yellowheartren

First things first, let's state the obvious: DreamFes is an idol anime based on a videogame, with a sprinkle of magical boys, in 12 episodes. If you've considered that and have your expectations set accordingly - good. We can also get two things right out of the way: it won't win any award for the story or the overall visuals. Personally, I wouldn't call either of those mediocre, in fact in my opinion, the efforts can, at the very least, be seen, and that's enough to rate of both of them above the completely neutral "meh" middle ground. Ok, so it's an idol anime, whatabout the idols then? That's one part where I think the anime rises above the average. The main cast consists of five characters, and unlike in some other anime of the genre, they actually are distinct individuals. It might not be painfully obvious right from the start, but as the story unfolds and we get to know them all, it actually becomes clear that they're not just five blanks with different looks. I dare say they aren't even necessarily the usual archetypes, either. It's not only in their back stories and motivations, but it's also visible in how they relate to and deal with each other and with problems life throws at them. Even the supporting characters have their own personalities, and while many of them only have a few appearances throughout the season (consider the constraints of 12 episodes), it manages to shine through quite nicely. They're all loveable (or not, though I don't think there's a single character here that deserves hate) for different reasons, and that's awesome. What's also worth noting in regards to the characters is the fact that most of the VAs are rookies. It's not hard to pick up on at first, and it may be weird and annoying. But hey, everyone's had to start somewhere, and honestly, even if they didn't get any better throughout the season, they grow on you. Well, what about the music, then? I think it's great. If you're into Japanese pop / idol music in general, of course, but that's common sense. Coming from the game, where it's the main point (it is a rhythm game, after all), it's no surprise that those songs we can hear in the anime, some of which we can even see being "born", are actually mostly quite strong. Totally radio-friendly, of course, either inspirational or emotional (or both), with the usual awkwardness of Engrish here and there - which you've already learnt to love if you're here for this kind of music. And the way the story goes, we learn the meaning of the songs, the stories behind them, which I do believe can important to be able to enjoy music in general. It turns the songs personal in relation to whoever makes it, but at the same time it also gives a way to relate to them, which doesn't have to be exclusive, but is certainly a nice extra. This sounds like a very good anime! And it really is, probably the most underrated one of the season. Doesn't seem like much at first glance, but once you get into it... The story manages to remain real (or as real as it can be, of course, within the genre limits), almost mundane, in a way, which I believe is an awesome feat. The way the boys interact, the things they have to face and the ways they deal with them: it's actually believable. Even the fanservice parts, whether humorous or of an entirely different nature, felt more organic than in many other anime, more believable details of whatever is going on than things just tacked on as an afterthought. Then of course there are the "magical" elements, the way the idols transform once on stage: it's a cool extra addition that makes the anime a little unique. And it also plays into how the stage performances are rendered 3D graphics: not of any eye-watering quality, for sure, but the thing here is the fact that it's taken over from the game, where we see this same animation style, so it's another way to tie them together. It's unusual at first and takes some time getting used to, and some may never like it at all, but it's worth remembering that it isn't a gimmick without a reason. All in all: DreamFes is a very good anime, one of those that may just be greater than the sum of their parts. Almost like an underdog, really, and it's rather incredible that it comes in as a timid, shy, ordinary little thing, and then manages to exceed the expectations. That's truly all I can say, it's simply underrated. I'm convinced that it could be an instant favourite of many of the genre's fans, at the very least.

RESOLVING_POWER

I watched both seasons of Dream Festival. Here are my thoughts: This is basically male Aikatsu. Surprisingly good direction. Drama is handled well sometimes. At times there was definitely some 'forced drama' (forgive me for using this phrase), but it's a male idol show so I basically expected that. Forced drama and corniness comes with the territory (keep in mind the target audience demographic of this kind of show). I don't necessarily dislike forced drama but I will acknowledge it when I see it. In any case, the anime did a decent job of achieving the 'emotional rollercoaster' effect that I often enjoy in idol shows suchas this. Richer characterization than expected, especially with consideration for cast size. Most episodes had some element of character development within them, which is something I perceive as being a major strong point. The cast is fairly likable as well. There was occasionally some shounen-ai subtext between characters, but it wasn't prominent. I would have expected more of that kind of thing from an anime like this actually. Not a negative or positive thing, just a neutral observation. Idol songs themselves are good and the background OST is decent too. I notably enjoyed the voice acting of some of the characters (Yuuto and Chizuru). Over-the-top tacky idol outfits, just like Aikatsu! Warning: CGI is used for the dance scenes. The character designs are very simplistic, probably to make CGI easier. Animation quality is serviceable at best. Art style is quite bland and lacking in detail. Visually, the production seems low budget. My rating: 7/10 Overall, this anime is surprisingly good for a low-budget low-viewership ONA associated with a video game. It did everything I'd expect from a male idol show and I felt satisfied with its performance. I wish there were more seasons. I would have rated this higher if the drama was executed a little better or if I liked the characters a little more; that's not to imply that the anime did poorly in either of those regards though. I'm a huge sucker for idol shows that depict the more realistic/harder/behind-the-scenes aspects of working as an idol. This show does this fairly well, in addition to its other positive qualities. My expectations going into this were admittedly low, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. I really like idol anime though so I might be biased.