The Future of iDOLM@STER is Gyrozetter

I have a theory: Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter actually takes place in the same world as The iDOLM@STER many years into the future. I’m going to lay out my ideas for how this transition comes about while also providing ironclad proof of their shared universe.

1) Inaba Rinne is a Futami Descendant

It’s not clear which of the Futami twins Rinne is descended from, but most likely it’s Mami. It’s not clear just how many generations into the future Rinne is removed from Ami and Mami, but Futami genetics are undeniably strong.

The resemblance is uncanny.

2) The Success of 765 Pro and the Start of the AI Car Boom

Thanks to a combination of talent, spirit, and camaraderie, 765 Productions becomes wildly successful. At first, they do only promotions for car companies, but thanks to rich girl Minase Iori’s connections and the advancement of technology 765 Pro manages to start their own automobile line. They name the car company offshoot “Arcadia,” modifying their logo along the way.

Assistants to the CEO continue to dress in black suits in honor of Akizuki Ritsuko.

3) Shijou Takane is Responsible for the Rosettagraphy

At first glance, the Rosettagraphy makes no sense. A mysterious stone tablet that tells humanity how to build advanced cars that turn into robots? It sounds like nonsense, until you remember that Takane is equally engimatic, and that she is capable of speaking in many tongues. As we can clearly tell now, it’s because she holds the secrets of not only technological growth but also of prophecy. If she had revealed it to humanity too soon, who knows what would’ve happened?

Takane was a Messenger in Many Ways.

4) Gyrozetter AIs are Actually Based on 765 Idols

How else would you explain this?

I rest my case.

The Threat of Emasculation in the World of Fictional Icons Beyond Manga

For many years now, manga has undergone a curious transformation. Where once comic magazines devoted space to stories which taught boys how to be men and provided ample role models for how to live, that innocent desire has been corrupted by a display of weak-willed, wobbly-kneed pretty boys who fight not to save the world but to draw power away from men and place their entertainment in the hands of the opposite sex.

Originally, even though I could only shake my head at the manga aisle at the Barnes and Noble, I at least was confident in the knowledge that this breakdown of integrity in fiction was limited to what we’d call “entertainment.” Manga, television shows, books, it was as if the ovarial agenda was happy to willfully quarantine itself to the realm of fictional tales. But I realize now that I was simply too naive, and that the attack goes well into the realm of iconic figures who exist in our daily imaginations.

Look at this man here. You might think he’s the main character in the newest Jump comic, or perhaps his clean-shaven look and gentle eyes mean he’s the latest teen heartthrob. But sadly, truly sadly, you are incorrect. This is the Brawny Man.

Looking back, the clues were obvious. Paper towels absorb the messes of kitchens and bathrooms and store a record of human activity. Likewise, manga pages absorb the ink from the artists’ pens, also resulting in a similar record of human activity. Paper towel rolls and manga magazines are essentially cousins, and if the integrity of one can be damaged, the other is just as vulnerable.

It’s a likely possibility your mind blocked out the first image I showed you. For your benefit I have included a picture of the previous Brawny Man to help transition your mind into the harsh reality of the present. Comparing the two, it is clear that at some point  the powers that be decided that the Brawny Man was too great a symbol of all that is good and decent in the world, and so took steps to correct this “error.” They were threatened by his full mustache and his rugged looks, and concluded that the only solution was to begin depriving him of the very essence of his influence.

The new Brawny Man is still fairly masculine, but the fact that he escaped still well on the side of the Y-chromosome is attributed more to his inherent fortitude than anything else. A lesser male character would have transformed into a female baboon. A visual kei member would have found new life as a sentient petticoat. It is an ordeal few can survive even once.

Let us pray for the Brawny Man. Though he may now be too malformed and misshapen to ever inspire a generation of true men, we must still accept and forgive him.

Let’s Start Off the New Year with a CONSPIRACY

Some of my first untranslated manga purchases ever were Japanese volumes of Great Teacher Onizuka. I found them again recently and began flipping through, when I saw something startling.

Here are pages from the GTO extra comic series, “F(iction) GTO Gaiden.”

Do you notice anything peculiar? If not, let me help you out.

Genshiken began in 2002. GTO began in 1997 and ended in 2002.

There are a lot of funky hairstyles in anime and manga, and plenty of top knots, but none of them are quite the same as Ogiue’s distinctive “paintbrush” hair. On top of that, the character in question (labeled “Chief” in the comic) has front bangs similar to Ogiue as well, and dresses in a style similar to Ogiue.

Sure, it’s not uncommon for someone to be wearing these kinds of clothes, but Genshiken itself has bothered to point out that Ogiue prefers to wear this sort of clothing.

I am not sure what to make of all this, and I have no concrete answers. However, what I believe based on this information is that there is someone out there who is the model for both of these characters, a real person on whom Ogiue is visually based (we already know that personality-wise Ogiue is based on Kio Shimoku himself).

Genshiken ran in Monthly Afternoon, GTO in Shounen Magazine. Both are owned by the publishing company Kodansha. Perhaps the model is a Kodansha employee. Also, it might not even be a girl.

The writer of FGTO, Hosokawa Makoto, is called the “sub-chief.” Who, then, is the “chief?” Further research reveals that it’s probably Ayamine Rando, creator of  Get Backers and former assistant to Fujisawa Tohru. Ayamine has a series, Holy Talker, currently running in Manga Rival, a magazine published by Kodansha.

Here’s a self-portrait from Volume 3 of GTO by Ayamine.

His hairstyle is more realistic, shown here as just a sloppily tied together ponytail without the unusual paintbrush shape, but this also means that “Chief” might just be him.

There are other asisstants’ names. One of them is “Takeda Chikanoshin.” Chikanoshin? Chika? No visual evidence, though.

Could this be purely a coincidence? That is certainly a possibility and probably the most sensible one. The only way to know for certain is to find out if there’s any connection between Kio Shimoku and Ayamine Rando. Until then, I hope you’ve enjoyed my tinfoil hat endeavors.