anime and manga are a category of Japanese fictional media centered on idols, a type of entertainer in their teens and early 20s marketed to have a close relationship with their fans and commercialized through merchandise. Beginning in the 1980s, anime was used as a vehicle to promote an up-and-coming idol's singing career, but has since then created various anime media mix projects centering on fictional singers.
Idol-themed series use a media mix marketing strategy.[1] Initially, idol-themed series were used to promote music activities for the singers starring in them. Due to the popularity of the characters, the marketing projects are centered on promoting the characters' music and merchandise in real life.[2] Idol-themed series are linked to the Odagiri effect for featuring attractive people of the same gender interacting with each other, and they are also compared to sports series for using themes centered on team-building and competitiveness.[3]
See also: Voice acting in Japan.
In Japan, the concept of an "idol" singer first came into prominence after the 1963 film Cherchez l'idole was released in the country, with Japanese audiences becoming fascinated with Sylvie Vartan and praising both her musical talent and youthful appearance. Her popularity led Japanese entertainment companies to address young singers who shared her aesthetic as "idols."[4] During the 1980s, the economic bubble in Japan led to more anime being produced,[5] as well as a rapid growth of idol singers debuting, which led the decade to become known as the "Golden Age of Idols."[6] [7] As television was influential for idols, anime became one of the mediums used to promote their careers. Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel was the first notable anime series to use a "media mix" marketing strategy to launch Takako Ōta's singing career, where she would provide the voice to the main character and portray her at music events.[8] Idol singer Noriko Hidaka played the lead character, Minami Asakura, in Touch.[9]
In the 1990s, public interest in idols declined, but slowly began regaining popularity near the early 2000s.[10] [11] In the 2000s, as more late-night anime was produced, voice actors such as Yukari Tamura, Nana Mizuki, Yui Horie, and Aya Hirano were promoted as idols by their record labels, leading them to be known as "idol voice actors."[9] [12] By this time, character songs performed by the actors were common, one example being Morning Musume member Koharu Kusumi providing the voice to lead character Kirari Tsukishima from Kirarin Revolution and releasing music under her name.[13]
The growing number of idol groups active in the late 2000s and early 2010s led to an era that the media named the "Idol Warring Period."[14] Due to the idol fan culture being connected to anime fan culture,[15] [16] [17] around this time, media properties starring fictional idols also became popular, the earliest ones being The Idolmaster, Love Live!, and Uta no Prince-sama.[18] Some may prefer fictional idols due to them never disbanding, leaving groups, or getting into scandals.[15]
| Year | Title | Creator(s) | Original medium | Adaptation(s) | Tie-in artist< | -- List up to 5, otherwise use "various" --> | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 22/7 | Aniplex, Sony Music Entertainment Japan, & Yasushi Akimoto | Music group | Anime television series, manga, video game | 22/7 | [19] | |
| 2012 | AKB0048 | Satelight | Anime television series | Manga | AKB48 | [20] | |
| 2010 | Manga | AKB48 | [21] | ||||
| 2015 | B-Project | Mages & Love&Art | Music group | Anime television series, manga, video game | KitaKore, MooNs, THRIVE, KiLLER KiNG | ||
| 2007 | Bakumatsu Rock | Marvelous AQL | Video game | Anime television series | [22] | ||
| 2015 | BanG Dream! | Bushiroad | Music group | Anime television series, Anime film, manga, video game | Poppin'Party, Roselia, RAISE A SUILEN, Morfonica | ||
| 2001 | Chance Pop Session | Madhouse | Anime television series | ||||
| 1983 | Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel | Pierrot | Anime television series | Manga, original video animation | Takako Ōta | ||
| 2007 | Crash! | Manga | Audio drama, light novels, anime television series | [23] | |||
| 2020 | D4DJ | Bushiroad | Music group | Anime television series, manga, video game | Various | ||
| 2015 | Ensemble Stars! | Happy Elements | Video game | Stage plays, anime television series | Various | [24] | |
| 2018 | fromArgonavis | Bushiroad | Music group | Anime television series, manga, video game | Argonavis, GYROAXIA, Fantôme Iris, Fujin Rizing, Epsilon Phi | ||
| 2021 | Hikaru in the Light! | Mai Matsuda | Manga | [25] | |||
| 2018 | King Records | Music group | Manga, anime television series | Various | [26] | ||
| 2015 | I-Chu | Liber Entertainment | Video game | Anime television series | Various | [27] | |
