#idolm@ster mano

[a-dreamworld-fool]

trying out CSP!

(I have trust issues now because the previous doodles got corrupted... again.)

[hirosaji]

はるかぜ、ふわり | アイドルマスターシャイニーカラーズ

[avakkins-alter]

たまに裏の顔を見せてくる櫻木さん | わにたろー。

[luvyu]

Weiss Schwarz × The iDOLM@STER EXPO

[lightupheart]

x

[suminomiyyas]

[kurayamineko]

[silvertsundere]

【はるかなる】 Sakuragi Mano

[schizoismo]

‧ 🧠˚₊ ི Oh Miss Moonlight 歩き出した

[rikohanamaru]

Yuhuuu any opinions about this promotional card for The Idolmaster Tours?

Personally I think this is pretty cool, but I kinda wish Kaoru Sakuraba is shirtless to match each other!

Just my opinion though! 🖐️

[rizumuj]

A ShinyM@s Halloween 🎃🧡🖤

[loveyusm]

[thefigureresource]

Mano Sakuragi : Hanakaze Smiley ver [THE iDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors] 1/7 scale from Reverse Studio coming January 2024.

[imasloid]

SHINY COLORS FASHION ANALYSIS - ILLUMINATION STARS (PART ONE)

This is a project analyzing and taking a look at the fashion design and application in the multimedia series, The IDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors. This section is about the classic idol star and sky-themed unit of the series, illumination STARS! If you want to jump to a specific section, go here!

(This is a reprint of my thread on Twitter. I put it on Tumblr for easier reading and for archiving purposes. Enjoy!)

UNIT PROFILE

Members from left to right: Mano Sakuragi (櫻木真乃), Hiori Kazano (風野灯織), Meguru Hachimiya (八宮めぐる)

Official Description: A new generation idol unit formed by three girls carrying a small light. Although their radiance is still faint at the moment, while sometimes clashing and supporting each other, they will continue to journey towards the first-class star!

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UNIT COSTUME ANALYSIS

Foreword: This is the first thread I wrote, so it’s going to be a bit all over the place, but the later sections are much more organized and consistent… Nevertheless, thanks for reading!

The poster unit of Shiny Colors, illumination STARS is comprised of the red, blue, and yellow representatives of the branch. Like the other iM@S “traffic light” units, their costumes have of simple but classic idol elements as well as symbology representing their branch.

Using their costume “Sparkle Illumination,” I’ve shown some examples of classic idol elements and Shiny Colors symbology that are present in illumination STARS’s unit ensembles. These themes will be expanded on in their other costumes’ analyses later!

The third theme, “Individuality in Unity,” describes how their costumes, though similar in design, have minute changes in detail to show off the members’ unique personalities. As the members are the red/blue/yellow reps of Shiny, this theme is central to their dynamic as a unit.

Here their costumes “Siriusly Crown” and “Planetes Series” are showcasing the theme “Individuality in Unity.” The variation in details can be seen in many idol costumes, but it’s very prevalent in iS’s costumes to symbolize their typical “red/blue/yellow” traits.

This isn’t to say that iS is a basic “red/blue/yellow” unit though. The members’ personalities deviate from the typical “red/blue/yellow” traits: Mano (introverted and shy), Hiori (self-conscious and emotionally charged), and Meguru (lonely and sensitive). But more on that later!

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UNIT COSTUME #1 - Sparkle Illumination (スパークルイルミネーション)

“Sparkle Illumination” is iS’s main unit costume, and is the most representative of the unit, their core themes, and aestethic. The name references the branch name, Shiny Colors, as well as their unit name, illumination STARS.

Speaking of symbology, this costume shares a lot in common with the branch-wide main costume, “Beyond the Blue Sky.” Their shared elements (seen in picture) and them both being the first costumes you ever see in the game symbolize the first flight into the sky with the player.

Though the costume is mostly the same across all members, there are some minute differences in detail that show the individuality and personality of Mano, Hiori, and Meguru. As seen in the graphic, it is mainly in the sleeves and bottoms.

Bringing back this image from earlier, the classic idol elements, sky/space motifs, and color scheme of “Sparkle Illumination” represent their newness to the idol world as well as their (seemingly typical) desire to “illuminate” the idol world with their own unique color.

