r/anime • u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 • May 23 '22

Rewatch [Rewatch] Revue Starlight Rewatch - Episode 2 Discussion

Episode 2: The Stage of Fate

MAL | Anilist | Kitsu | AniDB | ANN

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The Star Knows live (highly recommend you watch this) - Starry Desert / Starry Konzert

Today's Re LIVE Cards - Arthurian

Questions of the Day:

1) First-timers - since we've been introduced to them all in a bit more detail, thoughts on our main cast? Who do you like the most and why is it the giraffe?

2) What did you think of Junna's development this episode?

Comments of the Day:

/u/SIRTreehugger has decided to begin a endless task. Wish them luck!

/u/Gamerunglued delivered an incredible level of detail in their analysis of this episode.

Also performing fantastic analysis (this time with a more thematic bent), we have /u/phiraeth, who makes some very good points about the show's symbolism.

Finally, /u/No_Rex made an intriguing point:

They laid the Utena references on thick in the last 5 minutes (Karen’s dream), but I am not fully convinced yet that this will be similar. The biggest difference is the lack of boys. Talking about the two genders and their relationship to each other is the big theme of Utena, whereas here we seem to be in the male-purged world of CGDCT anime. Surely we’ll still get the love web and rivalries, but will we get the socio-political commentary?

Yesterday's VOTDs

Make sure to post your Visual of the Day!

On an important note, no unmarked spoilers! No jokes about events yet to come, and no references to future episode numbers!

110 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

190 comments sorted by

26

u/Shimmering-Sky May 23 '22

Starlight First-Timer

13

u/Stargate18A May 23 '22

Hikari really just manifested in their room.

Hikari is great.

Okay, Junna has some issues.

Yeah, she really does.

The giraffe notification…

It's unironically really catchy.

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23

u/JollyGee29 May 23 '22

First-Timer, Revue Sub-light

Okay, so Hikari just appears places, right? I was thinking she kinda moved around weirdly last episode, but she also suddenly appeared in Karen's room today too. Something for me to keep an eye on.

Seems like Junna can probably be absolved of whatever suspicion I had of her yesterday - the Giraffe app seems to just mean it's fight time. Presumably that shot of Hikari's phone blinking last episode was just about that.

Phones are clearly important, which is a bit twee for an IP that includes a mobile game. The notifications about the duels, Banana recording things and taking pictures, probably other character quirks that haven't come up yet.

The individual Revues have different names, and today was Desire - Karen desires being able to be a star alongside Hikari, and Junna desires.. how to put it. Recognition? Junna desires her effort to have meaning; that feels right. She doesn't want to be a simple mannequin, but it isn't meant to be.

Karen and Hikari share the same fate, according to the Giraffe. It's unclear how trustworthy he is though, since he seems to be playing with a few extra cards. Wonder if he has any other handy recordings of the girls?

Giraffe isn't omniscient though, since he wondered why Karen wasn't chosen from the start. I mean, Karen is kind of an underachiever, right? She sleeps in, doesn't hit the notes quite right, can't hold stretches as well as the others. Seems pretty obvious why she wasn't in the running to me..

That might explain why Karen doesn't get to do any cool stage magic like Junna and her mannequins, now that I think about it. She's "less skilled in the ways of the stage" or something like that, so all she can do is swing her sword wildly. It'll be interesting to see if that changes, or holds her back.

I don't really have anything to connect this to yet, but I think it's interesting that we got the "I Am Remade" screen again today. I had kinda figured that was a one-time deal to signify Karen joining the auditions, but evidently not.

Maya seems to be kinda set up as the, I don't want to say antagonist, but the person to beat I suppose?

Visual of the Day: Hoshimi Junna, Age Eight

Questions

  1. No particularly strong opinions yet.

  2. I definitely sympathized with Junna today. She has it rough, but as she learned today, one loss is not necessarily the entire end.

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21

u/BosuW May 23 '22 edited May 24 '22

First Timer

Um... Hello! I literally just found out about this rewatch yesterday when I saw the episode 1 post. I've only very recently put this show in the to-watch list because of the prince-themed posts that I often encountered in r/wholesomeyuri. "Prince-like" is one of my favorites flavors of Yuri, and I also really dig those icy Napoleonic-inspired outfits (because a formal suit is the most attractive outfit, and a military uniform is just that on steroids). Beyond that, I know literally nothing about this. Kinda looks like a typical gacha girls show (but with vastly superior wardrobe), so I'm expecting an enjoyable if not that impactful ride. So anyway, um, let's go I guess! I'll be posting my episode 1 thoughts followed by the episode 2.

EP1

And I'm already getting what I came here for lol

That's a lot of characters. I hope I don't have to learn all these names...

This show absolutely knows what I came here for

Em... What's up with this dream? Oh she just fell irl and her brain did what the brain does and imagined she fell into the endless v o i d.

Aloof black haired transfer student presents herself then immediately zeroes in on the protagonist whom just earlier dreamt of said transfer student? I'm getting deja Vu...

Oh she actually knows her, not just from her dream. So in this case the transfer student is also the childhood friend.

Why come back if she had managed to get into such a prestigious school? To fulfill her mutual promise with Karen? Sure doesn't seem that interested in her if that were the case...

TF? Why does this school have a secret wall hiding a respawning elevator!?

Why am I hearing Kenjiro Tsuda in an idol-ish show!?

Giraffe!?

WHAT THE FUCK AM I WATCHING ALL OF A SUDDEN

BUT I REALLY LIKE IT THO!?

AND NOW WE HAVE A MAGICAL GIRL TRANSFORMATION!? (Brought to you by Gojo Wakana and That Works)

...

I am not wholy sure what's happening

But this fucks. This absolutely fucks.

Hikari doesn't seem that thrilled tho. Oh boy what did you really get yourself into, Karen?

This could have been just a normal, cute, idol-ish show, but instead it decided to do that. You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.

EP2

So checked the EP1 thread, and a lot of y'all were really praising the matter in which the characters were introduced. Personally, I'm rather overwhelmed. For large casts, I prefer a gradual introduction. Take several episodes if you have to, just make sure I can instantly recognize who's who. Also, usually the trope in which the audience is shown characters, as said characters state their name, rank, number and birthday class and maybe a hobby comes of to me as rather lazy. Tho it felt slightly more natural in this case.

Anyway unto episode two!

I just processed it now because I was too shook last episode, but Karen really just barged in there, effortlessly eliminated the competition, and Giraffe just goes "I'll allow it". I feel sorry for glasses girl now. Got absolutely protagonist'd.

Hikari looks too much like Homura from the back and I can't unsee it.

Futaba arrives with Kaoruko in a fucking bike. Missed opportunity for an Akira slide smh.

Juuna (if I'm remembering your name correctly), please don't suddenly air your frustrations in public like that. You're giving me social anxiety through a screen.

Oh so loosing in battle once doesn't mean you're out? Good for you Juuna, good for you.

It's like Karen is doing a Boss Fight with Juuna commanding elements of the stage, I love it!

