Kazuki Yoshino and Yuuya Niyodo are idols who make up the duo ZINGS. While Kazuki gives his all in every performance, Yuuya views the job as just another means of making money. Yuuya's apathetic attitude toward the fans and inability to take his job seriously causes his manager to give him an ultimatum: unless he starts putting in more effort, he will be fired.
Backstage, Yuuya meets Asahi Mogami, an idol dressed in a colorful costume. Asahi would have had a bright future ahead of her—had she not died a year prior. Even as a ghost, Asahi wants nothing more than to perform for fans again. When she finds out that Yuuya does not hold the same passion for the idol life that she once did, she is overcome by a fit of rage and demands that he let her take his place. In a strange twist, Yuuya wakes up to find that Asahi has possessed him and can do what he is too lazy to do himself.
With Asahi performing for him, Yuuya thinks he has a ticket to an easy idol life. However, Asahi has other plans. Though she is no longer alive, she wishes for Yuuya to find the ambition that she still has. Together, she wants them to become the best idol the world has ever seen. But can an unmotivated man like Yuuya ever care about anything besides money?
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
KANLen09
Idoly Pride X Budoukan, Uramichi Oniisan edition. Never thought that the mish-mesh of those formulas would work so well. Idol shows. You might've heard them aplenty, much less seen them in action, even if it's clips on YouTube showcasing how much of a juggernaut genre this is in Japan, and there is absolutely no shortage of them since it's a cultural phenomenon over in the Land of the Rising Sun. But, amongst the many copy-and-paste plans that have little to divide and stand out, how mangaka Hijiki Isoflavone managed to shine through with a story that sounds so typical, yet looks so paradox, is certainly baffling.And in the midst of a small following to the lot of you that watched this show, can most certainly say that you've enjoyed this in some capacity, this is my huge surprise in the lacklustre Summer 2022 season to say that I really enjoyed this. A LOT. And I'm not kidding.
Usually, idol stories are just basically a bread-and-spread affair of repeating the tropes that the somewhat idol genre has been maligned for but not talked about a while lot, but in a very simple way, Hijiki Isoflavone incorporated 2 things: adulting, and the paranormal. And the adulting ranges from this boy pop duo ZINGS, which comprises of the youthful Kazuki Yoshino and the adult lazy-straightlaced Yuuya Niyodo. While Yoshino has a lot going for him with his looks and childlike voice that would be enough to earn big amounts of fans, Niyodo is the complete opposite with his darker, bass-like voice that just screams total laziness and uncharacteristic for the idol industry: a sloppy, half-assed personality and hostile behaviour towards his fans, that he is the plague of the duo whom just wanted enough to quit being an idol. The unique plot twist, is that Niyodo encounters another idol: the beloved and popular singer, 17-year-old Asahi Mogami, whose life was tragically cut short due to an accident, robbing her of her prime days of idoling. Having been dead for a year, she desperately wants to get back into the industry, but she has nowhere else to turn to being a ghost...and that's where Niyodo enters the scene with a clear win-win situation on Asahi possessing Niyodo, showcasing his vibrant side that definitely is a total 180 to shock fans with ease. This is the journey of Niyodo and Asahi as they venture through the lifeblood of the newbie, but fledgling ZINGS as the joining of forces between yesterday's real star and today's dirtbag, initiates the Phantom of the Idol's story and their rise to decent fame.
On hindsight, a ghost and a living human for a comedy seems like a recipe for disaster, but how Hijiki Isoflavone weaved this intricate comedy can only best be described as a niche of sorts, very similar to Uramichi Oniisan. The story itself has some funny elements between Niyodo and Asahi, and each of them already had their charm from the get-go, that with the ghost possessing collaboration of an idol who's pretty much done with his job and the idol whom died but still wants to continue her legacy even after death, brings about the comedic tones that's just oh-so-perfect. Even more so with Yoshino being tagged along as the other half of ZINGS, try as hard as he might to convince the lazy, Uramichi Oniisan-influenced Niyodo to perform at his best, it depends on his mood to get over and deal with it, and that's already saying about his childlike voice that pleases the ears of the many.
