THE iDOLM@STER - Episode 9

Poor Haruka...

Episode Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4/5)

First off, the short clip before the OP made me doubt that I was actually watching THE iDOLM@STER. The dark and ominous mood was interesting but I didn't think it fit in well with the overall theme of this show. However, it did set the tone for the rest of the episode, which turned out to be quite interesting. And just what was this episode about? Think THE iDOLM@STER + Sherlock Holmes. Have anything in mind? Probably not. For starters, a mystery is introduced. But unlike the Sherlock Holmes mysteries which have a dark feel to them, this episode presented viewers with something lighter: the mystery of the missing puddings. On the surface, there may be people who scoff at such a childish case but I actually found it entertaining. In the end, I found it funny how the idols thought they had caught the culprit, when, in reality, the real one was still on the loose, feeling guilty about her actions. I liked how the element of mystery was lightened up and thrown into this episode as a change of pace once in a while is always nice. Still waiting for my Miki episode, which doesn't look like it's going to come anytime soon.

Since this episode was centered around the Futami Twins, belove are some interesting facts that I found:

• The only way to tell the twins apart is by their hair; Ami ties her hair to the right and Mami to the left
• Mami is technically the younger twin but is actually more mature than Ami
• The twins have a nickname for each of the other idols
  • Haruka = Harurun
  • Chihaya = Chihaya-oneechan
  • Yayoi = Yayoi-cchi
  • Yukiho = Yuki-pyon
  • Azusa = Azusa-oneechan
  • Iori = Iorin
  • Makoto = Mako-chin
  • Miki = Miki-Miki
  • Hibiki = Hibikin
• The Producer's nickname is "Nii-chan"
• They are both voiced by Shimoda Asami