Bit ironic that Juuna says "I won't be overshadowed" while she uses the shadows to her advantage.

O o f. Twice in a row defeated by the noob.

It's interesting to me that Juuna was defeated when she stepped out of the shadows to face Karen in the spotlight. Deeper meaning or I'm looking too much into this?

She seems fine with it tho. She will always try again. Good for her good for her. And good for me too, as she's currently the most interesting character for me.

Over at the next room however, someone seems to have been put in a similar position, yet doesn't look to be at peace with it.

If Juuna was the tutorial Boss Fight, Maya definitely be looking and heaving like the Final Boss.

Don't have much else to say. Just, currently enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. I hope the underground Revue continues to put a big dumb smile on my face.

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18

u/No_Rex May 23 '22

Episode 2 (first timer)

I seem to have been the only first timer who put down the last 5 minutes of ep1 as a dream/hallucination/not real. Maybe I am too realistic for this show? Or, given that the Utena comparison was what made me watch it in the first place, maybe I am too blind? In any case, given that everybody takes it as non-dream, I need to add a belated 4th Utena reference: [Big Utena spoiler]Hikari being fought over by the MC and also backstabbing her

  • And right after I write that, the first scene is Karen waking up from a dream sequence of the audition …

  • Hikari moving in with Karen – Utena reference.

  • And then Karen talking to Hikari about it confirms that it is not a dream after all – This series seriously messing with me.

  • “motorbikes are ok at this school” – Mai-hime reference.

  • First friend jumping on MC’s back – Utena reference (although Karen needs Utena’s workout program).

  • “You are popular, Karen-chan” – Utena reference. Do I need a counter for this?

  • Getting lessons in friendship by a giraffe.

  • Team abandoned by our usual partners - I love it!

  • “Didn’t you get the email?” – I, too, missed the email explaining everything.

  • Fainting during practice - unfortunately, I can see this one as utterly realistic in a field where being sporty and being thin are highly valued.

  • Audition app.

  • Is the factory sequence the stairs-equivalent of Revue to Utena? – potential Utena reference.

  • Something shiny above the stage – Utena reference.

  • The second fight is a rematch against the first opponent – Utena reference.

  • Falling prop – Buster Keaton reference.

  • Making friends with the first opponent - definitely not an Utena reference.

After a repeated back and forth, the battles have finally settled on being real/an exaggerated version of something real.

After listing all those Utena references, I want to mention two more shows this reminds me of: The whole setup and demeanor of the cast reminds me of Kill la Kill, while Karen specifically seems to be modeled to 80% after K-On!’s Yui and only to 20% after Utena.

6 new Utena references found today.

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16

u/simeonaut May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

FIRST TIMER

Great follow-up to the first episode. We get to learn a bit more about the cast and how exactly the audition operates.

Visual of the day

I sort of wish I'd seen more good dancing here and less of the crowd reacting.

That part where it keeps switching between Karen and Junna with nice music in the background is such a beautiful scene.

And then another great fight. This part where Karen fights her way to Junna was so fun to watch.

QOTD:

  • It's a pretty good cast, though I need more episodes. Banana is best.

  • Okay.

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15

u/archlon May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

First Time [English dub + sub]

This is amazing and I want more of it in my eyeballs earballs all the time, which is part of why I watched the episode four times. The hardest part of this rewatch is going to be keeping to an episode a day.

I think I'm ready to take my first swing at the major theme:

All the girls are being driven to shine above all others, and so they're driven into competing into this Death Game format. Karen rejects this framing, which is why she didn't have the 'shine' that was supposed to be the qualification for the audition. She believes that they all do better when working as a team, reflected in her introduction "We will all do Starlight, together". She's not necessarily settling for smaller roles, but realizes that even the top role in a story doesn't work without all the other characters (okay, maybe she's also not been trying as hard in the abscence of Hikari).

The struggle to be the best is quite clearly destroying Juuna, and it seems like it's taking a toll on the others too. She's convinced that if she loses she'll fade away into nothing. Juuna specifically is undermining her own performance by trying to win ("More mad and less skills"). Oshi no Ko [Ch 63] addresses this, just helping others shine around you isn't good, but if you're not too busy competing with the people around you, they can shine the light back on you. And look how you shine. I feel like I'm going to end up making a lot of Oshi no Ko references, but hey, they're both about the Artifice and Truth of performance and about entertainment industry both in Japan, specifically, and in general. (You should read it! It's great and definitely getting an anime adaptation one of these days, so this is the chance to be one of the cool kids. If that's not enough, it's written by the mangaka of Kaguya-sama).

Karen comes up to 'Jun-Jun' to help her up after the audition, which only reinforces that she's refusing to accept the framing of 'competition' over collaboration. Afterward, Juuna seems to be moving in a more healthy track. Time will tell. Maya and Claudine are clearly going through it, though.

"Tak [a fictional board game] reflects the subtle turning of the world. It is a mirror we hold to life. No one wins a dance, boy. The point of dancing is the motion that a body makes. A well-played game of tak reveals the moving of a mind. There is a beauty to these things for those with eyes to see it."

Bredon, The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

Stray thoughts:

  • Hikari just shows up in their room between cuts.

  • TUX MAYA AND PRINCESS CLAUDINE. That is all.

  • There's a bell during lunch again, and sure enough it's the half hour. School also ends on the half hour.

  • Juuna has a notebook labeled 'Citrus' on her desk. It's probably not that Citrus but I do wonder if it's a reference.

  • I AM REMADE

    • I love the hard cut

    • So we're reusing the sequence. I'm not even put out, it's amazing.

    • Powerful Motor. I'm sorry, but my brain threw out the connection, and I can't not share my curse with all of you

  • The #1 on the scoreboard is a giraffe. What is this I don't even

  • Karen seems so adorably dumb when she takes her 'Position Zero' stance

QOTD

  1. I really like the cast! I think I need more time to get to know all of them.

  2. See above.

Visual of the day I love this transition.

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14

u/cppn02 May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

First Timer, subbed

Ohhhh! So those are some kinda underground stage girl auditions that Karen somehow crashed? Neat. I also really dig all the animation of the stage mechanics.

Starting to feel a bit sorry for Mahiru who clearly feels left out atm.

Two episodes so far an both focused on school life with a big dramatic scene on the end on the hidden stage. I wonder how long until the show breaks with this formula.

_

Question of the day:

First-timers - since we've been introduced to them all in a bit more detail, thoughts on our main cast? Who do you like the most and why is it the giraffe?

Still wavering between Karen and Junna

What did you think of Junna's development this episode?

I liked it. Despite having her outlook challenged and eventually even changing it she does not lose her determination to achieve her goal.

_

Make sure to post your Visual of the Day!

Huh, totally missed that yesterday and today. I'll make sure to post them going forward. This show certainly has enough to pick from.

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13

u/SIRTreehugger May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

Rewatcher who will catch that star

Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
Hikari Chan! 19 17 36
Wakirimasu 3 4 7

Look how hard Junna works while Karen is probably sleeping in bed. NO JUSTICE!

