UlasanAnime.com – It has been approximately one year since the author embarked on their journey into The Idol Master kingdom, a world where players assume the role of a producer and Columbia/Bamco enjoys substantial financial success. The author expresses contentment with spending more on downloadable content (DLCs) than the game itself, and even more on figures, citing a particular figure as a reason for this fascination.
A ranked list was previously published in the author’s year-end write-ups, which can be accessed for reference. The significant changes in the past year have primarily been in the realm of seiyuu (voice actors/actresses) and music. The author acknowledges the support of friends who have tolerated borrowing their materials and enduring less-than-ideal idol pop music from games and anime. Overall, the author’s opinion of iM@S music remains lukewarm; a primary motivation for purchasing DLCs was the perceived mediocrity of many songs, and those that are enjoyable tend to become tiresome quickly, necessitating fresh content. While tolerance for the music has improved over the year, it’s still primarily listened to for amusement and to familiarize oneself with the voices, rather than for genuine enjoyment. This also serves as a way to satisfy the desire to play the game without actually investing the time to do so, making it entertaining regardless.
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- Makoto – Beyond the appeal of artwork by artists like Nekopuchi, Makoto resonates most strongly as an idol despite her one-dimensional characterization. Having run through the usual 13-crew with all available S4U songs in iM@S 2, the author finds her voice consistently pleasant. It’s noted that Makoto as a concept surpasses her canon characterization, bearing similarities to Miki.
- Miki – The author admits to still being susceptible to Miki’s appeal. Visually, Miki is considered appealing due to her character design, with artists often excelling at drawing her. This led to a request for Ryu Moto to sketch her over other characters. Miki is also described as an undeniably interesting character.
- Mami – Mami distinguishes herself significantly through her characterization, not only from Ami but also from the younger characters. Portrayed as a girl transitioning into womanhood, this aspect is found to be attractive and emotionally engaging.
- Takane – Yumi Hara’s performance as Takane has been a major draw for the author. This seiyuu contribution enhances Takane’s mysterious aura and solidifies her position as potentially the group’s top singer, with the author’s opinion of her remaining largely unchanged from the previous year.
- Azusa – Chiaki Takahashi is recognized as a highly talented seiyuu whose vocal performance is impressive. Her range is considered the best within the group. As an iM@S member, Azusa plays to her character’s demure nature, creating an appealing contrast that makes her both a fun gag and enjoyable to watch and listen to.
- Hibiki – The appeal of Hibiki is largely attributed to her seiyuu. While the anime features significant interaction between Hibiki and her animal companions, this is considered secondary to her overall appeal. Hibiki is seen as one of the characters who benefited greatly from her anime portrayal.
- Ritsuko – The author’s opinion of Ritsuko has remained consistent.
- Yukiho – As the author delves deeper into iM@S from a seiyuu perspective, an interesting duality emerges between the characters’ idol personas and their true selves. Yukiho is considered perhaps the most extreme example of this, even more so than Azusa or Chiaking. The author appreciates the “new” Yukiho, finding her singing skills good, even if not exceptionally special even for a seiyuu, and notes that both iterations are quite girlish.
- Iori – The author expresses strong respect for Kugyuu’s performance as Iori. Her appeal has increased significantly since the previous year, likely due to her contribution of strong seiyuu tones to various tracks. The author respects Iori as an all-star tsundere character in the making.
- Haruka – Nakamura Eriko’s performance is increasingly appreciated for its contribution not only to Haruka but also to the overall tonal quality of iM@S tracks. She is seen as a fitting “main character.”
- Yayoi – The author is increasingly impressed by Mayako Nigo’s ability to project herself as something else, showcasing the strength of the human spirit. Yayoi is acknowledged as occasionally cute, though these moments are deemed rare.
- Chihaya – While holding significant respect for Chihaya, the author finds the character less appealing upon closer examination, leading to a substantial drop in her ranking. This is primarily attributed to her limited vocal range, which the author does not particularly enjoy, and a perceived lack of exceptional skill from the seiyuu, Mingosu.
- Ami – Having separated Ami and Mami, Ami is placed towards the end of the list. While her character design is considered slightly more attractive than Iori’s, the author struggles to discern Ami’s unique qualities beyond what Mami already offers. Mami is seen as the adolescent, while Ami is the child, which may appeal to some. Musically, Ami sounds very similar to Mami. Asapon is noted as a charismatic seiyuu whose talent doesn’t fully translate to her character’s presentation, harmonizing perhaps too well with the group.
- Kotori – Kotori is ranked last because she is not considered a true iM@S idol, despite her occasional presence. The author enjoys her live show appearances and her limited spotlight in the anime. A Kotori DLC would be considered, unlike those for Dearly Stars or Miku versions. While she might warrant a higher rating, the author admits to often forgetting her when listing the cast.
PS. The author is currently working on “Seiyuu XCOM.” Classic mode is significantly more challenging than Normal, which is a welcome difficulty increase. Out of eight excursions, five slain voice actresses have been recorded in the memorial, along with one from the initial mission. Female names were chosen for all characters for ease of use and to avoid repeated names like OnoD or Shiraishi Minoru. Sq. Yumi Hara is the highest-ranked in the memorial with four kills, perishing from a floater attack. Conversely, Sumire Uesuka died without taking an alien down on the third mission. During Operation Bloody Giant, Rk. Hisako Kanemoto was the only survivor on the good guys’ side, while Rk. Aya Hisakawa and Sq. Aki Toyosaki died similarly, caught in smoke clouds, possibly due to defective grenades thrown by Cpl. Yuu Asakawa.
