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Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: Rondo Rondo Rondo (少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト ロンド・ロンド・ロンド, Shōjo☆Kageki Revyū Sutāraito Rondo・Rondo・Rondo) is an omnibus Japanese-language animation movie produced by Kinema Citrus and Bushiroad. It was released in theaters across Japan on August 7, 2020.

Rondo Rondo Rondo is a recap of the events which surround its corresponding 12-episode anime series as told through the perspective of a supporting character. Footage from the anime is tied in with never-before-seen extra footage, complete with its original soundtrack, and brand new movie-exclusive music.

According to Crunchyroll, during its’ first week of release, Rondo Rondo Rondo ranked eleventh place in the overall weekend box office ranking, took the top spot in Kogyotsushinsha's mini-theater ranking, and took third place in Filmark's first-day satisfaction ranking, one position above that same weekend's highest-grossing release, Doraemon: Nobita's New Dinosaur. Furthermore, it received a favorable commercial and critical reception, with more theaters added by Bushiroad in the many weeks following its release.

A Blu-ray edition of Rondo Rondo Rondo was released in Japan on February 24, 2021, with pre-orders beginning on September 25, 2020. Included alongside a standard Blu-ray disc with the main feature presented in high-definition and with an uncompressed audio track are two bonus discs, one of which includes trailers and promotional videos for the movie, and the other a CD featuring a brand new original song by Starlight Kuku Gumi, "Suteki na Dress Kisasete yo" (素敵なドレス着させてよ; Let Me Wear a Wonderful Dress), as well as an 80-page booklet and a first-come, first-served B2 poster featuring brand-new illustrations of Karen Aijo and Hikari Kagura. The inner part of the box also features a new illustration by Mebachi, who is known for illustrating the anime series' ending theme song sequence.[1]

Staff[]

  • Original Work: Bushiroad, Nelke Planning, Kinema Citrus
  • Director: Tomohiro Furukawa
  • Composition, Screenplay: Tatsuto Higuchi
  • Character Design: Hiroyuki Saita
  • Deputy Director, Costume & Weapon Design: Takushi Koide
  • Animation Directors: Hiroyuki Saida, Shinyuki Ito, Sachiko Yasuda, Tomoko Sato
  • Prop Design: Takeshi Takakura, Shiori Tani
  • Graphic Design: Yuto Hama, Mao Yamaguchi
  • Color Design: Chie Yoshimura
  • Art Director: Kentaro Akiyama, Kenji Fukuda (Studio Pablo)
  • 3D Director: Hiroshi Akimoto (T2studio)
  • 3D Stage Lighting: Kamiya Hisayas
  • Cinematographer: Kazuto Izumida (T2studio)
  • Editing: Masayuki Kurosawa
  • Sound Director: Haru Yamada
  • Music: Yoshiaki Fujisawa, Tatsuya Kato
  • Song Lyrics: Kanata Nakamura
  • Animation Production: Kinema Citrus

Cast[]

Synopsis[]

Nana Daiba.

Seisho Music Academy 99th Graduating Class, Student Number 15.

She found herself in the midst of solitude as the sole person in her Drama Club in middle school, and first learned of the true joy of crafting a stage at this academy.

The kindred spirits known as the 99th Class who aimed for the same stage hand in hand. The quiver of fulfillment upon hearing the roaring applause as the curtain fell.

The brilliance like a gemstone ablaze. The happy days like a glittering rainbow, once more—

Captured by that radiance, Nana participates in the mysterious auditions staged by the Giraffe. Emerging triumphant, she wishes for "a re-enactment of the year leading up to the 99th Seisho Festival" as her Stage of Destiny.

"Very well."

And so "that one year" starts anew. Nana pours all of her budding talent into the "re-enactment" of those radiant days.

However, she still does not know it — that no two stages are the same. That no stage is unending.

Before the re-enactment repeats, the curtains rise on the turning rondo.

"It should be a stage that I've performed in. And yet it's a stage that I don't know."

"That is rondo, rondo, rondo — I understand."[2]

A feature-length recap of the Revue Starlight anime series, presented with unseen extra footage and told from supporting character Nana Daiba's perspective of events.

