<p>It's been 3 months since the question existed, well, if you still haven't found the answer yet, here it is.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>1983</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1284" rel="noreferrer">Magical Angel Creamy Mami</a></strong> is the oldest <em>Idol</em> anime I could find. It has 52 TV epsidoes + 4 OVA aired back in 1983. It's a school idol group, but unfortunately I can't find the name of the group.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Creamy Mami</strong> is about a young girl, Yuu, who after seeing a spaceship is given the power to use magic for one year. She is also given 2 cats, Poji and Nega, to watch over and guide her. Using her magic powers to transform into the idol Creamy Mami, Yuu must work hard at acting, singing, helping her parents at their crepe shop, fighting aliens and bad guys, going to school, plus try to get the affections of her childhood friend Toshio.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><br></p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>2003</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2533" rel="noreferrer">Wandaba Style</a></strong> is the possible oldest <em>Idol</em> anime with a group name, yes, finally, but wait, it is not a school idol!</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A J-pop group named <strong>Mix Juice</strong> consisting of four girls: Ayame, Yuri, Sakura &amp; Himawari attempt to make it big by playing the first concert on the moon. Bankrolling this endeavor is the 13 year old billionare Susumu Tsukumo and his android, Kiku 8 who propose to go to space in an eco-friendly way.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><br></p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>2006</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong><a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6095" rel="noreferrer">Lemon Angel Project</a></strong> is about a group of high school girls forming a new Lemon Angel Idol Group, I think that is it, I'm surprised that the first school idol group was created only 10 years ago.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Lemon Angel</strong> was once the greatest girl band of Japan, but then it broke up and most of its members vanished. When a music producer decides to put together a new Lemon Angel, average high schooler Tomo Minaguchi is approached to audition for the group. Little does she know of the mystery behind the original Lemon Angel...</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-16T10:48:34.603Z
2016-04-16T19:07:14.920Z
2016-04-16T19:07:14.920Z
Happy Face
<p>"School idols" aren't a real thing; the notion was invented for the <em>Love Live!</em> franchise. </p>

<p>Hence, it must be the case that the first school idol group in anime is whichever one is first featured in <em>Love Live!</em> - and as you point out, A-RISE is that group.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-16T09:16:02.477Z
I was going to point that out but you beat me to it. However, there might have been other anime with similar concepts before, I guess.
Pwassonne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-16T16:41:01.513Z
2016-01-16T16:41:01.513Z
senshin
<p>I know this is years late, but the first idol anime ever is Sasurai no Taiyou (1971).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-05T21:59:53.917Z
Welcome to Anime and Manga. consider [editing](https://anime.stackexchange.com/posts/50729/edit) your answer to add more information, looking at the plot summary i don't see how a series about 2 girls being switched at birth and living in different social classes yet having the same dream to be a singer is the same as a school idol group
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-05T21:20:47.517Z
2019-02-05T21:20:47.517Z
Josh
<p>In the <em>Love Live!</em> series, UTX High School's <a href="http://love-live.wikia.com/wiki/A-RISE">A-RISE</a> is the first school idol group featured. But, is A-RISE the first school idol group ever featured in the history of anime? If not, who is the first school idol group?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-14T13:19:33.907Z
I'm not sure what kind of answer you expect, do you mean within *Love Live* or anime in general? Sorting the [idol](http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=tag&tagid=2438) tag in AniDB to display the oldest first I find [Idol Boueitai Hummingbird](http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=840) from 1993 on the second page which comes close or at least may be a title to include in an answer, if I didn't get your question wrong. (I haven't watched this, it says military, so it doesn't actually qualify as a school setting.)
LiveWireBT
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-14T13:29:46.857Z
Anime in general. I did say "in anime history" in the question, right ;-)
絢瀬絵里
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-16T11:08:57.373Z
what do you mean by school idol group? as in am idol group formed by people who goes to a school or an idol group formed by people from the same school? how much does the school have to feature in a series to qualify (as the series about a group of teenagers who are in school may not necessary show or reference the school)
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-19T13:50:41.577Z
Going with how it was depicted in Love Live, I'd say that a school idol is an idol group formed by students from the same school and identify themselves as one.
絢瀬絵里
<anime-history>
Who is the first school idol group ever featured in anime?
# Who is the first school idol group ever featured in anime?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-01-14
In the *Love Live!* series, UTX High School's [A-RISE](http://love-live.wikia.com/wiki/A-RISE) is the first school idol group featured. But, is A-RISE the first school idol group ever featured in the history of anime? If not, who is the first school idol group?
**Tags:** anime-history
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm not sure what kind of answer you expect, do you mean within *Love Live* or anime in general? Sorting the [idol](http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=tag&tagid=2438) tag in AniDB to display the oldest first I find [Idol Boueitai Hummingbird](http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=840) from 1993 on the second page which comes close or at least may be a title to include in an answer, if I didn't get your question wrong. (I haven't watched this, it says military, so it doesn't actually qualify as a school setting.)  
> **username_0**: Anime in general. I did say "in anime history" in the question, right ;-)  
> **username_2**: what do you mean by school idol group? as in am idol group formed by people who goes to a school or an idol group formed by people from the same school? how much does the school have to feature in a series to qualify (as the series about a group of teenagers who are in school may not necessary show or reference the school)  
> **username_0**: Going with how it was depicted in Love Live, I'd say that a school idol is an idol group formed by students from the same school and identify themselves as one.  
---
## 3 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2016-04-16. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
It's been 3 months since the question existed, well, if you still haven't found the answer yet, here it is.

