Tsubasa Ibuki
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Tsubasa Ibuki (Japanese: 伊吹翼 Ibuki Tsubasa) is an idol available in THE iDOLM@STER Million Live! Theater Days and originally debuted in the mobile game THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!.
She is considered the main yellow representative of the Million Live! branch. She forms the Million Live! main trio along with Mirai Kasuga and Shizuka Mogami as the unit Strawberry Pop Moon.
She is voiced by Machico.
Biographies
THE iDOLM@STER Million Live! biography
Hey, do you think if I did this pose, it'd be popular? Look, look!
- Online Character Profile
THE iDOLM@STER Starlit Season Profile
"I'm Tsubasa Ibuki~! Looking forward to working with you~! "Project LUMINOUS", sounds really nice, doesn't it~? Since I'll be doing my best, why don't we go out for some parfait~?"
THE iDOLM@STER POPLINKS Profile Quote
"My name is Tsubasa Ibuki! I'm working hard to become the cutest and most popular top idol♪"
Personality
Tsubasa is a naturally talented and easygoing young girl that loves to do anything she views as fun. Tsubasa takes an interest in whatever is popular and tries to stay up to date with the latest trends so she often enjoys reading magazines and going out shopping. Her dream is to one day have the ideal "happy life" she imagines her role model has and believes this will be easier to reach if she becomes popular, which is why she likes to spend time with Rio, receiving guidance on how to become a "popular lady" like her. Tsubasa was even intrigued by the prospect of becoming an idol because of all the cute clothes they get to wear and because of how fun it looked. Tsubasa heavily admires Miki and attempts to be like her in a number of aspects, the two are often compared to each other as both are fashionable, blonde, naturally talented and can sometimes slack off during lessons but they are actually very different beyond that. Tsubasa is full of energy, often acting as a mood maker in a number of situations due to her bubbly personality, and is known to be quite childish and whimsical too.
However, Tsubasa is also somewhat naive and has an innocent perception of the world, especially on topics like love and hard work. This can sometimes lead to her becoming reclusive when she is faced with rejection. Tsubasa also struggles putting her thoughts into words and will try to express herself via actions instead, which tends to lead her into misunderstandings such as when she ran off to buy souvenirs for Mirai and Shizuka on her trip but was scolded for putting herself in danger. Tsubasa also doesn't hide the fact that she isn't overly fond of hard work or things she thinks are difficult to understand, which also gets her into trouble towards the start of her time as an idol. However, as time progresses, Tsubasa admits that she actually sees how working hard to reach a goal for both herself, and for others, can be fun and rewarding in its own way eventually.
Thanks to Tsubasa's ability to easily memorise dance steps and songs, she sometimes aids other idols that may need a little more help with the choreography and can even alter moves, as well as come up with her own dances, to make things slightly less demanding but still retain the images they want to portray for their fans. She secretly approaches the producer a lot regarding things that concern her or about ideas that she thinks can be incorporated into performances once she becomes motivated. This is because Tsubasa can actually get quite competitive and fired up at times, like when she wanted to make sure Otome Storm’s first live was as big of a success as Crescendo Blue's but also didn’t want to worry or push the others too far.
Shizuka often compares Tsubasa to a cat as they both come and go as they please and can also be rather playful, as well as mischievous, when they want to be. In the manga especially, Tsubasa is even drawn with cat-like ears at times which is usually the two pointed sections located at each side her hair rising up when her interest is piqued or when she is amused. Tsubasa also has an interest in heroes and is naturally talented in sports. She did, however, ask if ice cream licking was a sport because if it was, that's what sport she'd be best at. She just really loves ice cream. Tsubasa often stops by shops on her way home from lessons to grab some ice cream too, she’ll even bring others with her at times as a means of cooling down together and because she genuinely loves to be in the company of her friends.
Game Appearance
THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!
Tsubasa first meets the producer inside the theater after being recruited. She is seen to be engrossed in a magazine and when approached by the producer; she begins to detail that all of her favorite things are in this magazine - from the latest clothes, to sweets and even the new trendy places. The producer ends up encouraging her to calm down when she starts getting overly excited while listing all of the popular and fun things it seems idols can do too. It's noted that while Tsubasa seems to be cheerful, she is also on the "weird side" and does things at her own pace. The producer finds out Tsubasa's main goal is to have a happy and fun life but she dislikes things that tend to be difficult.
THE iDOLM@STER Million Live! Theater Days
Through the producer's attempts to find the perfect members for the "39 Project", Tsubasa is stumbled upon at a fashion show for women. The producer immediately picks up on Tsubasa's attention grabbing skills and energy while Tsubasa explains she was asked to participate in the show when she was shopping and that she's not one of the professional models here. After the show concludes, the producer quickly gives her a business card and offers for her to join the theater's new project. At first she was hesitant and explains that she doesn't enjoy hard work but after being told of the clothes she can try, as well as the hair and makeup teams they have, her interest was piqued and she tells the producer she'll give it a shot. The producer does however, become slightly concerned regarding her easygoing attitude but does not doubt that she possesses outstanding talent.
