UlasanAnime.com – As the year winds down, the focus for THE IDOLM@STER discussions in December sharpens to two key aspects: the mustard seed parable and the author’s personal journey into mobile gaming.
The parable has already been detailed, leaving the exploration of the future, specifically how the author began playing the mobile games, as the primary focus.
A common thread within the otaku identity is a self-imposed sense of loneliness. This is a recurring theme in discussions about geek culture, particularly when examining how video games can provide solace and a sense of identity. While extreme forms of this identity politics might appear cultish, it pales in comparison to the deep immersion seen among idol otaku.
However, the author’s experience is different. By embarking on the path of THE IDOLM@STER: MILLION LIVE, they found themselves drifting away from established IM@S fandom. This is ironic, considering that in the early days of the First Vision era around 2005, fans felt similarly about Producers. Before the widespread popularity brought by Nicom@sPs, being a Producer meant spending hours in dimly lit arcades, investing money while interacting with a touch screen. The author draws a parallel to the experience of grinding through a Stamina Event in ML with no one to discuss it with, simply because few English speakers played the game. Yet, for the past three years, the desire to find other Producers was a strong personal goal, a peculiar yet familiar cycle.
A significant hurdle is the inadequacy, or perhaps even the exemplary depiction of online gamer community issues, within the English-speaking IM@S community. Much of it is confined to platforms like 4chan, which the author found too time-consuming. This is time better spent playing the various games. ML, in particular, was initially an afterthought, as overseas scenester kids were more focused on CG, if they were engaged with IM@S at all.
Fast forward to the present, and Producers of Derem@s are finding relief from loneliness due to the expanding overseas player base for the mobile game and the upcoming TV anime. However, Milim@s Producers remain largely absent in the English-speaking sphere. Million Live, a product of SNS and the 2.5D media mix school, is a unique entity even by Japanese standards. The author fears that the overseas IM@S fandom is not yet prepared for this shift. They question if the fandom is even ready for Derem@s, a game known for its gacha schemes and an overwhelming roster of characters. These games have evolved beyond the era where gameplay and concept could be grasped without understanding the meta or business development concepts. There is little incentive for players to invest (potentially significant) resources into a game where the reward is merely the identity of being a P who produces an idol. The supporting infrastructure, from the IM@S movie to the player base, LTP, LTH, numerous events, and region-locked radio shows, is largely unavailable to overseas Producers, being entirely geared towards the Japanese 2.5D otaku.
It’s not as simple as taking these characters and creating derivative works. There are not many ML doujinshi available, even for those who engage with the unauthorized, often pornographic, doujinshi scan scenes. The past month marked the first Milifest, an event specifically for ML doujinshi, which was the first such event the author actively wanted to attend.
The author’s point is that it has become nearly impossible to remain truly alone unless one actively seeks isolation. Over the course of the year, since starting ML, they have connected with other players, forming a small group that engages with the game casually or seriously. The author even started playing CG. They consider themselves fortunate, identifying this as a trend they embraced in 2014. If the IM@S franchise intended for people to play the game because of Moviem@s, it succeeded, at least for the author.
This perspective means that while criticisms about ML characters being shameless tie-ins or underdeveloped fillers in the movie exist, the author largely agrees to an extent. What some perceive as negatives are opportunities and eye-openers for them. They do not intend to defend the aggressive monetization strategies, as these profit-driven endeavors contributed significantly to their enjoyment of 2014.
The spectacle is what the author enjoyed most about 2014 and IM@S. This includes the advertisements in Japan, the seiyuu live performances, overseas news, new games and anime, and the opportunity to meet new people. It was an exciting and fun experience.
Year in Review 2014:
You might also be interested in : My Anime Watching Habits
Introduction
Wake Up, Girls! (The real intro)
The Idolm@ster: Overview
Eventer in 2014
Lonely in a sea of a million Stars
Twelve by Twelve
