The franchise centers on "Starlight" — the song and dance revue troupe loved throughout the world.
Karen and Hikari make a promise with each other when they're young that one day they'll stand on that
stage together. Time passes, and now the girls are 16 years old. Karen is very enthusiastic about the
lessons she takes every day, holding her promise close to her heart. Hikari has transferred schools
and is now away from Karen. But the cogs of fate turn, and the two are destined to meet again. The
girls and other "Stage Girls" will compete in a mysterious audition process to gain acceptance into
the revue.
(Source: Anime News Network)
This review **extensively** spoils the reviewed material. Familiarity is advised before reading further. ----- __~~~I AM REBORN __~~~ For about twelve minutes of its first episode, it seems like *Revue Starlight* will be a perhaps interesting, but fairly run-of-the-mill high school dramedy about the classes in a boarding theatre school. A somewhat novel premise to be sure, but not anything groundbreaking. Then, at the episode’s halfway mark, protagonist Karen presses the “down” button on an elevator she’s never seen before, and nothing is the same ever again. What follows is an incredibly exciting (and more than a bit surreal) sequence involving a massive secret stage underneath the academy, where a pair of Karen’s classmates duke it out as part of an “audition” process with what appear to be very real weapons, while singing, in a scene that will likely remind newcomers of *Symphogear* as much as anything else. Karen, alone in the “audience” for this performance, is lectured by a giraffe who pops out of nowhere and begins talking about the necessary sacrifices one makes to achieve stardom, and seemingly taunts our protagonist, who then climbs onto the giraffe’s neck, and launches herself into the fray below into what can only be described as an industrialized version of a magical girl transformation sequence, as her costume is built prop by prop, piece by piece, button by button. Then, we get this, in what became in mere hours the opening episode’s defining shot. img880(https://i.imgur.com/vcO3BdI.png) It’s breathtaking. You *do not get* that kind of knock-you-on-your-ass punch very often, not from anime and not from *anything*. It’s a pretty bold display of directoral prowess, and what is perhaps most amazing is that it’s director Tomohiro Furukawa’s first series at the helm. What is less surprising is that Furukawa has an impressive non-directorial resume, spanning everything from the whacked-out *Mawaru Penguindrum* to standard shonen fare like *Bleach* and *Yu-Gi-Oh! ZeXal*. Even as its impacted is ever so slightly lessened by its repetition in later episodes (is it really a magical girl transformation sequence if it’s not later used to save time?), it remains a striking image. You could be forgiving for assuming that something like this simply *must have* sprung fully-formed from nowhere as a work of auteurship, that kind of narrative is still common, but the truth is that *Revue Starlight* the anime is only one facet of a surprisingly large franchise with roots in, in something likely quite foreign to western anime audiences, the country’s thriving live-action musical theatre scene. It’s sort of impossible then, to talk about *Revue Starlight* the anime without at least mentioning *Revue Starlight* the stage show, which it is an adaption of. To understand *Revue*, and developments over the rest of the series, you have to understand that first. It’s an intimidating proposition, Japanese theatre (specifically the Takarazuka Revue, whose academy the setting of *Starlight* is based on, and an alumnus of which is responsible for the *Starlight* stage play) has its own entirely separate fan culture and the scene itself dates back over a century, it’s a cultural wellspring that *Utena* director Kunihiko Ikuhara has drawn from, and given the aforementioned pedigree of *this* series’ director--Tomohiro Furukawa--it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s a heavy influence here too. *Revue Starlight* the anime revolves in part, itself, around the annual school production of an in-series play called simply *Starlight*. There’s a *lot* of theatre in here, for many viewers it is going to be their first window into this world. Take this as an admission then that you’re not going to get the full story here--you simply can’t. It's perhaps unusual to "break" a review in this manner, but, to get the full breadth of the Takarazuka-inspired thematics behind *Revue Starlight*, I strongly recommend Swedish youtuber Andrea Ritsu's [youtube videos on the subject](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_ee8szQG8). Do be aware, some of the episodes delve into rather heavy subject matter. __~~~The Women Merely Players __~~~ So that’s the cultural background, but what about the actual plot? *Revue* takes what is always a pretty big risk for single-cour shows, and is slow to reveal its hand. The first six episodes are primarily focused on single characters and explore the dynamics between them, every member of the primary cast gets a focus episode (though some split their episode with another, the show is not shy about pairing characters up) and for the most part the central question of just what, exactly, is going on with the underground stage is danced around or just flat-out ignored, in favor of getting us to care about the cast. These characters include, in brief: img220(https://i.imgur.com/lDs1zCp.png) -Aijo Karen; the aforementioned protagonist. Plucky, childhood friends with Hikari who she made a promise to become a stage star with. Karen falls loosely within the storied “idiot hero” archetype, though she’s not nearly as dumb as you’d at first think. Utterly obsessed with the in-universe *Starlight* play. img220(https://i.imgur.com/yh5Z9Uq.png) -Kagura Hikari; Karen’s childhood friend. Transfer student, very mysterious, and for the first half of the series the character elaborated upon the least. img220(https://i.imgur.com/golwSqK.png) -Tsuyuzaki Mahiru; Karen’s roommate. A rural girl with a warm personality and an absolutely *massive* crush on Karen. img220(https://i.imgur.com/yaXPeiI.png) -Daiba “Banana” Nana; A motherly sort of girl who oversees the production of the *Starlight* play. She has an interesting secret, too. img220(https://i.imgur.com/YZSCYgS.png) -the class president, a studious sort who envies her more naturally-gifted classmates. img220(https://i.imgur.com/rM9Fd4y.png) -Hanayagi Kaoruko; A haughty rich girl who has trouble doing much for herself. Dating Futaba. img220(https://i.imgur.com/UJO5Zyx.png) -Isurugi Futaba; A rather butch motorcyclist who Kaoruko relies on heavily. Dating Kaoruko, also. img220(https://i.imgur.com/JOK3kUS.png) -Saijou Claudine; Half-Japanese Half-French ojou type, perpetually frustrated at always playing second fiddle to Maya. img220(https://i.imgur.com/X3gx8He.png) -Tendo Maya; The ace of the 99th class. The Top Star-to-be by all reasonable metrics. img220(https://i.imgur.com/yPA3oIt.png) -Finally, there is The Giraffe; the mysterious arbiter of the underground revues, about whom rather little is known. The first half of the show explores these characters in detail, as mentioned. Then, at the series’ halfway point, Episode 7 is very different, and it is here that the show begins to take a different turn. __~~~Unreachable & Dazzling __~~~ It does *begin* as a character episode as well, focusing on Daiba “Banana” Nana, a member of the cast who, in what turns out to very much not be an accident, has largely played a supporting role up to this point. Banana is, for the cast’s first year at the academy, the stage director. As such, her primary job isn’t to act herself but to set the play *up*. She is the character easily most distanced from the fight for the top star at the beginning of the series, which makes her turn here all the more surprising. After the first part of the episode--which finds the class performing their version of *Starlight* much to her delight, and graduating from their first year at the academy--Banana ends up at the underground stage, where she is confronted by the Giraffe and talked into auditioning. img880(https://i.imgur.com/QS2hvKo.png) _It’s also worth noting that this is easily the most heartless and sinister the underground revue looks up until this point._ She wins--easily, in fact--even trouncing Maya, who until now has been framed as untouchably above everyone else in the auditions. As the top star of the auditions, we learn that she is (effectively, though the series doesn’t put it in these words) entitled to a wish, and it is the wish she makes that effectively turns the series on its head. It’s the kind of shock moment that lent infamy to *Madoka*’s head chomp. Banana’s only wish is for her class to perform the play at the end of last year again. Her wish is granted, and she is sent back in time. It’s almost *too* classic, but the execution is too good to not give it the credit it deserves. Banana has spent the entire series being built up as a rather passive, supporting character, to learn that that was *deliberate on her part* is a wrench to the gut. Moreover, we find out that the loop we’ve been watching *is not the first*, and the final moments of the episode allude to the idea of Hikari as some kind of disrupting agent, a girl Banana doesn’t actually recognize