#scfa

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INTRODUCTION

“Kiriko is a silver-haired girl who exudes a mysterious atmosphere, most notable by her ephemeral nature and being wrapped in bandages. Soft-spoken but kind-hearted. She is very empathetic, sensitive, and interacts with the world around her in a very peculiar way. ”

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Profile

Age: 17

Birthday: September 23rd

Height: 160 cm

Weight: 51 kg

Blood Type: AB

Hometown: Fukushima

Hobbies: Collecting cute things, handcrafts, blood donation

Special Skills: Wrapping bandages beautifully, stepping silently, peeling apples

CV: Yuina Mizuki

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Before starting the analysis, I would suggest if you haven’t already, read her W.I.N.G. (introductory) commu (through the broswer game's English patch or on YouTube). If you don’t play the game, I would listen to her image song and read the lyrics to get a better sense of her character.

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STYLE BREAKDOWN

Kiriko’s fashion style takes great influence from girly-kei fashion, a feminine style that emphasizes cuteness. However, Kiriko turns it into her own by making it more casual, desaturated, and minimalistic, fitting her mysterious, dollish, ghost-like first impression.

Before going into fashion influences, Kiriko has doll-like qualities that aren’t clothing-related that synergize well with her simple design like porcelain skin & light, natural makeup. The attributes listed here combine with her dolly clothing to make her look like a mannequin.

Girly-kei fashion is the main influence on Kiriko’s style, following a common silhouette and typical elements of the style, like ribbons, lace, and heeled dress shoes. She makes it her own by dressing the style down as well as simplifying the outfit composition and silhouette.

Many of Kiriko’s coords take common elements from other girly-kei subtypes leading to a versatile but reined-in wardrobe. Though the style inspirations are varied, a consistent silhouette and repeated bijou elements like ribbons, frills, and ruffles unite her looks.

Another prominent influence on Kiriko’s style is “classical,” an adult, elegant fashion inspired by film actresses of the 1940s-1970s. It comprises of layering basics and a balance of both bold and natural colors, bringing out Kiriko’s mysterious elegance in a less dollish way.

Preppy influence in Kiriko’s wardrobe is easily seen in the her early outfits and forms her usual silhouette & outfit composition that’s seen as the foundation of many of her outfits. Though it really defines her early wardrobe, the influence is more subtle in her later outfits.

Her bandages are a huge part of her identity & how she presents herself. Kiriko doesn’t wear them for fashion reasons or having a fragile body, but they act as a “good luck charm” for her extreme anxiety. It also ties back to her dollish demeanor and how she lives at a hospital.

Kiriko’s image color is an icy light blue, perhaps relating to her mental fragility and her use of bandages. It’s a very dreamy and ephemeral color and synergizes with her doll-like lightness and girly elegance.

Kiriko’s color palette comprises primarily of dull & light neutrals used as a foundation for most of her outfits. This palette often either colors the whole outfit or takes a back seat to a secondary palette of vibrant cool tones and grays.

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STYLE ANALYSIS

Kiriko auditioned at the production to be an idol to “boost her self-confidence” and improve her timid nature. When Producer asks her about her bandages, she lies and said she “bumped into something.” Kiriko says putting them on makes her feel at peace.

Kiriko’s name in kanji (幽谷霧子) contains the character “幽 (yu)” commonly attributed with the word for ghost “幽霊 (yuurei)” and the character “霧 (kiri)” meaning “fog” or “mist.” As such, Kiriko is most known for her fragile and ephemeral appearance.

As touched on in the last section, Kiriko has many qualities that make her feel like a living doll. This sentiment is shared by the other members of L’antica, often complimenting her and how just looking at Kiriko makes them feel “at peace.”

Many of her earlier outfits had her outfits in the same silhouette, like a fashion mannequin, with a collared top and flared above-the-knee-length skirt. Before major development, she was characterized with this dollish silhouette in the beginning.

Also mentioned in the previous section, Kiriko is a huge worrywart: constantly anxious about other’s physical and emotional states and very sensitive to how others interact with her. She tends to bite her tongue and finds it hard to speak freely to others.

Her extreme anxiety isn’t limited to just people, but also real-life events and even inanimate objects’ feelings. As stated before, her bandages are a “talisman” Kiriko uses to calm herself down and “protect” her before she gets “injured” by her pangs of unease.

