| Episodes: 1 | Score: 8.5 (9569)
Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing
Type: Movie
Producers:Bushiroad
Synopsis
With the arrival of a new generation of talented girls, another lively year at Seishou Music Academy begins. The graduating 99th class is already preparing for the much-anticipated rendition of Starlight, a bittersweet story about the parting of two girls. It seems like all students in the Actor Training Department have their post-graduation future figured out—except for the cheerful Karen Aijou. Having fulfilled her promise of performing in a play with Hikari Kagura, her ambitious childhood friend, Karen struggles to find her purpose. What lies beyond their promise is a mystery to Karen, as Hikari was the fuel that kept her passion for performing aflame. Now alone, Karen must confront the reality of stage girls and find her way toward the future—her very own stage. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Voice Actors
Koyama, Momoyo
Koizumi, Moeka
Itou, Ayasa
Satou, Hinata
Ikuta, Teru
Mimori, Suzuko
Aiba, Aina
Tomita, Maho
Iwata, Haruki
News
10/03/2022, 11:16 AM
Here are the North American anime, manga, and light novel releases for October. Week 1: October 4 - 10 Anime Releases Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya Movie: Licht - N...
08/16/2020, 03:59 PM
Here is a collection of promotional videos (PV), television ads (CM), and trailers for the last week. This thread excludes videos that have already been featured in ...
11/03/2019, 01:38 PM
The Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight 3rd Star Live "Starry Diamond" concert announced two anime films for the series on Sunday—a brand-new film and a &...
Reviews
Teramol
The ending of the series felt like a fairly good conclusion to me so I wasn't exactly sold on the idea of a sequel movie but after watching it, wakarimasu. The revues are back better than ever before thanks to a movie budget, symbolism is cranked to 11, references are thrown at your face at every corner and we get focus on the whole cast. Needless to say the whole movie is a big love letter to the fans. The movie is there to answer the question of what's next for the stage girls, to resolve lingering issues between characters and to even include more much neededbackstory. As someone who wasn't entirely sold on Karen from the series, I now see her differently after this. I'm very happy that the tone from the better half of the series is present from the very beginning. Tragedy is a key theme once again. Fate is another huge theme present and the way it's presented was one of the better things about the movie, the Penguindrum vibes were not even subtle and I was all about it. I don't think the movie is without its issues though. The structure is pure fan service, meaning we jump from revue to revue in a fairly breakneck speed, closing out page after page in character resolutions while sprinkling the backstories in between. While I adored the revues this time around and the choreographies were beautiful to behold, I do wish there were other ways to storytelling shown too. The whole thing is one of those things that didn't need to necessarily exist, but everyone who watched it are surely glad it does.
whiteflame55
This movie, like the series it follows up on (in fact, much more than that series), feels like a staged performance. Whether we're talking about scenes that go harder or interactions that seem significantly darker than the series proper would ever have featured, they are all very much a performance, depicting both what the characters wish to deliver to one another and a display for the audience (both us and the giraffe). That's an impressive mode of story-telling that largely short-circuits any complaints I have about how this plays out. Fights feel toothless? Because they are, by design. Arguments feel a little stilted and outof character? That's what the performance demands of them. Even large set-pieces that feel absolutely insane like the giraffe becoming part of the performance and turning into a giraffe-shaped amalgamation of fruits and vegetables seems purpose-built to fuel the performance as it goes forward. So, it's all staged. It's a performance meant to give a bit of closure for these characters who are exiting this stage and moving along their own individual paths, whether they truly want to or not. And I definitely bought into that, particularly in a couple of the performances. That being said, I don't think all of them worked to the same degree. It was legitimately thrilling to watch Claudine and Maya come to blows in what was probably the best choreographed fight in the bunch, as well as just an opportunity to understand more of the headspace these two occupy. Considering they're the top students at this school, it makes sense that they'd be peak. Some other matches certainly went hard in the visual design, particularly both involving Hikari, but I've had pretty consistent issues getting into her headspace throughout and this was no different. I more easily understood the characters opposite of her each time. I wish we'd gotten to spend more time with Nana, who dominates the stage when she's there, but feels like she didn't get enough attention on the character side as opposed to the performance side. Mahiru gets a strong scene, and though she's largely relegated to sitting and pondering through much of it, Karen gets a strong wrap-up. Junna got a strong scene as well, though it seemed like Futaba was just capping off a story that already felt resolved in the series. So, overall, it's a very strong performance that felt like it was only let down by some less than inspired character building. Visually inspired with a lot to love on the choreography, this definitely exceeds the series, even if I wanted a little more out of it.
ykat
i've never written a review on here before but i felt like i needed to for this movie. i watched the show right before i watched this and honestly the series was just ok. i think i rated it a 6 in the end. so i expected this movie to be similar. but right away it was something completely different! i felt so blindsided! its possible my impression of this movie was so positive because i just wasn't expecting it to be how it was, but i spent a full 24 hours raving about it afterwards. if you're torn on whether you should watch theshow, or if you have watched the show and didn't enjoy it and aren't sure if the movie is for you, i promise it's worth it!!!