During Tsubasa's first task of getting her promotional photo taken, the producer finds that Tsubasa gets very bored easily and is prone to trying to drag people outside with her to places where they can have fun. Eventually the producer manages to excite her for the photo shoot by alerting her of the professional makeup artist coming to do her makeup for today, resulting in Tsubasa becoming very motivated and joyful for the rest of the shoot.
Eventually she is confronted by the producer after slacking off in one of her lessons and is called to a family restaurant for a discussion. Tsubasa alerts the producer that she already learned both the song and the dance steps, but she is reminded that anything can change in a concert and that she needs to learn how to sync with others too. Tsubasa admits that she struggles staying motivated when she repeats the same thing over and over, day after day, despite enjoying practising with the other girls. As a compromise the producer allows her to learn new songs when she completes the assigned ones during her lessons and Tsubasa becomes energetic, asking to try out "Miki-chan's" songs.
Tsubasa's newest development arises throughout the course of the "Growing Storm!" event. After the success of Crescendo Blue's live performance, the members of Otome Storm! are both excited and nervous, especially since it is close to exam season too. Tsubasa approaches the producer after lesson times under the guise of wanting to be treated for doing her best today but in reality she wanted to privately talk to the producer about her thoughts for the upcoming live. Tsubasa explains that working with the others has been fun and that she feels extra motivated by Crescendo Blue's passion to make this live original and give it their best shot - especially as she feels she hasn't had a lot of opportunities to accomplish things with others. However the unit's next hurdle arrives after Tsubasa displays for the girls new movements to incorporate into their dance for a fresher appeal which is widely enjoyed but it's soon revealed that Yuriko struggles to match the level of such a dance.
Due to Yuriko's desire to perform with the more appealing dance and to not hold back the others, she dedicates herself to training even though Tsubasa tells her it's fine to stick to the regular dance as it's still cute after all. In the early hours of the next day, Yuriko is found practising and is soon joined by Tsubasa, who takes it upon herself to help her fellow unit member and tells Yuriko that she spent the previous night slightly altering the new dance to a level that retains the fresh appeal but also is at a much more doable level than before. The live passes successfully and the girls head to the amusement park as a treat for delivering a good show. While riding the Ferris wheel with both Mizuki and the producer, Tsubasa is thanked by Mizuki as she feels the success of the live was thanks to Tsubasa's dedication. She is thanked a few times which results in Tsubasa becoming slightly embarrassed and she explains that before becoming an idol, she always thought trying your best was a pain but by being with others, she now sees even that can become fun too. The producer proceeds to tell Tsubasa that even if she doesn't see it herself just yet, she is growing.
Adaptations Appearance
THE iDOLM@STER Million Live! Manga
Chapter 1-5
Tsubasa is first mentioned in Chapter 4 after Shizuka is paired with her for the "765 Pro Cover Challenge" but it turns out she's late which causes Shizuka to sigh. Mirai inquires as to what kind of person Tsubasa is and Shizuka can't decide whether you'd call her "unrestrained" or just "self-centered" but she soon decides the best way to describe her is "like a cat". Tsubasa makes her first appearance right after this where she is being offered to try out a stall's free ice cream samples but she ends up asking to try all of the flavors instead of one and the server cannot bring himself to say no to her. Eventually Tsubasa arrives at the theater with ice cream in hand but it turns out it's already 6 o'clock when she was scheduled to meet Shizuka at 12. Upon hearing it's 6 o'clock though, Tsubasa begins to skip away and claims she needs to go home because "good girls have to obey curfew".
Shizuka chases after her and yells that she only wants to watch her TV dramas, which causes Tsubasa to admit that's "as expected of Shizuka-chan!" At the same time, Mirai is heading up the stairs with a snack from Minako to bring to Shizuka but she ends up meeting Tsubasa as she takes a running jump down the stairs and the two end up clashing and falling down to the bottom. Mirai instinctively wraps her arms and legs around Tsubasa after Shizuka shouts for Mirai to secure her which results in Tsubasa both dropping her ice cream and being brought back to practise. The three watch a joint live between Iori and Yayoi which prompts Shizuka to explain that she doesn't want to deliver a half-hearted performance of their senior's song, leading to Tsubasa asking if she can go home if she pulls the dance moves off better than Shizuka.
Shizuka is still practising while Mirai marvels at how amazing Tsubasa actually was and Shizuka agrees but admits she's frustrated she couldn't match her despite practising all afternoon and vows to catch up to her. However, during their practise run on stage Shizuka ends up passing out afterwards with a high fever. While trying to find someone who can cover for Shizuka's part, Tsubasa points out there is someone who can jump right into it which just so happened to be Mirai. Tsubasa notes that she wants to try singing with Mirai - despite her protests - and Matsuri also agrees that Tsubasa's idea is the best, convincing Kotoha to send Mirai on with Tsubasa, rather than making her do it all on her own.
