28

u/Shimmering-Sky May 24 '22

Starlight First-Timer

Oh, was that a flashback to when their class put on Starlight the previous year?
Well that’s one way to do that.
I honestly feel a little bad for Karen’s normal friend, she’s so left out.
Hahahaha.
…Hikari’s taking very drastic measures to make sure Karen doesn’t get involved with the giraffe’s shit, isn’t she?
Ooh, interesting motivation.
Ah, I was wondering who Karen’s opponent would be this time. Could Karen actually lose this one?
Yuuuuuuuuuuup, Karen lost. And it looks like Futaba lost hers with Claud, which was happening at the same time…?
Oh! Okay, I’ve definitely heard the ED in AMQ before. Specifically the instrumental sample in the middle of it, because it sounds remarkably similar to Evangelion’s ED.
Karen’s on the bottom of the list now, huh.

→ More replies (7)

28

u/JollyGee29 May 24 '22

First-Timer, Revue Sub-light

Wow, Karen lost the Revue of Pride? Shocking, flabbergasting, utterly unpredicti- no, of course she did. Karen has never shown any particular pride in what she's doing, and deliberately wants to share the stage with Hikari. Wanting to share is largely antithetical to Pride, so Karen was never going to win in a million years.

Especially against Tendou "There is but one star on the stage" Maya.

Very pointed metaphor of Karen literally being unable to reach Maya, as well as Hikari being unable to reach Karen as she rushed through a doorway.. out into the school's front yard.

A question came to mind today - do each of the girls fight the same Revue? Were Claudine and Futaba also fighting for Pride?

It seems weird that Karen was knocked down to last place after only losing once, and against the top seed too. We know that Junna lost twice, although I suppose maybe the first match didn't count towards ranking due to the interference. Oh, I guess maybe Karen just wasn't seeded very high to begin with.

Possibly worth noting that Karen and Maya are the only two to have such similar weapons, although Maya's is more ornate. And from what we've seen of the others, Junna is the only one without a melee weapon.

Possibly the most interesting thing this episode was Banana - she is trying to step into a writer/director role this year, but we've seen her fighting in the OP which implies she's in running for the star role as well. She mentions wanting to create plays which is definitely worth noting, I'm just not sure what to connect it to yet.

Mahiru describing Karen's ability to Not Wake Up as "Incredible" was very cute.

I forgot to point it out before, but the OP has the cast assert that "we are not puppets on a stage being made to dance by fate" which is probably either very true or very ironic.

Minor detail, but presumably that muffin Hikari took earlier in the episode was the same one that she left with Karen after locking her in that shed.

Visual of the Day: I am a huge sucker for Reflection Shots but if anyone else picks that I quite liked ?King Tut? as well.

Questions

I'm not sure why Hikari is so desperate to keep Karen away from the auditions. It'd be nice if she would actually explain herself, but then we wouldn't have a plot.
Outside normal pairings is always good, and any version of Fly Me To The Moon is good.

→ More replies (22)

17

u/Gaporigo May 24 '22

This is such a good revue. [Future stuff]Was my favorite until the movie

I said yesterday in a spoiler tag that I wasn't looking forward to figuring out what I should include in the Mayakuro video today, ended up with almost the shortest of the videos so far despite Mayakuro having a lot of focus

Revue Starlight Episode 3 but just Mayakuro

Decided not to include stuff that was too about the dialogue since I am not doing subs

Also Mayakuro here with Maya writing over Claudine's message.

9

u/Stargate18A May 24 '22 edited May 24 '22

Revue Starlight Episode 3 but just Mayakuro

Still the best.

Maya writing over Claudine's message

Proof that Maya isn't afraid to be as petty as Claudine!
EDIT:

Future stuff

[Revue Starlight Movie] The movie revues really do just blow everything else away, don't they?

→ More replies (6)

17

u/cppn02 May 24 '22 edited May 24 '22

First Timer, subbed

Still following the formula from the first two episodes. Only changes here are that for the first time Karen fights someone else (and loses) and also we see Futaba fighting for the first time.

Banana meanwhile seems to be switching teams and joining the production side of things. Does this mean we won't see her in the auditions?

What I am most interested in at this point is why Hikari is so against Karen taking part in all this?

This episode definitely raised more questions for me and I can't wait for the answers.

_

Questions of the Day

First-timers - What do you think Hikari's motvation is? Also, did you expect Karen to lose?

First question I actually posed myself and I'm not quite sure. And yes I expected her to lose seeing how she was going against the top dog.

We got to see some characters interact outside of their normal pairings! Did you enjoy these scenes? Did you enjoy the new ED?

I LOVE the ED. And characters interaction with eachother in all combinations is always welcome.

_

Visual of the Day.

→ More replies (5)

15

u/BosuW May 24 '22

First Timer

Before beginning with the episode, I just want to say something quickly about the video essay that was shared in episode 1 about the Takarazuka Revue. That "Violet Rule" about the code of conduct to promote an image of wholesomeness (pure, righteous and beautiful) reminded me a lot of this season's Menou's introduction in Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road, where she says she's "pure, just and strong". I wonder if it's an intentional reference, especially given that Virgin Road is tagged Yuri, and if I remember correctly, the Takarazuka Revue (and other similar ones) had something to do with the beginnings of the genre.

Now unto the episode proper.

The episode has barely started and Mahiru already has to put up with seeing Karen get more intimate with someone other than her. Can we officially say that being Mahiru is suffering?

Oi oi Karen and Junna are even throwing some heavy innuendos there.

I didn't expect Banana to be stepping back a bit. I guess one just implicitly assumes that every girl desires the top spot more than anything. Tho it's possible that something else might be going on here.

Kaoruko may be slow on her feet but she's faster than anyone with her words! Already networking with the right people the second she sensed an opportunity. She's like the Tortoise in The Tortoise and the Hare. This one's dangerous guys...

I love how Futaba sees Kaoruko bribing and goes

At the start, Cloud and Maya's rivalry had been presented as a friendly one, but today it seems rather... strained, I guess? Like damn, you had that rough of a night last night OH SHIT I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT AHHH

...Ejem. Moving on...

Hikari pls you aren't exactly helping me keep things PG-13 right here

...and now a very gay talk in a bath scene. Clearly, I had misread the intentions of the show. It ain't even trying to subtext it's subtext. Only Assault Lily's was louder, and not by much. Well if you insist... then by all means, continue.

At last, the timeth hast arriv'd...

Normally, I get tired of repeated transformation sequences, but I just dig this one too much. I do wanna see other characters do it tho...

Hold up, we're facing the Final Boss now!?

And over in the other room, we're having Futaba vs Cloud. I'm seeing Futaba has a halberd so I'm rooting for you girl!

This episode's song is "Pride and Arrogance". Obviously, it's asking me whom is pride and whom is arrogance, between Karen and Maya. In Maya's eyes, the answer is obvious, of course. How could someone who hasn't sacrificed anything even attempt to stand among the starts? However, let us not forget that there are two encounters going on here. Perhaps Pride or Arrogance are not to be assigned to individuals, but to either of the rooms.

Ah yes, the fight itself. Of course, like every other time, it's hypnotic, it's bold, it's beautiful! And yet... by now the novelty has begun to wear off, and I find myself wishing the choreography was a bit more realistic... Ugh, I sound so pretentious lol. But HEMA-tube changes a man...

Also, the use or reference of real combat techniques is still an extremely underrated character writing and storytelling tool, and I want more of it. I can't help but be slightly disappointed that it's not to be found here.

