ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION.

Penlights color the venue as fans cheer on their favorite idols.

Their eyes are on the members of IDOLiSH7, a male idol group.

The male idol anime genre has been gaining popularity in Japan.

Welcome to "BEYOND THE PERiOD!"

In 2023, a concert featuring 16 idols was turned into a feature film.

As of December 2023, over 1.6 million people have seen the film, pushing its box-office revenue to 2.8 billion yen.

The production team's focus is to make the idols feel as lifelike as possible.

We need to actually become idols!

The male idol genre of anime gained popularity in Japan in the 2010s.

So far, there have been over 20 feature films and 50 series - with most being adapted from smartphone games.

KING OF PRISM is a particularly groundbreaking work.

Are you okay? Am I heavy?

"No, I'm fine."

Audiences read along out loud in the theater!

What is your least favorite food?

"Tomato!" "Milk!"
"Cucumber!"

Why do fans go so wild for the genre?

Watch and find out in today's Male Idol Anime Special!

This is IDOLiSH7, an anime about a seven-member idol group.

IDOLiSH7 is a mixed-media project centered around a smartphone game released in 2015.

Just like real-life idols, the group has released CDs, music videos, and other media products.

Idols have been featured in advertisements, like this poster for makeup.

They have even covered magazines that typically feature actors and artists.

From the very beginning, producers aimed for a mixed-media project that felt real.

From the start, we managed the project
like an idol agency.

We made music videos
even before the game released.

We thought long and hard
about how to help our idols succeed.

Negishi hired a popular shojo manga artist to design the idols.

Tanemura Arina is best known for her work "Phantom Thief Jeanne."

Much of IDOLiSH7's target audience grew up as fans of Tanemura's work.

Each idol's visual look is based on their personality.

For Nanase Riku, the group's leader, Tanemura created a strong-willed, wide-eyed design.

Yotsuba Tamaki, the group's youngest member and pudding lover, was given a cool, mature look.

Fans love the detailed costumes and accessories Tanemura creates.

The members of IDOLiSH7 have a number in their name, a main color, and a musical symbol assigned to them.

I want idols to blend into everyday life.

Like if fans see the number three,
they might think of Mitsuki.

Each member also has a music symbol.

When fans see a symbol,
they think of an idol.

The TV anime based on the game began airing three years after its release.

Let's give everything we've got, right now!

Let's go!

Yeah!

The human drama follows idols as they chase their dreams.

The winner of the Black or White Music Fantasia
male idol category is...

IDOLiSH7!

Shimooka and Negishi came up with the concept of "idols you want to root for."

There aren't any specific messages
we're trying to express.

Fans root for the idols
as they overcome hardships.

The production team focused on each idol's emotional core.

After many meetings, the idols were given their own traits.

For example, here's honor student Izumi Iori.

During an important performance, Iori forgot the lyrics because he was worried about another member.

The writer asked, "What do idols do
when they make mistakes?"

Iori would probably run away.

He takes things seriously,
but never truly experienced failure.

Iori's a vulnerable idol.

People like me can relate
to the struggles idols experience.

Audiences can think about
what they would do in that situation.

The team's goal was to create realistic, relatable idols.

The best part is that each idol
has their own story.

Fans can't help but show their support.

The stories show them growing up
in realistic, interesting ways.

If I'm struggling at work or socially,

watching them overcome hardships
pushes me to keep trying.

Seven years since the game's release, Shimooka and Negishi introduced the world to an anime film unlike any other.

If I could create a place for the idols
to shine their brightest,

it would be a stage
for IDOLiSH7 to perform live.

While the TV anime focused on human drama, the 3D CG movie centers around a live concert.

In the film, a total of 16 members from IDOLiSH7 and three friendly rival groups take the stage one after another.

Each day of the two-day theater experience featured different set lists and on-stage banter.

The concert was produced by these two directors.

Nishikiori Hiroshi worked mainly on the concert performances.

Yamamoto Kensuke worked on the VFX and other technical aspects.