Chapter 6-10
Despite doubting herself right before the live, Mirai is calmed by Tsubasa who makes sure she's ready to go on and holds her hand backstage. Tsubasa also comes to Mirai's rescue when she doesn't realise her mic is already on and accidentally begins talking out loud, by turning it into a lighthearted situation through calling her cute, allowing both Mirai and the audience to laugh it off. Then when Mirai almost trips, Tsubasa catches her effortlessly and runs with her to the front of the audience as if nothing happened and the two energise the fans immensely. Upon Shizuka's return to the theater, she thanks Tsubasa for her hard work while Tsubasa lets Shizuka know of a new upcoming performance for the two of them together as well.
Chapter 11-15
Tsubasa faces her biggest hurdle when the news arrives that "Project Fairy" - the unit consisting of Miki, Hibiki and Takane - would be holding auditions for members to recruit as their backup dancers for the new promotions and would be the judges themselves. Tsubasa immediately reacted and wanted to be selected in order to be with Miki. Shizuka, Mirai and Tsubasa discuss the auditions and the fact that only four people will be selected and Shizuka comments on how relaxed Tsubasa seems even now. She tells the two that she doesn't really get the hard stuff but she wants to be "Miki-senpai's" backup, so she'll do her best. Mirai also comments on how much Tsubasa must love Miki and she reveals that Miki is her role model for her happy life. Tsubasa's definition of her "happy life" is one of popularity and carelessness; Miki is fashionable, cute, popular with both men and women, didn't go through intense training but still performs perfectly and has fun everyday. While Tsubasa gets distracted by a crepe stall, Mirai asks Shizuka if Tsubasa is really only aiming to become an idol in order to be popular but Shizuka explains that, despite her childish motive, her talents are the real deal.
On the day of auditions nerves were sky-high among basically everyone but when Shizuka turns her attention to Tsubasa, she notices there was a lack of expression on her face and she was uncharacteristically serious, so much so she didn't even hear Shizuka call out to her at first. Hibiki lets everyone know Miki will be slightly late as her work ran over time, but she'll arrive shortly and they proceed with the auditions - Hibiki also notes that it might be a good thing Miki is late since her usual bluntness might be a bit too much for all of the girls that are overcome with nerves. Once Miki arrives, yawning, she is tackled by Tsubasa who shouts her name out and begins to nuzzle against her. Miki comments, "long time, no see," and lets Hibiki know she's tired so she's gonna blast through the auditions. Tsubasa is awkwardly reassured by Hibiki not to be pressured by Miki's comment but Tsubasa let's her know it's fine because she's just going to have to blast the audition away too then. Tsubasa's performance is praised highly - Subaru claims Tsubasa is on "limit break" and even Ayumu comments that "Tsubasa's got something going on." Shizuka also says Tsubasa is good. So good that everyone can't take their eyes off of her because of just how captivating she is.
Hibiki and Takane immediately agree she meets all of the requirements enthusiastically and Hibiki further compares Tsubasa to Miki. Tsubasa immediately runs over to hug Miki after finishing but is cut off when Miki gives her feedback: "Miki doesn't see you being good for our backup dancer role." Tsubasa isn't selected as a member, disappearing to head up to the rooftop and Shizuka soon points out to Mirai that she doesn't see her anywhere. Not long after the auditions, Shizuka is dragged to Minako's restaurant by Nao for a break along with Mirai and Serika. Shizuka explains that what happened at the auditions had been bothering her and Nao guesses that she means Tsubasa failing is what bothered her specifically. Nao comments further that there was no doubt, Tsubasa had the best audition back then. Shizuka agrees and explains that's why what Miki said wasn't sitting right with her and that she pities Tsubasa, revealing that when she first met Tsubasa she thought to herself, "I want to dance like her." Minako asks the girls what they think is most important for a backup dancer - Mirai and Shizuka answer dancing skills, while Serika thinks it's matching your surroundings. Nao reassures the real reason as to why Tsubasa was rejected is anyone's guess right now, but it could be there was a sense of unity missing. Shizuka does agree that Tsubasa can act in her own way but questions if that was visible enough in her dance for her to be rejected.
The next time Tsubasa appears is when she is playing a ball game with Tamaki and Subaru, looking visibly less energetic. She is forced to flee soon when Kotoha catches the three of them playing indoors and begins firmly questioning Subaru. Tsubasa stumbles upon Mizuki building a tower out of cards in the room she fled to and Mizuki invites Tsubasa to join her and try building one too but she struggles. Mizuki says hearing a sigh from Tsubasa is rare and notes that she seems to have been in a low mood since the auditions, even though she believes Tsubasa's dance was excellent. Tsubasa is happy she thinks so but she admits she doesn't know what went wrong though. Julia enters the room right after and has to fend off a suddenly energised Tsubasa from cuddling her and calling her by her nickname - "Julian". Julia asks the two if they would like to be the backing vocals for her solo during the upcoming live which the two agree to easily.