Summary[]

WARNING: This summary may contain spoilers for the anime and the movie. It is not recommended to be read unless one has seen both. Please note the majority of this synopsis reflects those for each of the anime's twelve episodes; bolded sections reflect scenes exclusive to the movie.

At the beginning of the movie, Karen Aijo's Revue transformation and speech is shown.

Nana Daiba, who is found alone, recites a verse from "Hoshi no Dialogue". Upon this, an unseen person's footsteps can be heard, to which Nana responds with "I've been waiting for you".

Mahiru Tsuyuzaki struggles to wake up Karen, her roommate, who is on class duty for the day. On their way to school, Karen insists on returning to their room to retrieve a crown shaped hairpin that she keeps next to a childhood picture of herself and another girl. Upon putting it on, they head to school. As they do stretches in the rehearsal room, other students begin coming in, teasing Karen for waking up in time for once, but the bickering stops once Maya Tendo walks into the room, motivating the rest to take on a serious attitude and prepare for lessons. The day proceeds with the theater-oriented lessons that the Actor Training Program at Seisho Music Academy provides, such as singing, acting, and different types of dancing.

During break, Karen and Mahiru treat themselves to an abundant lunch made by Nana for all of them, when the class representative Junna Hoshimi approaches to hand them the script for the upcoming Seisho Festival taking place the next year. The play the class will perform is "Starlight", the same play presented at the previous festival, in order to witness their own improvement. Nana talks fondly about their experience from that time. Karen wishes to get a named role again, to which Mahiru says she would like to play the lead role with her. However, Karen responds by saying it will likely be Maya and Claudine Saijo again, as they are no match for them. Junna reprimands her for her attitude, saying not to decide what the roles are before the auditions have taken place.

Waiting for the next lecture back in the classroom, Karen dozes off and dreams of herself looking down from the Tokyo Tower, until she is pushed from it by a girl with a star shaped hairpin. As she falls, Karen remembers she bought her hairpin there, and that the way things are currently, their promise will not be fulfilled. Karen wakes up by falling from her seat, after which class starts with an announcement that a new student will be transferring into the class. The student in question is Hikari Kagura, who had been studying in London for the past twelve years, and whom Karen will be showing to the dorm as the person on class duty for the day. Karen recognizes Hikari as her childhood friend, so she is eager to do so; their teacher, Urara Sakuragi, however, assigns Mahiru to accompany them because she is concerned about Karen's excessive excitement. Hikari displays an impressive amount of skill, which her classmates commend her for between themselves. Kaoruko Hanayagi points out that, for a childhood friend of Karen's, she seemed cold toward her.

Later, Karen looks for Hikari in the dorms, where Claudine, Nana, and Maya ponder whether she could be a new rival. However, Maya says her heart is not in it. Karen enters Hikari's room and finds the same childhood picture of them that she keeps on her desk. As she looks at it, she sees Hikari making her way back to the school, and follows her. There she finds an elevator where there ought to be none, taking her to an underground theater, where she finds herself in the audience seats along with a mysterious speaking giraffe, and she witnesses Junna and Hikari dueling each other with stage outfits and weapons in a performance that the giraffe refers to as the "Revue of Passion". The giraffe accuses Karen of not having what it takes to be a stage girl, but is surprised when Karen climbs its neck to leap into the stage, interrupting the duel and coming out victorious. Hikari reacts by calling her an idiot through tears.

Nana recites a verse from "Sekai o Hai ni Suru Made". She believes that it's reasonable Hikari got angry at Karen during the Revue of Passion, and feels the latter should have been removed from the casting because of her intrusion, but the giraffe, in the audience seats, proclaims the one who passes the audition will have the path to becoming the Top Star revealed to them and be qualified to stand upon the stage of fate. He tells a quiet-sounding Nana to re-enact the rules of each audition; sing, dance and battle, a little louder. Upon doing this, Nana understands that the auditions are a fascinating Revue complimented by song and dance. A blank model wearing a red cloak emerges from the roof as the giraffe says that those who have a stronger brillance will dominate the stage, and if anyone's cloak falls, the Revue is over, but they are nevertheless not defeated because it's an audition. Before he can finish his sentence about if one couldn't win, Nana responds with "I understand".