from how many dozens of times she’s locked herself in this circuit. It’s really hard to pull off this kind of complete 180 reframing of a character, to take Banana from being one of the show’s most likable characters to the closest thing among the class to an actual villain (no matter that this doesn’t last, that’s honestly just not the point) isn’t just gutsy, it’s *risky,* the kind of twist that poorly pulled-off could completely tank the show. Here, that it works so well is a testament to the strength of *Revue*’s writing. img880(https://i.imgur.com/mNINo7u.png) But above all that, it ties the show’s thematics together nicely. The central struggle--for *all* of the girls at the academy--is to be the top star, but *Revue* seems to push us toward this idea being inherently flawed. The Giraffe speaks of an ultimate, blindingly brilliant stage that defies all expectation, and transcends into sublimeness. This is a struggle that ultimately pours out of *Revue* itself and indeed the entire medium altogether. All of that, though, is just part of *Revue*’s general critique of the Takarazuka system and competition in art in general. Something we’ve not mentioned thus far is that *Revue* treats stage glow--”radiance” or “glimmer” as its variously rendered in subtitles, *star power* as it’s probably more commonly known--as a literal, supernatural force. So a central question is raised then, if the Top Star system *isn’t* valid, what is? This struggle defines both Nana’s character arc, and, later, Hikari’s. The ninth episode gives us something of an answer, for Banana’s character arc is resolved there. If there’s no point in freezing a perfect “peak” in time forever, then, *Revue* postulates, maybe there is one in the simple act of change. This isn’t a new idea in anime--”the power of friendship” is kind of a cliche, in fact--but the specific execution here and the heavy ties to the theme of the rest of the series make it stand out nonetheless. __~~~Revue Starlight __~~~ The rest of the series follows suit on that same note. The 8th episode gives us Hikari’s backstory. We learn that in her old school in London, there was *another* underground revue, which she lost, causing her to lose her “glimmer” (again, the series treating star power as a literal force), and contains some amazing visuals (including a fight with Banana), but it’s really the 10th and 11th that start to drive the series home. The 10th episode has a masterfully done two-on-two duel between the pairs of Karen and Hikari and Maya and Claudine, and ends with an apparent betrayal, as Karen and Hikari are forced to briefly “fight” each other, and Hikari cuts off Karen’s button in a single strike. Things aren’t as they seem of course. The 11th episode sees Hikari finally breaking the system by refusing the Giraffe’s offer of a stage of destiny. Unfortunately, what this seems to do is imprison her in the underground revue, as we learn at the episode’s end. As a side note, after the credits, we’re treated to the surreal image of Hikari, naked and trembling in a pink desert, with the Tokyo Tower toppled behind her. img880(https://i.imgur.com/4FgEfwt.png) The final episode is hard to even talk about with objectively-minded, critical language. It is a poem, it is a play, it is a song, it a story. Cursed Hikari constructs candy stars of pink sand, stacking them to the sky, they are toppled by the two blood-red prop stars that hang from the Underground Revue’s ceiling. She repeats, chanting lines from *Starlight* itself, over and over, to see a character so strong rendered so weak by this Sisyphean task is heart-rending. Then, again, like she did in the first episode, Karen leaps in to save her. First failing, then again, and then…. The Tokyo Tower itself rendered in miniature crashes through the stage, an endless cycle broken, the tragedy of *Starlight* straightened out, fixed, snapped by the sheer will and love of the redheaded stage girl. The Greek Chorus Giraffe screams in awe, maybe you scream in awe. I told you it was hard to talk about. If *Revue Starlight* is not, maybe, the best anime of 2018, it is the one with the best finale. The ending drives a stake through the heart of cheap melodrama. No stage girl, no girl, no girl who loves another girl, dies at the end of *Revue Starlight*. The Giraffe is shocked, as minutes before this he actually breaks the fourth wall (perhaps we can call this a stage whisper?) to point out that we, like him, are the audience, and all this reverie and tragedy is for our benefit. Leaving the show on that note would’ve been a *very* easy thing to do. Lesser series have done it and been praised for doing so. Here, Karen destroys the very possibility, demolishing the stage Hikari is trapped on with the Tokyo Tower, and lying to bed the idea that a story built around something like this has to end in tragedy. The very, very end promises a new beginning, directly from the characters’ mouths. Sure enough, to bring us back to reality, there are many plans for *Revue Starlight*. It was conceived as a multimedia franchise after all, a mobile phone game is on the way, multiple manga are currently running, more iterations of the live action show are in the works. Here is the secret, though. Even if none of that was so. *Revue Starlight* forces you by the simple sheer brilliance it shines with, that this is the new story now forever. The game has changed, there is before Starlight, and there is after Starlight. Tragedy for the sake of tragedy is dead. Is that actually true? Time will tell, but for a few moments at the end of the series, as the curtain literally drew closed on the 12-episode odyssey, I believed it. Those moments, in of themselves, are a testament to the fact that anime as a medium still has endless potential to awe, dazzle, and thrill. Does the show have flaws? Certainly, nothing is perfect--there are some dips in animation quality in non-action scenes, some reused cuts, it’s been poured over many times by the time this review will go up that the French in the series is pretty terrible, and so on, but these are not major issues. Certainly, series that are not nearly this ambitious have been given a pass for much less. Let the stage bring you some joy, it’s good for you. At the end of the day. We, just like the Giraffe, are the audience. The girls of *Revue Starlight* perform for us, and we should all be so lucky to have a front-row seat. ____
I'm a simple man, I see anime about cute girls doing cute things, I'm sold. The trailer sold me, I was initially thinking is this victorious the anime, a performing arts series where the main character wants to be the best performer. I was half right, the series is about girls at a performing arts schools competing for the top spot, top star! The only downsides I can see to the show is the slow start and how certain characters just feel they exist just to fulfill a quota.Let's not forget how karen seems obsessed with hikari chan, if you take out hikari chan, it could be a TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY. I like the characters' desire to be the top star and how each girl defined what being top star meant for them. The main character defines top star is being the best with her childhood friend, it was cliché yet cute. The show gave the impression early on, there can be ONLY ONE top star, meaning all the girls in class 99 must fight each other for the spot as top star. However karen seems set on changing this ideal, each girl fighting to prove their way of performing is superior. I initially thought what else is there to the show, then we were introduced to the revue, it's an audition battle royale type performance that decides the ranking of the girls. I really like how each girl could be a lesson or trope when it comes to be a performer, you got the person who is #1 but feels like they still haven't reach their peak or person who wants to prove her style is the best. This audition seems to happen in the basement of the school, it feels symbolic. The girls are in one way or another directly and indirectly competing with each other, in each episode we get a better understanding of each pairing.The girls live in a dorm where they learn how to be actors, singers and performers shining brighter and brighter. Karen changed when her best friend from childhood appears, reminding her of her promise to be top stars with her. I didn't like hikari because she acts like a tsundere for LITERALLY no reason and even when I saw the reason in the episode focused on the events that led to her transferring to karen's school, I liked her a little bit more. Even compared to the other duos, it felt forced and annoying for the sake of plot.At least Kaoruko and Futaba Isurugi made some change after their episodes concluded. This story was truly a one of a kind journey, each of the girls made me think about how it feels to be a creative. Even if you have talent, skills or motivation, you can still feel pressure from EVERYONE and EVERYTHING. I feel the revue is a social commentary for how talented people can get stuck in a loop or rut, they didn't plan for the situations they ended up in. However after fighting their best friends, they change and realize what they are missing or lacking as an performer. I really relate to the trials and tribulations of being a creative. All in all, it wasn't the best thing I saw but it was a fun experience watching week to week!
