The Idolmaster Dearly Stars

Did You Know?

• An Internet radio show titled Dearly Station broadcast four main episodes and one special episode between July 11 and August 31, 2009 on Niconico's channel Tarukitei.
• A 176-page guidebook called The Idolmaster Dearly Stars Delicious Album was released on November 6, 2009 by Enterbrain.
• Three manga adaptations were serialized in Ichijinsha's Comic Rex between September 2009 and March 2011, each covering a different idol's story.

Plot and characters

Dearly Stars takes place before The Idolmaster 2 and centers on 876 Production, a small talent agency. The three main characters are Ai Hidaka, Eri Mizutani, and Ryō Akizuki. In Ai's story, she is an energetic girl who wants to be an idol like her mother Mai, but becomes discouraged after failing many auditions. Ai insists on becoming popular on her own rather than being promoted as Mai's daughter.

Eri is a shy shut-in who gained fame as an Internet idol named "Ellie. Freelance producer Reiko Ozaki contacts her and trains her as a real-life idol. Ryō is a soft-spoken boy who wants to be seen as "cool" as an idol. His cousin Ritsuko Akizuki of 765 Pro introduces him to manager Manami Okamoto at 876 Pro.

Ryō covers for a female idol so well that the agency hires him, but only if he debuts as a female idol; Ishikawa promises to help him transition to a male idol later. Supporting characters include Internet idol Ayane Suzuki ("Cineria"), who opposes Eri becoming a real-life idol, and Yumeko Sakurai, a rival to Ryō. Other 765 Pro idols appear throughout.

Development and release

Development of Dearly Stars began in 2008 as the first game in the franchise's "2nd Vision" stage. It was primarily developed by Microvision with Bandai Namco Games, directed by Toshihiko Kujioka and co-directed by Yoshimasa Koyama. Kujioka and producer Bunkei Tanaka submitted the proposal to main producer Yōzō Sakagami while The Idolmaster SP and downloadable content for The Idolmaster Live For You! were in development. The game was announced in May 2009.

The team introduced a new talent agency separate from 765 Pro to suit the story, as 876 Pro idols are beginners while 765 Pro idols have established fanbases. Tanaka noted the scenario required a different company president, Minori Ishikawa. Gameplay was adjusted for quicker story progression, but Kujioka added challenge through a choreography panel for adjusting dance sequences and camera positioning. Lessons and auditions were altered from previous games, modifying difficulty.

Reception

Dearly Stars sold 30,786 copies in its first week in Japan, ranking tenth best-selling that week. Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40. Critics described it as suitable for beginners to The Idolmaster series, drawing out the series' essence in a simpler form. Famitsu reviewer Sekai Sandai Miyokawa felt fans would sense the growth of 765 Pro idols and the series overall.

Reviewers noted that despite changes like shifting perspective from producer to idol, it still plays like an Idolmaster game. Another Famitsu reviewer stated that similarities to previous games in lessons and auditions made the enjoyment not that different. A reviewer found it easier to empathize with an idol from their perspective. Miyokawa described idol movement during performances as "better than expected" given DS limitations, and welcomed shots of the audience waving glow sticks.

A 4Gamer reviewer acknowledged lower visual quality but praised unexpectedly high sound quality and well-done dance sequences as "thoroughly enjoyable." Miyokawa praised the choreography adjustment feature but called it extremely difficult. Overall difficulty decreased compared to previous games. Songs like "Hello!!" were called "wonderful."