Midonin's The Two iDOLM@STERs Comparison Diary
Week Two
Opening Visuals
iM@S - Dancing
Xenoglossia - Robots, penguins
Ending Visuals
iM@S - Variable
Xenoglossia - Symbolically naked Haruka
Male Surrogate's Career Before The Narrative Begins
iM@S - Producer likely worked a desk job before being promoted to his new job. Tedious, but the rewards are worth it.
Xenoglossia - Imber slept beneath the ground after (according to a single flashback) going on a rampage and blowing up a city. Fun, but not good on your resume.
HQ
iM@S - 765Pro is located in a regular office building in the heart of Tokyo.
Xenoglossia - Mondenkind is located in a secret underground base with an ordinary high school serving as a cover in the heart of Tokyo.
Animals With Attitude
iM@S - Hamzou, a mischievous rodent. Likes having his good side photographed, breasts.
Xenoglossia - Bizarre dream penguin. Serves as transition for getting Haruka to the hospital ward.
Primary Outfits
iM@S - Canary-yellow and green outfits.
Xenoglossia - Teal and white school uniforms, pink robot piloting jackets.
Purpose
iM@S - Fortune and fame. Jobs are infrequent, success brings great rewards in greater Japanese area.
Xenoglossia - Save the Earth by smashing meteors. Jobs are frequent, success brings great relief to entire planet.
Spoiler for Character Analysis:
Haruka - This week, both of the Harukas even out a little bit, as iM@S showed she can be just as clumsy and nervous as Xenoglossia's. The key difference at this point is that Xenoglossia's Haruka is some sort of Chosen One. Xenoglossia's Haruka (as confirmed by Nurse Yasuhara) has definitely pink nipples. I am unsure of the color of iM@S Haruka's nipples. Do not ask why I need to know this.
Yayoi - HUGE difference here. Both Yayois are energetic, but iM@S's is more concerned with getting a job so she can have money. Xenoglossia's is almost as protective of Haruka as the other Yayoi would be of her family, but comes across as paranoid. Must be the penguin costume.
Yukiho - Xenoglossia's Yukiho lacks the androphobia, but both have similar goals in mind. They want to discover their true selves, and thus took up the job.
Makoto - Cool beauty in either version. iM@S's doesn't like it, and wants to become more girly. Xenoglossia's, as of now, looks to be embracing her tomboyishness in the role of robot pilot.
Iori - iM@S's Iori showed a bit more of her Tsun side this week, but Xenoglossia's Iori remains more confrontational. The gap is closing up, though. The key difference is that iM@S has her stuffed rabbit.
Azusa - Roughly the same, acting as a big sister in both versions. Except that only one of these Azusas (hint: it's not iM@S) can do wicked martial arts moves.
Chihaya - Aloof in both versions. Aside from being antagonistic, two episodes in, they're looking pretty similar.
Ritsuko - Mostly because money is a greater object, iM@S's demonstrates a greater degree of greed (as represented by ¥ eyes), but both of them love to fangirl over cute things happening at their place of work.
Until next week!