The directing duo was determined to make all 16 idols feel as realistic as possible.

Anime idols that exist in real life.

That's the main concept behind IDOLiSH7.

We produced it like a real concert,
so idol movement needed to be detailed.

To enhance realism, the idols are animated with motion capture technology.

Okuyama Keito both performs and creates the choreography.

He's been with the series for seven years.

We need to actually become idols!

If not, it would be disrespectful
to the idols performing.

Actors are given directions to help them bring out the unique personality of each idol.

Personalities are expressed through
speech and mannerisms.

Idols speak, emote, and dance different.

72 markers are used for motion capture.

10 markers on each hand capture the detailed hand movements important for expressing an idol's personality.

Actors must be present even when they aren't participating in on-stage banter.

In most concert footage, the camera
shows a close-up of the person speaking.

But for the IDOLiSH7 film, idols
move and interact in the background.

It makes it feel more realistic.

Costume designs also focused on realism.

For the film, two costumes were prepared for each of the 16 idols.

Nishikiori hired a real-life stylist so he could better express different materials in 3D CG.

I asked a stylist to select materials
for each design.

We then recreated those in CG.

We made lightweight material
look lightweight,

while heavy and shiny items
had metallic textures.

The CG team's focus on realism included furry textures and see-through clothing.

All to make the idols feel more realistic.

I wanted costumes that looked
ready-to-wear for actual idols.

I'm happy we achieved that.

The process required more steps
than regular CG model production.

That definitely increased the realism.

Their pursuit of reality led to this stage setting.

The team created a CG stage big enough to fit all 16 idols at once.

Just like a real concert, the team prepared sets for each song.

They even designed the sets to be moved on and off stage.

For an epic song about all that exists,

the director aimed to create a set that featured a large tree to symbolize the track.

When I saw the sketch, I had no idea
how he was going to make it work.

Where could they store a prop that big?

Eventually, the technique they used - was to form a tree using lights attached to drones.

Lights were placed inside drones wrapped in musical symbols.

We purposely made the drones
cut across the camera.

I'm sure some fans paused the video
to find each symbol.

To maintain a sense of realism, the production process differed from a typical anime.

Animated works are usually made
with the expectation everything is used.

That's why storyboards are essential.

But we didn't use storyboards.

Instead, we focused on capturing movement
that we discovered in the moment.

Directors filmed with multiple cameras in a virtual 3D CG space.

The team then chooses the best cuts to use.

Just like in a real concert, cameras capture the idols as they perform.

Some performances used more than 200 virtual cameras!

With a virtual production, directors are free to place and move cameras however they please.

Furthermore, Yamamoto and Nishikiori used VR headsets to enter the 3D area and film with handheld cameras.

The goal was to film
multiple subjects in one frame.

Automatic cameras can't frame idols
the way I want them to.

Handheld cameras are a must
for filming a subject in front and behind.

Handheld cameras helped make the performance feel real.

Some songs even required 30 takes to complete.

Editing down a lot of material in post-production is rare for an animated work, but necessary for realism.

Now, enjoy a live performance with camerawork that highlights the different movements of all 16 idols.

Eight years have passed since the original game was released.

Just like real idols, IDOLiSH7 performs at live venues across Japan.

Shows include a large screen for group shots, a smaller one for close-ups, and dynamic lighting and fire.

Ready to have fun?

The giant, 12-meter-wide screen always shows the idol's entire body.

And audiences react in real time.

Fans are free to focus on whatever part of the performance they want, just like an actual live show.

When you look at the stage,
they're really there!

We get to see them in person!

They're the reason I get up
and go to work each day.

I'm amazed we get to see idols
from the anime and game up on stage.

It's a dream come true!

They transcend dimensional borders.

Ever since I got into IDOLiSH7,

My family has told me
I look so happy!

The idols have enriched my life.

A new generation of idols breaking through the boundaries of animation.

Another popular anime group is quite different from IDOLiSH7.

KING OF PRISM by PrettyRhythm.