But don't go for a sec thinking that ZINGS are the only people that make up this show, because what makes it more engaging and entertaining are the side casts that amp up the insane comedy strikes that at times, can be a hit or miss. Manager Hitomi Shinano is the one that glues the duo together; the Niyodo (Hardcore, Happy Three Friends) Fan Club of Kasenjiki, Tsugiko and Shigutaro is a wild goose chase of having their post-night bar activities and analyzing each and every of Niyodo's actions and fantasizing to the insane degree. God I love the trio's unkempt dedication and endless praise to the dirtbag. And last but not least, where there's the main idol group, there'll be veteran groups, such as the case of the boy idol band Cgrass and its strange leader Hikaru Setouchi, whom has been the hardcore fan of Asahi's enough to sense the Phantom in Niyodo and clash the psychological battle of not being found out. Every character does at least make sense, from Niyodo's Uramichi Oniisan to Asahi's Idoly Pride, and the Niyodo Fan Club's Budoukan vibes giving the show its run for the comedy, which is definitely not for everyone, that it takes a certain level of people like you and me to enjoy the simplicity of a story that has the comedy driven in its own length of hilarity.
I do feel that the need for CG in idol shows have since become the overrated usage, and this perception will not change for future idol shows going forward. Sadly, what Studio Gokumi has done here is only a touch above the average mean with somewhat mediocre but "acceptable" CGI for the dances, which to be honest, I would be happy if it didn't came with it just to save a measure of the insanely expensive anime production cost. Elsewhere, everything here just seems like an ordinary low-tier show that has been given a relatively small budget to work with since the anime didn't really set on fire for being just your oh-so-typical idol show with a unique twist, that come what may, will not change the perception of the majority out there. It's just alright and serviceable for a standard such as this.
But where Kami Kuzu☆Idol really shines is in its songs, which is for the par of course, its own set of songs that have been curated for this sole purpose. Both Fumiya Imai and Shun Horie did a knockout job on their part as the main duo ZINGS of Niyodo and Yoshino respectively, given that the former is best well-known for Given's supporting boy Hiiragi Kashima and the latter, one of my favourite characters in a while: Dragon, Ie wo Kau.'s scaredy-cat dragon Letty (and KanoKari's simp Kazuya unfortunately). Even Nao Touyama as Asahi Mogami has had her share of fun being the ghost idol and also with one of her ED songs. Speaking of the OST, ZINGS's OP, holy wowsers is it very catchy and fun to listen to, and I'd be glad to put this amazing song on repeat for days on end, definitely one of my top OPs of the season. The many scores of ED songs range from decent to good, and I'm fine with all of them either way for a different mesh that serves up "bang"s (though not to the point of banger).
All in all, I still thought that Kami Kuzu☆Idol a.k.a Phantom of the Idol would've been an underappreciated show, given the many tropes and its kinda lackluster freestyle way of storytelling. But this is part of the charm why this show works, and I for one, as mentioned in the beginning, embraced it and came out with a smile on my face. Maybe not the show that I would remember a season or 2 after it finishes, but all I can say is: thank you Kami Kuzu☆Idol for lighting up my sweltering Summer 2022 seasonal run, that despite the short 10-episode runtime, I didn't feel like I've wasted my time watching a show that's for the very niche. And even if you come out with a different feeling that this show isn't so much worth your time, if you just wanna chill out to idols and ghost possessions, the wacky comedy style, it'll do.
Let's ZING! ZING for Smile!
Stormy_77
Went into this expecting an anime type treatment of Idol anime mash-up with Phantom of the Opera and was pleasantly surprised to find there was something new and different in this story with a lot of heart. Animation - Sub Par - 5/10 Let's get the bad news out of the way first. The CGI 2D/3D animation is a little wonky and not great. The high water mark of 2D rotoscope or motion capture would be Yuri on Ice, and possibly Dance Dance Danseur. This anime is maybe 30% of that. It's visible and obviously not the best. The only good thing I can say is theyat least got the dancing right, plus it's ULTRA obvious the Yoshino dancer guy is a much better dancer than Niyodo, he's got all the right flourishes at the right places to give that extra Oomph to a dance performance. Kudos to him! So the animation is a problem but the character designs are great. Asahi (the ghost) is personable and cute, Yoshino is adorable and Niyodo is the tall, handsome one. In short, good character designs, rotoscope but animation could have been handled better at least to Idolish 7 standard.
Music / OST - Slightly above Mid - 6/10
Music wise all the songs are nice and catchy, but not necessarily memorable. I'd dance to them if they came on though.
