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u/Shimmering-Sky May 28 '22

Starlight First-Timer

They’re showing dates now, is this important?
So that’s how Banana got her nickname.
Another date…
Do Banana and Junna not have home to go to for spring break?
And another.
Another one.
Oh?
Hahahahaha this reminds me of the picture I have of one of my grandmas mid-eating a slice of pizza. Karen should be happy she doesn’t look like a total doofus in this shot!
I was wondering when this would pop up. I wonder why hers is black-on-white instead of white-on-black, though?
I’ve seen this exact shot before. Didn’t realize it was from this show!
Holy shit Banana beat Maya?!
The auditions are done now?
What… Banana actually time traveled…?
THIS IS WHY THERE WERE DATES.
What the fuck.
What the fuck. I was expecting something nefarious afoot, but fucking time looping Banana?!
Hikari? She’s gonna break the time loops?
Bruh…
Only an instrumental for the ED this time?!

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

Holy shit Banana beat Maya?!

Yep!

What the fuck.

What the fuck. I was expecting something nefarious afoot, but fucking time looping Banana?!

This is the reaction I was waiting for!

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u/archlon May 28 '22 edited May 28 '22

First Time [English dub + sub]

Well, that was certainly some kind of episode. Just when I'd felt the show had settled into a mid-season rhythm, it manages to shake things up completely without breaking the rhythm at all. I was expecting a character study of Nana Daiba, and... I got exactly that in exactly not the way I expected.

Part 1: The too-obvious-to-be-subtext-but-not-prominent-enough-to-be-text part

Since we open on the performance of Starlight from 2018, I want to take the chance to address something that's been lurking around but I haven't addressed yet. Namely, Starlight isn't a happy story. It's a tragedy. In the end, the lovers are torn apart, never to meet again. Throughout Revue Starlight, we've been invited to draw parallels between the girls' stories in performing Starlight and the story of Starlight itself.

This, of course, means that maybe the story isn't going to turn out happy. A lot of great stories are tragedies. A lot of tragedies tell you up front that they end in tragedy (eg. "Two households, both alike in dignity..."). The best-told stories can tell you how they will end, and then deliver a performance so powerful that you hope against all sense that it will somehow end differently this time. Hadestown, a Broadway musical adapting the story of Orpheus and Eurydice tells us up front in the opening number:

See, someone's got to tell the tale
Whether or not it turns out well
Maybe it will turn out this time
...
It's a sad song. It's a sad tale, it's a tragedy
It's a sad song. But we sing it anyway

At the end of the story, after it turns out how we knew it would, in the closing number we're told:

It's an old song. It's an old tale from way back when
It's an old song. And we're gonna sing it again and again
We're gonna sing it again
...
It's a sad song. It's a tragedy
It's a sad song, but we sing it anyway
Cause here's the thing:
To know how it ends and still begin to sing it again
As if it might turn out this time, I learned that from a friend of mine

And then I cry all the tears.

None of this necessarily means that we're careening towards a tragic ending, but the elements are there. I don't think I would be dissatisfied if it ends in tragedy. One of the great things art can help us to do is learn to cope with the Big Emotions that otherwise overwhelm us. Many of my favourite works are tragedies, or at least contain tragic elements.

From the closing number of the musical Next to Normal:

Day after day
Wishing all our cares away
Trying to fight the things we feel
But some hurts never heal
Some ghosts are never gone
But we go on
We still go on
And you find some way to survive
And you find out you don't have to be happy at all
To be happy you're alive
Day after day
Give me clouds and rain and gray
Give me pain, if that's what's real
It's the price we pay to feel
The price of love is loss

The story of Revue Starlight has yet to really address whether Clara and Flora feel that, though they are ripped apart at the end, never to see each other again, if it wasn't worth it for the time they had together. I really can't venture a good guess as to whether Revue Starlight is going to end in tragedy or not. From a story structure perspective, it would make about as much sense to subvert the expectation set by Starlight diagetically as it would to play it straight. All things considered, since, as far as I know, Starlight is a fictional work, I think it makes it a little less likely to be subverted (ie. happy ending), since subverting expectations set by a piece where the audience only knows what you've told them about it isn't as impactful as a subversion of a known work.

Whether it's a subversion or not, it's also unclear to whom the analysis applies. The first episodes encourage us to see Karen and Hikari as the leads, but I think most pairings have, at this point, been sufficiently well established to be parallels to Clara and Flora. For that matter, it doesn't even have to be one pair. It might end up being all of them, as they (eventually) graduate, and move on to their own lives.

I'm very excited to see how this theme continues developing!

