The curtain rises on the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. Spotlight on Sarasa Watanabe, a
starry-eyed 5'10" student who dreams of performing as Oscar, a male lead role. She forms an unlikely
friendship with her new roommate, a former idol who now also hopes to join the all-female Kouka Acting
Troupe. Together, they’re in for the role of a lifetime.
(Source: Funimation)
# Kageki Shoujo ____ img520(https://i.imgur.com/omChDgN.png) ____ Kageki Shoujo is a story about maturing, we see girls in search of their dream within Troupe, and the challenges each one faces in pursuit of their dream.The story begins with our protagonist Watanabe Sarasa, who managed to get into Kouka and meets her roommate Narata Ai, an ex-idol, with whom she develops a friendship. An Ensemble cast also ensures that other characters have their moments. Where we can see the difficulties and challenges of each one. img520(https://i.imgur.com/RCfR7V4.png) ____ One of the things I liked the most was the characters. Highlighting the other characters and their stories, something that makes the story more interesting, but with the balance of not dividing it between many characters, thus not dispersing the story too much. It's hard to comment on the characters without giving spoilers about the work, but with good character development, gaining more self-confidence and improving your skills, I think some things could have been developed further, some stories would have a lot of potential if they went deeper, but within the time limit they had, it was great. As I said in the introduction, the story revolves around girls who want to be part of the troupe, a very interesting theme that caught my attention while choosing the animes of the season, which just helped to highlight the characters, as well as some minor guest appearances, but important, like the veterans and Kouka Stars, img520(https://i.imgur.com/jlybzhD.png) ____ The animation kept a good level, it's not one of the highlights, but it was good, the soudtrack was something I really liked, as it completed very well with the scenes and work very well during the anime. Also talking about Opening and Ending, which are one of my favorites of the season. youtube(https://youtu.be/_Dss-RZ9L-Y) youtube(https://youtu.be/bC6d7AyKHeE) ____ In summary, Kageki Shoujo is an excellent experience, in which you can really connect with the characters and their difficulties, traumas and challenges, and seeing them struggling to overcome them makes the journey magnificent. I didn't read the manga, but the anime convinced me to read it. A work that, in addition to entertaining, made me think and reflect on myself, probably one of the best of the year, a work that I feel was underestimated this season, both because I saw few people commenting on it, and even because of the number of users who watched, (at least at the time of writing), I really hope that the work will gain more recognition, if you watched it and liked it, don't forget to recommend it to your friends. More people need to watch.
Kageki Shoujo, o anime que mais surpreendeu e me conquistou nesta season. Este show não é apenas o cotidiano de garotas almejando o estrelato em uma escola de artes teatrais. Mas sim sobre sonhos, superações, desilusões, traumas, e esperanças. O anime mostra uma visão bastante realista, com diversos fundamentos, a vida cruel, e em tantas vezes brutal, que uma jovem pode ter ao buscar por fama e sucesso. Sim, brutal. Kageki aborda temas como abuso sexual e perseguidores, distúrbios alimentares, ressentimentos deixados por mágoa e ódio, problemas em um núcleo familiar desestabilizado, abandono familiar, ideais impostos a si por outrem... São garotas lutando por um desejo. Não um sonho idealista, ou um desejo de grandeza megalomaníaca, e sim uma paixão. São garotas que, ao passarem por todos os tipos de situações traumáticas, as superam pela própria força ao perseguir a paixão de suas vidas. Kageki Shoujo é repleto de personagens carismáticas e exulberantes, tanto em simpatia e personalidade, quanto em força de vontade. Ter sonhos é bastante comum mas quem, em sã consciência, o gritaria aos quatro cantos de um ambiente extremamente competitivo e tóxico, onde cada atitude pode ser passivel de represálias? Parece burrice mas não o é se voce for Watanabe Sarasa. A sinceridade e força de vontade da jovem de cabelos loiros cativam a cada