Overview
Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight (少女☆歌劇レヴュースタァライト, Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight, lit. "Girls' Musical: Revue Starlight"), also known as Revue Starlight , is a Japanese franchise that began developing in 2017, including a musical stage play and animation series produced by Nelke Planning, Bushiroad and Kinema Citrus.
It is billed as "a new sensation of live entertainment in which musicals and animation are interlinked and developed" and is notable for the fact that the musical stage series and the animation series are performed by the same stage actors, with the musical and the animation influencing each other and building up the stories.
Works
Stage Plays
The musical stage play was the earliest of the media mix project, with the first performances taking place in 2017. With a series of revivals and sequels, the plays has been actively staged to date.
In the stage play, the nine main cast members are the same as in the animation version. The performance consists of two parts, with the first part being the musical play and the second part being a live concert stage with audience participation.
Directed by Akiko Kodama, script by Kaori Miura.
Details of Each Performance
In September 2017, the first production, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- #1", was staged at AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo in Shibuya, Tokyo.
In January 2018, a re-staging of #1, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- #1 revival", was staged at the same theatre.
In October 2018, a second production, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- #2 Transition", was staged at the Tennozu Galaxy Theatre in Shinagawa, Tokyo.
In July 2019, a re-staging of #2, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- #2 revival", was staged at the Maihama Amphitheatre in Urayasu, Chiba.
In December 2020, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- Seiran Blue Glitter", focusing on the Seiran General Art Institute that appeared in #2, was staged at the Tennozu Galaxy Theatre.
In July 2021, the third production, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- #3 Growth", was staged at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel Stellar Ball in Minato, Tokyo (originally scheduled for July 2020, but postponed due to the spread of Covid-19).
In February 2022, a spin-off production, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE Edel - Delight", based on the app game "Starira" version, was staged at the Tennozu Galaxy Theatre.
In October 2022, the second stage production of the "Starira" version, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight - The STAGE Junior High - Regalia", was staged at the Hikosen Theater in Ueno, Tokyo.
In February 2023, a sequel play to the main series, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight - The LIVE - New Stage", is scheduled to be staged.
Anime
The animation series is produced by Kinema Citrus and directed by Tomohiro Furukawa.
The television series was broadcast from July to September 2018. Total of 12 episodes. Broadcast stations are TBS, Mainichi Broadcasting System, RKB Mainichi Broadcasting, CBC, BS-TBS, TBS Channel 1.
A duology film version was subsequently decided to be produced, one of which will be a compilation film of the TV series, while the other will be a completely new theatrical film.
Music Production
In the TV and film series, the music ('revue songs') is produced using the film scoring method, which differs from normal animation production, in that the images are produced first and then the music is composed to match the images.
Plot and Setting
The story takes place at the 100-year-old theatre school Seisho Music Academy, and focuses on the stage girls who engage in friendly competition every day as its 99th students. The revue stage that unfolds around a mysterious audition held in an underground theatre in which the stage girls are involved is gorgeously, intensely and fantastically depicted in an avant-garde and symbolic style.
With its bold and unique storyline and world setting, a constructivist visual aesthetic, and extensive use of symbolic and metaphorical motifs, the work is sometimes referred to as a kind of 'Evangelion pretending to be Love Live!'.
Staff
TV series
| Original story | Bushiroad / Nelke Planning / Kinema Citrus |
|---|---|
| Director | Tomohiro Furukawa |
| Assistant Director | Takushi Koide |
| Series composition / Screenplay | Tatsuto Higuchi |
| Character Design | Hiroyuki Saita |
| Prop Design | Takeshi Takakura / Shiori Tani |
| Graphic design | Yuto Hama / Mai Yamaguchi |
| Colour Design | Chie Yoshimura |
| Art Director | Kentaro Akiyama / Kenji Fukuda (studio Pablo) |
| 3D Director | Hisashi Akimoto (T2studio) |
| 3D stage lighting | Hisayasu Kamiya |
| Director of Photography | Kazuto Izumita (T2studio) |
| Editing | Masayuki Kurosawa |
| Sound Director | Haru Yamada |
| Music | Yoshiaki Fujisawa / Tatsuya Kato |
| Drama script, Lyrics for songs in the work | Kanata Nakamura |
| Animation Production | Kinema Citrus |
Film Series
| Original story | Bushiroad / Nelke Planning / Kinema Citrus |
|---|---|
| Director | Tomohiro Furukawa |
| Screenplay | Tatsuto Higuchi |
| Character Design | Hiroyuki Saita |
| Assistant Director | Takushi Koide |
| Chief Animation Director | Shoko Yasuda / Tomoko Sato |
| Mecha Design | Takeshi Takakura / Yasuyoshi Uetsu |
| Design cooperation | Akika Kozato / Shiori Tani |
| Graphic design | Yuto Hama / Mai Yamaguchi |
| Colour Design | Chie Yoshimura |
| Art Director | Kentaro Akiyama / Kenji Fukuda (studio Pablo Fukuoka) |
| 3DCG Director | Hisayasu Kamiya |
| Director of Photography | Kazuto Izumita (T2studio) |
| Editing | Masayuki Kurosawa |
| Music | Yoshiaki Fujisawa / Tatsuya Kato |
| Sound Director | Haru Yamada |
| Lyrics for songs in the work | Kanata Nakamura |
| Animation Production | Kinema Citrus |
| Production | Revue Starlight Production Committee |
Story
'Stage Girls' ---.