The frequency and size of her bandages have a direct relation to how much her anxieties are hindering her, bigger size & higher frequency relating to a weaker mental state. Kiriko wore them constantly, but as her character got developed she started relying on them less & less.

She only wears her forehead bandage and sometimes even doesn’t wear any at all in her most recent cards, showing her growth in how she interacts with her anxiety. To add, Kiriko has never been “ashamed” of her bandages either and considers them a part of her identity.

Her bandages also relate to her medical background with both of her parents being doctors, living in hospital dormitory housing, having a hobby of donating blood, and often volunteering at said hospital. Her main color palette of whites/light grays also relate to this.

Kiriko is also very smart to where her career advisor encouraged her to become a medical professional. She is a methodical person with a sharp memory; her preppy influences in her fashion also call back to this as well.

Another trait about Kiriko is her “ephemeral” and “fantastical” aura like that of a fairy-tale character. Some things she does are personify inanimate objects, have vivid daydreams that tend to bleed into reality, and having a very surreal sense of humor.

Though she has notable anxiety, Kiriko’s personality is simple, positive, and tends to see the good in the world and in others (which is why she worries so much about everything). She is easily awestruck and has a high sense of wonder for the world.

Her fashion really suits that side of her personality well with lots of hazy, muted colors, soft fabrics, light textures, bijou detailing, and flowy and oversized clothing pieces. It makes the viewer feel like they’re also in one of her daydreams.

Kiriko’s fashion evolution is subtle, but you can see how her style influences change in the beginning, middle, and end as her character develops. Though her fashion changes, her dollish, plush, mysterious, and dreamy aura stays intact.

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This is it for Kiriko Yukoku!

If you liked this thread, check out my Twitter and give me a tip on Ko-Fi so I can do more things like this with other idol series! Thanks for reading <3

INTRODUCTION

“Mano is a gentle and kind-hearted girl with a soothing aura, but is slightly introverted. She’s the type of person you want to watch over and protect; just being near her makes anyone feel happiness. A first-year student who loves nature and is drawn to mountain climbing & hiking.”

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Profile

Age: 16

Birthday: April 25th

Height: 155cm

Weight: 48kg

Blood Type: A

Hometown: Tokyo

Hobbies: Going out, Sunbathing at the park

Special Skills: Liked by birds

CV: Hitomi Sekine

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Before starting the analysis, I would suggest if you haven’t already, read her W.I.N.G. (introductory) commu (through the broswer game's English patch or on YouTube). If you don’t play the game, I would listen to her image song and read the lyrics to get a better sense of her character.

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STYLE BREAKDOWN

Mano’s fashion can be described as a cute, soft, & girly style that’s also comfortable, optimized for going on long strolls in the park. To emphasize her ties to nature, her fashion mainly includes elements from natural-kei, mori-kei, cottagecore, and outdoorswear styles.

The main style that Mano’s fashion takes from is “natural-kei,” a style that is innocent and has a “soft & fluffy” feeling, known as yurufuwa [ゆるふわ]). A modern evolution of other nature-esque styles like mori girl, it fits the simplicity & mild-manneredness of Mano perfectly.

Mano’s older outfits feature many elements from the “mori girl” style, a 2000s style that combines the “yurufuwa” element of the forest with lolita-esque details. Mano’s fashion is much simpler than typical mori girl coords, but key elements emphasize her love for the outdoors.

Cottagecore and outdoorswear are two minor style inspirations that can be seen in Mano’s wardrobe, both linking Mano to her outdoor activities & hobbies. As you’ll see later, these sub-styles all mix together to form a unique fashion sense for each idol in Shiny Colors!

A deviation from the “nature” theme of Mano’s fashion, retro girly is the other major sub-style featured prominently in her wadrobe. The style fits Mano’s introspective and reserved personality which will be expanded on later in the analysis.

Mano’s image color is a light pink, a deviation from the image colors of the faces/red representatives of the other iM@S branches which are usually darker reds & pinks. As Mano is more shy, introverted, & gentle compared to her “red” counterparts, this color suits her well.

This is Mano’s color palette for her fashion, divided into primary & secondary sub-palettes. Her primary palette is a mix of dusty/dull pinks & “natural” neutrals like beiges and browns. This base palette is accented by other “nature” colors to give variation to her wardrobe.

