a romance; Kohei was working through grief on levels he couldn't understand, let alone deal with. First and foremost, understanding that he personally lost something and not just a meal ticket or the career of the first Idol he produced.

The anime fails utterly as a franchise commercial but I wouldn't want it anything like Love Live or its imitators. I was worried that it would turn into an "every girl gets a focus episode" sort of production but thankfully the show knew it had to focus on characters connected to Mana; If you're only a character connected to someone connected to Mana... well, sorry, you're in the wrong Idol show.

Greatest part of the show for me was how Mana kept moving the goalposts of "Unfinished Business". I was genuinely starting to wonder if she really knew at all why she was still stuck around. But, nope, troll moment... To come back as a ghost just for a single prank, "Life Goals".
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18175
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:57 pm Reply with quote
This was also my big surprise discovery of the Winter 2021 season, and honestly, one of the two or three best series of that season - and I say that as someone who doesn't normally care for idol shows. (I don't think I've ever seen beyond the first episode of any Love Live! installment, for instanced.) I also wasn't expecting much from it at first, but it kept exceeding my expectations and it certainly sells the emotional beats, especially in the final episode.

I also agree that, even though the series is mostly about the main girls, Kohei's role in the story shouldn't be overlooked. Mana appearing to him as a ghost only delays his processing of grief over Mana's death, which is second only to Kotono's. I was quite pleased to see the series not forget about that.
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TheKillerAngel



Joined: 02 Mar 2018
Posts: 84
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:57 pm Reply with quote
Glad to see a series review for this.
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Yune Amagiri



Joined: 28 Jul 2016
Posts: 929
Location: France
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:10 pm Reply with quote
The reviewer and Animegomaniac say it all. I love idol animes to begin with, enough to have probably seen all of them, however, i didn't expect it to be more than commercial like most, which i think would have been enough for me but ... how wrong i was !
I watched twice and cried twice, if i take out of the equation Full Moon wo Sagashite and the like which weren't 100% idol then i can't remember another idol anime which made me so sad since my very first one : Idol Densetsu Eriko.
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BlueAlf



Joined: 02 Jan 2017
Posts: 1498
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:36 pm Reply with quote
I knew there was something special about this series once it got announced. Even so, I didn't imagine it'd be this good.
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MagicPolly



Joined: 26 Nov 2020
Posts: 1574
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:13 pm Reply with quote
I mainly slept on this series because I heard a couple bad things about it online (I don't even remember where?) and because I was watching a lot of shows last season but this review and the comments are definitely gonna make me give the show a second chance.
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