The action plays out in movie theaters.

KING OF PRISM's first theatrical release was in 2016.

Even now, seven years later, fans continue to flock to regularly held screenings.

It's encouraging to watch
the idols work so hard.

Stars that aim high
encourage and move us.

The world shines brighter
after leaving the theater.

In KING OF PRISM, friends take part in a competition to become "Prism Star" idols.

Shin, reveal everything that
lies in the bottom of your heart.

These three idols are supporting characters in another anime.

They appeared in the children's anime "Pretty Rhythm: Rainbow Live."

The group they formed in the show became popular among fans.

The film depicts their activities since then.

One standout scene is the Prism Show performance.

Wow, so this is Prism Show.

When idols do a "prism jump," the screen fills with glitter and turns into a sequence to excite fans.

Six Pack Core of Steel Wonder!

Director Hishida Masakazu shared some of the hardships they faced.

When it released,
we didn't sell many tickets.

Some theaters were completely empty
by the second week.

I really messed up. Reality hit hard.

I was so confident
we created something special.

However, things changed soon after.

I posted, "The theater run ends next week,
so see it while you can."

Lots of Pretty Rhythm fans
spread the word.

Some posts went viral.

"Honey shoots out from behind!"
"The idols become constellations!"

People who saw these posts
ended up going to see the film.

My infinite hugs with love!

Prism Show's outlandish fantasy was a hit online.

A viral post made me
want to see the movie.

I didn't understand it at first.

But eventually it becomes fun and
the world starts to look bright and shiny!

It changed my life.

I'm so grateful I found this film.

There are all kinds of ways to enjoy the theatrical experience.

Some fans bring penlights to cheer on their favorite idol,

others read out lines.

"No, I'm fine."

Love you.

Hishida added subtitles so the audience could directly interact with the idols.

"No, I'm fine."

"Here, eat some."

"Open wide."

Yum.

Some scenes include characters calling out to the audience.

There's something I want to share!

And the audience response?

There's something I want to share!

"What is it?"

Over The Rainbow's concert was...
The first Prism Show I saw in my life!

We recorded "What is it?" in the studio.

But we ended up removing it.

I knew the audience would reply.

These ideas came together to form a theatrical experience unlike any other.

You can't beat Kaduki.

"That's right!"
"Really?"

- Let's go.
- "What!?"

What is your least favorite food?

- "Tomato!" "Milk!" "Cucumber!"
- I guess celery?

Honestly, I didn't expect the audience
to react between regular lines.

I was very happily surprised!

For me, being a director
means pleasing the fans.

I'm glad I made the film.

KING OF PRISM, which was only in 12 theaters at one time,

ended up playing for a whole year in nearly 100 theaters.

Regular screenings have continued for eight years, becoming a special place for fans.

"See you next time!"

"I can't wait!"

KING OF PRISM's popularity has also reached South Korea.

"Only one LOVE!"

"Only one Hug!"

Positive online buzz led 100,000 people to theater screenings.

"Shin-chan! He's my favorite!
Prism! Angel!"

In South Korea, fans cheer in unison.

"Over the Sunshine! Ichijo Shin!"

One South Korean fan saw the film in theaters 70 times!

At first, I went because
I thought it looked fun,

but now I go to see friends.

Becoming a fan of KING OF PRISM
helped me make friends online.

Watching this movie
has eased the pain of reality.

For me, the existence of this film
is life itself.

It's a new way of life.

The fan connection is just as strong in Japan.

Everyone says, "See you tomorrow!"
and "Let's have fun today!"

That's how we became friends.

It all fills me with joy.

There's a special warmth
in the anime and its fans.

KING OF PRISM feels like home.

And at the end of each screening...

"Thank you, director!"

Everywhere I went,
fans said "Thank you!"

It was so strange.

I'm the one who wants
to tell them "Thank you!"

Remembering those moments
still makes me emotional.

Passionate production teams and devoted fans have packed the male idol anime genre with love.

What kind of joyful entertainment will come out next?