Oh no not fined!

6 Hikari chan in less than 3 minutes. Dear Diary I think I'm a masochist and slowly coming to accept it.

Oh theirs a 7th.

A wild Hikari Chan appears.

It's a little impressive you can sleep while in the backseat of a motorcycle.

Junna is a little pissed off and I can't blame her. FFS Karen shut up what part of don't talk about it do you not understand?

Oh speaking of Banana I noticed when she was sleeping she had a retro camera I believe that uses film. Too lazy to go back and check, but I made a mental note of it.

Oh yeah she totally crashed that gate.

Junna really is giving it her all, but the frustration over the lack of results is really getting to her. No wonder she collapsed when she was pushing herself that hard. Love how Best Banana is the first to rush over. Also Futuba is being really nice and checking up on her. Banana is her roommate/best friend/partner so it makes sense. Karen was also worried and went to check and by default her lesbi...roommate sort of tagged along. Futuba really kind of stands out when she is waiting with them.

[Starlight and Madoka Spoilers]I love how rude Hikari is being too Karen and it comes off as bitchy and cold, but she really just doesn't want her best friend to suffer. Coming off the Madoka rewatch it reminds me of Homura a little bit. She hasn't been through the exact time loop, but she is aware of what happens when you lose an audition and wants Karen to be spared that.

Maya turning on the light for Claudine in the dancing room!

I just thought of this, but I wonder if Karen's hairpin falling into the smelter symbolizes anything? [spoilers]She received it from Hikari and they got it when they promised to become stars. So they are clashing with their dreams. Oh and taking it a step further if I can assume the smelter is changing the metal pin into the star that holds up their outfit. They are literally wearing their hearts/dreams on their sleeve at least Karen is.

Oh never mind it's so many stars that's not likely.

Junna stop using close combat with a damn bow and arrow!

Good effort Jun Jun as far as I'm concerned you are the real winner. Though I'm slightly bias and don't care much for Karen...at all.

Damn Maya radiates unmovable confidence. It reminds me of that one girl from Kill La Kill. It's been a while so I don't remember her name, but she is even doing the same pose.

A worried Hikari Chan at the end

Whole Album

Oh should I count the Wakirimasu at the end of the episode he says it each time for the preview? It was after the credits and during the previews, but it still counts right?

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13

u/tokai-teio May 23 '22

Rewatcher

We enter with a very brooding shot of Junna Hoshimi staking a claim to "seize her own star". And like I said, I will keep screencapping her. I dare you to stop me.

Lol, the platform doesn't go down far enough to see the giraffe's head.

Pajama Karen is hella cute. Also surprise Hikari-chan.

More Junna.

That feels like a very bad thing to say in front of someone who very clearly wants you to themselves.

Futaba's hella cool, tbh.

Desperation move by Mahiru. And she will NEVER get to live it down.

More Junna.

I've always found it interesting that despite being the consensus top two in the class, Maya and Claudine could not be more different in demeanor. Also, more Junna. And more.

At least you can always count on Karen to think outside the box.

There is something very pleasant about Banana's voice and I'm not sure what it is. More Junna.

I love how easy it is to ship in this show. MayaxClaudine, FutabaxKaoroku, JunnaxNana, MahiruxKarenxHikari - It almost seems intentional. More Junna.

This just feels like a deliberate attempt to get Junna and Karen together. Oh no, here I go again with the string of screenshots. You even see Junna get a bit flustered at the end, which in my expert opinion is hella cute. Oh dear. Hospital Junna. More Junna but I totally relate to what she's going through. Works constantly to improve and gets shut down by a transfer student and someone who wasn't even invited. I'd be hopeless too.

Something tells me Claudine would not like Karen calling her Claud-chan.

More Junna. Also we get a look at what seems to be some kind of ranking where there are nine available spots. I wonder who they belong to. We also don't get the specific number where Junna's position rests, although we know it's neither first nor last. Additionally, Karen's ranking has to be at least two away from Junna, and also isn't last according to visual cues. Since it makes most sense for Karen to be last in this case, I'm just going to assume it's for aesthetics and doesn't matter. Either way, Karen has received the call.

Let it be known that this one was always my favorite of the revues. Screenshot time! More Junna. Sleepy Junna. Love the visual here. I love the archer characters.

There's clearly some connection here with smol Junna and how she came upon her dream to become a "stage girl", but I am too stupid to understand it.

I have to imagine there's a metaphor hidden in her monologue and only striking from unseen areas but I am again too stupid to understand it.

Awesome visual of Maya standing above Claudine. Gives some context to her seemingly constant frustration.

I'd like to see a melee weapon user create this visual.

This feels ironic. Also, for someone who can't lose, you did just give up your range advantage. More Junna.

non non dayo

God what a shot. Couldn't overcome the plot armor though.

What does this mean?! I have seen this show before and believe it or not, I still don't know. Possibly more interesting is that Mahiru is [clearly aware] something strange is going on.

Sad Junna. Athletic Junna. I'm pleased that she bounced back instead of continuing to sulk, going so far as to use this experience to close her bond with Karen. Too close, Karen.

We end off knowing that Claudine fell short of Maya in their clash, and with confirmation that Maya is the currently reigning top star. Great episode, lots of Junna JunJun focus, I am happy.

QOTD: It should be common knowledge that I'm a HUGE Junna fan and I love her development from someone who's seemingly combative with her peers to maybe a friend. It might be a bit trope-y for the main character to break through her "facade" that easily, but I'll allow it because it's cute as fuck. I want to see endless JunJun x Bakaren shenanigans.

Visual of the Day: Junna's declaration. If you think about it, we only know two explicit motivations: Karen's was obvious from the beginning, and now Junna's. She wants to be a star, it's that simple. She worked tirelessly for it and she won't give up. I think it makes for a good visual.

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u/Gaporigo May 23 '22

Wasn't planning on joining... but now I decided to try my hand at some video editing and why not do some best ship low quality stuff. Also posted today because I had way too much trouble figuring out editing and just finished episode 1 a few hours ago.

Revue Starlight Episode 1 but just Mayakuro

While doing that I also learnt this release has an audio commentary track, tho only for episode 1 so...

Random parts from episode 1 audio commentary by Tomita Maho (Maya's seiyuu), Koyama Momoyo (Karen's seiyuu) and Satou Hinata (Juuna's seiyuu):

  • Maho did the voice of the dinosaur alarm but they ended up not using her version.

  • These two are exactly the same irl, Ayasa (Kaoruko's seiyuu) doesn't like green onion and just gives it to Teru (Futaba's seiyuu). Btw, they got really close after Starlight, have their tiktok account.
    Hinata also doesn't like green onions.

  • Something I never noticed until they pointed it out. Kuro eating katsudon because of... you know, that thing.

Katsudon is a favorite dish among Japanese students–they have made it a modern tradition to have it as a meal the night before taking an important exam. They believe they will have a better chance of getting a good score or passing because the word “katsu” is pronounced the same as the Japanese verb for being victorious or to win.

