Trapezium Review

The idol industry might seem heavenly to an outsider watching concert videos or TV appearances of popular idols. However, as showcased in films and TV shows like Perfect Blue and Oshi No Ko, the idol world is grueling, plagued by obsessive stalkers and talent agencies that control every aspect of an idol’s life. It’s a tough world to survive in. Trapezium aims to expose this dark side of the industry and highlight the morally indefensible actions people are willing to take to become idols. The problem, however, is that the main lead of Trapezium is so manipulative and undeniably unpleasant that it’s hard to invest in a story that seems to condone her actions without redeeming her as a person.

Yu Azuma is a first-year high school student at Joshu East High School. Her goal is to become a famous idol, and she has a step-by-step plan to achieve it. The idol group she envisions would be formed with one girl from the north, south, east, and west of the region where she lives. Her dream slowly starts to come together as she befriends people from different areas. However, as success approaches, cracks begin to form within the group, revealing that what her friends truly want from life may have nothing to do with becoming idols.

Yu Azuma is, without a shadow of a doubt, a terrible protagonist. Much of the film is from her perspective, yet nothing about it is enlightening or impactful. Her behavior is deeply cruel and manipulative. She doesn’t befriend these girls out of genuine interest or friendship; instead, she sees them merely as elements to give her idol group a “cool” charm. She doesn’t engage in charity work out of passion for the cause; rather, she does it to boost her public image in case people scrutinize her social media. When a friend has a mental breakdown, Yu simply chastises her for not wanting to embrace the supposedly glamorous life of an idol.

In isolation, there’s nothing wrong with addressing these issues or having a villain protagonist. Exploring the performative nature of celebrities doing charity work and how people manipulate others to climb the ladder of success sounds promising. However, the film needed Yu Azuma to take accountability for her actions. Unfortunately, Trapezium never goes deeper than pointing out, “look how bad this is,” without truly condemning her actions or her as a person. As a result, when we reach Yu Azuma’s supposed redemption scenes, they feel unearned. We never see Yu Azuma as the lovable friend—only as someone willing to use anyone and anything to achieve her idol dream.

It’s a shame the narrative of the film is so unpleasant, as Cloverworks made sure the visuals are impressive. While the switch from 2D to 3D animation during the debut performance is jarring and noticeable, most of the film is visually stunning, with excellent character designs and fluid movements.

In addition to the animation, the supporting cast significantly elevates the film. Ranko Kashima, Kurumi Taig, and Mika Kamei are genuinely delightful to watch. Seeing how they approach activities like volunteering is genuinely heartwarming, as they act from a place of love, wanting to bring kindness into the world.

Trapezium aims to deliver a powerful message about the idol industry but ultimately misses the mark. The unintended takeaway from the film is that using people for personal gain is acceptable, which likely wasn’t the filmmakers’ intention. Trapezium squanders its potential to tell an effective story.