Wake Up, Girls! is a 12 episode anime following the film. The film is somewhat of a prerequisite in order to already know the characters, and how they got together as the anime starts off straight where the film ended and the group struggling to find work. The general premise is that a group of seven girls formed a local idol group based in Sendai, calling themselves Wake Up, Girls! However, with the president of their production company running away with all the money, they are struggling to find work or even just break out after their debut "concert". We see them doing non-glamorous jobs as they work in defining what they stand for.
The seven members are Mayu (ex-member of the super popular I-1 Club idol group), Airi (quiet and reserved), Minami (cheerful), Yoshino (originally a model and the leader of the group), Nanami (13 year old, the youngest in the group), Kaya (18 year old, the oldest in the group) and Miyu (works at a maid cafe). Like the film, the plot is slow paced but the buildup is worth it as they define their goals and slowly work towards reaching it. By around episode 5, it gets much more interesting as the group's struggles to make an impact cause issues between members within the team. We see that they are not perfect from the start, with constant mistakes in their choreography, and dismal turnouts in their early concerts.
As the group sort out their problems with each other, learning about their backgrounds and personalities, they begin to be more coherent as a team. It's good that the group isn't amazing already otherwise it would be boring. They are criticized by their instructors and given tips to improve which they act upon. While it still sucks that they fail, at least it is showing that they are working hard to improve and get the acknowledgement they deserve. Characters start to question whether they made the right choice in joining the group as it is no what they expected.
The episodes categorically go through each team member, their past and the experiences that have shaped them until now. They share it with the rest of the team such that they bond better and improve their relationships to be more than just being superficial. It deals with family members' views on them becoming an idol and their eventual acceptance which is quite emotional. The mystery carrying over from the film is Mayu's past with the I-1 Club, and the circumstances in which she was kicked out, leaving her traumatized by idols in general.
Mayu's previous ties with the I-1 Club also creates insecurities within the group and in particular, Yoshino, as Mayu is already famous and the anchor of the group, potentially outshining them all. Thankfully, we do get to learn about Mayu but it's just the harsh reality of life to be fair. On the other side, we are shown scenes involving the I-1 Club, who is seen as a rival of sorts against the Wake Up, Girls! It's really no competition since the I-1 Club is nationally known and already super popular. Nevertheless, they are shown to be the opposite of Wake Up, Girls! and more "evil", being more corporate focused such as popularity and making money.
The I-1 Club's manager is harsh and cruel, with team members working very hard in a competitive and stressful environment for fear of being cast out of the group. The climax of the season is the Wake Up, Girls! competing for the spot to perform at the I-1 Arena as part of the Idol Festival 2014 contest. Within the final two episodes, you'd wish that they did away with the cliched gimmicks and allow the team to compete the best performance that they can without any handicaps. The end result is still worthwhile and a culmination of all their efforts which created a stellar performance. The ending was slightly abrupt but fitting for this small team.
A bit of fan service pop up here and there, such as swimsuits for the whole team during one episode. The animation and aesthetics are top notch. Overall, while the anime is drama heavy and there is less singing and performances than you'd expect of something focusing on an up and coming idol group, Wake Up, Girls! is enjoyable and strangely emotional stirring. It feels like it ended too soon just as you were starting to get to know the group and that's a good sign of a solid offering.
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