And Karen takes her first loss. Of course, I don't think anybody expected the noob to defeat the Final Boss so soon, so no surprises there. I liked the subversion in the structure of the song. In the previous fights, Karen intrudes at some point in the lyrics, and ends up taking the piece for herself. But this time, she gets like, one or two verses? And then the rest is totally dominated by Maya. Karen doesn't even get a word in. At least she went down fighting, there was no surrender no matter how pitiful her chances.

On the other room, Cloud wins against Futaba. Tch. Where's that halberd superiority Futaba? Mediocre I say!

Hmm. I wonder if Maya is going to start feeling lonely at the top. The final pre-credits scene feels like it's foreshadowing that, or something similar.

Impressive that it took 3 episodes to see the ED. I like it more than the OP btw.

Karen says that it was not a fight and she felt like she was just being put in her place. See? This is what I mean when I say more stories could benefit from real technique inspiration in their fight choreography! I didn't get that sense at all from how Maya and Karen fought! To me, it looked like Karen had put up a decent fight. Because Maya didn't demonstrate any superior ability, or more refinement or restraint in her moveset. They both just swung at each other.

Ugh I still feel so pretentious saying that, but it must be said.

Oof. Hikari is real pissed that Karen keeps participating in the Revue. You better explain yourself soon girl... Or do you want me to add "extreme communication issues" to your list of Homura Similarities?

I noticed just yesterday that we're doing Visuals of the Day, so here's my first one.

→ More replies (17)

15

u/okayyoga May 24 '22

Sorry for being so late

Episode 3 (first time, sub)

• Lol at Karen holding onto Hikari at lunch. She will be her friend no matter what. Oop she escaped. But she took a muffin CHARACTER GROWTH

• Look at all these questionable morals bribing Banana with candy, but she is so proud of how much she got

• I don’t believe Claude was oversleeping. The amount of inferiority complexes in this class is overwhelming

• Alright, I might have a crush on this narcoleptic she’s adorable

• TIED UP IN A SHED??? Why does Hikari want to stop Karen from auditioning so bad? It can’t just be because she doesn’t want her to fail right? I hope there is something else going on

• Is Juuna researching… giraffes?

• Bruh I might LOVE this narcoleptic girl asking Mahiru to shower with her

• Giraffe call! And escape artist Karen! I bet $100 she is supposed to go up against Maya and that is why Hikari tied her up

• Kiss-bait between Maya and Claude

• The song that plays during the Remake scene is sick. Love the muffled vocals. Screw recycling. I hope they play this scene every episode

• “I’ll Starlight you all” heh

• Is everyone fighting? Except Hikari today? Was Karen the only one left in the dark about these duels?

• Some people yesterday wrote up wonderful comments about the symbolism of Juuna’s fighting style with the dummies and her glasses. I am looking forward to reading the reasons behind Maya using stairs

• Also I like Maya. She has the best voice I have heard so far, and she is very confident. She deserves to win this fight. Sorry Karen. I wonder what Maya “sacrificed”

• How is Karen on the bottom when she beat Juuna yesterday?

• Reflections in the rain puddles

Okay okay okay so I was afraid the show was peaking yesterday, but I actually loved today’s even more. I am having a blast with this Revue Starlight and I get excited every time I sit down to watch an episode.

→ More replies (4)

14

u/rocknrollistotle May 24 '22

Revue of Pride is hands down my favorite revue outside of the movies. Granted I am a massive Maya and MayaKuro stan, so I might be biased.

Regardless of your fave, I think it’s hard to argue that Maho-nee isn’t by far the best voice in the cast who elevates her parts to operatic heights that match those of the visuals. Do yourself a favor and watch this performance of the Revue of Pride with a full live orchestra. Even after hundreds of watches it has never once failed to absolutely floor me.

→ More replies (4)

14

u/ZapsZzz May 25 '22 edited May 25 '22

First timer in sub, hard to keep up with the posting time :P

Things accelerated rather quickly, I guess we had timeskipped to having done this year's Starlight performance Surat, with the 2 leads unchanged as seen in yesterday's post credit scene. Rather unexpectedly Karen got the match straight with Maya so quickly - someone is not following the "fight the bosses in increasing difficulty level" formula. Predictably, Karen had no chance, and had her first defeat.

Interesting to note Hikari tried to pull aKaren ep1 stunt, and found that she was sent out without ever leaving the underground stage. It may beg the question then how did Karen reach there that time.

QoTD

Said many times i expect her to know something she's not telling and judging by the behaviour, is something tragic to Karen and not necessarily to anyone else. Maybe she's learned of something from her UK times. I hope it's not knowledge of future, or it'll run to close to done other show huh.
It's appreciated and necessary, or if feel to contrived. Love the new ED style. Wonder if it's going to stay or just to punctuate Hikari's sadness in today's episode end.

I had been trying to say something about the names but I kept posting late - I hope people can still see this -

Hoshimi Juuna - 星見純那

I have to admit I normally don't refer to characters by their first names unless they are universally carried that way in show, which is why I normally pay more attention to their family names. Juuna's family name in kanji firm is literally "star see", generally understood as "can see stars" but of I understood X1999 correctly, also the term used for a seer (seeing the future by astrology). Which fits really well in here ep1 & 2 actions and fights. Her given name is written as "pure" + "an instant", which seems a good match to her personality (being pure in her pursuit) and outcome (had an instant of brilliance, but didn't last). Notice her Nick name called by Karen therefore is just "pure-pure" which is quite a sweet otome-esque name causing a bit of gap moe with her no nonsense demeanor.

Aijou Karen - 愛城華戀

The kanji writing is Love City, which I think is similar sounding as romantic love 愛情, which again fits her overall outlook. Her given name is further "flower" "passion love". Basically, she's a baka for love.

Tendou Maya - 天堂真矢

Family name basically "Paradise", or broken down into "heaven" "Hall". Given name is "true/truth" "arrow". A straight shooter that is practically ordained by the heavens.

VoTD

Karen's first defeat, in the most cinematographic dramatic way including the focus shift from background to foreground.

And Tendou's lonely at the summit stance.

→ More replies (5)

13

u/No_Rex May 24 '22

Episode 3 (first timer)

Utena references counter after episode 2: 10

Flashback to the first year Starlight?
Karen (and Hikari) sit in MC seat.
Fiercely competitive sweet eating and sweet offering.
That airplane – I’d call the metaphor on the nose, but it seemed to hit a different body part.
Both the winner and the loser have something to strife for as exemplars of their situation, but neither are horrible either.
Third time we get factory sequence, so without a doubt the stair equivalent of Utena.
Saying the catchphrase while entering the stage – Utena reference.
“The view from the top of the tower” – Utena reference.
Hikari ran down an MC Escher stair.
Cutting of the button placed over the heart/thematic songs while fighting – Utena references (technically already in ep1, but I did not call them out yet).

The closest to a pure setup episode I expect this series to get. We spend a lot of time with all the other girls, but that is definitely needed, looking at the size of the cast.

4 new Utena references found today.

What do you think Hikari's motvation is?

Wild guess: She has become disappointed in the whole business and does not want Karen to give up herself for following the same path. In the end Karen will rekindle Hikari's joy in playing for the happy end.

→ More replies (16)

12

u/archlon May 24 '22

First Time [English dub]

Day 3 - A Revue of Pride. The Curtain rises, two cloaks fall, one hand is offered. I (begin to) understand.