> **1983**

**[Magical Angel Creamy Mami](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1284)** is the oldest *Idol* anime I could find. It has 52 TV epsidoes + 4 OVA aired back in 1983. It's a school idol group, but unfortunately I can't find the name of the group.

> **Creamy Mami** is about a young girl, Yuu, who after seeing a spaceship is given the power to use magic for one year. She is also given 2 cats, Poji and Nega, to watch over and guide her. Using her magic powers to transform into the idol Creamy Mami, Yuu must work hard at acting, singing, helping her parents at their crepe shop, fighting aliens and bad guys, going to school, plus try to get the affections of her childhood friend Toshio.

> **2003**

**[Wandaba Style](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2533)** is the possible oldest *Idol* anime with a group name, yes, finally, but wait, it is not a school idol!

> A J-pop group named **Mix Juice** consisting of four girls: Ayame, Yuri, Sakura & Himawari attempt to make it big by playing the first concert on the moon. Bankrolling this endeavor is the 13 year old billionare Susumu Tsukumo and his android, Kiku 8 who propose to go to space in an eco-friendly way.

> **2006**

**[Lemon Angel Project](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6095)** is about a group of high school girls forming a new Lemon Angel Idol Group, I think that is it, I'm surprised that the first school idol group was created only 10 years ago.

> **Lemon Angel** was once the greatest girl band of Japan, but then it broke up and most of its members vanished. When a music producer decides to put together a new Lemon Angel, average high schooler Tomo Minaguchi is approached to audition for the group. Little does she know of the mystery behind the original Lemon Angel...
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2016-01-16. Score: 2
"School idols" aren't a real thing; the notion was invented for the *Love Live!* franchise.

Hence, it must be the case that the first school idol group in anime is whichever one is first featured in *Love Live!* - and as you point out, A-RISE is that group.
> **Comments:**
> **username_5** (2016-04-16): I was going to point that out but you beat me to it. However, there might have been other anime with similar concepts before, I guess.  
---
### Answer by username_6 on 2019-02-05. Score: -2
I know this is years late, but the first idol anime ever is Sasurai no Taiyou (1971).
> **Comments:**
> **username_2** (2019-02-05): Welcome to Anime and Manga. consider [editing](https://anime.stackexchange.com/posts/50729/edit) your answer to add more information, looking at the plot summary i don't see how a series about 2 girls being switched at birth and living in different social classes yet having the same dream to be a singer is the same as a school idol group  
---
