The Idolmaster Korean drama announced

Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced that it will begin production on a live-action drama for its The Idolmaster series in Korea, tentatively titled The Idolmaster.KR.

The company plans to hold cast auditions for the drama in South Korea in late April. In the spirit of The Idolmaster, fans will be invited to vote for their favorite auditions via video sites and social networking services.

In a F.A.Q. on The Idolmaster.KR‘s official website, it is confirmed that characters who have previously appeared in The Idolmaster will not appear in the Korean drama. Instead, the drama is the story of a K-POP idol school group, with The Idolmaster game series serving as a motif. While there will be some similarities and potential common elements, the drama’s setting and contents are not the same as those of the game.

A broadcast window was not announced.

Get the full press release below.

Celebrating 10th Anniversary of a popular video game, The Idolmaster, a new Korean Television Drama, THE [email protected] calls up actors for an audition!

BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAIMENT, Inc. (Minato, Tokyo. President & CEO: Satoshi Oshita) has announced that the company will hold an audition for a new Korean Television Drama, THE [email protected] in the late April in Seoul, Korea. IMX, Inc. (Shinagawa, Tokyo. President: Sohn, IlHyung) will be managing the entire course of launching the television show, including, but not limited to, its casting audition and production. It is the first attempt to bring a popular video game, The Idolmaster, to TV screens.

■ An audition within the production – applauding unique characteristics of the video game.

The television drama THE [email protected] takes different perspectives from its original video game series to unfold the storyline. The show will capture each character’s progress to become an idol star and friendships beneath vigorous trainings at an Korean entertainment production company (release dates: TBA).

The Idolmaster is a famous Japanese simulation video game published by BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT, Inc. in 2005. The game allows a user to play a role of a producer who trains pop star contestants bymolding their talents to become idol stars. This very motto of the game will be implemented in THE IDOLM@STER audition when selecting casting members for the TV show by voting from all around the world.

The fifteen finalists will be determined by online voters via various social media channels. This opens up opportunities for the voters to take joy in watching the progress of their contestants becoming idol stars in the real world as well as in the television show. More detailed information will be posted on the website, www.idolmaster-kr.com on April 15th.

■ The Idolmaster, reborn in Korea

Unlike the usual route of transferring novels or comic series into TV shows, adapting a Japanese video game into a Korean television drama is a first attempt to come forward with avant-garde TV entertainment.

Be excited. Get ready. The show is coming!

Greetings from Youzo Sakagami, Chief Producer of The Idolmaster

“It’s a great news to congratulate that Japan’s beloved video game, The Idolmaster, has inspired [email protected], a new Korean television drama, to launch. This project provides a unique opportunity to witness simulated characters come alive onto TV screens. The Idolmaster fans, please support your new idols in [email protected]!”