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Idol Project

The phenomenon of idols in Japan is pretty long lived, certainly longer than most mayfly careers in that sugary realm. Idols are evanescent pop stars, high on kawaii but generally low on talent. In the Empire of Cute they reign for a day, beloved icons of Japan's fetish for youth, innocence, and a try-your-hardest ethic that would do the Boy Scouts proud. Not surprisingly, idols have appeared in several anime during the last decade, but none so wonderfully weird as Idol project.

Set in the near future, Idol Project takes place in a world enthralled by Yuri and her Perfect Idols. Yuri, ex-World President and producer extraordinaire, is a retired idol who runs the annual super bowl of idol auditions. Her six Perfect Idols parody various traits and virtues of the idol experience: hard rocking guitarist Layla, classical pianist/aesthete Extra-san, insanely cute child actress Ruka-chan, steamy, sexy dancer Corvette, enthusiastic marshal artist Palpu-san, and traditional Japanese, demure-ninja Shion. Enter 14-year-old pop star wannabe Mimu Emilton, whose dreams of fame are frustrated by a wacky conspiracy of truly cosmic proportions.

Idol Project is crazy, fast-paced fun, more affectionate parody than mean-spirited satire. The songs are bouncy, amusing, and dangerously catchy. The animation is wildly creative, sometimes bordering on the absurd. The Japanese voice talent is some of the best, and the actresses really seem to be enjoying themselves. Idol Project isn't the last word in anime as art, but does offer an interesting perspective on Japanese pop culture, and even the curmudgeonly should find it at least an amusing diversion.

  • Studio: Media Blasters
  • Format: DVD
  • Episodes in Series: 4
  • Series Completed: No
  • Number of DVDs: 2

 
  • Audio Tracks: Japanese, English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Ages: 13+
  • Cautions: Slight nudity, sexual innuendo
  • Reviewer: George
  • Core Collection: Comedy, High School