Anime like BanG Dream!

Love Live! School idol project

Also known as Love Live! School Idol Project.

Studio: Sunrise , Lantis , NIS America Inc.
Status: Finished
Genres: Music , Slice of Life

Otonokizaka High School stands on the border of three cities: Akihabara—a pop culture mecca that's evolving by the minute; Kanda—a conservative, cultured city where history and tradition reign supreme; and Jinbo—a quiet area reserved for a more mature, sophisticated population. Amidst this culture clash, the school now faces closure due to the enrollment of fewer and fewer students.

With the school planning to close within three years, nine female students come together with one thing in mind—form a pop idol group to revive the school's popularity and keep it from shutting down. "In order to protect our beloved school, there's only one thing we can do... become pop stars!"

Their goal is simple: Become an overnight sensation and use their nationwide media exposure to promote their school and bring in a wave of new students to the ailing area. A simple but solid plan, they figure. Naturally, they're nervous and wonder if this plan can really succeed, but for better or worse their new journey has begun...

"All we can ask for is just a tiny bit of support from you. We truly believe that with your help, we can change the world around us. We will make our dreams come true!"



Tags: Idol , Dancing , Primarily Female Cast , School Club , Ensemble Cast , School , Female Protagonist , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Primarily Teen Cast , CGI , Tsundere , Tomboy , Fashion , Maids , Shrine Maiden , Espionage

D4DJ First Mix

Also known as D4DJ First Mix.

Studio: SANZIGEN , Bushiroad
Status: Finished
Genres: Music , Slice of Life

Having moved back to Japan from abroad, Rinku Aimoto transfers to Yoba Academy where DJing is popular. She is deeply moved by a DJ concert she sees there, and decides to form a unit of her own with Maho Akashi, Muni Ohnaruto, and Rei Togetsu.

While interacting with the other DJ units like Peaky P-key and Photon Maiden, Rinku and her friends aim for the high stage!



Note: The first episode was released early on the official D4DJ and Funimation YouTube channels on October 23, 2020. The regular TV broadcast started on October 30, 2020.

Tags: Full CGI , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , CGI , School , Ensemble Cast

Bocchi the Rock!

Also known as BOCCHI THE ROCK!.

Studio: CloverWorks , Aniplex , Houbunsha
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Music , Slice of Life

Hitori Gotou, “Bocchi-chan,” is a girl who’s so introverted and shy around people that she’d always start her conversations with “Ah...”

During her middle school years, she started playing the guitar, wanting to join a band because she thought it could be an opportunity for even someone shy like her to also shine. But because she had no friends, she ended up practicing guitar for six hours every day all by herself. After becoming a skilled guitar player, she uploaded videos of herself playing the guitar to the internet under the name “Guitar Hero” and fantasized about performing at her school’s cultural festival concert. But not only could she not find any bandmates, before she knew it, she was in high school and still wasn’t able to make a single friend!

She was really close to becoming a shut-in, but one day, Nijika Ijichi, the drummer in Kessoku Band, reached out to her. And because of that, her everyday life started to change little by little...



Tags: Band , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Coming of Age , Hikikomori , Rock Music , Rehabilitation , Surreal Comedy , Meta , Slapstick , Work , School , LGBTQ+ Themes , Rotoscoping , Chibi , Yuri

K-ON!

Also known as K-ON!.

Studio: Kyoto Animation , Pony Canyon , TBS , Movic , Rakuonsha , Animation Do , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Music , Slice of Life

Hirasawa Yui, a young, carefree girl entering high school, has her imagination instantly captured when she sees a poster advertising the ‘Light Music Club’. Being the carefree girl that she is, she quickly signs up. However, Yui has a problem, she is unable to play an instrument.

When Yui goes to the clubroom to explain, she's greeted by the other members: Ritsu, Mio and Tsumugi. Although disheartened at Yui’s lack of musical know-how, they still try to convince her to stay to prevent the club’s disbandment. After playing Yui a short piece which re-ignites her imagination, they succeed in keeping their new member and guitarist.

Along with the tasks of school and homework, Yui begins to learn the guitar with the help of the other band members, experiencing many mishaps along the way. However, with the school-festival drawing near and Yui getting stuck with her practice, will the Light Music Club be ready in time for their debut?



Tags: School Club , Rock Music , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Band , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Iyashikei , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Episodic , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Food , Slapstick , Seinen , Tomboy

Love Live! Sunshine!!

Also known as Love Live! Sunshine!!.