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STYLE ANALYSIS

As stated in the style breakdown, Mano’s fashion emphasizes her softness, shyness, & gentleness; when first meeting Mano, she is singing in a park alone to a couple pigeons. When asked to be an idol, she hesitates due to a lack of confidence & not having much social experience.

To show her growth as an idol, her style slowly changes through time. Mano’s earlier outfits have an boyish feel with the darker color palette, heavy mori girl influences (e.g. lace), & short, loose shorts that seem a bit out-of-style compared to the current trends at the time. While cute, her style is a bit outdated, centered around function (clothes for walking/strolls) rather than keeping up with trends (related to having little friends or social interaction). Her fashion is a bit childish for her age, representing her inexperience & room for growth.

As Mano gains more experience with being an idol (around after W.I.N.G.), her style starts to change. Moving away from shorts & lace patterns to skirts/dresses & a more trendy look overall, stage two visually represents her growth as an idol & her newfound sense of maturity. This stage marks the start of the “retro girly” style influence, notably not rooted/inspired by nature. I think this style was introduced to expand on Mano’s character as someone who isn’t just associated with nature, but also her newfound maturity & “old-soul” personality.

The final (& current) stage of Mano’s fashion is very mature and trendy, mostly taking elements of the natural-kei style. Her increased confidence & experience as an idol is seen in her main silhouette, increased experimentation, & a fine blending of previous style inspirations.

Comparing her initial and latest outfits, her growth from a reserved & unconfident individual to a matured & shining idol can easily be seen. However, her inital softness and brightness still remains constant through time as her style changes.

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This is it for Mano Sakuragi!

If you liked this thread, check out my Twitter and give me a tip on Ko-Fi so I can do more things like this with other idol series! Thanks for reading <3

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INTRODUCTION

“Mamimi is a third-year high school student with a downer-type personality who hates troublesome things. She’s a beautiful girl with a great face and style, but she’s indifferent to anything she isn’t interested in."

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Profile

Age: 18

Birthday: May 24th

Height: 161 cm

Weight: 49 kg

Blood Type: B

Hometown: Kanagawa

Hobbies: Wandering, Teasing people

Special Skills: Cutting her own hair

CV: Chisa Suganuma

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Before starting the analysis, I would suggest if you haven’t already, read her W.I.N.G. (introductory) commu (through the broswer game's English patch or on YouTube). If you don’t play the game, I would listen to her image song and read the lyrics to get a better sense of her character.

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STYLE BREAKDOWN

Mamimi’s fashion is very punkish and eccentric, having a very strong image that sets her apart from the other Shiny Colors idols. Her outfits feature a variety of punk substyles and some goth influence to make a style that is maximalist, unique, and full of personality.

Her major style influence is punkish/punk-kei (パンキッシュ・パンク系), a Japanese take on the punk styles of the 70s/80s. Less abrasive than its originator but still capturing that air of rebellion/individual freedom, it acts as a foundation for other punk substyles to add upon.

(sorry i had an actual graphic for the above paragraph but it got corrupted so. &lt;/3)

Before continuing with her style inspirations, let’s talk about some other essential elements to her punkish style, like her makeup. Mamimi wears heavier makeup in contrast to the typical natural makeup trends in Japan, liking to match her eyes and lip to her outfits and nails.

Two other elements that enhance her punkish look are her hairstyle & piercings. Following the D.I.Y. attitude of the punk movement, she cuts and dyes her own hair. Additionally, her multiple ear piercings give off classic punk vibes while also showing off her eclectic taste.

The first punk subculture I want to introduce is skate punk, an offshoot of the “hardcore punk” movement with more of a casual and laid-back edge. This style fits Mamimi really well as her style is overall more comfortable but still as edgy as ever.

Another punk substyle that has heavy influence in Mamimi’s personal style is street punk. Having traditional punk elements from the initial wave of the British punk movement with a more showy flair, it fits her well and shows her more contrarian side.

Goth punk, a mixture of the goth and punk styles, is one of Mamimi’s biggest influences in her personal style. Visually symbolizing her downer-type nature and somewhat cynical view of society, the dark yet romantic motifs mixed with punk sensibilities is a perfect fit for her.

One of Mamimi’s style inspirations that isn’t directly related to the punk movement is PEEPS, a sporty goth style popular with Japan youth in the early 2020s. Though it’s usually segmented and very clean, Mamimi’s breathes new life into the style with her maximalist approach.

