Hannah Montana for '90s kids
Idol Densetsu Eriko (アイドル伝説えり子, translating as "Legendary Idol Eriko") is a 1989 Shoujo Idol Singer anime produced by Ashi Productions and Big West note . It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 3, 1989 to March 26, 1990, ending at 51 episodes. It was rebroadcast on TV Setouchi in April 1999 to March 2000 on it's 10th anniversary.
Eriko Tamura, the only daughter of a very famous couple, Yuusuke Tamura, the chairman of Tamura Productions (a renowned music company) and his wife Minako (a former famous idol singer) Having a talent for singing since birth, she has always loved her parents' media world. Then one day, tragedy strikes when her parents get into a horrible car accident, which kills her father, and leaves her mother in a coma. She is left in her father's best friend, Mr. Uchida's care.
Now, Eriko must take the path of singing, a path her parents did not want her to pursue, while her Evil Uncle, Kosuke, is out to destroy her career. But in spite of all the hardship, she becomes an idol and wins hearts all over Japan.
Idol Densetsu Eriko was dubbed into Arabic, French, Italian and (European) Spanish, but has yet to see an official English release.
The anime was actually created to promote Eriko Tamura's idol career and she provides the main character's singing voice. All her songs you hear are actually songs of Miss Tamura herself.
Idol Densetsu Eriko contains examples of:
- The '80s: The clunky outfits, the fashion styles, the type of music and the trends adored by the fans-In-Universe scream '80s.
- Adjective Noun Fred: "Idol Densetsu Eriko" in English is "Idol Legend Eriko", or as the poster says, "Legendary Idol Eriko".
- Alternative Foreign Theme Song: Has an Arabic
one, thanks to Spacetoon. It also has an Italian one sung by Cristina D'Avena. - Artistic License: Said to be based on Eriko Tamura's life, but is nothing like it. The Real Life Tamura lived in Germany for a good portion of her childhood, compared to Anime!Eriko who's lived in Japan her whole life. Other fictionalizations include Eriko being born into a wealthy family of media owners, having an uncle who keeps trying to sabotage her, and an angsty rival who begrudgingly respects her. Eriko also has blonde hair and blue eyes despite her Real Life equivalent looking phenotypically Japanese.
- Artistic License – Geography: Chamorro women don't wear Hula and Luaus, those are Hawaiians. In Real Life they dress like this◊.
- Barbie Doll Anatomy: Every female character - from the tiny arms to the stick-like legs, and their impossibly thin waists.
- Beach Episode: In one episode Eriko has to go to Guam to film a video. Cue palm trees, sands and handsome, half-dressed men. One character even tells her "you musn't let yourself get seduced, Eriko!".
- Black-and-White Morality: You either love Eriko, or you're the most terrible person to walk the Earth. On the "white" side, we have Eriko, who loves dogs, sings for children, uses her voice to calm a frenzied crowd down and wants to do her best to everyone around her, and on the "black" side we have Kosuke Tamura, who gloats about his brother's death, tries to financially incentivizes schemes to deface Eriko and abuses his employees Nijisanji- style, to the point the turnover rate at his company is incredibly high. Okay, sure, he reformed in the end, but that was out of left field.
- Blatant Lies: A tabloid publishes scandalous lies about Eriko, and people start treating her coldly as a result. Eriko is harassed and abused to tears and at one point has a mental breakdown in public, begging people to leave her alone.
- Bowdlerisation: In the Italian dub:
- The dubbing company wanted to remove all references to Japan, so even scenes that have Japanese text and letters are cut out.
- In Episode 34, Old Memories, Eriko and her mother Minako bathe together. In the nude. This was cut for obvious reasons.
- A fan talks to Eriko on the radio about their suicidal feelings and the scene cuts to her trying to run into traffic, jump in a river and leap off a building. The Italian edition keeps this in, but instead says that the fan wants to run away from home instead of wanting to commit suicide.
- Coming of Age Story: About a girl pursuing a career in the idol industry after her parents are killed, at the tender age of 16.
- Downer Beginning: In the first episode, both Eriko's parents fall victim to a car accident. Her father is killed and her mother is rendered comatose.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Minako survives and regains her memories, and manages to sieze Tamura productions from Kosuke's grasp. Eriko has a robust career as an idol and Rei has a similarly successful career as a rock star. Music producer Arthur Howard takes an interest in both girls and signs them on to his project Rock n' Roots.
