There is something very important readers need to know before deciding to pick up this show. The main romance is a “slow burn” kind, meaning it takes time to develop. There are misunderstandings and mistakes aplenty. Patience is key while watching the main couple growing closer one step at a time. With that in mind the following is a romantic comedy about the love story of an underground idol member and her diehard fan. Question is whether their story is worth watching. Find out as we take a look at Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu, aka OshiBudo.
Alternate Title: “If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die” (English)
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Yuri
Theme: Idols
Number of Episodes: 12
G-Rating: 9/10
Plot Summary: Eripiyo is initially a woman leading a normal life until it is turned upside down after watching a performance of the minor idol group ChamJam, which leads her to becoming obsessed with one of its members, Maina Ichii. Despite Eripiyo’s enthusiasm towards her, Maina is consistently the least popular member of the group, leaving Eripiyo to take it upon herself to buy a lot of Maina’s merchandise. Due to her using almost all of her money to buy this merchandise, Eripiyo has only a single tracksuit she wears all the time. She goes to ChamJam’s concerts with her friends and fellow ChamJam fans Kumasa whose favorite is Reo Igarashi and Motoi who prefers Sorane Matsuyama. Eripiyo proclaims that “if Maina made it to Budokan, she would die” and works herself to exhaustion to help her achieve this goal, much to Maina’s growing concern.
![Eripiyo's Killer Line](https://yuriempire.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/eripiyos-killer-line.jpg?w=640)
Eripiyo’s killer pickup line.
Besides being a romantic comedy the show gives viewers a look at the how hard it can be for underground idols (Similar to independent wrestlers or street performers) and their most devoted fans. It is very difficult to garner a larger following than the most loyal of fans. Promoting yourself is a major hassle. Being briefly shown on television, even if it is in a photograph, is considered a godsend. Despite the hardships Cham Jam do their very best to soldier on, each having their own personal struggles to overcome from lacking in confidence, questioning their effort and past performances to name a few examples. Meanwhile loyal fans do all they can to help their favorite idols grow from buying their merchandise to voting for them as much as they can. The show also gives viewers a glimpse into the mind of idol fans. It may come off as stereotypical, both the good and bad parts, but there are indeed super fans that are this devoted in front of crowds and at home. The things our three mega fans say are believable in real world context despite how hilariously over the top Eripiyo is. Despite her devotion being creepy at times it is nowhere near as bad as a certain Sorane fanboy.
![Eripiyo, Kumasu and third guy](https://yuriempire.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/eripiyo-kumasu-and-third-guy.jpg?w=640)
Eripiyo, Kumasa and Motoi, aka Other Guy.
Eri, aka Eripiyo herself is an excellent protagonist, provided the viewer is comfortable watching a charismatic, determined, devoted, lovesick, kind (Mainly to girls and people helping Maina), tough, single-minded (When it comes to Maina), injury prone loudmouth.
Kumasa is one of the best bros in a yuri anime since Natsumi and Komari’s brother. He is very knowledgeable in the field of idols and her undying loyalty to Reo is admirable. Of the three super fans he is the most stable. He has his crazy moments of course but he is a very caring friend.
Other Guy for the most part exists to show viewers an example of how not to be an idol fan.
The fourth friend does not appear as often (The reason is understandable) but next to Kumasa is one of the best side-characters.
![Cham Jam Picture](https://yuriempire.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/cham-jam-picture.png?w=640)
From left to right: Sorane (Blue), Reo (Pink), Maki (Yellow), Aya/A-Ya (Green), Yumeri/Yume (Purple), Yuka (White), Maina (Salmon Pink).
Next up are the lovely members of the underground idol group Cham Jam:
Sorane is the cool one. She knows she is sexy and how to get fans to pay attention. Of course she was not always this way. Her story has a struggle that not only idols have to face.
Reo is the Center and charismatic leader. Being the oldest and most experienced idol she often knows how to help the others find their footing though she is far from perfect despite often being in control.
Maki is the sexy one. She does not flaunt her beauty, instead having a calm and mature aura. There is one person she uses her true power on though.
Aya, aka A-Ya is the “loli”. She is older than she looks but her main charm is her loli appearance. Besides being older than she looks she is also the tsundere of the group, acting like she is the most serious performer but is just as willing to have fun as the others.
Yumeri/Yume is the beautiful princess of the group. Not shy in front of the public but not assertive either. She is timid but capable, especially when alone with a certain someone (Actually even in front of her teammates).
Yuka is the blunt one, meaning she always speaks her mind. When she thinks something, regardless of how it affects people around her, she says it anyway.
Maina is the shy cutie. Whether it is because of Eripiyo’s legend or her having difficulty standing out she is the least popular member among fans. However, when she finds the right motivation, be it Eripiyo or helping her teammates, she has the potential to become one of, if not the most powerful. Her cuteness under the right circumstances is a lethal weapon.