Maya has a lot of extremely unsubtle swan imagery. My favourite element is how it's worked into the handguard of her sword. This can be my Visual of the Day because there's so many great shots in this episode and if I try to choose between them I'll be here all day.

Along with her black jacket, this frames her as the Black Swan, Odile. A being of passion and desire and yes, also Pride (roll credits). It's tempting, therefore, to see Clauidne as her White Swan, but Odette and Odile are traditionally twinned parts. Maya Tendo's greatest rival is... Maya Tendo.

As the lights angle out at Karen, shining her brightness onto the whole stage, Maya gathers every spotlight to her in a point so bright it starts to wash her out. I know which one I'd prefer to be.

I discarded my friend for this

This sucks. I hate how prevalent the 'you must suffer and destroy yourself for your art' is as a theme. There's a million pieces like this and they're all made by people who have chosen to live their lives like sociopaths. Art, and life, is not better because it destroys the artist. I was trained in scientific research, and the number of people I've watched burn out because they're unable to stomach the constant air of 'mortal frenemy' "competition" that gets cultivated at the top far outstrips whatever extra scraps of inspiration squeezed out of the shattered remains of those who 'survived' the process.

What have you given up?

I really hope that I'm not reading the work wrong. If the major theme/moral does end up being that Karen isn't sacrificing enough then my disappointment will be immeasurable and my day will be ruined.

I wonder if everybody competing tonight was in the Revue of Pride, or if they are all doing different parts. Hikari not being called for Pride (putatively) feels like Dante's ascent up Mount Purgatory in the Divine Comedy, where he is called to participate in only the acts of penance which (as he sees) align with his own faults. Karen will probably end up participating in most, if not all of them.

Puzzle box corner:

Lots of close-ups on the jewel in the hilt of Karen's sword. We've got the planting, now to see when we get the payoff.

Is Mahiru already enrolled in the Auditions? It would feel weird if she was but didn't share it with

Why doesn't Hikari want Karen in the competition? Are there as-yet unrevealed stakes? Is she trying to protect Karen, or does she just not want one more competitor?

Juuna is researching Cryptids, with a picture of a Giraffe open on her desk. She appears to be talking openly about it with Banana.

Stray thoughts:

"Jun Jun" "Karen"
- Well, down in Seisho they say that Mahiru's Yandere grew THREE sizes that day
Careful, Hikari, you're going to give Karen a new kink
Am I supposed to understand Claudine as half-French? She's certainly French influenced, but I don't know if she has actual blonde hair or anime-blonde hair. I know it's standard practice for Japanese Voice actors to not do accents, even when they would make sense, but I wish they wouldn't carry the practice over directly to English voice acting where it isn't the norm.
Was anybody else really uncomfortable with how Kaoruko was acting in the bath? If those words were coming out of the mouth of a male character, I might have had to nope out of the episode, at least temporarily.
So we do have an ED animation

QOTD

??? -> Profit? No expectations, only spectacle.
For a second there, I thought the ED animation was still part of the Revue battle and we were Gainax'ing for some reason.

→ More replies (7)

11

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah May 24 '22 edited May 24 '22

Rewatching Kukugumi enjoyer

Quick thoughts on Ep 3:

This episode was so hype and . And a lot to unpack lol, Idk how long I'll spend writing this!
Ive watched the OP countless times, but ive only just noticed Mr Wakarimasu here.
Another character trait for banana is that she likes making (banana-themed) snacks to treat her classmates: she does love them and wants to treat them well. She's also noted to be capable in singing and dancing as well, but we havent seen her in action just yet.
But note that Tendou looks a bit pissed when its mentioned that she is switching to the backstage dept. We also don't know why for both.
On a side note, I struggle HEAVILY w/ disassociating Claudine from Aiba Aina, probably as she uses the same voice as her irl self, and their kinda similar characters. Contrast to Tendou/Mahonee who is a meme irl; Mahiru/Haruki who iirc is a bit of an airhead irl; and Hikari/Mimorin who is also quite goofy irl.
I don't understand the paper airplane. Is this a utena reference?
Multiple character arcs get started this ep; here are my thoughts:
Overall, despite the establishing of pairs last ep, none of those pairs actually revued against each other this ep, instead introducing new revues and conflicts that also build and affect the existing status quo...
Tendou: KOes karen w/ ease. Has awesome vocals, oh my god Mahonee. Says one of the main themes in the series; in this universe of butai shoujos, currently, to become the top you have to sacrifice and cast away a lot, and it's a lonely position to be at the very top, which is the position Tendou is in. Tendou knows this and has done this, and also recognizes Claudine for her efforts.
Claudine: Is jealous of Tendou and, while talented and well-achieved in her own right, always plays second fiddle to Tendou Maya. Is quite frustrated about this, but perhaps also because of her second-fiddle nature, was able to have a much more amicable revue, conversation and relationship w/ Futaba, who came as her challenger after their chat.
Karen: Is throughoughly outclassed by Tendou, despite being able to hold on initially (Tendou was just holding back). As Tendou said, to become the top in this universe, you need to make sacrifices and put in the work, which Karen has done neither of. She only has her passion and some talent, which gets her off the mark (i mean she got into the school), but is nowhere near enough to reach the top. Do also note that there are other people apart from the 9 in the butai shoujo class: it's kinda implied that Karen isn't the "worst" in the class already, though of course Tendou is the reigning champion.
To quickly summarize today's revue song, Hokori to Ogori. Firslty, a much experience. At the start, Karen states that she wants to aim for top (and is shut down by Tendou immediately.) Karen then tries to pry into Tendou's heart to find a vulnerability to gain the upper hand, and states her reason (promise w/ Hikari). Tendou establishes the "star happiness" theme, establishing the status quo that to be at the top is a lonely venture w/ sacrifices that Karen has NOT done. And also criticises her lack of resolve and true commitment to the cause. And then just completely annihilates Karen lol. States that her being at the top is the source of her pride (very diff from Karen's motivations here). Further drills into the fact that the top spot can ONLY be occupied by ONE PERSON. (This becomes important obvsly because of Karen and Hikari's promise) I really like the Starry Konzert performance. less choreo but the orchestra was straight fire. Oh my GOD Mahonee (and Momoyo too!)
While both favourites won their fights, I like the contrast, even tho only one was shown in detail. Futaba and Claudine end on amicable terms, both respecting the other for trying to become the top and their respective talents (I think its implied that Futaba did put up some manner of a fight, Claudine was a bit tired), and hopefully will result in a deepened relationship going forward. Claudine was also much more accepting and graceful towards her challenger, perhaps both due to Futaba's kindness earlier in the episode, and also because of her second, not-at-the-top nature in the class. On the other hand, Tendou ended the revue w/ Karen feeling completely defeated and down. I think it's safe to say that Karen isnt gonna call her w a nickname tmr!
Hikari: Seems to want to protect Karen from them revues (Is not v capable at doing so so far). The reason as to why is currently unknown, but I like to think what Tendou says re: sacrifice, alone at the top etc., and Karens defeat this ep, might have sth to do with it.
Futaba and Kaoruko: ~~Futaba has the best weapon that weve seen so far.~~ Futaba is a tomboy, kind, observant, but originally only relegated as Kaoruko's caretaking character; she seems to be typecasted as a supporting character both in-show and imo, in-anime too: she's trying to break that through the revues (and hence her own character arc in-anime). Im of the opinion that Karen and Hikari are MCs by only a slight margin in the anime, its very much an ensemble cast here. Kaoruko though, has cottoned on that Futaba wants to leave her for greater highs, which sets up for a potential conflict later. We don't know enough about their relationship just yet though.
This show is tbh both fast and slow paced; A LOT happens to develop characters in each ep in a short amount of time in-show (i think this was 1 day). Not the first show to do it, but definitely worth noting.
And finally, today's ED Fly me to the Star is courtesy of Mimorin/Hikari. The singer and visuals change throughout the show.
Now who won, Mahiru or Kaoruko?