minuto em cena. img(https://i.imgur.com/AP5jzNi.jpg) Fugindo do ambiente Kabuki, Sarasa encontra no Colégio Kouka o seu lugar, sobretudo por conhecer Narata Ai, a garota que viria a ser sua melhor amiga. Ai que, sem dúvida, está entre as personagens que mais obtiveram crescimento pessoal ao longo da história. De Ex-Idol, crescida em um ambiente familiar hostil e de abandono, sendo vítima de tentativas de abuso sexual ainda quando criança, a garota que possui androfobia se torna uma jovem moça sem perspectiva alguma de futuro, mesmo possuindo fama e sucesso. Naracchi, como é chamada, pouco a pouco, consegue mudar, ao perceber seu real estado. Cultivando excelentes relações de amizade e companheirismo, Ai encontra em Sarasa seu novo objetivo. Ser uma amiga capaz de protege-la e possuir força suficiente para apoiar os sonhos de sua preciosa companheira. img(https://i.imgur.com/U9vyvHY.jpg) O momento mais emocionante de toda a season img(https://i.imgur.com/mZntv6X.jpg) Impossível não se apaixonar O elenco do anime é fantástico. Yamada Ayako, a garota tímida e recatada, dona de muitas paixões durante a adolescência mas que não possui a principal: a própria. Sua falta de confiança e amor próprio a tornam alvo fácil de outras garotas da turma movidas por inveja, cuminando, assim, em sua bulimia alimentar. Ayako começa a mudar após conhecer Sugimoto Sawa, uma garota forte e decidida, disposta a lutar por tudo o que deseja, mesmo que signifique lutar contra talento ou destino. A amizade cultivada entre as duas é tão importante quanto a da dupla principal. Ayako percebe, através de Sawa, que a principal pessoa por quem se deve apaixonar somos nós mesmos. Sutileza e força. Timidez e ousadia. O equilíbrio entre elas é invejável. Enquanto que com as irmãs Sawado, Chika e Chiaki, a história é diferente. Donas de uma sintonia inigualável, típico de gêmeos, mas distantes em seus corações. A dupla nos ensina como é perigoso cultivar emoções danosas ao coração, como inveja, ciúmes, mágoas e ressentimentos. img(https://i.imgur.com/WDoiPvN.jpg) Vale salientar o Colégio Kouka e a importância do Seio Educacional quando o âmbito familiar não supre as necessidades de crescimento. Seus excelentes professores, tanto em capacidades artísticas mas, sobretudo, em seu amor pelo ensino (vide o desejo de acompanhar o crescimento de seus alunos) são, em tantos momentos, o alicerce para o amadurecimento das garotas da Centésima Turma. img(https://i.imgur.com/zguDpCD.jpg) Aquele professor que você respeita Quantos não desistem ao primeiro sinal de dificuldades? Kageki Shoujo retrata o oposto disso. Garotas que não desistirão, custe o que custar. O encerramento de Kageki Shoujo é sublime img(https://i.imgur.com/PzLgaQI.jpg) img(https://i.imgur.com/1HUvQoq.jpg) img(https://i.imgur.com/65fSi3E.jpg) img(https://i.imgur.com/tt7mS4t.jpg) img(https://i.imgur.com/4ARtHJR.jpg) img(https://i.imgur.com/B7oIKYd.jpg)
Kageki Shoujo is a show just gives me so much happiness and satisfaction. This show is really great, I can't really say more than that, so this review is going to be as brief as I can. And this is mostly going to be me gushing about it as much as I can. # STORY The pacing felt very satisfying and its tone was very soothing mostly. Also, I can’t act for shit, but the way the show explains stageplays and the audience that watches it was interesting for sure. The show gave me an interesting teaching lesson about “otokoyaku”.I think my one and only flaw was getting a little lost with Sarasa’s family affairs but it did teach me about “kabuki” and such. And it was very interesting. What also surprised me was the absolutely devastating yet realistic depiction of its more serious themes. The show despite being light hearted had absolutely harsh and tough moments, touching on childhood trauma, emotional disorders, and more internal conflicts like self image, jealousy, confidence. But it's not as gratuitous as something like Wet Ass Priority. Also, the way the show weaves in these serious moments with an optimistic tone while also developing the characters gave me such the highest amount of satisfaction. # CHARACTERS The main characters are wonderful! I love Ai’s cold personality, becoming more and more open and loving towards individuals despite her past and reputation with the help of her peers. Sarasa is probably best girl of 2021 so far. I love her pursuing her goal to be Lady