F.A.Q.

>What is IdolM@ster?

IdolM@ster is an idol raising sim from Japan with rhythm game elements. You play as the Producer of 765 Productions (With a Few exceptions) and help the Idols of that agency become Top Idols!

>How do I play it?

IdolM@Ster started out in arcades, but obviously you can't play those anymore. The games that this franchise offers are:

The Idolm@ster (Xbox 360)
The Idolm@ster Live For You (Xbox 360)
The Idolm@ster SP (PSP)
The Idolmaster Dearly Stars (NDS)
The Idolm@ster 2 (Xbox 360/PS3)
The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls (iOS/Android/Browser)
The Idolm@ster Shiny Festa (PSP/iOS)
The Idolm@ster Million Live (iOS/Android/Browser)
The Idolm@ster One for All (PS3)
The Idolm@ster Side-M (iOS/Android/Browser)
The Idolm@ster Must Songs (Vita)
The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage (iOS/Android/Browser)
The Idolm@ster Platinum Stars (PS4)

The main games (1, 2, and One for All) are in Japanese, but they're region free so you can import them. If you can't understand Japanese then the SP games are 60% translated so begin with them. You can find information on how to get them on the Yukipo site. Dearly Stars is also untranslated, but there is a translation/hacking effort that is in perpetual hell. Platinum Stars is currently in development.

Life For You, Shiny Festa and Must Songs are Rhythm game spinoffs. The iOS version of Shiny Festa is available in English but for a hefty price.

Cinderella Girls, Million Live and Side-M are the mobile game spinoffs of the franchise. They are primarily card battling/collecting games with a few gimmicks thrown in. All three largely play the same. You can play them through a browser with spoofing extensions or you can download the app and play on your device of choice. Starlight Stage is the Rhythm game expansion of Cinderella girls.

>What are the Core Idolm@ster games?

While Idolm@ster is a franchise that has grown and expanded quite a bit since it started, the core games of the franchise are arguably Idolm@ster (Xbox 360) , SP, Idolm@ster 2, One for All and the Upcoming Platinum Stars game.

Simply put, they are the games that star the thirteen 765 Production Idols. One thing of note is that there exists two incarnations of 765 Productions: 1st Vision and 2nd Vision. The difference between the two is primarily setting details and the designs of the characters. All new games post-Idolm@ster SP adapt 2nd Vision.

In terms of other media, the 765 Productions girls have multiple manga spinoffs (both 1st Vision and 2nd Vision), an anime series (a loose adaptation of Idolm@ster 2), an OVA series (accompanying Shiny Festa) and a Movie (which is a continuation of the anime storyline)

As a side note, the anime was also bundled with the Gravure For You! series for the PS3. It's basically a dressup and posing game starring the 765 Production Idols.

>What is Dearly Stars?

A NDS Idolm@ster where in a change of the usual formula, play as the Idol. You take the role of one of the three idols of 876 Production and play through their story arcs interspersed with traditional Idolm@ster gameplay. The three lead Idols make a cameo in the anime.

>What is Cinderella Girls and Starlight Stage?

Cinderella Girls is the first major card mobile game spinoff of Idolm@ster. You play as the Producer of an agency that handles 183 new Idols; ranging from the mundane to the bizarre, young and old, and from all walks of life. It is of note that the 765 Production Idols are also in the game, but they are largely phased out and forgotten. Starlight Stage is the Rhythm game expansion of Cinderella Girls with a lot of extra features.

Due to it's Massive cast, not all Idols are voiced at the moment. As of the time of this writing, 61 out of it's 183 Idols are voiced with their own unique voice actress. More to come in the future.

Like with the 765 Production Girls, Cinderella Girls also has quite a few manga adaptations and an anime. And as with the earlier anime, the Cinderella Girls anime got bundled with a Gravure For You! series for PS3, starring the prominent Idols in the anime.