~~~__Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight__~~~ At first this show seems like an unholy mess staplered together into a cute-girls anime. _Or is it a musical? There’s a transformation sequence? Wait, so they’re physically fighting? Huh, a giraffe?_ But beyond the original confusion, you’ll find an endearing story of growth which packs as much fun as it has emotional weight. ~~~img(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4d/05/c3/4d05c30d9755e25d33620002cdc07749.png)~~~ The story centers around Karen, a student in a prestigious music academy. When a childhood friend transfers into the school, with whom she had made a childhood promise, her world is stirred to motion. Karen is brought into a musical (and possibly magical) audition called revue, vying for the position of top star through song and dance (and a bit of fighting). By its premise alone, it sounds like a wacky twist on the idol formula. As someone who generally dislikes idolesque male-targeted all-female shows, I expected to be put off, but boy was this show a complete surprise. For me, its success boils down to how it manages to appeal to various audiences without compromising the show as a whole. To those who simply want an all-girls anime will find plenty of shippable relationships. Those who crave action will find its revue fight scenes dynamic. There is plenty of drama featuring characters better developed than the show would lead you to believe. The show works in each of those layers. But what sets it apart, is how all those layers builds up on each other to form a fascinating narrative. We are introduced to the characters, their wishes, and see how their relationships are affected by pursuing their goals. We see them deal with problems of jealousy, the pressure of remaining ahead, the feeling of being left behind, the fear of moving forward. And the revue reflects all of that. The way each character fights shows their personality, each revue insert songs carries their character and struggles so well. It's something both set design and cinematography also conveys well. ~~~img(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/25/ba/6d25bad1b8176f5908efcced2360f32b.png)~~~ _Oh, and did I forget to mention that they look gorgeous._ The show invest needed time in showing how each individual characters progress, making each development believable while also sowing the seeds of future conflicts. When an arc reaches its climax, we understand why things go where they do. It doesn’t feel rushed. This respect for its characters is what makes the show stands out, and it does so without bogging down the narrative as a whole. So by the time the show nears its conclusion, we have a good understanding of why each character performs. The show treads a fine line between goofy day to day life, moments of serious character development, and the dramatic tone if its revues. It’s a balancing act that holds out well all the way to its final episodes. Here’s a pretty __spoiler heavy look__ into one of many character arcs in revue starlight, and why it works ~!One of the best example of the show’s structure is how they develop the character of Daiba Nana narratively and visually, while integrating her arc into the overall narrative. The first impression we’re left with of Nana is one of passivity, a support character if there ever was one. She doesn’t stand out among her peers, except to support others in time of need. To top it off she has decided to focus more in the production group, further removing herself from competition. During episode 5 where Karen and Mahiru duels, we are shown the rest of the cast, each engaged in their own revue. What’s important is that Nana is not shown. We’re meant to believe that she is harmless, that her very participation in the revue is to be ignored. But she is not harmless. In fact, compared to Karen’s measly ninth, she is third. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2e/92/01/2e9201939be99064f6c45bc8e5871a93.png) Hints of her involvement are shown during Karen and Maya’s duel, a hilt of a sword, inconspicious enough, but upon closer inspection something we’ve yet to seen in any previous revues. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ee/18/1a/ee181a70df0244bf00853727bd75eaa3.png) If you’ve seen the opening then you’ll realize that the only one wielding that particular weapon is harmless, supportive Nana. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/aa/36/54/aa3654c9778c2309a3c1be1455ab2629.png) This illusion of harmlessness is further put to question by the end of episode 6, where she engages in an ominous monologue regarding the course of the revue. Then we learn more. The next episode starts with the 99th starlight, the same one Mahiru and Maya recalls before, but this time from Nana’s perspective. It is now clear how precious this particular production of Starlight is to her. Next Nana is shown taking pictures of her environment and her friends. Innocent enough, until we learn later on the root desire behind these actions. She wants to preserve these moments. When she’s brought into the revue, she given the chance to grant her wish. To this end, she fights with a ruthlessness which stuns even Maya, whom we’ve ascertained to be the strongest competitor. In return for winning, Nana is allowed to relive the previous year. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/85/40/c3/8540c34fae229e89cfc8641733ce7311.png) _Right about here, we realize how terrifying she really is_ While the implication this has on the narrative is huge (we go from a surreal anime, to full-on magical show), what is also huge is the implication on Nana’s character. No longer the passive side character, she is someone who is willing to trap everyone in time in an attempt to preserve her starlight. With each repetitive victories, she shows what she is willing to do to keep her time on loop. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/80/12/33/801233663622d16a03fa14afd1902c55.png) In fact, she repeats time so much that this tree had the chance to grow AND wither Hints of this obsession manifests even in the very first episode. From a nostalgic remark to her opposition to the change in the 100th starlight. Moments like these are present in every episode. Offhand dialogues or visual cue that seem innocent enough, but in hindsight hints at an important character development. And this applies to all the major characters. In a show where everyone competes, Nana’s drive serves as the perfect antithesis of Hikari’s, and by extension Karen’s struggle to improve and advance. Let’s discuss episode 8, where her arc and Hikari’s merge. Here she is the antagonist, though by no means a villain. She opposes the protagonist, Hikari, but not due to malicious intent. In fact, through the preceeding episodes, we understand her frankly symphatethic reasoning. She’s unwilling to move on. She tells Hikari that what she’s doing is for their collective good, but we know there’s more to it. The 99th Starlight was the time of her life. Nothing in her life had shone as bright, and nothing, so she fears, will ever shine as bright. She fought to protect the certainty of her Starlight, and she will not let Hikari lead her into an uncertain future. This culminates in what is arguably the series’ best revue. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/25/ba/6d25bad1b8176f5908efcced2360f32b.png) “I’ll protect those important to me, no matter how many times…” –Nana, Re:create And this isn’t even Nana’s episode, it is Hikari’s. The episode serves to set up Hikari as a character of her own, and it does so while integrating Nana, about whom we learned in the previous episode, as the perfect opposition, the one hurdle Hikari must overcome in order to rediscover her passion. After her defeat, the revue slips further from Nana’s grasp. She becomes noticeably somber. Finally she snaps, openly voicing her fears, to the surprise of those who knew her only as the ever cheerful Banana. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/bc/b6/febcb63f30164331c1b974877254579c.png) But this is much Karen’s episode as it is Nana’s. We are shown the story of Starlight, reaffirming Karen’s resolve to perform it with Hikari. In Nana and Karen’s revue she grows more desperate as the time she sought to preserve drifts further away, which is reflected in the tone of the insert song. “change brings about tragedy!” – Nana, Hoshiboshi no Kizuna Then comes the final confrontation. Karen arguing for progress, as Nana begs for things to stay the way they were. The insert song chimes in, echoing their respective voices. img350(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d8/62/7a/d8627a6623b6f510f740c9c3d7c57b1a.png) “I want to deliver you this newborn star.” –Karen “I just want to treasure and protect you.” –Nana, Hoshiboshi no Kizuna Following her defeat, Nana’s arc wraps up nicely with a dialogue with Junna, where she reconciles with her actions and accepts her past experiences, now truly in the past, as a part of her. After a good cry, she is ready move forward. 1 point for character arc, 1 point for the Junna-Nana ship. And mind you, all this for someone who is technically a side character. !~ That’s not to say that the show is not without its faults. The few words of spoken french are jarring to hear. But then again so is most spoken english in any anime. While the show may seem too absurd at times, it never gets in the way of the overall narrative, as long as you don’t question the details. Things like.. _So are they, like, allowed to kill each other?_ _Is the stage of fate a hidden part of the school, or does it materialize every time?_ _Is the academy secretly aware of the revues? Are the teachers the previous victors?_ _Are the revues actually battle duels, or only interpreted as such?_ _Do Karen not take fall damage?_ ~!_How are you supposed to cut a rope with a mace?_ _Which schools gets to have a revue? Does the giraffe select the school based on students, curriculum or accreditation?_ _Are all giraffes sentient magical beings? Are all of them evil?_ _If the tree is able to grow, does it mean the stage of fate exists in a separate time plane?_ _How old is Banana?_!~ In summary, Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight is many things. A high school drama, an action musical, a cute-girls show, a story of growth. It does each of these things well. But most of all it manages to be ALL these things very well without seeming pretentious. Is this show a fun watch? __Yes__. Is this show good? __More than it should be.__ Do I recommend this show? __Absolutely.__ ``