internetfemcel
After seven more viewing sessions and multiple rewatches of the anime, I think I finally understand how close-minded I was being in my first review. This movie is not about challenging any sort of narrative of how idol anime has been. This movie is absolutely not a commentary on the idol industry, either. No, this movie is about acceptance. A melancholy, aching pain that's in the back of your mind telling you that at some point, you're going to have to say goodbye. A feeling that, no matter what you do, you're going to walk a different path from the people in your life and partways with them, grow distant and leave your bonds behind. Nothing is permanent, nothing in your life is set in stone and stagnant. It's a scary thought, sure, but the writers never sugarcoat it. By primarily showcasing this beautiful story as much more of a play and less of a real (or perhaps 'traditional') movie, the overall story is given so much more room to breathe. If we had scenes of the girls traveling on the train from Revue to Revue, it would quickly begin to get redundant and annoying, but instead we're given these short bouts of wonderous action, storytelling, and scenery that showcase to any viewer exactly what these characters are all about. Their struggles, their gripes with one another. Perhaps what makes Revue Starlight: The Movie so good is that it really does feel like you're watching an animated play. Most of the scenes take place in the metaphorical and not what is literally happening, and it's up to you, the viewer, to sift through and find out what things mean. It challenges your mind to think about these characters and dig deep to find why they feel the way they do. Why is Hikari acting so antagonistic towards Karen? Why is Nana back to the way she was in Rondo? This movie doesn't treat you like you're dumb. It challenges you, brings up confusing counterarguments and difficult situations for the characters you've known in the anime and really shakes them up, makes them uncomfortable, like fish out of water-- but also gives you all the pieces to draw these conclusions yourself. Every time you watch this movie, you will discover something new, put another piece in the puzzle. By my most recent rewatch I was a little confused about what the purpose of the vegetables was, but by the end I was able to finally put it all together. Moments like this are exactly why I rewatch this movie-- not just for the beautiful songs that just never seem to lose their impact or charm, not just for the wrenching and difficult emotions I'm left with after watching the final act, not even to see Claudine and Maya be lesbians for the thousandth time in the series. It's because it makes you think. Revue Starlight: The Movie will always be apart of me, somewhere deep in my mind to remind me of exactly why I love theater so much. These characters will always mean something to me, this movie will always be apart of who I am, but even I must know that at some point I'll need to say goodbye. When that day comes.. I'll be the emptiest I've ever been.
BYOND_JIN
I saw over thousands of anime. Gekijouban Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight is only one of the best movie anime ever. It show us Perfectly sequel of TV series and another world of Revue in WILD SCREEN BAROQUE. It can't explainable about WILD SCREEN BAROQUE. So all of i say is watch TVA first and watch it. I'm biggest fan of TV seires but i had some dissatisfaction.But in the movie all of weak points overcomed and evolve to next level. it make me satisfied at all. I assure There is no more satisfy anime point in my life. It is Masterpiece of Masterpiece. All of my Tomato is for Butai shoujo
DeadlyChuck314
**This is a review for both the main anime and the movie. Your first impression of Revue Starlight may be that of a generic Shoujo or Idol-ish show, however prepare to have every one of your expectations subverted in a magnificent fashion. This series is a beautifully complex, coming of age fever dream that doesn't hesitate to throw out every scrap of logic that exists out of the window. Telepathic giraffes? Life-size replicas of Tokyo Tower flying all over the place? The viewer is constantly kept on their toes, with these maddening images often serving as extremely powerful metaphors and symbols. Due to this Avant Garde-like trait,every watcher can extract a different personal message from this anime, enabling the themes to be much more engaging and relevant to each person, along with exponentially increasing RS's replay value. Admittedly, on first watch, the first 4 or so episodes are bland. The characters are flat, the plot is basic and the themes are weak. However, once the world and the character dynamics are established, this show instantly begins dissecting them; characters are broken down, motives are questioned, relationships are strained; with all this serving as a stage for all of RS's brilliantly woven themes. Using a music/theater school as the backdrop is simply a genius decision; not only allowing the director to capture the energy and naivete of youth, but also enabling the stage to act as a metaphor for life itself. This is setting is further utilized by the sequel movie; whose melancholier beginning about graduation and moving forward in life perfectly sets the tone for all of the subsequent themes explored within this 2 hour master piece. The movie is exceedingly aware of its place as a continuation of the end, and uses this knowledge to its advantage in order to enhance the viewing experience as a whole. Not only does it serve as a coming of age story about personal growth and evolution, it also acts as a meta commentary on the entertainment industry as a whole, where we learn about these characters, not as meagre actors, but as humans, that will never stop evolving, even without an audience. The main cast of Revue Starlight consists of 9 high school girls, all with unique ambitions and goals to work towards. Through this fever dream of an anime, all their inner thoughts, insecurities and hidden secrets are all materialized into this insane world, allowing the plot to break down these aspects into their core components. Is it justified to sacrifice others for your own victory? Is it okay to remain entrapped by a single glimmer in a sky filled with so many more stars? This anime presents the audience with many such dilemmas, where the answer is never shown as black or white, but rather as yet another small act on the grand scheme of life's play. In the end, Revue Starlight is a show with virtually no parallels. It is not only one of the most unique shows I have watched, but also one of the best. It is the ultimate story about moving forward conveyed through some of the most bright and masterful direction this medium has ever seen. It is simply a star that'll shine forever. Thanks for reading.