Oscar. The show really explored her character nicely and challenged societal expectations on what a certain gender and body type should do on the big stage. Outside of that, it did explore her bubbly personality on all angles. From why it works, to why others may not like it, and how her personality helps others as well, thus giving her more experiences to learn from. I also love this ensemble cast sooo much. Despite there being a class of first years, the show focuses on a handful of girls who are special in one way or another. They get so much development through flashbacks. Through these characters, the show touches on themes of overcoming trauma, defying societal expectations of genders, the weight and responsibility of having famous ancestors, the cutthroat beauty standards and why they are important in stage acting, and the more human nature such as jealousy, envy, and exploring one’s self. And the cast has wonderful chemistry with each other. Despite some of the characters being harsh and cold, they don't feel completely unlikeable because they have their own struggles and all of them attempt to somewhat overcome or repress them, you can tell that deep down, they do not mean malicious intent, they just either want to push themselves or their peers forward or they're just overcome with envy themselves in a human way. I know these moments may sound sad, but to be honest, seeing these girls overcome these moments and pursuing their goals, watching their dedication pay off,it gave me such a rush of happiness, you know that feeling where you are so happy for someone that you almost start crying? That's what happened to me a lot in this show, and it's such a great feeling. One thing I didn't expect the show to have was really supportive friends and adult figures. Sarasa chatting about her problems on twitter with her boyfriend and her father in-law is just so wholesome. And they really feel supportive of her .Ai’s bond with her uncle is very wholesome as ever, since she had such a bad past, him being there to help her out all of these years as not only a teacher but a family member is very touching. Also, the teachers at Kouka are very supportive as well. They are very cutthroat at times but they also have a very soft side that adds depth to them. You can tell that they do want the girls to push themselves but still teach them to not overdo it and harm themselves. Some scenes where the teachers were helping out the girls warmed my heart like a bun in an oven. The upperclassmen may act a bit bitter but some help out the girls when they get flustered. And even the professional actors who are Kouka alumni give the student some tips and insight as well. My favorite part of the show hands down is when it ties basically everything together. The adversity the girls went through, their backstory, what they learned in the school, their interactions with others and many elements. All of those elements collaborate together and not just develop the characters but their choices when they need to perform for judges. And when these moments happen, it's so…..Idk how to even describe it, i don't wanna say “orgasmic” because that would be too gross of a word to describe something as hopeful and innocent as Kageki Shoujo. # ART AND SOUND I love the look of it as well, the color scheme is beautiful, designs are distinct and pop out, and Sarasa’s hair is literally everything.While the designs may look a little bit wonky at times, there are very standout moments that use them well animation-wise.It really does compliment the Japanese VA’s wonderful performances. And the soundtrack was so refined and cheery to listen to. ITs the type of music that you want to happily cry to. # ENJOYMENT I’m still brimming with a smile despite me finishing the show just hours ago, man. It's just a jolly good show, with solid writing, great characters, and holds together pretty well visually and soundly. I just love seeing characters overcoming adversity and improving themselves, I mean why do you think I watch a lot of battle shounen? It's a more realistic and down to earth setting that not just entertained me but also taught cool things about stage plays. It was whimsical, funny, absolutely heart wrenching at times and just mostly dopamine shots all the time. It’s a genuinely great watch, I highly recommend it, if you love to feel good. Emotionally, not sexually though.