Karen has officially been allowed to participate in the auditions, so tries to learn more about them from Hikari; however, she is still reluctant to open up to her. Facing off with Maya, the top student in the class in the Revue of Pride, Karen barely manages to put on a fight and is defeated. Hikari is once more displeased at Karen's participation in the auditions.

A flashback shows a young Karen and Hikari playing together on a slide in a playground not far from the Tokyo Tower. Hikari tells Karen that she is travelling to London for her studies, which leaves her friend in a state of sadness. However, Hikari reassures her that she will keep in contact with her, and won't hesitate to forget the promise that Karen and her made about standing on the stage of "Starlight" together. Eleven years later, Hikari, now sixteen years old, is studying at the Royal Academy of Theatrical Actors in England, where she has been keeping in contact with Karen and is working her best to fulfill their promise. The giraffe summons her and other students to Revue auditions, where upon losing the last one to the largely unknown student Judy Knightley, she finds she has lost her drive to perform, and has even forgotten the promise that had led her to the stage in the first place. Realizing that losing the auditions makes one lose their brilliance, she asks the giraffe to allow her to participate in the upcoming auditions, leading Hikari back to Seisho Music Academy where they are to take place. In the present, as night falls, Karen catches up to Hikari at Tokyo Tower, where they had made their initial promise to stand on stage together, and Karen makes a new proposal to Hikari to pass the auditions together to make that dream come true.

Nana recites a verse from "Hokori to Ogori", to which the giraffe responds that with the center stage, known as Position Zero, the one who passes the auditions will be qualified as the Top Star, and those who can't will lose the brillance of being a stage girl. Nana wonders how Karen could intrude the auditions without knowing anything, to which the giraffe responds that Karen had a stage she wanted to stand on and a somebody she wanted to become, and that she would have anxiously pursued a new stage with a fresh passion and the preparation of flight. He wants to see the stage girls' brillance being responded to by the lighting, sound and stage.

Junna is upset about Karen's intrusion and her own performance as a stage girl, which leads her to collapse from overwork. Nevertheless, Junna still attends that night's audition against Karen, the Revue of Desire, against her on even grounding. Although Junna loses, she is relieved by Karen's reassurance that theater means every performance is an opportunity to improve, and the two become friends. Mahiru has a nightmare about being left behind by Karen and Hikari after overhearing a conversation that they could become the leads in the next production of "Starlight". She faces off against Karen in the Revue of Jealousy, where she expresses her feelings of being worthless without her, but Karen manages to convince her that she can shine all on her own. A flashback shows that Futaba Isurugi and Kaoruko have grown up together, and that since back then, Kaoruko has promised Futaba the latter will be the first to see her shine. They face off with one another in the Revue of Promise, and despite emerging victorious, Kaoruko resolves to keep on trying her best in her acting to eventually fulfill her old promise with Futaba.

Nana recites a verse from "The Star Knows", and the giraffe responds that despite colliding and arguing and having their differences, there is a bond that ties the main characters of "Starlight" together. Yet night will break and midday will shine, they are separated from each other, never to meet again. Nana responds by reciting a verse from "Hanasaka Uta". The giraffe proclaims that "Starlight" is a story of goddesses who were guided by a shining light, and the play that the students of the 99th Graduating Class of Seisho Music Academy perform. By doing the same for three years, one can improve their level of completing the stage to deepen their comprehension of the play. Nana then remembers the 99th Seisho Festival on the night of the star festival, before being told she has five minutes until the performance begins. A flashback then shows that year's performance of "Starlight" and its celebratory toast.

Nana laments that year's production, saying she wishes for nothing more than for their second one to be the same. Maya scorns her for that thought, and for her impression that she is not showing her true abilites in order to remain a likeable person. The giraffe approaches Nana, offering her to stand on any stage she desires if she were to win the Revue auditions. After Nana wins, the timeline is set back by one year countless times in order to experience the first year's production all over again. Eventually, Hikari transfers into the class, making Nana confused, as she had never been a part of the previous timelines. Facing off with Hikari in the Revue of Solitude, Nana warns her that "Starlight" is written as a tragedy and that Hikari and Karen would have to battle against each other one day. Later, she faces off with Karen in the Revue of Bonds. With Karen's vow of constantly evolving instead of repeating the same thing, Nana loses the audition, along with the chance of another repeat performance. Junna later gives Nana some comfort, encouraging her to look ahead to a future with new possibilities.