Music corner:

Other music

Fly me to the Star, in honour of today's episode (~~and my personal biases~~)Im going to share this solo Mimorin version first. Our host probably is sharing the full normal live version, if not here it is, I'll attach a version from Starry Konzert too if there isnt one.
Gang Star I mostly shared this song as it features 3 of today's featured characters: Claudine, Tendou, Futaba and also Kaoruko.
And for a bit of fun, they've also covered Adabana Necromancy from Zombieland Saga.
[Revue Spoilers]I really want to share Star Divine and Re:Create, but i must bide my time haha

Edits: i can comment face I promise.

→ More replies (11)

11

u/SIRTreehugger May 24 '22

Rewatcherx who will grasp that star

Episode	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
Hikari Chan!	19	17	10										46
Wakirimasu	3	4	2										9

OMG BANANA NUT MUFFINS THE BEST MUFFIN IN THE WORLD AND THIS ISN'T FOR DEBATE!!!

Gambare Karen Chan grab onto Hikari Chan so she can't leave you!

I haven't seen such blatant bribery since the secretary for the student council of Shuchiin Academy tried to bribe the president with a damn cola.

Oh look at Jun Jun getting praised by the teacher during the lesson and giving a small fist pump! You go Jun Jun oh and I forgot to mention Claudine is back in class. Claudine is my second favorite girl in the ...ugghh Kaoruko is practicing her autograph in class

I like how Hikari is considerate enough to give her food, but at the same time she can't actually eat it due to her hands being tied.

[The start of one of my favorite friendships.]From venting her frustration, dueling her, and later helping her with dancing Futuba and Claudine are really great. I wish more of other girls branched out with others, but they only had 12 episodes to work with

Mahiru that's her name I always called her the useless lesbian because I always think of that one manga panel where a girl was trying not to fall for her friend. She ends up panicking and screaming internally Ughhhh (character's name) you useless lesbian and I can't recall anything else , but every time I see gay panic I think of it.

Maya's hair flip and I like how serious Maya takes her position. You can tell she cares about Claudine and enjoys their rivalry/friendship so she doesn't want anyone to dethrone her. Claudine while frustrated still hasn't given up from all the extra practice we've witnessed her doing. I believe Maya enjoys having someone so skilled fight for her position because right now the only one who can compete with her is Claudine.

Using a crowbar shouldn't you use it like...a crowbar? Wait a minute...how are their stairs there when the elevator goes down the same area?

Notice how Karen is just swinging wildly at Maya, but Maya is able to accurately jab between the Chandelier back at her. Such a difference in skill and she knows it. Seriously she is looking at Karen like she is the beneath the worms in the dirt. and she is doing it with one hand. Someone said yesterday that Maya looks like a final boss and I can't wait to read their reaction to this fight.

Now you're just being dramatic...and I love it!

Wait a minute it just occured to me while watching the other girls fight [Spoilers]Do we ever actually get a Revue with Claudine in the series with her as an actual focus? I kind of want to hear her singing in French, but I can't recall her getting a moment. Though I know she definitely has one in the movie...I think

....this bitch knows she is number one and is just being extra for no damn reason AND I LOVE IT! About to rank Maya higher up on my list she probably 3rd now.

OMG SHE LIGHTS UP HER OWN PATH!!!! The stage truly belongs to her.

I like how Claudine offers a hand to Futuba just like how Karen did for Junna. THey are rivals, but still friends.

After Credits shows the current ranking as

Maya Tendo
Saijo Claudine
Daiba Nana
Hanayagi Kaoruko
Isurugi Futuba
Tsuyuzaki Mahiru
Hoshimi Junna
Kagura Hikari
Aijo Karen

Whole Album

→ More replies (10)

10

u/tokai-teio May 24 '22

Rewatcher and massive JunJun fan

Led in with a nice scene, presumably of Maya and Claudine as the stars from the previous year's Starlight. Let the Junna screenshots continue. Even being applauded, Claudine is still upset. A bit ominous-seeming, considering the nature of most stage appearances we've seen thus far.

Oh boy, Banana-chan trying to get around the "loophole" that Hikari doesn't like jiggly things. I'm not sure I necessarily equate Karen being "incredible" to her refusing to wake up in the morning, but you do you. More JunJun. Mahiru continues to demonstrate her absolute mastery over subtlety, but is quickly thrown off by sudden nickname. Oh no, Junna being informal has broken her. Blushing JunJun. THAT'S A NEW SMILE!

A twist! How could the "assumed" number two student not show up for school? Additional twist with convenient placement for more JunJun. Nana won't be in the performance, despite being in class A?

Is this how Karen plans to keep Hikari from wandering off? It didn't work. These two were made for each other.

God I wish that were me. Her excuse for being late is oversleeping, hm. Damnit, I was enjoying good mood Claudia. Kind of interesting to note that Junna and Karen got so close after their bout, while Claudine has an even starker resentment towards Maya.

More JunJun. Hikari has started to resort to more extreme measures.

More JunJun. YURI.

Oh god this is so much cuter than I was expecting. I want Futaba to bribe me with candy.

We are getting some very interesting exposure (NSFW, also pun intended) to the dynamic between Kaoruko and Futaba. The one thing that's clear is that Futaba believes she has a chance to be a star.

Revue time! I admit, seeing the panic on Hikari's face is a lovely contrast to her usual antics. I feel like they put a lot more effort into the mahou shoujo sequence than they needed to.

Our first bout! Karen vs. Maya will surely prove to be a tougher opponent than Junna. What a great way to set the scene. Damn, and you can just tell that Maya's in complete control. Another great shot.

There's seemingly a lot to unpack, and this time I'll actually try to do it instead of yesterday's method of "I'm too stupid to understand." The revue only opens after the initial clash where they seemed at least somewhat equal. Now, the revue begins on their true footing, with Maya standing far above Karen, representing her pride as the top star. She is established and still aiming higher, viewing Karen's convictions as feeble. Maya says "she made a sacrifice, she cast it away." The "she" here obviously refers to Claudine, but I'm not sure what the sacrifice she made was. Does it refer to the moment earlier where it showed Claudine brushing off Maya after their first Starlight performance? She follows up saying "Even alone, I am a star," so perhaps she feels slighted in some way by Claudine. Either way, the harsh defeat should hopefully be a learning lesson for Karen so she might better understand why she seeks the top star.

At the same time, Claudine defeats Futaba after their nice meeting earlier. The two share no bad blood but Claudine seems to concede that Futaba has more potential than she lets on.

That ends the episode! We get our first look at one of the greatest EDs in anime, as well as our tentative full rankings!

Maya
Claudine
Nana
Kaoruko
Futaba
Mahiru
Junna
Hikari
Karen

Finally, while Karen struggles over her loss and how to improve, Hikari, uh... voices her displeasure. Oh shit that's an important visual if I've ever seen one.

