Whenever a franchise releases a stage production, it's usually after said franchise has become popular enough. In most cases, an anime that has become a national phenomenon in Japan receives a musical stage production, such as the likes of Sailor Moon or One Piece. However, Revue Starlight has taken this concept and flipped it by starting out as a stage production first before receiving manga adaptations and even a smartphone game later.
Revue Starlight is a story that follows the students of an all-girl school that are preparing for their annual performance of Starlight. Two girls, Karen and Hikari, find themselves becoming a part of a series of underground stage battles to become one of the leads of the play. The battles are overseen by a talking giraffe, who tells the girls that the winner of the battles will go on to become the "Top Star." Wanting to perform together, Karen and Hikari take part in the "auditions."
The first performance of Revue Starlight was performed in September 2017, produced by Bushiroad, Nelke Planning and Kinema Citrus. Bushiroad is best-known for its series of gacha games, including BanG Dreams! Girls Band Party and trading card games like Cardfight!! Vanguard. Nelke Planning has helped produced other famous stage productions, namely Sailor Moon and Touken Ranbu. Kinema Citrus is an animation studio that has provided animation for Made in Abyss and The Rising of the Shield Hero, as well as numerous other series. Three productions have been performed so far, with a fourth slated for a July 27, 2021 debut.
In 2018, a 12-episode anime was released. Alongside the anime, five manga adaptations were also released -- which include a prequel, adaptations of each stage production and a gag-strip manga -- as well as a smartphone game. A compilation movie was also created, called Shojo Kageki Revue Starlight: Rondo Rondo Rondo.
One of the main draws of the franchise is its series of stage battles, complete with singing. While song battles aren't a new concept, Revue Starlight takes a more meta approach to how it handles them. The stage changes as one person gains the upper hand and spotlights shine on each of the girls as they fight. The girls become surrounded by cardboard fire or fake buildings as they sing and fight with weapons. The lighting will change to fit the mood of the song and there are even duet battles.
Stage productions for established franchises have been popular for several years now, but having a stage production be released before its anime makes Revue Starlight unique in the sea of musicals. Musicals themselves are quite popular in Japan, dating back to the original kabuki plays in the 1600s. These plays were highly stylized, with distinctly exaggerated acting and makeup. This isn't too different from the opulent costumes that stage productions today feature when based on anime series. Sera Myu, the Sailor Moon musical series, has the performers don stylized versions of the Sailor Senshi costumes and long wigs to recreate the iconic look of the characters.
With a new production opening at the end of the month, it seems like Revue Starlight will continue for the foreseeable future. With more productions being released, it leaves room for more anime adaptations. So far, there has only been one, but if the new productions are well received, then there might be a sequel anime. Only time will tell what the future hold for this delightful musical series.