Theater has been one of my biggest passions for a long time now. I started performing in fundraising cabarets my dad would host for our local theater when I was ten, and when I finally started acting for real in high school, there was no going back. I have a deep and abiding love for the stage that surpasses pretty much every other hobby I indulge in, even writing about anime. I love acting, I love directing, I love playwriting, I love the process of watching a production pull together, I love watching a performance grow from the first tentative rehearsals to opening night, I love the struggle, I love the success, I love the chaos and nerves and catharsis, I. Love. Theater. And I’ve been so bummed for the longest time because as much as anime has to offer, I could never find an anime that was really able to explore that feeling. Japan clearly has a very different theater culture than the US; there are so few plays depicted in anime, and those few are rarely more than spectacle performances, broad depictions of broad stories that don’t really intend to dig into the meat of what makes this art so rewarding to explore. Sure, Bloom Into You has a pretty rewarding theater subplot, and Rakugo Shinju captures a lot of what makes performing so fascinating to me, but those are clear outliers. Ever since I started watching anime, I’ve been dying to find that one show that truly captures what it means to love theater, in all its impossibly high highs and unbearably low lows and everything in between. Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, the wait is finally over, and it was 100% worth it. Revue Starlight is the celebration of theater that I’ve been longing to get from anime ever since I discovered this medium. It’s a soaring, audacious testament to an art form that’s been near and dear to my heart for over a decade now, a riveting exploration of what drives people to reach for the stage and how the pursuit of the spotlight changes us. This show gets theater more fundamentally than I think I’ve ever seen. It understands the ambition that drives actors to compete for the spotlight, and the ways that ambition can both inspire and destroy us. It understands the importance of performance as a transient art, something that must constantly evolve and re-invent itself in the moment of its inception. It understands the fear of feeling like you don’t measure up, the despair of falling short to the standards you set for yourself, the thrill of building a story with your own hands, the numbness of feeling your passion start to sap away from too many false starts. It understands what makes creating for the stage such an exhilarating, terrifying place, the reason so many egos are drawn to speak their piece under the blinding lights yet struggle and break before the pressures it brings with it. There is so much that can be said about theater and those that pursue it, and Revue Starlight captures every single contradictory, chaotic aspect of it. The story centers around the girls of Seisho Music Academy, a private all-girl's school dedicated to training its students in the art of the stage. Their ambitions drive them all to seek the spotlight's glare, to prove their merit and become the brightest shining star of them all. But things take a turn for the weird when Karen Aijo, the good-natured spunky protagonist, discovers an unusual elevator hidden in the school walls and rides it down to an underground stage where her classmates battle each other in operatic duets under the watchful eye of a talking giraffe. No, I don't get why there's a giraffe either, but it's awesome. See, for those of you non-theater geeks out there, the high school theater scene- especially for musical theater- is one of the most cutthroat organizations you could be a part of outside the mafia. It takes a certain degree of ego to be an actor, a desire to show yourself off to an adoring audience and make them cheer as you command their attention. And when all those egos find themselves in conflict for a limited series of roles, ranging from leads to side characters to little more than glorified chorus members, the competition quickly becomes fierce, ruthless, and unforgiving. Revue Starlight’s genius central hook is taking that naturally competitive atmosphere and blowing it up into a full-on war for theatrical supremacy. The performance IS the battle, both literally and figuratively, and the egos that drive all these girls to want to be the Top Star mean that all their fellow classmates are now enemies to be overcome. Either you sing your heart out and take the center stage, or the curtain falls on you and shuts you off in darkness, forever doomed to lick the soles of the one true champion. There's a lot of commentary here on the Takarazaka Revue, a notoriously cutthroat Japanese theater company which similarly prizes the elevation of the leading role at the expense of everyone else, but the ideas here are universal enough to apply to anyone who's ever run the theater gauntlet. The desire to be The One, to stand in the spotlight and draw the audience's attention all on your own, is something that every theater kid feels deep within their souls, whether they want to or not. But that's where Karen comes in. Because she’s already learned the most important acting lesson ever, one that I took far too long to internalize: the stage is made to be shared. Unless you’re in a very specific one-man show, you never perform alone; you rely on your scene partners, the rest of the cast, the entire stage crew, and they all rely on you in turn. The show only goes on with everyone working together, and Karen, unlike the rest of the Stage Girls, is determined to be a star not just on her own, but by the side of someone she cares deeply for. That person in question is Hikari Kagura, Karen's childhood friend who's been off in England for years but has just transferred back to Seisho Academy to take part in the Underground Revue. Hikari is desperate to win for Karen's sake, seemingly knowing more about the potential dangers of the Revue than she lets on. But Karen wants to win for BOTH their sakes. They made a promise long ago that they would reach stardom together, and nothing's gonna stand in the way of that promise. After all, aren't the best shows the ones where everyone is doing their best to make the entire stage shine that much brighter? What truly lingers in my mind now that the curtain has finally dropped is how perfectly this show gets what makes theater not just fascinating, but meaningful. It understands how this art can truly shape the lives of those that pursue it; I see so many of my theater experiences reflected in these characters it’s terrifying. In Mahiru and Futaba, I see my admiration of my peers for all they’re able to accomplish and my desire to do them justice. In Junna and Kaoruko, I see my frustration at feeling outmatched by them no matter where I turn, striving to channel that burning envy into becoming a better actor and a better person. In Maya and Claudine, I see my desire to be more than just a solitary star, to balance my own ambition with the people I care for. In Nana, I see my desire to linger in my most rewarding moments forever, knowing that at some point I have to move on and keep evolving no matter how terrifying it is. In Hikari, I see my terror at losing faith in things I once believed so fully in, striving to find meaning when it seems to be slipping away. And in Karen, I see that spark alight again, that simple, excitable passion that drove me to the stage in the first place, still burning brightly no matter how many times it’s snuffed out. I see my fears, my hopes, my desires, my pains, my triumphs, my failures, writ large against this explosive backdrop of symbolism-drenched duels and literalized metaphors. Revue Starlight isn’t just a show about theater; it’s a show about what makes theater so goddamn important, and why it matters so goddamn much. And it’s in drawing meaning from those truths that this show doesn’t just excite and delight, but becomes something truly transcendent. By digging into the heart of this incredible art, Revue Starlight weaves a narrative of ambition and despair, change and evolution, love and redemption, and above all else, hope. It’s a story that rushes unflinchingly into the thicket of despair, exploring the inevitable transience of life and the terror that makes us brace against it with clear eyes and a burning soul. It lets us feel every last ounce of the weight of the world as it bears down on us, the terrifying promises of the future awaiting us in the darkness and the fear that it’s already too late to change it. It presents life as the ultimate performance, one where the script is uncertain and the roles are ever-changing, where the stage lights are glaring and every performance rages on with no safety nets and no way to go back. It can be so easy to give in to the pressures of life, to rage against the rolling tides of change and conflict until they drag you under to drown. But Revue Starlight knows that no matter what, the show must go on, because this is the only “now” you’ll ever have, and you deserve to make every moment shine. It’s a stunning portrait of the power of choosing your own destiny, of rejecting the scripts of the past and writing your story anew, of strutting your hour upon the stage alongside the people who make it worth standing there and forging fate with your own hands. And whether you’ve spent countless hours sweating in front of an audience or have never so much sung at karaoke night, the power of that message is sure to make your future feel that much brighter. Because this show- this incredible, awe-inspiring show- is a soaring triumph of everything that kind of brazen determination is capable of. It’s a riveting, exhilarating, exciting, giddy, spellbinding roller coaster ride, an endlessly entertaining action spectacle and an endlessly profound character drama that achieves every last spark of its own ambition. I marvel at its riveting direction, how flawlessly every scene flows into the next, how perfectly chosen every camera frame is, how spellbinding the action scenes are as they trumpet the show’s themes by way of an explosive musical theater bravura showcase. And I’m truly left speechless at the depths of its character writing, how fully realized and human its expansive cast feels, how quickly and deeply you come to understand and empathize with the stage girls who sweat it out for the honor of being chosen as top star. Every last one of them has more texture, nuance, growth, and personality packed into these twelve episodes than some full protagonists get in their entire run. I could spend ages hanging out with them and never run out of things to discover, or delight in, or marvel over. And the fact that they’re all so astronomically gay for each other is just the icing on the cake. This show really is Symphogear’s nerdier cousin, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Revue Starlight is a goddamn triumph. It sets itself impossibly high goals and achieves them with spectacular fireworks, seizing its own well-deserved spotlight as it weaves together countless threads into a single, astounding testament. I honestly have no major complaints to make; the only real nitpick I have is that a couple action scenes aren’t paced quite as well as they could be, and compared to everything else this show has to offer, that barely even registers. When all is said and done, Revue Starlight is a full-on masterpiece, a soaring tribute to the power and pressure of theater and a truly majestic rallying cry for the importance of forging the future with your own hands. Were it not for A Place Further Than the Universe, this would easily be the best anime of 2018, and it deserves so much more attention than it currently has. So if you’ve read this revue and haven’t yet watched Revue Starlight, now’s the time to fix that. Watch this goddamn show. Tell all your friends to watch it. Let’s give this incredible artistic achievement the attention it’s rightfully earned. I promise you, you won’t regret it.
