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These idol anime go well beyond building popularity and performing for audiences. Some of the best idol anime out there also show captivating tales of friendships and overcoming struggles. The many titles within the confines of idol anime can help viewers look for just the kind of story they want to see.
Updated January 20, 2023 by Mark Sammut: Idol anime are both extremely popular and an acquired taste. Each season tends to include a few genre representatives, and Winter 2023 is no exception. What are the best airing idol anime?
Best Winter 2023 Idol Anime
Winter 2023 is underway, and the season is dominated by fantasy anime. However, fans of other genres have a few shows they can check out, and that extends to idols. Two examples are Nijiyon Animation, a comedy spin-off based on Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, and Technoroid: Overmind, which presents a sci-fi twist on the idol formula. The former will only appeal to die-hard supporters of the main series, while the latter has had a rough start. IDOLiSH7 Third Beat! Part 2 will also conclude its 17-episode run during Winter 2023, and it is fantastic.
What are the best idol anime of Winter 2023?
D4DJ All Mix
The sequel to 2020’s D4DJ First Mix, D4DJ All Mix focuses on girl groups that revolve around DJs, crafting tunes that combine and remix tracks. It is a neat concept that sets the series apart from other idol anime, even if the show does not present much insight into the actual DJ process.
Sanzigen utilizes 3D CGI animation, a creative decision that can be polarizing, However, both seasons not only look good but are also consistent when they transition from slice of life sequences to musical performances. Most modern idol anime use CG for their performances anyway, so D4DJ All Mix extending that style to the full show makes sense.
UniteUp!
UniteUp! is a new property that only has a YouTube channel to fall back on. As the idol genre is niche, unknown series have a habit of falling by the wayside, which has been largely the case with CloverWorks’ series. UniteUp! follows three MyTubers who are recruited by a talent agency to form an idol group. Each character has a unique online persona and singing style that sets them apart from their partners, and none of them have worked together prior to their acquisition.
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So far, the anime has opted for realism, both in terms of its characters and industry representation. Except for a very brief TV performance by a secondary group and an impromptu bathhouse singalong, UniteUp! has only included snippets of music, which reflects the protagonist’s lack of interest in the idol world. Although he enjoys singing, Akira had no intention of becoming an idol, and he spends the opening episodes reflecting on whether he should pursue this opportunity.
Now, on to the best idol anime of all time…
12 Locodol
Idols always start somewhere. Sometimes, they begin right in their very own hometowns. In Locodol, Nanako Usami gets her world turned upside down when her uncle asks her to become a locodol or a local idol. Nanako gives this a shot, at first teaming up with her senior Yukari Kohinata to create Nagarekawa Girls. They’ve started performing around their town of Nagarekawa in the hopes of promoting it to the world.
Unlike other idol anime that branch out to rather large plots, Locodol keeps its story and setting very local. The anime gives a rather fresh take on the small-scale local idol industry and a brief look into the trials and tribulations that these idol groups face in their journey to success.
11 AKB0048
If music and friendship can save the world, surely it can save the solar system? In AKB0048, idol groups venture into the future - one where a devastating war forced humanity to start anew. At Star Calendar Year 0000, the Deep Galactic Trade Organization banned things that “disturbed” the heart, such as art and music. But music lovers won’t let such oppression happen and this resistance will cause the legendary AKB48 to resurface anew as AKB0048.
Such begins their rather unique struggle of spreading music in a world where the music itself is treated as terrorism. Viewers will see members of AKB0048 be branded as both heroes and terrorists all the while training hard to live up to their historic legacy.
10 Uta No Prince-Sama
Albeit less of an idol anime and more of an idol competition anime, Uta no Prince-sama explores what happens in the early stages of an idol’s life. Aspiring composer Haruka Nanami enters the prestigious Saotome Academy, a performing arts school with students all eyeing to become a music producers or idols. And Haruka’s mission? To create a song for her favorite idol.
She stumbles upon a group of six classmates who all want to become idols. Haruka eventually becomes entangled in the personal lives of these six classmates and their journey to become popular performers.
9 Kikarin Revolution
Kikari Tsukishima accomplishes what so many people only dream of – pursuing a career in entertainment to pursue their ultimate crush. Kikarin Revolution begins when food-loving Kikari saves a turtle in a tree that belonged to Ships member Seiji.
When Seiji invites Kikari to a concert, a boy named Hiroto warns her to stay away from him. As it turns out, Hiroto is also a member of Ships. Determined to pursue Seiji and see the truth for herself, Kikari buckles up and becomes an idol of her own.
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Kikarin Revolution remains memorable for its amazing soundtrack and rather grounded story. While it boasts cutesy graphics typical of a shoujo anime, Kikarin Revolution does give a sneak peek behind the scenes of the idol life. These include Kikarin dealing with concerts, production woes, and even scandals here and there.
