Given the countdown in the past two specials, I figured this miniseries would end with the Seisho festival. Sure enough, this episode takes place just minutes before the 99th class performs “Starlight”. Everyone is donning their costumes and getting their makeup done. Well, everyone except Karen. More on her in a bit.
There’s a fun scene where Kaoruko and Claudine talk about the situation and complain about their respective girlfriends. Funny how this show has a lot of pairings but it’s until now where the characters talk about them to each other like friends would about their partners. I suppose it’s better late than never. Considering how much Futaba and Maya pushes their respective buttons, it’s perfect that this conversation is between Kaoruko and Claudine.
The two then notice Hikari having a bad case of stage fright, to the point that she’s screwing up her makeup. That’s definitely a rare sight. If anyone exudes confidence, it’s Hikari. The only time we’ve ever seen her freeze up is in Episode 8 and that was under a very special circumstance. Fortunately, everyone helps her calm down in a variety of ways. I think what I appreciate most about these specials is that it allows Hikari to interact more with the rest of the crew. I had no problem with the few scenes in the main show, where this sort of thing happened, but I can’t deny that it was only a couple of scenes. It was definitely something that could’ve been expanded on so I’m glad to see it happen in the specials.
So as it turns out, there actually is a reason why Karen has been practicing baseball. She apparently wanted to get Hikari a giant plush of Mr. White, a polar bear mascot that the latter is fond of (you can see Hikari’s own plush of the character in her dorm room and her Stage Girl outfit). Karen found one at a local batting cage but to obtain it, she has to hit a 160 km/h ball (10 km higher than Mahiru’s high score), hence her training during these specials. It’s silly, especially given how close Karen was cutting it. At the same time, this is the most Karen thing for Karen to do and it’s incredibly cute that she went out of her way to get Hikari a gift to cheer her up and calm her down on the big day.
The special ends right before the play starts, with everyone piling their hands together and Karen giving some final words before they all perform. I kind of wish this was in the final episode. Like, it isn’t a necessary to have but it’s still a nice and introspective note to end the story on.
Overall, I say these specials are optional but they’re nevertheless a nice addition to the TV show. Being a huge fan of the main show, it’s nice to spend a little bit more time with it. Had I stayed on top with Revue Starlight back then, I would’ve been sad to see the show go again but fortunately, there’s still a couple more installments for me to check out.
Xenodude Scribbles 