When it comes to Japanese female idol animation works, you may immediately think of the "Idol Master" series that has led the trend of idol works, or the currently popular school idol "LOVELIVE!" series, or the "Otomo" favorite "Idol Event" and so on. However, these famous big works are not the protagonists of this issue, and what I want to introduce to you this time is the original idol theme work "Wake Up, Girls!" (referred to as WUG) that was recently announced that a new chapter will be launched next year, proposed by Japanese animation supervisor Hiroshi Yamamoto and served as the supervision of the series.
In 2007, Yamamoto, who had retired from Kyoto Animation subsidiary Organization Do, formed a new animation company, Ordet, along with some others who had quit at the same time, Shinobu Yoshioka and Satoshi Motowaki. Later, in 2012, he announced this idol animation project jointly created with Dragon's Child Studio. At the same time, in order to revitalize the disaster-stricken areas of Japan that were hit by the earthquake at that time, the film chose Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, Northeast Japan, as the stage for the film.
The voice actors of the seven protagonists of this film are all new voice actors selected from ordinary people through the talent show jointly organized by the Japanese voice actors agency 81produce and avex, a major audio-visual manufacturer. At the same time as the selection of the candidates, they formed the female idol group with the same name as the anime "Wake Up, Girls!" And began the activity.
As for the main film of the animation, it adopts the release form of "the first part of the theatrical version>TV animation > the second part of the theater version, the first part, the > the second part of the theater version of the second part of the post", and the plots of the three are closely linked. However, this also makes it unclear for the audience who began to contact this work from the TV version, so the overall perception is greatly reduced.
This is the first to start with a general introduction to the work. Below, let The White Goose Jun take you to review the plot line of the "WUG" series of works, so that everyone can have a more comprehensive understanding of this original idol animation work.
Wake Up, Girls! Idol of the Seven
Release date: January 10, 2014
This theatrical version is the first animated work in the series. The plot begins with Green Leaves, a small and weak art office based in Sendai. In order to save the company that was on the verge of collapse, president Junko Tange ordered the new manager, Kohei Matsuda, to find someone to form an idol group to open up the situation. Later, through advertising and street persuasion, Gengping finally gathered 6 members. However, Mamoku Shimada, who had performed well in the popular idol group "I-1club" and was hoping to become the core of the new team, refused to join for some reasons.
In desperation, "WUG" began training with 6 members. Just when they overcame all odds to complete their debut songs and CDs, and were preparing to hold their debut concerts, President Junko actually ran away with the company's operating funds. The desperate members decided to hold their first and last concert as a farewell performance of "WUG". Finally, coupled with the true dream of recalling their original intentions and making up their minds to join the group, the 7 idols ended their first concert without prior publicity, without gorgeous stage costumes, and in the face of heavy snow.
TV版 《Wake Up, Girls!》
Release date: January to March 2014
The TV version of the story follows the theatrical version and takes place a few days after the first concert of "WUG". At the beginning of the new year, the president who disappeared with money is still not heard. Although the company is still in debt, the "WUG" has not yet been officially dissolved, and the members still have the will to move. Therefore, under the convocation of Kohei, the 7 idols gathered together again. But what awaits them is the wine business job introduced by a suspicious producer.
Although this incident was resolved due to the return of President Junko, there was a storm that awaited them, as well as the storm caused by Mamoru Shimada's identity, the pressure caused by the tough approach of the new producers, and the doubts and withdrawal thoughts of the members because of these events, and even in the performance of the "Idol Festival" as the final stage of the TV version, "WUG" also suffered a foot injury to the captain, which really made people wonder if the group was cursed.... Although "WUG" did not win the "Idol Festival" in the end, the firm received a record debut invitation from the record label "bvex" (Avex's vest). The TV version of the plot ends in this incompletely burning atmosphere.
Wake Up, Girls! Shadow of Youth
Release date: September 25, 2015
As the first part of the theatrical version after the TV version, the plot of this film immediately follows the TV ending, followed by the content related to the debut of "WUG". Accepting the invitation of "bvex", the office and "WUG" and others came to Tokyo. After officially becoming a subordinate group of "bvex", "WUG" members not only had the opportunity to receive professional guidance, coupled with PV promotion and release commemorative activities, etc., "WUG" first album sales were gratifying, and the release of the second album was immediately scheduled.
Just as their careers were going well, Hayasaka, a producer who had previously composed music for "WUG", refused to write a new song for them, and the new song style and costumes as an alternative were very different from "WUG's" previous route, so sales failed miserably, and "bvex" was ready to use "WUG" as an outcast. Learning of the marginalization of "WUG", Hayasaka reappears in front of the members and offers them new songs. But in exchange, Hayasaka asked them to attend the "Idol Festival" that changed its rules this year.
剧场版 《Wake Up, Girls! Beyond the Bottom》
Release date: December 11, 2015
At the beginning of the second theatrical version, "WUG" returns to their original point, Sendai, and resumes their activities. "bvex" also recognized their practice of retaining new songs for the "Idol Festival" and guaranteed their freedom of activity. In order to increase the group's popularity before the "Idol Festival", "WUG" began a small-scale national tour, and thus got exercise.
