Aikatsu!

is a multimedia franchise spawned from an arcade collectible card game in Bandai's Data Carddass line of machines, which launched in October 2012. The game revolves around using collectible cards featuring various clothes to help aspiring idols pass auditions. An anime television adaptation by Sunrise began airing on TV Tokyo from October 8, 2012, to March 31, 2016. In 2015, production switched from Sunrise to the studio's subsidiary Bandai Namco Pictures. Four films were released in December 2014, August 2015, August 2016, and January 2023 respectively. Three manga adaptations have been published by Shogakukan, along with four Nintendo 3DS games published by Bandai Namco Games.

==Plot== The series takes place at , a prestigious school with both middle and high school branches, where girls train to become idols and take part in various auditions such as live shows, fashion shows, and dramas. To participate in these auditions, players use Aikatsu cards, special cards that contain digitized dresses and accessories from various manufacturers that are used in their auditions. How well they succeed is often dependent on choosing the right combination of cards. The video games cast players in the role of a new student, who must train to become an idol and reach the top.