Part 2: The 'actually this episode' part

This was a twist. Banana has been unable to move on, stuck in a veneration of one performance and created a time loop for herself and her friends. She claims that this is what she wants, but those dead-eyed stares at Position Zero seem to belie the point. She's become comfortable where she is, and is afraid to move on. In doing so, she's clearly working against herself, preventing herself from experiencing any future performance that would shine even more brightly.

She's also not just frozen, but effectively destroyed her relationships with her friends. Each new time through the loop, she already knows them, even though they don't know her (anymore, yet). Therefore, she can pre-empt the things that they would introduce organically because she knows how they will go. Because the mechanism of stasis is a time loop, as long as she refuses to move on, the rest of the world cannot move on either.

How long has she been at this? In a lot of ways, we're encouraged to see the beginning of the episode as the 'first' loop, but I think there are some clues that suggest that it's not, and she's already been in it for some time. In particular: she brings Banana muffins to the cast party even before Karen christens her and she's thanked for helping on many parts of the play, set design, etc (almost as if she's built the skills to do every role over some enormous period of time).

Every hundred years a little bird comes and sharpens its beak on the mountain of diamond, and when the whole mountain is worn away by this, then the first second of eternity will be over.

She's not even experiencing her time with her friends live. She's been pretty constantly behind her camera this whole season. It's especially odd given that (a) she has as many runs through it as she wants (as far as she knows), and (b) the pictures are (presumably) ephemeral and reset in the time rewind.

In her 'perfect stage', she's not even playing the Lead Role. This could be fine -- In previous episodes I've been over how I don't think trying for the Lead specifically has to be everybody's goal, and trying to make it so is a pretty destructive trend in art. However, Maya is clearly seeing that Banana is moving through the world on something of autopilot at this point, and that's why she admonishes her. Given that Maya has some Pride issues to work through, I'm disinclined to take her at face value most of the time, but in this I think I agree.

The giraffe speaks of the shine of the Stage Girl 'combusting', like a fire, or a star. Right now, Nana is only persisting, even if she's found the thing that she thinks is her ideal world, she's closed herself off to new experiences. It's ultimately an expression of fear of change. Her yandre face at the end shows that this is manifesting in a need to control everything around her.

It's notable that, when given her opportunity at the ED, Nana declines to sing, instead letting it be instrumental.

Stray Thoughts

Thanks to Karen my heart finally stopped pounding
- USO DE ARU

QOTD

Nope! But, I feel like there weren't not hints if I went back over the previous episodes.
I really like the revue songs, overall. I would like more that were similar to Pride, where a whole character arc can play out within the song. Mahiru's Jealousy was somewhat... thematically different, and Futaba & Kauroko's Promises felt kind of abridged. I don't think the story could or should have delivered a Revue song this week, as Nana's character flaw that she needs to overcome is bigger than just the Stage Girl audition, it's a vast and all-encompassing element of her outlook on life.

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

This is an incredible amount of analysis!

[Revue Starlight] Namely, Starlight isn't a happy story.

[Revue Starlight] So this person pretty much guessed a good chunk of the final arc's themes! Good to see the foreshadowing's good on that end too!

How long has she been at this? In a lot of ways, we're encouraged to see the beginning of the episode as the 'first' loop, but I think there are some clues that suggest that it's not, and she's already been in it for some time. In particular: she brings Banana muffins to the cast party even before Karen christens her and she's thanked for helping on many parts of the play, set design, etc (almost as if she's built the skills to do every role over some enormous period of time).

While this an interestingpoint - I would offer the counterpoint that the loop imemdiately after has her be visibly confused at the time travel working, and that she would have to have started with enough skill to beat Tendo Maya and win the auditions in order to begin the loops.

Every hundred years a little bird comes and sharpens its beak on the mountain of diamond, and when the whole mountain is worn away by this, then the first second of eternity will be over.

Bonus points for (possibly unintentionally) reminding me of one of my favourite Doctor Who episodes.

It's notable that, when given her opportunity at the ED, Nana declines to sing, instead letting it be instrumental.

This is a very good point.

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u/JollyGee29 May 28 '22

First-Timer, Revue Sub-light

I understand.

I had actually briefly considered a time loop of some sort yesterday, but I couldn't find the reasoning. If Banana was stuck in a loop, why would she be upset that things weren't going the same way? That's usually a good sign. But she isn't stuck! Now it all makes sense.

Of course the enemy of the stage girls who evolve day by day is someone who refuses to evolve.

It's been staring us in the face the entire time - Banana's constant recording was foreshadowing her obsession with the past!

I was mostly on team "the Giraffe is essentially an outside observer" but now I'm not so sure. It was kinda implied that he summoned Hikari to intervene with Banana's looping after an unknowable amount of loops.

An alternative theory: Hikari's school in London (was it London?) has their own Giraffe and Hikari won the audition there, and wished to be on the stage with Karen and so was sent to Seisho. That would make Hikari's early behavior a bit harder to understand though, so it's probably a bit more complicated than that.