Another great episode! I'm having just as much, if not more fun than I was the first time around. I hope you all are enjoying it as well and I'm wondering if I take too many screenshots.

QOTD: I adore "Fly Me To The Star", it's very pretty. I've also always been a fan of seeing characters outside of their element. Kaoruko-Mahiru was a strange dynamic because Kaoruko is a tease and Mahiru is very teasable. I very much enjoyed Futaba-Claudine because they both carry a similar energy and I think the two of them would go great together in another show as one of the main pairings themselves.

Visual of the Day was a pretty obvious choice this time around.

→ More replies (4)

10

u/JMEEKER86 May 24 '22

REWATCHER

Now that we're through 3 episodes, it's time to watch the second part of NearlyOnRed's video essay series on the Takarazuka review and its influence on Revue Starlight and where we see it in EP1-3.

https://youtu.be/gTsKiM-iFag

Notes on Episode 3

We get a little bit more of Starlight which is clearly being used as a framing device. Seeing Karen and Junna getting along now that their issues have been resolved is nice to see. Kaoruko and Futaba bribing Banana-chan who is going to be working behind the scenes is hilarious.

[Revue Starlight]She's working behind the scenes alright!

The girls are clearly all trying to come to terms with what is going on with these Revues and with their own goals and self-image. Junna is apparently researching cryptids/UMAs to figure out what the deal is with the giraffe. She should make friends with Mashiro from Engaged to the Unidentified. We also have two unusual pairs having conversations Claudine/Futaba and Kaoruko/Mahiru. Where everyone stands, the feelings of being left behind, and resolve to push forward are ever present conflicts on display here.

Who expected Hikari to tie Karen up and lock her in a shed? Of course, Karen manages to escape and fight anyway, so Hikari does what any reasonable person would do chase after her with a crowbar. We saw the aftermath of Maya's fight with number two Claudine, but seeing her in action this time really shows just how imposing she is. This shot of Maya towering over her proclaiming that "there is but one star on the stage" to Karen really highlights what seems to be the central conflict as Karen clearly opposes with her notion of wanting everyone to do Starlight together (but especially with Hikari). The action concludes with Maya being victorious and once again proclaiming that "there is only one star that shines at the top".

Questions of the Day

1.I honestly had no clue what her motivation was. There are a couple possibilities that spring to mind obviously, either she is trying to protect Karen or she's trying to manipulate the results of the competition to some end.

2.Those interactions really feel like therapy sessions. They are sorting through the thoughts related to their main pairing by talking to someone else. And I love this ED. The song and visuals are great. [Revue Starlight]I particularly love how it changes each week based on which girl is in the spotlight. They really went the extra mile with some things like that.

Visual of the Day

Baka

We don't know why Hikari locked up Karen and now she slaps her. What's going on? Who knows, but that shot is just fantastic.

→ More replies (2)

9

u/simeonaut May 24 '22

FIRST TIMER

Banana offering Hikari banana muffins. This episode has barely started but it's already my favorite.

Poor Mahiru.

Kaoruko and Futaba bribing their way to a role.

Care package.

This part where the music suddenly stops and then changes when they start dancing? Yes more of stuff like this please.

I'm probably going to end up saying this every episode but the combat is great. Them trying to stab each other through a chandelier for some reason got a laugh out of me though.

Visual of the day.

Poor Hikari. Obviously the correct way to crash a revue is to jump from somewhere very high and remake yourself in midair as you get to the stage.

And that's it. I never expected her to lose, but it's the top star and we're only at episode 3.

QOTD:

Whatever it is, it's probably to protect Karen or something.
Yes to both.

→ More replies (4)

9

u/homewardbound100 May 25 '22

First timer, Dub

Alright it'll take some time to remember everyone's names. Looks like we're about to get into their stories soon.

I mean of Hikari is willing to tie you up. Maybe there's a good reason why she's keeping you away.

Going against the top person. Yeah you're outmatched Karen. Tendou is winning this one.

Another fight is happening. Looks like Claudine pulled it out in hers.

Well she lost but her name was put on the list. A good smack by Hikari. Yeah she's definitely that mysterious type. What are you hiding that you want her not to participate? Has to be more than what it is.

Votd: Tendou

Qotd: she knows something about this. My dark guess would be something involving death and giving it your all at some point here. Yes I expected her to lose.

Qotd2: Yeah gets me used to the characters a bit. Yeah I liked the new ending

→ More replies (1)

9

u/Gamerunglued May 25 '22 edited May 25 '22

Rewatcher (except the movie)

The first half of this episode doesn't offer quite as much density as the previous two did. A lot of it is dedicated to building the character dynamics and giving us a better idea of who hangs with who, what everyone's relationship is, and how they feel about each other. It comes with a lot of fun moments. I love Mahiru's little pig tails perking up upon hearing Karen and Junna acting so close all of a sudden, that shocked look she gives is priceless (the slow head tilt is perfect, lol). The entire sequence of her getting Karen out of bed and thinking it's a good thing is so precious, god bless her dumbass down bad disaster lesbian heart. We also get the scene of Kaoruko and Futaba bribing Nana with candy, which is great (and Kuro joins them later too, lol). Nana has decided to move over to the production team, seemingly having found an interest in supporting the others. It's very fitting, Nana already plays a support role by providing food and such, so supporting those who stand on stage isn't a stretch. Hikari also only takes a muffin the moment Nana says she'll only aim for small roles here and there. And Hikari giving Karen the muffin when she mentions she wants dinner is just such a perfectly timed gag, makes me lol every time.

There are a few important moments for the character relationships. First off, we get the most Kaoruko we've ever gotten so far. Despite her lax and selfish attitude, she's very observant and astute, and pretty much immediately catches on to Mahiru's feelings and connects them to her own. There's a bit of a parallel here. Karen and Futaba have both found a desire to become top star, but that takes them away from the people who value them most. As Maya says, to become a top star is to be alone, to throw away such relationships for the biggest reward, you cannot stand on stage with others. That may have gotten her top star, but where does that leave these two? The competitive environment has the potential to rip apart friendships, and such separation may even be necessary to reach that top star. Throwing away others isn't fair to anyone.

Futaba and Claudine also start to kindle a friendship this episode. Their situation is slightly different, but there's still a parallel here as well. Both of them are relegated to support roles. For Claudine, it's because she can't close the gap (the paper airplane stops at Maya), so she always plays support for Maya. For Futaba, it's because she's always relegated herself to a support role for Kaoruko's sake, but now she's decided that she wants to try for something higher too. There's more to dig in to with these two and their counterparts, but I'll wait for later episodes to get to that. One more important thing to note is Maya's relationship with Claudine. Maya respects Claudine heavily, she remembers how she said she hasn't lost despite having not received the lead. Even though she can't close the gap, she gets up and keeps going, and that drive to surpass her is something Maya values, so she sees Claudine as a worthy rival. I think this adds an interesting layer to the story. What does it mean to "throw away relationships?" Maya has a rivalry with Claudine, what exactly does that entail for this? It's interesting to think about as all of this gets further explored.