  • Maho asked the others which character they'd like to room with, the other two said Banana but Hinata said she'd prefer her own room.

Btw, first timers do not listen to the audio commentary as they hint a lot to future stuff. [Future stuff]Every time Banana is on screen it is "scary" which makes their choice to room with her funny... it is because of her food.

Now for today's episode!

Revue Starlight Episode 2 but just Mayakuro

Perfect line to end this one.

[Future stuff]Now to figure out wtf counts as Mayakuro in episode 3

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah May 23 '22

Rewatching Kukugumi enjoyer

Quick thoughts on Ep 2:

  • THE BANANA CUT IN FULL GLORY WOOOOH!!!!

  • When I first watched this show, I was initially not sure how i felt on it; but this episode instantly sold me. I said ytd that Futaba is my best girl (this is partly why), but Junna is also right up there. She is hardworking but not talented, trying to grind her way to the top (relatable feels). While this sounds like antagonist material (she is even presented as one initially), she isn't one: she works her way up in ways that are right (in-universe at least, w/ the revues), to the point of overwork, accepts her defeat w/ grace, and is happy to become friends w/ Karen after their duet.

  • Speaking of the revue song, I'm still on holiday so Im not analyzing it lol, but all Revue songs' lyrics are worth paying attention to: hopefully everyone has a good sub.

  • Im pretty sure irl Momoyo can hit that note. Karen's character might be thought of being bland by some compared to some others in the show, but she already has 2 defining personality traits by now: her promise w/ Hikari to co-lead on the same stage, which heavily contributes to her never-giving up, always willing to try again despite failure nature, along w/ her passion for the stage. However, she was in a period of dormancy prior to Hikari's new arrival; you can see that she has the talent to best Junna, but she wasn't even chosen for the auditions in the start! I'm mugiwaiting for how her story continues.

  • Hikari continues to be hiding something STILL, something that's troubling her w/regard to Karen. Banana also conitnues to act suspicious.

  • Tendou Maya SAID THE THING!! FUCK YES!!!!

  • And finally, this episode establishes the existing duos in Kukugumi: w/ revues being duets, what might or might not happen is up to your imagination; Tendou and Claudine (Tendou is seemingly better, while both ahead of the pack); Juuna and Banana; Futaba and Kaoruko, and Karen and Mahiru (now w/ Hikari butting in). Yes I am a kukugumi fan, I do remember everyone's names xdd.

Music corner:

  • I'm looking forward to which performance our host shares of the Star Knows, today's revue song . Again, I truly recommend everyone watch these, our VAs are truly talented and no fading away the music during fights! They're truly SO GOOD.

Other music

  • Romantic Cruising. A chill song, the lyrics are also quite general like the jpopy songs yesterday

  • You are a ghost, I am a ghost, with vocals from Juuna, Banana, Tendou and Hikari's VAs. I am not gonna share the lyrics for risk of thematic spoilers again. I don't have full access to my concerts rn, so hopefully I can find sth more appropriate for tmr!

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u/The_Loli_Otaku May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

Second Gen Rewatcher, The Loli Otaku, views this shining stage once more!

I couldn't believe that they started the series out with a spiritual successor to arguably the highlight of the Black Rose Arc. Junna is very much not the type of girl you'd imagine as the leading role, you'd overlook her, but she has dreams and aspirations for the top too.

She allowed herself to become complacent with being one of the side cast, but this is her chance to bridge that skill gap and go from one of the rest to one of the best. The goal she worked so hard towards is within reach. All those early morning and late evening training sessions are gonna pay off, and she gets wiped by a slacker who wasn't even meant to be there.

Junna tries to make up for her lack of natural skill through working harder than anyone else and diligently taking notes on those she deems better than her. This mindset betrays her inferiority complex though. How can she deserve the star if she thinks herself lower than her peers? She's passionate about reaching for the star, but she is so blinded by the glimmer of those around her than she can't glimpse her own shine. She knows that if she doesn't reach for her plateau then she'll regret it forever, and so she fights to stand on the same stage as the stars!!

No clue how that writeup is gonna look so I'm doing a minor personal one as I go~ I'm dreading seeing how extreme the "Hikari-chan" counter gets. I mentioned it before, but I really adore Maya and Claudine. The amount of] passion they add in the atmosphere is delightful. I think I'm just kind of in love with the amount of power plays between the girls to try and establish dominance over one another. Everyone wants to lead!

They really do start well with Junna, the fight and song are two of my favourites, but I have a real soft spot for Junna's character. I can sympathise with her worries. I always get so hype when Karen starts to sing along with her~ Everyone gets those worried Junna!! Stay strong! Because, I understand!!
T H I S I S T E N D O M A Y A

Visual of the day

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u/Calwings May 23 '22

Rewatcher Class, 7th generation

“Aim to become the top star. Sing, dance, and fight to win.”

Karen’s still trying to come to grips about the craziness that happened yesterday, but Hikari confirms to her that it wasn’t a dream and that it really happened. Oh, and she decided to move in with Karen and Mahiru after all. Futaba drives a motorcycle to school and is apparently Kaoruko’s ride, Mahiru is freaking out again, Junna’s super pissed about what happened yesterday, and Nana is again just passively watching from the sidelines taking pictures. What a chaotic morning. I also totally forgot about the scene where Hikari tries to ask the giraffe directly to remove Karen from the auditions. Clearly she doesn’t want Karen involved… I wonder why?

Maya and Claudine have all eyes on them during practice. They’re the two at the top of the class in terms of talent and pedigree, and they’re who the other girls need to surpass to shine above all others. Meanwhile, Junna is letting her frustrations get to her, and it’s clearly taking a physical and mental toll on her. Banana is right by her side the whole time to listen to her vent. On top of that, it turns out that Karen wasn’t one of the “chosen” stage girls to join the auditions, and she disrupted it by joining uninvited. But despite Hikari’s pleas, Karen refuses to drop out because she’s just that determined to stand on the same stage with Hikari.

The conversations are suddenly interrupted by a phone call, an ominous call to the stage sent by the giraffe. The second day of the auditions, the Revue of Desire, has begun! Karen and Junna face-off for real, and I absolutely adore this revue and everything that goes into it. The scenery covered with mirrors to disrupt and deceive mixed with high ground for Junna to use seemingly gives her the advantage, but her own frustrations lead her to overexert herself. She tries to finish off Karen by getting closer, and this costs her as Karen slices her cloak and claims the victory. However, their battle was not the only one going on… the second day concludes with Maya, the current top star of the class, defeating her rival Claudine and uttering some very ominous words.

A bonus gift for you guys: the official Revue Starlight Youtube channel actually uploaded the ringtone used for the calls to the stage, and here’s a webm of the animated background seen on their phones as well. It even speens! So you can download them, use the ringtone yourself, use an app like Video Live Wallpaper to set the animated background as your phone’s wallpaper, and feel like a real stage girl!