starlightrevue
Tl;dr: Above all else, this movie is an explosive cavalcade of sensation. Every moment resounds with sound, light, color, and raw earnest emotion. Past the halfway mark this is a movie that refuses to let you breathe as it juices what feels like it could be a 12-episode anime's worth of pathos and spectacle from sixty minutes. What could become a chaotic cramped mess instead becomes an enthralling ride from beginning to end. "masterpiece" and "perfect" are not words i throw around lightly. I tend to be a little harsh on the things I love as if to defend my own interest in them, anunfortunate lasting symptom as my tenure as a fan of a show that shall not be named. So understand when I say this, I say this with my whole chest: Revue Starlight Gekaijouban is a nigh-flawless masterpiece. Much like the show, I would define this movie's approach to subtext and metaphor in a very particular way - Revue Starlight abounds with subtleties, but is by no means subtle. The symbolism is larger then life and placed directly in your face, as if to mimic the way in which symbolism in the theatrical world must be portrayed at a scale large enough to be seen by the unmagnified view of a live audience. However, past the emotional sledgehammers of tokyo tower, jet-engine trains and exploding tomatoes, you find layers on layers of intricate meaning woven tight enough to incite a phd dissertation. Nana's revue and general role in the film in particular has proved my own personal little riddle i've invested far too much of my thought and willpower into. It's difficult to discuss the character beats without delving into spoiler territory but needless to say this movie provides a perfect sense of open-ended resolution to each and every character that the show could not provide. Each of these girls has a whole life ahead of them and a thousand more stories to tell, but this story is over, and they've said their peace perfectly before moving forward into a scary and wonderful new future. Without specifics my personal favorites are Mahiru finally getting her day in the sun, and Nana. Ohhhhh Nana. And, Of Course, I would be remiss to not devote a paragraph of this review to the music. As an aspiring composer myself, I can only hope to someday create something with a quarter of the explosive power and emotional impact of Super Star Spectacle. The revue songs are eclectic and fun, dipping toes into whatever genres they feel like suits the moment at hand and succeeding every time. Learning that Wi(l)d-Screen Baroque was composed by somebody who got their start on the Sound Voltex team made everything make sense, and i'm now eager to play that song in a 4key game. Even outside of the revues, Tatsuya Kato's score draws unbelievable emotion out of his reserved keys and soundscapes. Any track from this soundtrack in isolation is enough to put me on the verge of tears. While the pacing of the second half of the movie is the one compliant brought up by even fervent fans, I personally argues that it works solely in it's favor. My biggest problem is the way it can slam the brakes and drag on during the Karen flashbacks - otherwise, the restless pace is essential to it's stunning maximalist aproach. Even the shoddy cgi, the primary visual issue oft cited, is another sign to me of the incredible extravagant passion put behind every inch of it's production. I could sing revue starlight's praises for days on end, but i've written so many words that MyAnimeList is beginning to fall apart on me. All and all, a unique, beautiful, incomporable masterpiece that will surely remain one of my favorites for years to come.
pr0mis3t0w3r
This movie is by far one of if not my favorite piece of media ever. It's a spectacle of visuals, audio, and story, intertwined with love and wonder that is absolutely worth each watch. I have watched this multiple times now, and each time I always have moments that even when anticipated hit me in the heart. I would completely recommend this, even if you haven't watched the original series, or any related content from the franchise. Each character gets their spotlight, something not offered by the original series, and each one gets a moment where they perform to the fullest in a work ofbeauty. The fight scenes are wonderful, of course, but I think this movie truly shines in the moments where they're really, truly acting. The stage girls get to show off their charms one last time, the talent of characters like Maya Tendo and Claudine Saijou, the contest between Hikari Kagura and Mahiru Tsuyuzaki, even the relationship and meaning to each other between both Kaoruko Hanayagi and Futaba Isurugi, and Karen Aijo and Hikari Kagura. There is love, resent, jealousy, and search for finality can be felt in each and every second of this movie. The theming of it, and the oncoming graduation, are both interesting, compelling things that probably are my favorite things about this. The mixed feelings, of both feeling ready for and fearing graduation, hell if you want to call it the 'train rushing towards the station', 'the train going to the next station without fail, what about us, what about the stage?' in a certain characters words, is something often felt by real people the same age as these girls, and representing and solving such a thing throughout a 2 hour long movie is something I find to be a unique, interesting concept I've never seen, and director Tomohiro Furukawa makes use of his characters perfectly to create this movie. The general theme, rebirth, is created in spectacles of scenes, to the point the final revue, named The Final Lines, uses a song quite literally titled "SuperStar Spectacle". It creates a finality with our anime leads, Hikari and Karen, in a beautiful way that makes use of the themes, and is one of my favorite moments ever. I cry everytime I watch it, to be honest. One of my favorite ways to refer to this movie is as the peak of Mr. Furukawa's work, which, while being numbered with him only really directing Starlight so far, I still find this holds true. The series is great, I love Rondo Rondo Rondo too, but neither measure against this movie. I like to talk about it in my freetime online, I've analysed it to death over and over, but it really never will beat that first watch. The first watch is a unique experience, because as I like to say, you're meant to experience the peak of Furukawa's work first and foremost, and understand it later. I've even had the opportunity to see this in theaters, which is an experience of it's own, but it really doesn't measure against that first watch. You don't know what's coming, and even where I had my hopes high pre-watching simply from seeing art, listening to the songs, even seeing vague discussions online, it took them and threw them out of the window, creating something much better than I'd ever hoped. On the topic of seeing it in theaters, though. This movie provides a a theatrical experience seen by such few things before it, particularly in the age of streaming at home, but I truly, truly believe that this is a film designed to be seen in theaters. Of course, just watching it at home is great in of itself, you get to sit in the comfort of your home on your own terms. But, if given the chance, I think it's genuinely important to see it in theaters. Sound design, animation team, even down to the aspect ratio, it's designed for theaters. The songs are loud, I particularly found "Utsukushiki Hito Arui wa Sore wa" to be extremely overwhelming in its revue, but it just made it all the more worth the watch. The widescreen displays each girl up close and personal, each voice line echoing in your head (especially Mahiru in the Revue of Competition, quite literally going back and forth around you), each song blasting to leave a mark on you even long after. Each moment is felt personally in the theater, meant to emotionally ruin you if you're attached to these girls, and it takes fantasy and reality mixing to a whole different level, all displayed beautifully in a real theater. I believe, real and true, this is a film meant for theaters, to be viewed, seen, listened to, watched in theaters. I think I've talked enough. I can't express enough how much I love this movie, how much I love Revue Starlight as a whole. This movie is full of hard work, love, and most importantly, our favorite theater kids dueling their hearts out. I would recommend this movie to anyone, if asked it's the first thing that pops into my head, and I really do believe it is one of the greatest films of all time. 10/10, beautiful work RevStar team!