Mamimi’s image color is a medium light purple. Lighter than her hair and the image color of L’Antica, purple represents her mischief, downer-type personality, as well as creativity and ingenuity.

Mamimi’s personal color palette contains three sub-palettes: a basics palette (the foundation of her outfits), an accent palette (recurring secondary colors), and a signature palette (one-off colors reserved for signature pieces).

The way she combines these three sub-palettes makes her style so unique and fun! Above are some examples of how she utilizes these palettes in her outfits.

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STYLE ANALYSIS

Mamimi Tanaka is a girl known for her punkish look and is incredibly self-serving and lazy at first glance, avoiding troublesome things at any cost. She is first met while wandering around during a late night and gets scouted by the Producer.

Though she initially rejects the offer, she rolls around the office the next day and accepts becoming an idol. Because she got “scolded so persistently” for loitering late at night, she was interested in becoming an idol and thought it would be fun.

A self-proclaimed “bad girl,” at the beginning of her idol career she consistently did things at the expense of others, like skipping practices and attending work late. However, she seems to be natural at being an idol and often executes jobs perfectly.

The same can be said for L’Antica as well, as they often scold and treat her well like a sister or a close friend. Mamimi learns how to become a part of a whole and what it’s like to be together with people who truly care about you, enough to have good and bad times together.

Not knowing what she wants to do with her life is another reason why Mamimi became an idol. But after seeing the seriousness and sparkle of L’Antica, it led her to lose her “bad girl” front and try hard to become an idol, though she still makes mischief often.

In later commu, we learn that Mamimi actually comes from a rich family and very well off. However, it’s found that Mamimi’s parents spoiled her so much as a child that she never got scolded and could get away with anything. Because of this, she started to lash out and rebel to get attention from other sources. (Above: her bedroom)

Her parents’ constant praising turning into indifference was the main reason Mamimi dresses in the punk fashion, to rebel against society and be the complete opposite of her upper-class parents’ expectations. She started dying her hair purple in middle school.

In her card “Purple Mirage,” Mamimi tells Producer that she made purple her trademark color due to it being “less hot than red and less cold than blue.” She is known for her fashion and often pays attention to blogs and magazines.

Mamimi is known to have a large closet and bought a lot of her wardrobe with her parents’ money, though she uses her own money now. She has a lot of rare or unique pieces and is able to coordinate them well, showing that her love for punkish fashion isn’t just for show.

Mamimi’s fashion doesn’t change as her character develops, keeping a punkish base as she explores & integrates other styles her own way. Her growth doesn’t have to do with changing her image, but using it as a front to shut people away and not being honest with your feelings.

Being able to be truthful to yourself and your image while able to grow as a person is not something that’s seen often. Mamimi “softening up” and positively changing doesn’t change her punkish style, her fashion showing that the two can coexist together.

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This is it for Mamimi Tanaka!

If you liked this thread, check out my Twitter and give me a tip on Ko-Fi so I can do more things like this with other idol series! Thanks for reading <3

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INTRODUCTION

A revolutionary unit of the New World. The flame smoldering in their hearts become a “Song,” their lonely tears become a “Wish.” Clad in gothic dresses, they sing on for hope.

Members (from left to right):

Yuika Mitsumine (三峰結華)

Mamimi Tanaka (田中摩美々)

Kogane Tsukioka (月岡恋鐘) [center/leader]

Sakuya Shirase (白瀬咲耶)

Kiriko Yukoku (幽谷霧子)

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L’Antica (the Italian feminine form of “antique”) is an elegant & dark vocal unit that specializes in symphonic metal music. Their overall aesthetic & costumes incorporate Gothic and Victorian-era concepts, steampunk, and prominently features of other eras of history.

In Shiny Colors, all units are represented by a color of the rainbow. L’Antica’s color is a deep purple that mirrors their Gothic aesthetic. It’s a color full of mystery, intrigue, darkness, and emotion which perfectly encapsulates their music and overall concept.

Rather than their costumes having heavy symbolism like illumination STARS, L’Antica’s costumes are more clearly defined by their style inspirations. As per their name, their costumes are influenced primarily by 18th-20th century Western artistic movements.