Story and Characters - 8/10.
The story and characters are where this anime breaks new ground. Character wise, we have Niyodo who became an idol because he was lazy and wanted a way to make a quick buck. He makes no bones about being what he is but that's not the normal mold of idols, which Asahi and Yoshino fit. They try their best to get him to at least like his career, which is what good friends do because his initial wave slave mentality was honestly off-putting at the start. Still, it's refreshing to actually see an introvert succeed as an idol with support from his partner, management and fans.
Where this anime shines is in its examination of fans, FANDOM and all that entails, good AND bad. Obsessive fans. Stalkers. Haters. Devoted ones with high expectations. Idols having zero break or privacy as everything these days is instant news. Where does one draw the line between work and private time? What is the true cost of success if an idol has to have a "fake persona" to please fans 24/7? These and other themes are explored in a non judgmental, light-hearted manner that still gives the viewer plenty of food for thought.
And of course, the shining stars and best part of this anime were the "nerd" fans. They were LIFE!! The nerd fans provided so much comedy I wanted another season just so I can vicariously "squeee" and be FANS with them. The Calendar episode had me in stitches. It's hard not to identify with some aspect of those fans as there are some bands I was 100% fan-girling at so I really identified with them and they're the real reason I enjoyed this anime so much.
Recommended if you like Idol and Music Anime, with a message that is subtle but wholesome.
bossunhimeswitch
I wasn't sure what to make of the PV, but I decided to give this anime a chance anyway and I'm really glad that I did. The characters were fun and engaging, the comedy made me laugh, and there were come cute and heartfelt moments scattered throughout the episodes. It was fun to watch how possession changed not only Nyodo but also Asahi as well. The recurring secondary characters were also a treat from the sweet and sincere Yoshino to the enthusiastic fan club members to the rival idols. There were no characters I dreaded seeing on screen. If you're looking for an anime towatch casually, this is a good pick. Just kind of go with the flow of it and it'll be worth it especially as the story progresses past the first few episodes.
PixelB
I do not like idol anime. However, I am compelled to always pick one up with a slightly interesting premise. But hell, this isn't even my first idol show that I watched with a ghost assisting the MC, which was Idoly Pride, and that one was a disaster. So I wasn't really looking forward to Kami Kuzu. Yet, contrary to my low expectations, the complaints that I usually have with idol anime are solved here. First off are the members of the idol group. Thank god that there's only two people in the idol group in this show. Usually, there's like 8+ members in an idolgroup, and all the members blend together. Of course, in a 12 episode run that needs to cram in story, there's no way that a large cast of members in an idol group are not going ot be heavily archetyped. With a small two member cast in Kami Kuzu, there's a lot more opportunity for individuality and for you to get to know the two members well.
Niyodo obviously has a lot of screen time because he's the MC, so you get to know him a lot. He's lazy, gets tired, has no particular hobbies, and enjoys getting money for free. His manzai with both Yoshino, and Asahi are nice. The gimmick in this show is that the lazy Niyodo can always trade places with an energetic Asahi to create a inconsistent idol personality, where some of his performances are energetic, and the others, more lethargic. That brings me to the to Asahi. While she's just a super generic idol personality that I'd hate if she were just the MC of another show, her setting being that she's a ghost that's haunting Niyodo makes her a much more bearable and endearing character. Again, both Niyodo and Asahi would be a bit too boring by themselves, but the pairing with each other completes them to become a good duo. Finally, we have Yoshino. If he was just in another generic idol group anime, he'd probably have little to no depth. However, him being the sole other member of Zings makes him a lot better of a character. He's a good friend to Niyodo, picking up the slack that he creates, while also trying his very best to overcome his own obstacles. He's lacks confidence, afraid of standing out and has stage freight, so he too, enjoys the company of a more confident Niyodo.
Did you see that? I just listed every relevant main character. There was only three! That's a shockingly small amount for an idol show, and that small character cast brings out the best of all three of them. The side characters are also great. The manager is good, but the otaku fans are honestly just as good as the main cast. There's a lot of focus on a specific die-hard fan group of ZINGS, and their perspectives contrasted to Niyodo's and Yoshino's are great. Just the conversations that they have and the excitement they get from the events make them an essential part of the show. there was only one scene where I thought they were a bit too over the top, but that's also because I believe the show dragged on a chapter's worth of content into an entire episode.