En français et sans spoil la commu ! ** * J'étais pas sûr qu'un jour un animé ne batte Love Live!, Madoka ou Sora Yori dans mon kokoro (hihi) mais il semblerait qu’on ait trouvé un grand gagnant, qui va facilement BALAYER mes anciens épisodes favoris toute série confondue, là dans Revue Starlight 'fin, y'en a juste beaucoup trop. À partir de l'épisode 3 même pas ils sont tous masterclass. Jamais un animé ne m’aura autant captivé et mangé le cerveau que Revue Starlight, que ça soit pendant le visionnage et après, entre les énormes pavés de commentaires et d’analyses d’épisodes que j’ai lu sur reddit etc, que ça soit la nuit en y repensant, que ça soit la journée en voulant continuer ou simplement son impact émotionnel, ces trois jours pendant lesquels j’ai regardé Revue Starlight auront été incroyables. -> Brève intro : Hono… Karen Aijou, la quiche de sa classe dans une école de théâtre stylée, rêve de briller sur scène avec son amie d'enfance, Hikari. Cette dernière, partie étudier à l'étranger, fait soudainement son retour. Au même moment, des auditions battle-royalesques gérées par une girafe qui parle font leur apparition dans l'académie... -> Plot : Dit comme ça ça donne peut être pas mega envie, mais ça sera une erreur complète de s'arrêter là. L'anime est en fait une critique de la structure élitiste et individualiste d'une école de théâtre existante, et vous l'aurez deviné ça va parler d'amitié aussi LETS GOO. M'enfin bref, ça commence sur un style plutôt épisodique et mystérieux, avec un combat par épisode (oe les auditions c'est des 1v1 into classement), avec chaque épisode centré sur un perso ou deux, avant l'arrivée du véritable scénario vers les épisodes 6-8, où ça va vraiment devenir mind-blowning et un peu sombre, avec un côté Madoka au bordel, pour qu'ensuite le parallèle entre le scenar et la pièce au centre de l'animé, "Starlight", devienne beaucoup plus clair, et que Karen se pointe pour changer le système. À part ça l'anime se permet d'être vague par moments, ou de ne pas forcément être sensé à 100%, mais c'est toujours parfaitement géré car tout de même organisé, quand ça arrive y'a une raison, souvent liée aux thèmes de l'anime. Faudra certainement pas ergoter sur la mécanique des combats, ils sont avant tout symboliques et montrent la motivation (surtout) et le talent des filles plus que leur habileté à se foutre sur la gueule. Je conseille d'aller lire les discussions d'épisodes reddit ainsi que les articles de ce site (https://formeinfullbloom.wordpress.com/) après chaque épisode, pour ne rien rater. 10/10 -> Personnages : Là ils ont fait forts, 12 épisodes et 9 persos, tous développés décemment, et tous appréciables (et c'est un bien petit mot) et apportent toutes considérablement à l'histoire, par leurs ambitions et leurs rapports, rapports entre chacune qui sont très réussis, entre les deux amies d'enfance qui chassent leur rêve , les 2 favorites rivales dépendantes, etc etc, le truc stylé c'est que personne n'est seul ! Sauf une dans un sens, mais c'est en lien avec le plot twist, et son arc va servir aussi à lui montrer qu'elle n'est pas si seule que ça (c'est beau). Y'a donc un côté dépendant entre les persos malgré leur rivalité qui est super cool, ça donne une dynamique bien solide entre les filles, qui restent potes malgré tout (c'est beau x2). La façon d'explorer leurs problèmes à chacune m'a passionné, même un perso qui a l'air aussi oubliable que Mahiru son épisode où elle réalise à travers quoi elle brille est brillant (facile celle là), traitant également du thème de la jalousie. Autre élément sympa : la comparaison enfance/présent de Karen et Hikari, et leur évolution depuis leur promesse. 10/10 (sans surprise) -> Visuels : Alors ici, c'est assez impressionnant. Mis à part l'épisode 10, qui reste clean, c'est movie quality constamment, sakuga sur sakuga, c'est beau (le pire c'est que j'ai vu la version TV, pas le blu-ray, je compte le voir aussi). Ajoutons aussi la mise en scène et un peu de symbolisme toujours réfléchis sur des combats surréalistes mais avec une logique dans l’histoire et un sens, en plus des chara designs très propres, c'est juste parfait. 10/10 -> Audio : Encore un animé qui sait ce qu'il fout, en plus d'être rempli de bangers les inserts sont dans le thème des combats, que ça soit sur la vibe ou les paroles, et vont toujours parfaitement avec la scène. RE:CREATE énorme banger en plus d'avoir des lyrics magnifiques (mais tous les inserts sont cleans, voire incroyables), pis sinon l'OP est giga clean et l'ED est un clin d'œil vraiment sympa à celui d'Evangelion, d'ailleurs les visus de l'ending ont un sens différent à chaque EP. Point que sûrement tout le monde a oublié au profit des inserts, les OST piano sont magnifiques, à un tel point que t'as envie de poser une larme pour rien des fois. Niveau VA c'est du propre aussi, y'a quand même Aiai et Mimorin, mais les autres aussi sont très bonnes. 10/10 -> Enjoyment perso : Ça faisait bien longtemps qu'un animé ne m'avait pas autant passionné, faut dire que je m'étais spoil et que grâce à ça EP4 j'avais déjà posé un 10/10. En plus même pas le temps de se faire chier, y'a des combats juste parfaits (avec du blabla stylé), on s'en lasse pas. Donc oe fun fact c'est mon animé fav, failli poser une larme à chaque épisode quoient. 10/10 -> Overall : Eh bien quelle surprise c'est un sans faute ! C'est une démonstration parfaite de la supériorité de l'union sur l'individualisme, sous plusieurs angles même ! On a eu le droit au classique à deux on est plus fortes !! mais aussi au côté briller à travers quelqu'un qu'on supporte ou grâce à la rivalité (vraiment Maya/Claudine incroyable exemple de rivalité positive où les deux se tirent vers le haut), la poursuite d'un rêve malgré le conformisme du système (d'ailleurs on a des confrontations entre celles qui se plient au système qui les avantage, et celles qui le défient), ça tourne beaucoup autour de trouver ce qui nous permet de briller sous différents aspects ainsi que de l'idée de s'affranchir d'un système donné, mais aussi le fait de ne pas détruire les autres quand on se construit (justement ce qui est pointé par l'anime) par exemple. On a même aussi l'acceptation du caractère éphémère des bons moments de la vie (comme dans Love Live! LETS GOO). 'Fin bref tout est parfaitement fait, à tel point que c'en est impressionnant, Revue Starlight s'impose donc comme le roi des animés, à voir absolument. 10/10 et très très hâte pour le film
_This review is spoiler-free._ #___Just under a decade ago: July 2012.___ Madman Entertainment have just announced that they will partnering with Australian TV station, ABC, to begin showing anime on their network during their night time schedules. This was split between ABC2 (now known as ABC TV Plus), the more mature channel with content targeted at adults, and ABC3 (now known as ABC ME), which was their kids channel. I was 9 years old, so I mainly stuck to this kids channel. When this partnership was announced, I didn't think much of it, but my older brother had heard about this "anime" thing from one of his friends and was interested to see what it was all about, so he initially told me about it and I mostly just thought "I'll check it out if you are, I guess". ABC3's anime schedule was set to begin on July 22nd, starting with Ouran High School Host Club and __Fruits Basket__ airing every Sunday from the 22nd, and Vampire Knight starting on Saturday of the following week (the 28th). #___Sunday, July 22nd, 2012.___ That night was the night I'd first try out an anime aside from like... Pokémon and stuff like that. Fruits Basket was the first in the time slot, my brother decided to wait (but fell asleep) because he wasn't interested in Fruits Basket due to it being a "girly anime" (he's not like that anymore). I... decided to give it a chance. That's where it all started. I LOVED Fruits Basket, I had nobody to talk to it about, but I loved it and that's all that mattered. That's why I'm here today. Fruits Basket birthed my love, my passion, for anime almost 10 years ago now. However, you're not here to hear about Fruits Basket. You're here for Revue Starlight. There's a reason for all of this backstory. I promise. Recently, like most modern anime watchers, I've grown accustomed to waiting for new seasonal releases throughout the years hoping to find the odd gem or two. However, since I first decided to give seasonal anime a look back in 2016 (and found 3-gatsu no Lion, which remains my #1 anime to this day)... those gems have become much, MUCH fewer and further between. #___Anime is losing it's soul.___ The anime industry has lost a lot of it's drive for passion, that much is clear. It's all about the money now; how many 12 episode trend-hopping trash-fests you can push out per year _simply because they sell._ It's become increasingly hard to find anime projects that __feel__ passionate. That make you _feel_ something... almost _real._ In the last year... I've been struggling to enjoy anime. I take long, multiple week at a time breaks from seasonals, have left shows on hold for nearly a full year, and have starting dropping shows or just avoiding them more than ever before. The creator of Gundam, Yoshiyuki Tomino, made a statement on this recently, talking about how the anime industry is falling behind due to more focus on profit than quality. It had me asking myself a very sad question recently: _Why can't I love anime anymore?_ #___Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The answer I needed.___ I was wrong. I still think the anime industry is losing touch, but... I can still love anime. I went into Revue Starlight knowing nothing other than the fact that Kenjirou Tsuda had a... unique voice role. A friend of mine, who is a big fan of Revue Starlight, was talking in my Discord server about English subtitles on the new movie (which I've also watched and plan to review soon), and he told me that now was a good time to get into the series. I thought... "yeah, why not?" So I sat down, and I watched. One episode became 3. 3 days later, (had internet issues for the next 2 days) "just a few episodes, maybe" became the rest of the series. Why? Because for the first time since _Yagate Kimi ni Naru_ in 2018, I... fell in love with a series. I grew attached to it's characters. __I felt the passion that went into this work.__ _I love Revue Starlight._ #___The elements of Revue Starlight I love.___ The passion I feel coming from _Revue Starlight_ is... everywhere. The story, the characters, the art and animation, the music, the voice acting. Everything. I loved the characters and how they fit into the story. I thought them all having their unique, established dynamics, relationships and, most importantly, motivations was excellent. It was a hard decision, but Junna ended up being my favourite character. I love her passion, her energy, her cute dorkiness... but her motivation and determination really resonated with me. I... understood her desires to aim for the top, and I thought it was truly a beautiful sentiment to keep that desire despite the insurmountable odds. In general, I love that they gave every character the attention that they did, they took advantage of their episode limit and structure to give each character their own development and monologue while still keeping the pace in check. The voice acting for each character was excellent, most of the voice actors in the series are relatively new to the scene. Everything these characters said felt so... grounded, like it wasn't just acting, but real people speaking their minds. Whether it was soft, friendly conversation or battles of spoken word... the lines were delivered beautifully. The music. Oh, THE MUSIC. Yoshiaki and Tatsuya did amazing jobs on the OST. Memorable tunes, their own unique styles while still keeping the theme and they ALWAYS the set the right mood very well for each scene. All of the performers seemed to know exactly what they were making and always pushed out the perfect music for each moment the music was needed. The OP, ED and Revue songs were also very well written pieces of music. