So at the time of writing this post, it’s been announced that the mobile game tie-in, Revue Starlight Re LIVE, will be ending service on September 30. This has no direct bearing on the TV show, let alone this episode, but this is the kind of thing that would hang over a related post so I figured I should still acknowledge it. I’ve actually only played a little bit of the game and I kind of figured the game was going to die given its age and low sales. Still, I enjoyed what I’ve played and I’m a fan of the franchise in general so this is a bit of a bummer.
Anyway, here we are: the last TV episode of Revue Starlight. There ended up being more after this but at the time, I figured this was it. Honestly, if this stayed as the end of the series, I would’ve have been okay with that. This is a terrific way to go.
Considering the build-up towards Karen and Hikari’s reunion, it cracks me up that the very first scene of the finale is actually everyone else having a potluck. I may have expected it less because we did just have an emotional walk down memory lane with all the characters in the penultimate episode. I suppose some levity before the big final battle is still warranted. It is still reassuring to see the girls this confident that Karen will bring Hikari back. And not going to lie but it is nice to have one last moment where everyone is all just acting cute, especially with Kaoruko continuing to be the brat that she is. Never change, Kaoruko.
Once we get to Hikari, we finally see what exactly she’s been up to this whole time: method acting. Truly a punishment that this sinner deserves! I joke but that is kind of what is going on. Basically, Hikari is stuck in an indefinite cycle in which she reenacts “Starlight” all on her own. In lieu of confronting the goddesses, Hikari builds a tower out of star-shaped pieces she finds in the sand. Once it’s high enough, she attempts to reach up towards giant replicas of the stars in the play. The stars then swing in like a wrecking ball, destroying the tower and forcing Hikari to rinse and repeat. It’s a repeat performance kind of like with Nana and the 99th class’s first “Starlight”. While obviously very different from the original play, this one-woman show does recreate Claire and Flora’s ending. Like Claire, Hikari is all alone and trapped in a sort of prison to atone for her sin. Like Flora, she falls off her tower as a repercussion for reaching for the stars. This also reflects Hikari’s own fate: being forced to be the Top Star but being unable to do so because she refused the fuel needed for its power.
Shortly after, Karen meets up with Hikari and it takes a while for the former to snap the latter out of her self-induced trance. Interestingly, Karen tries to play along, following the “script” in the hopes that doing so would break Hikari’s rhythm and make her friend aware that she has arrived to save her. What ends up working though is when Karen simply talking about themselves and their promise to be stars and do “Starlight” together. It’s a nice touch on the writers’ part. Rather than invoke a play which has seemingly been dictating their lives, you have Karen talk about who she and Hikari are as people and what they want to do rather than what they think they are fated to do.
Because Karen gets Hikari to break character, she more or less opens the door for the revues to begin anew. Hikari attempts to resign back to her fate by descending further down the theater (don’t question how large this place is). In a very cool callback to Episode 1, Karen jumps down after her. So yeah, as you probably figured out ahead of time, Revue Starlight ends with one final revue, with Karen and Hikari as the duelists. When you really think about it, there’s no other way for this show to conclude. It’s the one duel that we’ve yet to see (well, yet to see in earnest, I mean) and it would make a most fitting end to the main plot. I really have to it to Revue Starlight. On paper, this and the tag-team duel are the most perfect matchups for the final stretch of the show.
Seeing as this has been the trend as of late, this revue largely has a very simplistic stage. I’ve already hinted at this but at this point, I can freely admit that I think the set pieces peaked with the “Revue of Solitude” (Hikari vs. Nana) and the “Revue of Jealousy” (Karen vs. Mahiru). Admittedly, I don’t think it’d be easy topping a yandere-themed game of baseball and that one time Tokyo Tower crashed into some water (I’ll never get over how amazing that was). Still, it is a little surprising that these last couple of arenas aren’t as wild as its the stuff from earlier.
Still, I am impressed that for the third time in a row, the simplicity of the stage still works in Revue Starlight‘s favor. Like, I don’t mind that Karen and Hikari on that rising, circular platform from the end of Episode 10. This duel is a rematch and it symbolically represent the two competing to be the Top Star again. Besides, it kind of makes sense that Karen and Hikari wouldn’t project themselves onto the stage (at least not at first). If there has been any relationship that has been completely transparent, it’s certainly ben this one. All that’s left for these two is their disagreement over their shared fate and the clashing of their blades does the trick just fine.
