News: The IDOLM@STER Million Live! Anime Unveils October 8 TV Debut with Stunning Visual

The anime will premiere on TV Tokyo and five other affiliates on Sunday, October 8 at 10:00 a.m. (October 7 at 9:00 p.m. EDT), on BS11 on October 9, on BS NTV on October 12, and on AT-X on October 13. The anime will have a special with the cast and producer Wakako Hazama that will air before the anime on October 1. The special will explain the setting and characters of the anime.

The anime is currently running its theatrical preview screenings in Japan. The anime series is playing in theaters in three three-week screening runs. The first part of the theatrical release ran from August 18 to September 7. The second part will run from September 8 to September 28, and the final part will run from September 29 to October 19.

Genta Nakamura plays the new idol producer (lower left in image above) for 765 Production. Kenji Akabane, who played the 765 Production producer in the 2011 The IDOLM@STER anime series, returns as the chief producer (bottom center). Houchu Ohtsuka also returns from the 2011 anime as Junjirō Takagi (upper right), the unseen president of 765 Production. Juri Takita returns from the games and 2011 anime as veteran production assistant Kotori Otonashi (top center), while Chika Anzai returns from The IDOLM@STER Million Live! game as newbie production assistant Misaki Aoba (top left).

The anime will follow the growth from the initial stages of the theater of Mirai Kasuga and the other idols.

Shinya Watada (Aikatsu Stars! film, Gundam Build Divers, Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE) is directing the anime at Shirogumi Inc., and Yoichi Kato (Aikatsu!, Yo-kai Watch) is overseeing and writing the series scripts. Lantis is producing the music. Bandai Namco Studio is collaborating on the anime, and Bandai Namco Entertainment is planning and producing the anime (as well as being credited as the original creator).

Shirogumi Inc. produced the below video when Bandai Namco Entertainment announced the television anime adaptation during the third anniversary of The IDOLM@STER Million Live! Theater Days in 2020.

Namco Bandai Games released the original The IDOLM@STER Million Live! game in 2013 as a spinoff of the main The IDOLM@STER game series. The game initially featured the 765 Pro characters of the original series, as well as 37 new characters. The game allowed players to manage their own idol production company, and raise their idols’ skills. The game then ended service in March 2018.

Bandai Namco Entertainment launched a successor to the game titled The IDOLM@STER Million Live! Theater Days for iOS and Android devices in June 2017. The stage for the new game is a 765 Pro live theater, and it takes place in rooms such as the theater’s office, waiting room, and greenroom. The game features the theater clerk character Misaki Aoba. In the game, players can communicate more with certain idols by touching them on screen. The game’s solo and unit concerts feature rhythm games.

Source: The IDOLM@STER Million Live! anime’s website (link 2) (link 3), Mainichi Shimbun’s Mantan Web