UlasanAnime.com – The folklore surrounding the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac, often depicted as a race, seems fitting for a game like IDOLM@STER MILLION LIVE to feature idols in a literal race, adorned with animal motifs. While the Japanese count days and traditions slightly differently, for the sake of familiarity, we’ll focus on the game’s representation. 
During the holiday season, many writers and bloggers shared interesting content. I’ve been diligently reading through these posts, which serve as a welcome antidote to post-New Year blues. You might have noticed a surge in articles about anime production, featuring details about animators and voice actors. These insights offer a perspective I don’t often encounter and highlight a need for more such resources in English. The practical nature of these write-ups is something I genuinely enjoy.
Instead of dwelling on the game’s player count, let’s delve into the latest event in Million Live, aptly named “Good Fortunes! Idol Zodiac Marathon.”
The primary inspiration for this event appears to be the birth year of Numakura Manami, who was born in 1989, making her a Dragon. Unsurprisingly, the event card for Hibiki features her in a dragon costume. This particular card caught my attention as I’m most familiar with her birthday among the six idols receiving event-specific cards.
I can recall Kido’s birth year, 1997, primarily because I can still count backward effectively. This makes her an Ox, and at her age, it certainly makes me feel quite old. As the ranking prize for this event, Kana’s outfit is fitting in more ways than one, especially considering it’s the year of the Sheep.
One might assume all event cards would feature idols with zodiac outfits that sensibly match their voice actors’ birth signs. However, this is only partially true. Kugimiya Rie, born in 1979, would align with the Sheep, bringing the theme full circle. Yet, Iori is inexplicably depicted in a Tiger outfit. Interestingly, by exploring the voice actor connections, one can uncover at least one other potential meaning behind the Tiger motif.
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Ueshama, or Ueda Reina, will be turning 21 in about nine days. This presents our first edge case. However, in Japan, 1994 marks the Year of the Dog once the clock strikes midnight. Therefore, based on the lunar calendar, she would be a Rooster. Regardless, her character Umi Kosaka is sporting a Boar outfit. This seems like a timely opportunity to make a “koebuta” (piglet) joke.
Chizuru’s voice actress, Nomura Kanako, was born in 1989, on Christmas Day, which is the Year of the Snake. Instead, she is featured in a flamboyant Peacock outfit. The reason for this choice remains unclear.
Momoko-senpai is dressed in a charming Rabbit outfit, which suits her exceptionally well. Her voice actress, Watanabe Keiko, was also born in the Year of the Rabbit, 1987.
Finally, we arrive at the last event card. The voice actress for Elena, Kakumoto Asuka, was born in the Year of the Monkey, yet Elena is depicted wearing a Dog costume. There might be a specific reason for this, but it is not immediately apparent.
Alright, I’m finished with the event card analysis.
I decided it would be beneficial to provide the raw data for the remaining 43 Million Live voice actresses, including their birth dates (if readily available), names, and characters. While compiling this information requires extra effort, it’s a small price to pay for the nature of this blogging endeavor. It only took me less than an hour to gather. You can access this data on Pastebin and organize it into a spreadsheet for better viewing.