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UNIT COSTUME #2 - Siriusly Crown (シリウスリークラウン)

“Siriusly Crown” is iS’s second unit costume, the first part of the name being a play on Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, & the word “seriously.” The costume represents Mano, Hiori, & Meguru earnestly chasing their dreams of becoming the brightest idols in the world.

As hinted by the name, this costume has a very heavy star motif. Their bottoms feature a pastel starry galaxy and gold stars adorn their bodies in their bows, armbands, and chains. The frills, bows, preppy tops, and soft pastels give the costume a softer edge.

Compared to “Sparkle Illumination” which focused more on classic idol elements & the “wing/sky” motif, Siriusly Crown leans in more into the “space” theming of their unit and shows more variation between their respective costumes. Both costumes have the same star armbands.

Though “Siriusly Crown” has the same color scheme throughout all the costumes, there are many detail variations that emphasize the individuality of each member. Mano’s is pure and fairytale-like, Hiori’s is classy and chic, and Meguru’s is sporty and bright.

This picture elaborates more on the variation in costume between Mano, Hiori, and Meguru and how it showcases their charm and unique personalities. For Siriusly Crown, the most difference is in their top and bottom styles which tells the viewer more about them visually.

Siriusly Crown’s design heavily references Mano as the center, leader, & the glue that holds the unit together. The majority of the costume is light pinks and lilacs (colors that Mano wears in later costumes), while dark blue and gold are accents, giving dimension to the costume.

Along with the color scheme, the symmetric detailing signals to the viewer that Mano is the center/leader of iS and is the unit’s core. Hiori/Meguru’s details having similar but opposite placements denotes their supporting of Mano, being an irreplaceable part of the team.

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UNIT COSTUME #3: Twinkly Cheerful (トゥインクリーチアフル)

“Twinkly Cheerful” is illumination STARS’ third unit costume. “Twinkly” obviously refers to their unit name, & just like with Siriusly Crown, a very heavy star motif. This costume’s theme is joy in unity, holding hands to transform into idols magical-girl style, hence “cheerful.”

This costume shares many elements with past costumes “Sparkle Illumination” and “Siriusly Crown,” as seen in the graphic. It combines the classic idol costume feel of Sparkle Illumination with the heavy sky/space symbolism of Siriusly Crown with a “popstar” aesthetic.

Because the concept of this costume is “unity,” the costumes are mostly similar with small differences in the tops and the sleeves. Even their hairstyles are similar high ponytails. Mano is still identifiable as the center, but the costumes look much more unified.

Twinkly Cheerful leans heavy into the western “popstar” look with the starwing insignia, polkadot sheer fabric, furs, dual-color headbands, cropped top, & in-ear mic, reminiscent of a poppy girl group. In a way, they’ve transformed (see animation) into the idols of their dreams.

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UNIT COSTUME #4: Planetes Series | Stella / Luna / Sol (プラテネスシリーズ | ステラ・ルーナ・ソール)

“Planetes Series” is illumination STARS’ fourth set of unit costumes and features the idols as angelic guardians of a city lost to time. These outfit mark a new direction these & later costumes take the “sky/space” theme, presenting the girls as higher powers or cosmic forces.

“Planetes Series” is the only illumination STARS unit costume that has separate names for each variation. Planetes Sol (Meguru) represents the sun/day, Planetes Luna (Hiori) represents the moon/night, & Planetes Stella (Mano) represents shooting stars/dawn.

Compared to all of the costumes we’ve seen so far, “Planetes Series” has the most variation in costume between the idols with different color schemes, fabrics, and textures. However, shared core elements and explicit theming assist in connecting them together.

In the Planetes Series, each idol represents a form of illumination in the sky, a “star” type, as well as a period in the diurnal cycle. True to their unit name, each idol illuminates a distinct time of day using their own “star” (sun/stars/shooting stars).

Mano’s position as leader/center is reinforced in these costumes as she represents dawn/dusk, the liminal states between day (Meguru) & night (Hiori). Unlike the sun or moon that are seen only at day/night, shooting stars are seen at the cusp between night and day.

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GO HERE FOR PART TWO (i hit picture limit)

[lightupheart]

[suminomiyyas]