It’s the signs of the times. When you reinterpret the glittering future of idol life in 2026, with the words of a 2014 film, you don’t get a masterpiece from A1 Pictures or Trigger or Cloverworks, you get something like a bunch of heroines in a, uh, school? My Idol Academia can’t be this light-novel coded. My little sister…uh, what is the equivalent to a buttery lobster here? The tsundere is too dere and tsun?

In the second numbering concert for the sub-brand, Gakuen IDOLM@STER hauled out its budding-star lineup once more and put on a great performance. It’s getting absurdly good by josei seiyuu standards that I think the show itself has aspects that can stand alone. Forget that it has a video game (and it’s even fun, I mean, who doesn’t like Slay the Spire). Just watch Yukari Amane’s MY STAGE performance and let me know how you think? Actually, watch the music video and the vtuber version of each first if you have the time. Seriously, I want to know what people think.

In a grab bag situation with over a dozen heroines, do you even need the rest of the media mix? I guess so, because it’s how everything is put together. But first, links.

Setlist day 1. Setlist day 2. Playlists for each day. Official announcement posts day 1 and day 2. AP Kasshi teamed up with Aarin on day 1’s after stream. Day 2’s after stream link. Asobi Stage link for the actual streams. IM@S-DB (also ez links to xR HIF selection show last month). My quick takes here.