- Famed In-Story: Both Rei and Eriko are teen musicians who balance their careers with school, and have quite the reputation. Eriko has a seiso, cute, "pure" image while Rei is seen as a glamorous, dark Veronica.
- Fanservice: Both Eriko and Rei - the anime shows how they look in their frilly undergarments, and we get a lot of shots of the latter's chest measurements.
- Funny Background Event: Post reformation, Kosuke carries Eriko's dogs by using the palms of his hands as flat trays, and while Minako is watching her performance in the crowd, her dogs are seen above everyone else since Kosuke is such a big man.
- Hotter and Sexier: As the series goes on, the fanservice and sensual, almost bare naked clothing is ramped up, and even posters and official stills of the show either feature Eriko in Rei in Sensual Spandex or revealing outfits.
- Hula and Luaus: When Eriko and the team go to Guam so she can film her television role, we see indiginous women (Chamorros) dance for the tourists, and they're wearing huaus and luaus alongside bikinis.
- Ill Girl: Fuyumi is a 12 year old girl who adores Eriko's music, but has an unspecified illness and has to be admitted to the hospital as a result. She is happy when Eriko sings for her from the rooftops.
- Ironic Name: Eriko's dogs are named Fortissimo and Pianissimo. Fortissimo is quiet and Pianissimo is noisy.
- Leg Focus: Whenever we see Eriko, Rei or their backup dancers move, they sway their bare legs sensually in the face of the camera.
- Loony Fan: One of Eriko's fans calls her over the radio threatening to commit suicide if she doesn't respond, with poor Eriko trying her best to convince her to stay alive.
- Melodrama: It's about a young girl training to be an idol after her parents die, but her only living relative refuses to let this happen because's he despised her father. He does everything he can to stop her from reaching her dream. And even without that, she breaks as an idol, having to juggle suicidal fans, a school life that isn't compatible with the idol lifestyle, and her running away from home.
- Merchandise-Driven: Do you fancy yourself Eriko's bag, with cosmetics inside? Eriko's hair decorations? Eriko's star wand mic, maybe?
- Official Couple: Eriko finds out that Kazuki has had feelings for her since childhood, and accepts them.
- Pool Scene: In one episode, Eriko is scheduled to film a television acting role, but it stipulats that she has to swim. Eriko has never swam in her life and needs coaching from Yasuko.
- Product Placement: Kellogg's cereal is frequently seen, with a monkey cereal mascot.
- Recycled Soundtrack: "Ame no Highway" was later rearranged into Might Gaine's 2nd ending theme, "Black Diamond" , both songs were composed by Nobuhiko Kashiwara.
- Scary Chamurro Man: Kosuke hires two Chamurro men to kidnap and assault Eriko when she's at Guam. They wait until she's alone at night, then grab her by the arms, and one of them even destroys the Tragic Keepsake her father gave her by stepping on it. If it wasn't for Mr. Uchida hearing her scream and fighting them off, she would have been a goner.
- Sensual Spandex: The show doesn't shy away from using Eriko and Rei's bodies for fanservice and this is one of the many ways it manifests. See for yourself◊. Yasuko also wears a black spandex swimsuit in the Swimming Episode.
- Shared Universe: With Idol Angel Yokoso Yoko. It's not Eriko, but Ichijuin who appears there, having become an idol manager.
- Shipper on Deck: Kenzo, a professional matchmaker who introduced Eriko's parents to one another.
- Shout-Out: The "wolfman" in episode 29 looks a lot like Totoro of My Neighbor Totoro.
- Surprise Car Crash: How Eriko's parents die, and what kickstarts the change of her life from a rich girl who's the daughter of media moguls to someone at her uncle's mercy.
- Take This Job and Shove It: In episode 8, a bunch of Kosuke Tamura's employees hand in their resignations, saying they can't deal with him any more. When Kosuke tells them they won't be getting any severance pay, one of them gives him severance pay in the form of a fist to the face.
- Token White: Arthur Howard is American, and the only white character in the entire cast.
- Unlimited Wardrobe: Rei and Eriko undergo costume changes almost every episode, and each of their outfits are always flashy and sensual. They're also very clunky and oversized because this is The '80s.
- World of Technicolor Hair: Some characters have purple, neon blue and silvery-white hair.
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