THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls - U149 - Vol. 15 Ch. 117 - Third Entertainment Section Part 20

[MangaDex]

 

[SuperOniichan]

So, is this a spin-off prequel to Cinderellas? Or do you have to debut in the game first too?

 

[BottiBott]

So, is this a spin-off prequel to Cinderellas? Or do you have to debut in the game first too?

Not really sure about the game, haven't played it myself, but yes, this is generally considered a spin-off. The story is completely separate as far as I know and the only thing it has in common with the main series is the characters and the general theme. Some of those differences result in contradictions, like Miria beeing part of U149 here and part of Dekoration in the main entry. So it's best to just enjoy this for what it is rather than try to make it work in combination.

 

[PrecureHunter]

this scouting of the old lady was off-camera before chapter 1 right? like this is the first weve heard of it?

 

[BottiBott]

this scouting of the old lady was off-camera before chapter 1 right? like this is the first weve heard of it?

Yep. Without going into any details, there will be a lot more about this in the next chapter. This one was pretty much just a setup for what is coming in the next chapter. So look forward to what'll happen ^^

 

[phanhfrank]

So, is this a spin-off prequel to Cinderellas? Or do you have to debut in the game first too?

different universe from the anime

 

[SuperOniichan]

different universe from the anime

I meant the game, that's why I asked if the idols debuted in the game by default. From what I heard on YouTube, all anime adaptations have their own canon, but they are indirectly connected for ease of continuity.

 

[JwqPE6m7kTHv]

Cinderella Girls exists in this weird space where the 1st anime has its own production company, that is never named or mentioned in the games, except when it is, in cards in Starlight Stage where you're clearly in the company's building from the anime, including have the company logo on the wall. Likewise, our U149 idols work for a different company, except, sometimes it seems like they don't and we're just not calling it the name from the anime for some reason. I think they originally wanted to be vague so they could have more options in the future, but unfortunately the VA who played the 346 Director has passed away, so you're unlikely to ever really see 346/Mishiro Pro in future CG stuff again.

But it's im@s/Cinderella Girls, people and elements of stories can come and go. For example, the current event in Starlight Stage is based on an old gag from the Gekijou/Theater manga from the old Mobamas game, a gag from 10 years ago. Things are more fun and laid-back than some other idol franchises.

 

[FC_Yuuki]

Yeah, the best way to describe various iM@S series is any adaptation should usually be seen as its own independent thing no matter it be the OG's, Dearly Stars, Cinderella Girls, Million Live, SideM, Shiny Colors, Gakuen, etc., and no matter the format.

Some are linked to one another, like the main anime adaptations are synced to one another for the most part, but that doesn't include the U149 adaptation which is pretty different from this manga, and things like the Cinderella Theater adaptation are more in sync with the actual game universe.

Some things, like the spin-off manga Asayake wa Koganeiro, do require some background knowledge, as that's based on the anime canon, and there's even some neat references to more obscure games like Stella Stage, but it's rather minor and it's pretty rare you need to actually watch the entire series for anything.

Ultimately, it's a rather large franchise that's plays fast and loose with itself, and as such continuity shouldn't be worried about too hard. For U149, every idol originated from the gacha game from 2011 and their backstories are mostly the same barring some key differences. Other than that, I wouldn't worry too much unless you really want to get more into things, in which there are a bunch of fan translations for the various events and stories floating about online.