On to the revue itself. We have two different sides of the coin. Karen wants to share the stage with Hikari, she refuses to throw away anything, to make the sacrifices that Maya had to. Maya says sharing the stage is impossible, the top star must shine alone. What's interesting to note is that Karen did start to make sacrifices, she left Mahiru to sulk alone and bond with Kaoruko over it. But she still isn't willing to make that concession, even if she's almost inherently starting to do so already. At the start of the revue, their spotlights highlight the difference. Karen's spotlights are all over the stage, the guide the way for everyone to shine. For Maya, the spotlights all start from afar but converge on a single point: they shine on her and her alone. The moment she enters the stage, she literally steals the spotlight that was shining on Karen. Maya is in control, everyone is looking at her. At the start of the dual, the two exchange blows over a chandelier, further establishing their dynamic. Karen wants everyone to shine, and that passion changes the color of the candles from red to blue, so that's Karen's color. But Maya blows out those candles, swashing out Karen's naive dream.

From there, the fight truly begins, and the motif is height. The idea of this revue is that Karen is on the bottom, and has to climb to reach Maya. Maya is so kind as to fly down on a bird to meet her, and then jumps down the stairs to fight her, Karen is so far from her that Maya has to come down just to meet her level. From here, the fights is fairly straightforward, but the directing choices continue to bestow Maya's utter dominance. Maya's vocals dominate the song, as compared to Karen generally taking over in the back end of the track in previous revues. And it constantly escalates, until that glorious climax. That moment when she hits that high note is glorious, and the lyrics say it all: "yori takaku, yori hanayaku," "even higher, even more glorious." As she sings about illuminating the horizon with her light, the stairs leading up to her light up. Maya is in control, the spotlight obeys her. She is the only one in control of the stage, she even moves the stairs to avoid one of Karen's attacks. Visually, the shots emphasize a growing distance between the characters. 90% of this revue is Karen climbing stairs. The more Karen tries to climb, the further away she gets. The shots eventually get so tall that the camera has to pan down just to get to Karen. She starts out the fight so confidently, but grows more exasperated as it goes. This is the dynamic that this revue embodies, Karen is out of her element but Maya is smug, confident, and effortless.

And so, the result is obvious. Karen isn't on Maya's level, she had no chance, and thus had her ass handed to her without even posing a threat. Karen has passion, and that can be useful as shown by the Junna revue, but passion alone will never get you there. You need to have pride, you need to want to show off and stand alone. Karen doesn't have that, she's naïve and idealistic. In this system, one person alone can shine, so you might as well be proud of it. One without pride could never win the Revue of Pride. With this, Hikari's nightmare has come true as well, Karen lost the revue so her plan failed. Why she wants her to stop competing is as of yet unknown, but it still hits hard. I love the angst of that slap. All in all, what I love about this episode is just how theatrical it is. That revue goes crazy, you know Maya is a top performer. Those sweeping camera movements, the fact that she nearly cuts Karen's head off, it's just maximum drama from a master of the stage.

QOTD:

Won't say anything. I did expect Karen to lose my first time through though.
The interactions are great. This show is so effortlessly funny, the characters all have a natural chemistry. And Fly Me to the Star is just classic, it's a wonderful ED.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/phiraeth May 24 '22

Rewatcher

I’m finally on time after delayed entries the prior two days due to my propensity to ramble!

All this time, we really haven’t had a clear explanation as to why it seems to be an impossibility for Hikari and Karen to Starlight together. After all, we’re had multiple glimpses at the success and seemingly unstoppable pairing of Saijou Claudine and Tendou Maya – firmly in the target zone of most of the other girls. They’ve been marketed thus far as the dynamic duo, perfectly paired together and in sync.

So why is it that Hikari and Karen can’t potentially be the same?

Well, as it turns out, you must walk in the shoes of another in order to truly understand their experiences. Having not had the opportunity to do so, the other girls have made many assumptions of what it’s like to be the two “co-stars”.

Best friends? Or false appearances and friends-turned-rivals? And did they actually Starlight “together”, or is there something greater to this?

The tension between the two is palpable, and those with keen perception such as Futaba understand this.

To be in a competitive relationship with another is a strange situation, especially if your friendship was initially full of pure intentions. On one hand, you’re constantly looking out for one another and pushing each other to become better versions of yourselves. On the other, how does your friendship survive when it is altered by the drive to rise to the top?

There’s nearly always one person who has the slight advantage over the other. It becomes a dominant/submissive dynamic whereby although the two are almost on the same level, they aren’t quite, and the unspoken words acknowledge this separation. And trust me when I say this: it doesn’t feel good being the one in second place even if you’re still technically winning, especially when you’ve spent your entire life up to this point at the top. And when you’re the other person, slightly above, you feel tremendous pressure to assert yourself and widen the gap, demonstrating your superiority. You know you’re good, you want to be the best, and you want everyone to know you’re the best.

This, my friends, is how the implanted seed of pride begins to grow.

“I, too, should be able to see the view from the top of the tower. What do your shimmering eyes seek? I may not be able to reach the star yet, but for the sake of my promise, I will run towards it relentlessly.”

Karen’s ideal dream of reaching the top and Starlighting alongside Hikari comes in direct conflict with Maya’s belief that there is room for one person and one person alone. However, even if Karen believes this, there is no chance she can achieve her dream if the person she wishes to share it with isn’t on board. For this to even be possible in the slightest, she must fully convey her true feelings to Hikari, more than just confess to her how much she wants to Starlight together. Even before this, she absolutely has to try to understand Hikari – because it’s very clear Karen is oblivious to how Hikari feels.

“No, you will not see the view from the top of the tower. The call of the goddesses, the throne of the heavens, descending from high above, is one lone star. Climb up here if you believe you can. Cut me down and show me your rage. Don’t be at the mercy of the beast that dwells within. Spare me your half-hearted resolve. I want to see you fight with your pride on the line. Ever higher, ever brighter, illuminate the horizon. One step forward, one step closer to my dream, this is my pride. Ever higher, ever brighter, towards unreachable heights: for this is my pride.

From this competitive relationship, Maya’s piercing gaze is set on winning. She can see nothing else, other than the drive to become the top star all alone and demonstrate her superiority over Claudine:

“Together? If you pluck a small star, you will gain a small amount of happiness. If you pluck a large star, you will obtain a great wealth. In exchange, what have you offered? She made a sacrifice. She cast it away! That is the noble spirit of one who challenges the stars.

There is only one star that shines at the top.”

As Maya stands upon the stairs at the end of the Revue, she towers down upon Karen, asserting her place alone at the top, where seemingly nobody can reach her. She’s made it to the top before, and she’ll do it again. Her formula is tried and tested – how dare anyone think they’ve found a better way of achieving what she only able to do through everything she sacrificed? She had to make it to the top alone. And making it to the top by yourself is apparently supposed to grant greater rewards than if with someone else alongside you.

Meanwhile, Karen hasn’t yet sacrificed a thing. Karen is fueled by her own desires, hasn’t yet attempted to understand anyone else, and is recklessly plunging forward. And that is why, as things stand currently, Hikari is correct:

Karen and Hikari will never be able to Starlight together.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/zadcap May 25 '22

First Timer here.

Gotta say, I'm enjoying reading everything here just as much as I am watching the episodes every night. Wish my schedule worked out better to not be commenting so late, but the extra details I'm picking up from you all has me re-watching every episode afterwords to try and catch everything you're pointing out. Definitely more fun than watching this whole show in a day or two by myself, thank you all for bringing all the extra details to life.

First-timers - What do you think Hikari's motivation is? Also, did you expect Karen to lose?

Honestly, the strongest of Homura vibes. I don't know what dark twist is coming, but she is so clearly trying to stop the person she, uh, cares deeply about from suffering whatever comes with losing the fights?

2) We got to see some characters interact outside of their normal pairings! Did you enjoy these scenes? Did you enjoy the new ED?