They are girls overflowing with glitter who aspire to become future stage actresses.
One day, they receive a text message.
'And it shall be bestowed upon you, the Star which you have longed for―.'
To catch the shining star, nine stage girls gather for an Audition.
Their desire for the light, their attachment and their destiny... intersect on the stage.
Now, the curtain will rise on the revue.
Main Characters
Seisho Music Academy 99th Graduating Class
The 99th graduating class (第99期生) of Seisho Music Academy (聖翔音楽学園), a school founded in 1918 with a century-old history that nurtures the next talents for the future of the theatre world, has glittering stage girls who play leading roles in the story.
Cast: Momoyo Koyama
Attendance number 1. A stage girl who was captivated by the play "The Starlight Gatherer" when she was a child and aspired to pursue a career in the theatre.
She is not a good sleeper and is not good at early morning lessons, but when her childhood friend Hikari transfers to the school, she and Hikari start striving for the position of 'Top Star'.
Her image color is red and her personal weapon is the sabre 'Possibility of Puberty'.
Cast: Suzuko Mimori
Attendance number 29 (transfer student). A stage girl who is a childhood friend of Karen's and transferred from the Royal Academy of Theatrical Actors in the UK.
She is a mysterious stage girl with few words and is one of the few who know the truth about the 'audition'.
Her image color is blue and she uses the wired Stiletto "Caliculus Bright".
Cast: Maho Tomita
Attendance number 18. A top student in the 99th class and a stage girl who is a thoroughbred in the theatre world, with parents who are a famous stage actor and a prima donna.
Despite her natural talent as a stage actress, she continues to improve herself day by day without neglect. Also known as "Maya-sama" (真矢様).
Her image colur is white and her weapon is the rapier "Odette the Marvericks".
Cast: Hinata Satou
Attendance number 25, a bespectacled stage girl who is the class president of the 99th class.
She has a wealth of knowledge, including quotes from many great people, and a seriousness that allows her to make up for her lack of talent through hard work.
Her image color is light blue and her weapon is the bow and arrow "Hisui Yumi" (翡翠弓, 'Jade Bow').
Cast: Haruki Iwata
Attendance number 17. A rather shy yet cheerful stage girl who is Karen's roommate in the dormitory.
She is from a farming family in northern Hokkaido and is the eldest of six siblings. She looks after her roommates Karen and Hikari with her caring personality, which she developed while living at her family home.
Her image color is light green and her weapon is the mace "Love judgement".
Cast: Moeka Koizumi
Attendance number 15. A stage girl who is like a mother to the 99th students and excels at making sweets. Her nickname is "Banana" (ばなな).
She has a good physique and excellent talents in theatre and singing, and is interested not only in acting but also in behind-the-scenes work in stage productions.
Her image color is yellow and her weapon is the dual-wielded Japanese sword "Rond" (輪舞, "Meguri" (輪) and "Mai" (舞)).
Cast: Aina Aiba
Attendance number 11. Runner-up in the 99th class, she is a stage girl with a Japanese father and French mother.
She considers Maya, the top student, to be her rival, and works hard in her daily theatrical training with the aim of surpassing her.
Her image colour is orange and her weapon is the longsword 'Etincelle de Fierte'.
Cast: Teru Ikuta
Attendance number 2. A stage girl who is a childhood friend of Kaoruko's and rides a motorbike with her to and from school every day.
She has a masculine and brusque tone of voice, but has a gentle nature at heart. Excels at stage combat (殺陣, Tate).
Her image color is purple and her weapon is the halberd "Determinater".
Cast: Ayasa Itou
Attendance number 22. Daughter of the heiress to the head of a traditional Japanese dance (Nihon-buyō) school in Kyoto.
She is a genuine young lady who speaks in a refined Kyoto accent and relies on her childhood friend Futaba for most of her daily life.
Her image color is pink and her weapon is the naginata "Suisenka" (水仙花, 'Daffodil').
Characters from other theatre schools
Refer to the article Starira.
Other Characters (Animation series)
Also refer to the article List of Revue Starlight Characters.
Rei Sakuragi (櫻木麗)
(Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka)
Homeroom teacher of Class A, 2nd year at Seisho Music Academy.