Gothic refers to an artistic movement around the mid-late 1700s inspired by 12th-century architecture, a popular setting for Gothic fiction. It combines the supernatural, macabre & dark aura of Gothic literature with innate symbolism standing for psychological or social conflict.

The Gothic influence can clearly be seen in their costumes, featuring dark color palettes, Gothic lolita elements like ruffled skirts, and mysterious, sublime settings of supernatural or haunting concepts. Their costumes immerse the viewer in different strange worlds every time.

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The Victorian Era refers to the period of British culture under the reign of Queen Victoria (1830s-1900s), a popular historical aesthetic due to its iconic upper-class fashion & culture. It’s also an era of revivalism, related to movements like Neoclassicism & Rococo Revival.

Another revival movement that took place is the Gothic Revival, which brought back Gothic architecture and literature into popular culture mixed with values of sentimentalism. As such, Victorian Gothic art has a preoccupation with tragic beauty and symbology for loss and death.

A handful of L’Antica costumes are very inspired by Victorian-era fashion, culture, and art as well as elements of Gothic Revival; more details will be expanded upon in their individual sections.

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The most notable aesthetic that L’Antica takes inspiration from is steampunk, a genre of science fiction that imagines an alternate future with heavy use of steam engine or spring power and maintaining of Victorian-era visuals.

Other than their main/first unit costumes being heavily steampunk-inspired, it has heavy theming in almost all of their unit costumes; even their logo is a common steampunk element, a key in the shape of a gear.

Perhaps inspired by the Victorian Era being one of revivalism, a handful of L’Antica’s costumes are inspired by other Western/European historical eras. Additionally, eclecticism was a prominent concept during this time, mixing several stylistic influences to make unique designs.

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Symphonic Steam (シンフォニックスチーム)

“Symphonic Steam” is L’Antica’s main unit costume and is the most representative of their concept and aesthetic, featuring heavy Gothic and steampunk motifs. The name references them being a primarily steampunk-themed idol group.

The animation features the five girls inside and outside of a clocktower. The clocktower shares many features with real life Gothic Revival architecture, including steep roofs, pointed arches, ornate & lacey trims, and overall picturesque design.

The key points of “Symphonic Steam” are related to its major style inspirations, namely steampunk, Victorian Gothic, and Gothic lolita detailing. As this is their main costume, it greatly encapsulates their main influences and overall dark and esoteric feel of their music.

As with many idol costumes, “Symphonic Steam” uses the “similar look” concept to make L’Antica look cohesive & thematically the same while bringing out each of the members’ individuality. This graphics shows some key differences between them, revealing a bit of their character.

Just like their costumes, the animation also shows them in different places or doing different action in/on the clocktower to show off their personalities.

Kgane is center of the clocktower (center/leader), Mamimi is lounging inside (lazy, coy), Sakuya is posing outside (serious, model-like), Mitsumine is on top throwing her pocketwatch (smart, eccentric), and Kiriko is caged, riding to the top (fantastical, dream-like).

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Faith of Treasure (フェイスオブトレジャー)

“Faith of Treasure” is L’Antica’s second unit costume. Like “Symphonic Steam,” this costume has very heavy steampunk theming. As such, the idols are acting as treasure hunters in an anachronistic Victorian city with steam technology.

Comparing “Symphonic Steam” to “Faith of Treasure,” both costume sport heavy steampunk theming. However, “Face of Treasure” is much lighter and fun in nature, leaning more science fiction/Victorian, while “Symphonic Steam” is dark and moodier, leaning more Gothic.

The key points of “Faith of Treasure” are its strong steampunk and Victorian stylistic influence as seen in the graphic. Additionally, the costumes suit their role as treasure hunters with the accessories and accents seen all over their bodies.

Along with the costumes, their animations point to each of the members being in a specialized role in their treasure hunter team.

Mamimi is a thief, having clothes with easy mobility, a gas mask for protection, and running with a bag. Sakuya is a fancy aeronaut with her sleek dress providing little resistance as she flies through the air. Yuika is a pilot or mechanic with her goggles & tinkerer’s tools.

Kiriko is just a citizen as her design is doesn’t have as many details as the other girls, having bourgeoisie details like her cravat & simple dress. Kogane has a gun & a larger sack; along with the items seen in the beginning with the map, she’s probably the leader.