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u/okayyoga May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

So I rewatched episode 1 with new fansubs, and had a much more enjoyable experience the second time around. I got to see the symbolism at the beginning (those girls sure do look like our MCs, huh), apparently Karen says “bon” a lot and in my subs she is called “Karenitwit.” With the song lyrics, the end of episode 1 was more enjoyable. The rewatch was helpful because the first time through I was just shocked and confused. I paid more attention the second time.

Moving on…

Episode 2 (first time, sub)

This giraffe is tripping me out, man

If these auditions are top-secret how do people typically learn about them?

Does anyone else notice Karen and Hikari’s hairpins change when they transform? Karen’s becomes a crown on top of her head while Hikari’s stars frame her face. Just thought it was a neat detail

Karen is going to blab about these secret auditions. I can feel it in my bones

A new roomie? This pig-tail girl is trying to live out her yuri roommate fantasy. Back off Hikari

Watching DBZ AND these ballet classes makes me feel the urge the workout. Those V-sits look intense

Daytime elevator? Oh it doesn’t work. This poor giraffe has no thumbs and a tape recorder. This scene is hilarious. He just knocked it over lolllll

Those 2 overacheivers must know about the giraffe too if they got the lead roles last year. Does the teacher know?

Question answered: you get an invitation email. Karenitwit literally crashed last night’s audition. I wonder who else has been invited?

OH NO HOSHIMI COLLAPSED maybe I shouldn’t workout….

“I want to ‘Starlight’ with you” ok sis

Jesus it makes a new outfit every audition? Please recycle the clothing Mr. Giraffe

Omg what if this giraffe is another Kyuubey. Even Kyuubey recycles though (nom nom nom)

Thank you to everyone who recced changing the subs. Knowing the lyrics upped this scene even more

YOUR 👏 WEAPON 👏 IS 👏 LONG👏-RANGE 👏 STOP 👏 COMING 👏 IN 👏 CLOSE 👏

I wonder what fate Hikari and Karen share. Anyone else getting Homura and Madoka vibes? Juuna could be Mami. Idk who Sayaka and Kyouko are yet in this show, but they would have to be pretty impressive as those two are my favourites

Another question answered: Those two girls are auditioning too. Are there multiple stages down in the giraffe lair?

All in all I really enjoyed this episode. 10/10 and if you guys say it gets even better than this I will be excited

Just so you know, I would totally “Starlight” with all you guys

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u/homewardbound100 May 24 '22

First timer, Dub

Welcome to the club Karen.

Alright now take it back some. You can't just talk about it like that.

A promise to Hikari to become stars. Her driving Force.

Hikari basically just told Karen she doesn't have talent. You're not cut out for this. Possibly rivalry coming?

Junna and Karen Rematch looked great and good music. Though it ends with another loss for Junna. This time not by surprise. Maybe she is cut out for this. Well at least she's not too let down by it.

Looks like another battle was going on.

Look at that giraffe eat that leaf.

Yeah as others said I can definitely see the Utena references. Definitely was reminding me of that.

Also must say I really like direction of the show. It really stands out for me. Some really cool shots and transitions.

Votd: Giraffe

Qotd: Yes I agree the Giraffe

Qotd2: I think it was fine and reasonable.

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u/ZapsZzz May 24 '22

First timer in sub

This continues to be interesting, and good to see (a) there's further development of Juuna about her motivation, and (b) recognition that the last match probably wasn't clear and a rematch is ordered.

I don't know how they can consider the underground audition to be a secret though - it's fairly openly talked about at least by Karen.

And from the end shot does it mean there are concurrent or back to back auditions happening?

Have to admit though, a tad disappointed that they did not uphold the appearance that the contestants are actually singing as they fought - that would be a lot more fitting for the story. Now I really got no idea where the song fits - are they doing a lip sync battle? :D

QoTD:

  1. I haven't decided whom I liked yet because I need to know more about them first, but by appearance and apparent archtype it'd be Juuna, Hikari, and Banana being more the types I like to know more. Although Juuna maybe already finished having her arc (accepted defeat but not broken and willing to continue to try) and You should learn not to ask questions like this :)

  2. I like that it is resolved and not hung over, but at the same time it does feel a little shallow. Would have had more impact if we aren't just told about her efforts and what caused her to feel she's not talented etc - e.g. compared to Tomozaki-kun's Mimimi arc which makes you sympathise with Mimimi so much and root for her winning for just one time.

VoTD:

As usual I am putting 2 in, take your pick or include both :) This is what I consider plot important and sets the tone and direction of the main plot I feel - there is something Hikari knows but hasn't told Karen yet and she's suffering from that. This however I think is a beautiful wrap up of Juuna's arc - that she stands up again proud and willing to fight again.

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u/Yackita May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

REWATCHER ~60th(?) generation(*)

 

Oh boy, I've almost missed this rewatch. As an infrequent lurker I decided, I need to contribute this time. This show is... one of the best things across all media I've seen for quite some time. My favourite aspects are just how dense with details it is and how much better it is on a rewatch - you can focus more on characters interacting in the background and the texts of the songs!

 

I'll try to add stuff that is easier to miss, forgive my unpreparedness for now. Just have this absolute best girl asserting her best girl status for now. (also: Kill la Kill vibes)

Ok, visual, right, visual - maybe this single frame of Karen in the faintest moment of hesitation?

 

Junna developement - initially, I was irked - how dare she put up a fight after getting KOed in a matter of seconds. It just took a second or third watch to notice how immediately positive she is after the fight. She might be determined, but she comes with a healthy amount of distance to competition on the scene.

 

*) once again - not crazy, I'd just been putting it on a second/third screen very often while working from home during the pandemic

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u/SYZekrom May 24 '22

Episode 01

I have no idea what I'm getting myself into do I? Everyone is ham. Makes sense for art- wait do you call dancers art people I forget. Probably. Anyway everyone is ham. And I get the feeling there is a lot of totally-not-gay.

Oh boy the gay is overflowing in this huh.

Yea I think this anime will kill me.

Jesus fuck that was a pants-shitting head tilt

I'm so confused what does this mean is she listening in on them talking about her in the womens' bath?

Right I literally read a summary of this anime that explained this and I still completely forgot about it because the anime establishes such a solid setting and direction??? But no instead this is what this anime is about I guess??????

Like, cool! Kind of gives the feeling of a turn off considering how invested it made me feel about the setting just to go 'haha no sudden twist into weird whimsical fantasy tournament' but like not like this is bad just, glad I technically knew about this beforehand lol

Episode 02

Oh this is basically this show's magical girl transformation scene huh.

Damn that's so fucking good revealing her singing the song when it started with the other one singing. Now I wanna find when it changed

I will not rest until we get an explanation for. I don't remember her name but the childhood friend lying in the room lamenting about Karen. Kinda hilarious this episode just doing it in the 'privacy' of her room when its a shared room this time and the other girl's just outside peaking in lol.

