Sometimes when I’m not feeling well, I go to bed early… which also occasionally means getting up early. What to do when the house is quiet? Check the anime news of course, and today there was very good news – Wake Up Girls! is getting a second season!
If you watched the first season, you can see the character designs have been updated, and I have mixed feelings about that. While the original designs were a bit odd, like many other I came to know and love them. On the other hand, the designs (and animation problems) turned off quite a few people who might otherwise have enjoyed the show.
Just for reference, this commercial for the prequel movie shows the original character designs, particularly Shimada Mayu who also features in the preview above.
Wake Up Girls! has had an interesting arc as a franchise. The original series was only middling popular as far as I can tell, but it refuses to die. The voice actresses regularly perform as the idol unit Wake Up Girls!, there’s been two sequel movies, a spin-off web series, and a stage show. (There’s even a cover band running around.) The Wake Up Girls! also performed the ED for the currently running Scorching Ping Pong Girls (Shakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume), a CGDCT sports series that’s not actually too bad.
I have to admit though to having a soft spot for Wake Up Girls! though. It’s one of the first anime I watched as it was airing, and my first idol anime. (One of my favorite genres.)
Wake Up Girls! is practically the only idol anime to take a look behind the curtain and address some of the darker aspects of the industry. Sexual harassment, the disappointment of playing to empty parking lots, and the pressures on young girls to perform to their limits and beyond are all addressed. That’s not to say the show is dark, these elements are balanced by the growing friendships between the girls and lighter slice of life elements as well. The animation is a bit off, and there’s more than a few tropish elements… But overall still worth checking out. (Especially if you’re interested in idol anime.)
The prequel movie and the first series, as well as the web animation spin-off are all available on Crunchyroll. (No commercial affiliation.) I can’t recommend the spin-off though, its a weird chibi series and you won’t miss anything plotwise if you skip it. My big hope is that the new series will lead to a legal release outside of the two sequel movies outside of Japan.
With the sequels to Attack on Titan, Konasuba, My Hero Academia, Saekanao, and Yuuki Yuna Is A Hero all set to air in 2017… it’s looking to be a very good year indeed.
Apprentice Mages Lounge. 