First Impressions / Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight

「大場なな」 (Daiba Nana)
“Daiba Nana”

We’ve been speculating about Revue Starlight for some time. Where did this revue thing come from? Why is Hikari’s outfit different? What’s up with the giraffe? Other than these big plot questions, my main curiosity was actually Daiba Nana. In a show like Revue Starlight it is often the case that much of the cast are largely disposable or at least interchangeable. So it was with Futaba and Kaoruko last week. as far as story contribution goes their roles could readily be filled by any two other musically proficient girls. Nothing against their characters and I’m sure that as individuals they are fascinating people awash with infinite complexities, but the narrative hasn’t really indicated that they are of any particular importance, so I don’t really have an incentive to care about them. Nana, though, was in comparison given a lot more care. Scenes would go out of their way to note her presence. She was given her own dramatic art about retiring to a support role early on, but she still appeared in the OP/ED in full regalia. There must have been more to her, beyond just a banana motif. Nothing against bananas either — high in potassium, great in cakes — but a fruit motif does not a character make. Plus, ‘everyone’s banana’ is much too unfortunate an epithet for anybody to have.

Turns out, she’s more than just a significant character; she’ apparently the bloody mastermind. And that’s fantastic! I was expecting her to have been playing a large part in the background to parallel her new role in her class’s production of Starlight, but I didn’t quite expect this. Not only has the humble Banana suddenly been catapulted to prominence as a potential primary antagonist, she’s also apparently been bending space and time while doing it. I wish that this unusually timed episode 07 twist was set up more deliberately, with the Groundhog Year having some discernable impact on the other characters we could have observed instead of having been broken before the story actually began, but I’m on board with it still. I also wish Nana narrated her actions and motivations less, because as usual for Revue Starlight the visuals spoke far more loudly. The yellow and black colour scheme for Nana’s stage (bruised banana, giraffe, angry wasp) was simply striking and the contrast made for some captivating shots. It reminded me of Flip Flappers, which can only be a good thing.

I’m not sure how readily I would accept Nana as the villain, because I actually think that she has has a good point. For one, I’m one of those people who don’t believe that Peter Pan ever has to grow up. Also, this whole competition for the top spot has been portrayed very wholesomely so far, but you and I both know that in reality it’s a much messier affair. I am tempted to segue into Australian politics right about now, but I won’t bore you. Let’s stick to the arts. Locally, nothing but horror stories come out of the Conservatorium of Music to the point it seems like the proper path to artistic advancement is not effort but sabotage. And so I see Nana’s motivations as threefold. One, unlike the other 8 characters obsessed with the top spot, Nana is only looking for an emotional experience, and has been satisfied with the first Starlight. Two, she spares her friends from destructive competition by trapping them all in a time loop. Three, by holding the top spot herself, permanently, she makes the revues moot and her friends will only need to resent her, if anybody. It’s all a bit egocentric, I suppose, but we don’t really know the mechanics of these revues and the powers the reality warping powers they confer, so why not let Nana indulge? She’d probably get bored after the 15,532nd loop anyway.

Unfortunately, the spoiler, Hikari is a protagonist so Nana will have to be stuck as antagonist. She certainly has more to reveal yet, considering that we have yet to hear her sing (conspicuously, not even in her own ED). In the post credits scene last episode Nana seemed dissatisfied with Hikari’s intrusion and concludes that sticking to the script is better. Which is probably not a good thing for Hikari. At this point Hikari is the more enigmatic figure figure, so hopefully we’ll learn more about her soon (is that her head-stars in the background here? I don’t know what anything means). This is rightfully Hikari and Nana’s story, right? What’s Karen doing, again?

 

ED3 Sequence

ED3: 「Fly Me to the Star (Karaoke version)」

14 Comments

  1. At last, darkness…

    I wonder what that tree symbolizes.

    https://randomc.net/image/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2023.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2030.jpg

    Franxx ended not too long ago so I immediately equate it to the passage of time. Though I seriously doubt it. With five more episodes to go, this anime certainly has the potential to become a “a top star”. I certainly hope it will be.

    https://randomc.net/image/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2021.jpg

    This shot is even greater than Maya’s humongous silhouette in episode three in my opinion. Nana looks like an omnipotent figure… and perhaps she is. Nana is pulling off a Haruhi time loop here. Only that she knows she’s doing so. Which basically means she is even more selfish than Haruhi. And that’s saying alot. Nana’s desires while with good intentions are detrimental to everyone’s growth. This makes her the main antagonist so far. That giraffe though…. hmm. It is also worth to note that Karen and Hikari are new auditions to the revues.

    McLXIX
    Reply

  2. I doubt that NaNa will be the villain. I think either Karen or Hikari will have that role. I remember there was a little snippet about how the villain of the protagonist of the stage play was actually the villain.

    dean
    Reply

    1. It will have to be either Hikari or Nana, since they effectively oppose each other. Where either one falls depends on the perspective of the story. And I would guess that Karen will be called upon to shake things up at some point.

      Passerby
      Reply

  5. https://randomc.net/image/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2021.jpg

    Right… Now I understand what is going on for the past 7 episodes. Like Passerby, I’m inclined to wards Nana being the main antagonist of the show.

    I really never expected Nana to be antagonistic though I have to say… The subtle build up of her antagonistic apathetic nature was built up well throughout the entire episode. The revue and her wish does reminds me of the infamous Endless Eight but I’m to say that it is closer towards Akemi Homura’s time reversal than Haruhi’s Endless Eight.

    https://randomc.net/image/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
    We all knew what happened ultimately to Homura. It seems like Nana is going down that path as well. The lighting, those eyes and her vocals in that scene… It might not be as bone chilling as Happy Sugar Life but it is as cold and as unfeeling like Ayano Hanesaki.

    https://randomc.net/image/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight/Shoujo%20Kageki%20Revue%20Starlight%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    If Okabe seens to break the endless loop of despair to reach Steins Gate, than Nana’s ultimate aim is to keep her bird cage going and keeping her friends in the endless Revue. I sure like to see Okabe go up against Nana and her Revue.

    Henrietta Brix
    Reply

  8. I think Karen has more to do in the story than you think. In the first episode she follows Hikari and gets involved in the Revue, so we can assume that her taking part in the auditions is something else that’s not part of Banana’s equation.

    Whab
    Reply

  9. Karen might be the key to open up nana’s heart by showing that good things can happen when you accept something new, just like when karen bestowed the new nickname “Bana-Nice” that can only occurs because hikari transferred in

    who
    Reply

  10. Hikari overturned the status quo. I have a feeling without Hikari around Karen had no reason to ever shoot for top star and was never involved in the revues as a result. Hikari’s presence changes that. Karen is the one being built up, along with Hikari, of being the one to completely challenge the system.

    GoukaRyuu
    Reply

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