History Anime / TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls

* OddCouple: The cute cat idol Miku and cool rock idol Riina are a unit in this series. They spend their first moments together in an adversarial relationship, which is noted by the others.
** Ranko and Koume. The latter see the [[SacredDarkness beauty in darkness]] and is scare of horror stuff. The former loves zombies and see ghosts. Yet the two are good friends and love working with each other.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: In both seasons, there were situations that spiraled out of control primarily because no actual communication was done between aggrieved parties.
** [[spoiler:The antics and idol strike led by Miku in Episode 5]] could have been avoided if the Producer was more forthcoming he was pressuring his superiors to let all members of the Cinderella Project to have their musical debuts. [[TheStoic His]] [[PoorCommunicationKills poor communication skills]] made it seem he was rejecting all their ideas and suggestions, when in reality he was resistant because there were things already in mind for them.
** The circumstances behind [[spoiler:Uzuki's emotional meltdown at the end of the second season]] could have been mitigated or outright avoided had Rin been more upfront and less vague about her reasons for joining Project Krone. Had she clarified her reasons properly, Mio probably wouldn't have stormed off to go solo and pursue an acting career, [[spoiler: though her reason for doing so is so that she'd understand what Rin was feeling at the time.]] [[DisasterDominoes This eventually culminated in]] [[spoiler:Uzuki questioning ''her own'' reasons for being an idol in the first place.]]
** Alternatively, the above conflict ''could'' have been averted had all three idols actually [[PoorCommunicationKills just taken the time to sit down and speak to each other about their issues, just like what Anya and Minami did,]] which was what Rin tried to do but failed thanks to Mio storming off before she could even finish. See BrokenBase under the YMMV tab for the anime for more details.

** A more direct example of this is Cheiri playing ''[[ThemeTuneCameo Shine]]'' on a ''VideoGame/TaikoDrumMaster'' arcade machine.

* VitriolicBestBuds: After living together for a week to better understand one another in Episode 11, Miku and Riina became this; while they still bicker, they both have respect for the others quirks. In fact, the others know the two care for one another when they do bicker. So when the two act extra nice to one another in episode 19, they know something is wrong.

*** Ranko is the sole member of Rosenberg Engel, though she is frequently grouped with Love Laika after Episode 12. This extended into the Character [=CDs=] and ''Starlight Stage'', where Ranko is unofficially considered the "extra" member of Love Laika. On the original CD for the 3rd LIVE, which contains solo covers of each Cinderella Project member singing her unit's song, she instead sings Memories, though this may partly be due to the fact that her unit's song is already a solo piece.

* DarkerAndEdgier: While the first season had their drama, the second deals with the girls struggling to maintain their idol status after the major company change up. On the flipside, the show is very much filled with idealism and optimism.

** Chieri turns blue in episode 14, when she sees a mysterious shadow behind the Producer.

** Alternatively, the above conflict ''could'' have been averted had all three idols actually [[PoorCommunicationKills just took the time to sit down and speak to each other about their issues, just like what Anya and Minami did,]] which was what Rin tried to do but failed thanks to Mio storming off before she could even finish. See BrokenBase under the YMMV tab for the anime for more details.

** The circumstances behind [[spoiler:Uzuki's emotional meltdown at the end of the second season]] could have been mitigated or outright avoided had Rin been more upfront and less vague about her reasons for joining Project Krone. Had she clarified her reasons properly, Mio probably wouldn't have stormed off to go solo and pursue an acting career after this, [[spoiler: though her reason for doing so is so that she'd understand what Rin was feeling at the time.]] [[DisasterDominoes This eventually culminated in]] [[spoiler:Uzuki questioning ''her own'' reasons for being an idol in the first place.]]

** The circumstances behind [[spoiler:Uzuki's emotional meltdown at the end of the second season]] could have been mitigated or outright avoided had Rin talked to ''both'' Uzuki and Mio about Mishiro's offer, rather than just Uzuki. Because she left Mio in the dark about her decision, it led to Mio storming off on her own to try her hand at stage acting, [[DisasterDominoes which eventually culminated in]] [[spoiler:Uzuki questioning ''her own'' reasons for being an idol in the first place.]]