Things begin to get worse when Tsubasa and Julia clash as Tsubasa struggles matching her accent to Julia's and doesn't understand what Julia is talking about. When questioned how she gets through lessons like that, Tsubasa explains she just makes it up as she goes along. As Julia begins to explain to her she is cut off by Tsubasa asking to continue later because she's tired and wants something to snack on. Visibly upset, Julia tells her that it was Tsubasa's own decision to join her live but advises her that, if she keeps at it, she can do it - after all, Julia is here to help her since she was the one who brought it up. Tsubasa attempts to leave again after muttering that "these days, everyone says no to anything I do." Mizuki gets between the two and attempts to lift the mood with her magic before advising Julia to let Tsubasa have a break since she probably is still tired from her audition. Both Julia and Tsubasa head their separate ways to take time to themselves and to cool their heads, agreeing to regroup again in an hour.
On the day of the rehearsals, everyone hears Julia shouting out of nowhere and it turns out she's on the phone to Tsubasa, who is running late. Mizuki makes Julia go prepare and takes over the phone instead to listen to Tsubasa while Julia tells Mizuki that it's just going to be the two of them instead and asks the staff to leave out Tsubasa's part for now. When Tsubasa finally arrives after the performance, she enters quietly and hides behind Shizuka when Julia tells her to go apologise to the staff and to come back here for a talk. Mizuki offers to be a mediator after Shizuka guides Tsubasa out but Julia refuses since Mizuki will be too easy on her, even though it's something she needs to hear seriously. Julia understands there's times when people feel like they aren't an idol but she still wants to do it seriously since both Mizuki and Tsubasa are her teammates. Mizuki follows up and explains the occurrences that arose during Tsubasa's latest audition but also adds that when she looked at Tsubasa before the auditions began, her eyes were earnest and so, she thinks Julia should try facing Tsubasa honestly. Julia admits she doesn't get what Tsubasa is thinking even though Tsubasa interacts with her a lot but she internally thinks to herself that perhaps telling Tsubasa to just match up to her may have been rude.
When Tsubasa reports back to Julia that she apologised to the staff; Julia awkwardly asks Tsubasa to go a walk somewhere with her and Tsubasa embarrasses her further by saying it's the first time she's gone out with her. Julia lets Tsubasa pick the place to head to so they end up, unsurprisingly, in a clothing store where Tsubasa tries on a multitude of outfits for Julia and explains she loves this place because Miki loves it too. She even gets a skirt Miki has but goes for the same one in pink to match with Miki's, which is blue. She also picks out a skirt for Julia too who refuses to put something as frilly as it on which led to the store employees getting mad at the two of them for making such a ruckus. The two chat about Julia's clothing preferences and Tsubasa says that she shouldn't worry about what she's wearing onstage but instead should just be the usual "Juliano" and smile like always. Julia is surprised Tsubasa has been watching her as close as that and tells her she isn't sure why she is trying to be an idol and even goes as far as to say she can't become an idol like the others.
The two end up parading all around town and checking out the shops before sitting down outside for a rest, which is where Tsubasa asks Julia to wear the ring she got her but Julia corrected her with "toy ring". Tsubasa also ends up seeing a number of couples near them and decides to say "this would've been a date if you were a guy", making Julia spit her drink out in surprise. Tsubasa ponders if she'll become as popular as Miki if she wears her new skirt, prompting Julia to comment on how much Tsubasa likes Miki. Tsubasa pouts when Julia asks if she's feeling depressed after the outcome of the audition but then reminds her that, as long as she felt proud of it, then what matters is what she takes out of it not what someone else did. Tsubasa becomes rather down and says: "I want to become an idol like Miki-senpai, so being told no by her makes me sad." Julia decides to pick up her guitar and begins strumming a song she wrote and advises Tsubasa that - just like her songs are something only she can make - becoming your own idol is something only you can do too, even if you wear the same outfit, you can't become Miki just like that. The situation turns rather comedic though when Tsubasa has a confused expression and says, "isn't that obvious though~?"
Tsubasa knows that she can't become Miki, her face and voice are different and she is herself before someone else, but she still wants to dance just like how she does and lead a life like her's, which she believes to be the greatest life to live. Julia internally doubts Tsubasa's dream because, even though they're idols at the very top, they go through their own struggles and hardships too, since a future with nothing but fun doesn't exist. Idols aren't just about dreams and in their world you don't reach the top by copying others. Julia notes that, quite frankly, Tsubasa's dream is "an empty dream in every sense of the word." However, "her eyes are so pure." It's the eyes of a fourteen year old girl dreaming of the future. Julia's realisation ignites a source of both inspiration and motivation inside of her and she invites Tsubasa to join her in something even better than karaoke. At this time, Mirai and Shizuka are stopped by the sound of a familiar voice below the bridge and notice Julia and Tsubasa performing on the street below for everyone. Julia acknowledges the feelings Tsubasa sings with and believes she never noticed it before because she never genuinely watched Tsubasa - even picking up on Tsubasa innocently following her lead thanks to kind motivation, as if she's a star rising to the sky. After the two finish packing up, they part ways from Mirai and Shizuka to head back to the theater and Julia lets the two of them know that a storm will rise at tomorrow's live.
