The Soul Revue (魂のレヴュー, Tamashī no Revyū) is the fifth Revue, as well as the fourth chapter of wi(l)d-screen baroque, in the theatrical animation Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight.
Revue[]
WARNING: This section may contain spoilers for the anime and the movie. It is not recommended to be read unless one has seen both.
Act I[]
Prologue
(序章, Joshō)
In an empty theatre, Maya and Claudine perform a play where the Devil (Claudine) challenges a Stage Person (Maya) to a bet that states that the former can show the latter a brilliance she has never seen before. The stage person within accepts, and the Devil promises to take her soul if she wins the bet. The Stage Person signs the contract the Devil presented to her with a T.
Act II[]
The Black Tragedy
Or, the Colorless Desire of the Stage Person
(黒の悲劇 或いは舞台人の無色なる願望, Kuro no Higeki Aruiwa Butaibito no Mushokunaru Ganbō)
Maya applauds and praises Claudine's performance as the Devil; however, that was the peak of her performance: that she played the perfect 'role' of her rival. Claudine gets angry and tells Maya that she is not 'playing a role' and that she is genuinely her rival.
Act III[]
Like an Awry Arrow Revealing the Imitation of God
(神真似を暴く 徒矢の如く, Kami Mane o Abaku Adaya no Gotoku)
A large silver bird is summoned up the ceiling, while a set of paintings with a button at the center is added onto the stage. Maya says that she is a vessel of God, only an empty vessel, and overpowers Claudine with her performance. A storm of oil painting frames flashes towards Claudine as Maya removes the button from her outfit. Maya smiles as Claudine lays down on a bed of oil painting frames. Before she can introduce herself, Position Zero closes on her sword, and Claudine starts laughing at her, much to her surprise.
Claudine says that if Maya was looking for a star, then she has one here, and shows the one inside her mouth. Maya is offended as she claims that Claudine is playing her, prompting the latter to explain the contract to her once again. Maya does not forgive her for stirring her up and keeps on talking about how her words are useless to her because she and Claudine are just both humans, and Claudine would obivously have emotions, because just like everyone else, she's just a stubborn human being. Claudine exclaims that she will kill her current self and be reborn to go back just to rile her up, before stabbing herself with a sword and turning into ash.
A reborn Claudine introduces herself about how this stage is now her's, and that as Maya's rival, she will live up to the fact that she can always rile her up. She then beheads the bird at the ceiling, and ite head falls, much to Maya's disgrace. Maya suddenly transforms into a button and a sword and dress, as the button frame falls into a hole, while she exclaims that she cannot forgive Claudine for what she had done.
Act IV[]
We, Together,
(私たちは ともに、Watatshitachi wa Tomo ni,)
Maya rises from the floor in a God-like platform, and the stage changes as a cross rises from the floor and the battle begins again. Maya exclaims that she will not forgive Claudine for giving her human emotions, to which Claudine exclaims that she'd be glad to be the person to put those emotions into her. They exchange swords as Claudine exclaims the Maya right now is the cutest. Maya then frowns at her as she exclaims that she's always been cute. They continue fighting as part of the stage falls and both freely fall downwards. Maya then grabs Claudine's cape, saying that if she had not met her, then she would not have felt the emotion of parting. Claudine, surprised, also grabs her cape, saying she'll make sure she's the only person who makes Maya feel as such.
The two continue to fight as a large oil painting frame falls in between the two of them, which would decide who is the most beautiful, but before Maya can hit Claudine's button, the latter beats her to it. Maya looks at Claudine, who is enclosed in an oil painting frame, saying she is beautiful as her cape falls. The large cross burns as the rest of the stage falls, and the beheaded bird head turns, its right eye tearing up, as it shifts to Maya's face, her right eye filled with tears.
Maya and Claudine are seen laying down on the floor, their hands lightly holding each other's over the contract they signed, which was the sign for Position Zero. Claudine guesses she's won, to which Maya supposes and then says they'll fight again the next day. Claudine is confused, and Maya says calmly there will be a battle tomorrow, and the day after that, until the score is settled. Claudine then says she is up for that, because the stage of rivals will never end, and both declare their continued rivalry as they stare at the ceiling.[2]
Trivia[]
- The premise of the first act is reminiscent of the fourth scene of the first part of the story of Faust and Mephistopheles.
- In addition, during the fourth act, Maya directly quotes a line from the same section of the story.
- The names of the second and third acts respectively contain references to Maya and Claudine's names:
- "The Black Tragedy" (黒の悲劇, Kuro no Higeki) contains "kuro", and Claudine's name is pronounced クロディーヌ (Kurodiinu).
- Imitation of God (神真似, Kami Mane) contains the character 真 (ma), meaning "real", and Awry Arrow (徒矢, Adaya) contains the character 矢 (ya), meaning "arrow".
References[]
- ↑ Dōbutsu shōgi (どうぶつしょうぎ; animal chess) is a simple variant of shōgi (Japanese chess) for young children in Japan. It was invented by professional shōgi player Madoka Kitao, partially to attract young girls to the game.
- ↑ Courtesy of Revue Starlight International