These two shows are extremely similar to each other in terms of tone despite one being all about female idols and the other having both male and female idols. Both are about chasing your music dreams and wanting to succeed at them. There are dead or dying siblings being replaced, a rivalry between two leads and a focus on trainee competition in both dramas. The only real difference is that My Idol has a very cute romance in it while Idolm@ster is more about friendship.