EXFalchion
I decided to copy-paste one of my Letterboxd reviews to here cuz why not. I’ve watched this movie many times, and I keep trying to attack this movie. I keep trying to find an opening in its defense. But I just can’t. It’s ridiculously solid. This isn’t just what animation was made for, it’s what movies as a whole were made for. They fixed everything wrong with the show, not just from the character dynamics, but, well, everything. There’s so much about this movie to just geek out about. Everything, every part of the production is treated with care and is in such amazing coordination, the blocking isperfect, the film score is perfect, both composers and storyboarders made a distinct effort to work together on it and it’s just genius. The story is a perfect mix of both melancholic and spectacular, emphasized by just the right amount of different styles of abstraction from Ikuhara-esque, to Yamada-esque, to Takeshi Kitano, to golden age Nikkatsu, to imitation of actual Takarazuka stage play productions, f*ck man he even has a scene homaging Chariots of Fire, a 10-minute sequence that is legitimately just him geeking out over Mishima and Lawrence of Arabia, and a scene directly pasted from Mad Max Fury Road; to say Furukawa is just Ikuhara 2, and to say Revue Starlight is just about Takarazuka, these are both massive understatements. Furukawa is a nerd about movies and this movie turns people into nerds. He knows exactly how to use each element because he knows how to factor out scenes and reuse techniques appropriately. It works perfectly with the theme of the movie, that we don’t let go of the past and instead constantly borrow from it, and what it means to just be someone’s fan. And yet, Furukawa puts the aesthetic rather than story on the foreground, adhering strongly to an experience-centric philosophy, in which the trick is to make the core material simple, but the presentation wildly abstract and fun. The movie is drastically overflowing with repeating motifs, leitmotifs and rearrangements, and fun, interesting imagery. And for as unconventional as the movie gets with its format, the story still secretly follows rules of repetition and even a three-act structure. It’s a god-damn masterpiece. This movie did NOT need to be this raw- it’s the most speechless I’ve been coming out of a movie, and it’s the most fun I’ve had, and keep having- because every time I watch it, I enjoy it more, and I’m still studying everything Furukawa and the Starlight team put into this. I don’t get enough of it and this movie keeps remaking my passion for movies every time I see it. This movie isn’t just 5 stars, it’s overwhelming starlight. ----- “I think if a person can find a dream worthy of a lifelong commitment, that person is lucky. If one can find friends with which to spend one’s life, that person is also lucky. But also, a ‘lifelong friendship’ is not so weak a thing that it must be surrendered to one’s ‘lifelong dream.’ I believe that those who have the strength of spirit to commit their lives to a dream should also be able to make room for lifelong friends.” - Kunihiko Ikuhara (Revolutionary Girl Utena) more random thoughts from an earlier watch: docs.google.com/document/d/1-1G8ZOEE6nRxtlXNxT9v1-cyR6mk6Ro7MngvgiZraWU/edit?usp=sharing
cringeylazy
A movie that excels in visuals, music, sound, voice acting, cinematography, and just about everything you can imagine but still gives no closure to the average viewer Revue Starlights film is one of the strangest pieces of media I have ever witnessed. After pondering about this movie for about half an hour after finishing it, the only thing I can compare the feeling of finishing this film with is when you accidentally click on a much later episode of a show/anime by accident and watch half the episode utterly clueless to what's going on. This movie does absolutely brilliant work with visuals, camera angles, animation, and soundand is entertaining throughout, but it is lacking in what's most essential in any piece of well-written entertainment, and that is a basic understanding of what is going on the screen. For some fans, using wishy-washy writing to make the audience make assumptions about what is going on within the characters minds may be commendable, but for some of my other favourite anime like End of EVA and Madoka Magica Rebellion they manage to achieve an understanding of the characters and plot in an entertaining and subtle manner without one character just spitting exposition. This movie, however, barely (and I mean barely) provides enough context to almost everything that happens to even arrive to any kind of conclusion by yourself. The only information you have to grasp onto are the baseless platitudes that characters shout at each other during fights or performances, which are mostly buzzwords with no context whatsoever. Now you could argue that it might be a problem with poor translation. If that is the case, I'll give it a proper watch again to give it a more fair chance with better subtitles. But otherwise, there was never any sense of meaning to any fight I watched because I had no idea why or what was happening. The only fight that I understood and really enjoyed because it worked (and how I feel like the rest of the fights were supposed to work) was Claudine and Maya's, as this fight had context, backstory, provided new information, and had a satisfying conclusion. The problem also is that even when you discover the background and context of what is going on with the characters (by either thinking about it a bit or reading someone else who analysed it online), it's not really compelling enough to make it have any grounds to be gripping, grab my attention, or most importantly, be entertaining... I am usually a very easy-to-please person when it comes to anime. I enjoy cute characters, cliches, plot twists, idol shows, shounen, moe, psychological anything! But this movie didn't feel fulfilling; it felt like it was missing something throughout. I was really looking forward to this film for a long time. While I was bored midway through the original series, I really loved its twist and ending, and I was excited to see the movie after seeing the really positive feedback from fans. But I feel that even with lower expectations, I still would've considered this movie to be a 7/10, not the masterpiece that the majority of fans give it. While this review has been very negative so far, I do want to confirm that I did enjoy the film because of the visuals, characters, and music. I just don't consider it to be a groundbreaking piece of entertainment; it's just good. An entertaining film that could've been better with a prequel to give more context and provide more time to work on building the plot into the fights. The whole film felt like 5 climaxes to an ongoing series without the 9 episodes building up beforehand needed to give reasoning, meaning, and impact to the events taking place. If you're a fan of Revue Starlight, I can still recommend this movie, but take it with a grain of salt, ignore the ratings and high praise, and enjoy it for what it is, not what it might be. Hopefully you'll enjoy it more than my grumpy ass.