** The circumstances behind [[spoiler:Uzuki's emotional meltdown at the end of the second season]] could have been mitigated or outright avoided had a) Rin talked to ''both'' Uzuki and Mio about Mishiro's offer, rather than just Uzuki. Because she left Mio in the dark about her decision, it led to Mio storming off on her own to try her hand at stage acting, [[DisasterDominoes which eventually culminated in]] [[spoiler:Uzuki questioning ''her own'' reasons for being an idol in the first place.]]

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: [[spoiler:The antics and idol strike led by Miku in Episode 5]] could have been avoided if the Producer was more forthcoming he was pressuring his superiors to let all members of the Cinderella Project to have their musical debuts. [[TheStoic His]] [[PoorCommunicationKills poor communication skills]] made it seem he was rejecting all their ideas and suggestions, when in reality he was resistant because there were things already in mind for them.

* AlternateContinuity: While overall the same, certain aspects are change for the anime. For example, while Rin, Nao and Karen were friends in the game before becoming idol, they three didn't become this until they enter the idol business. Also, the anime created much deeper relationship with certain idols like Anya and Minami and Riina and Miku. Units were also created specifically for the anime as noted in CanonForeigner while others in the game don't exist.

* WhamEpisode: In Episode 20, [[spoiler: both Rin and Anya decided to be part of Project Krone, with Anya being a solo artist and Rin joining Nao and Karen as new unit. Not only that, but Mio has also decided to become a solo artist]].

* LimitedSocialCircle: Non of the 14 girls are shown hanging with others outside their own group or who aren't idols themselves very often. Though, Rika and Mio are shown to have friends at their school, with the latter's friends coming to see her first concert. Rin was also seen with some friends in the first episode before becoming an idol. Though, they aren't seen after that.

*** Ranko is the sole member of Rosenberg Engel, though she is frequently grouped with Love Laika after Episode 12. This extended into the Character [=CDs=] and ''Starlight Stage'', where Ranko is unofficially considered the "extra" member of Love Laika. On the original CD for the 3rd LIVE, which contains solo covers of each Cinderella Project member singing her unit's song, she instead sings Memories, though this may partly be due to with the fact that her unit's song is already a solo piece.

*** Ranko is the sole member of Rosenberg Engel, though she is frequently grouped with Love Laika after Episode 12. This extended into the Character [=CDs=] and ''Starlight Stage'', where Ranko is unofficially considered the "extra" member of Love Laika.

** Kirari's GenkiGirl and CutenessProximity tendencies get deconstructed when her HiddenDepths regarding her height insecurities are brought up, and she sees herself as the odd one out in her unit with Rika and Miria. While these aren't fully explored in the anime, they do pop up in supplementary material. Also, in episode 17, she has an argument with Anzu-chan about how clothes make a person, further hinting at her insecurities over her appearance.

** And in episode 17, Miria actually dresses in her Fluffy Tail SR+ outfit.

** This happens with Ranko ''again'' in episode 17. [[spoiler:She begins to speak freely in plain language about the various changes happening with some of the Cinderella Girls units (New Generations, Love Laika) and how they should be looked at as a chance to experience new things. In short, something ''positive'' that would enrich each idol in the long run, rather than a source of lingering gloom hanging above the division. Everyone present is ''stunned''.]]

*** Ranko is the sole member of Rosenberg Engel, though she is frequently grouped with Love Laika after Episode 12. This extended into the Character CDs and ''Starlight Stage'', where Ranko is unofficially considered the "extra" member of Love Laika.

* ChromaticArrangement: Present in New Generations members: Mio (yellow), Uzuki (pink), and Rin (blue). Though, it's only their neckties[=/=]bowties when they wear their school uniforms or New Generations costumes. This is also highlighted in the colored points of New Generations' crown-shaped logo, which also serves as a visual metaphor for the three types of idols: Cool, Cute, and Passion. This is notable as the New Generations members are the representatives of the three types, with the unit being the only one that has members from all three types (if the four member Asterisk with NatsuNana is not counted).

* BrokenPedestal: In episode 15, the girls were shocked when they found out the "cool and elegant" Kaede really loves her alcohol and bad puns. However, later in the episode, New Generations finds out exactly why she's considered the best idol in the business.