The animation is interesting. It has a distinct style I am not used to seeing, specifically the characters showing their teeth. Not just fangs, all of them. The girls’ eyes sparkle like beautiful gems and the motions look fluid. It is difficult to describe. The show on multiple occasions does not faces during far off shots. In most anime this is seen as a flaw but here it does not feel out of place (At least not to me). It may seem like a classic cost cutting measure (and maybe it is here too) but here it was not distracting at all. Other than that the rest of the animation is pretty good. The soundtrack fits into the background with no particular outstanding tune. The Cham Jam songs though, all excellent. Same goes for the OP and ED.
![Eripiyo's 5 second moment](https://yuriempire.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/eripiyos-5-second-moment.jpg?w=640)
One of Eripiyo’s best moments.
As mentioned in the introduction Eripiyo X Maina is a slow burn kind of romance. The two clearly love each other but have great difficulty expressing their true feelings from Eripiyo trying to discern fangirl devotion and romantic love to Maina being too shy to express herself in front of Eripiyo (though surprisingly becomes stronger when her love interest has difficulty speaking). The most logical obstacle is their fan X celebrity dynamic. That alone is a great obstacle to overcome considering how seriously fans take their idols in both the positive and negative sense. More often than not though it comes down to classic rom-com misunderstandings.
![Aya and Yuka calming each other down](https://yuriempire.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/aya-and-yuka-calming-each-other-down.jpg?w=640)
Aya X Yuka. The HimaSaku of the show.
Aya denies it but she thinks about Yuka a lot while Yuka is the one who understands Aya the most.
![Reo and Sorane Halloween](https://yuriempire.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/reo-and-sorane-halloween.jpg?w=640)
Reo X Sorane.
Reo X Sorane have the least development of the couples but there is a VERY small ray of hope it can happen in the future.
…….
Overall it is the combination of Eripiyo’s charismatic and insane love for Maina, Cham Jam’s performances and interactions with each other along with their fans, two of Eripiyo’s close friends (one not so much) and the yuri goodness that make this show one of my favorites of 2020. Whether newcomers enjoy the show depend on how patient they are and if they like seeing a crazy fangirl gushing over her favorite idol to a sometimes creepy extreme. The side-couples are good too. Speaking of…
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![Maki X Yumeri Sports Festival](https://yuriempire.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/maki-x-yumeri-sports-festival.jpg?w=640)
Maki X Yumeri, aka OG’s life threatening duo.
Maki X Yumeri. I want to leave it at “Watch the anime and see for yourselves”. Words cannot do this couple justice. Think something along the lines of Kotone X Shizuku from Sakura Trick. They are THAT…DAMN…GOOD…TOGETHER. I mean pay close attention to their colors. It took me till episode 10 to notice this most obvious of hints on how much they love each other. I am dead f’in serious. Watch them in action and hopefully you will understand.
PS:
Sad to see this one end. Along with Asteroid, Oshibudo were my top 2 favorites of the season.
I really love this show, it was a great slow burn love story and those can be tough to watch if the viewer doesn’t have any patience for them. But if they do they’re greatly rewarded and I feel that’s the case with this show.
I felt the ending was pretty open and left room for more to happen, both on the idol front and the romance front. Having the Reo backstory suddenly pop up in ep 11 and then carry over to the finale, I thought was a little late to start that, but they handled it well but at the same time I want to see more of it. Also that question mark at the very, very end had me wondering if we’ll get another season.
You covered all the main couples well and I just gotta say Maki x Yumeri is my favorite too. Such a wonderful couple and they got me all excited every time they were alone together. All that hand holding, gazing into each other’s eyes, the color matching accessories, they’re such a lovely couple and I really want an S2 for more of them. Maki has also gotta be my favorite too. So gorgeous and sexy, but she’s got that cool, calm, and mature vibe going on too. She’s so good.
Reo and Sorane were an interesting couple that I wish had more time to develop. There is something there between them I feel, they just weren’t given enough time to really flesh their relationship out. Definitely need more of them in S2 if it happens.
All in all I’m gonna miss this one a lot. A highlight of my week for sure and it just won’t be the same time next Thursday knowing there won’t be a new Oshibudo ep waiting for me. I’m right with you there on the score too, 9/10 from me. So good.
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10/10 I love this show so much, I could die. I don’t really care about the slow burn and how it ended. I’m the kind of person who treasures the journey. I love every episode. Some misunderstandings I found them cute and funny. Don’t forget it’s a romance comedy. Eripiyo is obsessive yet understands the rules of idol kind of fan. That’s not unusual in Japan. In fact, all three ChamJam fans are very common in Japan. I can see my self in Rena tho. Maina is very cute, she’s my favorite. I love her voice. So glad I can hear her singing voice clearly in the last episode. My next best girls are Maki and Yumeri. I don’t have much to say about the ships, you covered it very nicely. And yes, Maki x Yumeri you have to see it yourself. SEASON 2 NEED.
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Oh gully, at first I expected this to be as nothing more than a throwaway Idol anime with hints yuri in it and boy, how WRONG was that. The characters are extremely vibrant and have depths to them to a point that I almost forgot Reo isn’t the main protagonist of the show. Seriously, every Chamjam member can have their own 12-episode series dedicated to them, especially Reo and the Hot Couple (a Slice of Life/Romance anime I expect).
