Breaking Old Trends: The TV series for Planet is the first Aikatsu property to utilize live action alongside the usual 3D designs, rather than it all being 2D as in previous installments.
Cash-Cow Franchise: Started with arcade Cardass that got anime as front promotion, the franchise also sells Cardass goods, clothing and accessories that correspond to the characters.
The Merch: They range from a clothing line, replicas of items shown in the anime and even foods.
Tropes pertaining to the original series
Bad Export for You: The Malaysian release is not a regional version, but an import of Indonesian version (complete with Indonesian text and dubbed songs), without special cards signed by members of JKT48. Thankfully, the game is online, allowing the use of ID card.
Mostly averted with the anime where it is more or less exported directly to various nations in Asia while most of the remaining territories have to settle with Daisuki's streaming of the first 50 episodes (which unfortunately never got to happen due to Daisuki shutting down).
The arcade game, however is exported to Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, Taiwan (ironically, by Sega), Indonesia and Malaysia only as of January 2016. The cards used in the exported versions (except between Malaysia and Indonesia) are not cross compatible. The 3DS games are not exported as well.
Then there's manga adaptation, light novel adaptation, coloring books and various merchandises, all of which are available in Japan only.
Non-Singing Voice: Each of the main girls, Hikari, Hime, Ringo, and Kanon have two voice actors - one for speaking, and one for singing, with the singing girls coming from specially formed units named STAR☆ANIS and AIKATSU☆STARS! Justified that songs in the first season are lifted straight from the arcade game which appeared earlier.
The current line up of STAR☆ANIS is as follows: Waka (Ichigo Hoshimiya), Fuuri (Aoi Kiriya, Seira Otoshiro, and Mikuru Natsuki), Yuna (Ran Shibuki, Kaede Ichinose, Kii Saegusa, and Shion Kamiya), Remi (Otome Arisugawa, Yurika Todo, and Miyabi Fujiwara), Eri (Sakura Kitaoji, Sora Kazesawa, Maria Himesato, and Kokone Kurisu), Risuko (Mizuki Kanzaki) and Ruka (Akari Ozora).
The current line up of AIKATSU☆STARS! is: Ruka (Akari Ozora), Miki (Hinaki Shinjo), Miho (Juri Kurebayashi and Nono Daichi), Nanase (Rin Kurosawa and Risa Shirakaba), Kana (Madoka Amahane and Nina Dojima), Rie (Sumire Hikami), and Sena.
There are also three unofficial members of STAR☆ANIS: Yuniko (Hikari Minowa), and Eimi and Risa (Ringo Hoshimiya and Orihime Mitsuishi, respectively).
Sunao Yoshikawa, Moe Yamazaki, and Mona Tomoyama were three former members of STAR☆ANIS, with Sunao having voiced Ran and Sora, Moe having voiced Yurika, and Mona having voiced Mikuru and Sumire. Following their graduation from the group, their characters were given new singing voices among the remaining members.
Saori Kodama, a lyricist who has penned various songs for Aikatsu!, provided the singing voice for Kanon.
Naoto also has two voice actors, with his singing voice being provided by Kenta Harada, the vocalist of the band Rey.
Star-Making Role: Ichigo Hoshimiya was this for the then 12 year old, Sumire Morohoshinote While she had been in the business for years by this point, she had mostly done bit parts like many child actors .
appeared during the scene where Sumire fails her special appeal, angering the fans and children who were watching the broadcast. Even the director of the show expressed his anger towards this incident