Kageki Shoujo!!

[Ryllharu]

The performance was a good scene and the implication of copying the other actor is clear, but why wouldn't that make her a top star? You don't have to beat the best if you can simply be the best when that self-same person isn't around, can't you? I know, that wouldn't be satisfying and would be off-tone for what this show is, but that is just the disconnect I'll set aside for how much I am enjoying the remainder of what's going on.

Because she'll always be an understudy, essentially. She can deliver a perfect performance to mirror previous stars, but she won't ever be one herself. There's no distinctly "Watanabe Sarasa's Oscar/Romeo" it will always be a mime of someone else's.

There's an entire arc in Glass Mask about why this kind of behavior is garbage acting for the stage/screen. Also one of the most satisfying.

If you like this series, give the Glass Mask manga a read. It's perhaps the most influential shoujo manga, period.

[neflight86]

Sure, I'll check it out.

That being said, I guess I don't expect most people to be equipped to even begin telling the difference between an aped performance and one 'unique to the actor'. If the quality of delivery is above a certain level, I expect any audience would be happy with the result. But then again, I'm no expert... in matters of theatre especially.

[Ryllharu]

I'd normally agree, but they've been portraying the Kouka Revue as having particularly rapid fans in their sold out shows. There's even a few in the main cast of first years.

Someone would catch on eventually.

[David75]

So the Phantom's harsh reaction was really for the reasons we thought of.
A little more background for Sarasa, Ai turning into an almost scary dere best friend...

[Ryllharu]

Sarasa's backstory is pretty much what I thought it would be, but a little harsher and a little more sad.

Not sure how healthy her relationship with her boyfriend is either (and not because of the handshake). He didn't mean to hurt her that way, but it sounds like he did do it on purpose because he was worried of his tenuous position compared to her. Completely unfounded in the end because she's a girl and someone would have let her down gently eventually, but it was still surprising to see Sarasa's grandfather utterly cut ties with the kabuki troupe (including Sarasa's father) over what the way they treated her.

I wonder if her solution to the criticism is going to be fulfilling her wish from childhood, and playing the Kouka roles with the exactness and theatrics of kabuki performances infused in her Shakespeare and Oscar.

[MFauli]

It's a crime to dress little boys up like girls, ugh :/

The relationshp feels super uncomfortable because of the secret he's holding. He should come clean and tell Sarasa and then let her decide based on that information. It's weird enough that they're shaking hands, lol.

[David75]

Well, that little boy only had Sarasa face that Kabuki wall a lot sooner. And it probably was for the better.
I smiled at how theatrical that scene was with that Lady falling and all

[neflight86]

That guilt he carries does certainly seem to strain their relationship, at least on his side. He never referred to her as his girlfriend, so I wonder if he doesn't think himself 'worthy' or the like after his betrayal.

I kind of seemed like the author was walking back the rigidness of Kabuki acting to not paint it in a negative light or as if it were stagnating by rattling off a few 'innovations' that keep it from being complete regurgitation.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 8

----------


So much more respect for Kaoru the Legacy girl now. One eps that contained nearly an entire character arc, covering expectations and the stigma she's had to overcome, while stressing that this was never forced on her even for a single moment. This has always been her dream, and even if she has occasionally been at a disadvantage at times or even dismissed as a legacy girl riding on connections (which she really truly isn't), she's always been doing her all for it.

Also like that even though her dream is to play the male roles, she got a fully fleshed out romance over the summer, just postponed while the two of them accomplish their respective genuine dreams.

[MFauli]

what a bitch. one wrong word and she broke off the relationship AND blocked him. Wow.

[Ryllharu]

what a bitch. one wrong word and she broke off the relationship AND blocked him. Wow.

I can see how you got there, but that's not the intended read of what happened.

Kaoru was heartbroken, not angry. She thought she had found a kindred spirit, someone who fully understood the crushing weight of being the inferior portion of a family legacy.

He was burdened by his professional brother, but he also liked baseball for what it was, even if he wasn't any good in comparison.