8 Aikatsu!
Fans might be surprised to learn that Aikatsu! Idol Activity is actually a collectible card game. Players take on the role of aspiring idols and use special Aikatsu cards to represent accessories and dresses. When used properly, their cards can earn them points to become successful idols. The Aikatsu! anime takes a similar route, albeit with a more grounded take.
In the show, a performance by top idol Mizuki Kanzaki inspires Ichigo Hoshiyama to attempt to become an idol herself. She and her best friend Aoi Kiriya enroll in Starlight Academy and, alongside classmate Ran Shibuki, train to become top idols.
7 Plaster Boys
Talk about stone-cold experimental. When Miki Ishimoto starts her job at Holbein Entertainment Co., she begins the huge endeavor of managing a new idol group! As a fresh college graduate, Miki will stop at nowhere to make a career in the entertainment industry, even if her new talents are statues.
Yes, Plaster Boys is about literal statues. Miki becomes in charge of the Sekkou Boys, a boy band consisting of Greco-Roman Sculptures. Its members are Medici, Hermes, Mars, and St. George. Plaster Boys is arguably one of the most hilarious yet adorable releases to ever grace idol anime.
6 Zombieland Saga
Zombieland Saga is one of the most important idol anime of recent years, mostly because it attracts a more casual audience than the genre tends to manage. Putting aside the fact the show’s girls are the walking dead, Zombieland Saga is really not that atypical for an idol anime.
The comedy focuses on the growing friendships between its main characters as they try to come to grips with the situation they find themselves in. They are plenty of dance and song numbers too, and season 2 even has decent animation for these segments.
Zombieland Saga is a great gateway anime into the world of idols, and hopefully, it inspires people to seek out more of the genre’s offerings.
5 Wake Up, Girls!
Idol anime are not always about having fun and sharing the gospel of friendship with viewers. In the case of Wake Up, Girls!, sometimes becoming an idol means doing whatever it took to ensure the survival of both their group and their entertainment company.
Green Leaves Entertainment is a small-time production company on the brink of collapse. In a last-ditch effort to save their company, president Junko Tange hatches a plot to recruit seven girls to create Wake Up, Girls!, a new girl group.
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Akin more to a drama anime than an idol anime, Wake Up, Girls! expands from the idol performance concept and dwells more into the lives of each member of their group. The anime explores not just the harsh aspects of reality as an idol team, but the many interpersonal conflicts that intertwine in the process of their growth.
4 Macross Series
Surprisingly, an old-school mecha show, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, basically created idol anime. Centering around a war between humans and aliens, Super Dimension Fortress Macross has action, political commentary, complex characters, and a virtual idol with an angelic voice named Lynn Minmay.
Over the decades, the Macross series has taken many forms, with idols always serving as one of the franchise’s main pillars. 2016’s Macross Delta pushes idols even more to the forefront than is otherwise typical for the franchise; this entry focuses on the Walküre, an idol group that sings to keep under control a disease called Vár Syndrome.
Macross illustrates how diverse the idol genre actually is. Some anime are comedies, others are dramas, and a handful feature mecha and zombies.
3 IDOLiSH7
An adaptation of a mobile game developed by Bandai Namco Online, IDOLiSH7 revolves around a teenager, Tsumugi Takanashi, who is put in charge of managing a male idol group. Although overwhelmed at first, Tsumugi quickly becomes enamored with her group, although their future isn’t all sunshine and catchy songs.
IDOLiSH7 is straightforward in the sense that it focuses on the group’s rise in fame, which is hardly new ground for an idol anime. However, IDOLiSH7 sets itself apart through the sheer strength of its characters and story, as the anime explores the darker side of the industry.
2 The Idolmaster (2011)
Fans of idol anime would likely know The Idolmaster, the multimedia franchise revolving around games that had players take on the role of a production manager that has to manage an idol group. Despite its many anime incarnations, the 2011 iteration of The Idolmaster gives a more down-to-earth, hilarious, and yet grounded take on the complex lives of idol members.
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Granted, its plot still revolves around the members of the core idol group rising to the top. The show also explores how these members need to manage their overall presentation, fan pressure and reception, and rivalry even among friends.
1 Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club
Anyone who’s ever loved idol anime will likely remember Love Live! and its penchant for idol games. It’s only about time for Love Live! to eventually get anime adaptations. Out of them all, Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club hits closest to home.
Set in Nijigasaki High School in Tokyo, the anime talks of the struggles of the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club in a school of extremely diverse majors and “free school style.” To make matters worse, the school is already in the process of shutting down their club. The eleven members of the club, all solo idols, now have to work together as a unit to save their beloved organization.
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