Anime Based On Rhythm Games

Highlights

Many rhythm games, like Idolish7 , delve into themes of struggle and trauma in the idol world, providing a deeper narrative experience.
UtaPri offers a hilarious twist on the typical idol school genre, with a reverse harem storyline and strong comedic elements.
Ensemble Stars! stands out for its well-developed characters, each with unique traumas and personalities, adding depth to the game.

Rhythm games are music-themed action games that have been around for quite some time. From Dance Dance Revolution to Just Dance, rhythm games have evolved into virtual idol games, where players not only test their reflexes but also enjoy the story behind various types of characters.

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Many rhythm games were initially made for consoles. However, due to the ease of access around the world, most of them have now been developed into mobile games. As the popularity of idol games has increased over the years, one can also find that some of them have received anime adaptations too.

8 Idolish7

MAL Score: 7.70

Release Date: January 7, 2018
Genres: Drama, Music
Seasons: 3
Studio: TROYCA
Streaming Service: Crunchyroll

Originally a rhythm game that was released in 2015, Idolish7 tells the story of a new group of idols trying to make their mark in the entertainment world. The players assume the role of Tsumugi Takanashi, who is assigned to be the manager of this new group of 7 boys - Idolish7 - and make them famous.

The anime and the game are not for the lighthearted, as they address some heavy themes that could be triggering for viewers. Idolish7 not only addresses the glitz and glamor of idol life, but also the struggles that many of them have to overcome to reach their dreams, and the associated traumas that can easily break a person. The game currently only has a Japanese version, but since its popularity has been growing, the anime currently has 3 seasons out, with talks for more in the future.

7 Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Maji Love 1000%

MAL Score: 7.02

Release Date: July 3, 2011
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Drama
Seasons: 4
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Streaming Service: Sentai Filmworks

Based on the Uta no Prince-sama rhythm game series, this wholesome reverse harem anime is not only sweet but extremely hilarious as well. Compared to normal harem style anime, UtaPri revolves around a group of boys in an idol school that doesn’t allow any sort of romantic relationships during their careers. Haruka Nanami is an aspiring composer from the countryside who dreams of writing music for her favorite idol, and thus enrolls into Saotome Academy.

Uta no Prince-sama is one of Japan’s oldest male idol centered rhythm games, and after its PSP release in 2010, the game was immediately adapted into an anime a year later. The main global game released in 2017 under the name Uta no Prince-sama Shining Live, and though it is revered as a spin-off, it shares a lot of the same plot lines as the original story and anime. The anime currently has 4 seasons produced.

6 Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream

MAL Score: 7.43

Release Date: April 9, 2011
Genres: Sports, Music
Seasons: 3
Studio: Tatsunoko Production
Streaming Service: TV Tokyo

As part of the Pretty Rhythm series, the anime focuses on a group of idols known as “Prism Stars” that combine song with figure skating. We witness Aira Harune thrust into the glitzy world of Prism Shows - an idol show based on figure skating. After meeting her teammates, Rizumu Amamiya and Mion Takamine, the three of them come together to learn more about themselves, the world of figure skating, and how they can steal the spotlight in the Prism Show world.

Pretty Rhythm falls under the category of arcade games targeted at young girls. Pretty Rhythm: Mini Skirt is the first version in the franchise and released in July 2010. After 4 seasons of the anime, the game was relaunched as Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream to tie-in with the anime adaptation and the new characters.

5 Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club

MAL Score: 7.50

Long Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club

Release Date: October 3, 2020
Genres: Slice of Life
Seasons: 4
Studio: Sunrise
Streaming Service: Funimation

Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club is part of a Japanese multimedia project known as Love Live! The anime is adapted from the game Love Live! School Idol Festival and centers around the students of the club. Though their school is diverse, with many creative majors and outlets, the girls of this idol club need to do whatever they can to keep it from disbanding.

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The anime currently has 2 seasons with 3 movies set to release in September 2024. In addition, there are 2 seasons of the spin-off Nijiyon Animation, which fellow players can also watch. The game initially launched on Nintendo Switch, but the developers released an Android and IOS version in 2014. The spin-off versions of the games are also free-to-play and released globally.

