The Idolm@ster

What did Sup Forums think of the first chapter of Kotori's spin off manga?

Hol up. Is she cake status yet?

Kotori is a JK slut.

Nope!
She got younger.

Oh yes

Oh yes indeed.
Can't wait to see how this whole story evolves.

Didn't realize it was out. So this is Takagi and Kuroi, right?

piyo a cute
more piyo is always welcome

Could it be anymore obvious?

Kind of hoping in someway we get a switcheroo plot twist and their assumed names are reversed. Kuroi being the more quiet guy and Takagi is the enthusiastic quasi evil guy.

Is this you?

Oui.

Yeah. That woman at the start of the meeting I think was the DS game's president. Should be interesting to see how things play out, and especially how Kotori fails as an idol. This can only end in tragedy right?

I don't think that'll happen, Takagi seems like he's a bit older than Kuroi so the enthusiastic guy can't be him.
Also, I wonder if they'll mention anything about other production companies, seeing how the idol industry is declining it would be fun to see 346 or 876 starting up as the industry recovers.

i almost wish
the chance to say it is nice, but only sadness awaits after

Did she failed? I thought it was her mother that retired from the business.

>it would be fun to see 346 or 876 starting up as the industry recovers.
That would be very fun to see, as well as some loli cameos of our favorite 765 and 346 idols.
Interested as to what rejuvenates Takagi's interest in the industry and training idols because he just seems way too apathetic to just give any damn about anything.
Pic related page really put a whole new spin on Kuroi's character too.

Well the industry is declining, so she just might be a martyr in it, but helps it off of life support nonetheless.
just my two cents

>whole new spin on Kuroi's character
In what way? I'm pretty sure he was always lying and pretending to be the good guy whenever he's dealing with his own idols and only show his trueself when he deals with Takagi.

Damn, Takagi looks like punished AkaP.

Oh shit.
You're right.
Completely forgot that he kept all sabotage plans and shit talking on 765 pro away from Jupiter. The three were completely in the dark.

>"I won't scatter your talent to the heartless fans. I will always be with you. Plant your trust in me. I won't see you end as failures. You're all idols."

The way I see it, it's just that Kuroi got so devoured by his desire to succeed that he went out of his way to turn into a saturday morning cartoon villain. I'm inclined to believe that he was being genuine in Even if we assume that he was already a scumbag back then, there was a point where he at least still bothered to pretend to be nice and polite to the idols. However, by the time of the console im@s games, he's just an asshole through and through.

And since they bothered to show Ishikawa from 876pro and Mai motherfucking Hidaka here, I wonder if we'll be seeing cameos from the 315pro and 346pro staff at one point.

Also, is it just me or are younger Kuroi and Takagi kind of parallels to BaneP and TakeP? When Kuroi is acting nice to the idols, he really looks and talks like BaneP. Meanwhile, Takagi has this no-nonsense hands off (but actually very caring) approach to managing Idols. He even has TakeP's autistic sensibility to just grab a girl randomly and startle the shit out of her.

MIKI MIKI

Young Takagi looks like a fusion between BaneP and TakeP.

They maximized Producer and Old Man Moe in one sexy package.

MIKI?

>if we'll be seeing cameos from the 315pro and 346pro staff at one point.

>JK Chihiro
>JS/JC/JK Aoki Sisters
>JD Misshy
>Imanishi with Black Hair
>Idol Manager Gendo Ikari with a face
>DK Ken

Make it happen Scamco. All aboard the im@s extended cinematic universe.

HONEEEE?

Hani Suki Afuu~

Actually, think we might see a young TakeP or BaneP? Seems like something that could happen.

Is there any rhyme or reason to why so many Japanese companies used random numbers as their name? It just seems like something that's exclusive to Japan and I can't for the life of me figure out why

I don't think that he was genuine considering what he usually do in the games, but we'll see how he is in the manga. Maybe you're right and he's still nice to his idols in this period, but then losing Kotori to Takagi is what pushed him over the edge.
>we'll be seeing cameos from the 315pro and 346pro staff at one point.
I really want it to happen, along with cameo from younger 765 idols. Though I feel like 346 would be the bad guy, seeing how this page seems to be talking directly about the army of gimmic idols.
>BaneP
BaneP's doesn't see his idols as just merchandise so not really.
>Final chapter is BaneP walking up to the newly opened 765 office
Would be cool.

>It just seems like something that's exclusive to iM@S-verse and I can't for the life of me figure out why.
Fixed

Probably some puns with how the numbers are called in Japanese.

I don't know any Japanese companies that used numbers in real life. For IM@S the numbers aren't random; 346 read as Mishiro (美城) which means Beautiful Castle - fitting for Cinderalls, 765 is Namuko - a reference to Namco, and 876 is Banamu is "Ban:dai "Nam"co.

...

Maybe it's mainly small businesses but a lot of custom car garages in Japan use numbers, i.e 326 Power or 6666 Customs.

Fat

What about the Side M company?

