The genius is that it refuses to let any of these girls have an easy answer to why they're doing this. Each one joins Wake Up, Girls for a different reason, carries a different wound, needs something different from the group, and the show spends real time letting those needs collide. By the time their actual debut happens, you're not watching a fantasy about becoming idols; you're watching seven specific people figure out if they can survive wanting different things from the same dream.

Seven girls dream of making it big in the idol industry, but their agency is a mess. Green Leaves Entertainment crumbles almost instantly when its president vanishes along with most of the money, leaving Mayu, Airi, Minami, Yoshino, Nanami, Kaya, and Miyu stranded without proper support or direction. Their inexperienced manager, Matsuda, does his best, but it's clear he's in over his head. What should be their shot at stardom turns into a gauntlet of exploitation and sabotage. A new producer arrives who cares more about putting the girls in skimpy swimsuits than about their songs. Rumors about Mayu's time in a rival group spread, and friction within the group threatens to pull it apart. Set in Sendai, this music drama shows the business side of idol life, where only friendship and a shared love of singing can keep the seven together.