* CastHerd: Because of its large cast, the main idols are often split up into groups. This includes the main trio of Uzuki, Rin and Mio, Minami and Anastasia, Rika and Miria, Kirari and Anzu, and Kanako and Chieri. Miku tends to bounce around between other groups, while Ranko and Riina are the only ones who are currently not part of a herd.

* ChromaticArrangement: New Generation's Mio (yellow), Uzuki (pink), and Rin (blue). Though, it's only their neckties[=/=]bowties when they wear their school uniforms or New Generations costumes.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Because of its large cast, the show mostly focus on the main 14 idols. But there are over dozens of idols shown with their own adventures that aren't.

* ProductPlacement: Episode 14's NO MAKE is this for the songs sung by the Cinderella Project members for the ''THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER CD'' series, which predate the anime, and were later re-released on ''THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS ANIMATION PROJECT 00 ST@RTER BEST CD''. The NO MAKE integrates the songs into the plot by explaining that they were individual singles recorded and released for each of the main cast in between Seasons 1 and 2. By extension, it gives an in-universe reason for the existence of ''Venus Syndrome'' and ''S(mile)ing'' in the plot, as they were performed by Minami and Uzuki in Episodes 22 and 24 respectively.

** You can see the storm clouds rolling in throughout episode 13's concert before it starts raining.

** Subverted in episode 13 -- there's a brief storm that stalls the outdoor concert for a while and lowers the crowd morale, but New Generations perks them back up [[spoiler: and it gave Minami enough time to recover for the final song]].

* LimitedSocialCircle: Non of the 14 girls are shown hanging with others outside their own group or who aren't idols themselves very often. Though, Rika and Mio are shown to have friends at their school, with the former coming to see her first concert. Rin was also seen with some friends in the first episode before becoming an idol. Though, they aren't seen after that.

* [[HesBack She's Back]]: UzukiUzuki recovers from her lack of self-confidence by the end of Episode 24 after gradually losing confidence in herself over the past few episodes, culminating in her HeroicBSOD in Episode 23. In Episode 25, we see the huge leap forward she's made as an idol.

* [[HesBack She's Back]]: Uzuki returns to her old self after the past couple eps of her having a heartbreaking HeroicBSOD at the end of episode 24.

* FriendlyRivalry: The members of the Cinderella Project are surprisingly cordial with the idols of Project KRONE. You'd ''think'' that there would be some bad blood involved, given how Project KRONE came about [[spoiler:and the fact that Anya and Rin, two of Cinderella Project's best performers, joined them]], but in the wake of the fall review concert, and how the Cinderella Girls helped calm the nerves of the KRONE girls and picked up the slack when things began to go off the rails, mutual respect seems to have formed between the two groups. [[spoiler:And despite their roles in convincing Rin to join KRONE in the first place, both Nao and Karen show real worry when informed of Uzuki's situation, and throw their support for Rin to go and help her friend.]]

** Episode 25 has one to Episode 3, as New Generations pop out from the stage trapdoor and we get their reactions to the crowd in slow motion.

''The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls'' is the fourth anime series based on ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster'' video game franchise. Unlike the first three series, which were based on the main series games, this anime is based on the mobile game spinoff ''Cinderella Girls'', and it acts as a sequel to [[Anime/TheIdolmaster the second TV series]]. It is produced by Creator/A1Pictures. While the game has hundreds of characters, the anime focuses on fourteen of them, with another ten or so idols as extras. The New Generation trio of Uzuki, Rin, and Mio is the primary focus, along with an unnamed producer working for 346 Production.

*** The main trio, Uzuki, Rin, and Mio, are the members of New Generation(s).

** In Episode 19, Uzuki is shown to be very worried of the aspect of units breaking up. Then on the computer screen of Mishiro, she has the pictures of Rin, Karen, and Nao, implying she wants to form a new unit with the three and in the process, break up New Generation. [[spoiler:This comes to fruition in Episode 20, where Rin accepts the offer to form Triad Primus with Karen and Nao, which leads Mio to have an emotional breakdown and later announce her intent to be a solo artist.]]