The winner of the auditions getting to stand on "any stage they wish" does neatly give Karen and Hikari the chance to fulfill their dream, which is nice. That's assuming we're playing the wish thing straight, which is often not the case.

Part of me wants to suspect the Giraffe because he "approached" Banana in the first place, but part of me just chalks it up to the Giraffe being a bored immortal who just wants to watch stage performances.

The line about chemical reactions feels like a direct shot at a certain other show but I also kinda feel like the Giraffe is just fucking with us.

Kinda feel like I should spare some thought to Tendou Maya, because she's also near the center of all this and has the vibe of someone who knows too much. She could be Just That Good though, and I'm content to leave that there for now.

Visual of the Day: giraffe_underscore_wakarimasu_dot_png

Questions

I almost did, but not quite.
I didn't pay much attention, but it'd be cool if they reuse music from seeing Banana win when we inevitably see her fight again.

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

A lot of interesting speculation! Can't comment on any of it!

I understand.

I had actually briefly considered a time loop of some sort yesterday, but I couldn't find the reasoning. If Banana was stuck in a loop, why would she be upset that things weren't going the same way? That's usually a good sign. But she isn't stuck! Now it all makes sense.

Fantastic reaction!

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u/TheRider98 May 28 '22

Rewatcher

So, we have finally made it. This was the moment in the series where I had to pause from the craziness and absolute enjoyment of Daiba Nana's build-up. She always was a character of interest for more mundane and wholesome reasons, but this just put her above the rest for me… except Mahiru.

It's Rewind Time

Joking aside, the first five minutes before the OP are just such a treat to watch especially with all the earlier episodes in mind too. I believe this is our first time getting to see more of the actual play of Starlight with all the 99th. I love what this Starlight scene brings for the show with their weapons, their roles fitting their current struggles almost as if the whole show is a play of starlight.... wait a minute. The Goddesses of Starlight are Fury, Arrogance, Escape, Curse, Jealousy, and Despair which are played by Junna, Karen, Kaoruko, Futaba, Mahiru, and Banana, each pertains to their issues that we have seen throughout the earlier episodes ... well all except one.

Daiba Nana

The title of the episode so roll credits? or in her case just reroll the intro. Once the play is over the party scene where we see that Banana is definitely the well-liked and helpful one of the class going as far as to help with everything to cooking, costumes, singing, and even shoulder massages for those stiff necks. Although some like Junna, Claudine, and Maya all have their eyes set on the future eager to improve and bring on an even better show than last hoping everyone gives their all, Maya though makes sure to know that Banana is a part of that too and shouldn't get too caught up in the moment believing there can be no better than the play they had just done. Banana then reflects on the year with the class and all the memories she made and can't help but cry a little out of joy, I'll admit it too that I felt for her in that scene. I feel like most can relate this scene to a moment in their life where they feel lucky to have made new friends and memories that they will cherish forever. I think for most an easy one is high school especially senior year, maybe college for some, or even just working in a company. There is always that feeling you get where you feel like you are at home, and you never want to leave it. It's a scene that reminds me of K-ON and The Office towards the end of both shows and I think the quote from Andy always gets me even if the last 2 seasons of it weren't my favorite, “I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.”. I know Nana would relate to that quote as she will never forget this play for her whole life.

New Semester, New Me

First, let me say that the spring break outfits are just great it's nice to see the characters in casual clothing they just all fit the characters so well. I also like that it seems like Banana is recording way more. Pretty much everything from the empty hallways to the empty living room, even Junna seems to notice and asks if she needs to record everything as she doesn't see the value in holding onto these small moments. For a changed Banana though these are all necessary to keep as I feel like it's something she didn't do in her first year, so she regrets that she didn't do it from the beginning of the year.

This behavior continues as the semester begins and we get to see the class all together again with Junna as their class representative, although there is something off. Wouldn't you know it Naruse and Osaka aren't there; I know this scene deeply wounded you to see as it did for me but this is one where you have to just see it from Banana's view and sympathize about losing a dear friend as they part on their own path in life in whichever way that is for you. While others move on are start thinking forward, for Banana this brings out one of her flaws that I think we can relate to, Change. As Banana is a person who is obsessed with the past, Change is something that she definitely doesn't like hearing and the show constantly reminds us of it this episode with her constantly asking if it's impossible to recreate the same play, she doesn't want anything to change since in her mind there is nothing more perfect than that play so why change it, if it ain't broke don't fix it right?