You know what really threw me off? Seeing the giraffe break the fourth wall and directly talk to me and/or you, the viewer. The first time I let out a very prolonged “what?” at the screen and that’s even after seeing Nana and Hikari look directly at the camera in prior episodes. This move is so logic-defying and feels completely out of nowhere and yet, it’s so characteristic of Revue Starlight to do. I do get what the show is going for. In a way, this strange creature has been our proxy this entire time. The giraffe desires to see something amazing to happen, hence him running and spectating these revues. It’s very akin to the role of the audience, someone who spectates but whose own investment breaths life into the experience just as much as the characters providing it. Now, why are we, the audience, represented with a talking giraffe? Uhhhhhhhhh…
The second to last move Hikari pulls on Karen, where she traps her with the rope of her dagger, is awesome but it also refers to how the two girls’ relationship has played out lately. In a way, the rope latching onto Karen are like the threads of fate. While Hikari is trying to keep Karen “safe”, Karen’s brilliance and fate as a performer is still tied to the former. Though this move is meant to debilitate the opponent, it instead reveals the connection the two share. It’s also hence why Hikari’s very last move is to eliminate Karen by force, throwing her dagger at the button of Karen’s coat as though she is rejecting her friend entirely. Of course, even that ultimately doesn’t work.
Despite technically losing the duel, Karen doesn’t give up. She retransforms with her coat reattached and the platform she’s on rises up to Hikari’s. Karen then tells Hikari that there must be a different ending to “Starlight”, one where Flora rises up and climbs the tower again to rescue Claire and it’s the case, then their own story won’t have to end in parting. Hikari warns Karen that her defying fate and winning the revue will result in Karen losing her shine but Karen says the revues can have it and she’ll work her way towards regaining it.
I could complain about Karen magically reattaching her coat via sheer willpower as plot armor. I could also say Karen is making a huge gamble with giving up her shine and assuring Hikari that she can gain it back. But then again, this girl has always been a wild card. For crying out loud, she was never meant to get this far in the revues. Honestly, I think this scene works well for Karen’s character. It refers to one of Karen’s catchphrases, “I am reborn”. No matter how many ups and downs she goes through, Karen will always desire to be on stage and she’ll never stop aiming for it. Every mistake. Every setback. She’ll overcome them and be “reborn” into a brighter star. I know that’s what the scene is going for because Karen literally utters phrase and she has it written out on a giant neon sign behind her because why not. It’s cheesy and it’s on the nose but it’s also one of my favorite images in the entire show.
There’s some other strong symbolism going on in this scene as well. One, I find it really interesting that Karen’s platform develops into a series of steps, contrasting with the singularly vertical monument Hikari stands on. It reflects how different the two think about how stardom works. Whereas Hikari thinks a performer only has one shot at being brilliant and that’s that, Karen sees it as a climb. Two, you also have the incorporation of Tokyo Tower. It’s etched into Karen’s platform and it lights up, representing the promise between her and Hikari and accentuating that this is what keeps Karen to push on. Then, that darn thing just comes crashing through Karen’s platform and into Hikari’s, acting as both a literal and figurative bridge for the two of them. It’s also just badass. This revue doesn’t generally have the most pizazz but this moment is honestly up there with Tokyo Tower crashing into the water as one of the coolest moments in the show.
It’s also worth noting that this scene is the one and only time in the TV show where Karen manipulates the stage. I asked myself why Karen barely does that but I think any bells and whistles before this scene would detract from how tenacious she is. She only fights with a sword because that’s really all she needs to do in order to prove herself in the Revues. For her to finally manipulate the stage now is a testament to how strong she truly is as a Stage Girl and that her brilliance really has no bounds because she’ll always be “reborn”. I’d also argue that it’s very important for Karen to do it at this very moment. After a straightforward duel didn’t cut it for her, she has to make her feelings known to Hikari and she’s got to very loud when she does it.
Stunned, Hikari finally gives in and she agrees to continue the revue with Karen. The two exchange one final attack, with Karen coming out on top, making her the winner. There’s some nice last minute imagery here. I like how Hikari’s copy of “The Starlight Gatherer” is buried in the sand, complimenting the fact that she and Karen have defied their fates. It’s all in the past now. Also neat is Karen and Hikari holding hands on Position Zero, which is where the Stage Girls go to declare victory. It’s fitting. Karen is technically the winner but really the victory goes to both her and Hikari.