ExcelDog
The most important thing this film does for me is that it corrects all my expressed complaints about the TV series. At the beginning there are a lot of slice-of-life scenes in an unlimited number of new locations and dozens of other students of the academy drawn with the smallest details. I immediately thought of a K-ON the movie or The disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of mood, and a little bit in terms of events. And then the feast for the eyes began. We are offered almost an hour and a half music video, which Iswallowed in one breath. There are gorgeous looking scenes with constantly changing scenery and costumes of the heroines. There are beautiful theater songs that are polished to perfection and are far superior to what was in the TV series. There is an exciting staging of battles with impressive tricks. Well, there is of course a continuation and putting an end to the problems between the girls from the main series. Maybe someone will say that this is just a repetition, but I will say that this is a removal and perfection of these topics. I don't need the TV series anymore and I'm not going to ever rewatch it. But the movie is now in my top 20 favourite anime of all time and I will watch it every year. 10/10
lethargilistic
This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, bar none. Obviously, it's a triple threat. Singing, dancing, acting. What other shows would struggle with, "Revue Starlight" makes them seem like table stakes WHILE ALSO being a compelling wuxia-style magical girl battle show. WHILE ALSO being an explosion of Sapphic affection at a concentration rare in any medium. Every single musical number resonates so strongly. Daiba Nana's tough love for wavering, confused hearts. Mahiru encouraging the denied love her rival feels toward the one they both love. TENDO MAYA VS. CLAUDINE SAIJO JUST CASUALLY THROWN IN BEFORE THE END. The entire history of Hikari andKaren's romance, and how their single-minded pursuit of the stage as a proxy for each other left them incapable of reading from the same script. I mean, I could just keep listing things that happened because every fucking moment is impeccably scripted, staged, framed, shot, performed, sung. It's a masterpiece. There are other works I would hold above it, but vanishingly few. My God. The minds of the people behind this. わかります！！！ ありがとうございました、ぶたいしょうじょ。。。
pewdiepiebrofist
I watched the original Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight series as it aired, the phrase "Kinema Citrus original" is bound to raise a few eyebrows, it's only normal. A limited number of appealing characters (for me) combined with themes and messages that, for the layman (who is me), read like Chinese were counterbalanced by the novel idea of the Kageki dance/theater/whatever it is. The thing about novelty, though, is that it wears off. What hooked me and many others was the introduction of a certain long-necked fellow along with the surreal scenes he would oversee (Revues). These revues were the perfect opportunity for the staff tounleash their potential and present something impressive, something not seen very commonly in anime. And I'm not here to accuse them of mediocrity, no, these fights are not mediocre by any means, they are visibly above the quality expected from seasonal anime. What I'm trying to convey is that, due to not pushing this concept to its (and the staff's) limits, what we have left is a huge pile of "who asked?". The reason I bothered writing that whole paragraph about the prequel of this is because it's necessary context for what's to come. In other words, where the show lazed out, the movie went overdrive. The movie is a direct(I think) sequel to the show, the characters are the same, the themes and messages are the same, the backgrounds are notably better for whatever reason. However, this time around the people in charge realized what they were holding in their hands this entire time was not a brick, but a bar of gold. And this time around they sure as hell made use of it. This movie is a visual feast. From the abstract imagery, action animation, absurd set-pieces all the way to the giraffe made out of vegetables, you're bombarded with some of the most inventive visuals since Madoka Magica Rebellion. Whereas previously one would derive enjoyment from the action(revues) by taking sides based on their character of fancy(like in football), this time around the spectacle is so mesmerizing that anyone can appreciate it. And when I say "anyone" I mean it. Only the most minor and fundamental amount of knowledge is required going into this movie. I only finished the 2018 show because I wanted to mark it as complete. I had completely forgotten where the story had left off(and to be completely honest, I still have no clue) and it didn't affect my enjoyment one bit. I genuinely believe that either speedwatching the first season or simply reading a 5-10 minute summary of it is enough background to hop into the movie. This movie is a very overlooked sequel for an already niche and divisive show. If anybody stumbles over this review by any change and finds crazy, shaft-style imagery entertaining, I urge them to give this movie a shot. It would be tragic for this visual delight to go overlooked and stay at what is now only 590 ratings. PS: In this review I used some fancier words I do not completely know the definition of and do not completely understand. If any confusion arises, I suggest trying to extrapolate whatever I wanted to say from the sentences that do make sense. PPS: When I gave out the scores, the category "Animation" appeared as "Art". The score I gave is for Animation + Backgrounds + Overall directing and storyboarding decisions, not just animation.