It's wordplay. The numbers can be read in a certain way that it spells certain words.

765 = Namco
876 = Banamu (Bandai Namco)
961 = Kuroi
346 = Mishiro
315 = Saikou

I mean in the sense of the "nice guy" Kuroi facade. Kuroi's nice guy persona is how BaneP usually carries himself.

>Though I feel like 346 would be the bad guy

The backstory for 346 is that it's a rather recent company. The Mishiro group is an entertainment powerhouse that has been around for a long time, but their idol division, 346pro, has only been around for a few years. This manga seems that it's almost a decade or so before the "present" timeline, so 346 and their wonderful clusterfuck cast of lunatics aren't even around yet.

i think we anons are 584

Nah, if anything we would be 774.

315 is Saikou I think, that mean The Greatest.

Would be cool to get a panel or two of them just being best friends, drinking, out eating, etc. in college.

>Mishiro
Think that we'll get a cameo of her?

Thanks, while you're at it could you maybe see if there's any reason behind 326? It's the name of a drift garage in Hiroshima, and I've always wondering why it's 326

If anything, BaneP would still be a highschooler at this point in the timeline.

Also, I'm pretty sure that TakeP has a few years over BaneP.

Maybe, maybe not. The mana manga series shares the same continuity with the anime series, so it's not out of the question, but it's not like it's a guarantee either.

>All aboard the im@s extended cinematic universe.

Has Danketsu gone too far?

>346pro, has only been around for a few years.
I see, thank you. That makes a lot more sense now. I thought 346 was the main company since Mishiro came in and took direct control in the anime.
Mifumu? Minimu? Can't see anything, sorry.
404 more like.

It would be interesting if we got to see TakeP failing with his first few idols. I really have to wonder what happened with Takagi and Kuroi for that matter, considering how the two get along despite differing beliefs on idol raising.

The company names in im@s cherrypick syllables and alternate readings of the numbers, so it's really hard to tell unless the person who came up with the numbers outright tells you what it reads as.

For example, in one of the NoMakes, BaneP mistakenly reads "765 Productions" as "Nanarokugo Productions" and Takagi had to correct him and say that it's read as "Namco Productions"

Didn't one of the Nomakes confirm BaneP grew up in the countryside? Not sure how they would fit hum into a story set in the city.

TakeP is probably likely though.

Ahh neato, thanks anyway. Long live im@s

Who was the girl he thought Kotori was?
It's obviously the girl in the old photo, but who is it?
Is it Kotori's mom?

me on the left

We actually see Kotori's mom in her own flashback though and goddamn she did not age well.

I like to believe that it's Kuroi/Takagi's first idol/first love and that Kotori just happened to be the spitting image of her. Or it really is just her Mother.

Isn't that just him imagining what Kotori would look like as an idol?

When Kuroi and Takagi met up in that bar in the anime, there was a brief cut where they showed a photo of a girl who looks like Kotori alongside a younger Kuroi and Takagi. (If you notice, their moles are in different spots)

That thing was speculation for years, but it looks like the manga will finally address that picture.

But then doesn't that throw the whole love triangle feud out the window? It's already happened if that's the case, because they obviously seem on good terms now in this first chapter.
Now it's making me wonder why they both had a falling out.

He mentions how Kotori looks like someone he knew.

Huh, seems like this manga really will be answering that question. It seems that the falling out between Kuroi and Takagi was about Kotori rather than the other girl.

>It seems that the falling out between Kuroi and Takagi was about Kotori
For some reason I doubt that's the case.
Kotori and the Takagi don't seem like they've ever been in love in the anime, just close to each other as professionals, worker and employer.

Kotori is best girlfriend material.

she really is
>hard working
>diligent
>punctual
>beautiful
>browses 2chan
just wish she wasn't so much of a fujoshit though

She browses 2ch, which is essentially Japanese Reddit.

Also, she kind of fucking sucks at the job. Diligence is one thing, but it doesn't amount to much if you can't do a lot of things right.

I mean over the raising, not exactly romantic or anything. Takagi and Kuroi still seem to be on good terms. It will probably end up being a divide due to their beliefs clashing in the end.

She is also very cute, this is very important.

plus she's pic related
she's just like us. Perfect for each other

She is way cuter with short hair.

>Hardworking
>Hypercompetent Multitasker
>Sexy and beautiful twentyfive year old
>Has perfect work-life balance; managing to keep up exemplary performance at work while still making time to enjoy parties and kinky cosplay sessions
>Manages an expansive information network
>Possesses the fear and respect of everyone
>Was involved in a major scandal once and got away with it
>Sworn to be always on your side and support you

Absolute perfection

>She browses 2ch, which is essentially Japanese Reddit.
Epic dude, fucking epic.

>Was involved in a major scandal once and got away with it
Explain.
Also tell me what she kept putting down on the table/desks in the anime

How can Kotori even compete?

>Explain.

