The Idolmaster (video game)
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Imagine you can have control of an up-and-coming Idol Singer. You have to guide them to stardom by deciding what outfits they wear and what songs they sing, and by catering to their... other needs.
If that sounds like something you'll love, then THE iDOLM@STER is the game for you. It's a simulation game where you play as a producer for the "765 (pronounced "na-mu-ko") Production" studio, and you have nine (technically ten in the arcade version, technically eleven in the Xbox version) girls to choose as the company's next big singer.
Incorporating rhythm game elements, Dating Sim elements, competitive battling elements and fanservice and Moe, this game from Namco was a big hit in the arcades of Japan. It was even a hit on the Xbox 360, selling for months after going on sale and moving loads of downloadable content. This was enough to get a sequel, Live For You--the same game with new songs, new outfits, and the "management" aspect removed--which is also selling well. A DS version was released in October 2009. Another sequel came out called Idolmaster 2, featuring updated graphics, new outfits, new hairstyles for some of the girls, and brand new songs. Sadly, these are all in Japan.
An anime, Idolmaster: Xenoglossia- from the makers of Mai-Otome- was released in 2007. Rather than being a straight Anime Of The Game, it was instead an Elseworld Real Robot show that cast the main characters as pilots (or "Masters") of Giant Robots called IDOLs (making them IDOL-Masters).
An Anime Of The Game OAV which was more closer to the games was released with the Live For You game.
And there's a very faithful anime TV series that aired in Japan during the Summer and Fall Seasons of 2011. Let's just say fans were very "excited".
These games are on arcades, the Xbox 360, DS, PSP, and Play Station 3.
It also has a character sheet, a dedicated fansite called Project-iMAS which includes a wiki too. Click here for the wiki!
And dont forget its IDOLF@BULOUS!
- THE iDOLM@STER 2 - For tropes related only to this game, for tropes that are common for more than one, or for the franchise as a whole, please, list it on this page.
General/Others
- Actor Allusion - Iori cried out "Urusai urusai urusai!" at least once.
- Alternate Continuity - Akihiro Ishihara, Bandai Namco's director, said that iM@S SP and iM@S2 are the parallel worlds. As in iM@S2, Hibiki and Takane are 765Pro's idols from the beginning.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes - Although that is largely the point with this game.
- Beat - From the new version of Danketsu:
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TAKANE: My name is Takane Shijou. [Beat] [Beat] [Beat] I'm afraid everything else is a secret. |
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- Beware the Nice Ones - Sweet, dorky Haruka's image song carries strong dominatrix overtones. Also, have a listen to Yukiho's version of Overmaster!
- Hell, in the anime, sweet, dorky Haruka is the one landed the Big Bad role in the faux-movie trailer. She's apparently having a hell of a time playing it.
- In addition, Yayoi and Ryo's speech dialects become very violent when angered.
- Blush Sticker
- Bribing Your Way to Victory - The downloadable content.
- Catgirl
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience - All of the idols have associated colors, as can be seen here.
- Cosplay - Containing many a Shout-Out.
- Costume Porn
- Downloadable Content
- Elegant Gothic Lolita - A few of the costumes.
- Everything's Better with Sparkles
- The Faceless - The Player Character. Also, Mr. Takagi. Actually, aside from Kotori and the Jupiter trio, every other character you come across, including the satellite characters on the girls routes are all faceless.
- Fan Service
- First-Person Snapshooter - The sole premise on The iDOLM@STER Gravure for You
- Freudian Slip - From the new version of Danketsu:
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YUKIHO: I'm Hagiwara Yukiho, 17 years old. I'm REALLY fond of boys. Ah, wait, I meant to say tea! |
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- Fun with Acronyms - The MASTER ARTIST Cd series has one hidden. If you look at the covers of the CD jackets of each album, every girl is saying something, most of them in English. If you put them in the correct order, they spell...
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To be (CD Finale) |
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- Fur Bikini - A costume or two.
- Girlish Pigtails
- Going Through the Motions
- Gotta Catch Em All - There's over a 100 idols on the mobile game THE iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls.
- Gratuitous English - Quite a few of the songs. Geetah Solo, come on!
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- Hello, Insert Name Here - Your character is always referred to as "Producer" and it's variants, except for Ami and Mami who always call him "Nii-chan".
- As you go further into some of the girls routes, a few of them they change the way they refer to the producer, such as Miki calling him Hanii (Honey) or Takane's Anata-sama.
- Image Song - Each girl has at least one song just for her.
- Joshikousei
- Kawaiiko - Iori
- Killer App - For the XBOX in Japan at least.
- Level Up At Intimacy 5 - Idols can draw on pleasant memories to boost their performance during the Audition stage.
- Lucky Charms Title
- Minigame Game
- Multiple Endings
- No Export for You - While the console games at least requires the Japan region consoles, THE iDOLM@STER Mobile i takes it to the next level. Unless you have your iPhone "modified", you have to live in Japan in order to play it.