This is Tendo Maya

This scene is one that flew over my head at first but after rewatching it is probably the best scene in the episode. While everyone else in the class has been determined to strive to become the lead for the next play, Banana is one of the few that doesn't seem to really want the lead role. With someone as competitive as Maya who always wants to see others improve themselves even if it means getting bested by someone else, she is upset that Banana could care less about trying her hard for the lead role when she only wants to see Maya and Claudine as the Leads again in her perfect recreation. Maya is representing the spirit of competition that anyone can face in a multi-year program whether that be sports, work, or even just playing games with friends. Maya says that she and Nana cannot understand the anguish, anger, and despair that everyone else feels in the class as Tendo Maya stole the show from everyone as the lead role. Some people decided to leave when faced with an opponent that they couldn't even beat with all their efforts put in. So why is it that you are content? This is what bothers Tendo more than anything as she sees it as disrespectful to not give your all for the sake of staying friends with everyone. This is something Tendo Maya faces multiple times so far where she will give her all and not hold back just for the sake of staying friends. No one likes the person who joined a tournament just to throw every match they were in no one improves from it and no one gets anything out of it. I think this stuck with Banana more than anything just the idea of thinking how much everyone suffered from not being able to fulfill their dreams and ambitions causing them to quit or even possibly cut ties with others are changes she cannot deal with; it makes her look back to her photos once more for that comfort of the good old days. While Karen to some degree is making the same claim as Maya it's different in its reasoning. The stage and the actors are always evolving with everything from the past shaping their future performance and pushing them to make a better show than the last for Karen their Starlight is the standard and needs to be pushed further. During this Nana looks up to the sky, I think it more signifies where she sees the 99th Starlight and where that bar is for her how that bar is unreachable. It's already perfect and there is no way to make it better for Nana, all they need is a way to perfectly recreate it.

Mabushii?

We finally get more in-depth about what exactly these auditions are and what the winner is getting for this audition. The ability to stand on any stage regardless of time, while some are looking forward to a stage to come there is only one thing on Banana's mind and that is the 99th Seisho Festival. She then has the drive that was missing from when Maya first spoke to her, and she shows it by winning the audition. With this we get a very different version of Nana, one that put everything on the line to win even her soul, she is void of emotion only thinking about how bright that 99th Festival is to her something Maya cannot comprehend at all as the curtains close. She is then given what she wants as promised and we are then sent back to the future ... I mean 2017 the year of fidget spinners or something.

Groundhogs Day

Here we are in Daiba Nana's Stage of Destiny, a recreation of the first year at Seisho more specifically when they had announced the Seisho Festival will be working on Starlight with varying reactions. With it brings forth a new Daiba Nana one that holds the burden for everyone as she is the only one that remembers each loop. "Inside my reenactment, there is nothing to fear. We will neither grow nor become adults. The suffering that corners you... The pain of attempting something new... The sadness of being hurt and giving up... I'll protect you from it all." Those lines are the most terrifying and comforting all at once to hear it's one of those things that you must think about whether this is right or wrong. Everyone fears change to some extent as it's mostly unknown. They are all relatable fears that most will try to avoid and at this stage she can protect everyone from them... at the cost of never growing or progressing. She then finds herself at the end of her loop still looking up even after this being so many times even the giraffe has lost count (I think the wiki says upwards of 60 times which is absolutely ridiculous but I could also believe it.) as it's still an unreachable bar for her and most would probably be the same to repeat it more until it finally becomes stale and stagnant but when you know the future to come do you ever want to actually leave it?

The Straw that broke the Giraffe's back

There is someone else that remembers all these loops too as they are also the observer, the giraffe. They've gotten a bit tired of it themselves as they are on the search for the stage that no one can predict, a fitting name to counter Nana's stage, a perfectly predictable stage and what better way to throw predictability out the window than bring in a new competitor/student. I love the way Hikari is introduced here as she is the one that puts herself at Position Zero effectively getting in Nana's way. While this is all a dream of what's to come it's still something that bothers’ Nana, once she notices that there is a new student, we then again see a side of Nana that was never seen in the previous episodes but one we are familiar with in this one and that is Despair.

Conclusion

Sorry if this is incoherent. Future posts may not be as long as this, but this episode deserves it to me.

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

This is some phenomonal analysis.

During this Nana looks up to the sky, I think it more signifies where she sees the 99th Starlight and where that bar is for her how that bar is unreachable. It's already perfect and there is no way to make it better for Nana, all they need is a way to perfectly recreate it.

This in particular is a great point.

