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group=lower-alpha is a Japanese media franchise that began in 2005 with a raising simulation and Rhythm game video game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The series primarily centers on the career of a producer who works with a group of prospective pop Japanese idol at the talent agency 765 Production. Originally released as an arcade game, the franchise has grown to numerous Porting, sequels and spin-offs across multiple video game consoles, including several social network games. The series includes a variety of other media such as an anime with the same name, printed media, audio dramas, a Korean drama, and radio shows.
A recurring theme in the series emphasizes the struggles an idol must go through to achieve stardom. This is indicated by the level of an idol's tension meter. Games in the series also explore relationships between characters, ranging from the relationship that develops between an idol and a producer, to the rivalry between idols and production studios.
In the communication phase between the producer and an idol, text progression pauses when the player is given multiple responses to choose from over the course of a conversation and the player is given a limited amount of time to make a choice, though the player can pause the game to be given more time. Depending on which choice is made will affect how well or poorly the communication is received. As mutual trust builds between idol and producer, good memories are formed which help the idol in auditions. In contrast, if bad memories are formed through poor communication, this will adversely affect an idol. This communication is further expanded in The Idolmaster SP with the introduction of a promise system. The communication phase is supplemented by the idol taking on various jobs to further her exposure and gain fans.
The audition phase is the main way for an idol to climb the idol rankings by gaining fans. The audition process involves another series of minigames, which allow the player to appeal to the judges or audience by earning points in the vocal, dance and visual categories. If an idol passes the audition, she is chosen to do a televised public performance. In later games, during the performance, the player is able to influence the idol by giving directions. The same gameplay in the audition process is also used during live concerts and festivals. The player can check the idol's rank, how many fans she has gained, and how much her singles have sold.
A Porting of the arcade game for the Xbox 360 was released on January 25, 2007. This version introduced an additional idol, Miki Hoshii, and includes new songs. The port makes use of Xbox Live, and the game has been credited with making Japan's ratio of sign-ups for Xbox Live compared to the number of consoles sold as the world's highest. Over four times as many Microsoft points were sold on the date of The Idolmasters Xbox 360 release as on the date before it. A sequel to the arcade game titled The Idolmaster Live For You! for the Xbox 360 was released on February 28, 2008. In Live For You!, the player assumes the role of a "special producer" due to the sudden absence of the original producer and is charged with coordinating the idols' concerts. The game focuses mainly on the concert coordination aspect of the original and expands on it in many ways, with higher customization of the stage, costumes and songs. Live For You! also introduced a rhythm game aspect into the series, incorporating it as a minigame during an idol's concert. A collection containing both The Idolmaster and Live For You! was released on March 12, 2009 as The Idolmaster Twins.
A game titled The Idolmaster SP for the PlayStation Portable was released in three versions on February 19, 2009 titled Perfect Sun, Missing Moon and Wandering Star. SP re-introduces Miki Hoshii as a rival idol working for the 961 Pro studio, and introduces the new characters Hibiki Ganaha and Takane Shijō, also working for 961. Hibiki is in Perfect Sun, Miki is in Missing Moon, and Takane is in Wandering Star. SP also introduces a multiplayer mode for up to three players where each of the players' idols can interact and audition together. A slot machine titled The Idolmaster Live in Slot! was released on May 23, 2012 by Sammy using the Xbox 360 version of The Idolmaster as its motif.
Another sequel to the original arcade game titled The Idolmaster 2 was released for the Xbox 360 on February 24, 2011 and later for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) on October 27, 2011. Set in the same universe as Dearly Stars six months after The Idolmaster, the player can choose between most of same idols in addition to Miki, Hibiki and Takane. In The Idolmaster 2, Azusa Miura, Iori Minase and Ami Futami now form an independent unit with Ritsuko Akizuki as their producer. A nine-volume fan disc series titled The Idolmaster Gravure For You! was released for the PS3 from October 27, 2011 to June 28, 2012. Gravure For You! allows the player to give the idols directions while taking gravure photos of them in various poses, costumes and locations.
On October 25, 2012, The Idolmaster Shiny Festa was released for the PlayStation Portable in three versions. Like The Idolmaster SP, the different versions—titled Honey Sound, Funky Note and Groovy Tune—feature different idols from The Idolmaster 2 to work with. Shiny Festa is a rhythm game, and unlike previous games does not feature any raising simulation gameplay. The Shiny Festa games were released on iOS and localized into English on April 22, 2013. The titles of the games were changed for the port: Honey Sound became Harmonic Score, Funky Note became Rhythmic Record and Groovy Tune became Melodic Disc.