Kaoru had both her super-famous grandmother and also her mother both being legacy students of Kouka. People assumed she would just get in, but she was actually on her last try this year. She even helped a senior practice to get in. Because Kaoru loves Kouka with all her heart. She's a super fan herself, but also wants to get in on her own merits (which Kouka happily does exactly that by rejecting her a few times despite her legacy). Kaoru isn't as pretty as her mother and grandmother (...yeah right, she's one of the prettiest of her year), but she wants to break the trend of her family and play the male roles.

Kaoru started to like him more and more, because though he was upset by being asked to do errands for his brother, after they met, he remembered that he also liked baseball and started practicing more. They grew closer and closer. But when he admits that he sometimes still feels he's wasting his time, and thinks she feels the same, Kaoru is really hurt. To her, it comes off that he didn't understand her at all.

She's always been about working her ass off until she achieves her goal, no other acceptable outcome, and damn the burden of legacy, it's just another hurdle to overcome.

So yeah, she broke it off and blocked him.

A short time later, he's changed. He's worked even harder himself, gotten off the bench, and won the game himself, rather than the team carrying him to victory. She drops her umbrella (which is a big sign, since they set up earlier that she'd never dare expose herself to the sun). She's so stunned and relieved, she even bursts into tears again.

Kaoru loves him, 100%. Present tense. Now she has to catch up walk on the Top Star bridge, in order to not be a hypocrite, and for her own pride. That's why she cut her hair. To double down the same way he did.

[neflight86]

I also found it bitter sweet, and like the dynamic of hard work and passion overcoming the lack of superior talent- definitely a trope- but it is handled here in a way to really inform the character succinctly and flesh out the world more than it really needs to, strictly speaking. I won't lie; their screen time was really cute, and I'm glad that at least one of these flashbacks haven't ended with trauma, but hope; you can put a mustache on that.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 9
--------------


What a really interesting episode. A schism between the twins was hinted at for a few episodes now, but I didn't expect it to be quite as emotional of one as it ended up being. The real twin actresses playing the twins may have had something to do with the emotional punch of these two here.

It was a little on the bittersweet side that the conclusion was the two of them start to go their separate ways a little earlier than they had expected, but both wishing each other success and looking forward to using each other as professional rivals in a less antagonistic way. Chiaki's idol testing out Chika seemed a little wrong, but she was guiding them away from that particular nastiness that she knows exist in the proper troupes.

More surprising was me finally realizing which twin was which and how that has played into their overall arcs. Chika got in on her first try, but gave up the chance (potentially for good) to wait for her emotionally devastated sister Chiaki who didn't pass. But when they're finally at the school, that pattern hurt Chika because she had gotten used to giving up what she wanted to keep the pair of them together. It makes you wonder about Chiaki's recollection of her sister looking if Chiaki had finally passed. Was Chika crying out of happiness that they were going to go together, or crying with relief that giving up her previous chance wasn't in vain? I guess the former with the admission that Chika always wanted to be on stage in a twins role from the memory of when they went to Kouka in person, where Chiaki had wanted them both to be playing rival Juliets from the even earlier flashback on the couch with their mom. They'd been thinking out of sync longer than they realized.

The ED was great as always, and of course it was the twins' duet, but I was surprised that they put them so significantly into the right and left channels. They always do to some degree, but the balance is usually more central.

[MFauli]

So, this ends with 12 episodes? :/

Makes me dislike all that focus on side characters. This anime will be over without any major story arc having happened at all.

[Ryllharu]

We can hope for a sequel. There's 13 volumes. Though they did apparently skip through at least one in the summer vacation arcs.

[neflight86]

The twins were less... traumatic than some of the other backstories, and I find that a welcome change of pace. Sisters annoyed with each other. I can get behind that.

So, do those particular Kouka actresses always walk around in men's clothes, or just on campus?

[MFauli]

episode 10:

bad episode. Those still images, lol, embarrassing.

Honestly, I don't need a second season anymore.

Btw. are all the older women lesbians?