- Only Six Faces - All the girls are distinguishable only through their hairs, eyes and body types. Their face template for all of them is the same.
- Pimped-Out Dress - All the costumes would count.
- Pigeonholed Voice Actor - Rie Kugimiya as Iori.
- Poor Communication Kills - In this case, kill your chances of getting a Perfect Communication during jobs.
- Power Trio - A major selling point of the game is the ability to mix and match any combination of three idols and decide who sings what lines, customizing the track to your liking.
- Haruka, Miki, and Chihaya are frequently put together in non-canonical works, such as drama CDs and the OVA.
- Miki, Takane, and Hibiki, each specializing in a certain stat.
- Pretty in Mink - A few of the outfits have fur trim.
- Punny Name - President Kuroi of 961 Production ("961" can be read as ku-ro-i).
- The 765 in 765 Studios is pronounced "na-mu-ko", from "nana" (7), "mu" (6, for counters), and "go" (5, which "go" and "ko" are the same character, mostly). If you still don't get it, this is how Namco is pronounced in Japan. This reference can also be found in other works by Namco, the Ridge Racer and Ace Combat series being good examples.
- Also, for the DS game's 876 Production is read as "ban-na-mu", "ban" (8), and the "na-mu" part is the same as above. "Bannamu" is a portmanteau of "Bandai Namco", and is indeed a common short form for it.
- Relationship Values
- Rule of Cute - How can the girls blush on cue during the stage proformences? Who cares!
- Sexy Santa Dress - In Live For You.
- Sound Effects Bleep - From the new version of Danketsu:
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AMI: I'm a little sister character! So my popularity with lo*wakawaka* is guaranteed! |
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- Unlimited Wardrobe
- Limited Wardrobe - A rare case where both apply. With the amount of DLC there's out there's almost no end to the clothes the girls can wear. But the in game communications they are always using the same set, only diference is that it changes between Summer and Winter.
- Video Game Caring Potential
- Virtual Paper Doll
- White-Haired Pretty Girl - Either the moon's bleached Takane's hair, or she's rich enough to pay for silver-tipped hair. Or she just dyes it.
- In 2, Ritsuko implies that it's Takane's natural hair color at one point.
- Who Writes This Crap? - from the new version of Danketsu:
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RITSUKO: Eh? You want me to be an idol? I guess... if I could just be your very own idol, then... Wait, why do I have to say such embarassing lines?! |
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- You Gotta Have Blue Hair
- You Lose At Zero Trust
- Zettai Ryouiki: A few of the costumes.
The iDOLM@STER
- Alternate Reality Game - Touched on this in the arcade version: if you enter your cellphone number into your account, your idol will periodically send you text messages.
- Averted in the 360 game where your idol sends you texts to an in-game cellphone.
- Dye Hard - Miki is an In-Universe example. Her hair color is actually brown, and it's only revealed in her alternate route as Kakusei Miki.
- Endless Game - It's impossible to "win" in the arcade game, per se... the goal is to keep your idol's career alive for as long as possible. In the Xbox version, you "win" if you last a year.
- Important Haircut - During one path of her character storyline, Miki cuts her hair and stops dying it blonde.
- Azusa also cuts her hair short on The Idolm@ster 2. Going by the anime, it was when she was scouted as part of the RK.
- Intercourse with You - Agent Yoru Wo Iku
- Panty Shot - Having low dancing skill may cause idol to trip herself during the show. Combine it with costumes with skirt to get this trope.
- Scoring Points - The number of fans your idol has.
The iDOLM@STER DS
- Butt Monkey - Ryo's motivation for becoming an idol in the first place is to shed his girlyboy image and become more popular with the ladies. Naturally, his producer chooses to parade him onstage in a pink dress.
- Clark Kenting - Ryo's "disguise" consists of boob pads, make-up, and the removal of his glasses.
- Dropped a Bridget On Him - Ryo does this to the entire nation of Japan at the end of his story mode.
- No Indoor Voice - Ai Hidaka.
- Stacy's Mom - Ai becomes a victim of this. Her mother, an ex-idol herself, becomes nostalgic for the glory days when Ai makes it big and decides to make a comeback. Ai is shortly overshadowed in the public eye by her still incredibly hot mom.
- Wholesome Crossdresser - Ryo
- Super Title 64 Advance - The Idolm@ster Dearly Stars is for the Nintendo DS.
The iDOLM@STER SP
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead - While very possible to do by yourself, it's also probably one of the reasons why 961 has the three idols it has - infact, it's an odd case where the "redhead" of the trio is actually blonde, considering Takane's silver locks. Unless, of course, you count Miki's hairstyle from after she stops dying it, which is probably closer to being red....
- Disproportionate Retribution - Why did Miki switched from 765 Pro to 961 Pro? Because President Takagi ate her Onigiri.
- Evil Foreigner: The Unfortunate Implications of Project Fairy: Takane is from Europe or the moon, Hibiki is from Okinawa, and Miki is blonde.
- Lover Tug of War - The Producer is the victim of this in Azusa's ending, with her and Miki on each side.