Gakuen Idolmaster

Gakuen Idolmaster (学園アイドルマスター) is a Japanese multimedia spin-off series of The Idolmaster, starting with a free-to-play mobile game developed by QualiArts and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game was released on May 16, 2024, for iOS and Android in Japan.

Premises and gameplay
The game takes place at the Hatsuboshi Gakuen, an idol training school. The player acts as a student in the Producer Department of the school, and produces one of the ten idols studying in the Idol Department, including Saki Hanami (花海咲季) voiced by Aoi Nagatsuki, Temari Tsukimura (月村手毬) voiced by Nao Ojika, Kotone Fujita (藤田ことね) voiced by Hikaru Iida, Rinami Himesaki (姫崎莉波) voiced by Yuri Usui, Sumika Shiun (紫雲清夏) voiced by Miya Minato, Hiro Shinosawa (篠澤広) voiced by Reina Kawamura, Lilja Katsuragi (葛城リーリヤ) voiced by Kana Hanaiwa, China Kuramoto (倉本千奈) voiced by Mao Itō, Mao Arimura (有村麻央) voiced by Tsumugi Nanase, and Ume Hanami (花海佑芽) voiced by Ayane Matsuda.

It is a roguelike deck-building game. In a round of raising simulation, the player raises the idol's status through lessons with a deck of skill cards, such that she can pass the mid-term and final exams, and perform in a live concert at the end of production. Each skill card in the deck has different effect including increasing status or energy, and cost stamina when the player use it. The player can also improve the deck, and acquire P-items and drinks through consultation with the teacher, etc.

The game requires the player repeats the simulation. In the process, the player can raise the affection level with the idols and the player's level, as well as obtain new support cards and skill cards and strengthen them.

Development
On July 25, 2023, it was announced The Idolmaster franchise would release a new brand starting with a mobile game, in the live stream web programme "18th Anniversary Colorful Party!!!!!" for the franchise's 18th anniversary. It was also revealed that Hidefumi Komino was the producer of the new brand, and the project had been started since almost five years ago. The untitled brand would be the sixth brand of the franchise, following the original brand, Cinderella Girls, Million Live!, SideM and Shiny Colors.

The title of the game Gakuen Idolmaster and the first promotional video was revealed in a live stream on March 5, 2024. In the live stream, the staff and cast was revealed as well. The scenario is written by light novel writers Tsukasa Fushimi, Yū Shimizu and Kazuki Amamiya. The characters draft are created by Aki Minamino and Hechima. The game was set to be released in Q2 of the same year.

Cast
The audition for the cast of the idols was held in 2021. On March 5, 2024, three of the nine idols and their voice actresses were revealed.

Besides the idols, other cast includes Akio Ōtsuka as Kunio Jūō, the school headmaster, Aoi Koga as Asari Neo, a teacher from the Producer Department, and Minami Tanaka, Yūki Wakai and Yu Serizawa as trainers.

Music
The music works are released under Asobinotes, a record label owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The soundtracks in the singles released are different from those used in the live concert scenes in the game, which was the idea from QualiArts.

"Campus mode!!" is the ending theme song of the game, and the player can first listen to it when the affection level reaches ten for any idols. When the game was launched, it was difficult to raise the affection level to ten, so within the fanbase mentioning the song itself is considered as a spoiler of the story plot.

Graphics
According to Hidefumi Komino, the 3D model of a character consists of 60,000 polygons.

Story
It was the first time for The Idolmaster franchise to have notable light novel writers joining the production from the beginning of a project. Tsukasa Fushimi, the author of Oreimo and Eromanga Sensei, not only wrote the story but also was involved in the character design. The stories of Saki, Temari, Kotone, China and Hiro are written by Fushimi, while those of the other characters are written by Yū Shimizu and Kazuki Amamiya.

Release
Gakuen Idolmaster was released on May 16, 2024, for iOS and Android devices.

Live event
The first live concert tour namely "Gakuen Idolmaster: Debut Live Hajime Tour" will be held in August 2024.

Other media
A manga adaptation written by Smile Down the Runway's author Kotoba Inoya was announced on May 8, 2024. The manga series is set to begin its serialization in Weekly Shōnen Champion in the same year. The protagonist will be Kotone Fujita. The illustrator of the manga is not revealed yet.

A radio show titled Hatsuboshi Gakuen Ongaku-bu (初星学園音楽部) premiered in Apple Music on May 18, 2024. The host is Akihiro Tomita.

Reception
According to Oricon, Gakuen Idolmaster ranked first in the weekly ranking of the number of downloads among free-to-play games on the App Store platform in its first week of release.