DIA♔DEM

"'DIA♔DEM' isn't an idol group. 'DIA♔DEM' is an idea. A vision. A brushstroke over the canvas of popular music." DIA♔DEM is an edgy, rock-leaning pop idol group consisting of 3 members ranging from ages 21-23. Its members are Ikumi Amano; Maaya Sato; and Hatsuki Takada. Their fans are referred to as Gems by the group, and occasionally as Grems by rival idol groups.

History
DIA♔DEM is one of Legacy’s two active rival idol groups, formed by Indigo Records to compete with then-debuting | —one way → |. Open casting auditions were held to create a stark contrast against  | —one way → | by gathering girls that (a) didn’t know each other and (b) didn’t have industry resources to take advantage of. In this way, DIA♔DEM’s founding was intended as a marketing ploy against the influential connections behind Arisu and Marie Fujiwara.

Thousands of hopefuls from all over the world showed up to the cattle calls. As challenges increased in difficulty, alliances started to form within the remaining candidates. Where others had alliances, the future DIA♔DEM members had hostility. Near the end of the audition cycle, DIA♔DEM’s casting director was inspired by an absurd interaction he witnessed between Ikumi Amano and Maaya Sato. He paired them together as an experiment, and chose Hatsuki Takada as a palate cleanser to balance the other two.

When the three performed together for the first time, their chemistry as a unit was immediate. Sparks flew. Literally. A frayed cable led to an electrical fire. An understanding formed as they stood outside and watched the fire department pour into the building--they were going to explode. Whether that meant popularity or spontaneous combustion, though, they would have to work out for themselves.

Relationships

 * Legacy: DIA♔DEM's members (secretly) support Legacy's efforts. Maaya is vocal about how "annoying" she finds the younger members; Hatsuki openly compliments their work; Ikumi quietly gives the girls credit where it's due.
 * —one way →: DIA♔DEM was formed specifically to compete against the Fujiwara sisters. While their labels pit them in rigorous competition, the groups' members treat each other with respect and friendship--enough for Maaya and Marie to (begrudgingly) debut together.