Funimation, AnimeLab Stream Idoly Pride Anime

Funimation announced on Saturday that it will stream simulcasts of the anime part of the Idoly Pride multimedia project on its platform in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Ireland. AnimeLab will stream the anime in Australia and New Zealand.

Funimation describes the anime:

After a successful audition, high school student Kotono Nagase and her best friend move into a dorm with eight other aspiring idols. They quickly realize it takes more than cute choreography and cute outfits to reach the top—it will take blood, sweat, and tears to advance in the idol-ranking VENUS program, where the top spot is held by superstar Mana Nagase…who happens to be Kotono's older sister.

The anime premiered on Tokyo MX and other channels on January 10.

Yū Kinome (episode director for Classroom of the Elite, Scum's Wish, School-Live!) is directing the anime at CAAnimation. Tatsuya Takahaashi (Katana Maidens: Toji no Miko, The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls) is in charge of the series scripts, and Sumie Kinoshita (Forest of Piano, The Mystic Archives of Dantalian) is designing the characters. Lerche (School-Live!, Scum's Wish, Kino's Journey - The Beautiful World) is also credited for animation production.

CyberAgent subsidiary QualiArts, Straight Edge, and Music Ray'n are collaborating on the multimedia project. QP:flapper (Girlish Number, Girl Friend BETA) is providing the original character designs. YOSHIKI Minazumi (name romanization not confirmed) of QualiArts, Kaoru Adachi (Love Live! School idol project producer) of Straight Edge, and Jukki Hanada (Love Live! School idol project, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! scripts) of SATZ are credited with the original concept. Music Ray'n and QualiArts are credited for the music.

English text on the project's promotional materials reads, "No one starts from the spotlight. They all start as nobody. Only way there is to prove that she is a true idol." The multimedia project includes anime, video games, music, and several other forms of entertainment. A manga titled Idoly Pride: Stage of Asterism launched on Kadokawa's Comic Newtype website on June 10.

The anime is CAAnimation's first project. CyberAgent, the parent company of game developer Cygames and streaming service company AbemaTV, founded the CAAnimation label in October 2018.

Sources: Funimation (Nicholas Friedman)