An app for the PS3 titled Imas Channel was released on the PlayStation Network on October 2, 2013. The app includes a Shiny TV component which features a PS3 version of Shiny Festa, and the nine Gravure For You! fan discs can also be downloaded via the app. The game The Idolmaster One For All was released on May 15, 2014 for the PS3 and allows players to produce all 13 idols from 765 Pro. A game titled The Idolmaster Platinum Stars for the PlayStation 4 (PS4) was released on July 28, 2016. The Idolmaster Stella Stage was released for the PS4 on December 20, 2017. The Idolmaster Starlit Season, a crossover game featuring idols from the original series, Cinderella Girls, Million Live! and Shiny Colors, was originally planned to release in 2020 for the PS4 and Windows via Steam, but was delayed first to May 27, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then further to October 14, 2021 for quality improvements.
The second social network game, The Idolmaster Million Live!, was released on February 27, 2013 on the GREE browser game platform for iOS and Android devices, and sold by au, NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank. Like Cinderella Girls, the game features a card battle system and another 37 additional idols, which also includes the 13 idols from 765 Pro. GREE officially ended the service on March 19, 2018. A successor game to The Idolmaster Million Live! titled The Idolmaster Million Live! Theater Days was released on June 29, 2017. The game features all 37 Million Live! idols from the preceding game and the 13 765 Pro idols, but also introduces two brand new idols, bringing it up to a total of 52 playable and produceable idols.
The third social network game, The Idolmaster SideM, was released on February 28, 2014 on the Mobage platform for mobile devices. The game features a card battle system similar to the other social network games, but instead focuses on male idols at the talent agency 315 Production, which also includes the three idols formerly from 961 Production. A rhythm game with 3D models titled The Idolmaster SideM: Live On Stage! was released August 17, 2017. A newer game titled The Idolmaster SideM: Growing Stars was released October 6, 2021.
The fourth spin-off, The Idolmaster Shiny Colors was released for Bandai Namco and Drecom's enza platform for HTML5 games on April 24, 2018. An app version was released for iOS and Android on March 13, 2019. The game is an idol raising simulator similar in style to the original games but with no rhythm game elements. This game features a completely new cast, including 25 idols and 3 employees at 283 Production (including the producer).
The fifth spin-off, named Gakuen Idolmaster, was announced on March 5, 2024. The game was released on May 16, 2024.
Following the success of the arcade game, Namco Bandai Games went on to develop its Xbox 360 port starting in early 2006, though a port of the game had been discussed as early as May 2005. Namco Bandai Games producer Yōzō Sakagami was initially unsure if The Idolmaster would be suited for a video game console due to hardware and network limitations, but he felt that the Xbox 360 and its Xbox Live network could handle the game's specifications. This would also allow the developers to improve the game's quality and attract attention from those who never played the arcade game. Many people who were interested in the arcade game but never played it would tell Sakagami that this was either because their local arcade did not have The Idolmaster, or because they were embarrassed to play it in public. According to Sakagami, to the development team of the port, there was a large significance in correcting these issues. Their other focus was on allowing players to comfortably play the game and enjoy its various scenarios without the rushed gameplay found in the arcade version. Certain gameplay elements were changed in the port, and this approach to improving and supplementing gameplay elements has continued throughout the series.
The graphics of the original arcade game were limited by the Namco System 246 arcade game board released in 2001, which is compatible with a PlayStation 2. Since the arcade game, characters have been rendered using 3D graphics with pre-rendered backgrounds, except during auditions and performances which use a full 3D environment. The developers employ motion capture to present a realistic view of the characters—not only during normal gameplay, but also during performances, which are rendered using motion capture from professional dancers. When developing the Xbox 360 port of The Idolmaster, the characters had to be entirely redone, including the motion capture, which used the same actors as before. Further details were able to be added to the character designs because of the Xbox 360's improved, high-definition hardware.
A 17-minute original video animation (OVA) episode titled The Idolmaster Live For You!, produced by Actas and directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi, was included in the limited edition of Live For You! released on February 28, 2008. The OVA involves Haruka, Chihaya and Miki trying to reach Tokyo in time to catch up with the rest of the girls in their latest concert after the trio gets lost in the middle of nowhere.
A faithful anime television series adaptation, produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Atsushi Nishigori, aired 25 episodes between July and December 2011 on TBS and other JNN networks across Japan. An OVA episode was released on June 16, 2012. Additional OVA episodes were bundled with the Shiny Festa games released on October 25, 2012, with a different episode for each of the three versions. An anime film adaptation, titled , was released on January 25, 2014.
An original net animation adaptation of the spin-off manga by Akane, Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster, was produced by Gathering and directed by Mankyū. The 64 short episodes streamed between January and March 2013. A second season titled Puchimas!! Puchi Puchi Idolmaster streamed 74 episodes between April and June 2014. The series revolves around the 765 Pro idols as they are accompanied by super-deformed versions of themselves. An OVA episode was bundled with ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Maoh magazine in October 2012.
An animated music video of the spin-off game The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, featuring the song "Onegai! Cinderella", was streamed within the game on November 28, 2013 in celebration of its second anniversary. A special animation video featuring the character Mirai Kasuga was streamed within the spin-off game The Idolmaster Million Live! in commemoration of its first anniversary. An anime television series adaptation of The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, produced by A-1 Pictures, aired thirteen episodes from January to April 2015. A second season of The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls aired with 12 episodes from July to October 2015 plus an OVA episode released on February 25, 2016.
