The series does not just examine Takarazuka but the nature of theater in general though, with the last episode in particular digging a little into the role the audience plays. Meanwhile, Karen has this idea she and Hikari can be a couple who share the stage equally, which threatens to destabilize the entire system. She wants to outshine Maya, but it seems like she just can’t. This whole dynamic plays heavily into the show- Claudine and Maya are the top otokoyaku/musumeyaku pairing in the school, yet it is Maya who gets all the attention while Claudine feels frustrated and like she’s second best. Furthermore, they cannot achieve top star themselves, and must ensure that their talents do not outshine those of their otokoyaku partner.” Basically, there’s this understanding in Takarazuka that the “otokoyaku” (the woman who the male roles) will be top star and its the “musmeyaku” (the woman playing the female roles) must support her and consign herself to secondary status.Īs Emily puts it “ the perfect feminine foil so the otokoyaku’s masculine performance would stand out more in relief,, all while taking care not to skew too much into a romantic interest, so that young women in the audience can still imagine themselves in the arms of their favorite otokoyaku top star. There’s a lot of light critical examination of how Takarazuka in particular is structured here- I’d really suggest checking out these posts by Atelier Emily which dig deep into the subject. I’m always down for that.Īfter all, the “Top Star” system only lets one person be at the top, while the others get their dreams crushed- but Karen wants to stand together with someone. And some characters are not what they seem. It’s hard to explain exactly what the series is about without giving away some major plot twists, I’ll put it like this- it’s very much about two girls trying to upend the vicious, cyclic system they are caught in and there are definite themes of adolescence and identity. It was pretty surreal and pretty gay and that’s what I’m here for. Girls fighting with swords? Takarazuka? A random giraffe? Utena references? Nice animation? This show was made for me, clearly.Īnd I came out of it satisfied. I was super sold on Revue Starlight from the first episode. Now Karen is involved in a truly strange competition…
Karen sees that Hikari is in trouble, and quickly dives to her rescue, remembering the promise she and Hikari made to become stars together.
She’s told that this is a competition between “Stage Girls” for the title of “Top Star”. She follows Hikari into mysterious elevator and finds her engaged in an even more mysterious sword fight with another student that’s preceded over by a talking giraffe for some reason. She’s shocked when her childhood friend, Hikari, suddenly appears. Karen Aijou is training at her school to put on the annual Takarazuka play, “Starlight”. (Also known as Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight). Summer 2018 Anime Overview: Revue Starlight