Shion Amemiya (雨宮詩音)
(Voiced by: Saya Hirose)
A 99th class student in charge of scriptwriting, a member of Class B.
Kiriko Masai (眞井霧子)
(Voiced by: Asuka Shinomiya)
A 99th class student in charge of direction, a member of Class B.
Giraffe
(Voiced by: Kenjirō Tsuda)
A giraffe who understands languages. A mysterious entity who organises 'auditions' in the academy's underground theatre.
His habitual phrase is "I see".
Judy Knightley
(Voiced by: Fūko Saitō)
Other Characters (Musical series)
Sawa Souda (走駝紗羽)
Cast: Hekiru Shiina
Head teacher of the 99th class of Seisho Music Academy. She is connected to Giraffe behind the scenes and is in charge of the auditions. She is a 74th graduate of Seisho.
Urara Karasuma (烏丸ウラ羅)
Cast: Reo Sanada
Tsuruko Watazato (綿里鶴子)
Cast: Sayaka Kobayashi
Teachers at Seisho in the musical series.
Sakura Yanagi (柳さくら)
Cast: Karin Takahashi
A student in Class B of the 101st class at Seisho Music Academy. Aspires to become a Scenic designer. The younger sister of Koharu Yanagi.
Appears in #3.
Reira Shirahane (白跳レイラ)
Cast: Mirai Hinata
A student in Class B of the 101st class.
Appears in #3.
Namie Shindō (進藤波江)
Cast: Miyu Suenaga
A student in Class B of the 101st class.
Appears in #3.
Seiran General Art Institute
Theatre school appears in #2 and Blue Glitter.
Kyōko Yakumo (八雲響子)
Cast: Yuka Kobayashi
A teacher at Seiran General Art Institute.
Cast: Kanon Nanaki
One of the three students representing Seiran. Taciturn and competent.
Elder sister of Sakura.
Cast: Minami Tsukui
One of three representative students. Cheerful, vivacious and tall.
Former schoolmate of Mahiru at junior high school.
Cast: Yōko Kadoyama
One of three representative students. Polite and petite. Used to be
Nana's schoolmate at junior high school.
Maitori Girls High School
Yatsuki Hanare (羽成八津樹)
Cast: Yume Nagatoshi
A stage girl from Kyoto. Two grades younger than the 99th students, and admires Kaoruko.
Utashima Agricultural High School
Miko Matsue (松栄美湖)
Cast: Shina Tanaka
Head of the drama club at Utashima High located on a southern island.
Glossary
I AM REBORN (アタシ再生産, Atashi Saiseisan)
This is a symbolic phrase inserted at the beginning of Karen Aijo's transformation bank, and is a keyword that runs through the story of Revue Starlight from beginning to end.
The transformation bank itself is also a process in which the stage girl's glitter is converted into fuel to create weapons and costumes, and this term can be said to be a word that abstractly expresses this sequence of events.
The ribbon-shaped logo is a pun on the English version's "Reborn".
Audition (オーディション)
An examination held on the stage of an underground theatre in which only selected stage girls can take part. The number of glittering performances in the 'revue', which is held every other day, determines the number of 'top stars' who win the title.
The ranking of the audition is not determined by the number of wins and losses, but by the overall number of glitter at the end of the period, so even if you lose the revue, everyone has a chance to turn the tables if they achieve more in the subsequent battles.
Glitter (キラめき, Kirameki)
Expression of the shining appearance of the stage girls on stage.
When the "Top Stars" are born as a result of the audition process, the glitter of all the losers is taken away as fuel.
Seisho Music Academy (聖翔音楽学園, Seishō Ongaku Gakuen)
The theatre school where the story takes place. It is a prestigious women's school with a history of 100 years.
The school is divided into two courses: the Actor Training Department, which aims to produce stage actresses, and the Stage Creation Department, which teaches directing and scenic design, etc. A joint production by students from both courses is presented once a year at the Seisho Festival.
The students of Karen and her generation are counted as the '99th class'.
Incidentally, the 'Stage Creation Course' is also used as a nickname for fans of the 'Revue Starlight'.
Starlight (スタァライト, original title "THE STARLIGHT GATHERER")
A musical play that appears in the work. The original title is THE STARLIGHT GATHER, although it is basically referred to simply as "Starlight" in the stories.
It is a historical and popular masterpiece that has been performed many times around the world.
It tells a story of tragedy and separation, of two girls, Claire and Flora, who are tied together by fate, with their reunion and the journey that follows.
Stage Girl (舞台少女, Butai Shoujo)
Stage girls are girls who live on the stage, who have abandoned their ordinary ways of life and burnt themselves in the furnace of the stage with everything they have, and who have come to overflow with a glittering radiance.
Each time they perform on stage, they burn up their glitter and are reborn as a new person, and continue to challenge the 'revue' with the aim of becoming a 'top star'.