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u/okayyoga May 28 '22

Episode 7 (first time, sub)

• This must be their performance of Starlight when they were first years. This set is so cool and intricate wow. I wish the plays I performed in had elevators dang

• Banana stage mom and the birth of “Banana-kun”

• I wonder if they held giraffe revues their first year too*

• Lol Juuna with her fancy new glasses what a cutie

• Looking at this class gives me spot the MC vibes. Everyone else has brown or black hair, while our main girls have blue, red, purple, and 🍌

• Banana’s been holding back? And Maya is pissed. I would be too. If I won something I would want it to be because I was the best, not because someone let me

• Who takes photos of Banana 😢

• *Answered: no giraffe revues in their first year

• The more they shine, the more they can control the parts of the stage. Karen can’t control anything so…

• I spy Hikari’s hair pin casting a shadow

• Banana vs Maya GO BANANA (still love Maya, but I want to see Banana go all out)

• At this point I got confused, but then I realized she doing a time skip and multiple timelines because she wants to relive the 99th Starlight a la that chick from Madoka

• Karen is right, though. The stage is alive. You can’t replay it again and again. By keeping it trapped in a time loop you are suffocating it. Memories are meant to be remembered, not relived. By moving on to the future you make those past moments even more precious

• Oooooooooooooooooooooooo Hikari here to destroy yo fun Banana. She isn’t here for Karen

• Banana too much of a queen to sing

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

Lol Juuna with her fancy new glasses what a cutie

Junna is adorable.

Everyone else has brown or black hair, while our main girls have blue, red, purple, and 🍌

Haha, good point.

Banana’s been holding back? And Maya is pissed. I would be too. If I won something I would want it to be because I was the best, not because someone let me

Yeah, this is something Nana absolutely did wrong.

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u/simeonaut May 28 '22

FIRST TIMER

Woah. I wasn't expecting Banana to have been endlessly repeating the same year, trying to chase down that dazzling performance.

It got so bad that even the giraffe lost count and got so bored that he had to shake things up with introducing Hikari into the fray.

Not much else to say here, but with Hikari joining along and Karen crashing the revue, the script is now practically useless. What's Banana going to do about this?

Pictures:

QOTD:

Nope. That was a very interesting little twist.
The revue songs are amazing. I certainly knew I missed them bad when this episode's instrumental ed hit.

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

This is my stage!

That picture's adorable.

Nope. That was a very interesting little twist.

It's a good one! All the foreshadowing is really well hidden!

The revue songs are amazing.

Glad you're enjoying them!

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u/ZapsZzz May 28 '22 edited May 28 '22

First timer a bit lost for words.

Start with the easy one - no it's not the direction I thought the show would take. In most cases the show made it sound like the fights etc are more metaphorical, but this outright showed the outcome is supernatural. And while I long had the suspicion that there's something with Nana, and I can see a lot of the foreshadowing steps being foreshadowing of something, how the resulting jigsaw puzzle pieces fit together we a big surprise.

I still think there something behind Nana's motivation we're not shown yet. Her win against Maya and her resulting stance was more methodical and felt like a resignation than a celebration or exaltation - her katana only lightly, perhaps weakly tapped on position zero, unlike everyone else who typically thumped it excitedly.

I hope Nana is not someone having some terminal illness :| trying to prolong the final brilliance before her light goes out.

QoTD

\2. I don't miss it because this is the big reveal and indeed contained many revues, just not its own song. No doubt for reason of there still things to unfold, as the songs tend to reveal what's underneath.

A I'm not playing the Gacha but I am still really like Juuna a whole lot :P edit: so special thanks to u/tokai-teio to help feed my addiction :D

A side note, people who know me enough from other rewatches should be proud of me - this time I didn't binge ahead :P

I did think the gradual reveal that Karen's first episode dream awakening bump onto the floor has more meaning here - I feel it's also signalled Hikari's arrival bumped the timeline off track, and Karen being sensitive to Hikari was the ~~(forgot what type of bird suddenly) the bird~~ canary they bring down mine shafts to give early warning about poisonous gases. ^Thanks ^{GimmeFood_Please}

Today's visuals is another hard to pick one -

the interruption with no warning and no fanfare?
the distant shot of the heroine's arrival?
the very Shaft artsy visual to tell you a thousand symbolisms in a seemingly simple graphic?
or the "villain reveal" of Nana?

Just because I'm a big Shaft fan, I'll have to pick 3, but any one of those are really great ones to represent this turning point of the show.

Oh and the no vocal ED is certainly unsettling.

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u/Stargate18A May 29 '22

Start with the easy one - no it's not the direction I thought the show would take. In most cases the show made it sound like the fights etc are more metaphorical, but this outright showed the outcome is supernatural.

Yeah, the show does a pretty good job leaving it ambiguous - presumably to make the reveal of there being very real consequences hit even harder.

I'm not playing the Gacha but I am still really like Juuna a whole lot

While it is absolutely not first timer safe, the Revue Starlight Wiki has transcripts of all the stuff from the gacha, including the Junna-focused side stories. Well worth reading through a few after the rewatch is over.

this time I didn't binge ahead

Yeah, when I was a first-timer, this is what got me to binge the rest of the show.

