D4DJ: First Mix is a lively story reminding one of the BanG Dream! saga which passed through three seasons (maybe more, we may hope) where friendships formed around music and the competitive spirit which matches performance teams against each other for ... well, that I haven't figured out yet. But girls having fun is ever so neat to watch.
Characters are a strength in First Mix, featuring a team of first years at Yoba Academy, a high school which excels in the performance arts. These four girls have a dream, or at least Maho. She is a master of mix at the soundboard, and she hopes one day to perform on the Sunset Stage, the pinnacle of musical excellence at Yoba. Maho is unique in her seiyuu, Karin Kagami, who does the subbing and offers the English dub. Granted, it gives Maho more of a Brazilian accent, but that is part of the character's charm. She is knowledgeable in the art of the remix, and while her teammates lose focus at times, Maho drives the group forward. Rinku is somewhat of 'The Natural,' gifted as a dancer and singer, but unwary of all the complexities of the music biz. Actually, being on an African island with her zoologist parents took her out of the stream of things for several years. Clueless ... fer sure! But think of her as the infectious smile attached to perky young feminine figure. She is easily the soul and heart of the group. Muni is gifted in the visual arts, and she once was Rinku's best childhood friend before Rinku's move to Africa. In constant need of approval, she is an internet artist with limited and unappreciative followers. She wants more, and Muni comes to the rescue by pointing out all the artistic flaws in Maho's proposed flier for their upcoming concert. The creative consultant soon becomes the VJ, the person bringing in the visual background for the performance. So much a girl in need of attention that Muni resorts to always wearing rabbit ears to bring out her special cuteness. Other than that, she is easily ignored. Rei is a pianist following more of a subdued classical style, and she would have been the last person to join a DJ performance group ... except the girls need a person to compose original music. Rinku tries to teach herself piano, and you have not lived until you listen to Rinku slaughter 'Hot Cross Buns.' Rei comes along, plays the piece with warmth and elegance, and before long, she becomes the group's lyricist ... and dancer ... and singer. Rinku, with all her enthusiasm gushing about, can be very persuasive.
One quick point about character design before moving on. There is an art of familiarity with the characters in D4DJ. / Muni looks so much like some fusion of Ako Udagawa of BanG Dream! and Nico Yazawa of Love Live! SIP. Maho reminds me of Ran Mitake of BG’s Afterglow. Other viewers might find other comparisons. One must learn to take each girl on her own merits and the personality she wishes to exhibit. Really, in First Mix, the joy of the story is the subtle changes in character.
The four girls form the group Happy Around, named for RInku's habit of spinning about whenever happy. This happens often and is very contagious. Happy Ara's style is upbeat and hyped, but that is because the group centers on Rinku. But Muni has a knack for rap. Work that in. Rei creates a song that is muted and subdued, not like Rinku at all. But Rinku explains that Happy Ara is more than one girl, so Rei sings the song in a crucial contest. It's this flexibility that makes Happy Ara unpredictable, and a hit with the fans. This makes them a viable opponent for the other groups that Yoba Academy has fostered, like the undisputed best girls performance team Peaky P-Key. Their style is miles higher than Happy Around’s and challenging them for dominance in the DJ circles would be a daunting task. Then there is Photon Maiden, a professionally scouted group that has made waves in the entertainment world and now are back at Yoba assuming normal 'high-class rocker status' and just now gaining fans at Yoba. Their entrance into the storyline is forced, but Happy Around needs competition. Photon Maiden is totally prepackaged performance, using the stylings and music of the entertainment company which formed them. They would be the classic 'image vs. substance' enigma until it becomes important for them to develop their own music and style. Breaking away means improvement for them.
Of interest was HIDIVE's Episode 6.5, which combined live performance wedged into a recap episode. Here we encounter the D4DJ franchise under construction. Think of the Bandori concept game … up-and-comers Poppin’ Party strives to reach the heights attained by super-star groups as Roselia. In this case D4DJ is an anime/live performance/game conglomerate which develops along the styles of six different DJ groups. In short, D4DJ: First Mix begs for a second season to introduce new groups and new styles.
The animation was well laid out, though I thought it would be better for the final episode where the Sunset Stage competition demonstrates how far Happy Ara had gone ... and how much farther it can go. The moments of comic verve were played out, including the 'humiliation scenes' where Rinku commits a faux pas expected from one freshly back from the remotest lands to civilization. And the music ... wow! ever changing up as one learns the art of taking melodies and remixing the beat, tempo, pitch, sliding from one melody to the next. And, if you argue that the characters were the basic 'seen them elsewheres,' you can't diss the music. So many varieties from electronic to battle rap.
Keep the ear to the ground. You might hear the coming of season two. If then ... it will be a celebration of sound.