A large group of uniquely beautiful and talented young men? A slightly eccentric producer? An innocuous and normal (yet secretly talented) young woman thrown into the mix? Bubbly J-pop numbers with slightly feminine choreography and over-the-top costumes? Are you sure this isn't the latest season of UtaPri? It does somewhat feel like season 3.5 of that franchise, coming from the same creators and being tonally similar to the point where it could easily be called UtaPri: B-PROJECT. However, this twelve-episode series is a more staid version of its glittery brother, and while it has marked similarities, it's also fun on its own merits and does make the effort to distinguish itself in an increasingly crowded genre of boy idol shows.

The story revolves around the nine-member boy idol unit B-PROJECT. They've all been auditioned and vetted and are now struggling to make an impression on the oversaturated Japanese idol market, both as a nine-man unit and as three smaller idol groups: duo Kitakore, trio MooNs, and quintet THRIVE. Despite their disparate personalities, they make a good team, but they can't quite seem to break through into real stardom. At this point, the chairman of their record label brings in Tsubasa Sumisora, an unassuming young woman he found working in a record store. Despite her lack of training, Tsubasa has the skills B-Pro needs in order to shine, so he hires her on the spot as their new A&R. She's nervous and definitely not sure she's up to the task, but with the encouragement of the guys, she quickly rises to the challenge, helping propel B-Pro up the fame ladder while also endearing herself to the whole gang.

Obviously, this is a classic reverse harem setup. There's a normal girl sadly lacking in personality, a bevy of gorgeous young men, and a situation that makes pretty much no sense. But since that's a lot of what makes the genre fun, B-PROJECT is in prime position to play up its campier elements, which it does with clear enjoyment. Each episode focuses on one of the three smaller idol groups within the unit, with a spotlight on one particular singer in each group, giving everyone's favorite a chance to shine. There's a surprisingly good amount of character development for the boys; it isn't enough to make anyone really stand out, but we do get a sense of who everyone is and what brought them to B-Pro, as well as what draws them to both Tsubasa and each other.

Somewhat unusually, only two of the guys appear to have crushes on Tsubasa, kind rich boy Tomohisa and surly Goushi. (Tomohisa, the clear "main love interest," is voiced by Daisuke Ono, which should come as no surprise.) Tomohisa appears to be the most invested in wooing her, but that really takes a backseat to the actual singing and concert preparation, although the subtext is definitely there for those who want to see it. What's most important about the two young men's crush on Tsubasa is the way that they react during the final episode, when the evil machinations of someone who would bring Tsubasa down become clear. While the other seven members are willing to just accept what's going on, Tomohisa and Goushi are clearly more perturbed, refusing to be bought with bright promises of greater fame and fortune without Tsubasa. That this is made evident in their body language and facial expressions rather than words is impressive, particularly for a show that's more interested in increasingly absurd plots than subtle character work.

That rise in ridiculosity becomes a strain towards the middle of the series. Episode six, which focuses on Momotaro, has three of the members trying out for the role of Okita Souji in a Shinsengumi drama when it is revealed that one of the prop swords is cursed. Given that previous episode plots have been ruined concert costumes or curry commercials, this is a huge leap in logic for the show, and the sudden turn to the supernatural marks a sharp decrease in the quality of the writing. While no other episode quite descends to this level of lunacy, the deserted island and mysterious disease episodes, to say nothing of the French film director, all fall into similarly absurd plotlines. Granted, B-PROJECT was never intended to be a particularly serious show, but it also wasn't meant to be as over the top as UtaPri, and its latter half really pushes that limit.

Fortunately the final two episodes, although overly dramatic and underexplained, do manage to redeem things somewhat. The reveal of the villain isn't hugely surprising if you've been paying attention to names, but apart from his bizarre motivation, he's fairly effective. The major issue is that his reasons appear to come out of nowhere and involve Tsubasa's family, something we've heard pretty much nothing about until that exact moment. This returns us to the absurdity of episode six at a time when we need this change-up the least. Despite an overall satisfying ending, it really brings the finale down.

One of the more interesting additions to the show is episode 4.5, which is basically a talk show with six of the voice actors. While it doesn't add substantially to the story or the show's enjoyment factor, it is a neat little treat, and it's always interesting to see the real faces behind the animated ones. Technically, this episode could be watched by anyone, regardless of whether or not you've seen the rest of the series, to determine if you want to give it a try; it does give a slightly better idea of what you're in for than the first episode. Honestly, if you enjoy boy idol shows, this is bound to be appealing regardless.

B-PROJECT never really stakes out its own territory in its genre, but it's still a lot of ridiculous fun. There are enough personalities for everyone to have a favorite guy, the dancing is decently animated, and the singing is good and somewhat less cheesy than usual. It isn't groundbreaking and Tsubasa lacks a personality, but it is an entertaining piece of fluff. Since that seems to have been its reason for existence, that may make B-PROJECT a success in its own right.