| 2017 | Idol × Warrior Miracle Tunes! | Takara Tomy & OLM, Inc. | Live-action series | Manga, novels, video game | Miracle² | [28] | |
| 1989 | Idol Densetsu Eriko | Ashi Productions | Anime television series | Manga | Eriko Tamura | [29] | |
| 2013 | Idol Dreams | Manga | [30] | ||||
| 2017 | Idol Time PriPara | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Arcade game | Anime television series, manga | Iris | [31] | |
| 2015 | IDOLiSH7 | Bandai Namco Entertainment | Video game | Light novels, manga, anime television series, original video animation | IDOLiSH7, TRIGGER, Re:vale, ZOOL | [32] | |
| 2005 | The Idolmaster | Bandai Namco Entertainment | Video game | Anime television series, anime film, manga | [33] | ||
| 2011 | The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls | Bandai Namco Entertainment | Video game | Anime television series, anime film, manga | Cinderella Project | [34] | |
| 2013 | The Idolmaster Million Live! | Bandai Namco Entertainment | Video game | Anime television series | [35] | ||
| 2014 | Bandai Namco Entertainment | Video game | Anime television series, manga, radio show | Various | [36] | ||
| 2018 | The Idolmaster Shiny Colors | Bandai Namco Entertainment | Video game | Radio show, Anime television series,anime film, mannga | Various | [37] | |
| 2019 | Idoly Pride | CyberAgent | Anime television series | [38] | |||
| 2015 | If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die | Manga | Anime television series | [39] | |||
| 2015 | King of Prism by Pretty Rhythm | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Anime film | Manga, stage play | |||
| 2016 | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Anime film | Stage play | ||||
| 2019 | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Anime film | Stage play | ||||
| 2004 | Kirarin Revolution | Manga | Anime television series, video games, live-action shorts | Koharu Kusumi, Kira Pika, MilkyWay, Ships | [40] | ||
| 2018 | Kiratto Pri Chan | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Arcade game | Anime television series | Iris, Run Girls, Run! | [41] | |
| 2020 | KLab Games & Kadokawa Corporation | Anime | Video game, music, light novel, manga | Various | [42] | ||
| 2006 | Lemon Angel Project | Avex | Anime | ||||
| 2014 | Locodol | Manga | Anime television series | [43] | |||
| 2010 | Love Live! School Idol Project | ASCII Media Works, Lantis, & Sunrise | Manga, light novels, anime television series, video game, anime film | μ's | [44] | ||
| 2017 | Tochigi TV | Anime television series | Stage plays | ||||
| 2001 | Lovely Idol | Light novel | Video game, anime television series, original video animation | ||||
| 2013 | Marginal#4 | Music group | Video game, anime television series | MARGINAL#4, LAGRANGE POINT, Unicorn, Jr. | [45] | ||
| 2013 | Million Doll | Ai | Manga | Anime television series | |||
| 2014 | Ochikobore Fruit Tart | Manga | Anime television series | [46] | |||
| 2019 | Paradox Live | Avex & GCREST | Music group | Anime television series | Various | ||
| 2010 | Pretty Rhythm | Arcade game | Manga | [47] | |||
| 2014 | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Arcade game | Anime television series, manga, anime film | ||||
| 2011 | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Arcade game | Anime television series, manga | Lisp, Prizmmy | [48] | ||
| 2012 | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Arcade game | Anime television series, manga | Prizmmy, Puretty | [49] | ||
| 2013 | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Arcade game | Anime television series, manga | Prizmmy, Prism Box | |||
| 2014 | PriPara | Tatsunoko Productions & Takara Tomy | Arcade game | Anime television series, manga | Iris | [50] | |
| 2016 | Sekkō Boys | Liden Films | Anime television series | ||||
| 2012 | Shōnen Hollywood | Novel | Anime television series | [51] | |||
| 2015 | Star-Myu | ASCII Media Works | Anime television series | Manga, audio drama, stage plays, original video animation | |||
| 2011 | Symphogear | Anime Original | Anime television series | [52] | |||
| 2014 | Tokyo 7th Sisters | Donuts Co. Ltd. & Victor Entertainment | Video game | Anime film | 777☆SISTERS | ||
| 2012 | Tsukiuta: The Animation | Movic | Music project | Anime television series, stage play | [53] | ||
| 2010 | Uta no Prince-sama | Broccoli | Video game | Anime television series, stage plays, anime film | STARISH, Quartet Night, HEAVENS | [54] | |
| 2015 | Venus Project: Climax | Galat | Video game | Anime television series | |||
| 2014 | Wake Up, Girls! | Ordet | Anime film | Anime television series, original video animation | Wake Up, Girls!, Run Girls, Run | [55] | |
| 2015 | Ani Tore! EX | Rising Force | Anime television series | ||||
| 2020 | Oshi no Ko | Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari | Manga | Anime television series | |||