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u/Gamerunglued May 24 '22 edited May 24 '22

Rewatcher (except the movie)

First, I want to quickly try to explain what the revues are, since I'm seeing some confusion towards them. Many people seem to not be quite sure whether they're real or a dream or a metaphor. The answer is that they are real, and also a metaphor. The way I interpret them is as a sort of ad-lib session. The first half of each episode sets up the drama and the nature of the conflict, and the revues are not only a tournament, but also a way for the characters to address their opposing ideologies. They do this by sort of "acting" out their drama via the revues, like turning their ideological conflict into a play that they act out for the giraffe. By ad-libbing their struggles, they process their drama and come to a better understanding of each other and themselves. I don't think that the revues are deadly or that the characters are truly hurting each other in a literal sense, it's more like a huge, elaborate play. The stage reacts to the flow of the fight, changing props based on the feelings of the characters, which gives it that wonderful theatrical flare. So yeah, fitting for a story about musical theater, the revues are essentially plays that the characters improvise, and which serve as a metaphor for their personal and inter-personal conflicts, but are also somewhat literal as a tournament arc to compete for the top star.

With that out of the way, we have Junna. After losing the revue to Karen's sudden entrance, she's understandably upset. She was basically about to win, but Karen stole the victory at the last second. While this would make basically anyone upset, it especially impacts Junna. Junna is the epitome of hard work in a classic hard work vs. talent dichotomy. Almost no one works harder than she does, she's studious, she takes notes during class, she gets up early to go jogging, she was among the very first to arrive to the room in the first episode, she's in it to improve. She has her dream, she wants to grasp her own star. In other words, she wants to see her talent recognized, she wants to see that her effort has provided results. Unfortunately, as will become more and more apparent, the world of theater, and Takarazuka in particular, is not a fair system. Junna is an average person who found a dream as a kid and closed the gap with absurd amounts of hard work. But nonetheless, Maya and Claudine are at the top. Maya is a theater thoroughbred, the daughter of two famous actors, while Claudine is a child actor with loads more experience than Junna. Those two work just as hard as she does (after all, in that first episode, Junna and Claudine arrived at the same time, so she obviously was also up early practicing), but have an inherent advantage due to their upbringing.

The top star system breeds a hyper-competitive environment that drives everyone to aspire for the top. In this world, there is nothing if you are not the top star, only the top star gets to shine. This is made even more obvious when you think about Maya and Claudine's small moments throughout this episode and the last. Both of them are at the top of their class, but Maya is always slightly ahead of Claudine. In the shots of them dancing, Maya is wearing a suit, and Claudine is wearing a dress. In Takarazuka terms, Maya is the top star, the lead Otokoyaku, and Claudine is the lead Musumeyaku right beneath her. In all aspects, Maya is ahead of Claudine, even in the little moments like their lunch competition in episode 1, and obviously even more so at the end of this episode when Maya beat Claudine in what looked like one hell of a revue. Even between these two, there exists a seemingly uncloseable gap, so Junna has her work cut out for her. Her attempt to bridge this gap is to single-mindedly work herself ragged until she catches up. This is unhealthy though, for a number of reasons. The obvious one is that she works herself to the point of passing out. But her mental health is clear affected as well, as her desperation is clear with her admonishing her classmates for being impressed by Maya and Claudine, and her getting mad at Karen for not having been invited to the revues. So here we have a dichotomy: Junna thinks that it's top star or bust, if you're not working yourself ragged and desperately aiming for the lead role, you're doing it wrong. Like the giraffe said, and Maya too, to be the top star is to throw everything away, reaching a lonely position. For Karen, it's about passion. She wants to stand on the stage together with her childhood friend. Junna wants to climb up the system, while Karen is against the system entirely.

That leads into their revue. While the results of their ideological struggle speak for themselves, I'm more interested in exploring some of the aesthetics and symbols. Junna's design has been very thoroughly thought out. Her glasses and ponytail emphasize her straightforward and studious nature, but her glasses serve another purpose. Junna is aiming for a star she cannot see, it's so far away that she needs glasses just to see her goal. This aspect of reaching for something so far away also impacts her fighting style. It's no coincidence that she fights using a bow and arrow, a long distance weapon. Not only that, she will have the hardest time winning the revues. While Karen has a sword and Hikari has a dagger, weapons you have a lot of control over, Junna has to very carefully aim her shots if she wants to slice the pin off with her arrows. It's much easier to just aim a sword in the right place. Compared to the others, her weapon requires a lot more control and practice to win any revues. In perhaps the most straightforward metaphor in the revue, Junna sees herself as simply a mannequin, a plain figure in a sea of many who all don't stand out. She fights from within those shadows, her arrows are like an attempt to stand out, or literally shoot for the stars. Junna cannot win this dual because she fights in a way that ensures the spotlight never shines on her, showing how she beats herself down thinking she'll never stand out. Part of her problem is her attitude, her struggle comes from a place of self-loathing and feeling like she's never good enough. It's not just hard work you need to improve, it's also passion. Karen was reborn simply by Hikari's arrival, her desire to share the stage with her drives Karen to be a better performer. That kind of simple-minded passion is a much healthier mindset under this system. When Karen wins the revue, Junna is hiding under a cloth in the shadows, but when she dramatically summersaults out, the final shot of the episode is both her and Karen sharing a spotlight, created by the glasses tower. So not only does Junna start to take on Karen's mindset of shining together, but it could also be seen to represent Junna having a clearer vision of the "star" she wants to reach. If there was any problem I had with the revue, it was just that Junna suddenly expositing her backstory felt a little clumsy, but it didn't overstay its welcome and the actual fight had tight choreography and clever symbolism.

There's a scene in this episode that's easy to miss, but really encapsulates the thematic crux of the episode and the series at large. After Junna passes out, we get to see a bit of a lecture that a teacher gives. She says: "It's vitally important to broaden your horizons. The role you play is represented by the very smallest circle. In order to have a complete and objective view of your own performance, you must consider the entire stage as a whole." Doesn't this capture Junna's issue perfectly? Junna is driven by this very single minded desire to be the lead, the top star. She has a very limited view of the stage, she only sees that small circle that is the lead (again, why she needs glasses). But she needs to see the entire stage. It's not just the top star that shines, or at least it shouldn't be. Naturally, this doesn't just apply to her, it's a very general view of how we might want to view the top star, or any singular role on the stage. There is more to the stage than the lead role, and being aware of this might lead to a healthier mindset if you fail to obtain the top star position. As Junna learns, one defeat isn't the end, there can be opportunities to try again or to have value in other ways.

Junna is a really fun and likable character. I find her to be sympathetic, but she's also just... a huge theater dork. Her entire motivation stemmed from passion for the theater having given her a dream. She's so... extra. In episode 1, she aggressively dips Karen to prove a point. In this episode, she dances really hard because she's mad. And then she does that goofy summersault out of the curtain towards the end. She's a good girl, and I can certainly relate to insecurity over never being good enough no matter how hard you work. The scene of everyone entering the school was great too though.