Previously, the idol group "I-1club", which was the biggest rival of "WUG", also had a new trend. Seeing Mamoku as his rival, Shiho Iwasaki, after losing the Center Battle, he accepted President Shiragi's advice and moved to a newly established idol group in Fukuoka. There, together with other migrant companions, she began to work hard from scratch with the goal of winning the "Idol Festival". In the end, what kind of sparks will be sparked by "WUG" and their opponents in the festival, please go to the film for yourself to find out.
Needless to say, the picture still has to be pasted <( ̄) ̄)>
The above is a retrospective of the main plot of the WUG series. Judging from the content, it is a motivational idol animation work with setbacks and successes, and in general, it is still quite kingly. But why hasn't this work, which has been going on since the concert, become as popular as "The Idol Master" and "LOVELIVE"? On this issue, White Goose Jun believes that there are mainly the following reasons:
First of all, the first reason is the supervision of this film, Hiroshi Yamamoto. Uncle Kuan loves to spray with netizens is already a well-known fact. For those netizens who have made criticisms to this film, or deliberately blackened, Uncle Kuan has, as always, resolutely counterattacked. However, even if fierce rhetoric is not used, it is only because it is IMAS · LL's fans blocked the other party's approach, which intensified the contradiction between him and fans.
Therefore, in fact, many "WUG" blacks do not feel that there is a problem with the film itself, or even have not even seen the animation, but oppose it for the sake of opposition. Although this practice is not correct, it does have some adverse effects on the film's wind evaluation.
Niconico was released without misery
Then let's look at some of the problems in the production of this film. As mentioned above, the theatrical version of "WUG" and the CONTENT of the TV version are quite closely linked. The two theatrical versions plus the TV version are a relatively complete work. Between the works, there is a lack of explanation or introduction to the characters and plot, so watching any of them alone will have some problems in understanding the content. Therefore, from the TV version of the "half-way out" of the audience, most people can only watch a face of confusion.
Even before anyone can remember, they start telling stories "next"... It's hard to understand
The second is some of the content performance of the first few episodes of the TV version, specifically that the underwear is exposed too much and the meat is sold too vulgarly. As an "idol", "purity" is a basic requirement of the majority of the masses. In the first two episodes of the TV version, one will be a concert in a school uniform, and the other will be a bar wearing swimsuits to sell meat to serve guests... Is this an idol group or a magazine flat model? Although there is also a reason for this, the originally valuable commodity has been sold so cheaply, which is also a reason why many people can't see it.
Then there is the plot of this "real" idol film, the dark elements of reality are too integrated, and it is not refreshing enough to watch. For example, the president donated money to run people, was deceived by bad producers, and yuji dug up the black history of members, and used them as outcasts because CD sales were not up to standard. Except for the last theatrical version, most of the time is shrouded in negative atmospheres such as "dissolution", "pressure", "withdrawal" and so on. There are fewer scenes of active communication and interaction between members that the masses like to hear. Although the deeper the repression, the greater the pleasure at liberation, but it is also impossible to directly suffocate people before liberation.
It is said that such an expression will be seen at the end, but many people do not persist until the victory of the revolution
There is also the problem of difficult characters to recognize. Although the realistic characters of this film also have their own charm, compared with the two works of "The Idol Master" and "LOVELIVE", it is difficult to remember it without colorful hair. Moreover, if it is only the TV version, the content of the 12-word light is idle and tense, and there is no time to dig deeper into each member. As a result, many members have become vases floating on the surface. Forgetting at a glance has also become an obstacle to the dissemination of this work.
The problem of difficult recognition is not limited to the protagonist's group of 7
And the timing of the birth of this film can also be described as coincidental. After the two works of "Idol Master" and "LOVELIVE", there was an original work with the theme of "weak office" and "student idol", and naturally everyone will compare this work with the previous two. "WUG" does not have the accumulation of the original work, the protagonist's voice actors are all newcomers, as "WUG" began to be active for about a year, compared with the previous two works, both the fan base and the foundation of the work are dwarfed. And I don't know who gave the confidence, the first theatrical version of "WUG" (January 10, 2014) also had a hard fight with the "Idol Master Theater Version" (January 25, 2014) ... Do you know how the word "dead" is written?
Finally, due to the simultaneous production of the theatrical version and the TV version, the production progress of the TV version was stretched, resulting in many problems in the production of the TV version. In this regard, Yamamoto Hiroshi also said in the theatrical version of the screening event, "This is all my lack of consideration, it is all my responsibility", and then he also tweeted that those animators who love "WUG" to join the production of animation. Although "sincerely" made up for it afterwards, Uncle Kuan's pot should not be shaken off.
The later painting of the TV version was unbearable
After the launch of the second theatrical version, Uncle Kuan tweeted that because he had "encountered many unreasonable things", he announced that he had begun to enter an indefinite period of cultivation, which had made fans who were looking forward to the second season of "WUG" despair. So now that the "WUG New Chapter" has been announced, it has really made these once desperate fans overjoyed. From the fact that the supervision of the new chapter is no longer Yamamoto Hiroshi, it should be inferred that the "unreasonable things" he encountered before should have a certain relationship with this. It seems that the pot above is still a bit heavy.
Uncle Kuan's name is missing from the production lineup of the new chapter, and I think I must be unwilling
In any case, seeing the release of the new work proves that the "WUG" series will continue, which really makes fans who love this work breathe a long sigh of relief. The persona has a new look, without Uncle Kuan's new chapter, whether it can reshape the reputation of the series and open up a new sky for these girls who have worked hard so far, let's wait and see.
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