# Revue Starlight Canonical: https://web4.xpay.bi/en/wiki/wp-en-54170616/ Language: en Published: 2026-10-30T18:57:51.754Z Updated: 2026-10-30T18:57:51.754Z Revue Starlight (少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト, Shōjo Kageki Revyū Sutāraito; lit. Girls' Musical Revue Starlight) is a Japanese media franchise created in 2017 by Bushiroad, Nelke Planning and Kinema Citrus. It primarily consists of a series of musicals, debuting between 22 and 24 September 2017 at the AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo; a 12-episode anime television series directed by Tomohiro Furukawa which a ## Key facts ## Overview Revue Starlight (少女☆歌劇 レヴュースタァライト, Shōjo Kageki Revyū Sutāraito; lit. Girls' Musical Revue Starlight) is a Japanese media franchise created in 2017 by Bushiroad, Nelke Planning and Kinema Citrus. It primarily consists of a series of musicals, debuting between 22 and 24 September 2017 at the AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo; a 12-episode anime television series directed by Tomohiro Furukawa which aired between July and September 2018; and two animated films, released on 7 August 2020, and 4 June 2021, which abridged and continued the story of the anime. It has received three manga adaptations, all of which began serialization in January 2018. A smartphone game titled Shōjo Kageki Revue Starlight: Re LIVE, developed by Ateam, launched in October 2018. Six years after the game's launch, the game ended service for all servers in September 2024. A visual novel game titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Stage Musical Impression Drama: Distant El Dorado was launched on 8 August 2024 for the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. The visual novel is a sequel to the franchise's second animated film, Revue Starlight: The Movie. A new anime sequel has been announced. ## Premise The Revue Starlight franchise includes stage musicals, a musical animated series, musical films, and a mobile game each telling original, interconnected stories about the training, personal lives, and growth of several groups of female performing arts students, who are distinguished from their peers as "Stage Girls" by their exceptional zeal for stage acting, ambition for stardom, and competitive nature. Over multiple school years, the characters are drawn together by these shared qualities despite their greatly different personalities and talents, while also coming into conflict in their pursuit to surpass each other. The Stage Girls invariably settle their conflicts by performance in an otherworldly underground theatre in the round, where the "brilliance" that embodies their passion for acting empowers them to stage impromptu musical theatre revues without stagehands or audiences. In these revues, the Stage Girls sing seemingly spontaneously composed musical numbers, clash in largely hand-to-hand combat, and may even act out dramas, on an ever-changing set constructed by unmanned stagecraft. Though the Stage Girls are depicted as using real weapons, the battles end harmlessly with the removal of a piece of the opponent's stage costume, and victory is declared by standing at a taped T-mark dubbed "position zero". The franchise portrays the spectacle of these revues both on stage using choreography and stage combat, and in animation. A talking giraffe and other characters from the underground theatre host the revues. The Stage Girls take part in some revues after being invited and in others by choice, pursuing goals that carry significant consequences. In each revue, the characters perform an original "revue song" in duets and ensembles. The franchise further includes a discography of albums and singles collecting these and other original songs, composed in various show tune styles. The franchise also chronicles the Stage Girls' backstage exploits during school theatre productions. The plots of these plays, most prominently the fictional play Starlight, are often recounted as a story within a story. ## Characters As the same characters appear in both staged and animated media, each character is performed live by her voice actress in stage shows and concerts. ## Seisho Music Academy The franchise launched in 2017 with a cast made up of nine students from Seisho Music Academy's 99th graduating class, who have since appeared as the main casts of three numbered stage plays, an anime series, two animated films, and several manga. They have also received prominent focus in a mobile game. In addition, they have recorded most of the musical discography of the franchise under the billing of Starlight Kuku Gumi (スタァライト九九組, lit. Starlight 99 Group), and have performed the franchise's music live in three numbered concerts, as well as two orchestral concerts. Karen Aijō (愛城 華恋, Aijō Karen) Voiced by: Momoyo Koyama (Japanese); Brittney Karbowski (English) Karen is straightforward and carefree. Years ago, after watching a performance of Starlight with Hikari that left them both spellbound, she exchanged a promise with Hikari to one day perform Starlight themselves, which motivated her to pursue theatre to the present day. Despite this, Karen lacked the competitive drive to become a Stage Girl until Hikari's return to Japan, after which she resolved not to yield her desired roles to others. Though her impulsiveness causes trouble for the other Stage Girls, her guileless nature makes them ultimately fond of her. In the revues, she uses a spadroon. Hikari Kagura (神楽 ひかり, Kagura Hikari) Voiced by: Suzuko Mimori (Japanese); Patricia Duran (English) In London, Hikari enrolled in an exclusive theatrical school, cultivating her talent under world-class tutelage for the sake of returning to Japan to perform Starlight with Karen. A reserved girl, Hikari is slow to open up to Karen upon arriving at Seisho, and even slower to speak openly to anyone else, making her easily misunderstood. Weak to Karen's overwhelming