# Revue Starlight (2018)

> Two girls bound by a childhood promise compete in a mysterious stage audition for a place in a legendary revue.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/69241

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, drama, fantasy, action, adventure
- Network: TBS
- Cast: Momoyo Koyama, Suzuko Mimori, Maho Tomita, Hinata Sato, Haruki Iwata, Aina Aiba, Moeka Koizumi, Teru Ikuta
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8400680/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, intense, surreal, whimsical, emotional

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its striking visual staging and dreamlike take on stage-performance rivalry.

## Synopsis

Revue Starlight (2018) is a Japanese animated drama series created for TBS, produced by Kinema Citrus, and built as a single-season twelve-episode story. Karen Aijo (Momoyo Koyama) and Hikari Kagura (Suzuko Mimori) made a childhood promise to one day stand together on the stage of the celebrated Starlight revue, but Hikari has transferred away and the two are drawn back into each other's orbit. Maya Tendo (Maho Tomita), Junna Hoshimi (Hinata Sato) and other Stage Girls join them in a mysterious audition process, where every performance is a contest that tests both skill and resolve. The engine of the show is the push toward that stage and the pressure of rivals who want the same place. Each episode blends musical numbers, sharp dialogue and bursts of swordplay with a dreamlike, symbolic visual style that moves between backstage realism and surreal stage imagery. The tone is earnest and intense, with moments of playful absurdity and a strong sense of coming of age. Set in a stylized present-day Tokyo near Tokyo Tower, it feels like a theatrical showcase of youthful ambition. Fans of Love Live! School Idol Project and Utena Revolutionary Girl will find resonance in its blend of stage performance and surreal drama.

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