Other than that, there's also the poor animation. You can clearly tell that the anime reuses a lot of frames, and the conversations that the female fans are very static. The dance choreography honestly isn't the worst CGI, but it's also still unwatchable because of the horrific CGI. The facial expressions and mouth movement during dialogue aren't as dynamic as they should be. The last episode was basically a just concert with songs that ZINGS already sang, so they just reused all of the animation.
Overall, a low budget anime with some poor pacing in terms of reusing animation and dragging on episodes to save on animation, but the content and characters are actually far better than most idol shows.
grr_mal
A very interesting premise that got my hopes up in the first few episodes, but unfortunately it's not developed and leads to nothing as you watch more. Explains why there were just 10 episodes - even that was probably hard to squeeze out of a "story" with no story. Even when we get moments with hints of possible development, like the risk of the ghost girl being recognized by a die-hard fan of hers, the authors chose to not shake things up. Disappointing. Well, I guess most people aren't in it so much for the story but for the music. Those will be happy with thefinal concert episode. It's a very subjective thing so check out if you like this kind of music from the trailers or something. Personally, I didn't like most of the songs, nor the CGI dancing that felt like repeating the same moves over and over every 5 seconds for almost 20 minutes straight. There was one song that had a part I liked in the middle and that's about it. I've not found a good music anime since Nana years ago, so I've mostly given up nowadays.
MoshiMoshiOn
Un anime simple, carismático y entretenido... (no apto para quienes busquen romance, aviso antes de que se desilusionen) Comedia naif, con humor básico y constante. La historia es bastante simple y la trama avanza rápido, sin vueltas, así que no aburre pero tampoco sorprende mucho. Tiene sus momentos tristes y dramáticos obviamente, pues la protagonista es una idol muerta, pero pasan bastante rápido y se centra mas en la comedia. Los personajes no son tantos, todos son simpáticos (a su modo) y tienen el desarrollo necesario para empatizar con ellos, no mas, no se van por las ramas. Destaca Niyodo (el idol de pelo marrón), que tiene bastante mas pesocomo protagonista que el resto, ya que el humor del programa se centra casi por completo en su actitud despreocupada y desinteresada de todo lo que no sea dinero fácil. Me gusto que, si bien evoluciona a lo largo de la historia, por los diferentes sucesos, mantienen una coherencia que me resulto inesperada.
La fantasma, el rubio y la manager, cumplen con su parte, pero no destacan tanto.
Las fans son, sin duda, uno de los pilares de la comedia y se roban mas de una vez el protagonismo, me encontré varias veces viendo una escena con expectativa por como iban a reaccionar ellas y riéndome de antemano.
Ilustración decente, sin mucho detalle. Por ahí pifian, pero nada tan grave.
Musicalización y sonido bien en general; y los temas de la banda tampoco fueron tan malos, no me voy a hacer fan de Zings, pero algunos se me pegaron un toque.
Animación estándar, me gustó y el CGI no fue tan asqueroso, lo que es común en animes de idols.
Escribe @ES_CAY
GT3_gamer
The premise is good, but the execution not so much. As a possession enjoyer, I'm hooked on the premise but left feeling just as I was when I was getting to this anime. Tho, I enjoy every fan interaction in this series. Yes, those are some of the best ones, in any anime. It's the charm of this anime. Not the MC but the SC that fangirling over their oshi. Oh and also kudos to the one who has the idea to make every episode have a unique outro. It had charm to it and I'm actually enjoy listening to all of the song. Overall - 5.9
ScalchopWarrior
In terms of general pitches I’ve received, “deadbeat idol strikes up a partnership with a ghost idol who helps him awaken his love of his work”, is certainly not the most expected story, though I suppose neither is it the oddest. Either way, it was enough to thoroughly grasp my attention on sheer randomness and absurdity alone. Is that really enough to claim any legitimate quality though? Well… [Writing] To begin, the general concept of Kami Kuzu Idol is certainly out-there and pretty original all things considered; and it doesn’t attempt to be too much more than what it sets out to, that being a light-hearted, comedic,slice of life-ish romp with fun gags and characters. The characters are definitely a stand-out, with distinct and fun personalities backed by wonderful performances from the VAs that got plenty of laughs out of me. Add that to some truly enjoyable gags and I was consistently enjoying my time with the show. I don’t consider it anything exceptional, but it’s serviceable as a means for the comedy, and that’s really enough to be entertaining.
