10 best anime to watch if you like Love Live! Superstar!!

Love Live! Superstar!! has captured the hearts of anime fans with its upbeat music, lovable characters, and inspirational themes. The Love Live! franchise began in 2010, rising in popularity with School Idol Project (2013), followed by Sunshine!! (2016) and Superstar!! (2021).

Set in the prestigious Yuigaoka Girls’ High School, Love Live! Superstar!! chronicles the formation of the school’s first idol group Liella! Five plucky girls with zero experience face daunting odds, self-doubt, and rival groups. Still, their passion and dedication transform them into rising stars.

Fans of Love Live! Superstar!! will love the mix of catchy J-pop, lovable characters, themes of friendship and self-growth, and emotional storytelling. For more anime that captures a similar spirit, read on!

10 best anime for fans of Love Live! Superstar!!

1) BanG Dream!

Like Love Live! Superstar!!, BanG Dream! originated as a media franchise with live performances before expanding into mobile games. The 2017 anime adaptation chronicles the formation of an all-girl rock band at Hanasakigawa Girls’ High School.

Protagonist Kasumi Toyama cajoles four other students into joining her band Poppin’ Party, even though most have no musical experience. What they lack in skill they make up for in grit, practicing tirelessly to hone their sound.

Much like how Liella! faces skepticism that schoolgirls can make it in professional music, Poppin’ Party battles the dismissal of their rock band dreams. Their passion and dedication win over doubters through raw talent. With bright animation and effusive energy like Love Live! Superstar!!, BanG Dream! hits all the right notes.

2) Your Lie in April

Your Lie in April (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Where Love Live! Superstar!! tugs heartstrings with its tale of young dreamers, Your Lie in April brings on the waterworks. It delivers equal doses of tearjerker drama and classical music inspiration.

Former piano prodigy Kousei Arima sinks into a deep depression after the death of his harsh taskmaster mother. He abandons playing music entirely until the audacious violinist Kaori Miyazono crashes into his life. Her fiery passion for music re-ignites his drive.

Like Love Live! Superstar!!, central themes include overcoming trauma, stage fright, and self-confidence issues interfering with musical dreams. Classical music performances take center stage instead of J-pop numbers. But both highlight the thrill of losing yourself in playing music you love.

3) Aikatsu!

For another slice-of-life anime featuring passionate schoolgirl performers, check out Aikatsu! This long-running series chronicles the adventures of idol-obsessed schoolgirl Ichigo Hoshimiya after she enrolls in Starlight Academy. It’s a prestigious school dedicated to training future pop idols.

Ichigo teams up with classmates like Yurika, and Kaede to form idol units and take the entertainment world by storm. They pour their hearts into dancing, singing, and fashion while struggling against self-doubt and demanding schedules.

Fans of Love Live! Superstar!! will feel right at home with Aikatsu!’s bright color palette, bombastic musical numbers, quirky characters, and themes of friendship overcoming adversity. And with several hundred anime episodes to binge, it will keep the viewers busy!

4) K-On!

For more high school girls spreading their creative wings through music, K-On! delivers the energy. It became a cultural sensation for its addictive blend of comedy, captivating characters, and rocking musical numbers.

When the Sakuragaoka Girls’ High School Light Music Club faces shuttering, recruiters set their sights on guitarist hopeful Yui Hirasawa. Yui can’t actually play guitar yet, setting up amusing early struggles.

Yui links up with guitar prodigy Azusa Nakano, keyboardist Tsumugi Kotobuki, bassist Mio Akiyama, and bandleader Ritsu Tainaka to form the pop rock band Ho-Kago Tea Time. K-On! perfectly blends deadpan comedy and musical interludes for maximum enjoyment.

5) Revue Starlight

Revue Starlight (Image via Kinema Citrus)

For a darker and more dramatic take on the struggles of budding musical entertainers, look no further than the 2018 sleeper hit Revue Starlight. It wraps its tale of dueling divas and their dreams of stardom in dense layers of literary and theatrical metaphors.

When former child actress Karen Aijō reunites with a long-lost friend at the Seisho Music Academy, she gets drawn into an ominous underground competition. Aspiring revue performers engage in elaborately staged mock battles, with top student rankings as the prize.

Echoing classic performing arts rivalries like Black Swan, ambitious students backstab friends to gain an edge. Like Love Live! Superstar!!, central bonds of friendship anchor stars-to-be amid harsh spotlights. It packs heavier drama but rich rewards for patient viewers.