It is of note while the original game has no specific Production Agency, the anime introduces the Cinderella Girls as affiliated with 346 Productions. Likewise, Starlight Stage and most recent Cinderella Girls material also adapts the setting of the anime. So it is assumed that the official setting of Cinderella Girls is 346 Productions.

Material regarding Cinderella Girls has a very active translation effort. Check out the pastebin listed in the OP post.

>What is Million Live?

Million Live is the second major card mobile game spinoff of Idolm@ster. You play as the Producer of 765 Productions in a continuity where 765 Productions has added 37 New Idols to their roster. The primary focus of this spinoff is the new 765 Theater and the new 37 Idols. While still a major presence, the original 13 take a slight backseat as seniors and mentors to the new idols. Compared to the very colorful cast of Cinderella Girls, the Million Live idols are a tad bit more grounded, but they more than make up with all the crazy events and shows that the 765 Theater is never short of lacking.

All 37 new Idols are voiced with their own unique voice actress.

Has a few animated PVs and Manga spinoffs. No news of an anime yet. But some of the Million Live girls do make appearances in the Movie (With treatment that is often a sore point of discussion for fans)

>What is Side-M?

Side-M is the third major card mobile game spinoff of Idolm@ster. You play as the Producer of 315 Productions, an agency that handles the Production of Male Idols. It goes without saying, but this is the Idolm@ster spinoff that is targeted towards the Otome game and Fujoshi market. There are currently 43 Idols, of which includes the primary rival unit in Idolm@ster 2 and one of the lead Idols in Dearly Stars (Yes, one of them is a dude.)

As the newest spinoff, the cast is still growing so the final head count of Idols is still unsure. The Male Idols however, are steadily getting voiced with their own unique voice actor per idol.

Discounting the presence of the aforementioned rival unit of 765 in the anime, there have been no animated incarnation of this spinoff. It has an ongoing manga series.

>What is Xenoglossia?

A love story between a girl and her giant robot. It was a creation of Sunrise's weirder times. The only thing it shares with Idolm@ster is the name of the characters and loosely, their character designs.

They appear in one Super Robot Wars game.

>I can't make sense of all of this! Are they all connected?

Each Idolm@ster adaptation/incarnation or manga/game is it's own thing. The base settings and lore are consistent and there may be some allusion to another entry in the franchise here or there but they are all largely independent from each other. Don't try to think too hard about it. The anime continuity is probably an incarnation that links all of them together though, as there are explicit references that connect them there. But again, don't try to think about it too hard.

>I don't really want to play the games, can I still get into Idolm@ster?

Of course you can! While the games are the primary meat of the franchise, Idolm@ster is known for being a multi-media franchise. The other major part of Idolm@ster is it's massive library of songs. Be it from the core 765, Cinderella Girls, Dearly Stars, Million Live or Side-M; there won't be any shortage of CDs through traverse through. Not to mention that said CDs often have Drama Tracks that one can listen to.

And as mentioned, there is the anime and plethora of manga too. And the mobile games in particular have this built in in-game manga as well. Not to mention that in-game story events are often ripped or uploaded somewhere so you can just check out Youtube or Nicovideo.

Helpful Links and Wikis
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If you're looking for old stuff go here: http://www.yukipo.com/

>General Info:
Project iM@S wiki: http://www.project-imas.com/wiki/
Japanese news: http://imasnews765.com
Japanese information database: http://imas-db.jp
Official upcoming events schedule: http://idolmaster.jp/schedule/index.php

>Console Games guides
iDOLM@STER 2 gameplay wiki: http://imas2.wota.info
One For All gameplay wiki: http://idolmasterofa.wikia.com

>Cinderella Girls
Cinderella Girls Card Database: http://cgdex.project-imas.com

>Starlight Stage
Starlight Stage guide: http://moeidolatry.com/starlight/
Starlight Stage APKs: https://fuyu.me/apk/
Starlight Stage Card Database: https://starlight.kirara.ca/
Japanese Starlight Stage Wiki: http://imascg-slstage-wiki.gamerch.com/

>SideM
Japanese SideM wiki: http://wikiwiki.jp/sidem/