Forever and ever, until the end of time
The Idolm@ster: SideM, commonly referred to as simply SideM (or Emumasu in Japanese circles) is one of several branches under the overarching Idolm@ster series. Established in 2014 with a mobile card-collecting game powered by the service Mobage, SideM focuses on the story of fictional agency 315 Production— pronounced Saikou, meaning "ultimate" or "greatest". The agency initially had 43 idols, which eventually grew to 49 with the addition of fan-voted unit Legenders in 2016, and the introduction of C. First for the launch of The Idolm@ster SideM: Growing Stars in 2021.SideM is currently the only agency within the Idolm@ster universe which showcases male idols who are able to be produced, including the former rivals of 765 Production (Jupiter), and the crossdressing protagonist of 876 Production, Ryo Akizuki. Additionally, SideM features some of the oldest characters within the entirety of The Idolm@ster, having a higher average age that it's sister series. Due to all of this, SideM stands out firmly when placed alongside the others, but often being handled more questionably as a result. Within the cross-branch content showcased, SideM is represented by a green emblem made up of a star and an eagle.
Despite the current lack of active service games featuring 315 Production's cast, SideM currently releases content through the Idolm@ster Portal, releasing new multi-part stories alongside new CD releases starting with the Circle of Delight series. CD releases happen on a yearly-basis, often being announced at the yearly live events which take place all over Japan.
Beyond the Games
SideM is well-known for it's iconic cast of voice actors with varying levels of popularity. For many of the cast, SideM has been a stepping-stone to further successes in the industry. For some such as Nakamura Shuugo (Teru) and Nogami Sho (Shiki), SideM was what allowed for them to continue to follow their ideal career paths. Following along with it's message of age not being a restriction for following one's dreams, SideM has become a shining beacon of hope for fans and the cast alike.All the voice actors share a deep love for the series which is apparent in their performances across both 2D and 3D mediums. Every year, many of them put a significant amount of work into training for live concerts with a routine that is said to be significantly more intensive than those of their colleagues in other branches. As a result, the performances are incredibly explosive and downright exciting to watch! Most notably, the voice actors for THE KOGADOU choreograph fight sequences for the dance breaks in their songs to fit their characters' experience as fighters.
Aside from it's wide cast of voice actors, SideM itself had it's character designs done by the artists in FiFS, who are most known for their work on Persona 3. During 2024, FiFs held the III I V Exhibition in Harajuku, acting separately from Bandai Namco in order to display brand-new illustrations of the entire cast. Alongside FiFS, multiple artists worked for the in-game comics released during the card-collecting game era to showcase the stories of the idols in another medium.