An anime television series adaptation of the spin-off game The Idolmaster SideM, featuring male characters and also by A-1 Pictures, aired from October to December 2017. An anime television series adaptation of Sumeragi's Wake Atte Mini! spin-off manga, produced by Zero-G and directed by Mankyū, aired from October 9 to December 25, 2018.
An anime television series adaptation of the spin-off game The Idolmaster Million Live!, produced by Shirogumi and directed by Shinya Watada, aired from October to December 2023.
An anime television series adaptation of the spin-off game The Idolmaster Shiny Colors, produced by Polygon Pictures and directed by Mankyuu, aired in 2024.
Frontier Works published 12 from 2005 to 2009 for the games: six based on the arcade game, three based on its Xbox 360 port, and three based on The Idolmaster SP. Lantis released three drama CDs based on Idolmaster: Xenoglossia in 2007. Frontier Works also published two drama CDs based on Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster in 2011. There have been 15 radio shows for the video games and anime adaptations.
A South Korean drama television series based on the games and titled The Idolmaster KR premiered in 2017, running for 24 hour-long episodes. It is streaming worldwide by Amazon Prime Video as an Amazon Original.
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls earned more than per month ( annually) in Japan during 2012. grossed in Japan during 2017, and during 2018. This adds up to at least () in mobile game revenue.
Up until 2012, The Idolmaster anime DVD and Blu-ray releases grossed in Japan, while music CD and concert sales grossed . In 2013, the franchise grossed in home media (videos, manga, music, novels) sales. In 2014, anime DVD and Blu-ray sales generated . The Idolmaster home media (videos, manga, music, novels) sales earned in Japan between 2015 and 2016, and then between 2017 and 2018. This adds up to approximately () in home media sales revenue, .
(2014) grossed in East Asian theaters, including ¥772,973,700 () in Japan and () in South Korea. The Idolmaster merchandise grossed () in Japan retail sales during 2007.
In terms of fan demographics, the fanbase of The Idolmaster franchise within Japan has an average age of 31 years, and a male-to-female ratio of approximately 50:50, based on a December 16, 2023 survey conducted by Nikkei Entertainment.
The introduction of rivals into The Idolmaster SP was described as effectively giving each game a different impression, and competing against rivals in the series has been praised. While one reviewer for Famitsu suggested it was natural to identify with the idols when watching them perform, a different reviewer in the same magazine issue stated that the game would be somewhat tiresome if the player did not have an emotional attachment to a given idol. However, another reviewer noted that it was easier to empathize with an idol when the story is told from the perspective of the idols in The Idolmaster Dearly Stars. Although, because other aspects of the gameplay in Dearly Stars are similar such as doing lessons and auditions, the sense of enjoyment is not that different from other games. Early aspects of the series were criticized as presenting a narrow and unrealistic view of the idol world.
Yayoi Takatsuki made a cameo in Namco's role-playing game (RPG) Tales of Hearts as a support attacker by using a move named High Touch. Haruka Amami made an appearance as a cameo costume for Mel in Namco's RPG . The game had several of the girls' costumes featured as purchasable and wearable armor. Downloadable content (DLC) costumes can be bought as custom outfits from The Idolmaster for the Namco Bandai games Tales of Graces and Tales of Xillia. In Graces, Sophie, Pascal and Cheria can have costumes purchased for them, and in Xillia, Milla, Leia and Elise can have costumes purchased for them.
A stage in Beautiful Katamari set in the producer's office features a song by ten of the girls titled "Danketsu". A remix was produced titled "Danketsu 2010" sung by all of the girls. Some of the Katamari Cousins in the game also represent the idols. Four songs from The Idolmaster series were featured in Taiko no Tatsujin 14. An update patch for PlayStation Home features The Idolmaster slot machines inside the Namco Bandai hubs where one can win special clothing to make PlayStation Home avatars look like Haruka. A collaboration DLC package between Sega's and The Idolmaster SP was released, featuring a Haruka costume for Hatsune Miku, a combined version of Ami and Mami's costumes for Kagamine Rin, and a Chihaya costume for Megurine Luka. The package also comes with "Go My Way!!" redone by Miku and "Relations" redone by Luka and Rin. as well as the Ridge Racer series on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and Xbox 360 also include DLC for The Idolmaster series.
Bandai Namco Entertainment and Aniplex has allowed third party companies and organizations to use the franchise's characters in their promotions both individually or as a group. Miki Hoshii was named the store manager of Tower Records' Japanese branches on March 21, 2011 at the retailer's Shinjuku branch. In 2012, the Tokyo Shrine Agency distributed posters and pamphlets featuring the 765 Production idols as part of a campaign to attract hatsumōde visitors. Sagan Tosu featured the idol characters of Cinderella Girls on the tickets and merchandises for their September 12, 2015 match against the Shimizu S-Pulse and September 26, 2015 match against the Ventforet Kofu.
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