I pretty much knew nothing about this series until someone [posted a review](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/kageki-shoujo-the-curtain-rises/.165468) of the first part of the manga on Anime News Network, and that review pretty much made me want to buy it. I mean, hello? In this recent sea of bland isekai, bad ecchi, or generic media, when was the last time we had a genuine shoujo manga that actually had an intriguing story that harkened back to a lot of classics like Rose of Versailles and Glass Mask? Yeah, the whole idea of girls going to a specialized performing arts school has been done to death in other places, but my philosophy is that if you actually put effort into what you create and manage to make something compelling, complete with good execution and characters we can care about, then there's nothing wrong with reusing a well-worn premise. I actually bought the manga for Kageki Shojo as soon as I read that review, along with what little of it has been released here in the US so far, and liked it a lot, so you can bet as soon as the anime was announced, I was going to watch it without hesitation. So I'm glad to say that this series did meet my expectations, even when it covered parts of the manga that haven't come out in the US as of this writing. The story takes place at a famous performing arts academy called the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. It's basically a school version of the Takarazuka Revue and has been teaching girls since the Taisho era. Two very different girls, Ai Narata and Sarasa Watanabe, find themselves becoming classmates upon being accepted into the famous school, but they couldn't be more different. Ai, a stoic, emotionless girl, was kicked out of her old idol group after an incident with a fan, but this doesn't bother her, as she came to Kouka so she could live a life without being pursued by men. On the other hand, Sarasa is a tall, loud, chipper, energetic girl who loves anime and manga, and her reason for coming to Kouka is that she wants to star as Oscar in a production of The Rose of Versailles, having loved it since she was a kid. They, along with several other students they come to know, will have to learn to cooperate with one another if they have any hope of surviving Kouka's notoriously rigorous training, along with all the pressures and hardships that come from being in such a competitive setting. One thing you'll notice about Kageki Shojo right off the bat is that it references and takes a lot of cues from both old school anime such as Rose of Versailles, and the famous Takarazuka Revue. For those not in the know, Takarazuka is basically an all-female acting troupe that is famous for putting on lavish, Broadway-style musicals that adapt everything from Western novels, shoujo manga, films, folktales, and on rare occasions, video games (Can you believe they did a series of musicals for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney of all things?). Rose of Versailles in particular is important because the Revue has performed multiple shows for it, and in-universe, it's the main inspiration for one of the lead characters' motivations for going to Kouka. That being said, both the anime and manga expect its readers/viewers to have some degree of knowledge of both. While it's not outright required, a lot of the references will fly over the heads of people who know absolutely nothing about Rose of Versailles or Takarazuka, especially the latter and how it operates. Whether you're knowledgeable about Takarazuka or not, it's made very clear that the people who worked on both the anime and manga for Kageki Shojo have a deep love and reverence for the performing arts. I mean, [somebody made an entire Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/i/events/1441866229770301442) dedicated to showing off all the references and setpieces that Kageki Shojo uses, from various landmarks all the way down to replicating real actors' poses. So I can give the anime props for actually caring about its source material and respecting the intricacies behind the performing arts, both showing off how great it is while refusing to gloss over some of the more dangerous parts of it, such as the overly competitive atmosphere and even some toxic attitudes. A series that really goes out of its way to pay close attention to its setting and the framework behind it deserves major props in my book. The reverence for Takarazuka also shows in the animation, from replicating setpieces, actors, and performances down to the poses, like I mentioned earlier. Of course, Pine Jam did more than just simply copy the most well known parts of Takarazuka here. The animation is smooth, and the characters have simple designs that manage to toe the lie between being cartoony and realistic, even if some characters' hair colors don't exactly mesh well with the more realistic setting. Seriously, who's idea was it to have Sarasa's blonde hair have light green tips?! Plus, the backgrounds are nicely detailed, the performance sequences are well done, making good use of lighting and motion, and even some of the cartoony parts, like exaggerated facial expressions, aren't so pervasive that they ruin the show's overall tone. The soundtrack is okay, though I didn't find it to be too memorable except for the more orchestrated parts, like the ending theme song. I heard one person say