Gippy
NOTE: SPOILERS FOR THE TV SHOW AND CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE MOVIE This movie sequel takes place after the TV show. There was a recap movie called Rondo Rondo Rondo but I didn't see that. I'll be completely upfront here and admit that I didn't like the TV show very much, giving it a 3/10. However, having recently enjoyed Kageki Shoujo, which took a more grounded approach to the world of theater, I was willing to give the Revue Starlight franchise another chance. I was hoping that the movie would address my grievances with the TV show, and convert me into a fan. The reason I dislikedthe TV show was because of two main factors. First, it had presented a fascinating plotline halfway into it. One of the girls, Nana, had repeatedly won her duels, then kept turning back time to re-experience the moment. This set up Nana to be the primary antagonist, and for the show to take a dark, complex turn. But then the main girl, Karen, inexplicably defeated her in one episode and continued the poor main storyline. The second factor, and more importantly, was the entire premise of the show itself, where girls faced off in rapier swordfights, all set up by a mysterious giraffe. They kept talking about "glimmers" and wanting to be the "star" of the play. And the show didn't make me care at all. The fights held no weight to them, because it was playfighting and not some life-or-death matter. You could argue that I'm being too dismissive of the show's fantasy elements, that there are elements the viewer should just accept. In magical girl shows, we don't need a full explanation of why magical girls are able to transform; we just accept it. However, even in magical girl shows, there's some semblance of universe believability, such as a key moment where the girl acquires her powers, or a cathartic scene that causes her to unlock additional powers from within. But in Revue Starlight, the stages were all mysteriously created for the girls in a world that supposedly resembled modern-day Japan. And the whole Starlight system was never fully explained. But at the very least, there was the story for Karen to be the main star, however contrived it was. The movie, on the other hand, took the pretentious and abstract elements of the TV show, and turned it up to eleven. Kinema Citrus correctly knew that virtually every viewer who sees this movie were already fans of the TV show and accepted its shortcomings. Instead of improving on the TV shows weaknesses, it dismissed them. It went for the grandest, most pretentious spectacle without a care in the world for the haters. It reveled in its absurdity and lack of stakes by proudly showing explicit, graphic footage of exploding tomatoes, then passing it off as fake blood from fake rapier stab wounds. There is virtually no explanation of present-day events in the movie. There are numerous flashbacks, but the movie fails to connect them to the present storyline, other than that Karen and Hikari were best friends when they were kids. But you already knew that in the TV show. I felt nothing as the stages became more elaborate, with the use of vivid imagery that appeared because the writers thought it would look cool, such as trucks, trains, and neon lights. Abstract literary devices and symbolism only works when the viewer is able to make a connection, but the movie made no attempt to explain this. Rather, it wants fans to come up with their own theorycrafting to explain everything. As fans attempt to channel their inner life experiences and thoughts, they may see some of themselves in the girls. And perhaps that's why Revue Starlight has such fervent fans, because to criticize the franchise would be to criticize their inner selves. As for the production value, it is incredible. This movie is certainly an audiovisual treat, and Kinema Citrus is at the top of their game. But what good is it if the story is such incomprehensible garbage? I couldn't tell you what really happened in the movie. I couldn't tell you why the giraffe transformed into fruit salad, or why the final revue ended in an unnamed desert. Even as the numerous revues ended, I couldn't understand what had happened between the dueling pairs. Revue as an artform had its golden years in the 1920s, but lost popularity as the audience found it too patronizing compared to regular theater. In a way, the Revue Starlight movie is a summary reflection of that. It is so grand and spectacular. But yet, it is so pretentious, arrogant, and abstract, leading to emptiness for those who don't understand it. The movie laughs at them and throws tomato blood at their faces, while the fans will latch on to it as some form of higher entertainment.