On the day of the live, Julia tells Tsubasa backstage that today she's the lead of the song so she better not think about matching with her, no matter what. After all, both Julia and Mizuki are right behind her so she can go all out. Project Fairy arrive at the live with the dance members to cheer on and Shizuka tells Miki that Tsubasa is part of the chorus with Mizuki for Julia's song today. Shizuka notes that she feels like something is going to happen though, since Julia seemed to have realised an important point yesterday. Shizuka continues to explain to both Miki and Ayumu, that even though at first she assumed the producer wanted Julia to invite Tsubasa as a backup vocalist to improve her ability as a team player, she isn't so sure about that anymore. Julia lets everyone know that the song they're about to perform was completed yesterday despite initially being both nameless and in lack of lyrics - it was recently given wings thanks to a certain young girl though. Julia then calls on the main vocal after leaving everyone stunned at the sudden change of song; they're even more shocked when Julia and Tsubasa high-five and pass by each other, switching positions. They introduce their new song Aisle.
Everyone is enthralled by their performance - especially by Tsubasa's vocals - and Julia encourages her to fly even higher as both herself and Mizuki are her two wings on this stage. At the end of the performance Miki ends up smiling to herself and says: "Yeah. Just as Miki thought. Tsubasa isn't a good match as Miki's back up dancer."
As Miki is thanking everyone for their hard work, she ends up getting tackled yet again by Tsubasa who hugs her and asks if she saw her performance. Miki agrees with Tsubasa that it was a good performance and Tsubasa's eyes sparkle, leading to her asking if Miki is going to take her on tour now too but Miki just gives her a "no". Miki says she feels bad for Julia since the chorus after their new song wasn't very great and Tsubasa apologises because she was just too excited from the last song and couldn't calm down. Miki begins twirling her hat on her finger and tells Tsubasa if she perfects that chorus then maybe she'll let her be her backup dancer. Tsubasa follows her though and points out that the chorus has nothing to do with being a dancer but is cut off when Miki plops her hat down on Tsubasa's head. She fixes the hat slightly and reassures Tsubasa that when she's just a little more of an adult, she'll definitely understand eventually and tells her she can keep the hat too before walking away, leaving Tsubasa blushing in awe. Tsubasa tackles the producer next and accidentally gets everyone in the mood for some food after she asked to be treated for today. As everyone is walking to the restaurant, Julia asks Tsubasa if she could teach her to dance one day.
A few days later during Mirai's recording session for her first CD; Shizuka and Tsubasa are partaking in a photo shoot and Tsubasa picks up on Shizuka's low mood. Shizuka explains that she's concerned if Mirai's doing fine at her recording right now and Tsubasa laughs when she thinks of Mirai because of how she gets deflated like a balloon when she becomes frustrated. The two end up surprising Mirai at her recording and their company allows Mirai to give it her all, serving as a source of motivation.
Chapter 16-20
Tsubasa, Mirai and Shizuka test out new outfits for a secret project the producer refuses to tell them about which Tsubasa assumes is going to be an unveiling live for the three of them in a new unit. Even though Shizuka tells the other two that they need to focus on their homework and studies right now, she notices mid-lecture, that they've already started a meeting to discuss the unit name and proudly exclaims out of nowhere that a unit name is an important symbol that must contain goals or themes. Tsubasa's suggestion ended up being: Ledy Love Pink♡
The three end up heading to karaoke to have some fun after receiving advice from Megumi regarding units. Although Tsubasa and Mirai practically dragged Shizuka along to relax but the three of them end up having a blast and enjoying themselves. They find out soon after however, that Tsubasa and Shizuka are going to be members of two separate units for the upcoming "Idol Festival" while Mirai will promote her solo CD instead. Tsubasa ends up running away from her unit lesson and begs for Mirai to help her, and just as quickly as she barged in, she dives under their table as Julia throws the door open looking for Tsubasa and immediately drags her back towards the door. Sayoko then appears behind her with a burning flame and fogged glasses after Tsubasa claims to have a sore stomach and can't practise. Sayoko attempts to take her to the hospital, stay at her house until she's better and decides to triple her practise time in order to make up for any lost time. Tsubasa gives in the quickest she has ever gave in with a short: "Oh, I'm better now." She is promptly dragged away while Mirai and Emily are left baffled. The trio next meet up after Mirai's CD distribution event and agree to do their best at their respective lives.
Backstage on the day of the Idol Festival, Julia is visibly shaken and sweating due to her immense nerves and Tsubasa heads out to look for her when she doesn't see her with the others. When Tsubasa approaches Julia, she quickly notices the weak physical state she is in but Julia assures her it's just because of how warm it is. As Julia removes Tsubasa's hand from her face, the two of them pick up on just how shaky Julia's hands are and she begins to panic even more. Tsubasa takes Julia's hand in her own and questions the cold temperature of her hand despite it apparently being too warm. Julia ends up apologising that Tsubasa had to see her like this, especially before a live and mutters that she'd be fine if she had her guitar in hand, with her regular outfit on as per usual. She is close to tears as she tells Tsubasa the outfit doesn't suit her at all and she is already struggling to keep up with everyone else's dances - Julia even mutters that her being an idol must be pretty laughable.
