It’s a tried and true setup: take a high school setting and a cast of young protagonists, then introduce a magical subplot running parallel to their daily lives as students. But despite its outward appearance,Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlightis far from just another pretty spin on the formula, and what results is a story that doesn’t easily fit into any genre.
Directed by Tomohiro Furukawa and animated at Kinema Citrus,Revueis an original series about nine girls attending Seisho Music Academy,learning acting, singing, dancing, and stagecraft. By day, they are like any eager aspiring performers, but every once in a while, they partake in a series of “auditions”; musical battles in which they fight for the appellation of “Top Star.”
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“Let’s Go Together. To That Stage.”
Karen Aijou has wanted to act on stage since she was a little girl - ever since she promised her friend Hikari Kagura that they would meet again on a stage just like the one that captivated them. When Hikari transfers to her school, Karen is certain that their promise will come true, but for some reason, Hikari keeps her at a distance.
One night Karen follows her and discovers an otherworldly theatre hidden below their school, witnessing a duel between Hikari and Juuna, one of her classmates. Overseeing the duels is a talking giraffe who tells Karen that she was not one of the eight chosen for the auditions. But upon seeing her friend in danger, she leaps into action,defying the rules and becoming the ninth competitor, much to Hikari’s chagrin. After all, there’s only supposed to be one “Top Star.”
Revueuses words like “lead” and “star” in conjunction with its theatrical atmosphere in order to create a phantasmal allegory for the battle one undertakes as a performer to reach their dreams. But what makes this story so fascinating, if a bit cumbersome for some viewers, is how it doesn’t necessarily offer a rationale for why this supernatural battle takes place.
What Does It All Mean?
One would think that it might be akin toa series likeFate/Stay Night, where the Top Star will see their dream come true by some magical means. While this isn’t necessarily untrue, it’s not explicitly stated, nor is it quite so cut and dry. In truth, the happiness these girls stand to gain from these auditions isn’t all that different from what they hope to achieve in their studies normally.
The implication is that by fighting in these battles, they’ll secure their place as a lead as if divinely mandated. The way that the giraffe talks about the meaning of being a Top Star, he describes it as being the “lead” in one’s own life. It is a metaphor for dreams and self-actualization, with theatre - a ripe field for such themes - as the backdrop.
There have been plenty of stories that focus on thespians andtheir dreams of becoming the leadin a performance and how competitive they can be with their peers. Those with experience in theatre throughout youth speak of such environments in equal parts admiration and disdain. Dramatized stories about theatre can be as relatable as they may be irritating.
And yet, because of its mystical abstraction,Revue Starlightmight just capture that love for theatre - that drives such competition - more effectively than most. After all, these aren’t just magical duels, but performances.Each of the main girls singsduring their duels, carrying their own signature weapons.
Making of a Revue
They stand atop elaborate sets, bathed in spotlights and accompanied by splendid effects. The camera doesn’t avert its gaze from the spotlights, fog machines, or pulleys backstage. If anything, the show spotlights these things lovingly. It’s an undeniably magical scenario, but built from realistic pieces, and it all reinforces how exciting the magic of theatre ultimately is.
This is a show about aiming for the top and being a star, so the story feels an obligation to make the construction of theatre as exciting to the audience as it is to these young performers.Even the transformations are evidence of this ambition. Karen is not merely adorned in new clothes through a flashy sequence. She is reforged while a sign behind her boldly proclaims “I Am Reborn.”
A factory line forges her sword and the sowing machines crafting her clothes purr like the engines powering the spotlights. It’s a transformation unlike any other and the sequel film manages to go even harder, symbolizing the destruction of who Karen once was and her ascension into who she will become. Few shows go as hard asRevuewith such direct, yet powerful visual metaphors.
The TV Anime
All 12 episodes explore each of the main characters' motivations to become the Top Star, with considerable time given to Karen and Hikari’s relationship. It should be said thatthis show is incredibly queer across the board, to the point that it almost feels wrong to simply refer to it as subtext. The romantic imagery is so sapphic it would make Utena blush.
It’s a shame then that the aforementioned oddities that make this show interesting might also be what limits those who get into it. For some, the opening episodes may not lean heavily enough into the battles or present the stakes necessary to feel invested. But by Episode 6, the story begins to do some very interesting things with its characters and the stakes.
Revue’s TV run explores the diverse range of motivations for which people aspire to reach the top with an open mind, never judging them too harshly, preferring instead to observe them grow. This story challenges the idea that reaching the top meansleaving behind those who matter to youand confronts the pain resulting from being “beaten” to the top by another.
The series manages to confront such relatable and understandable conflicts in a way that never feels cheapened or distracted by the supernatural. If anything, those elements enhance the message as the fourth wall is gradually annihilated and the story invites the audience to be there at this momentwiththese characters. After all, theatre is nothing without an audience.
Baroque on the Big Screen
But it’sShoujo Kageki Revue Starlight: The Moviewhere this story becomes not only a must-watch but a masterful exercise in abstract drama on a big screen. With a theatrical budget, the visuals tow a line between theFrench New Wave flair of theKizumonogataritrilogyand the dramatic finality conveyed through theEvangelionfilms.
Also, it would be a crime not to mention that Yoshiaki Fujisawa and Tatsuya Kato’s soundtrack is nothing short of breathtaking. This was much the case during the series as a whole, but something about the film just raises the bar. The movie arguably didn’t need to exist, but it earns its place and actively enhances the work, andwraps these characters' stories in a lovely bow.
There’s so much to be said about this series, but ultimately it is worth watching for how passionately it speaks to the importance of not only the art but who we cherish art with. It is a collection of dazzling performances concerned with making youfeel, above all else. For people willing to open themselves up to it,Revue Starlightis well worth getting obsessed with for a time.
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