The iDOLM@STER SideM Episode 2

This week we finally got a chance to learn a bit about all of the units in this agency, and I must say, it’s quite a diverse one. Currently Jupiter are the only ones who have debuted (so to speak) because they have name recognition, and the rest; Dramatic Stars, Beit, HighxJoker, S.E.M are currently all trainees. What is so particularly facinating however is just how diverse this group’s background is. From highschool students, to cashiers to teachers to doctors, the age group is absolutely all over the place. My biggest shock however are of course the adults. I am absolutely curious about just how and where in the world did Producer even scout them in the first place? We already know Producer could recruit someone which no such hint of wanting to be an idol such as Teru, or he might find some performers at mini concerts and festivals. It can go either way.

In the past two episodes, we were introduced Jupiter and Dramatic Stars, so this week we were given a tiny bit of details about them (the bare minimum, really). Let’s start off with Beit: An interesting trio who strike me as the mellow boys of the bunch. The blond, Pierre is apparently a prince from a foreign country… so there’s that. HighxJoker is made out of a group of five high-school students, and S.E.M. are all teachers.

However of all the groups, it seems Dramatic Stars are still having a difficult time meshing together due to Kaoru’s unwillingness to work with others. Although he showed us today he can be kind to others, the problem here is that he would either prefer to be in an entirely different group altogether, or go solo. And now since we know his former occupation was a Doctor, it only makes me wonder even more about why he is the way he is. (Speaking of which, all three of Dramatic Stars members had high profile jobs! A former lawyer, pilot, and doctor!)

The one thing that struck me me the most today, was how Producer didn’t exactly give them concrete instructions. When it came to the photo-shoot session, not one of them understood what this photo-shoot was going to be for. Most of them assumed this was going to be for auditions, so they need to be flashy so they could stand out. And yet despite the lack of cohesion, outdated and silly outfits, Producer didn’t tell them to get changed, and instead allowed to them be photographed as they were. However in the end, because the pictures looked so bad, they had to schedule a re-shoot. This time, Producer gave them an idea to work with, telling them their concept should revolve around how they want to be perceived as idols. What kind of group at they? What kind of personalities do they have? That sort of thing. The final result was a lot more basic than I could have possibility imagined, and that was to simply be themselves. The concept of their group on the other hand, will be saved for another day.

Overall, I would say this episode was a bit too corny for my tastes, but I know better that this is what to be expected from this series. The OP Song “Reason” is absolutely fantastic, I look forward to the episode when we get to see them perform it on stage!