Tsubasa just blatantly tells "Juliano" that she is cute and reminds her that she's always told her that, plus her skirt is nice, even if Julia's dancing can be a little stiff sometimes. Julia smiles a little and doesn't know whether she's making fun of her or if she's praising her, but she's as straightforward as usual. Tsubasa then offers to watch her throughout the entire performance and report back to her on any mistakes afterwards in order to make things more relieving for her. Julia points out the obvious problem with that idea though, considering she's at the edge while Tsubasa is in the center; even if there's some turns or position switches during the stage, it's still too much. However, Tsubasa reassures her it most certainly isn't. Plus, she's never tried something like this before so she's slightly looking forward to it. Julia ends up putting her head in her hands and then letting out a small chuckle over Tsubasa's plans before jumping back up to her feet and declaring that she "might as well enjoy it, then!"
Shizuka notices the differences in Tsubasa's performance from backstage, mainly her interactions with Julia and the producer confirms that Tsubasa's new movements hold a purpose - a purpose for both her partners onstage and for the fans in the audience. The producer tells Shizuka that it's times like these that feel the most rewarding as a producer - when you get to see just how much the idols have grown. When the stage ends and Tsubasa's unit heads backstage again, Shizuka confirms that, while Tsubasa may not see it much herself, she has changed how she thinks.
After both the festival and Mirai's solo promotional events have drawn to a close, the main trio begin discussing their unit ideas again and Tsubasa shows off the design she came up with for their outfits. Mirai notes how good Tsubasa is at drawing and Tsubasa points out that the music notes and hearts represent Shizuka and Mirai, while the skirt is divided into three colors - one for each of them. The producer enters and this time asks them if they are ready to form a unit together - which is met with an immediate "yes!" The three are given their first demo and the producer lets them know that their unit will be introduced in December's monthly live, which Shizuka notes is the final live the theater will hold this year.
Chapter 21-24
Shizuka and the producer later invite Tsubasa and Mirai to a talk in the upper waiting room after the monthly November live concludes. They are told that they will be starting from scratch as Shizuka was invited to perform at The Budokan and will be focusing on working towards this project. Tsubasa and Mirai will now be picking up Shizuka's work for the theater instead and the producer advises them to build up all the experience they can as the current plan for their unit debut is now undetermined. A few days later the producer gives Tsubasa the center position for all the songs on the upcoming December live with Mirai acting beside her as her support. While the producer is asking her if there's any songs in particular she wants to perform as center, Tsubasa bluntly says "I don't want to be the center". This leads to the producer asking her if she has any idea of how big of a role the center plays, but Tsubasa claims to know a little about it but she wants to try something different like being at the very back, right at the edge. When asked to explain why she wants such a position, Tsubasa asks the producer which unit did better at the Idol Festival, Shizuka's or her own? She is refused an answer but the producer wanted to hear what she thought and Tsubasa admits it was the first time she ever thought "oh, we lost". However, during that live she also realised, while looking back at Julia, just how huge the stage behind her really was. Therefore, she wants to properly take everything in from the very back at the edge of it all and sing with everyone in her view. Tsubasa finishes by assuring the producer that she'll definitely be able to enjoy the stage even more that way.
The producer makes an internal comment on Tsubasa's desire to expand her sight, and sees it as yet another sign of her ongoing growth. When the topic of center is continued briefly again, Mirai raises her hand and offers to try the position and Tsubasa gives her a big grin. The producer notes that there a number of types of centers out there and Tsubasa is one that possesses an overwhelming charisma and can take absolute command.
On the day of the December live and The Budokan, Nao and Kotoha begin to worry when they see Mirai still looks down in the dumps after the struggles she faced while practising but are advised by Tsubasa to just believe, as everything is going to be alright. After their first song, Mirai introduces herself but promptly calls for Tsubasa to come beside her. Mirai explains to the audience that today was supposed to be the day that her unit with Tsubasa and Shizuka was to be announced but instead, Shizuka is currently singing at The Budokan. She lets everyone know that Shizuka was conflicted but Mirai has realised now that performances aren't just about having fun - idols have big dreams that can be very far away and performing can lead them closer to such dreams. However, Mirai announces that her dream is "right here and right now" and she is going to be an idol that can seize her dreams on the stage. Mirai calls out to Tsubasa who smirks and talks into her earpiece: "I'm tired of waiting. You ready over there?" The voice on the other end turns out to be Shizuka and she is broadcasted on the screen behind Tsubasa and Mirai while the two of them are broadcasted behind Shizuka at The Budokan. Resulting in the three of them performing at the same time but in different locations. The three perform enthusiastically and Tsubasa shouts out to the audience in every row and assures them she can see them and that right now, she's having so much fun.
