Ensemble Stars!

Yumenosaki Academy has been home to the best boy idols of different generations. Holding immense influence over the school, its student council maintains the status quo by enforcing old traditions with an iron fist. Transfer student Anzu winds up attending as the very first member in the production course, making her the sole female student in the entire school. There, she meets Subaru Akehoshi, Hokuto Hidaka, Mao Isara, and Makoto Yuuki—her classmates and of the idol unit "Trickstar."

The academy holds Dream Idol Festivals—stage battles that put its students' singing and dancing skills against each other, with the audience voting on the winner. Winning these "DreFes" guarantees the of the idol unit various privileges and prestige. However, with the student council intervening and punishing everyone involved in an unsanctioned DreFes, the of Trickstar find that they can no longer sit around and let it continue. Alongside Anzu as their producer, they plot to become the revolutionaries of the academy.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Isara, Mao Main

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Akehoshi, Subaru Main

Kakihara, Tetsuya Japanese

Hidaka, Hokuto Main

Maeno, Tomoaki Japanese

Yuuki, Makoto Main

Morikubo, Shoutarou Japanese

Anzu Main

Sakamoto, Maaya Japanese

Kagehira, Mika ing

Oosuka, Jun Japanese

Sakuma, Rei ing

Masuda, Toshiki Japanese

Sakuma, Ritsu ing

Yamashita, Daiki Japanese

Tsukinaga, Leo ing

Asanuma, Shintaro Japanese

Sena, Izumi ing

Itou, Masami Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Kasama, Nobutaka Producer

Otokawa, Masashi Producer

Munemura, Kanae Producer

Reviews

Jul 24, 2022

eairotome

Recommended

Before I start anything, I will need to warn you that you wouldn't like Ensemble stars if you are not used to watching anime that has so many male characters with few (or no) female characters, like Touken Ranbu or Hakuouki. But if you don't mind it, welcome! This is the right place for you. And I would like to assure you that Ensemble Stars is s not some cheesy reverse harem anime like Diabolik Lovers (I am not criticizing DiaLovers, I have played it and I actually enjoyed it.)
I have only known Ensemble Stars (ES) only when the game was released in English ver. ... And I came running to the anime because I can't catch up anything they were saying in the game. I did not even know who Akehoshi (the main character of ES anime) was.
To be honest, I did not have much expectation for the anime since the ratings were not very good and the poster looks kinda lame. But how wrong I was.
The most notable thing about ES is its characters. All characters are so, so lovable. And I don't mean just their looks. They are all written very well and they stay true to their characters until the end. And their bonds are also something to ire. The anime focus on not only the main unit, Trickstar but also on various other units. And what is mesmerizing is that they all have some reason or intent behind their actions. I really don't like characters who are moving in a certain way only for the sake of the plot, like the villainesses from old shoujo animes or mangas. Since the characters are written so well, the storyline flows naturally and I must say the plot is interesting enough for an Idol anime.
Secondly, their songs are amazing. Well, you might say it is to be expected since it is an idol anime. But really they are s good. And they fit the image of their respective units perfectly( My personal favourite is Valkyrie). Bonus point is that they are sung by the voice actors themselves.
Speaking of voice actors, I already noticed this since the game but the line up in ES is first rate. I can grantee that you will have a good time watching ES if you are a Seiyuu (Voice actors) fan.
I must say I really enjoyed watching it. The story, the characters, the voice actors and the songs. The only thing I have to point out is the 3D for the lives. They are bad and I mean it, they really are. Even the ones in ES game is better. However, the 3D scenes are really rare so it doesn't really affect your enjoyment.
Ensemble stars is a really good anime that potrays youth with a perfect balance between friendship and deception.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Aug 13, 2023

avianzz

Mixed Feelings

Ensemble Stars is fine as an anime adaptation, but the experience will be screwed up depending on if you've read any of the stories before the anime. The anime is more like it's for fans rather than to bring in newcomers.

If you're a fan of Ensemble Stars previously, this is a great anime, and you'll enjoy seeing who you produce sing and dance. If you're new to the franchise, this is a terrible entry into it, as it poorly represents the characters in the franchise. You will probably misunderstand the character's motives and personalities.

If you want to get into Enstars, here's the deal - ... Don't start with the anime. *That is a major mistake.* I started with the anime and I still have major misconceptions about some of the characters, and I have been a fan since 2019. Read the story translations first. I recommend reading the main story, the war, and maybe 1 or 2 other ones that interest you because they include a character or unit you like. THEN come back and watch the anime. Then the experience will be genuinely good. You can also get the mobile rhythm game but know that it is from a different 'era' of Enstars. The anime is in the '!' era, while the current game is in the '!!' era. So some characters and the stories won't line up with the anime.

If you still want to watch the anime first, then you can do that. Just read some of the stories soon after if the anime interested you in the franchise at all.

Basically - The anime is good. Just have prior knowledge of the franchise and it'll be great.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jul 6, 2022

midotetoshino

Not Recommended

As a long time fan of the Ensemble Stars franchise, I enjoyed this anime a lot. Simply getting to see the characters I love moving around in anime format was great, and it was very fun sharing in the hype with my fellow fans. HOWEVER. The anime as a whole when looking past my love for the franchise was very poorly done. I understand that they were trying to give every character from the game screen time but considering that they were trying to showcase the main story of the original game- which is extremely meaty- it just didn't work out very well. The main ... plotline is nowhere near as compelling as it is in the game- and maybe I only felt that way because I was experiencing it for a second time- but I think it really missed the mark. As for the tiny portion of the giant pool of in-game events that were chosen to be adapted into the anime... Well let's just say it's done worse than the main plot. They literally just shoved bits and pieces of the events in, and although a few got full episodes such as Ryuseitai's Supernova event from the game, they are missing important details and even major plot points. All in all, I wouldn't recommend this anime unless you are already an Enstars fan. If you want to get into the franchise and don't know where to start, the Ensemble Stars Wiki is a great place. From there I suggest looking up translations of the stories and/or ing the new English version of the game.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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