Now downloading, Smoky Thrill.
Okay, any doubts I had about this show were completely forgotten after Ryuuguu Komachi’s performance. I mean, the group was just formed last episode and they're already performing an entire dancing/singing sequence that looked amazing. I'm no expert on animation and whatever, but everything about the performance was just eye-catching. The song, the dancing, the flashy colors. I loved every minute of it, and don't worry, we still got another new ED! iDOLM@STER might not be the best at creating intricate characters, but it delivers every week in the one area it should, the music.
For some reason I felt compelled to post a Producer screencap.
With the forming of Ryuuguu Komachi there are a lot of changes around 765 Productions. Iori, Ami, and Azusa were chosen by Ritsuko to be the three leading ladies of the group and now, unlike everyone else, they have tons of work ahead of them as idols. So where does that lead the rest of the girls? Well, they're under the incredibly amateurish Producer-san. He double-books, doesn't focus on each girl's strengths, and totally forgets their weaknesses. It's understandable though, he is dealing with a LOT of people at once. I wish he'd be more confident though, hearing him say "sorry" every other sentence is getting to be annoying and at this rate he'll never get the girls any gigs.
From what I've heard, Ryuuguu Komachi are the "rivals" of the girls you have to help manage in the games. It'll be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out in the show and whether or not it'll influence the screen time Azusa, Iori, and Ami get from now on. I have to say though, they're awesome together. I was confused at first why it had to be those three, but as the episode played out I realized they worked really well together and played off each other's personalities. I can't wait to see more performances though, the songs in this show are really good.
For the Miki fans out there.
Just from reading around a lot of places I've noticed Miki is probably one of the most popular characters in the show. She seems to have the skill to become a great idol, which she showed by learning dance moves in almost no time at all, but it seems her general laziness gets in the way. Episode 6 showed that she has a determined side too though and with a little focus she could become the best of the group.
I'm guessing from here on the rest of the girls will slowly start to form more groups like Ryuuguu Komachi since from what I've heard about the games there's always one lead girl and two back-ups. That seemed to be the case this episode with Iori being the leader. Though we might have to wait, since we'll probably be getting back into some character focused episodes next week starting with Hibiki or Yayoi. I like the way the show is going with this format though, it's unpredictable and full of surprises.
What did you think of the episode and the performance of Smoky Thrill?
Me being a Miki fan, the part which I really like about Ryuuguu Komachi's formation (besides the fact that they'll be the "antagonists" of sorts whenever it comes to business) is how they kicked Miki into gear and indirectly got her to be more serious about her idol job. The way Miki envied them, felt down about being left out and assumed that Ritsuko didn't like her, these will all play a role in helping her to grow as a character especially since Ryuuguu Komachi gave her a goal to focus on now (assuming the writers decide to incorporate that into the overall story). It would be a waste if all she does is laze around for the entire series because as we've already seen in this episode, she's a prodigy when she puts her heart and mind into it.
ReplyDeleteGood focus on the Producer too given that he's on the same journey to stardom together with the rest of the idols. I guess it's understandable he was always apologizing? From the story telling perspective, it seems to be a handy way of emphasizing how much of a rookie he is as well as the amount of professionalism and effort he needs to put into his job from now on in order to earn respect from both the characters in the series and us, as the audience. :)
They definitely won't let episode 6's development go to waste, or at least I hope they won't. Miki is such a stronger force now that she has more determination and drive from Ryuuguu Komachi. I can't wait to hear her perform. (=
ReplyDeleteHm, I guess I was looking at him a little too narrow minded and with too much expectation. I definitely respect him a lot more now that he's jumped into the business part of the show and earning respect from people in higher positions is almost necessary to get jobs.