After everything has calmed down and the theater has returned to normal, Mirai runs around the theater catching up with everyone and also ends up commenting on how Subaru went with Tsubasa to go buy a skirt. Subaru demands to know how Mirai knew and she bluntly replies that Tsubasa told her, which makes Subaru go bright red. Later in the day the theater hold a barbecue party and Tsubasa chows down on some of the meat Chizuru brought with her and proclaims she loves meat and that she loves Chizuru too. When Shizuka arrives later, Tsubasa brings her some food she cooked for her but Shizuka pointed out that it's pretty burnt. The producer approaches the trio and advises them to eat up because their big live is coming up and Tsubasa assures there's no need to worry, since she was going to do that anyway. The chapter ends with Tsubasa, Shizuka and Mirai performing in brand new outfits together as they welcome the audience to their live.
THE IDOLM@STER MILLION LIVE! Blooming Clover
Tsubasa makes her first appearance alongside almost everyone else in the theater in the prologue chapter. She begins to show her nails off to Shiho after getting them painted by Rio. Tsubasa ends up fawning over Rio and hopes out loud that she can become "a popular lady like her now!" Tsubasa also performs as a backup dancer alongside Karen for one of the 765 Pro lives featuring Miki, Ritsuko and Yukiho. Miki holds her mic to Tsubasa and allows her to introduce herself but Karen struggles to even say her name because of her nerves so Tsubasa attempts to give her some water to calm down but Karen ends up shaking so much she spills the majority of it.
Serika comments on how good Tsubasa is at dancing once the live moves onto the next song and Kana adds that Tsubasa shines even more when she is with Miki. While dancing, Tsubasa begins to think back to how Miki was backstage and compares her sleepy demeanour to the Miki that's onstage right now dancing so coolly. Tsubasa claims that she likes both of those sides to her though and decides to push herself even further to dance as coolly as Miki is now but she ends up slipping on the water that Karen spilled on the floor. However, Miki intertwines her hand with Tsubasa's before she fell over completely and pulled her along to the flow of the dancing so well that no one noticed except for Tsubasa herself, leaving her stunned even after the song ends. After Tsubasa's and Karen's segments end, they head backstage to watch the rest of the live go on and notice that even though they're both out of breath, Miki and the others have barely broke a sweat. Tsubasa enthusiastically exclaims that they're going to become idols just like Miki and the others. She also makes sure to tell Karen that she's included in that too and they laugh together before watching the rest of the show.
Tsubasa makes her reappearance in Chapter 8 when Misaki plays back a clip from the recent "Idol Athletic Meet" for the newly formed units to watch. 765 Pro AllStars end up introducing some newer members of 765 Pro which just so happens to be Tsubasa, Mirai and Shizuka. The three end up introducing themselves as the unit "Signal" which Shizuka is the leader of. Mirai and Tsubasa begin calling out to the audience while Shizuka awkwardly introduces herself twice and Haruka laughs at how much fun they're having. The producer reveals that Signal was formed 2 weeks ago but have already been received very well and are getting more TV jobs, which is why more units are being formed to follow up their success. Tsubasa, alongside Mirai, also attends the practise session for the new units with Haruka covering for Shizuka, who was absent due to her schedule. Tsubasa ends up having so much fun because of how entertained she got by Haruka suddenly matching up to her movements no matter how she switched things up. The three deliver a performance that energises everyone except Shiho who becomes much more critical of herself.
During their breaks Tsubasa ends up running into Shiho after getting ice cream, which she offers to Shiho but she promptly rejects it, causing Tsubasa to comment that Shiho "hasn't changed." Tsubasa lets Shiho know that Tamaki told her she's been smiling more often which is great but Shiho presses that being an idol has nothing to do with it, after all she isn't an idol for her own sake but she still needs to make results from that. Tsubasa becomes slightly confused and questions if she didn't become an idol for her own sake, then why did she become an idol? Shiho becomes visibly angry and attempts to walk away but Tsubasa calls out to her again and slips an ice-cream cone into her hand before turning and running away. She lets Shiho know she isn't sure why she got angry but she'll be happier after eating something sweet and that's what she thinks is most important.
Shizuka reveals to Shiho the reason why she wears the watch she does and also explains that, despite her parents' rules surrounding her job as an idol, Mirai and Tsubasa confronted them personally at Shizuka's home. Mirai and Tsubasa managed to alter their decision slightly in allowing Shizuka to remain an idol throughout her time in middle school.
THE IDOLM@STER MILLION LIVE! THEATER DAYS Brand New Song
Tsubasa makes her first appearance in the prologue alongside Mirai and Shizuka, as they are being given a tour around the theater by Misaki, who Tsubasa notes is really cute. Mirai agrees and also recalls how pretty Kotori was too while Shizuka advises them to calm down since it's common to see beautiful people in the world of show business. During their tour, Tsubasa takes a big interest in the makeup area in the dressing rooms and tells Misaki she had a lot of fun, so much so that she wants to start performing already. Tsubasa next appears in Chapter 5 during the first live and comments on the Prologue Rouge dress Yuriko is wearing, and wonders if there's one like that for her too. The producer lets her know that of course there will be but reminds Tsubasa to be ready since her group is up next.
