Chance Pop Session

If Dreamgirls were an anime, it might look something like the 13-part series Chance Pop Session, which focuses on teenagers Akari, Nozomi, and Yuki, who grab their microphones and take a shot at reaching the slippery apex of Japanese pop stardom. On the surface, the trio are mismatched personalities—Akari is a church choir singer, Nozomi is a spoiled heiress, and Yuki is a working class kid—but their harmonizing creates a unique bond that transcends class and social barriers. Furthermore, they share the common dream of following their teen queen idol Reika to the top of the charts, even enrolling in the music school that Reika attended. Of course, the road to stardom is full of potholes and the episodes explore the heroines' struggles with personal unhappiness and professional challenges while aiming for their goal. To its credit, Chance Pop Session presents young women as genuine human beings, not (in typical anime fashion) as the zany offspring of a feverish Russ Meyer-inspired cartoon imagination. The animation here is also quite vibrant, even if the music is somewhat lackluster. Presented in a dual-language three-disc set, rated TV-PG, Chance Pop Session is recommended. Aud: P. (P. Hall)