Freya48
First sorry for my english, but I really need to talk a about this movie To me Revue Starlight was one of the most underrated series. It used all its element to narrate the story, since the image, to the music, to the dialogue. It create a very enjoyable experience. This movie is all that the series was and more, a worthy sequel of this great story. Just like the series, it show us a very clear point where the normality breaks, since that point all becomes a journey of simbolisms, that rembember me to my favorites work of Kunihiko Ikuhara ( since theseries we could see hint of his influence), the diference is that here the message is less confuse and in a sense more literal because we know what is trying to say because we know what are the decisions the character had to take. Here in this movie we had a message that is constanty represented in other series or movies, but its the proof that is not what you tell but how you tell. It show us the travel of the character not only to the end of a time of their life, but the meaning of the ties that they have. A travel to independency, and to heal the wounds of the past. The revues are shown one after another with spaces where we could see the past of the protagonic duo, giving them a more depth personalities, than they have in the series. Again the story makes use of all its element, this time in a more ambitious way and with less limitant that the series had. SPOILER The first revue show us how will be the narrative of the movie, a little different from the series, it show us tributes to the movies and theater, joining the conflict of the series with this visual tribute. Maybe the more literal Revue is the first one with the conflict between Futaba and Kaoruko. With a wonderful character design during the conversation between them It show us a confrontation that we knew from the beginning what would happen. The break of a dependency that at first seemed one-sided, but soon we notice the how dificult is for Futaba to confront Karouko. The second show us the only character that have her madurity process at the series and now her works is act like a guide. This time Mahiru with their insecurities overcome, is Hikari´s guide, to finally stop to running away and face not only Karen, but her own self. The interesting thing in this Revue is that we have two parts clearly differentiated, being the second one a great tribute to horror movies. The third one is the most strange to me. Junna as the more reasonable character and Nana, maybe the most damaged character of the series. Starting with a very shocking scene from characters that respected each other, it give an end to Nana´s past wound provoked for her time loops. This end comes from a Junna that finally begins to overcome an inferiority complex and conformism, that not only help herself but Nana to finally let go the past. The fourth one, with Maya and Claudine, is visually my favorite, being a beatiful tribute to the theater. This revue is for me not other thing that a lovers oath. It show us the travel of these two rivals getting to know each other, and show each other their strongest side and the most vulnerable. The passion over the perfection For Claudine to finally stop seeing perfection as a goal (and at the same time see beyond her rivalry with Maya), and embrace her ambition for the stage , and for Maya to accept her most vulnerable side, to stop being god and accept that she can help being a human since she know Claudine . This revue not only show us the maturity of the characters, but also the beauty of the bond that they share and the beauty that they see in each other. This revue show us that the bond that this characters form is not necessarily something negative it also can bring out the best of them, it also teach them to accept themselves the way they are and grow up, Finally we have the resolution of our protagonist duo, the end of the bond that was the plot of the series, the end of the excuses, and the start of a new path, this time away from each other. For Karen finally separate herself from Hikari, to finally find her own dreams, and not a share one, to finally face the stage alone, with all the fears that she has but at the same time with all the opportunities I really enjoyed, is all that I wanted and more
johnbradshaw
"For every hero, there are trials; For every saint, there are temptations; For me, there's you" To me, Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Movie is truly the most impressive and creative movie in using visual presentations I've seen in many years. And even more spectacular, at the core, Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight as a whole is a profound and heartfell messages of Kabuki Shoujo (Stage Girl), those who has sacrificed so much on the path to become the ultimate star. So because the movie is kind of bizzare and the story don't have the common structure, I won't talk about it here. Instead, I'll just tell you that itstarted right from where the series left off. And the best way to watch this if you're new and don't have time to watch the series, you can just watch the summary movie and head straight to this (although the series is great, you should watch it), for those who have watched the series, the summary movie is also a good way to refresh your memory and gain the best experience out of this amazing showing of visual and symbolism. So what is Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Movie represent? In my humble and honest opinion, it shows us the other side of stage girl. The one we never knew or we just forgot. They're in a way just another person, just like us. Before they are Kabuki Shoujo, they're just high school girls with a dream to take on a big stage. They have worries and just like us, sometimes worries led to mistakes. They have made many and strayed out of their ways. But as the burning passion for acting still light up their heart, through many acts in the movies, through the symbolic visual, they've finally realized their true ways. The stage is their home and their true calling. What an inspirational movie that was. Like I stated many times above, the visual is quite spectacular. But the osts is definitely on par with that. Many songs are epic in the battle scenes. While the others can bring sorrows to any viewer's heart.I've never seen such a balance between visual and osts in an anime before. Overall, I think Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight as a whole is a series you must watch. Originality has been long lost in media over the last the decade. But rarely, there will be a show that shines a glimpse of hope and to me, Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight is one of those shows.
LWH_Hei
This is a sequel of Revue Starlight series that fans have been longed for. The script for the story was uncompleted, but the 99th Graduation Class had to perform in front of us because we wanted to watch them. Through performing, all characters found their answers and endings to this uncompleted story. I am not surprised if this story was written by a drunk person and I am not fully satisfied by it. Tho I guess the girls nailed it and made it their own ways. I enjoy the art, music and the interactions between characters in this movie. Overall, this sequel is unnecessary yet enjoyable.I would only recommend it if you are a big fan of Revue Starlight. And watch it drunk if you want to enhance your viewing experience.
