The Idol M@ster Cinderella Girls

Episode 4

After the adrenaline rush that was last week's episode, The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls needed to slow it down a little or risk losing any element of realism that it had and/or giving us viewers heart palpitations. In that sense, episode four's leisurely pace as Mio, Uzuki, and Rin are charged by the producer with making a PR video works really well. While it isn't as fascinating as previous episodes, it does give us a chance to learn a little bit more about the other girls in the Cinderella Project, and I must admit that it was what pushed me over the edge into actually liking a couple of them. (Chieri and Anya, if you're curious.)

The basic plot here is very simple – the main three heroines walk around the studio with a video camera, hoping to capture a little bit about each of the aspiring idols on film. While they do eventually manage to talk to pretty much everyone (who they forgot is one of the funniest moments of the episode and gets a well-delivered snort of laughter from the producer), it starts off with a bang when they ambush Miku as she comes in. Unlike the perky camera hog we normally see, this Miku is yawning hugely and isn't in character yet, and her horror when she realizes what's going on shows not only her dedication to her cat persona, but also how astoundingly quickly she can turn it on. She seems a little confused of course – I'm not sure that “I'll work as hard as a cat” is a ringing endorsement of her work ethic – but it feels nice to know that she is more than her annoying stage personality, and it certainly gives her an edge over the legions of anime cat girls who preceded her.

That each girl has a real personality as well as her stage one is probably the best discovery of the episode, although a few seem not to have gotten that message. Kirari doesn't show any new traits (although she looks awesome in the godzilla suit), and Anzu at this point has me questioning why she's even part of the group. Kanako's sweetness also seems to be about all there is to her, which is too bad. On the other hand, Anya's determination to do well (and to remember to speak Japanese) is becoming endearing even though we've seen it before, and the fact that Rika's every move apes her famous sister adds a worry to her character – is she ever going to be able to be herself, or will her sister overshadow her even in her own ambitions? She and Miria also seem to have latched onto the idea of being “sexy,” and watching them vamp around is simultaneously funny and disturbing – something which the other girls clearly feel as well, since they put a stop to it quickly.

As usual the animation for this episode is lovely, and there's a return to the on-model-all-the-time animation of the first two episodes. Particularly good moments are when Chieri is fretting about what she's going to say, with her nervous fidgeting and the wind tearing away her notes both looking natural, and the way that Rika's barely-contained energy keeps bursting out of her in explosions of little movements. Given that most of the episode is the girls talking, these are excellent treats for the eyes, just as Ranka's over-the-top vocabulary makes for entertaining listening, particularly when Mio interrupts her to comment on the intricacy of her word choices.

Cinderella Girls is the kind of show that makes slice-of-life enjoyable. Its attention to detail as well as its efforts to make each girl not just a distinct character type but an actual character keeps things interesting, as well as its ability to play with both your and the characters' emotions, such as in last week's panic and this week's nervous energy. Next week promises a return to the actual idol scene, so it looks as if we'll be balancing tense and not so tense episodes, a formula which could work really well...and, in fact, has been in the four weeks this series has been on the air.

Rating: B+

The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls is currently streaming on Daisuki.

Rebecca Silverman is ANN's senior manga critic.