The Idolmaster is a series of raising simulation and rhythm video games created by Namco Bandai Games (formerly Namco). Its first game premiered in Japan in 2005 as an arcade game, and the series has grown to numerous ports, sequels and spin-offs across multiple video game consoles, including three social network games. While the series is largely only available in Japan, the three versions of The Idolmaster Shiny Festa were localized into English and released worldwide on iOS. The Idolmaster series has spawned many works in other media including anime, manga, novels, radio shows and drama CDs.
In addition to the video game series, the stand-alone anime series Idolmaster: Xenoglossia has its own manga and novel adaptations, and the manga series Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster later inspired an anime series and drama CDs. The music releases in the series include over 100 albums and singles with songs sung by the voice actors from the games. Many of the music releases feature the songs in remix versions in different arrangements. The Idolmaster had earned over 10 billion yen in music CD and concert sales as of 2013. Various companion books for the games and anime adaptations have also been released which include detailed walkthroughs for the games and art collections.
Video games
Each game in the main series deals with the training of prospective pop idols on their way to stardom. The main talent agency featured in the series is 765 Production, and other studios introduced in later games include 876 Production featured in The Idolmaster Dearly Stars, and 961 Production originally introduced in The Idolmaster SP, but which later returns in The Idolmaster 2. While the first set of games are set in the same timeline up to and including The Idolmaster SP, a separate timeline is introduced in The Idolmaster Dearly Stars, the first game in the franchise's next stage called "2nd Vision", which was described as The Idolmasters next project that would further expand the series' world. As the series progressed, two social network games were developed: The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls in 2011 and The Idolmaster Million Live! in 2013; both games feature a card battle system and together introduced over 100 additional idols. A third social network game was developed in 2014 titled The Idolmaster SideM, which also features a card battle system and only contains male idols.
Game Japanese release date The Idolmaster July 26, 2005 Notes: Released on Namco System 246 arcade system board Also released on Xbox 360 with improvements and additions on January 25, 2007 The Idolmaster Happening Location 2005 Notes: Released on feature phones The Idolmaster Live For You! February 28, 2008 Notes: Released on Xbox 360 Also released in the two-game collection The Idolmaster Twins with The Idolmaster on March 12, 2009 The Idolmaster SP February 19, 2009 Notes: Released on PlayStation Portable Three versions were released: Perfect Sun, Missing Moon and Wandering Star The Idolmaster Dearly Stars September 17, 2009 Notes: Released on Nintendo DS The Idolmaster Mobile December 21, 2010 Notes: Released on feature phones sold by au, NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank via browser The Idolmaster 2 February 24, 2011 Notes: Released on Xbox 360 Also available on PlayStation 3 The Idolmaster Gravure For You! October 27, 2011 – June 28, 2012 Notes: Released on PlayStation 3 Nine volumes were released: The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls November 28, 2011 Notes: Released on Android and iOS via the Mobage platform Also released as an Android app on November 16, 2014 and an iOS app on November 25, 2014 The Idolmaster Mobile i March 30, 2012 Notes: Released as an iOS app The Idolmaster Live in Slot May 23, 2012 Notes: Released on pachinko The Idolmaster Shiny Festa October 25, 2012 Notes: Released on PlayStation Portable Three versions were released: Honey Sound, Funky Note and Groovy Tune Also released on iOS and localized into English on April 22, 2013 The iOS versions have different titles: Honey Sound became Harmonic Score, Funky Note became Rhythmic Record and Groovy Tune became Melodic Disc Also released on PlayStation 3 with the three versions bundled together under the title The Idolmaster Shiny TV The Idolmaster Million Live! February 27, 2013 Notes: Released on Android, iOS, and feature phones sold by au, NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank via the GREE platform Also released as an Android app on October 21, 2014 The game's service was discontinued on March 19, 2018 The Idolmaster SideM February 28, 2014 Notes: Released on Android and iOS via the Mobage platform The game's service was discontinued on January 5, 2023 The Idolmaster One For All May 15, 2014 Notes: Released on PlayStation 3 The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls Gravure For You! April 23, 2015 – February 25, 2016 Notes: Released on PlayStation 3 Nine volumes were released: The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage September 3, 2015 Notes: Released on Android and iOS The Idolmaster Must Songs December 10, 2015 Notes: Released on PlayStation Vita Crossover game with the Taiko no Tatsujin series The Idolmaster Platinum Stars July 28, 2016 Notes: Released on PlayStation 4 The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Viewing Revolution October 13, 2016 Notes: Released on PlayStation 4 with PlayStation VR The Idolmaster Million Live!: Theater Days June 29, 2017 Notes: Released on Android and iOS The Idolmaster SideM: Live on Stage! August 29, 2017 Notes: Released on Android and iOS The game's service was discontinued on August 31, 2021
Anime