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE the fact the Revue songs flesh out what the characters are thinking through their lyrics, it added so much to already well written characters. I like that the meaning of the lyrics is further reinforced by visuals, ranging from the direct to very obscure symbolism, many delving deeper than just the characters and even into their VAs interests. The art and animation... where do I even start? Unique character designs, a defined style, detailed backdrops... all of that on top of the beautifully smooth animation during the Revue scenes. I've talked so much about passion already, but the visuals here show passion similar to studios who have been for DECADES for putting heaps of passion into the visuals of their works. I could talk more specifically about elements, and give scores on each of them, but I've done that on other reviews before, but... now, I don't feel like a number is quite enough. Instead... I have something else I want to talk about. #___What is passion?___ More accurately... what does passion mean to me? Passion is a symbol of love and admiration. Something I'm not afraid to loud and proudly say I'm passionate about. _Something I'll never be afraid to love._ In media, something that impacted me so strongly that it makes me want to talk about just how much I love it, how much it impacted me... so much, I'll allow my love to flow over and I'll have to tell somebody about why I love it. On that night all those years ago, an anime from one brilliant mind gave somebody as alone as I once was something to love. So many years later, when I thought my love was fading... _Revue Starlight_, it's meaning, it's passion, it's... shine, all coming into my life and making me realise that my love can still thrive no matter how much things seem to be put into place to stop that. 2 weeks ago, there were two anime _right_ at the top of my favourites that had something to separate them from those under it. Those two were _3-gatsu no Lion_ and _Yagate Kimi ni Naru_. I hold them so highly because they mean something genuine to me. In 2016, _3-gatsu no Lion_ helped me realise that I wasn't suffering alone. I was still going through the motions coping with the gravity of the loss of one of the most important people in my life... who barely even remembered me before she left us. This, and all of the other things happening in my disaster of a childhood. _Yagate Kimi ni Naru_ helped me come to terms with my sexuality and taught me a lot about emotions and the pressure I felt. I didn't think anybody would accept me, because I could barely accept myself. Today... there are 3. _Revue Starlight_ joined them. _Revue Starlight_ taught me so much about ambition, about emotions, about determination... about finding something that means the world to me, my own star, and pursuing it. If I fall, I'll get back on my feet. If I'm not enough, I'll work as hard as I can to become enough. If I fail, I'll pursue it over and over again until I get right. Alone or with the people I care about, I'll pursue my star; my dreams. If you've made it this far: thank you. This review is a bit of a mess since I'm still collecting my thoughts on the sequel movie. This was more of a general review talking about how Revue Starlight has revived my passion and love for anime, and may have talked more generally than specifically talked about Revue Starlight. I'll be reviewing the movie tomorrow (_Edit: LMAO_), and I'm aiming to make that a more specific review with a bit more of an analytical element to it. _- Chiribei_
__Quick disclaimer: This review contains spoilers __ My first thought while going into Revue was, “Hmm… an idol SoL show, perhaps with a hint of drama. I think this’ll be a nice comfort watch.” Twenty minutes into the first episode, I realised that I was completely wrong. I saw two girls from the cast fighting it out in a “revue”, complete with a song dance, vying for the position of Top Star. Given how I had just started watching the show, the weirdness of of the entire situation (case in point, the giraffe who watching the girls) gave my inert brain an overwhelming amount of information that it needed to process in an instance. Despite perhaps not understanding everything that is going on, the show’s unorthodox execution grew on me quite quickly. Starting off with the technical components, I must compliment the show’s visuals. It looks absolutely gorgeous at times, and the introduction sequences never fail to hype me up. Moreover, the entire part where Karen’s uniform gets made and she gets changed (I think it’s a henshin sequence?) is probably one of my favourite pieces of reused animation in anime. Huge props to the visual storytelling of Revue, which was absolutely ripe with visual metaphors, parallels and other artistic devices that would even impress someone like Ikuhara. The music too was fantastic overall, it set the tone for every particular revue very well, which themselves were very aptly to reflect their participants and their circumstances. Moreover, the OP song was a jam as well, and I absolutely loved how they changed the ED visuals almost every episode to reflect the “protagonist” of that episode. After the first episode, even though revues became commonplace, the show always gave priority to its characters, which was a huge relief to me. Revue has a pretty decent sized cast for a single cour show, but all of them felt almost equally important, not only to the plot, but also to each other. The characters were all presented in pairs, and each pair felt more like a couple to be honest. Basically, what I’m trying to say is the romantic chemistry between the characters was quite strong for a show that wasn’t explicitly yuri (even though your definition may vary). To the show’s credit, it played in very well with the actual plot of Starlight (the play), which is a story of love, separation and tragedy. My favourite character was probably Banana-San, she was pretty bananice. Futaba was a close second. I liked her because first, I like tomboys and second, I was a fan of her character arc where she learned to shrug off her master (who I hate), who she felt indebted to, and finally reached for her true ambition. The show had a very unique episode structure, where the episodes felt kinda disjointed but somehow it all seemed to flow. I think this is a good representation of how exceedingly nuanced Revue’s writing is; in fact, the structure is very reminiscent of another one of my favourite shows, Sonny Boy. It makes great use of the “show, don’t tell” technique because the anime never really ever hands anything to the audience on a silver platter, which is what makes the show’s analysis interesting. Now the real elephant in the room- or should I say the giraffe in the room- has to be the themes. Revue tries to do a lot of things, and I can say with complete confidence that I am probably either misinterpreting it or missing some vital information. However, in my opinion, Revue is about passion and how crucial it is to aim for an ambition without losing what makes it part of your identity. Aside from that, there is an obvious focus on relationships and how one can bend the rules to prioritize connections over “following the script”. I was initially thinking that Revue is just a massive metaphor for the journey of life, but that doesn’t make much sense now that I think about it. In conclusion, Revue is an exhilarating mess of emotions and genres: it manages to be profound and fun; thrilling and relaxing; action packed and CGDCT-esque at the same time. I can’t think of many criticisms for it, aside from the fact that it sometimes lacked clarity in conveying its themes because of the aforementioned ‘doing too many things at once’, which was a problem that was especially prevalent in the strangely abstract finale. TLDR: Amazing show, go watch it
The stage, and by proxy the world, draws us in and gives us purpose But so do we shape the stage and thus the world And so do we give it purpose Life is a personal experience, passions formed from within us Many can be selfish and greedy at times But to deny the communal aspect of life and passions is to deny life itself Our glimmers are ours yet they can merge with others, bounce off of them, reflect them, change them, morph them and morph with them, and be reborn. img220(https://i2.wp.com/www.animefeminist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/8812c2e1dcbaa6d553f688d2179d796e.png?fit=810%2C453&ssl=1) Our starlight is not some unreachable top spot, but life itself and those people in it, is reaching for it. A work that is far from perfect, with arguably rather thin character writing for a lot of the cast, but so committed to its grand exploration of the stage and passion, and by proxy life and human connections, that it comes across as oh so sincere and powerful. As much as several characters may embody specific tropes and dynamics, it works within the theatrical nature of the show, and their tropes and dynamics feel earned and earnest. Simplicity can hit hard when done right. The character writing, which could be seen as thin, becomes a lens to explore certain feelings, with the theatrical backdrop to express them. Characters such as Banana are of particular note here, and the way the show choses to explore her character tendencies, and how this in turn impacts others, and the thematic messages of the show around critiquing its brand of competition, and urging the importance of healthy human connection. Pairs may have dynamics, but they can be healthy ones A work that suffered from a messy production, barely scraping though, yet that pulled out all the stops when needed. A work of such theatrical heart, and straightforward yet resultantly honest bombast and thematic care. Ambitious and not always successful, but incredible for when it is. Love and connection transcending barriers. If I was to sell anyone on this show I would simply tell them to watch the first episode, show them screenshots and clips of all the moments where the team were able to truly pull off the Revue scenes like they wanted. However, the show truly shines through with its end. Alongside _Kyousougiga_ and other favourites, this reaffirms a large part of my love for anime as a medium. Simple yet resonant tales told with such care and grandeur. Grand visuals for a straightforward (yet resultantly grand) heart. Fantasy and maximalist art as a lens to express. A show who’s thematic power is summed up in one very short scene built up to right at the end, now one of my favourite scenes in anything ever. A change in perspective. See the mentioned scene below: ~!webm(https://blog.sakugabooru.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/nsfw.mp4)!~ ~!Reach not for the stars alone, but first for the hands beside you!~ Grasping for the stars yet staying grounded, Revue Starlight is an ambitious work that certainly stole my heart.