that the show places inappropriate music for some scenes, making them feel dissonant with its intended atmosphere, such as playing soothing harp music while an adult man is leering at a 10-year-old girl, but personally, I disagree, though I think part of it is because the voice acting is louder than the music at times, so maybe I missed it. But I really don't think the soundtrack is as jarringly dissonant as that user says, though I have heard examples that are way worse about this, such as Nurse Angel Ririka SOS and Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics, especially for the Japanese version of the latter. A show like this lives or dies on its characters, and in that aspect, I think Kageki Shojo succeeds. Since this series only has 13 episodes, it doesn't have time to develop all of them, but it does keep the focus centered on a few important ones, mainly the ones depicted on the main key art. All of them receive time in the spotlight, showing what their strengths and weaknesses are, and why they chose to come to this particular school. Even the characters who might come across as really cliche and annoying, like Sarasa, are given more depth to them later on, and Kaoru's episode is easily the best one. One thing people will notice about Kageki Shojo is that it's not afraid to tackle serious, sensitive subject matter such as eating disorders, stalking, and child sexual abuse. Anime is no stranger to tough topics, but many of them do struggle with depicting them tastefully and not in a voyeuristic manner. Kageki Shojo manages to treat them well enough that it doesn't border on voyeuristic or purely for shock value, but it does tend to tie up the subplots involving them a little too neatly, with one example being the eating disorder subplot with one of the side characters. An eating disorder doesn't simply go away in a week just because someone encouraged her to keep going, though to be fair, the manga had the exact same problem, and apparently that was mainly because the authoress for the manga found out too late that the story was being moved to a different magazine and felt she needed to resolve it so as to not leave loose threads hanging. But that's a story for another review. Really, that's the only problem I had with Kageki Shojo is that it's too short and that it ties up certain subplots too neatly, but those aren't even exactly a mark against its overall quality. There is one character I want to talk about, and that's Sarasa, and there's something I've noticed among anime when it comes to characters like her, particularly kids anime. I'm in the process of watching another anime called Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure, and the main character of that show, Manatsu, pretty much has the same personality as Sarasa: Cheerful, enthusiastic, determined, and nice to everyone, even when people are being really mean to her. Here's the thing: It seems like most people who work on anime like this believe that if you have a character act brightly enough all the time, the audience will see them as cheerful characters, but rather than simply portray someone who's cheerful, they make the mistake of making them so over-the-top cheerful that it becomes their sole character trait. They don't show them as having any other emotions than being overly happy and zany all the time. My problem with Manatsu is that, after 30-something episodes, she hasn't shown any other emotions than being over-the-top happy and zany, constantly shouting "Tropica-shine!" every two seconds, and the few times she acts anything but happy is played for laughs. She's not allowed to be vulnerable or even act like a normal human being, which annoys the shit out of me. Sarasa, on the other hand, is an example of this type of character done right, especially in her focus episodes. Yes, she's shown as being cheerful and annoying at times, but the creators actually allow her to show emotions other than mindless happiness. They allow her to be angry, sad, jealous, insecure, the whole gamut of emotions, which actually make her into a more well-rounded person. She has moments where she's vulnerable and insecure, and she has to feel other emotions when playing characters in a play, because if you don't put yourself in that character's shoes or just copy someone else's take on it, you're nothing. It's the same thing with the two Cinderellas from both Disney movies, the 1950 one and the 2015 live-action remake. The former, while not the most proactive character, feels more like a human being and actually gives a shit about the situation she's in, whereas the 2015 movie tried way too hard to make her smart and independent while accidentally making her more passive and like an overly happy zombie who doesn't even try to do anything about her situation. What makes or breaks a character is how they deal with their flaws, because rather than simply make a character one thing and nothing else, they need to be interesting first. Tl;dr, Sarasa from Kageki Shojo is a better genki girl than Manatsu from Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure because Sarasa is allowed to be flawed and act like a human being. Alright, I better get off this soapbox. If you're looking for a show that actually cares about its material, definitely check out Kageki Shojo if you can. It's an underrated gem that absolutely deserves more love than it gets.