Domsa
Revue Starlight was one of the series I skipped during summer 2018 and watched at a later date. I ended up really liking it: the pretentious allegory, the idea of life being a stage performance, the critique it brought upon revue (and theatre in general I'd add) and meritocracies to some extent. What's great about this last aspect is the fact that you can tell that it's critique coming from someone supporting the cause, but not agreeing on the means implied, unlike critique for the sake of critique. All in all, a great little series with a rather big cast of cute girls that felta tad bit underdeveloped and that could do a bit better in terms of making its ideology clear. 8/10, there's space for improvement, mainly by getting closure. And here's where the movie came into play: it served as a really nice conclusion to some of those characters' arcs. Moreover, I'd say it's the natural next stage for them. In the past few years I've been constantly switching between stages: hs to uni, uni to work, gaming to theatre and back to gaming, drawing to watching movies, series and the like to reading and so on and so forth. At times, I'm rather nostalgic about some of these moments, but looking back on it, I'd say it's a natural transition. It's sometimes tough to accept the fact that you have to move on, but by the time you do, you realize that you're already there and this procedure was, in fact, not that hard. Treasuring those memories is a fundamental aspect of moving on. Actually, not of moving on, but of finding meaning in your life. I could call it, pretentiously, the existentialism of Revue Starlight, pat myself on the shoulder and call it a day. The movie looked really good, some minor nitpicks here and there, but nonetheless a solid production. I absolutely loved the flashy nature of the series and the movie only adds up on that. Pair that with the fabulous OST and the almost memely-called 'Ikuharaesque' at times direction and I'm sold. As I've previously mentioned, the character arcs featured in those acts were great - a really nice combination of drama: on stage - interpersonal drama, conflicts we have at times with one another and drama as in theatre; backstage - intrapersonal drama, or this thing I like to call what-the-f*ck-am-I-doing-with-my-life-what-is-life drama. Ideologically speaking, this last type of drama is my personal favourite meaning of the word. It's probably because I can relate to some extent to this existential dread switching stages causes. Most of us should as it's the thing modern society agreed upon. Moreover, the postmodern society brought something new: the fact that we are connected which undeniably agravates this dread. We see people transitioning between stages faster or better. We see ourselves in an almost-deprecating light: we might think of ourselves as failures because we are not lawyers or doctors or engineers and so on. Our world is spanning for more than those 50 kilometres it used to. We can see those shameless influencers trying to make a living by making you feel shitty about yourself. We can see those flexers whose sole merit of being where they are is being born under better circumstances. We can see people living much better than ourselves, but we have no idea about the context those images were taken in, about how much work they've put into it, whether their image is just an image or not. Despite that, these last aspects are not something you think about first and foremost. This can lead to dread. This leads to dread. This is one of the reasons people claim that unhappiness has been on the rise for the past few decades among others. Truth is, it's difficult to be happy at all times. Heck, it's not even necessary. But being constantly under the weather would make my life, at least, more miserable. I hate motivational speeches. I absolutely detest reading those inspirational books like 'The Alchemist'. Yet here I am... preaching... in the same manner. (or rather calling something that might look similar at first glance a masterpiece) Insert the movie in our context. It's not about 'Do more of what makes you happy', 'when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it' and all that bullshit. It's a simple, yet effective: find your own meaning and raison d'etre. I believe that most people are not 100% certain about the choices they make at various crossroads. Back in high school, someone might have thought that a certain profession was his calling, however, after ditching a few years in training that certain someone realizes how much he truly despises said profession. Don't hesitate. We have acknowledged that life is kinda... dumb and meaningless at times, harsh even. For example, I find living to acquire some wealth I can for my descendants to inherit not that rewarding. I'll die, how will that help me? However, some people might set that as their goal and that's perfectly fine. It's a very noble one in fact. I'm not sure if that's exactly the way the parting sequences, trains and so on and so forth, which where predominant themes and motifs all throughout the movie are to be interpreted and that's great, works of fiction that are open to various interpretations are a blessing for some of us. To each, their own. You do you. Revue Starlight's movie might not be for everyone, but as a sequel I absolutely loved it. It started as both critique and love letter to the meritocratic and the rather homophobic at times thing that Takarazuka is and it turned out as a really nice take on existentialism and living up to those expectations that we believe the society has from us. For me, it was a really nice belated Christmas gift. If you wonder what drugs I'm on, I'd like to know too.
cookiedough2
the visuals are great and the soundtrack is fantastic. The plot has a heavy amount of symbolism that leads a lot up to interpretation but it's performed in several flashy revue scenes more grand then the anime that preceded it. The characters are all in their final year of seisho and are considering their future plans and graduation. Unlike the previous anime that centered around each competing for the lead this movie serves to give closure and depth to each character by forcing them to acknowledge their flaws. While Starlight was the stage that class 99, all sought , for them to continue being stage girls onit can't be their final stage.
TCTriangle
Visuals: Beautiful background designs, creative character outfits, smooth and detailed animation. Sound: Catchy and unique songs, perfect performances from voice actresses. Fight scenes: Well choreographed, absolutely stunning to behold. Story: WTF did I just watch? I barely understood anything. As summarized above, the visuals, animation, music, VA performances, and action sequences were all perfect or close to perfect. However, much like the anime series, the story was cryptic and difficult to understand. At a high level, the plot is about the girls graduating and finding their own paths beyond Starlight and high school. The details, however, were very abstract and open to interpretation. The ending may also be unsatisfyingand abrupt for some people. If you watched the series, you should already know what to expect from the story though, so I'm not going to elaborate further - see it for yourself and come up with your own interpretation of the story! Everything else was beautiful. Overall enjoyment: 7.5/10
Animanga