The Japanese idol scene began in the 1960s, but it really picked up steam in the 1980s, which was famously regarded as the Golden Age of Idols. Ever since then, idols have been a staple in Japanese media, including television dramas, pop music, and even anime.
There are many anime out there that specifically feature the trials and tribulations along the road to idol fame, but there is a seemingly equal amount of anime out there that aren’t focused on idols but include them anyway. Whether they’re a major character or just a minor one, there are many anime idols who show up in non-idol anime.
10 Ranka Lee Brings Sound & Color To A Space Opera (Macross Frontier)
The Macross franchise has been around for decades as a mecha-based space opera series that’s interestingly known for its inclusion of idols in its storytelling. Lynn Minmay is the original Macross idol who debuted in the early 1980s, and Macross Frontier‘s Ranka Lee carries the idol torch in the mid-2000s. Macross Frontier details Ranka’s rise to fame alongside her idol hero, Sheryl Nome, who helps Ranka build confidence in her natural singing talent. Ranka is the cuter of the two whose inexperience and charm come through in her music.
9 Rui Nikaido’s Ambitions Hint At The Series’ Core Mystery (Odd Taxi)
Odd Taxi is primarily a suspenseful mystery series that revolves around the disappearance of high school girl Yuki Mitsuya. As the mystery unfolds over the series, it turns out that Yuki is a member of Mystery Kiss, an up-and-coming idol group whose center idol is Rui Nikaido. Rui’s ambition to be a top idol puts her at odds with other members of Mystery Kiss, including Yuki, who was being considered to replace Rui as Mystery Kiss’ center prior to her disappearance.
8 Karin Nanase Serves As A Central Conflict (In/Spectre)
In/Spectre is a supernatural mystery that focuses on Kotoko Iwanaga’s position as a mediator between humanity and yokai. Yokai aren’t visible to ordinary humans, but they nevertheless occupy the same spaces, meaning it’s important that harmony is maintained between humans and yokai.
Karin Nanase was a popular idol who suffered a grisly death after being crushed by steel beams. When she was living, Karin was a kind, intelligent person who started her career as a gravure idol but moved on to music and TV dramas. Depression led her to accept her death without resistance.
7 Fullmoon Pursued An Idol Career To Connect With Her First Love (Full Moon Wo Sagashite)
Full Moon Wo Sagashite is predominantly a shojo romance story that focuses on Mitsuki Koyama, a 12-year-old girl with throat cancer. When she finds out she has only one year left to live from the shinigami duo Negi Ramen, Mitsuki knows it’s her last chance to become a professional singer like she promised her childhood love, Eiichi Sakurai. With shinigami Takuto Kira’s magic, Mitsuki is able to perform and debut as the idol Fullmoon, a perfectly healthy 16-year-old girl who can sing without pain.
6 Mima Kirigoe Struggled To Escape Her Idol Life (Perfect Blue)
A classic psychological thriller, Perfect Blue impressively captures the trials and stressors that celebrities face when evolving their public images. Mima Kirigoe is part of the popular idol group CHAM!, but once she turns 21, she decides to leave CHAM! and pursue a career in acting. Mima worked hard as an idol and gathered many faithful fans, some of whom aren’t supportive of her quitting the idol scene and make it frighteningly obvious. Perfect Blue is a chillingly realistic Satoshi Kon classic that’s definitely worth a watch.
5 Sheryl Nome Was Famous Throughout The Galaxy (Macross Frontier)
Nicknamed the “Galactic Fairy,” Sheryl Nome is a positive, upbeat young woman with fame in Macross Frontier. But even though she’s a popular and confident idol, there’s still a lot she learns during the time she spends with Alto Saotome and Ranka Lee. Her friendship with Ranka and Alto helps Sheryl cement her identity as an idol and further refine her self-confidence. Sheryl’s music frequently tops music charts, making it nearly impossible to ignore her status as a diva.
4 Diva’s AI Mission Narrowly Saves The World (Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song)
As a being created to make the world happy with her singing, the AI Diva, also known as Vivy, had a hefty mission on her shoulders in Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song. Notably, Vivy was an AI who struggled to understand what it meant to make others happy through song.
But for a brief period in the anime, she developed an alter-ego worthy of Diva’s name. This version of Vivy proudly referred to herself as “Diva” and managed to make it to NiaLand’s main stage as she was always expected to.
3 Rise Kujikawa Needed A Break From Her Idol Life (Persona 4 The Animation)
Persona 4 the Animation is based on the popular murder-mystery JRPG Persona 4, so it’s not really focused on idols at all. But the idol Risette, or Rise Kujikawa, ends up crossing paths with the main character, bringing idols into the story. Rise is a cheerful girl who’s haunted by her idol personality, Risette, and she begins having trouble recognizing her true self. With the help of Yu Narukami and the rest of the Investigation Team, Rise is able to accept her Shadow self and move on.
2 Yumemi Yumemite Views Her Idol Career As A Mere Steppingstone (Kakegurui)
Kakegurui is focused on high-stakes gambling and isn’t an idol anime by any means, but the enduring popularity of idols among otaku allows for an idol character in the series. Yumemi Yumemite is a member of Hyakkaou Private Academy’s Student Council, but she also works as an idol and dreams of becoming a famous actress. Using idol experience as a springboard into professional celebrity work is a common theme, and Yumemi is no exception. She’s not respectful toward her fans, but they love her for her honesty anyway.
1 The Tall Idol Takada Makes Minor Appearances (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of shonen’s biggest recent hits, and even this supernatural fighting series managed to fit an idol in its story. Nobuko Takada is an idol in Jujutsu Kaisen‘s fictional world, and one of her biggest fans is none other than Aoi Todo. Todo goes out of his way to mention Takada more than once, and the anime even features him attending one of her meetups. Takada herself appears as a cheerful and cooperative idol who cherishes her fans and brings out the best in others.
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