[Ryllharu]

Yeah...definitely felt the budget-preservation on this episode.

Still, a very nice set of Evangelion references. A proper one since Ai hates men, so her A.T. Field is strong.

I also appreciate that Hijiri's two arch-nemeses are Ai (who is aloof to her bullying because she's used to that crap) and Sasara (who has overwhelming genki energy so it normally sails clear over her) at least until Hijiri dropped the act and went for a deep straight cut.

It was actually very interesting that the thing giving Sasara the most anxiety wasn't Hijiri being a bitch and continually undermining her, but that Sarasa was presenting herself and not being able to cover it up with a role on top of it. Serious Maya from Glass Mask vibes there. She's always been too tall, stands out too much, too manly in her movements that it really eats at her. Risa and Sei's pep talk got her out of it a lot faster than I expected though, going straight to a solution rather than resolving Sarasa's real problems. But I guess that's why the first years are paired up with another girl, and why the top stars like to mentor their successors before they even get into the Troupe proper.

But this series kills on the tension breaks. Right in the most inspiring part...desire for E-cups! Haha.

I guess Sarasa's dream would be to play Mari in the Kouka Revue production of Eva Rebuild...

Btw. are all the older women lesbians?

No. Most just play the masculine roles. Sei covered why in her pep talk to back up Risa. They are expected to act that way in stage and in public until they retire. They fulfill the dream of the audience through playing a version of themselves.

I honestly expected either Sarasa or Sei to princess carry the other, but since Sarasa is also shooting for a male role, the way they did go for works better to not undermine either one of them later on in their careers.

[neflight86]

I... didn't even notice the low budget animation this episode until I read it here... how embarrassing!

I do always find Hijiri fascinating to watch, as we haven't seen her character shaping trauma/backstory yet, and I enjoy trying to fabricate reasons for her being... this way. It is telling that her response to being called out is that she isn't technically a villain because this is her natural personality, and she isn't outright trying to be abusive or abrasive. Of course, that appears to be lip service at surface observation, but if she is indeed psychopathic, this would explain her behavior well and make her a more interesting character down the road, perhaps.

That boobs bit did catch me off guard, and it paid off.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 11
---------

It's almost like you caught something I missed last episode, but then they made it much more obvious in this one!

I do always find Hijiri fascinating to watch, as we haven't seen her character shaping trauma/backstory yet, and I enjoy trying to fabricate reasons for her being... this way. It is telling that her response to being called out is that she isn't technically a villain because this is her natural personality, and she isn't outright trying to be abusive or abrasive. Of course, that appears to be lip service at surface observation, but if she is indeed psychopathic, this would explain her behavior well and make her a more interesting character down the road, perhaps..

Hijiri sure is a bitch about it, but even she gives helpful professional advice to her assigned kouhai. Ai low-key hates her mom, but also recognized that her mom gave her a lot of good acting advice over the years that Ai can use to be the "first across the finish line."

Ai's freight-train of thought is so freaking weird...

I like that Kaoru has become the motivational core for their group. She's got the ambition to kick the rest of her friends in the backside to get them up and running to their goals. Sawa is still super overly serious and formal, but Sarasa's corresponding demand for a "coming atcha!" handshake had me rolling.

Sarasa's boastful speech getting out of the bath gave me Sheryl Nome vibes (Sayonara no Tsubasa version, of course...right before Northern Cross). Seriously love how poofy her hair is outside of the pigtails. She's like Tsumugi's sheep from Amaama to Inazuma.

The difference in opinion between the male and female teachers was also quite telling and insightful, loved that short scene so much. They know what these girls are capable of doing to each other, even if the men had good intentions with the audition and changing the graduation festival in the first place.

Bwahaha, direct Glass Mask references practicing their lines in their room! Yay!

Seriously though, they definitely cast the two leads correctly. I'm stunned at the range of these two voice actresses. Actually, all of the main cast, but especially these two.

The shame is that this series is finally getting to what feels like the meat of what the cast is doing (stage acting!), but it's almost going to end for this season too.