The next featured Producer is garbejP, a Takane P from Norcal. He was one of the few gaijin Takane Ps that also went to Anime North 2014 to see Hara Yumi. When we talked to her Yumi expressed a little sadness that none of us gaijins were Takane Ps but we didn’t know garbejP well at the time so we couldn’t point to him. Dammit garbej!
1. How did you first learn about “The iDOLM@STER”? What were your first impressions?
As a teen, I spent a decent amount of time on Niconico watching random videos, and I happened to stumble upon a few im@s ones. The girls were cute and the music was good, so I decided to watch Xenoglossia, which was about to air at the time. While I didn’t hate it, it wasn’t really what I expected, and im@s kinda faded from the forefront of my mind until anim@s aired.
2. Have you played any of the idolm@ster games? Which is your favorite?
I’ve played idolm@ster SP, idolm@ster 2, Shiny Festa, Shiny TV, and OFA. If you count them as “games,” I’ve also spent time on Cinderella Girls and Million Live. I’d say that OFA is my favorite, but I’ve probably spent the most time pushing buttons in ML.
3. Which idol is your favorite and why?
Takane is my favorite idol, and even as I become more and more DD, Takane is still my number one and will always be my number one. It wasn’t love at first sight, but her voice, personality, and songs slowly but surely won me over as I got more engrossed in the franchise (looks didn’t hurt either w). The gap between her elegant, regal manner and her naivete was especially appealing. It’s hard for me to go into any more detail, but if I were to sum up why she’s my favorite, it’s because Takane is Takane, and there is no one else like her. As a P, I strive to understand at least a fraction of the beautiful mystery that is Takane.
4. What is your favorite idolm@ster song and why?
This is tough. I like most im@s songs, and what I want to listen to at any given moment depends on my mood. I guess currently I’m in love with 恋花. I’m not one to get very emotional, but this song definitely makes me feel things like few others. I really am a sucker for Takane ballads. Other songs I love include Little Match Girl, Blue Symphony, and Nation Blue.
5. What’s your favorite aspect of the idolm@ster series?
The music. Without the music, I don’t think I’d be as obsessed with the franchise as I am. The variety of genres and voices makes sure that I’m never bored. As such, my daily playlist is mostly im@s songs, with some random rock and anison mixed in. As important as the music are the people behind the franchise. From the seiyuu, to the composers, to the all the Ps, their efforts for im@s are a big part of why I enjoy it so much.
6. When and how did you become a “Producer”? That is, when did you consider yourself an idolm@ster fan?
While my initial exposure to im@s was much earlier, I didn’t consider myself a Producer until midway through anim@s, when I started playing the games and diving deeper into the franchise as a whole. As I watched, something inside me snapped, and I found myself surrounded by all these im@s BDs, games, CDs, and goods. While spending power does not necessarily indicate one’s level of fandom, the fact that I had emptied my wallet without batting an eye after a life of thriftiness made me realize how much im@s meant to me. In addition, I was spending most of my free time lurking online learning more about the franchise, trying to catch up the the Producers that came before me. Im@s was on my mind almost 24/7 and I knew there was no going back.
7. Have you ever been to an idolm@ster live concert? Please share your experience or any particularly special memories if so.
Not yet, but in a few short days I’ll be attending Million Live 2nd Live. I can’t wait!
8. Do you play any of the mobile game series such as Cinderella Girls and Million Live?
Both, though I play CG much more casually than ML. If I have the time, I want to get into CG more, but my backlog of other things is always growing bigger and bigger…
9. Are you watching the Cinderella Girls anime? What are your thoughts?
Of course I’m watching derem@s! So far I am really enjoying the ride. Though I’ve kept an eye on the CG girls from the beginning, seeing them develop and learning more about them through derem@s has been great. TakeP is also a great addition to the franchise.
10. Do you have any favorite seiyuu related to the idolm@ster series?
HARAMIIIIIII! Uh, I mean yes I do, Yumi Hara. Besides voicing my favorite idol, I love her “fuwa fuwa” personality and her solo work. Meeting her at AN was a high point of my Producer career. There are many others I like and follow as well, but I can’t pull a JT and wife everyone. For me, there can only be one true oshi.
11. Shout out your love about the idolm@ster series, say anything you’d like!
“The iDOLM@STER” has brought so much joy to my life, helping me through hard times and making the good times that much better. Also, it has helped me meet and become friends with so many wonderful people that I would not have gotten to know otherwise. I can truly say that I am proud to be a Producer.
\アイマズ最高！！！/
12. [From JT] Who among your oshis do you feel the most comfortable having other people prpr?
Dammit JT. Why you gotta be like that?
I don’t know if I can ever feel “comfortable” with others prpr-ing Harami or Minyami, but there isn’t much I can do about it I suppose. Let me just say that if you choose to prpr, do it out of love, not lust. The more you prpr indiscriminately, the less each prpr means. Or something like that.
13. Say something about the next interviewed person (KenP), also please ask them a question.
I had the pleasure to meet KenP in Las Vegas this past January, and while we didn’t have a ton of time to hangout, I did learn that this AzusaP had enough space in his heart for Love Live and Aikatsu in addition to im@s. So my question to KenP is this:
As one who is equal parts P, Liver, and Aikatsu ojisan, if you had to produce a unit composed of idols from each franchise, who would they be and why, and what would they be called?
You can follow garbejP on Twitter @garbej12
<Better Know A Producer>
#01 – [Exciel]
#02 – [Kurotsuki]
#03 – [vota]
#04 – [Seraph]
#05 – [Shinikenshi]
#06 – [Erwin]
#07 – [JT]
#08 – [garbejP]←Here
#09 – [KenP]