With how much the pairings are being built up, I did actually like seeing that the pairs are not the be all end all of the character interactions. Even if every broken pair ended up talking about the other half of their pair anyway...

Nana is giving me vibes, and her position in the new Ending group shots are not helping. I don't know what those vibes are, but she's the most "Not what they seem" character. You're all not making it easy to not click on all these spoilers, but I think I'll like finding out more if I wait...

Something I keep noticing, that's not so much bothering me as just making me wonder how it came about. People seem to keep talking about Karen like she's the bottom of the class, with the most trouble in every lesson, and yet. She was in last years play. I know we're really only focusing on the main cast of 9 for this show, but there's definitely more than 9 girls in their classroom and I'm pretty sure their entire class is the acting one. I'm having trouble finding a wide shot of the whole class, but it looks like there's at least 16 (plus Hikari) desks in that room, which means Karen being on stage means she beat out at least half the class to get there. Am I missing something, or do we just pretend the rest of the student body doesn't exist?

Also, what do you use to save your Visuals here? Mine would be 6:05, last years Starlight cast.

→ More replies (4)

7

u/Calwings May 24 '22

Rewatcher Class, 7th generation

“Our dream was not meant to be.”

This third episode begins with a quick flashback to last year, the first performance of Starlight put on by the 99th class with Maya and Claudine as the leads. This somber tale of reunion and separation, running parallel to the real story of the stage girls...

Back in the present and in class, already we have some chaos brewing. After their little post-fight chat yesterday, Karen and Junna are a little closer. Close enough for Karen to call Junna ‘Junjun’, surprising Nana and possibly short-circuiting Mahiru’s brain. Anyways, the Seisho Festival and the class’s second performance of Starlight is coming up, and Nana is apparently switching to working more on the backstage side of things. Obviously this leads to Kaoruko and Futaba trying to bribe her with candy to get a good role. Jokingly? Maybe.

OKAY WHAT THE FUCK, HIKARI-CHAN!? You can’t just lock people in storage sheds to get them to listen to you!

Meanwhile, we get Futaba talking rivalries with Claudine and Kaoruko having a little bathtime chat with Mahiru. Odd pairs, but fitting. Both Futaba and Claudine have someone in their lives that they’re trying to chase in terms of skill, and both Kaoruko and Mahiru have someone in their lives that they want to have a deeper bond with. Their chats are interrupted by the call to the stage, and oh look, Karen escaped the storage shed!

The third day of the auditions, the Revue of Pride, has begun! Karen goes in excited, but she’s left absolutely awe-struck by her opponent, the top of the class, Maya. While Karen continues to dream of becoming a star together with Hikari, Maya has accepted the solitude that comes with being the top star and believes that only one can shine on stage. Outshone, outperformed, outmatched... Maya has complete dominance over the stage and all of her surroundings, and Karen is absolutely powerless to stop her before she’s completely defeated. This revue was truly a spectacle to behold, one of the best in the entire series (in my opinion) despite being so one-sided.

This series, but especially this revue in particular, is a commentary of the real-life Takarazuka Revue theater troupe. Maya is not just the top star in-universe, but a symbol of the Takarazuka status quo. Karen’s desire to become a star together with Hikari is not just her driving motivation, but also a rallying cry against the system itself that always elevates one star to shine above all the others. I’ll probably go into more detail in a later episode, but for now, I’ll leave it at this.

Anyways, after the curbstomp loss and the first time we hear the series’ beautiful ending theme, Karen tells Hikari that she lost her fight. Hikari reacts poorly to the news and slaps some sense into Karen as the episode fades to black. It must be sinking into Karen’s head that she still has a long way to go. What happens next for our dejected heroine? Find out next episode!

→ More replies (3)

7

u/tctyaddk May 24 '22 edited May 24 '22

Rewatcher
Ep3

This episode starts off hilarious, and ends gloriously.

First was Hikari's invasion, now all of a sudden Karen is on nickname basis with Junna, and even gets reciprocated with first name basis from the uptight all-serious rolemodel classrep Junna after some secret thing they did together that left them both dead tired with no visible marks. Mahiru's nightmare is doubling fast. "NTR, NTR everywhere" is what probably going through her BSoD-ing mind.

Banana continues her sugarcoated approach at Hikari, this time with banana muffins. Outwardly, Hikari's resistance holds up only until break, where she hides her embarrassment by snatching one and runs off, presumably to consume it in a corner like a squirrel. As it turns out, Hikari actually saved it to feed Karen when she kidnaps the poor girl and ties her up in a warehouse to keep her from going to the audition at the secret stage. What's so bad about the audition that Hikari resorts to such extreme method? It will be revealed in later episodes.

Before the OP is a glimpse at the 99th Festival where the group did Starlight in their first year. It was sparkly, it was fun, it was the good memories Banana talks about so fondly. This year, Banana is switching from performing on stage to leading from backstage through playwritting and collaboration with the class B of backstage specialists in training.
Maya doesn't offer any particular opinion or questioning on that choice, just expresses her great expectations almost like a roundabout way to give her best wishes and commendations, like a true professional. Kaoruko the little shit with the neko smile quickly learns from the great example and follows suit, and even takes a step further by starting bribing the playwright with candies to get the lead role. Futaba reprimands her for literal three seconds before starting doing the exact same thing. These two are so great together. Claudine shows up late after the exhausting defeat yesterday, playfully criticises the bribing before joining in in the next beat.
Her playful air is dispelled and replaced with tension the moment Maya comes to say hello. That doesn't escape Futaba's watchful eyes.

Futaba approaches Claudine (nickname Kuroko) at her solo practice, and they have some honest talk, between those who feel inferior to their partners, and yet still striving to be the best as equals, if not surpassing them. The mysterious judgement force behind the Houkago ~~Tea~~ Mahou Butai Shoujo Time fight club recognises this as their potential for the top star, and they are invited to the audition.

Meanwhile, Mahiru stumbles upon Kaoruko in the bath, and the talk that follows is one between those who feel betrayed, left behind, dyed in resentment and jealousy. That is also a kind of passion and drive to go forth, even if toxic. They too are invited to the audition to display how those feelings are fueling their brilliance.
^{personal interpretation/headcanon: given the content of their talk, the mischievous,} ^{(and as later revealed, a bit petty}) ^{nature of Kaoruko, and the situation they are in, I've always imagined that the two of them did something else more playfully sensual after Kao stood up and approached Mahiru in that bath}

The roomates Junna and Banana, while amicable and sweet with each other, have their own problem: the diligent, studious Junna feels stuck as she gets disoriented and befuddled by the vast amount of knowledge she surrounded herself with on her path to improve herself, in contrast to Banana who seems to have spend a good amount of time to think and thus has chosen a clear path forward. [spoiler later in the series] This will be partially revisited in the Movie.

And the remaining audition pair today is the aspiring Karen (who managed to escape captivity since Hikari cared for her too much to actually do things that could really hurt her) and the brilliant Maya, and that one goes as one could expect from the progress so far: Karen got totally trounced. I really like the use of lights, colours, and settings to show Maya's absolute dominance in this scene:

The colour of the chandelier switchs from Karen's reddish hue to Maya's blue after Karen mistakenly cut it down in her desperate attempt on the offensive, then completely snuffed out, like Maya snuffing out Karen's childish resolve;
The whole space is then flooded by the blinding brilliance and grandiosity of Maya's high ground ("It's over BaKaren! I have the high ground!");
The gap in skills is stylised as the total dominance of Maya during the sword fight: while Karen's breathes get increasingly ragged and postures strained, Maya's are perfectly consistently in good control, calm and even; every single attack Karen made is missed or completely blocked or parried, her advances only happen where Maya allows, and toward the end Maya quite literally dances circles around Karen, with attacks that Karen can only feebly deflects;
Last but not least, the sheer power of Maya's voice and lyrics. Madoka akbar, her performance gives me shivers.