The first Cinderella Girls Mobile game literally got a certain type of Gacha system outright banned because of how exploitative it was. And the resulting fallout ended up putting more moderation of mobile gaming practices and a few laws to regulate it. You'd think a huge incident like that would damage the game, but not really. It still racked in dosh like crazy. It's really just a meme, but since Chihiro is the designated secretary of CG, she become the de facto face of the evils of Scamco. Though, the fact that Chihiro canonically terrifies people when she gets angry and that her background is noted to be mysterious helps to add to the mystique.

>Also tell me what she kept putting down on the table/desks in the anime

Stamina Drinks. She gives you a couple of those every week for free in both CG games. It's just a subtle nod to the games.

Sounds to me like you didn't warm the towel!

Chihiro hijack?

No! She didn't get her own manga, Kotori did!

>It will probably end up being a divide due to their beliefs clashing in the end.
Most likely. I'm betting Kuroi will get a new idol aswell and she'll be Kotori's rival through the manga.
The Green Demon is terrifying. Piyo got nothing on her.

Was Kotori the idol Haruka talks about being inspired by in the park? I wonder if we'll get loli Haruka.

Also bright and full of hope idol(?) Mishiro.

>JS/JC/JK Aoki Sisters
>Imanishi with Black Hair
>Idol Manager Gendo Ikari with a face
>DK Ken

Literally who?

Aoki are the Trainer sisters, Imanishi is the old guy in charge of TakeP in the CG anime.

Don't know Gendo, Ken is the 315 Secretary, i think.

>JS/JC/JK Aoki Sisters
Canon names of the Trainer Sisters. From oldest to youngest, Rei, Sei, Mei and Kei. Family name Aoki.

>Imanishi with Black Hair
That cool old guy who is TakeP's direct superior and more or less Takagi's equivalent in 346.

>Idol Manager Gendo Ikari with a face
The president of the Side-M company. He's voiced by Gendo Ikari. And as usual fare for im@s presidents, he's just a shadowed silhouette.

>DK Ken
Secretary for Side-M. Fuccoi supreme.

I want to have green haired children with Kotori.

If we're talking rivals, could just go with Chihiro. Would be oddly hilarious seeing Chihiro being truly unscrupulous like Kuroi.

>the trainer sisters
So fucking desirable.
Hope we get a cameo of them in this new spin off

>Chihiro being truly unscrupulous like Kuroi
It would be cool to see her under his tutleage for a time, but she obviously won't stick with him due to her working for 346 pro and being absent at his side in the original anime.
Point being is that she does have some morals and a good heart.

If Chihiro is showing up as an idol then it'd be fun to see Mishiro as her P, then Mishiro can go study US entertainment industry after failing to raise Chihiro to be top idol.

So why is Kotori a fujoshi?

FUCK OFF CGFAGS

Unlike Kotori who has some sort of implied Idol Past, I don't think Chihiro ever dabbled in Idolhood. Also, Chihiro only bares her fangs if you're doing something questionable. So even if they shove Chihiro into Idolhood outta fucking nowhere, there's no way she'd intentionally antagonize Kotori with questionable practices.

She's an absolutely upright and moral person. Don't believe too much in dank memes.

And even if they take a slightly more regressed depiction of her character to show some development into what she is at present, the worst I can think for her is that she's some overtly pragmatic stuck up cunt like Mishiro.

And that's even assuming that she'll appear. This is still Kotori's manga after all. One of the most common speculation was that Mai wrecked her career, but as the manga shows, Mai's era has already ended in the timeframe of this manga. So it's most likely just between Takagi and Kuroi.

One can only do so much being the office bitch in a small office like 765. Most of her time is spent shitposting on the internet with other female fuckups, i.e. Fujoshits. It's a matter of shared interests by osmosis.

Kotori is old and busted.

Even Scamco realizes this and replaced her with a different secretary.

We're all part of the same iM@S universe, why can't we get along.

>iM@S universe

More like multiverses.

I like the universe where TakeP is a Side-M idol and that Haruka and Uzuki were under the same unnamed Production Agency. Also, BaneP is a girl. But it seems that we're stuck right now in a universe where we can't get along.

Xenoglossia is best iM@S.

We're in the universe where Love Live is more popular than idolm@ster.

Will Sup Forums accept their inner g/a/y and watch the Side-M anime?

This is the Producer in the games. He'll most likely be a guy in the anime, but who knows, maybe Scamco will pull a surprise reverse trap shenanigans on us to reel in the Otomebux. Fujoshits only care about making the male idols fuck each other anyway.

Get the fuck out.

A FemaleP would be an interesting take.

No
I'm holding out for the inevitable ML adaptation and banking on Starlight Stage and Theater Days to bide my time until then
Have some cake

>weird veiled attempt at trying to hate Kotori
Only 765 I can think of that may have some haters is shovel.

>inevitable ML adaptation

Hah.

>TakeP is a Side-M idol
This will happen on April Fool eventually along with BaneP.
>Haruka and Uzuki were under the same unnamed Production Agency
Impossible, there can only be one red leader.