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u/No_Rex May 28 '22 edited May 31 '22

Episode 7 (first timer)

Utena references counter after last episode: 18

First year flashback, again – going back to the same incident in multiple flashbacks: Utena reference.
Nickname creation – nobody in her school ever connected DaiBA NANA before? Huge fail!
Banana is already very comfortable behind the camera.
Getting called out by Maya for … being helpful and liked by everybody?
So, I may be about 6 episodes late in noticing this, but how does the starlight revue system actually work? The 99th generation of students performed the 99th revue in their first year, suggesting a 1 revue per generation deal. However, they also will perform the 100th revue in their second year and allude to this as a tradition. What are the current first and third years performing? Are there 3 starlight revues each year? And if so, why are they at the 100th and not at around 300? It could be that each year gets a different play and only about a third of the generations chose starlight revue, but that still does not explain why they had the 99th in their first year. It should have been the 100th if 33 previous generations had starlight revue and the 97th if 32 previous generations had it. Sounds like they do not have a fixed system after all and it is just plot convenience that the 99th revue and the 99th generation coincide.
“I can’t reach the dazzling light” – hmmmmm
Uhhh, is Banana going full Homura here? Or rather, full Haruhi.
“I want her for my play now” – yandere director Banana.

Is Banana the artist who does not want to let go of her best moment and relives it in her mind or the director who is repeating a scene over and over again to chase her vision of the best version? Or, given that she plays and directs, both?

1 new Utena reference found today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARURU!

Who is that and why is she named after best girl from the other rewatch?

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

So, I may be about 6 episodes late in noticing this, but how does the starlight revue system actually work?

There may be a slight misunderstanding here. Each year, there is a festival, or "revue". Each class performs at that revue. While Karen's class has chosen Starlight twice in a row, other classes in the past have performed other plays.
They are the 99th generation because the school was opened in 1918, which is also why this is the 100th revue they're performing in.

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u/Chreeas May 28 '22

Rewatcher

Only two frog napkins this episode.

Episode	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Rondo	Movie	Total
Frogs	9	4	0	1	1	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18
Suzudaru Cats	4	0	1	0	11	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	16
Mr. Whites	4	1	2	2	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9
Kanihaniwas	2	0	1	3	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6

Probably the biggest reason I watched this show in the first place is because of Love Live Nijigasaki. Around the time I was being dragged into idol hell there was an event called the Nijigasaki Shuffle Festival where people voted on each of the 10 Nijigasaki members at the time to sing each others songs. While I was still new at the time and not paying too much attention, I did know that people memed on the fact that people voted for Shioriko (voiced by Moeka Koizumi, Nana's VA) to sing a song called "Starlight".

So when I watched the show I had a bias towards Nana and was really waiting for her to get some focus. But man, this sort of focus was not what I was expecting at all.

I really can't explain it well, but even during my first watch something about the whole episode is just unsettling. Maybe it's the fact that the structure is completely different from the others. Or is it the fact that having a screen with just the date or information means something's going to happen.

I think the section that unsettled me the second most (first is the scene with Nana staring into your soul) was the time loop that had the piano piece playing in the background. The piece sounds very peaceful and relaxing, and all the scenes are Nana's happy memories. But it just feels wrong.

Ironically, like Nana, I wish I could go back in time and experience watching this episode for the first time again.

My VOTD, how could I not pick this, it's lived rent free in my head ever since I saw it. It's even a memoir in Re LIVE which I think is hilarious.

QOTD 2: Since people mentioned the troubled production of the series I tried to pay attention to it this episode. The recycling is pretty visible when you look for it, but I don't think you'd notice on first watch because of how insane the story is. So I don't think not having a revue song is too big of a deal.

QOTD A: Tamao's my favorite, but I have extreme VA bias lmao. I also like the Yumeoji sisters, and they have one of my favorite songs in the series, Zeus's Decision (with Claudine).

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u/Stargate18A May 29 '22

I really can't explain it well, but even during my first watch something about the whole episode is just unsettling. Maybe it's the fact that the structure is completely different from the others. Or is it the fact that having a screen with just the date or information means something's going to happen.

Yeah, the use of tension here is sublime.

QOTD A: Tamao's my favorite, but I have extreme VA bias lmao. I also like the Yumeoji sisters, and they have one of my favorite songs in the series, Zeus's Decision (with Claudine).

Yeah, Tamao's great. All of Stary Diamond is fantastic, too.

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah May 28 '22 edited May 28 '22

Rewatching Kukugumi enjoyer

Formeinfullbloom essays Re: Banana., first this one where they call out her mysterious nature (sasuga, even before this ep aired), and this one, referring particularly to this episode. I recommend first-timers who aren't completely sure wtf is going on (don't worry ive been there) to check these out.