4 Samurai Jam - Bakumatsu Rock

MAL Score: 6.03

Release Date: July 2, 2014
Genres: Action, Comedy
Seasons: 1
Studio: Studio Deen
Streaming Service: Sentai Filmworks

Bakumatsu Rock is a Japanese PSP game that was first released in 2014 titled Bakumatsu Rock: Howling Soul. Set in the Bakumatsu period, which is right before the end of the Shogunate, the Tokugawa Shogunate used Heaven’s Songs by famous idols in the Shinsengumi to brainwash the country. The franchise uses well-known Japanese historical figures and pins an interesting twist on each of them. In this version of Japan, writing or singing any song besides Heaven’s Songs is considered a capital offense. Ryouma Sakamota and a few other rockers decide to rise up against the government and change the world with their rock ‘n’ roll.

The anime was released after the manga adaptation and only has one season, since the story behind the game is pretty straightforward. After its popularity, the company decided to release a second game titled Bakumatsu Rock: Ultra Soul in September 2014.

3 Ensemble Stars!

MAL Score: 6.95

Release Date: July 7, 2019
Genres: Music, Slice of Life, Drama
Seasons: 1 + OVA Episode
Studio: David Production
Streaming Service: Funimation

Adapted from the Japanese game Ensemble Stars!, this franchise is known for its star-studded cast and the highest number of idol groups available in a game. There are around 15 idol groups consisting solely of male idols. The anime introduces Anzu as the only female student in the male-dominant Yumenosaki Academy. She enrolls into the production course and soon becomes the manager of one of the first-year groups, Trickster.

Unfortunately, the anime only has 1 season and, after the game relaunched in 2022 as Ensemble Stars!!, the plot has progressed further than expected. The difference between Ensemble Stars!! and many other rhythm games shows that the characters are extremely well-thought-out. Each boy has some sort of trauma, ailment or condition that has occurred in their life, and players can witness how each of them develops their personalities, whether it be positive or negative.

2 King Of Prism

MAL Score: 6.20

Release Date: January 9, 2016
Genres: Music, Drama, Sports
Seasons: 2 Movies
Studio: Tasunoko Production
Streaming Service: Avex Pictures

King of Prism is also part of the Pretty Rhythm franchise mentioned earlier, where instead of girl-only idol groups, it focuses on male idol groups. King of Prism has 3 animated films from the franchise and each of them follows the struggles faced by the idol group Over the Rainbow. The movies start off with Over the Rainbow’s successful debut, and their goal to win the Prism Cup. However, things don’t go according to plan when a new rival idol group shows up and steals the spotlight.

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The gacha game is titled King of Prism: Prism Rush! Live was released in 2017 and tackled plotlines related to all three movies. Unfortunately, the game ended its services in October 2020.

1 Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle: Rhyme Anima

MAL Score: 6.81

Release Date: October 3, 2020
Genres: Sci-Fi, Music, Drama
Seasons: 2
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Streaming Service: Anilpex of America

Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle: Rhyme Anima Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle Japanese multimedia project which centers around rap battles in the female-dominated Chuo Ward. After the war, women took control of the government and banned weapons. This eventually led to the rise of men fighting through rap battles using Hypnosis Mics, which affect a person’s sympathetic nerves. The plot follows the story after the split of the legendary rap group The Dirty Dawg, whose members have created 4 different rap groups representing a division of Tokyo.

The Ikebukuro Division, Yokohama Division, Shibuya Division, and Shinjuku Division rap groups are each headed by the previous members of The Dirty Dawg, and now each battle each other to be the top rap group. The mobile game Hypnosis Mic: Alternative Rap Battle was released in 2018 and is a little different from typical rhythm games. HypMic has the player join the game as an apprentice DJ and learn how to beatmatch various songs. Players can also enjoy the main story songs in the rhythm game mode. However, the game has not yet been released in English and is only available in Japan.