KANLen09

Idoly Pride X Budoukan, Uramichi Oniisan edition. Never thought that the mish-mesh of those formulas would work so well. Idol shows. You might've heard them aplenty, much less seen them in action, even if it's clips on YouTube showcasing how much of a juggernaut genre this is in Japan, and there is absolutely no shortage of them since it's a cultural phenomenon over in the Land of the Rising Sun. But, amongst the many copy-and-paste plans that have little to divide and stand out, how mangaka Hijiki Isoflavone managed to shine through with a story that sounds so typical, yet looks so paradox, is certainly baffling.And in the midst of a small following to the lot of you that watched this show, can most certainly say that you've enjoyed this in some capacity, this is my huge surprise in the lacklustre Summer 2022 season to say that I really enjoyed this. A LOT. And I'm not kidding. Usually, idol stories are just basically a bread-and-spread affair of repeating the tropes that the somewhat idol genre has been maligned for but not talked about a while lot, but in a very simple way, Hijiki Isoflavone incorporated 2 things: adulting, and the paranormal. And the adulting ranges from this boy pop duo ZINGS, which comprises of the youthful Kazuki Yoshino and the adult lazy-straightlaced Yuuya Niyodo. While Yoshino has a lot going for him with his looks and childlike voice that would be enough to earn big amounts of fans, Niyodo is the complete opposite with his darker, bass-like voice that just screams total laziness and uncharacteristic for the idol industry: a sloppy, half-assed personality and hostile behaviour towards his fans, that he is the plague of the duo whom just wanted enough to quit being an idol. The unique plot twist, is that Niyodo encounters another idol: the beloved and popular singer, 17-year-old Asahi Mogami, whose life was tragically cut short due to an accident, robbing her of her prime days of idoling. Having been dead for a year, she desperately wants to get back into the industry, but she has nowhere else to turn to being a ghost...and that's where Niyodo enters the scene with a clear win-win situation on Asahi possessing Niyodo, showcasing his vibrant side that definitely is a total 180 to shock fans with ease. This is the journey of Niyodo and Asahi as they venture through the lifeblood of the newbie, but fledgling ZINGS as the joining of forces between yesterday's real star and today's dirtbag, initiates the Phantom of the Idol's story and their rise to decent fame. On hindsight, a ghost and a living human for a comedy seems like a recipe for disaster, but how Hijiki Isoflavone weaved this intricate comedy can only best be described as a niche of sorts, very similar to Uramichi Oniisan. The story itself has some funny elements between Niyodo and Asahi, and each of them already had their charm from the get-go, that with the ghost possessing collaboration of an idol who's pretty much done with his job and the idol whom died but still wants to continue her legacy even after death, brings about the comedic tones that's just oh-so-perfect. Even more so with Yoshino being tagged along as the other half of ZINGS, try as hard as he might to convince the lazy, Uramichi Oniisan-influenced Niyodo to perform at his best, it depends on his mood to get over and deal with it, and that's already saying about his childlike voice that pleases the ears of the many. But don't go for a sec thinking that ZINGS are the only people that make up this show, because what makes it more engaging and entertaining are the side casts that amp up the insane comedy strikes that at times, can be a hit or miss. Manager Hitomi Shinano is the one that glues the duo together; the Niyodo (Hardcore, Happy Three Friends) Fan Club of Kasenjiki, Tsugiko and Shigutaro is a wild goose chase of having their post-night bar activities and analyzing each and every of Niyodo's actions and fantasizing to the insane degree. God I love the trio's unkempt dedication and endless praise to the dirtbag. And last but not least, where there's the main idol group, there'll be veteran groups, such as the case of the boy idol band Cgrass and its strange leader Hikaru Setouchi, whom has been the hardcore fan of Asahi's enough to sense the Phantom in Niyodo and clash the psychological battle of not being found out. Every character does at least make sense, from Niyodo's Uramichi Oniisan to Asahi's Idoly Pride, and the Niyodo Fan Club's Budoukan vibes giving the show its run for the comedy, which is definitely not for everyone, that it takes a certain level of people like you and me to enjoy the simplicity of a story that has the comedy driven in its own length of hilarity. I do feel that the need for CG in idol shows have since become the overrated usage, and this perception will not change for future idol shows going forward. Sadly, what Studio Gokumi has done here is only a touch above the average mean with somewhat mediocre but "acceptable" CGI for the dances, which to be honest, I would be happy if it didn't came with it just to save a measure of the insanely expensive anime production cost. Elsewhere, everything here just seems like an ordinary low-tier show that has been given a relatively small budget to work with since the anime didn't really set on fire for being just your oh-so-typical idol show with a unique twist, that come what may, will not change the perception of the majority out there. It's just alright and serviceable for a standard such as this. But where Kami Kuzu☆Idol really shines is in its songs, which is for the par of course, its own set of songs that have been curated for this sole purpose. Both Fumiya Imai and Shun Horie did a knockout job on their part as the main duo ZINGS of Niyodo and Yoshino respectively, given that the former is best well-known for Given's supporting boy Hiiragi Kashima and the latter, one of my favourite characters in a while: Dragon, Ie wo Kau.'s scaredy-cat dragon Letty (and KanoKari's simp Kazuya unfortunately). Even Nao Touyama as Asahi Mogami has had her share of fun being the ghost idol and also with one of her ED songs. Speaking of the OST, ZINGS's OP, holy wowsers is it very catchy and fun to listen to, and I'd be glad to put this amazing song on repeat for days on end, definitely one of my top OPs of the season. The many scores of ED songs range from decent to good, and I'm fine with all of them either way for a different mesh that serves up "bang"s (though not to the point of banger). All in all, I still thought that Kami Kuzu☆Idol a.k.a Phantom of the Idol would've been an underappreciated show, given the many tropes and its kinda lackluster freestyle way of storytelling. But this is part of the charm why this show works, and I for one, as mentioned in the beginning, embraced it and came out with a smile on my face. Maybe not the show that I would remember a season or 2 after it finishes, but all I can say is: thank you Kami Kuzu☆Idol for lighting up my sweltering Summer 2022 seasonal run, that despite the short 10-episode runtime, I didn't feel like I've wasted my time watching a show that's for the very niche. And even if you come out with a different feeling that this show isn't so much worth your time, if you just wanna chill out to idols and ghost possessions, the wacky comedy style, it'll do. Let's ZING! ZING for Smile!