I fully understand why someone may enjoy Revue Starlight. And I can't in all honesty call the show outright bad... but the score reflects my personal enjoyment, and so it is the way it is. This revue (yeah I fucking did that) will be focused mainly on the writing aspect of the show, as I think the other aspects have already been talked about to death, and frankly I don't think I have anything to add. I don't hold that high value for the visuals or the direction, in fact I think both fall flat in many cases, but in order to properly dissect each of those I'd have to clip and display many parts of the show, which would incidentally make this no longer a spoiler-free review, while also making me do a ton of work that I'm not interested in doing. I'm a wannabe writer, not an artist or an encoding junkie. But anyway. Revue Starlight is very appealing to certain demographics, especially to moe or idol lovers, and while it does not directly fit those either category I'd say it shares enough elements to call it "adjacent" to them. The structure of the show, the comedy, the themes, the visual aesthetic, and everything under the sun. I'd be very hard-pressed to find fans of Revue Starlight who aren't already fans of either category, or fans of either category who also enjoy Revue Starlight. And that's where the problem starts to show. When I read about Revue Starlight many years ago, I had the impression that it would be much similar to Revolutionary Girl Utena, but in a more modern stance, putting its own twist on it, much like Penguindrum but more extreme as it was made by different creators. What I _actually_ received was far off; it learns the wrong lesson from Utena and is filled with those modern anime tropes I so dearly hate. ~~~__The Meat__~~~ The first three episodes are what I'd probably call the worst in the entire show. It took me months to recover my motivation to watch anime again. While they introduce the main narrative of the main characters, it also places a much larger focus on the slice of life aspects than the rest of the show. This is, of course, an attempt to familiarize the audience with the characters' normal outer selves before delving into their deeper desires and character flaws. I do have an inherent problem with this approach, _however_ it's become so commonplace these days that I simply can't fault a modern show that has this modern trope. A critique of post-K-ON slice of life can come another day (or never, really). These first three episodes gave me the impression that the _rest_ of the show would also be structured similarly to these first three: the main characters are always present, and the show would, through them, develop the side characters, eventually closing off with the last couple episodes being dedicated solely to the main characters, with a lot of slice of life in between. Still campy and safe, but at least mildly interesting depending on what they do with the characters. The show turned into exactly what I was afraid of: a day in the limelight episodes which you could even go so far as characterize as lower-deck episodes. While the connotations of both terms are rather negative, in the anime industry depending on the genre they can be quite common. Though just the inherent function of them still stands true; it's a "low-effort" way to develop your side characters without having to so much as _use_ the main characters. And this makes total sense, it becomes much harder to portray a close story with a side character when you have to somehow write the main character into the mix. But the resulting narrative is disconnected and muddled. You have many backstories and side stories that all serve just to fit the bare minimum of what it means to "develop" a character, but the connection to the main story of the main characters is so _thin_ that if it had not existed then not much would be lost. So, in order to combat this, Revue Starlight introduces a solution that causes even _more_ problems. _Every_ character must reach the limelight, have a glimmer, have the passion to be the best, want to be the best. _Every_ character is connected to the main theme, _every_ character has the _same_ motivation. Repeated and repeated every episode ad infinitum for the rest of the show as if the show doesn't trust that you'll understand its theme unless it's repeated twelve times. In this way, it's all "connected" back to the same theme, the same goal. A _literal_ goal, not a metaphorical one. Now excuse me if this becomes crass but _what_ is the point of writing a show where every character has the same motivation by the end of their character arc if not to be completely safe with its own concept? Am I so wrong for being pissed off at the fact that characters start off the episode interesting and end up being fit into the exact same mold as everyone else, practically becoming identical statues which are only differentiated by the various comedic "quirks" they hold? What the fuck is the point of shoving the same theme through every character, a theme which is so empty that I can only describe it as "unbridled optimism," a theme which holds so little complexity it can be understood by a five year old through reading one picture book? What you risk when you make narrative changes to the characters is the stability of a show. If sit-coms, for example, had character narrative arcs end in ways that impact the structure of the show, or their appearance on the show, the writing would have to change around it. Perhaps the absence of the character produces different dynamics among the cast. Perhaps the narrative arc changed the character so drastically that their dialogue with the other characters has to be different from when it used to. And so where does Revolutionary Girl Utena fit into this at all? It simply _did not solve the original problem_, or you could say it _diverted_ the problem. Instead of making the episodes entirely about the side characters, it uses the main character as the _solution_, or to be more concrete as the ending point for the episode narrative arc. This way, the connection can range from being extremely thin (as in Utena Tenjou is only the solution) to a close connection (Utena Tenjou is both the solution _and_ directly related to the arc at hand). By the end of the episode, Utena _must_ win. Utena is the _only_ winner, regardless of the ambition of the other characters. But this still doesn't fully answer the question. All Utena characters are striving to "revolutionize the world." Such a system sounds very similar to Revue Starlight's stage. All of them must duel each other in order to reach this one same goal. That is, unless you devoid the _goal_ from being _literal_ in the first place. This is Revue Starlight's final nail in the coffin: the lack of allegory. Revolutionary Girl Utena's narrative works so well because to "revolutionize the world" does not mean to _actually_ cause revolution within the real world and change societal structures. Instead, it's a metaphor for self-actualization for the character, for _growth_ of the character. It no longer becomes a battle for the top, but rather a battle for the self, and it's not competitive amongst the cast; rather, it is entirely _individual_. Again, Utena _must_ win. She is the _only_ winner. Thus, by extension, every character must lose. By losing, they lose both the flaw _and_ the motivation to "revolutionize the world." They grow into a _distinct_ character, who no longer holds the same obsession as everyone else. Revue Starlight voids this fact and takes it much too literally; while the stage itself is not grounded in practical reality, the _goal_ is. It's tangible, and something genuinely obtainable that will have real-world effects, as demonstrated in one of the character narratives throughout the series. While it's possible to attempt to attach allegories to this goal and the Starlight stage itself, the simple fact that this is so grounded in reality stops those interpretations from holding much weight. Unlike Revolutionary Girl Utena, this fight is not centered around the individual act of self-growth, but rather an _actual_ fight for this "wish," and how only "one" can attain it. The moments of "growth" are not a loss of their past selves, but rather how they regain their "glimmer," or their motivation to attain this goal. This is __not__ character development. I cannot, in all good sense, say that a character has gone through development when the basis of an episode is about removing a part of their character they've had _since the start of the show_, and the episode is about them regaining it, ending up in the same place they've started. This is literally just resetting characters so you can expose their backstories in a way that doesn't feel forced, except in doing so it just makes it feel even more forced. However, applying this to all characters would make this a disingenuous statement. Because there is one genuine exception. A character arc that spanned three episodes, and while [many](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/673995047192100914/1013201438576484372/unknown.png), and I mean _[many](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/673995047192100914/1013201493165363272/unknown.png)_ ironic statements are spouted about change during this arc, it does break its own mold in a way I didn't expect. It did not particularly blow me away with depth, as the subject matter/motivation at hand is for one overplayed in the medium, and secondly it doesn't play its cards in a way that you wouldn't expect upon the first episode of the arc. But I think its existence gives me at least some hope that Revue Starlight was aware of the issues it itself produced in the earlier episodes, and decided to give us at least ONE shining hope... even if the moment the arc ends, they go back to the exact same slice of life interactions and jokes they've had since the start of the show. Sigh. I fucking hate bananas. The best way I can describe Revue Starlight characters is by taking a couple cardboard boxes, painting them different colors and stamping different addresses on them. Making sure they're closed. One by one I open them to reveal what's inside. They're equally empty. The audience then goes and picks the box they think looks the prettiest or has the funniest address stamped on it. (The rest of this has been redacted because I seem to have made a mod mad enough to read this review.) ~~~__The Ending__~~~ I've tried my best to keep it spoiler-free thus far, but this is where I'm going to dip my toes into a bit of spoilers. I never expected to even need this section, but I must thank Revue Starlight for giving me more content to write. A lot of the ending surrounds, as is par for the course with this show, a repetition of events that came before. Once again, Karen has to chase Hikari because of their promise, but this time... uh, this time... it's the same thing? I seriously cannot see the narrative difference between these two arcs in what they accomplish, except for the fact that the latter takes place at the end of the show and looks more grandiose. It also introduces elements clearly inspired by Puella Magi Madoka Magica, swapping some of the roles around, but misunderstanding why it worked so well, and instead forcibly inserting it for window dressing's sake I guess? But I think, above all, what pisses me off more about the ending is the fact that Revue Starlight tries to have its cake and eat it too. As is usual for episodic/weekly formatted shows, the beginning introduces the plot so all the episodic stuff afterwards has something to piggyback off of. We've already gone over this, but what episodic shows _also_ tend to do is have a plot at the end as well, usually spanning a couple of episodes. This plot will usually turn a comedic tone into a serious one, abandoning the format of "episodic" altogether as the episodes will be parts of a plot. This plot will likely have drastic consequences and changes to the actual show, in ways that, if the show were to continue past this point by means of a sequel or something else, it would be completely changed. Revue Starlight does not necessarily follow the weekly structure, as narrative arcs can span multiple episodes already, however the overarching unchanged structure of the show I mentioned before would make Revue Starlight more than qualify for being called as such. What I _didn't_ expect was for slice of life scenes to be inserted into this plot, which are by and far episodic elements. I genuinely do not understand why the show breaks its _own_ established tension and tone for this ending plot to show these scenes. And they happen at the worst possible times, like for example an episode will start with a slice of life scene despite the previous episode ending on a massive cliffhanger. It's not like these scenes contribute anything either, as the dialogue spoken is exactly as implied; just a slice of their life, nothing else. It fucking baffles me. Why are you trying so hard to pander to the part of the audience who enjoys this type of content, when you know it's going to break the genuine storytelling happening in the ending? At the very least I can give Revue Starlight credit for being so blatant in the fact that a movie or some kind of sequel was going to exist. The actual final scenes did not really resolve much. The show wanted the audience to feel like the ending was deserved, but not to the point of conclusive. It wants the audience to crave more of Revue Starlight. In my case, endings like these only make me feel unsatisfied and bitter toward the actual show. Instead of actually giving me a satisfying ending and _then_ giving me more content through the movie ala End of Evangelion, or to further the point Adolescence of Utena, the show leaves things out in what I can only call a marketing ploy. I've said enough. Do me a favor and watch Adolescence of Utena.