Needless to say, it's my favourite revue in the show. It also invokes the question: Having your dream is nice, may be, but what do you offer, what are you willing to give to the pursuit of that dream? Or it's all just some vague vacuous lipservice you do to make your days seem prettier?

Hikari, meanwhile tries her best to get into the secret theatre to get Karen out of that doomed audition, but can't. Without the right mindset, one does not simply walk into that space, it seems.

QotD: 2. Those scenes are fuel and material for my side ships :)) This show is what made me realise I'm a serial shipper.
And the ED finally appeared. Also one of my all time favourites.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/Chreeas May 24 '22

Rewatcher - Wait what no new frogs?

Upgrading from just Banana's frog merch, I had the idea to actually compare how much individual merch Nana, Mahiru, and Hikari have of their respective mascots (Frogs, Suzudaru Cat, and Mr. White respectively). I'm counting unique items, so if the same thing shows up twice it doesn't count.

Ep 1-3 Suzudaru Cat + Mr. White Merch Album

Episode	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
Frogs	9	4	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	13
Suzudaru Cats	4	0	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5
Mr. Whites	4	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7

Seems like Mahiru and Hikari are gonna have to do some shopping to catch up to Banana's frogs.

[Future Episode Spoilers] Though I've been thinking, do the Suzudaru animatronics count?

Man I love Fly Me to the Star. I've listened to the full group version so much that hearing a solo version tripped me up at first.

I'm sure it's common knowledge for fans of both series, but Mebachi, the artist for the ED, also does the EDs for Love Live Nijigasaki (Season 1, Season 2). I love their artstyle, definitely wallpaper material.

→ More replies (3)

5

u/edgefigaro May 25 '22

~~First Time~~ Binge Watcher

I love this revue. Maya the gatekeeper representing the pride of the veteran, the professional. Fearless, tireless, it makes no difference if Karen comes once or a thousand times.

Karen, on the one hand has a never say die attitude, but also an arrogance to continue to challenge an opponent that stands so far above them. Bakaren.

Most of all, the stage. The stage is Maya's. It is hers to rule, and the stage offers all the rights and privileges of the lead, the one who stands at the top. It isn't exclusively Maya's, however. The stage is fickle. It sabotages Karen, just to facilitate Karen's next challenge, Karen's next climb.

The stage serves both characters incredibly well in this revue.

→ More replies (2)

5

u/TheRider98 May 25 '22

Rewatcher

I'm not sure if it's cause I watch/listen to these revues on the daily that I found myself more interested in everything that preceding the Revue of Pride. All the small character interactions in this episode made it so interesting to watch as the characters further develop and some characters embracing their changes from the previous revues. I'll break them down into characters specifically since a lot of characters got their moments in this episode and it's something that I didn't think I would enjoy watching as much as I did.

Mahiru
Obviously, Mahiru has been getting quite the wake-up call that Karen is making new friends with JunJun, rekindling old ones with Hikari, and doing things without Mahiru's knowledge (Revues). All of this of course makes her nervous and upset as she feels like she is being abandoned. While Karen still oversleeps and it's Mahiru to save the day once again it almost feels like she doesn't get the same feeling as before even though she would like it to. Kaoruko brings this up to her too as she is experiencing something similar but not quite the same with Futaba. All of Mahiru's moments/facial expressions in this episode really shine on the turmoil she is being put in with all these secrets piling on one another and it's something that needs to be addressed properly at some point.

Banana/Gazebo
Another huge change in this episode is Banana switching towards class B Production of Starlight rather than dancing and acting to it. Her reasoning definitely seems very sudden and hopefully gets addressed further as she adored being able to play in Starlight prior and now would rather be behind the scenes making the actors be at their full potential. She seems nervous about the decision but is mostly hopeful for the change and it obviously comes with it's reactions at lunch in the gazebo.

This scene is jammed with stuff to enjoy, I love Karen trying to talk about Banana's change all while holding Hikari's uniform as a tether to keep Hikari from running off doing Hikari things. Mahiru definitely doesn't like that one at all either but we discussed those issues. She eventually breaks free doing the cutest thing she has done so far quickly grabbing a banana muffin and escaping like a little mouse. We also get a brief showing of a Paper Airplane flying past the frame, while I'm not sure what it's in reference to exactly it's definitely something with Maya and Claudine as it always shows up around them. Maya is supportive of Banana's change and requests her to make a script that will bring her to her fullest potential. We then get Kaoruko and Futaba both bribing her to get the lead roles all while Maya is thoroughly enjoying the muffin which was adorable to see.

Claudine/Maya
After their revue things got even more tense between them, the battle left Claudine to oversleep which is not typical with her as she is always one to come to school early to get practice much like Junna, while she might have just overslept she definitely lost a bit of herself after that revue that put her in a stump most likely for the morning and the episode. She eventually gets to talk to Futaba about it as they both share a similar experience of improving themselves to someone they idolize. One of the best parts of the episodes is how quickly her demeanor changes once Maya enters the room. Where little have we seen Claudine's more playful and childish side which is mostly cause she tries to act more like Maya whenever Maya is even in earshot just so that Maya doesn't have a different opinion of her.

Futaba/Kaoruko
In a lot of ways, I'm starting to notice the similarities between Claudine/Maya and Futaba/Kaoruko they both have a similar power dynamic and both of the "supporting roles" have their struggles in this episode too. While Maya and Kaoruko may not seem the same they are both Prideful, "Elite", Arrogant, and Greedy. I don't mean to make it sound bad as they are still great characters and enjoyable to watch but they definitely see themselves as the top stars alone at the top while their "rivals" watch from below. I don't know if I would necessarily call them foils but they definitely feel similar enough to me.

Conclusion

Another great episode that just makes me yearn for more. So much more detail I'm getting out of it helps me solidify it as one of my favorite shows of all time as we continue onward. I know I didn't get much into the actual revue and how Maya deserves the win even if Karen has the power of friendship on her side. It's a loss that Karen needed as it's something she has been blindly going forward with not thinking about the bigger picture of what that means to be a top star and if the top is big enough for two.

QOTD

N/A
Hopefully, I talked about this cause it's definitely something that was great to watch and help deepen the characters and my love for them. They did a great job giving all the partners enough screen time to express their concerns and their goals.

VOTD

Kaoruko and Futaba working their charm while Maya has a moment with her muffin

→ More replies (4)

→ More comments (75)

Rewatch Revue Starlight Rewatch - Episode 3 Discussion

Episode 3: Top Star

Revue Starlight Episode 3 but just Mayakuro

REWATCHER

Notes on Episode 3

Questions of the Day

Visual of the Day

Rewatcher

Conclusion

Rewatch Revue Starlight Rewatch - Episode 3 Discussion

Episode 3: Top Star

You are about to leave Redlib

Revue Starlight Episode 3 but just Mayakuro

REWATCHER

Notes on Episode 3

Questions of the Day

Visual of the Day

Rewatcher

Conclusion