Studio: Sunrise , Lantis
Status: Finished
Genres: Music , Slice of Life

Uranohoshi Girls’ High School, a private school in the seaside neighborhood of Uchiura at Numazu city, Shizuoka prefecture. A small high school in a corner of Suruga Bay, it is home to nine teens, led by second-year student Chika Takami, driven by one seriously big dream: To become the next generation of bright, sparkling “school idols”! As long as we don’t give up, any dream can come true... All we have to do now is keep pushing hard for fame and glory! Now their “School Idol Project” begins to make their dreams come true!



Tags: Idol , Primarily Female Cast , School Club , Dancing , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , School , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Ensemble Cast , Coastal , Rural , Chuunibyou , CGI

GIRLS BAND CRY

Also known as Girls Band Cry.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life

Feeling out of place in the countryside, high school dropout Nina Iseri moves to Tokyo. After a rough first day and getting locked out of her apartment, she meets her favorite guitarist, Momoka Kawaragi. The two put on a street performance together and decide to start a band with three other girls. While each girl faces her own struggles, their passion for music keeps their dreams alive.



Tags: Band , CGI , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Rock Music , Coming of Age , Full CGI , Urban , Yuri , Bullying , LGBTQ+ Themes , Denpa , Found Family , Acting , Tragedy , Family Life , Tanned Skin

THE IDOLM@STER

Also known as The Idol Master.

Studio: Aniplex , A-1 Pictures , TBS
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Music , Slice of Life

765 Production Studio manages the unique talents of 13 professional idols as they slowly make their way to the top and become country-wide celebrities. But the girls' journey is far from just fun and games: hard work, sweat, and tears are some of the prerequisites needed to flourish in this industry—and for 765 Pro in particular, a watchful eye out for their rival, the infamous 961 Production. As the girls' fame grows, however, their time together as a family diminishes, and now the very popularity they sought is threatening to tear them apart. A difficult balance of work and bonding must be achieved, or they risk everyone going their separate ways. The personal and professional ordeals of these idols can't be conquered alone, but with each other's loving support, any obstacle or hardship can be overcome!

Tags: Idol , Primarily Female Cast , Ensemble Cast , Found Family , Work , Dancing , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Tsundere , Twins , Office Lady , Tomboy , Acting , Animals , Athletics

Love Live! Superstar!!

Also known as Love Live! Superstar!!.

Studio: Sunrise , Bandai Namco Arts , KADOKAWA
Status: Finished
Genres: Music , Slice of Life

Tokyo’s brand-new Yuigaoka Girls’ High School has no history, no upperclassmen, and no reputation—its first students are starting from scratch! A team of five girls led by Kanon Shibuya discover school idols, and their hopes to do something with singing begin to grow. They begin the “School Idol Project” with a blank slate and infinite potential. It’s time for their Love Live to take flight!



Tags: Idol , School , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Dancing , School Club , Primarily Teen Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Ensemble Cast , Food , Shrine Maiden

Wake Up, Girls!

Also known as Wake Up, Girls!.

Studio: Ordet , Tatsunoko Production , Ultra Super Pictures , DIVE II Entertainment , Wake Up, Girls! Partners , AT-X , Toho , TV Tokyo , Sotsu , Avex Entertainment , Sega Games , Good Smile Company
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Slice of Life

The gateway to Idol stardom might have opened for the newly formed singing group Wake Up, Girls, but the path to fame is full of perils and pitfalls. And for Mayu, Airi, Minami, Yoshino, Nanami, Kaya and Miyu, it's going to be especially difficult knowing who to trust, as their manager Matsuda's lack of experience could give other, less scrupulous, individuals a chance to take advantage.

That's a situation that quickly comes to a head when Green Leaves' president suddenly disappears with most of the money, and things only get worse when the replacement producer seems more interested in getting the girls into revealing swimsuits than promoting their music.

As malicious gossip begins to surface regarding Mayu's past membership in a rival group, and internal tensions begin to tear the team apart, they'll need more than just ambition to survive. Singing may be a business, but friendship and a love of music is what will keep everything together.



Tags: Idol , Primarily Female Cast , Musical Theater , Dancing , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , School

Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai

Also known as Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club.

Studio: Sunrise , Bandai Namco Arts , Bushiroad , KADOKAWA
Status: Finished
Genres: Music , Slice of Life

Nijigasaki High School is known for their diverse subjects and the freedom they give to students. Second-year student Yuu Takasaki has been turned on to the charms of school idols, so she knocks on the door of the School Idol Club with her friend, Ayumu Uehara. Sometimes friends, sometimes rivals, the members of this club each contribute their own thoughts and motivations to the group.



Tags: Idol , School Club , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Dancing , School , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Primarily Teen Cast , Kuudere , Episodic , CGI