Aikatsu_Friends! Knowpia

Aikatsu Friends!
	Aikatsu Friends anime key visual
アイカツフレンズ!; (Aikatsu Furenzu!)
Genre	Idol (Singer)
Manga
Written by	Chihiro Komori
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	Ciao
Demographic	Shōjo
Original run	April 5, 2018 – September 26, 2019
Anime television series
Directed by	Shishō Igarashi
Written by	Yūko Kakihara
Music by	Digz Motion Sounds
Studio	BN Pictures
Licensed by	SA / SEA: Muse Communication;
Original network	TXN (TV Tokyo, BS TV Tokyo), AT-X
Original run	April 5, 2018 – September 26, 2019
Episodes	76 (List of episodes)
Video games
	Aikatsu Friends! (Data Carddass, 2018); Aikatsu Friends! Brilliant Jewel (Data Carddass, 2019);
See Also
	Aikatsu on Parade!;
	Anime and manga portal

Aikatsu Friends! (アイカツフレンズ!, Aikatsu Furenzu!) is an arcade collectible card game in Bandai's Data Carddass line of machines, which launched on April 5, 2018. It is the successor to the Aikatsu! and Aikatsu Stars! series of arcade games. The game revolves around using collectible cards featuring various clothes to help aspiring idols pass auditions.

An anime television adaptation by BN Pictures aired from April 5, 2018 to September 26, 2019, replacing the Aikatsu Stars! series.^[1] A manga adaptation by Chihiro Komori began serialization in Shogakukan's shōjo manga magazine Ciao from April 3, 2018.^[2] The series was followed by a spinoff title, Aikatsu on Parade! on October 5, 2019.^[3]

Plot edit

Aine Yūki, who is a regular student at Star Harmony Academy's normal division, meets Mio Minato from the idol division, who invites her to join Aikatsu to fulfill Aine's goal to make friends. She also befriends Maika Chōno and Ema Hinata who are also idols. Aine and Mio form a pair to become best friends to become the bright "Diamond Friends". Karen Kamishiro and Mirai Asuka are categorized as "Diamond Friends" and are in the Diamond Class!

Media edit

Anime edit

An anime television series produced by BN Pictures began airing on TV Tokyo from April 5, 2018 succeeding the Aikatsu Stars! anime series in its initial timeslot.

A second season titled "Aikatsu Friends! ~Kagayaki no Jewel~" has been announced, and it aired from April 4 to September 26, 2019, succeeding the first season of Aikatsu Friends! anime series in its initial timeslot.^[4] This was also the last installment of the Aikatsu! series to be produced in the Heisei period and the first to be produced in the Reiwa period.^[a]

Notes edit

^ This season aired 3 days after the announcement of Japan's new period, following Prince Naruhito's ascension to the throne on May 1, 2019.

References edit

^ ^a ^b "Aikatsu Friends! Debuts in April as 3rd Aikatsu Idol TV Anime". Anime News Network. January 25, 2018. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
^ "Aikatsu Friends! Anime Gets Manga in April". Anime News Network. March 1, 2018. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
^ "Aikatsu on Parade! TV Anime to Unite Previous Shows' Idols". Anime News Network. August 17, 2019. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
^ "Aikatsu Friends! Anime Gets New Series in April". Anime News Network. January 29, 2019. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2019.