Eripiyo, good lord Eripiyo. This girl is nigh indestructible and her love for Maina is as eternal as her physical fortitude, I think we should make a shrine for her or sth. Oh and imagine Eripiyo in the Chamjam idol uniform with feminine makeup like the 2nd episode.
Also, Kumasa-san blow away my expectation as a very wholesome and nice guy instead of creepy, scheming person (that definition goes to another person in the trio).
8/10, very much gay, expecting a 2nd season.
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It really feels like it’s not over. That question mark at the end must mean second season, what else could it be?
The development and character progression was incredible from every member of ChamJam and Eripiyo herself, our main couple reached a comfortable place but something else can be done, something a little more conclusive. It really feels like it’s just a temporal stopping point.
Either way, the anime is already very close to perfection, which is huge by itself.
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This was a Fantastic Series!
Eripiyo is an amazing protagonist! She just stole every scene! Her voice actress really stole the show.
Aya and Yuka were very cute and funny! I really liked these 2 and they make a cute couple.
Rena was such a cutie!
Kumasa is a really cool dude and an awesome bro! More Yuri anime needs more guys like him.
As for Maki X Yumeri, well there really is no words that describes just how Amazing and Lethal these 2 are! I Love Them! They almost killed me every scene they had!
As you said, SEASON 2 NEED.
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This was such a fun show. I enjoyed every bit of it and hope we get a season 2.
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Really enjoyed this show, the interactions between Maina and Eripyo are very funny!
Kumasa was also a damn cool guy. He’s a great friend.
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Super lovely series, and I hope that it will continue! The manga would be wonderful to read too if it becomes available. I want to see hand holding, kisses and a dressed up Eripiyo…
From beginning to end Maina was my favourite, she’s such an innocent goddess of cuteness. Plus I love her voice. Rena is a definite second.
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This was an interesting journey for me that started even before it aired. As most on here probably know, somehow!, I found a “yuri” manga with a very similar premise. It was also about a female idol fan, and she was crazy about a female idol. But, it quickly began showing its true colors, and wasn’t really “yuri”. And ended up being more about her and another mega idol fan…who was her childhood friend. She was also very vindictive towards anyone who wasn’t the idol she adored and pretty much a neet. So, please forgive all the confusion that was brought because of that. Am very glad that was all a crazy misunderstanding, and hope that that manga never sees an anime..
That out of the way, while I definitely enjoyed it, it just didn’t grab me as well as other idol shows. The finale as well, just felt “comfy”. It didn’t end in a way that left a strong impression. Even so, it was fun seeing the budding romance between the two, and watching best girl A~ya steal the show from time to time! I liked how, even though she was the “little sister” character, she often would show that she was the most level headed of everyone (though I guess that’s common in idol anime now that I think on it….XD). And she’s a legal loli! That stupid Maple whatever was full of hags, but Chamjam was a nice balance that covered a good spectrum. Will never get why a group like that is so popular. Especially when the main member is a total jerk. While the blonde in Reising signal you can say is doing everything with good intentions, that blonde was just trying to shake up a smaller idol group in an event they were just guests in. It was pretty high levels of scum to want to screw over possible new talent >_< And petty at the highest degree. Good thing Reo found herself quite the team to pick her up after that blow to her confidence~
A~ya!
The support staff were pretty great too. It was nice to see them all and their own interesting character quirks that made them stand out from being merely “workers behind the scenes”. It’s nice to see staff getting more recognition.
A~ya!
Laughed pretty hard when she tried for the image change. It REALLY didn’t suit her XD I mean, what she wears in bed with Yuka is their business, but bringing that to the workplace is a no no! I think it’s rather obvious where my focus was the entire time XD
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30 seasons please! love/10
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I didn’t really like the first episode but it got better as the series went on.
This was a really good show with great comedy (Aya’s image change was one of the best) great ships (Maki and Yumeri are on another level. The CD scene was amazing) and great side character (Kumasa best bro but also the 3 staff characters)
This needs a season 2 even just to see more Maki and Yumeri goodness.
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This was my fav anime of this season! I hope we get a second season or OVAs
I need to see more of this cute girls and of course of the OTP, Erippyo x Maina was awesome!!!!
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I enjoyed this one!
I’m somehow getting tired of idol anime but it’s always thanks to your reviews I do a double take before seeing one.
The characters were lovable, even the guys. There was no unbearable drama to watch, just pure light hearted comedy. The misunderstandings were hilarious and they even left potential for season 2. Here’s hoping they do continue just like other idol anime.
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Maki x Yumeri my favorite pairing for this show, hands down. Just love both their character designs, they look so good together.
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I’ve been enjoying the show. I’m a dub watcher so I’ve finished ep 9 and now the rest has been delayed. Sucks so much, I wanna see whats next, though I fully know why it is getting delayed. I won’t switch to sub unless it is clear that the last 3 eps are never dubbed.
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Patience. It’ll pay off when the dubbers can finish the rest.
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rena the second girl who come to see Maina got the same voice as adachi from adachi and shimamura
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