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La Rosso Grimm (ラ・ロッソグリム)

Translating from Italian to “The Red Grimm,” “La Rosso Grim” is L’Antica’s third unit costume. Taking a step away from steampunk, this costume set is heavily based on Grimms’ Fairy Tales and Gothic fiction.

The setting for “La Rosso Grimm” takes place in a Gothic castle where “five girls are lost,” with the live stage being a replica of the castle and its yard. Gothic castles were a popular setting for Gothic fiction as well as Grimms’ fairy tales due to its mystery & royal nature.

In fact, all of the animations for these costumes have an opening scene that mimics a fairy-tale passage with the mystery and darkness of Gothic fiction. These passages are also directly based off of Grimms’ fairy tales, like “The Raven,” “Snow White,” and “Cinderella.”

However, the biggest fairy tale influence that “La Rosso Grimm” uses is “Little Red Riding Hood.” Besides the obvious name allusion (“The Red Grimm”), the costumes have a hood, the setting is a castle in the tangled woods, and the members pose with wolves in their album cover.

Key points of this costume include steampunk elements as usual (but moreso as accents), a heavier Gothic and punkish influence, and “Little Red Riding Hood” theming in their construction and details.

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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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INTRODUCTION

“Yuika is a first-year college student, a subculture girl with a free-spirited, light-hearted, & somewhat elusive personality. She can talk to people that she meets for the first time easily and has a deep knowledge of idols. Sometimes she has a serious expression on her face.”

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Profile

Age: 19

Birthday: January 16th

Height: 158 cm

Weight: 44 kg

Blood Type: O

Hometown: Fukushima

Hobbies: Watching idol lives, cameras, anime, games, reading

Special Skills: Studying & can be recognized by her oshi as quick as possible

CV: Shio Kisui

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Before starting the analysis, I would suggest if you haven’t already, read her W.I.N.G. (introductory) commu (through the broswer game's English patch or on YouTube). If you don’t play the game, I would listen to her image song and read the lyrics to get a better sense of her character.

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STYLE BREAKDOWN

Consisting of many different fashion elements, Yuika’s personal fashion is easily identifiable though hard to define. Labelled a “subculture girl,” her open-minded personality leads Yuika to incorporate various styles into her own while still looking unique & fashion-forward.

Before diving into her fashion, I’ll expand on her label as a “subculture girl” using this graphic. “Sabukaru” is more of a cultural movement rather than a fashion style, with personal fashion and expression being varied amongst members dependent on their hobbies.

Yuika’s fashion is mainly inspired from aomoji-kei or blue letter style, explaining her versatile & unique wardrobe. Formerly used as a catch-all for Harajuku fashion, it describes cute & casual fashion that doesn’t appeal to men with a motto of “wearing what you want to wear.”

Popular aomoji-kei magazines like Zipper, FRUiTS, and KERA! covered many different styles and brands, inspired by streetsnaps in Harajuku. The insides featured many experimental and exciting coordinates as sort of a counter against mainstream fashion and the male gaze.

Though all the magazines above have ceased production due to a change in audience and trends, the Aomoji-kei movement still lives on through brands, digital newsletters, and the thriving fashion culture of Harajuku. Also, magazines like mini and SO-EN are still around today.

This diagram from Asahi Sato shows that Aomoji-kei is split into many styles ranging from simple & girly to individualistic & sporty. The next few tweets identify major groups that Yuika’s fashion is drawn from, but keep in mind there is heavy overlap & won't include all of them.

Group 1 of her various styles I dub her “original style.” This style is highly featured in her default outfits and many other early cards of hers. Heavily influenced by the kawaii, amekaji, pop, & original harajuku street-style trendsetters, this style is very fun and eccentric!

Group 2 is less showy than Group 1, with a more conventional elements that reflect modern street style, but still show Yuika’s eccentricity and skill of outfit composition. Appearing after the peak of her “kawaii pop” style, it’s a more casual and laid-back style comparably.

Group 3 is the most mature, elegant, and “smart” pool of looks that Yuika wears. Featuring a mix of solids and simple patterns, dark and neutral colors, and elements of the mode casual and feminine styles, it’s a group that shows off a more simple but modish side to her.

Though I categorize her styles in groups, Yuika’s style can’t really be categorized. They bleed between different groups or don’t fit into any at all. These groups were made for people to identify her weared trends, but compartmentalizing her style doesn’t really fit her at all.