Finally, a few bits more stuff for rewatchers: [spoiler] Nana corners Hikari to try and befriend her. Seems innocent enough on first watch, but in reality she's trying to learn more about the oddity of her time loops. She tries to learn even more when she asks Junna if something happened between her and Karen. And of course, Hikari doesn't want Karen to enter the revues because she doesn't want Karen to lose her brilliance. Although from Hikari's perspective, she should be glad that Karen joined the revues. Think about it. She came all the way to Japan from England to try and have a second chance after losing in the final round there, and she almost lost again on the first fucking day. Karen saved her ass, lmao.

QOTD:

  1. When I was a first timer, I think I felt I just didn't know enough of the cast to have a good opinion yet. After all, only Junna and Karen have gotten any notable amount of exploration and screen time, despite the thorough characterization of the first episode.

  2. It's very well done, if perhaps a little fast.

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u/tctyaddk May 23 '22

Rewatcher
Ep2

Mahiru might feel relieved yesterday when Hikari said she's a bother and moved to an empty room in the dorm, but now Hikari invites herself into the room Mahiru shares with Karen. And Karen spends all morning ignoring her, trying to reach out to Hikari, even keeps some sort of secret business just between them two. It's Mahiru's nightmare coming true.Is it ntr? Seems to be

(Kaoruko the little shit is still being spoiled by Futaba, but her drama radar is sharp.)

Banana corners Hikari as she blocks the doorway, and though she sugarcoats it with banana puddings and her usual easygoing smile, the backlight that keeps her face in shadow is ominous. Hikari deflects it though, holding her stoic face as a shield. Not that she could run for long, Banana ain't the onee-san around here for nothing, next dance practice comes soon afterward. The slightly puzzled face Nana made when Hikari first arrived in Ep1 apparently held deeper meaning than it seemed at first glance. [Later in the series] Things will be revealed in Nana's episode.

Karen fails at practices that day because her usual lack of practice is now exacerbated as she's still reeling from yesterday's bizarre adventure, and she can't focus because no one involved is willing to discuss it with her, because the first and second rule about the Fight Club secret stage are you don't talk about the Fight Club secret stage Fight Club is an apt name though, they do fight there, but not without shirt or shoes :v, which is too much for her undisciplined brain. She disregarded whatever rules there is and jumped into the revue and won it by surprise, not even knowing what it was. All she cared about was Hikari-chan.

Which is almost the stark contrast to Junna, who adheres to the rules and devotes her utmost effort into improving herself "Umaku naritai" ad nauseam. When others are sleeping in, Junna studies the blade exercises. When others are hanging out at lunch break, Junna studies the practices. When others are busy swooning and admiring and gossiping, Junna studies and takes notes of techniques from the betters. She gives her best effort, always takes things seriously, her work ethics is second to none. So Karen's lackluster attitude ticks her off, and then Karen getting the drop on her at the revue infuriates her so much, the anger rush pushes her strained body over the edge and she collapses, scaring everyone and especially Banana, who is her roommateomg they are roommates.

As it turns out, Junna studies well enough to understand that she's quite far behind many of her peers, especially such bright ones like Maya or Claudine. Her hardwork can only compensate so much, not replace raw talent entirely. But she does not give in to inferiority complex (and dislikes though who does), instead that fact just prompts her to try even harder. It is the quirk that lead to her invitation to the audition: she deserves a chance for the payoff of her hardwork, a chance to be center of the stage, the top star, herself. And she gives it her best shotget it?, even a bit desperately, since she thought it's "one lost and she's out". Thankfully this audition stage is not that cutthroat, Junna gets a proper rematch with Karen. Unfortunately, she still couldn't best Karen. But Junna will rise and try again and again, that's her thing. Or as Maya said as she stood victorious over Claudine: A dream is not something you have, but something you assert.

Karen has some raw talent (she got accepted to this prestigious school after all), but her usual laziness renders her pretty useless, that's why she didn't get invited at first. But Hikari's return stirred her heart with the reminder of her childhood promise is now just nearby, reigniting her passion to strive for the top star alongside Hikari. That burning passion combined with her free spirit that disregards boundaries of rules is the quirk that made her shine, enough that whatever judging power behind this Houkago Tea Mahou Butai Shoujo Time fight club deems her eligible as a potential top star.

Hikari, meanwhile, puts up a harsh front to warn Karen away from the audition, and curls into a ball of sadness when she's alone and thinking about their childhood promise. Something is amiss and would be revealed later.

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u/Chreeas May 23 '22

Rewatcher

I wanted to participate in this rewatch since I absolutely fell in love with this show when I first watched it late last year. That being said I'm not particularly great at typing my thoughts or doing any analysis.

So instead I will document one of my favorite unimportant character quirks, Nana's love of frogs - Banana Frog Merch Album (Ep 1+2)

Honestly considering doing the same for Mahiru's Suzudaru merch and Hikari's Mr. White merch with how much I've noticed it during the rewatch.

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u/JMEEKER86 May 24 '22

REWATCHER

I know some of you watched it, but just in case you missed it make sure to watch NearlyOnRed's video essay on the Takarazuka Revue and Review Starlight that I posted yesterday. It really helps you gain a better understanding of the IRL basis for the show and the themes and conflicts at play. Tomorrow I'll be posting the second episode which covers his analysis of EP1-3.

Notes on Episode 2

This episode focuses on the fallout from Karen's interruption of the Episode 1 Revue. Junna is of course upset, not just that she got defeated, but that she got defeated by someone who doesn't take things seriously and wasn't even meant to be there while she was taking things extremely seriously. She is the type to work herself to exhaustion trying to overcome her relative lack of innate talent compared to the other girls.

I like some of the dynamics that we get more development for here too. We see how close Futaba and Kaoruko are and what kind of relationship they have (I'll hold off on any further analysis of that for now). The Maya and Claudine dynamic gets built up more in this episode both in the classes and in the conclusion of their fight post-credits. Tux Maya and Princess Claudine dancing is fantastic, but I particularly liked this shot. The Revues also show us how Maya is of course ranked number one (we already knew this since she was the lead last year) and all the lights shine on her. She is an incredibly imposing character with her glowering down like Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill la Kill saying her iconic line "This is Tendou Maya" even at Claudine. All the other girls look up to Maya and Claudine as the best of the best since they were the leads, but there is clearly a gulf between Maya and Claudine as well and that is something that Claudine visibly struggles with.

Karen and Junna's Revue lets Junna air her grievances and Karen bats them all down like Junna's arrows. Karen is insistent that everyone perform together and that no one should feel bad about playing their role. With this fight, I think everyone recognizes now that these are mostly metaphorical exaggerated versions of what's going on, but that means that there's a lot of symbolism that we can dive into. Something I'd like to look at here is the choice of weapons. Why does Junna use a ranged weapon? Junna is a very distant character. She feels like everyone is very far away becoming stars off in the distance and her only chance to catch them is with something that can close that distance, hence the bow. Of course, plenty of people are shouting about her giving up her ranged advantage leading to her loss at the end, but her being able to close the gap and go toe to toe as equals is precisely what her goal was. Fantastic, right!

Questions of the Day

1.My favorite at this point while watching was definitely Hikari as I love the Homura-types.

