The iDOLM@STER General Discussion Thread

[Sylontack]

Time to let your im@s flag fly! Discuss the franchise in all its glory. Video Games, Music, Anime, Manga, Figures- you name it.

I'm awful at starting threads so I'll just chuck in some useful information for those unfamiliar with iDOLM@STER and maybe a song or two

The iDOLM@STER is an idol raising simulator video game franchise in which you select a girl (or group of girls) to then produce and develop into Japan's next music sensation. The games mostly consist of talking with your idol/s between events to develop a bond and trust, taking them to lessons and promotions and performing in auditions, lives and concerts.
The iDOLM@STER currently has four anime adaptations.
iDOLM@STER Xenoglossia (2007) is a mostly unrelated mecha series featuring the original characters from the first arcade game (so none of the Project Fairy characters later introduced into the early iterations of the franchise).
The iDOLM@STER (2011) is a more faithful adaptation within the "2nd Vision" (iDOLM@STER 2 onwards) canon of the games which is the current and well known canon.
Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster (2013-2014) is a series of comedy spin-off shorts featuring super-deformed equivalents of the characters.
The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls (2015) - currently airing is a spin-off series based off the Cinderella Girls mobile phone game

For those interested in playing iDOLM@STER. iDOLM@STER 2 is available on PS3 with an English translated guide online at this link to help you navigate the response options and events which has made the game very much playable to an English audience http://imas2.wota.info/. A similar guide seems to be in the works for iDOLM@STER One For All on PS3- however that game is far more forgiving as it is anyway to play having no time limit so it's easier to go with trial and error on that one if you're impatient.
Among the many im@s titles there are also some PSP games accessible to an English speaking audience. The Shiny Festa Rhythm games on PSP are easy to play without any Japanese knowledge (and there are pricey iOS translations of all three if you're willing to shell out anyway) and iDOLM@STER SP- three pre- "2nd Vision" canon games. All identical save for the characters you can play with. One of the three 'Perfect Sun' has a more-or-less completed unofficial English patch. SP is the closest to a proper iDOLM@STER game in English for those interested.

Discuss the games, the anime, the songs, or whatever iDOLM@STER related your heart desires. Go ahead and ask any questions too.

youtube.com/watch?v=7hbES2Dxn3g