Now I would like to talk about some common elements of Yuika’s fashion that appear, regardless of style inspiration. The most famous are her trademark glasses and baseball caps, customized so they fit any look she wears.

Two more essential elements of her personal style are her frequent & variable use of pattern & color clashing and colorblocking & color theory in outfit composition. These being mainstays in her fashion make it as versatile and interesting as it can get.

This tweet shows four outfits and how she applies clashing, color theory, and conceptual importance to make them exciting, unique, & varied. Though a wide range of style influences and colors are used, all these outfits are “Yuika-core” connected by common styling values.

The above section was written inspired by a blog talking about Yuika’s fashion sense, so I would like to give them thanks for well-written another perspective on her style.

No need to talk about her fashion’s color palette as she doesn’t limit her fashion to a specific group of colors, but her image color is a medium-blue like sky or rain. For such an outgoing personality, her image color has a weight to it which we will cover in the next section.

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STYLE ANALYSIS

Yuika was scouted by Producer while taking shelter from the rain, coming back from an idol-merchandise haul. Upon seeing her smile and how much she loves idols, he asks her if she wants to become an idol.

She finds it hard to believe she actually got scouted and thinks it’s some kind of elaborate prank, but she accepts the offer and becomes an idol. It’s later revealed that she wanted to become one due to being curious about the world of idols and wanting to be admired.

To fans and the members of L’antica, Yuika acts as the moodmaker and jokester of the group, always having a huge smile on her face and constantly cracking jokes and making merry. She’s the initial glue that bonds L’Antica together and always makes sure everyone is feeling happy.

As to why she’s so outgoing, it’s revealed that it comes from interacting with other idol otaku at live shows but she keeps this a secret from most people. She is a diehard idol fan of many female groups, collecting merch and going to handshake events.

In fact, most people know that Yuika is a “subculture” girl and has many public interests like fashion, photography, and manga. However, she keeps her insane idol hobby under wraps, even hiding merch from the L’antica girls when they visit her place.

One special quirk of Yuika is her high degree of reading the atmosphere and sensing the mood of the room quickly. In her Landing Point, she reveals she keeps her otaku hobbies a secret because when she would talk to her friends about anime, she felt the vibe get uncomfortable.

Yuika is really sensitive to the vibe getting rancid in fact, feeling uncomfortable if everyone isn’t feeling content. She will do anything to make everyone feel comfortable, even putting her own feelings on the back burner if she feels it would unnecessarily complicate things.

Even with the Producer, she is known for hiding her true feelings and masking it with her outgoing personality and deflecting issues that bother her, burdening herself instead. She doesn’t like to show signs of weakness and keeps a well-hidden distance from most people.

In cards like “NOT≠EQUAL,” “Dizzy Dizzy,” and “No Life,” she is also shown to be very self-critical and barrages herself with deprecating comments. She only discloses these feelings with Producer, as she feels bad troubling anyone else with her “trivial” problems.

Her image song, “Plastic Umbrella,” discusses her habit of hiding who she really is and keeping a boundary from most people to “protect the peace.” Not wanting to “bump into anyone” but also “wanting someone to find her,” this paradox of personality is everpresent.

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Though her personality is somewhat hard to explain, her fashion really eludicates who she is as a person. At first glance, her style is very eyecatching and eccentric, but not in an intimidating way. It’s very fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously in a way that is amiable.

However, if you look closer you’ll see that a lot of care and meticulous detail is put into her outfits. The colors, patterns, silhouette, composition, mood, atmosphere, accessories, clothes, etc. are all specifically picked to fit each other in a way that is incredibly skilled.

As said by others, Yuika has an incredible eye for detail with people, but this expands to her fashion as well. She is good at studying, remembering, and applying knowledge to situations, seen in how variable her fashion influences are but still maintaining a cohesive style.

Personally, I would describe her “fun” fashion as an mechanism of lowering others’ guard similar to her outgoing personality, masking her real feelings. Not to say that her fashion is ingenuous, but it helps make other people feel at ease regardless of intention.

Yuika’s style evolution is hard to spot, but major style influences she wears change with time. Out of all the Shiny Colors girls, Yuika definitely has the most unique take on fashion & the fact that it’s also a commentary on herself (both shown and hidden) is the cherry on top.

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This is it for Yuika Mitsumine!

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