“Trapezium” is an anime inspired film created in Japan in 2024 which covers a topic of high school idol from the characters perspective who is determined to succeed. The film is created by Masahiro Shinohara and integrated by CloverWorks and is based off Kazumi Takayama’s novel with the story including themes of ambition, friendship, and starry-eyed dreams of fame.
Synopsis
The narrative focuses on Yu Azuma, a Josei East High School freshman with the goal of being an idol. To help achieve the goals, Yu is strategic: her target is to gather the 4 (North, South, East, and West) schools by persuading their chosen representatives into forming an idol group. This is not only represents an objective but a reflection of her personality who would take her efforts seriously and that she would want a well-rounded team.
Yu’s recruits comprise of: Ranko Katori, a second year student from Holy Teneritas Southern Girls’ Academy who is quite sophisticated; Kurumi Taiga, a student from West Tech Vocational High School who dresses in big jackets and wants to become a robotics engineer; and Mika Kamei, a girl from Joshu North High School who is interested in volunteering and is very kind. They continue on as novice idols as they strive to achieve fame while enduring the training, challenges and stress that posess an obstacle in the idol world.
Cast & Crew.
- The Director is Shinohara Masahiro.
- The script is by Yuko Kakihara.
- The work is done by Kazumi Takayama.
- Rio was responsible for character design.
- The music score was written and composed by Masaru Yokoyama.
As for the main voice artists, Asaki Yuikawa voice the character Yu Azuma, Reina Ueda voices Ranko Katori, Hina Yomiya plays a character Kurumi Taiga and finally Haruka Aikawa plays Mika Kamei.
Critical Reception
The “Trapezium” has attracted attention for its more realistic approach to the life of idols and their inner world. Yu Azuma is also presented to light as a target for sympathy as a person with concrete goals. Polygon comments on the character’s self-absorbtion stating, “Yu Azuma is one of the most sneaky and manipulative protagonists in anime”, which easily translates due to her various ambitious chess-like strategies.
POLYGON
This helps in getting a perspective which some may say is out of the box as most see idols in a more simplistic light. Instead, this allows the reader to get an intriguing perspective as to what factors lay behind the so-called tracking plot race.
Anime News Network observes that the film depicts “youth, their dreams, and the price of those dreams,” stressing its coming-of-age elements that are fused with the idol narrative.
ANIME NEWS NETWORK
The review acknowledges the capability of the film to portray the struggles and the moral challenges endured by the ones endeavored in search of fame, and thus tackling the subject in a more engaging way.
On Rotten Tomatoes, “Trapezium” has average scores of 3 out of 5 stars which shows it has been fairly appreciated as it has its positives while there are downsides as well.
ROTTEN TOMATOES
Critics have lauded the animation quality and character development of the story. However, they caution that the plot should have explored more in-depth the basic themes of the idol industry.
Themes and Analysis
Basically, “Trapezium” is a character based story that deals with ambition and the moral code that people decide to cross in order to achieve their objectives. The deliberate method that Yu Azuma employs in forming her idol group is to ensure that the members selected are dependents rather than friendships, this highlights the relationship problem in competitive industries.
The film also emphasizes the traumas inflicted on the young people working in the idol industry, such as the loss of the family life and the pressure to meet people’s expectations all the time. By showing Yu and her group members, ‘Trapezium’ expects the audience to ponder over what success entails and what wrong it takes in its pursuit.
Visual and sonic aspects
CloverWorks’ animation injecting vividness and energy in idol’s youth world elevates ‘Trapezium’ as does the appeal of the idol world visually. The member group out of character sketches designed by Rio aims to have incoherence by giving different looks of girls in accordance to their nature, culture and history.
Masaru Yokoyama and his composed musical score achieve this by combining the upbeat and catchy idol songs with the emotional and reminiscing songs which goes well with the performances and the inner scenarios of the characters.
Last but not least
‘Trapezium’ explores excess in embrace of ambition, ethics and costs embraced in the endeavors of self fame. This new film appeals to a wider audience within the idol genre owing to its well rounded leading lady and interesting plot that does not shy away from examining the ethics of success and how the society perceives it.
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