6) The Idolmaster

The godmother of all modern idol anime, The Idolmaster first launched as an arcade game in 2005 before exploding as a multi-media juggernaut. The 2011 anime adaptation remains a must-watch for idol fans.

When fledgling studio 765 Productions launches a last-ditch bid to dominate Japan’s entertainment scene, it hangs hopes on 11 ragtag performers it dubbed “The Idolmaster.” Despite lacking experience (or sometimes basic talent), the idols lean on each other while straining for stardom.

Like Love Live! Superstar!!, these overnight idol sensations battle nerves, technical issues, costume malfunctions, and their own clashing personalities all while pouring souls into performances. Sharp character development and catchy musical numbers carry home inspiring themes about chasing dreams.

7) Carole & Tuesday

For a musical anime centered on the emotional highs and lows of showbiz, look no further than Carole & Tuesday. Set on near-future Mars, it chronicles the bond between two aspiring musicians with very different backgrounds but shared dreams.

Gifted pianist Tuesday hails from wealth and privilege on planet Earth but feels adrift and alone among cold high-society types on Mars. Carole is a free-spirited guitarist and orphan who struggles just to get by on the tough Martian frontier.

A chance encounter sparks not just an artistic collaboration but a profound friendship between these misfits. Echoing classic musical anime like NANA, it movingly captures two creative souls finding their voice through songwriting amid the pressure cooker of sudden fame.

8) Wake Up, Girls!

Wake Up, Girls! (Image via Ordet and Tatsunoko Production)

Another anime darling of the Japanese idol scene, Wake Up, Girls! throws poor production values and harsh realities at its heroines’ quest for stardom. Laughably tiny studio Green Leaves Entertainment scrambles to nurture the overloaded talent pool of the seven titular girls.

Early shakeups culled the idol group down to just Mayu, Kaya, Minami, Yoshino, Nanami, Miyu, and Airi. Constant financial troubles keep the girls’ musical dreams on a razor’s edge of collapse for much of the series. Like Liella!, only their steadfast dedication holds the group together amid never-ending adversity.

While more grounded and less flashy than offerings from major studios, Wake Up, Girls! movingly explores the grittier struggles of bottom-tier idols chasing greatness. Budget mistakes and costume mishaps echo the clumsy early days of Saint Snow and other rivals that Liella! faces.

9) IDOLiSH7

Male idol fans left out by Love Live! Superstar!!'s distaff focus can sing along instead with the 2018 anime IDOLiSH7. This multimedia juggernaut centers around a fledgling male idol group of the same name as they climb the charts to fame and fortune.

When enigmatic producer Takanashi brings together seven talented boys from starkly different backgrounds, personality clashes erupt behind the scenes. Smooth operator Yamato tries closing rifts as the leader to unify their musical message and performance styles into something cohesive.

Like Love Live! Superstar!!, IDOLiSH7 explores characters overcoming differences while leaning on each other’s strengths. Setbacks like costume failures, embarrassing stage moments, and loss of confidence threaten dreams but make their eventual triumphs sweeter.

10) Nana

Nana follows two girls, also named Nana, who meet on a train to Tokyo and end up becoming roommates.

Though they share the same name, the pair couldn’t be more different. However, their bond deepens as they both work to achieve their dreams in the big city - one initially supporting her boyfriend's music career while the other strives to make it as a punk rock musician.

Much like Love Live! Superstar!!, Nana explores the difficulties young hopefuls face when trying to break into the music industry. With dramatic performances, complex friendships, and a punk rock aesthetic, Nana is a must-see for Love Live! fans.

Conclusion

From the inspirational messages to the captivating melodies, Love Live! Superstar!! has struck a chord with legions of idol fans. This list pulls together 10 anime that continues the catchy music, motivational arcs, endearing ensembles, and emotional storylines.

Whether you vibe with the competitive fire or relationship building, no two shows here share the exact same tune. However, they all crank up excitement while spotlighting determined hopefuls striving for stardom.

For the laughter and tears, conflicts and camaraderie - these selections promise to hit all the high notes for Love Live! Superstar!! enthusiasts. So watch as new bonds are forged, riveting performances unfold, and musical magic fills the air. Whatever your favorite part of its formula, these incredible anime aim to please.