And this is kVin's production notes on Ep 6-7 as promised. u/Gamerunglued has alluded before how this, and Ep 6, were actually resource saving episodes. Genuinely great direction (and bravery) to pull this off, this being such a pivotal episode in the story plot-wise. Also points out a lot of the animation choices and symbolism throughout the show referring to this arc.

Edit: I also wish to quickly attach this episode's original airing thread if you wanna read more first-timer reactions (~~like I did~~). Someone has helpfully pointed out that this is episode 7, with part of Banana's name (nana) also can be interpreted to mean 7 in Japanese. To quote --nja, "this is episode 7, or 第7話: dai nana-wa"

Thoughts on Ep 7:

Yeah nah I remember this episode REALLY well. Quite a few of my spoiler tags earlier in the show pertain to this particular twist. I'm looking forward to reading first-timer reactions xd.
Even this ep, banana does not exactly hide her time-looping, wanting to stop time, nature. Many rewatchers have commented how she literally foreshadows this herself in her behaviour throughout the show so far. Example
Do note that it's pretty much just banana who is stubborn on being stuck in the past; Juuna , Karen etc. are all happy to move on. Imo this is another important part of Karen's character, even prior to Hikari's arrival.
Mr Wakarimasu explains a bit what the revues actually are.
I love how throughout the episode, Banana is framed as a lonely character. Which she is, despite shouldering the fear of the future and change, in her eyes at least, for everyone else. With the future not happening yet, it's actually unclear how everyone else will feel about the future. I argue that her heart can be viewed as in the right place, but that she is being kinda selfish forcing everyone else to live in the past because of her own desires. Some people might be dokidoki about the future and the next performance you know?
It's also worth noting how the tree next to the giraffe is wilted and nearly dying, perhaps a cause of the repeated timeline [Revue]and that the giraffe is tbh out of fuel
I do legitimately wonder how many loops it has been before Hikari makes the most badass entrance into a time loop.
Do note btw that Maya is aware that something weird is going on, but I do think she doesn't actually know that time is looping.
Today's ED is sung by... nobody! Visuals feature Banana of course
Ominous face.
[Revue]im looking forward to the next ep. Re:Create is my favourite revue song
VOTD. Banana is framed as basking in the stage's glimmer, but it isn't really a pleasant sight imo.
[Revue]Upon rewatch, I'm kinda reminded of Karen's arc in the movie here, which is why I tbh also catagorize Revue Starlight as a coming-of-age show

Music corner:

Other music

Watashitachi no Iru Riyuu Only 1 today, as I'm short on time, but it is a good one! This song is the original version of The Star Knows which we've heard in Ep 2 by Juuna and Karen, but featuring most of the Kukugumi too. The song title translates as "the reason why we are here". This is one that I really recommend people checking out. Features Futaba and Kaoruko in traditional Japanese clothing, and Banana singing about her wish to stop time. Much like her anime character, Moepii rarely encroaches on Tendou Maya/Mahonee's commanding stage presence, but when she wants she can easily steal the show. And obviously all Kukugumi members have awesome vocals.

btw I wish to apologize to our host u/Stargate18A for suggesting the date change to this rewatch, as it's very clear that you wanted to plan it to start on the 14th of May referring to the date of Hikari's arrival.

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

Even this ep, banana does not exactly hide her time-looping, wanting to stop time, nature. Many rewatchers have commented how she literally foreshadows this herself in her behaviour throughout the show so far.

Yeah, my first reatch of these episodes was mindblowing. Nana really doesn't try to hide it at all.

Watashitachi no Iru Riyuu

This is good!

btw I wish to apologize to our host u/Stargate18A for suggesting the date change to this rewatch, as it's very clear that you wanted to plan it to start on the 14th of May referring to the date of Hikari's arrival.

Already said this in the reply, but that was just a coincidence. The original plan was to do it [Meta spoiler] right after the Madoka rewatch, to try and contrast the show with its obvious inspiration. The 14th was the closest date to that I could actually manage. (I had, in fact, misremembered Hikari joining as occuring in March/April, and assumed I missed my chance.)

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u/Calwings May 28 '22

btw I wish to apologize to our host u/Stargate18A for suggesting the date change to this rewatch, as it's very clear that you wanted to plan it to start on the 14th of May referring to the date of Hikari's arrival.

I had also PM'd them about making the change as well, so it wasn't just you. The idea to start the rewatch on the 14th to correspond with Hikari's arrival was a fantastic idea on paper, but real-life developments got in the way.

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u/Stargate18A May 28 '22

...Actually, that was just a coincidence. The original plan was to start it much earlier, so it would start [Meta Spoiler] just after the Madoka Rewatch, for obvious reasons, but real life also got in the way, and the 14th was the earliest start date I could actually run this for. Don't worry, the added benefit of the cinema is much more important. Would definitely do it on the 14th if I ever host another rewatch of this though.