You may have noticed that I haven’t brought up the title of the revue and that’s because the name changes a couple of times throughout the fight. They’re all self-explanatory so it makes more sense to go over all of them at once. Part 1 of the revue is called the “Revue of the Star’s Sin”, referring to the sin of reaching out for the stars to make a wish. When Karen gets back into the fight, the show very appropriately labels as it as the encore. When the duel resumes, the title changes to “Revue to Capture a Star”, in line with the girls changing the ending of the story and making their wish come true.
The insert song for the final episode is titled, “Starlight”, named after the story within the story. At 8 minutes and 3 seconds, about a third of its respective episode, it is the longest song in the entire show. I admit that because it’s so long, I don’t listen to it as often as other songs in the soundtrack. Be that as it may, I still think this is one of the show’s finest numbers. What I really like about the song is how versatile it is. It goes from a highly dramatic verse sung by Hikari to brighter and more triumphant second verse by Karen and then finally ends with a climatic verse sung by both girls. The song feels like a journey, which is very much how its respective revue plays out. And because the song is so long, the shifts in tone don’t feel jarring at all.
Despite being the longest song in the show, “Starlight” is actually only comprised of thirteen lyrics. It’s by no means a point against the song; it’s just something I find interesting given that it’s the big final insert song. Something that I really like about the lyrics is that it basically makes “Starlight” feel like a song that you’d hear if the play was turned into a musical, kind of like with “Hoshitsumi no Uta”. Hikari sings as Claire, literally calling herself as such in one line, and she talks about how she’s a sinner and that the cycle of despair shall continue. Meanwhile, Karen sings as Flora, who proceeds to remind Claire of their promise and tell her that she won’t give up on her. At the very end, the two sing, “the star we always wished upon, is our Starlight”. There’s some dialogue shortly after the song where Karen and Hikari say that they’re each other’s “star”. I’m guessing then that them being together is the so-called “star” mentioned at the end of the song. Whatever the case may be, I really like how they declare what happens as their “Starlight”. It’s just like when Hikari called her refusing everyone’s shine as her version of the play, albeit on a much happier note.
After Karen defeats Hikari, this episode is frankly short on time. As a result, you don’t get to see the complete aftermath of the revue. Some questions float around. Is Karen now the Top Star? Does she give up her shine as she said she would or did she make a wish? If the latter, what is it? Did she and Hikari even get to join the potluck? The full details aren’t given and the episode instead cuts to the second performance of “Starlight”. While potentially a point of contention, I don’t mind the choice as the revues have frankly served their purpose. Karen doesn’t care about being Top Star; all she wanted was to be on stage and do “Starlight” with everyone, especially Hikari. If she did make a wish, it clearly worked out favorably. If she gave up her shine, then she clearly whipped herself back into shape like she said she would.
Obviously, Karen and Hikari are Flora and Claire in the play. The show is vague on what roles Maya and Claudine take instead. I’m guessing Maya is Arrogance, given how prideful she’s been for much of the show. Claudine is probably Despair since she kept lamenting over her inability to catch up and surpass Maya. I know for a fact that Nana isn’t playing the character as she’s seemingly playing a new character who congratulates Flora for climbing up the tower again and end the circle of despair. That’s a definitely workaround to fit in all nine girls into the once eight girl play but this new role is more appropriate for Nana than her old one.
I really like that the class acts out the happier ending Karen envisioned for “Starlight”. I’m sure someone in the audience is wondering why the ending is different (or why there’s now a giraffe in the story). However, considering that the Seisho festival is meant to show the growth of the students and reflect what they’ve experienced, it makes perfect sense for Karen and Hikari to incorporate the new ending.
As you could probably tell from the thousands of words I somehow wrote about Revue Starlight, I am very much obsessed with this show. I admit that the story doesn’t make complete sense. It very much operates on musical logic. But in the end, all the crazy, surreal stuff and how they seemingly speak about the characters is something that I just roll with. Rather than be concerned with logic, Revue Starlight is more concerned about putting on a good show, just like any other theatrical production. And to its credit, it really is a captivating experience. When I first covered the show, I wasn’t sure how it’d rank among my favorite anime in 2018. I just knew that it’d be high up there. I’m still hesitant now but it’s definitely up there as one of my favorite anime of all time. It’s one of the most evocative and dazzling anime to come out in 2018 and for me personally, it has since been a tough act for similar anime to follow. Obviously, there’s a couple more installments for me to cover, and I will finally go over them in due time, but not counting those, this series has already been one hell of an experience.
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