A new PV trailer for UniteUp!, highlighting the male idol music unit Anela, has been released shortly before the airing of the anime’s sixth episode. The 12-episode anime series first premiered on January 7, 2023 and is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

The new PV showcases Anela’s musical performances, as well as the personalities of the main duo Lin Otsuki and Maoto Tsujido. The characters are voiced by Souma Saitou and Yoshiki Nakajima, respectively. 

The fourth episode was delayed from January to February 2023, due to COVID-19-related production issues. 

The anime features an ensemble voice cast, consisting of various members from different idol units. The main voice cast for the Protostar unit includes Kikunosuke Toya as Akira Kiyose, Ryoutarou Yamaguchi as Banri Naoe, and Amon Hirai as Chihiro Isuzugawa.

UniteUp! is directed by Shinichirou Ushijima (I Want To Eat Your Pancreas) with Rino Yamazaki (Akebi’s Sailor Uniform) as series screenwriter and Majiro (Macross Delta co-character designer) as character designer. CloverWorks is handling the animation production for the anime. 

Other staff members include Hiromi Ishigami (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie Part 2 action animation director) as action director, Masakazu Miyake (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation) as art director, Kazuko Nakashima (Wonder Egg Priority) as color designer, Yukiko Nagase (The Idolmaster SideM) as photography director, and Yuuki Hayashi (Arknights -Prelude to Dawn-) as music composer.

Sony Music Entertainment Japan first announced an anime production of the mixed-media project at Aniplex Online Fest 2022 last September. The “next dimensional idol project” was initially launched in December 2021, featuring various artists and “hidden talents.” 

Aniplex of America licenses the series in North America and describes the synopsis as: 

Akira Kiyose, a high schooler who loves to sing, gets recruited by a talent agency called sMiLea Production. Akira learns that the legendary idols “Anela”, who shocked the world with their sudden retirement, are behind the agency developing talent. Together with Banri Naoe and Chihiro Isuzugawa, also recruited by the agency, they form an idol group as they chase their dream towards super stardom alongside other idol groups “LEGIT” and “JAXX/JAXX”.

Source: UniteUp! Official Twitter