Stormy_77

Went into this expecting an anime type treatment of Idol anime mash-up with Phantom of the Opera and was pleasantly surprised to find there was something new and different in this story with a lot of heart. Animation - Sub Par - 5/10 Let's get the bad news out of the way first. The CGI 2D/3D animation is a little wonky and not great. The high water mark of 2D rotoscope or motion capture would be Yuri on Ice, and possibly Dance Dance Danseur. This anime is maybe 30% of that. It's visible and obviously not the best. The only good thing I can say is theyat least got the dancing right, plus it's ULTRA obvious the Yoshino dancer guy is a much better dancer than Niyodo, he's got all the right flourishes at the right places to give that extra Oomph to a dance performance. Kudos to him! So the animation is a problem but the character designs are great. Asahi (the ghost) is personable and cute, Yoshino is adorable and Niyodo is the tall, handsome one. In short, good character designs, rotoscope but animation could have been handled better at least to Idolish 7 standard. Music / OST - Slightly above Mid - 6/10 Music wise all the songs are nice and catchy, but not necessarily memorable. I'd dance to them if they came on though. Story and Characters - 8/10. The story and characters are where this anime breaks new ground. Character wise, we have Niyodo who became an idol because he was lazy and wanted a way to make a quick buck. He makes no bones about being what he is but that's not the normal mold of idols, which Asahi and Yoshino fit. They try their best to get him to at least like his career, which is what good friends do because his initial wave slave mentality was honestly off-putting at the start. Still, it's refreshing to actually see an introvert succeed as an idol with support from his partner, management and fans. Where this anime shines is in its examination of fans, FANDOM and all that entails, good AND bad. Obsessive fans. Stalkers. Haters. Devoted ones with high expectations. Idols having zero break or privacy as everything these days is instant news. Where does one draw the line between work and private time? What is the true cost of success if an idol has to have a "fake persona" to please fans 24/7? These and other themes are explored in a non judgmental, light-hearted manner that still gives the viewer plenty of food for thought. And of course, the shining stars and best part of this anime were the "nerd" fans. They were LIFE!! The nerd fans provided so much comedy I wanted another season just so I can vicariously "squeee" and be FANS with them. The Calendar episode had me in stitches. It's hard not to identify with some aspect of those fans as there are some bands I was 100% fan-girling at so I really identified with them and they're the real reason I enjoyed this anime so much. Recommended if you like Idol and Music Anime, with a message that is subtle but wholesome.