Today’s post is about Frank who I’ve actually known for some time before I met him in person as one of the people who helped run the yukipo archive. Perhaps a little bit crass, he’s got his heart in the right place and is HPT North America’s (un)official photographer responsible for the majority of our Anime North off-kai photos. Relying on you next year too Frank!
1. How did you first learn about “The iDOLM@STER”? What were your first impressions?
I first found Im@s through one of those Nico mashups. I pretty much thought that Makoto is hella cute.
2. Have you played any of the idolm@ster games? Which is your favorite?
I’ve played pretty much all of them aside from the 360 ones and ones where you need to be in Japan to play like the arcade and Live in Slot. If it counts G4U would be my favourite game/s. I have like 3gb of pictures from it and I’m hype? for CG4U. 2 idols at once, the permutations, I can’t.CG4U is out and its great. Its like G4U but more poses, places, faces everything. The only downgrade is the music went from rando im@s songs to just cinderella-esque background music.
3. Which idol is your favorite and why?
Makoto. Tomboys always get me and her attempts to be girly get me right in the こころ.
4. What is your favorite idolm@ster song and why?
i. I just feel like its the best song. Great vocals, great instrumentals, good dance. It has it all. Shout outs to M@STERPIECE being M@STERPIECE. Susume Otome is also a good one.
5. What’s your favorite aspect of the idolm@ster series?
The idols and the whole theme of danketsu or unity. It makes the series really feel good and the characters all lovely. It emanates through the fanbase and I feel that were pretty accepting and like a family.
6. When and how did you become a “Producer”? That is, when did you consider yourself an idolm@ster fan?
I was a fan of the series way back when the PSP game was announced, heck even earlier than that, living vicariously off of translated stuff and the songs from the XBOX game via youtube.
Now I was a fan back then but not really a P. Sometime between 2013 and 2014 a dear friend Roba, rip death by rj, invited me to a skype group that ruined my life. turned me into a P. It was pre-HPT. There I met Chuck, Kuro, JT and others. After a while we heard of Im@s stickers on LINE and we migrated to that. HPT started to grow and more people went and enabled.
AN 2014 happened and I actually got to meet these people, experience calling at a live, and just be immersed with P culture in general. Canada chat got created sometime after that and I got hit with the P stamp.
7. Have you ever been to an idolm@ster live concert? Please share your experience or any particularly special memories if so.
Sadly not. Poorducer4lyfe. braap braap. That being said the AN 2 offkais were basically lives. The most memorable thing about it was the immense energy in the room.
8. Do you play any of the mobile game series such as Cinderella Girls and Million Live?
Yes but I pretty much quit both. CG just gets a daily log on and occasional event play. ML only gets opened up whenever theres some free rolls. Nowadays its all Starlight Stage, it being an actual game really helps it out.
9. Are you watching the Cinderella Girls anime? What are your thoughts?
I am watching it and I’m liking it more than animas? The art is gorgeous, the direction is great and the plot is good enough for idols. The biggest thing I like about it is the character development. Yes even Mio. It probably helps that CG is basically a blank slate when it comes to characters so you can’t really go wrong, unless you pull a Yayoi and give them the exact opposite of what the character is supposed to be.
[Editor’s comment: SPOILERS BELOW!]
Speaking of character development ep 23 holy shit. I was in tears all that real talk hit too close to home and thats why I love it. Like the whole Yakusoku part hit me but this ep hit me even harder. The whole conflict within Uzuki of just what am I even good for, the hot takes from Rin, the new New Gen slowjam, the Mio prop up every thing about that scene was so strong. Oh god why am i watching it again fuck the tears
10. Do you have any favorite seiyuu related to the idolm@ster series?
The same ones everyone else has.
11. Shout out your love about the idolm@ster series, say anything you’d like!
I’ve known of iDOLM@STER for a years now and I never would have expected to not only have grown as much as it has but also brought so many different people together. hell i swear some of you people could be my dad or younger sibling. This is a truly amazing franchise for doing this and collectively having us want to spend enough money to fund several episode of their animes is quite amazing. Lets hope for another 10 years and even more spending of money.
12. [From vae] With your DSLR camera, what 3 photos with any seiyuus would you take? It can be 3 different seiyuus too. You have the freedom to do anything and everything, only your imagination stands.
Nu’s wedding *drops mic*. Oh wait 3 seiyuus you say? Azumin and Harami’s as well.
13. Say something about the next interviewed person (Robert), also please ask them a question.
Seeing as you have Kaede as your profile pic on LINE you OBVIOUSLY must be a punlord. What are your top ten Kaede-tier puns?
You can follow vae on Twitter @Mahshoe
<Better Know A Producer>
#01 – [Exciel]
#02 – [Kurotsuki]
#03 – [vota]
#04 – [Seraph]
#05 – [Shinikenshi]
#06 – [Erwin]
#07 – [JT]
#08 – [garbejP]
#09 – [KenP]
#10 – [YashaFoxP]
#11 – [omo]
#12 – [ShinP]
#13 – [Basu]
#14 – [karagea]
#15 – [vae]
#16 – [Frank]←Here
#17 – [Robert]