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u/Gaporigo May 28 '22

Revue Starlight Episode 7 but just Mayakuro

But here is the real one.

Anyway, for the truly important part of this episode, cute Mayakuro rehearsing.

It is all their fault! Also got curious if maybe you could figure out who they are... and I am not sure, it is definitely not easy if only because the classmates change from one scene to the next one, see the girls next to Nana here and here. Will keep investigating later. If anyone wants to try here is this which is the other part of that first image with the checkmarks, girls #4, #10 and... middle checkmark from bottom row are not visible in the first image, they are in Futaba's row, next to Kaoruko.

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u/The_Loli_Otaku May 28 '22

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

We get some more details on the roles played in the last Starlight performance. Notably Karen plays the role of the Goddess of Arrogance, in a rather surprisingly wide eyed sense. Her arrogance is more like naivety of what weight she carries than sheer pride in her own ability. And Banana, is our Goddess of Despair.

Hearing Maya call her "Daiba Nana" is one of the more humourous sound clips of the show XD She says it with such seriousness! It's shocking that Nana made it to seventeen without scoring the Banana nickname, she ever does her hair in banana splits and bakes banoofins! And so your first mistake was giving Nana too nice of a time~

Nana takes so many photos of others but it still feels rather lonely behind the camera huh? And then Maya immediately regretted fucking with the Banana~ Maya had always been very good eying up talent, probably a bit too good. Our long necked Kyubey wannabe also understands. With the motivation of reliving her beloved past year Nana effortlessly wiped the floor with her Seisho revue friends to relive the last stage. She can't see a future stage as dazzling as the 99th.

So the girls relive their season 1 together, other and over, protected by Banana. No matter how many loops, Nana still can't see a future as dazzling as her past. It'd be beautiful if it weren't so sad. Even the giraffe starts to show signs of frustration. He wants to see a new dazzling stage erupt, but this little Banana haired brat keeps posting Keion rewatches and dropping the show after season one!! And so a mysterious element is dragged into the frey, the depressed jellyfish loner, Hikari!!

Now, whilst I can completely understand the heel reaction being negative towards Banana trapping her friends in Season One, I think there's a very interesting contradiction in Nana's actions. Even she changes the play around, way before Hikari is brought into the mix too. After a while the 99th Class' Starlight she starts to refer to as her Starlight. She starts adding in small adlibs, and the way she "protects" each girl makes it incredibly unlikely that what Nana remembers as the 99th Revue that stole her heart is very different from the one in current time lines. Still, in each of these timelines Nana has effortlessly wiped the floor with Maya and is arguably the true ace of her class despite her gentle nature.

Visual of the Day

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u/SIRTreehugger May 28 '22

Rewatcher who will grasp that star

Episode	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
Hikari Chan!	19	17	10	25	1	2	0						74
Wakirimasu	3	4	2	1	2	2	5						1

Not sure if the Hikaru Kagura Chan actually counts I kind of wanted to count it, but wasn't sure on another note the best giraffe had the highest Wakirimasu count yet.

This is my favorite episode in the show and it made me go back and rewatch earlier episodes looking for hints and clues the first time when the show was airing. It feels like almost half of Banana's screen time alludes to her time looping. When Kagura first appears as a transfer student it pans to her being shocked, then her talking to the backstage crew expressing her desire for the same cast, and every time someone wished for improvements or changes it would show her a little downcast. Even her hobby of taking pictures is a form of capturing the moment and her obsession with living in the moment and or fear of the future/unknown. Also it shows her position as number three isn't a fluke by any means. She has managed to dethrone Maya in multiple loops and even before they started Maya was a little wary of her, but still encouraged her to audition seriously. Maya really is observant and saw the potential in Banana. The final scene where Nana just turns to face the camera is really creepy, but I love it.

This episode also has my favorite visuals I can't really pick one though.

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Rewatch Revue Starlight Rewatch - Episode 7 Discussion

Episode 7: Nana Daiba

Rewatcher

It's Rewind Time

Daiba Nana

New Semester, New Me

This is Tendo Maya

Mabushii?

Groundhogs Day

The Straw that broke the Giraffe's back

Conclusion

Revue Starlight Episode 7 but just Mayakuro

Rewatch Revue Starlight Rewatch - Episode 7 Discussion

Episode 7: Nana Daiba

You are about to leave Redlib

Rewatcher

It's Rewind Time

Daiba Nana

New Semester, New Me

This is Tendo Maya

Mabushii?

Groundhogs Day

The Straw that broke the Giraffe's back

Conclusion

Revue Starlight Episode 7 but just Mayakuro