[Grade - B+]
[Presentation]
In terms of its visuals, Kami Kuzu Idol really doesn’t have much of note; its animation is certainly passable enough on average, but nothing too impressive or distinct of an animation style or aesthetic that makes it stand out from an average anime. For better or worse, the most distinct animation definitely comes in the performances, where traditional animation is forgone in favor of using CGI models that look…passable, to say the least. However, the music is quite nice, particularly the performance songs, which makes said events more enjoyable than the visuals alone would otherwise make them.
[Grade - B]
[Fun value]
The anime is definitely a very fun time overall, and as a comedic series, much of its mileage certainly does depend on if the general vibe of the show is a hit or miss with you. Myself, I found it a fun and absurd show that constantly entertained, while offering the occasional hit of seriousness to balance the experience out. Therefore, I feel this aspect is definitely its strongest.
[Grade - A-]
In all, Kami Kuzu Idol is an entirely absurd story, but sufficiently tells its story for the intended purposes of comedy and character interactions. With some enjoyable characters, great VA performances, and fun gags, it’s a good time to watch, even if the visuals sometimes leave much to be desired. If you expect something deep or meaningful, while it has some interesting themes of enjoyment from work and the idol industry, you’ll likely still end up disappointed, but if one comes in expecting the light-hearted, fun romp that it is, then there’s some good times to be had.
[Grade - B+]
i-like-this
Anime-drew Lloyd Webber. If you’re into your idol comedies then you’ll probably get a chuckle or two out of “Phantom of the Idol”. Pessimistic and apathetic towards being an idol, Niyodo is on the cusp of being fired from the idol duo ZINGS if he doesn’t get his act together. Whilst moping over how he’ll get his next paycheque he happens upon Asahi, a busty, bubbly, adorable… and dead ghost of a former idol who’s only attachment to the living world is a desperate need to sing on stage as an idol once more. Luckily for her Niyodo doesn’t enjoy the hard work that comes withbeing an idol so he strikes a deal with her so she can possess his body and do all of his idol performances for him.
“Phantom of the Idol” is what you get when you mix any happy-go idol anime together with “Uramichi Oniisan”. The standard moé blob comedy against cynical corporate pessimism is a formula for comedy that works surprisingly well and makes this anime quite unique in the idol genre. Niyodo’s exasperating sloth-ness and straightforwardness is not only a cause for the casts woes, but also a strange antidote in the fake, competitive idol world that cuts through and helps others like his indecisive duo partner Yoshino or his uptight competitor Setouchi. He’s so apathetic towards his work that he’s earns a strange following of fan-girls who’s devotion to him and after show commentary on him whilst having drinks is hilarious, but the personality “gap” that comes from Asahi performing after taking over his body and the reaction to that by his fans is probably one of my favourite comedy gags ever.
It’s animation is about what you’d expect from an idol show. The CGI mo-cap performances look fine but feel a bit janky to watch and the hand drawn animation nothing extraordinary. However they do manage to pack a lot of personality into the characters like Asahi, Niyodo, his duo partner Yoshino and their delightfully insane fanbase to make up for it. I get the feeling they had a lot of fun animating Asahi and giving her character a lot of life… ironically.
The humour does have a tendency to go a bit overboard and it sometimes gets a bit repetitive, but the anime overall is solid. I’ve really enjoyed watching “Phantom of the Idol” and if you’re someone who like idol comedies then I would recommend it.
7/10 Good.
Mr_Socialite
Like, it wasn't bad or anything. The show was super cute and all, but at the same time, it flew under the radar for me. I think a little of it may be a result of the story, and maybe this is also an issue with the development of the anime, but some things were so heavily focused, whereas other aspects that could have used more time did not receive the attention they needed. After episode 4, I wondered if I wanted to continue watching. I am never one to give up on an anime, so I went in to see if there was somethingI was missing, but there wasn't and I watched 10 episodes of a sub-par anime where I can't remember anything that happened besides idol fans being idol fans. The show ended like there may be room for a season two, but at the same time, it ended abruptly. I don't know.... if you want an anime to watch while doing dishes or household chores, I would say that this is a good one to do.