Title Release dates Idolmaster: Xenoglossia April 4, 2007 – September 24, 2007 Notes: A 26-episode anime television series produced by Sunrise which re-imagines the idols from The Idolmaster as fighter pilots for mecha The Idolmaster Live For You! February 28, 2008 Notes: A 17-minute original video animation (OVA) episode produced by Actas Included in the limited edition of The Idolmaster Live For You! game The Idolmaster July 8, 2011 – December 23, 2011 Notes: A 25-episode anime television series adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures An OVA episode was released on June 16, 2012 The Idolmaster Shiny Festa October 25, 2012 Notes: A three-episode OVA series by A-1 Pictures The episodes were bundled with the three The Idolmaster Shiny Festa games Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster January 1, 2013 – March 29, 2013 Notes: Based on the manga by Akane A 64-episode original net animation series produced by Gathering An OVA episode was bundled with ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Maoh magazine in October 2012 The Idolmaster Movie: Beyond the Brilliant Future! January 25, 2014 Notes: A theatrical anime film adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures Puchimas!! Puchi Puchi Idolmaster April 1, 2014 – June 30, 2014 Notes: Based on the manga by Akane A 74-episode original net animation series produced by Gathering The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls January 10, 2015 – October 16, 2015 Notes: A 25-episode anime television series adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures An OVA episode was released on February 25, 2016. The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls Theater April 4, 2017 – June 25, 2019 Notes: Based on the manga The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Cinderella Girls Theater in The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls video game. The Idolmaster SideM October 7, 2017 – December 30, 2017 Notes: A 13-episode anime television series adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures The Idolmaster SideM Wake Atte Mini! October 9, 2018 – December 25, 2018 Notes: Based on the manga by Sumeragi A 15-episode anime television series produced by Zero-G The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls U149 April 6, 2023 Notes: A 13-episode anime television series adaptation produced by CygamesPictures based on 2016 manga The Idolmaster Million Live! October 8, 2023 Notes: A 12-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Shirogumi based on 2013 game The Idolmaster Shiny Colors 2024 Notes: A 24-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Polygon Pictures based on 2018 game and 2019 manga
Radio shows There have been 15 radio shows for The Idolmaster hosted by the voice actors of the idols from the video games and anime adaptations, five of which are still ongoing. While two of the shows have been broadcast on traditional radio channels, with the advent of the Internet, the remaining 13 have been distributed online. Used primarily to promote the franchise, 12 of the shows are for the video games and the remaining three are for the anime adaptations Idolmaster: Xenoglossia (2007), The Idolmaster (2011) and Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster (2013). Many of the shows have later been released on CD compilation volumes.
Title Release dates The Idolmaster Radio April 9, 2006 – July 26, 2009 Notes: Hosted by Chiaki Takahashi (Azusa Miura) and Asami Imai (Chihaya Kisaragi) Broadcast 173 episodes on Radio Osaka Released by Nippon Columbia on seven CDs Radio de Aima Show! April 27, 2006 – October 25, 2007 Notes: Hosted by Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami), Asami Imai (Chihaya Kisaragi), Yurika Ochiai (Yukiho Hagiwara) and Mayako Nigo (Yayoi Takatsuki) Broadcast 79 episodes online on Animate TV Released by Frontier Works on 10 CDs Haruka to Yayoi no Yayoishiki Radio March 9, 2007 – February 22, 2008 Notes: Hosted by Yuka Iguchi (Haruka Amami) and Ami Koshimizu (Yayoi Takatsuki) Broadcast 51 episodes online on Lantis Web Radio, Beat Net Radio! and Nifty Released by Lantis on two CDs Radio show for Idolmaster: Xenoglossia Web Radio Shopping Master March 23, 2007 – July 27, 2007 Notes: Hosted by Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami), Akiko Hasegawa (Miki Hoshii) and Asami Shimoda (Ami and Mami Futami) Broadcast 18 episodes online on the marketplace section of the official The Idolmaster website The Idolmaster Radio For You! November 28, 2007 – September 24, 2008 Notes: Hosted by Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami), Asami Imai (Chihaya Kisaragi) and Mayako Nigo (Yayoi Takatsuki) Broadcast 45 episodes online on Animate TV Released by Frontier Works on six CDs Radio show for The Idolmaster Live For You! The Idolmaster P.S. Producer October 15, 2008 – September 16, 2009 Notes: Hosted by Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami) and Akiko Hasegawa (Miki Hoshii) Broadcast 49 episodes online on Animate TV Released by Frontier Works on four CDs Radio show for The Idolmaster SP Dearly Station July 11, 2009 – August 31, 2009 Notes: Hosted by Kana Hanazawa (Eri Mizutani), Haruka Tomatsu (Ai Hidaka) and Yuuko Sanpei (Ryō Akizuki) Broadcast five episodes online on Niconico's channel Tarukitei Radio show for The Idolmaster Dearly Stars The Idolmaster Station!! August 2, 2009 – March 31, 2013, October 8, 2014 – October 10, 2018 Notes: Hosted by Manami Numakura (Hibiki Ganaha), Yumi Hara (Takane Shijō), Asami Imai (Chihaya Kisaragi) (Broadcasts 1-88) and Azumi Asakura (Yukiho Hagiwara) (Broadcasts 89–192) Broadcast 192 episodes on Radio Osaka Released by Nippon Columbia on seven CDs This radio show was revived on October 8, 2014, replacing The Idolm@ster Station!!+, with Manami Numakura, Yumi Hara and Azumi Asakura as the hosts. Radio de Aima Star October 8, 2009 – March 31, 2011 Notes: Hosted by Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami), Mayako Nigo (Yayoi Takatsuki) and Akiko Hasegawa (Miki Hoshii) Broadcast 74 episodes online on Animate TV Released by Frontier Works on three CDs Aima Studio April 8, 2011 – ongoing Notes: Hosted by Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami) and Asami Imai (Chihaya Kisaragi) Broadcast online on Hibiki Radio Station Radio show for The Idolmaster anime series Radio de Aima Chu!! April 21, 2011 – November 27, 2014 Notes: Hosted by Mayako Nigo (Yayoi Takatsuki), Asami Shimoda (Ami and Mami Futami) and Akiko Hasegawa (Miki Hoshii) Broadcast online on Animate TV Released by Frontier Works on five CDs Dere Raji! August 30, 2012 – ongoing Notes: Hosted by Ayaka Ōhashi (Uzuki Shimamura), Ayaka Fukuhara (Rin Shibuya) and Haruka Yoshimura (Mika Jōgasaki) Broadcast online on Niconico's Hibiki Radio Station channel