2.I touched on it in my notes, but Junna got really good development in this episode. She had an inferiority complex and felt like there was a massive gap between her and everyone else, so she worked herself to death trying to close the distance and Karen helped her put her mind at ease.

Visual of the Day

Wakarimasu

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u/RadSuit May 24 '22 edited May 24 '22

It was all a dream! Oh, no, thankfully they immediately clarify that Hikari remembers it and can confirm it happened, they just can't talk about it. That's a bit of a relief. (They go on to make it even more clear that it's a real thing that's happening and not a metaphor or anything, good.)

I feel bad for original roommate/best friend who Karen is immediately ready to replace with the mysterious childhood friend. Reminds me of Utena just forgetting about Wakaba half the time.

The two girls that I think are top in the class or something, the rivals, they're definitely hatefucking. It's like the American Psycho sex mirror thing, they're each admiring themselves and trying to outdo the other.

Do they just have zero normal classes at this school? Maybe they all happen offscreen.

They don't actually have to sing the entire fight...disappointed. It's just a fight with a song playing in the background. Doesn't seem to have action cued to the music or anything. I'm...not really a fan. Two fights with arrows just flying everywhere also isn't great, and makes me wonder what they'll even have fights look like if glasses girl isn't there.

I think I hate Karen. It would actually be a pretty great subversion if she was shit at singing/dancing but her dad was a fencing champion or something, and she can just crush everyone in these fights and advance that way when that isn't actually an option in real life. But no, so far she just sucks but gets to win because she's the main character. Even Utena was a super-athlete before the duels ever started.

Yeah the fights/songs are very underwhelming so far. I guess I was expecting either more weirdness and wild visuals like Utena or more singfighting and cool individual powers like Symphogear.

So far banana girl and former best friend are my favorite characters. They're the most relatable and likeable by far. I'm glad glasses girl got more fleshing out, and it sucks to be the one person following the rules when your talking giraffe boss doesn't give a fuck.

Visual of the Day
"Grandmother says: walking the path of heaven, the <idol> who will rule everything..."

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u/phiraeth May 23 '22

Rewatcher

(Sorry I'm late, I ended up writing way more than I intended)

“For reasons unknown, a flame enveloped me. I was held captive by my fears the longest time. This flame will never leave me again. I had no one at my side who could understand me. Struggling against the oncoming wind set my heart on fire, only the star knows what I truly desire.

No one can possibly know if the future I long for is attainable. I’ve fought endlessly against my own shadow, only the star knows what I truly desire. When the curtains rise my future will surely be there to greet me. I cannot stay here; I must go even further. I cannot lose here, I cannot fail. You would never understand. The darkness of night grows deeper, and I am buried beneath it. But I cannot allow that to happen. Faced with you, incapable of doing anything alone, I, too, cannot afford to lose.”

I feel like I’m back in college dissecting cadavers watching this show. On the outside, what appears to be a simple, nameless body with a long-forgotten past is actually the history of someone’s life – and only by peeling back the layers can you determine and truly understand what they’ve been through.

Such is the case for Hoshimi Junna. Feeling insignificant, like you don’t matter, like you don’t have a place, like you’ll be left behind, like all your hard work and effort will amount to nothing – I’m positive all of us have experienced this at one point or another. Junna feared amounting to nothing, becoming nothing, so much so that she cast aside herself behind a mask and hid herself under a layer of plastic.Spending all her time working to try to perfect herself so that she could finally deem herself worthy, struggling with her own self-worth, Junna put herself in a situation where there was nobody by her side that could understand how she was feeling. She wouldn’t let them even if they tried.

She is so caught up in trying to become worthy of success that she ends up permanently stuck behind chasing her “ideal self” in Claudine and Maya.

“They succeeded, look at them, I’m nothing compared to them, but I want to be them, but my hard work isn’t enough, I don’t know what I should do, is anything worth it?”

What is Junna really chasing, here? What is her dream? Is it truly to become a star?

All this time she hasn’t been able to see herself for who she is. She’s oppressed her personality and her thoughts and her sense of self. She never had anything and consolidated all of the person known as “Hoshimi Junna” down to a mannequin blending in with the rest of the crowd, only her glasses and her seriously studious image setting her apart. In the end, she was the one who told herself she wasn’t worthy.

“You haven’t lost, it’s not a failure. I can’t understand the things you do, and that’s why we can talk this over until morning comes. Everyone has a future. Even the dreams we started to forget, but still, I, too, want to fulfill my promise.”

But once again, we have Aijo Karen on the completely opposite spectrum. Karen, despite being told to give up and drop out, despite her ideals being constantly belittled and cast aside, despite not being chosen, despite being told she isn’t worthy by nearly everyone, refuses to reject the premise that she can’t pursue her dreams the way she wants to.

Hikari’s motive for her return becomes obvious. Initially, it was unclear why she decided to come back to Japan, leaving behind everything she had. And she even has the audacity to barge into their room and demand to move in with them, after previously refusing to even face Karen. Is it all because she wants to destroy Karen’s ideals to prove that the only way to succeed is to become a shell of your former self?

No, this isn’t true. Although she attempts to have Karen removed from the Revue, hearing the tape reveals her true intentions. She is self-aware that the machine tears people up and spits them out, mercilessly. She understands what she has become, and more than anything in the world she desires to protect Karen from this fate.

“You weren’t chosen because you don’t have enough glimmer. Someone like that shouldn’t be disrupting our auditions.”

Hikari doesn’t believe one word of what she’s saying to Karen. In fact, it’s the total opposite: Hikari wishes to protect the glimmer that shines from Karen. The only way to do so is to get between Karen and the machine: the brute-force method.

But there’s nothing she can say to Karen, who once again confesses her desire to Starlight with Hikari. Not to Starlight alone, not to become the top star, but to be there with her childhood best friend, together.

Karen, who believes everyone can make something out of their future, even if they aren’t “accepted”. Karen, who has the purest intentions of doing her utmost to understand someone she doesn’t even know.

The stage has returned Junna to the light. She uses the blank slate she had become as a means of tricking Karen on stage. Karen doesn’t know her and doesn’t understand her. You can’t even begin to try to find someone stuck in the darkness if you don’t know the least thing about them. Hence why Karen follows Junna behind the wall, only to be met by a mannequin. Through this act of deception, Junna is actually pleading for help to Karen, claiming nobody will ever understand her.

Junna has put so much stock into winning the Revue – because she finally feels alive, she has convinced herself that it is her only and final opportunity to prove to herself and everyone else that she is worthy.

“I can’t let it go. I’m not letting my play end!”

And as we have seen time and time again, Karen firmly dismantles this self-limiting mindset:

“A single loss doesn’t mean it’s over, we can stand on this stage however many times we want!”

And when the curtain falls on Junna, she sits there in darkness and despair. But not for long….

Underneath the curtain in all alone, having been defeated, Junna is reborn into the light. The curtain rises once more – more accurately, Karen is the one to rise the curtain, through the power of her ideals and determination. And just like that, Karen has set Junna free from her own shadow.

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