Nana recites the final verse of "Hoshiboshi no Kizuna", and thanks Junna for being there for her in her time of need, and thanks to her, she could repeat the performances, which the giraffe calls a Rondo, over and over again. The giraffe then proclaims that Nana's re-showing has concluded, but the Revues aren't over yet, and the final day of auditions has come.

In a narration, Karen asks Hikari if she remembered the promise they made as children. Only four potential winners remain, and the giraffe announces that the final audition, the Revue of Fate, will be a duet battle, with Karen and Hikari facing against Maya and Claudine. While initially overwhelemed by Maya and Claudine's teamwork, Karen and Hikari manage to work together to defeat them. However, the giraffe suddenly declares one final audition, in which Hikari turns against Karen to claim victory. She refuses to use everyone's brilliance as fuel for the giraffe's "fated stage", after which she mysteriously transfers out of Seisho Music Academy.

Months pass by without any contact from Hikari, and Karen eventually realizes that Hikari paid the price that everyone else would've had to pay for losing, losing everything as a result. Translating the Starlight book that was left behind by Hikari, Karen discovers the story goes beyond what was in the play, prompting her to return to the underground theater, where Hikari is imprisoned, and stuck in an endless loop of trying to climb up a tower to reach a star only to get knocked down again.

In determination to bring Hikari out of this stage that she chose for herself, Karen faces off against her one last time in the Revue of Astral Sins. Despite being beaten, Karen's desire to return home with Hikari allows her to come back for an encore performance and defeat Hikari, bringing her back to her senses. With everyone reunited, the 99th Graduating Class of Seisho Music Academy finally put on their performance of "Starlight", bringing it to its true conclusion.

Nana recites the final lines from "Starlight", proclaiming that Karen jumped into the auditions, rewrite the play and extended the ending. The stage girls altogether burnt their past selves to be reborn anew, which the giraffe proclaims is the story of "Starlight" itself. However, the author of the play is still unknown, and that all have started the beginning of the end, which he understands. A blood-spattered sequence follows, after which knowing how desperate Nana was to take the stage for herself, the giraffe proclaims that what was witnessed was the death of the stage girls, which Nana fully understands of, and the sequel that the audience is eager to see, and a new final chapter the stage demands, a "wi(l)d-screen baroque", has now begun.

After Nana proclaims that all are already standing on top of the stage, the offscreen footsteps from the beginning of the film are heard again, to which Nana once more responds with "I've been waiting for you" and finishes with "Hikari", because the footsteps happen to belong to Hikari. In a post-credit scene, Hikari, who is standing upon a toppled-over Tokyo Tower, recites her lines from "Hymn to Rebirth", before thanking Karen for coming to her stage of fate. However, she proclaims that their stage hasn't yet ended, since they are already standing upon it.


Revues[]

Bolded names indicate the winner of the Revue

Featured Songs[]

"Sekai o Hai ni Suru Made", "Hokori to Ogori", "RE:CREATE", "Hoshiboshi no Kizuna", "Star Diamond", "Starlight" and "Saisei Sanbikyoku" are credited as "-movie ver.-" on the soundtrack; "Hoshitsumi no Uta", "Butai Shōjo Kokoroe Makuai" and "Hoshi no Dialogue" do not appear on the soundtrack

Promotional Video[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Rondo Rondo Rondo was originally scheduled for release in Japan on May 29, 2020, but it was pushed back to August 7 due to circumstances and issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Each episode footage of the anime was presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, excluding the Revue of Starlight Gathering in episode twelve, which was presented in an anamorphic, 2.35:1 ratio. In the case of Rondo Rondo Rondo, to intend its cinematic release and feel, all of the aforementioned footage is presented in the latter ratio, as is its extra footage, making it the first episode or movie in conjunction with the anime to be fully presented in that ratio.
  • Following each screening of Rondo Rondo Rondo, a trailer for a brand new feature-length work, entitled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight, was shown.[3][4]

References[]

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