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Kirara Fantasia, The Idolm@ster SideM Smartphone Games to End Service in Early 2023
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The official website for Houbunsha's Kirara Fantasia smartphone game announced on Friday that the game will end service on February 28, 2023. The game suspended purchases of certain in-game items on Friday. The game will be available as an "offline version" after the service ends with partial functionality.
The "Manga Time Kirara meets Fantasy RPG" all-star game launched in December 2017, and it features characters from manga that run in the various Manga Time Kirara manga magazines. The game is free to play with optional in-game items available for purchase. Drecom developed the game alongside Meteorise. The game is voiced, and also features original characters designed by various Manga Time Kirara manga creators.
The game features characters from such manga as: Sunshine Sketch (Hidamari Sketch), Magic of Stella, New Game!, Urara Meirochō, A Channel, School-Live!, Kin-iro Mosaic, and Yuyushiki.
Additionally, Bandai Namco Entertainment also announced on Friday that its The Idolm@ster SideM smartphone game will end service on January 5, 2023.
The game launched in 2014. Like other games in The IDOLM@STER franchise, SideM is built on the concept of "idols you can produce." The app focuses on the male idols at the agency 315 Production (pronounced "Saikō Production" or "Ultimate Production"). The Idolm@ster SideM Live on St@ge! smartphone game launched in 2017, but it began winding down service in January 2021.
The first game's anime adaptation premiered in October 2017, after a prologue special about the three Jupiter idol unit members aired in September 2017. Crunchyroll streamed both anime as they aired.
The The Idolm@ster SideM Growing Stars smartphone game launched in Japan in October 2021.
Sumeragi launched the The Idolm@ster SideM Wake Atte Mini! manga in 2016 and ended it in January 2018. Sumeragi's The Idolm@ster SideM Wake Atte Mini! Returns sequel manga then launched in Dengeki Maoh in September 2018 and ended in January 2019. The sequel manga's one compiled volume shipped in March 2019, and bundled an anime episode. The first manga inspired a 12-episode television anime series of shorts that premiered in October 2018. Crunchyroll streamed the show as it aired.
Sources: Kirara Fantasia game's website, Famitsu.com, The Idolm@ster SideM game's Twitter account via My Game News Flash
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
