Aikatsu Stars!

Aikatsu Stars! is a TV anime made by BN Pictures and directed by Teruo Sato. It aired on TV Tokyo from April 7, 2016, to March 29, 2018, and ran for 100 episodes over two seasons. It was the next show after the first Aikatsu! anime, and Aikatsu Friends! came after it. Like the rest of the franchise, it is tied to a Bandai arcade card game. In the game, players collect cards with outfits on them and use them to help young idols pass auditions. The word Aikatsu is short for "idol activities."

The main character is Yume Nijino, a girl with a big dream. She starts school at Four Star Academy, also called Yotsuboshi Academy, together with her friend Koharu Nanakura. This school trains idols, which in Japan means young stars who sing, dance, act, and appear on TV. Every student joins one of four special classes: Song, Dance, Theater, and Beauty. At the very top of the school is S4, a group made of the single best idol from each class. Hime Shiratori, one of the S4, is a key figure in Yume's story, and Yume hopes that one day she can stand at that level too.

At first Yume is not sure where her real talent is. She soon meets Rola Sakuraba (also spelled Laura), who becomes her rival and her close friend at the same time. The two push each other to learn and get better. Other new students, such as Ako Saotome and Mahiru Kasumi, chase their own goals in their own classes. The show gives many episodes to these side characters, so viewers watch each girl grow through lessons, tryouts, and stage shows. A boys' idol group called M4 also appears.

The tone is bright and kind, and it is made with young viewers in mind. But it also takes hard work seriously. The girls practice, face auditions, and keep trying, and the show makes clear that being on stage takes effort as well as talent. The concert scenes use colorful 3D computer animation, with fancy outfits and makeup. The songs are sung by a real group called AIKATSU☆STARS!, and theme songs include "Start Line!" and "STAR JET!"

The first season has 50 episodes. In the second season, a rival school called Venus Ark arrives. Its classes take place on a big ship. Its leader, Elza Forte, is a fierce and competitive idol, and she becomes a new challenge for Yume and her friends. Kirara Hanazono also joins the story in this part.

The series was popular enough to get a film, Aikatsu Stars! The Movie, which came out on August 13, 2016, only a few months after the show began. For the tenth birthday of the anime in 2026, that movie was shown again in Japanese theaters. A new film, Aikatsu Stars! Hoshiboshi no Progress, was also announced for early spring 2027.