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Aikatsu! Franchise Gets New Aikatsu Academy! Project

A new official website opened on Tuesday to announce Aikatsu Academy!, a new project in the Aikatsu! franchise. The project stars three new characters who enroll in Aikatsu Academy to become top idols: Mieru Himeno, Mamiru Meh, and Parin Wao. The project's official YouTube channel will stream the characters' debut live performance on July 27 at 7:00 p.m. JST. The website streamed videos that preview the project and animation by BN Pictures, which has previously animated content for the franchise:

The website also posted visuals for the characters, who also each have their own YouTube channels.

The project will feature collectible cards that center on the group's activities. Hiroko Yaguchi, Yukiko Aikei, and Risa Miyadani are returning from previous series to design the characters.

Shio Ebina will launch a one-shot manga for the project on Shogakukan's Ciao Plus website. The Ciao magazine's September issue will also feature a limited promo card when it ships on August 2.

The Aikatsu! franchise began with the original arcade card game in October 2012. The game inspired a television anime that ran from 2012 to 2016, and three anime films. The second entry in the franchise, Aikatsu Stars!, inspired a television anime that premiered on TV Tokyo and its affiliates in April 2016. Aikatsu Stars! received an anime film in August 2016.

The third entry in the Aikatsu! franchise, Aikatsu Friends!, premiered in April 2018 along with the accompanying Aikatsu Friends! Data Carddass arcade game. A sequel television anime titled Aikatsu Friends! ~Kagayaki no Jewel~ (Shining Jewel) then premiered in April 2018 with its own aracde game tie-in. The sequel is set two years after the story of Aikatsu Friends!, with the main character Aine Yūki now in high school.

The Aikatsu on Parade! television anime premiered in October 2019 with the new lead character Raki Kiseki and characters from the previous Aikatsu! anime series.

The Aikatsu! 10th Story ~Mirai e no Starway~ (Starway to the Future) anime film is the franchise's 10th anniversary film, and it opened in Japan in January 2023. The brand-new story for the original Aikatsu! series reunites that series' director Ryuichi Kimura, scenario writer Yoichi Kato, and character designer Hiroko Yaguchi. The project is set in the story of the 2012 to 2016 Aikatsu! anime, and centers once again on protagonist Ichigo Hoshinomiya.

The Aikatsu! Planet series premiered in January 2021 and ended in June 2021. The Gekijō-ban Aikatsu Planet! film opened in July 2022, alongside the first Aikatsu! 10th Story ~Mirai e no Starway~.

Sources: Aikatsu! Academy! project's website, Comic Natalie