Gakuen Idolmaster's latest playable character is truly unexpected, provoking some confusion among fans.

At the end of the Shirube live tour on November 8, Kanae Hiwatari was confirmed as the next character for Produce Mode. Hiwatari is the personal maid of China Katsuragi, one of the game's initial lineup, who is now branching into idol activities to better serve her employer. She will be available in-game from November 16.

What makes this addition confounding is the fact that Hiwatari is not even an idol student, nor a character that fans have been asking to play for a while. Rinha Kaya from Gokugetsu Gakuen was actually the fan favorite, particularly because of her relationship with Temari Tsukimura.

Just how this will affect the performance of Japan's top-selling mobile game remains to be seen.