Position zero (ポジション・ゼロ)
Center position marked in the center of the front row of the stage. In turn, it means the center of the spotlight, where only the leading role is allowed to stand.
The winner of the "revue", i.e. the leading role, declares her victory high above this mark.
Revue (レヴュー)
A one-on-one performance (competition) in which selected stage girls challenge each other for the title of 'top star'.
The winner is the one who drops the jacket of the opponent's stage costume. Also, the stronger the glitter they attract on stage, the keener their fighting skills become in proportion.
Main Themes
TV series opening theme
"Hoshi no Dialogue" (星のダイアローグ, 'Star Dialogue')
Lyrics by - Kanata Nakamura / Composed by - Yuki Honda / Sung by Starlight Kukugumi
TV series ending theme
Fly Me to the Star
Lyrics by - Kanata Nakamura / Composed by - Hiro Hiroki / Arranged by - Hiro Hiroki, Kotaro Odaka
"Rondo Rondo Rondo" theme song
"Saisei Sanbikyoku" (再生讃美曲, 'Hymn to Rebirth')
Lyrics: by Kanata Nakamura / Composed and arranged by Junichi Sato (fhána)
"Revue Starlight: Movie" theme song
"Watashitachi wa Mou Butai no Ue" (私たちはもう舞台の上, 'We Are Already on the Stage')
Lyrics by Kanata Nakamura / Prelude composition by Yuki Honda (Arte Refact) / Composed and arranged by Junichi Sato (fhána)
Media
Manga
Revue Starlight: Overture
Manga work featuring the story of the 99th students in their first year, which is a prequel to the main TV animation stories.
Drawing by Sora Goto, script by Kanata Nakamura. Serialised in monthly Dengeki G's Comic magazine. Published in two volumes.
Comicalised version of the stage plays
A manga series based on the script of the musical stage play has also been published.
"Stage: Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- SHOW MUST GO ON"
"Stage: Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE- #2 Transition"
"Stage: Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight -The LIVE - BLUE GLITTER"
All of these are drawn by Tsubaki Ayasugi. Serialised in the Monthly Bushiroad magazine. Published in two volumes.
Yonkoma Starlight
Yonkoma Starlight (よんこま すたぁらいと) is a comedy spin-off 4-koma manga series by Makimaki Mawaru. Serialised in Monthly Bushiroad. Published in three volumes.
Revue Starlight: Saikai Eyes ~74th
Saikai Eyes ~74th (再会Eyes～74th) is a manga work by Tsubaki Ayasugi, based on a bonus novel by scriptwriter Kaoru Miura, which was included in the Blu-ray of the stage play BLUE GLITTER.
The untold story of Sawa Souda and Kyōko Yakumo from their days at Seisho Music Academy: 25 years ago, Sawa Souda, a third-year student at Seisho, was recognised by the other students as a lone genius...
Game
An application game for smartphones, "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight -Re LIVE-" (abbreviated as Starira) has been released, with the Android and iOS versions starting service on 21 and 28 October 2018, respectively.
The game is a role-playing game with an original storyline and features nine stage girls from Seisho Music Academy as well as original schools and stage girls from the game.
For more information on the game and the game's original characters, refer to the article "Starira".
Rondo Rondo Rondo
The reproduction compilation film "Rondo Rondo Rondo" (再生産総集編 ロンド・ロンド・ロンド) is a theatrical film of Revue Starlight, which was released on 7 August 2020. The content is a compilation of the TV animation series.
Its official name is "Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight: Rondo Rondo Rondo" (少女☆歌劇レヴュースタァライト ロンド・ロンド・ロンド).
Running time is 119 minutes.
Revue Starlight the Movie
Gekijōban Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight (劇場版 少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト) is a theatrical film production of Revue Starlight, released on 4 June 2021. The content is a completely new work, a sequel to Rondo Rondo Rondo.
Running time is 120 minutes.
The train will go to the next station without fail. What about the Stage? What about us?
Related Videos
TV animation version trailer footage Vol. 1 (April 2017)
TV animation version special feature film ( January 2018)
TV animation opening video (July 2018)
Seiran stage play Highlight Video (October 2020)
Revue Starlight the Movie Trailer (April 2021)
Related Articles
Musical Bushiroad Starlight Kukugumi Starira
Anime Summer 2018 Anime Kinema Citrus
Avant-garde Revue Embedded narrative SF Mythology
Alternative Notations
Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight Revue Starlight
External Links
Japanese
少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト (Official Website)
TVアニメ「少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト」番組公式サイト｜TBSテレビ (TV Anime Website - TBS)
少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト (@revuestarlight) / X
App Game
少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト -Re LIVE-(スタリラ)公式サイト
【スタリラ】少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト -Re LIVE- (@starlightrelive) / X