*NOTE: This review was written as part of my AP Literature & Composition practice, and as such, might appear rushed (I timed myself 40 minutes). __PROMPT: It has often been said that what we value can be determined only by what we sacrifice. Consider how this statement applies to a character from a novel or play. Select a character that has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the particular sacrifice illuminates the character’s values and provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole. __ Sacrifices define people; in ways, giving up things in search for truth instills a sense of self-growth within humans. One person might "give up" a treasured avocation in pursuit of more instructional, pedagogical activities; another might "exchange" their hard-earned money to purchase something of equivalent importance—a car, perhaps. _Revue Starlight_, an animated series directed by Tomohiro Furukawa, is a show that fantastically links sacrifices as tragic representations of selves. As we follow Hikari Kagura, a character plighted by departure yet linked by promise, in her unending quest to discover her relationship with Aijo Karen, she ultimately imprisons herself in hopes of preserving the other stage girl's glimmer, showcasing that sometimes, the only way to protect what one wishes for most is to relinquish all they have. "Things may not always be as they seem" is a wide-spread phrase that, frankly, could not appear more true in _Revue Starlight_'s exposition. Although the withdrawn, taciturn Hikari Kagura initially avoids Karen when she first transfers to Seisho Music Academy, it is later revealed that she cares intimately for her, as she is bound by a powerful promise—a promise to "Starlight together"—made when they were mere children. Knowing that the Revue Auditions pilfer away stage girls' glimmer upon losing once, Hikari tries to thwart Karen's performances, establishing glints of protection from a very early point in the show. As the story progresses and the breadth between the two stage girls begins to close, Hikari becomes increasingly impressed by Karen's "shine," perhaps because of the strong bonds they created as children. In her transition from shy to affectionate regarding the two stage girls' heavily-contextualized relationship, the director accurately portrays Hikari's relationship with Karen as something uniquely special, making Hikari's prospective self-sacrifice tragic all while supporting the idea that things are not always as they seem. When Hikari and Karen's promise draws closer to its denouement, Hikari becomes agitated. Though Kirin, the enigmatic spokesperson behind the Revue Auditions, states that the final performances will be held in the form a duet, she cannot help but be wary—after all, Starlight is meant to be a path of solitude, not a place where two stage girls can shine together. When it is revealed that Hikari must battle Karen in one last, final Revue Audition, many things course through the two girls' minds—but Hikari, reminiscent of their journeys, hardships, and pent-up aspirations in playwright, only entertains one thought: self-sacrifice. By surrendering, and thus, imprisoning herself in an eternal, bleak desert, bereft of both shimmer and stage, the audience becomes wholeheartedly engrossed in Tomohiro Furukawa's tragic, yet influential message: that, in pursuit of eternal smiles, one must be prepared to give up the things they wish for most—in this case, Hikari Kagura's dreams of shining on the most glistening, resplendent stage of all.
~~~Now I’ll admit, I’m not really into musical anime. While I do appreciate the ideas of music used in any show, most of the time, they felt one-sided and too gimmicky for my personal liking. At least to me, the use of musicals isn’t really executed well due to how they’re portrayed as background themes instead of story purposes. But there’s one anime that caught my attention and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. Of course, I’m referring to arguably KineCi’s best show, Revue Starlight. When I started watching this, I was keeping my expectations in check for the most part solely because again, my stances with musical anime. But as soon as I finished the show (and gave it a re-watch because why not?), I have come to appreciate the passion and creativity this show holds. --- The story is about two girls named ‘Karen’ and ‘Hikari’ who watched a stage performance of 9 girls in a group called “Starlight” and both were amazed by each of the girl’s performances. As time passed, the two girls were in high school and made friends with 7 other girls. While the 9 girls do their standard school activities, Karen discovers a secret room which is a stage for the Starlight and the other girls are part of it. And with that, the 9 girls are dancing and singing in a battle of who will take the victory. Revue Starlight has a lot of enticing ideas that it explores well. On the surface, the storytelling barely made any sense. Sure, it’s one of the more unique musical anime out there but it’s just a bunch of girls fighting each other on a stage with some cool shit thrown together. And you know what? You’re technically right. From the looks of it, Revstar isn’t really taken literally. The scriptwriting seems odd and the characterization looks pretty funny. Which is why we have yet to observe this show’s biggest charm, its take on symbolic elements. Think about it, Revstar doesn’t have traditional storytelling, to begin with, regardless of what premise it holds. Instead, it has its figurative meaning about how the girls are driven by their own determination and philosophies. It really shows how the characters are trying very hard to prove that their strengths are way more than average and how they can voice out their very own colors. The show does a fantastic job nailing those aspects. It presents just how human and colorful the cast is no matter the situation. It feels like I’m watching another Ikuhara anime and yes, this show isn’t really directed by Ikuhara himself but this is SO IKUHARA that it’s a CRIME if one says otherwise. The script writing may be complicated but it’s directed brilliantly because it doesn’t take itself seriously alongside creating more room for the cast to show more personality. Normally, I would consider fight scenes to be superficial but I can’t stress enough how HARD the choreography holds. In most cases, it’s fine if you make fight scenes pieces of popcorn entertainment. After all, you want to keep viewers entertained, even if writing won’t do justice. But you can make them better if you elect to combine them with storytelling. In this respect, Revstar is the best at that. Not only is the action portrayed well with a combination of physical clashing and over-the-top movements but the dialogue is, again, driven by adrenaline and true human emotions. It nails how girls perform on a stage and how they want to be the star of the dance extremely well. In the Starlight auditions, you need a lot of effort in order to prove that you hold enough will and justice, both in your script and your dance performances. The cast is the best at showing those kinds of factors. --- Speaking of which, it’s time we talk about the cast. Karen is an excellent protagonist who shows how you can hold any sense of determination. She isn’t your average Shoujo main character by any means, she always has enough physical and emotional strength to present to you how you can be deemed to be a guardian angel. The same goes for Hikari, who even though Karen is fantastic as both an MC and a character, felt like the true protagonist of the show. Other characters also deserve special mention. Mahiru may be a psycho (a harmless one at that) but I absolutely love her relationship with Karen, even though it’s silly. Junna’s kindness towards anyone she mostly interacts with is something I really admire. Claudine and Maya probably have some of the most philosophical chemistry with each other I’ve ever seen when it comes to making a female equivalent of a bromance (I really don’t know what it’s called, please help). Kaoruko’s combination of laziness and surprisingly high knowledge of the stage makes her a fantastic character. Futaba was a little disappointing, though. I do love her princely behavior and her chemistry with Kaoruko but she doesn’t click me as much as the other characters. But even if some tend to be my least favorite of the bunch, I adore all the girls equally due to their own unique and enjoyable charms. However, if one stands out the most for me in a way that makes the most definitions of what special means, I have to give it to Nana. She isn’t just an honorary shadow figure, she IS THE honorary shadow figure in animanga. The fact that she’s very kind for the most part only to reveal her true colors in the auditions is what really holds my attention. In fact, her selfishness is easily the best part of the show. Nana is a diehard idol who spent all of her effort trying to stand on top of others. What makes her extremely special is how she is very dedicated to the Starlight stages yet doesn’t overstay her welcome. Despite all the hassle she brings when she’s brought into the auditions, she still retains most, if not, all of her kindness. --- Talking about the story and characters is fun and all but let’s talk about the art and sound. The production really surprised me. When I saw the words “KineCi” and “animation” put together, I always thought they would do okay. Not the worst but not the greatest either. But with Revstar, the animation is clean and smooth. The physical moments are over-the-top yet balanced at the same time, all while also containing very pleasing visuals. I don’t want to disregard the aesthetics either. In my opinion, Revstar has the best character designs out of any anime. Not only do the characters look distinct and dynamic but they also fit well with each character’s personality and dancing style. The music, most notably the stage ones, is incredible. The amount of energy put into and used with them is just amazing. They also represent the characterizations of every character wonderfully. Same with the voice acting. --- __STORY - 93% CHARACTERS - 94% ART - 90% SOUND - 100%__ --- There’s more I could talk about but all I can say is that Revue Starlight is just fantastic. I find it sad that it has gotten a reputation as a hit-or-miss and I could totally understand why. It’s not for everyone. Its take on symbolic elements may confuse those who aren’t familiar with its story structures. But personally, this show has a lot of great stuff in one package. It has a non-linear storytelling that indirectly shows human determination well and the characters are super fleshed out. Best of all, this is just at minimum potential. This series has a movie sequel and we will talk about that in another time. __FINAL VERDICT - 9/10__~~~