The three idol groups here actually feel like real people, not archetypes shuffled around a music video. sMiLea's rotating focus means you get genuine character moments between songs, watching Akira figure out what he actually wants instead of just chasing the spotlight. The second half rushes through its plot beats trying to give everyone equal screen time, but the music never stops being the real point, and by the finale you realize it was never about debut rankings anyway.

Akira Kiyose, a high school student with a love of singing, shares his voice on a video streaming site under the name KIKUNOYU. When the talent agency sMiLea Production scouts him, he learns it was founded by AneLa, a famous idol pair whose abrupt retirement stunned fans, as a place to train new idols. Akira joins Banri Naoe and Chihiro Isuzugawa, who were also recruited, to form the group Protostar. The three work toward their debut together with two other new sMiLea groups, Legit and Jaxx Jaxx, all aiming for the top of the idol world. The result is a music-driven slice of life story about young idols at the very start of their careers.