Tsubasa shouts out to the audience after Subaru's solo song: "That was really cute, wasn't it~?" Tsubasa reassures Subaru that she was cute too and Subaru becomes overly embarrassed. After the live, Tsubasa, Subaru and Konomi relax at a shopping mall near the theater and upon hearing that there's nothing else planned for them today, Tsubasa suggests going shopping together to get Subaru a cute outfit. Despite Subaru being slightly intrigued, Konomi suggests it's best for them not to in case they cause a ruckus - they did just finishing performing after all. Both Tsubasa and Subaru note that even though they're sitting outside, nobody recognises them anyway since they're probably not very well known yet outside of the theater. Konomi suggests they can head back for a lesson then but Tsubasa protests that she wants to play, plus they already had a lesson this morning anyway. Subaru, however, claims she doesn't mind but points out that Konomi has been working a little too hard recently - she's also the last to leave at night too. Tsubasa falls silent following this and keeps her eyes on Konomi as the other two discuss lessons. Konomi apologises and decides the three of them can just disperse for the day before saying goodbye.
Subaru calls out to Tsubasa after this but doesn't receive a response at first; Tsubasa questions Subaru if having fun is better than doing tough things which she ultimately agrees with. Later that day, after Rio comforts Konomi over her worries, Konomi calls herself lame but Subaru appears out of nowhere and shouts out to Konomi that she's super cool. Konomi asks Subaru how long she's been here and she lets her know she just arrived but also adds that Tsubasa was right, she knew Konomi would go back to the theater after all. Subaru then tells Konomi they're going to a spa because they know that's what Konomi likes and Subaru drags her along because Tsubasa is waiting for them outside. Afterwards, Mizuki arrives for her lesson with Rio and lets her know she talked to Tsubasa in the hallway earlier. Mizuki comments that even though Tsubasa appears to do things her own way, she really does pay attention to her surroundings but when it comes to showing how she feels it seems she struggles putting it into words so she just... doesn't and goes about things in her own way. Mizuki even notes that she thought of Tsubasa as someone who is very talented but it seems that she is actually as awkward as Mizuki herself, which could probably cause misunderstandings but Mizuki also adds that Tsubasa doesn't appear to worry about it as much as she does however.
THE iDOLM@STER Million Live! Anime
To be added...
Commus
Theater Days Commus
Million Live Lines
Greetings
"This lesson is fun~ Producer-san, can we continue it a little longer?"
"I want to chat all day long today~, I can't?"
"There's so much work to do...one day is just too short."
"Hey hey, what kind of pose targets my high points Producer-san?"
"To be happy you have to smile, Producer-san let's smile~"
"This dance is fun~ Huh? It's not that complicated."
"I want to wear more adult-like clothes~ Producer-san, buy me some!"
"Producer-san, I want to make boys' hearts thump with the clothes I wear... Which ones of these will do the trick?!"
Dear Degree MAX
"I'm going to be late going home today...Producer-san I want you to take me home!"
"It's more fun being with Producer-san than with a boy of my own age. If I keep doing my best, can I receive a date as a reward?"
Song Discography
Trivia and Fan Culture
Trivia
- Tsubasa is often put in a unit with Shizuka and Mirai; together they are considered the "representative" girls of the game.
- The three were eventually revealed to be in a unit called "Signal" in Blooming Clover and "Strawberry Pop Moon" in Theater Days.
- Fans also commonly referred to them as the "spotlight trio" too.
- She has an older brother that often gives her lifts back home after she finishes work in the theater.
- Tsubasa is very prone to nicknaming people and has even given Julia three nicknames that she interchanges between every now and again.
- They are Julian, Juliano and Julianada. The most common one Tsubasa makes use of is Juliano.
- Tsubasa's favorite animal is a hippo because she thinks they look cute when they yawn.
- In her [Pretty Guardian] card, she wears a goalkeeper uniform that is strikingly similar to a DLC costume for Mila from Dead or Alive franchise.
- She shares her name and its kanji (翼) with Tsubasa Kashiwagi.
- She shares the same birthday with Rika Jougasaki.
- According to her main commu, she was used to be quite lazy when it comes to lessons.
Fan Culture
- In 2016 fans voted for the songs they believed to be the best in the entire series and the winner overall ended up being Aisle which Tsubasa acted as the main vocal for and was written by Julia after she was inspired by Tsubasa and her innocence.
- The three girls that perform this song - Tsubasa, Julia and Mizuki - are also often referred to as the "Aisle trio" by fans.
- Sometimes Tsubasa is portrayed as a lonely individual in fanworks as she gets replaced as the "yellow representative" by Serika, mainly during Million Radio.
Character Gallery
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Tsubasa in ONE FOR ALL.
Tsubasa in Theater Days.
Tsubasa in Starlit Season.
Tsubasa's profile in POPLINKS (Charming Flap).
Tsubasa's profile in POPLINKS (Celestella Unison).
Tsubasa's new outfit in POPLINKS (Throbbing [Dive!]).
Tsubasa's profile in Million Live! anime adaptation.
Mirishita's 2nd anniversary countdown illustration.
Famitsu Magazine cover that features Tsubasa, Haruka, Mika, and Kaho for Starlit Season.