affection, Hikari sometimes keeps at arm's-length, but privately takes great pains to protect Karen even at her own expense. She habitually leaves her room in disarray, until reined in by Mahiru. She fights using a rope dagger, the blade shrunken down from a full-length sword. Mahiru Tsuyuzaki (露崎 まひる, Tsuyuzaki Mahiru) Voiced by: Haruki Iwata (Japanese); Maggie Flecknoe (English) The eldest child of a farming family in rural Hokkaido, Mahiru earned many awards in middle school recognizing her performance and baton twirling talent, and enrolled in Seisho at her grandmother's behest. Exceedingly modest, Mahiru fell into an inferiority complex amidst the assembled talent at Seisho, but became smitten with Karen's personality, and found new self-esteem attending to her needs. Mahiru comes to understand that she can find fulfillment in helping everyone, not just Karen. She possesses strong domestic skills and physical strength from family and farm life. She fights using a mace. Claudine Saijō (西條 クロディーヌ, Saijō Kurodīnu) Voiced by: Aina Aiba (Japanese); Christina Kelly (English) Born to a Japanese father and French mother, Claudine acted professionally from a young age and was lauded as a theatrical child prodigy. Entering Seisho, Claudine immediately found herself only second-best next to Maya, dashing her former privileged self-image. Ever since, Claudine has turned her full efforts to measuring up to and surpassing Maya in all endeavours, putting on haughty airs all the while, but she is often frustrated when Maya imperturbably meets her challenges. After working hand-in-hand on stage with Maya, her one-sided rivalry finally becomes a mutual partnership. She fights using a longsword. Maya Tendō (天堂 真矢, Tendō Maya) Voiced by: Maho Tomita (Japanese); Olivia Swasey (English) Recognized by her peers as the 99th class's top student and even addressed deferentially as "Maya-sama", Maya possesses a superior physique and voice and industrious work ethics, inherited from a primadonna mother and stage actor father and honed over a lifelong stage career. Though cordial with the other Stage Girls, Maya is clear-eyed as to their aptitude and limitations. She noticed Claudine's aspiring rivalry with her from their first meeting, eventually acknowledging Claudine as a rival and partner worthy of mutual respect. Privately, Maya harbours imperious and seething jealousy toward all who threaten her dominance on stage, the product of bitter competition in performances past. She fights using a long rapier. Junna Hoshimi (星見 純那, Hoshimi Junna) Voiced by: Hinata Satō (Japanese); Shannon Emerick (English) Raised to study hard and excel in academics, Junna discovered her passion for theatre on her own. Against her parents' wishes, she enrolled in Seisho and vowed to not return home until after graduation. Endowed with top scholarship aptitude but little advantage in performing, Junna still pursues her unclear path to stardom, and is preoccupied with overcoming the gap in talent between her and the other Stage Girls. While her fast thinking and reserves of knowledge in friendship and competition alike, she is prone to over-thinking. She fights using a bow and arrow. Nana Daiba (大場 なな, Daiba Nana) Voiced by: Moeka Koizumi (Japanese); Luci Christian (English) Nana excels in performance with her tall stature, cooks numerous beloved recipes for the other students, and even helps in backstage work. She is kind and caring to others in the 99th class, and often takes photos for posterity. She is nicknamed "Banana" by Karen due to her name, her distinctive hairstyle, and her fund of bananas. As Junna's roommate, Nana often accompanies her. After a year in the acting department, she surprises the class by moving to the stagecraft and playwrighting department in her second year. She fights dual wielding both a katana on her right and a wakizashi on her left. Futaba Isurugi (石動 双葉, Isurugi Futaba) Voiced by: Teru Ikuta (Japanese); Chelsea McCurdy (English) Growing up with Kaoruko at her family's traditional dance school in Kyoto, Futaba became resigned to coming to the aid of the pampered, unworldy Kaoruko from an early age. Remaining by Kaoruko's side out of admiration for her genuine talent, Futaba even followed Kaoruko in enrolling at Seisho on a whim, arduously training to barely pass her own unplanned admission. At Seisho, Futaba further bought a motorcycle and became licensed solely to carry Kaoruko to, and from school. Let down by Kaoruko's lackadaisical track record at Seisho, Futaba begins pursuing her own ambitions to become a star performer, even knowing her roles would be limited by her small stature. She is skilled at stage combat, action scenes, and kendo. She fights using a halberd. Kaoruko Hanayagi (花柳 香子, Hanayagi Kaoruko) Voiced by: Ayasa Itō (Japanese); Savanna Menzel (English) Born into a privileged Kyoto family as the granddaughter of a Japanese dance master, Kaoruko grew up assured of inheriting her family's dance school, and carries herself presumptuously as a master to-be. Trained in not just dance but the classical Japanese arts, Kaoruko is proud of her traditional artistry and has taken her training to the heart; however, she has come to rest on her laurels, spurning having to prove herself further at Seisho. Taking Futaba's unconditional help for granted, Kaoruko becomes stuck in a rut of complaining and scheming to get her way before finally understanding her responsibilities to Futaba. While Kaoruko remains quite self-centered in some measure, she joins the rest of the Stage Girls in competing and contributing in school and life. She fights using a naginata. ## Rinmeikan Girls School Five students from Rinmeikan Girls School, an institution specializing in traditional theatre of Japan, debuted in 2018 as additional main characters in the mobile game. They have also released one single and performed alongside Starlight Kuku Gumi in their third concert. Tamao Tomoe (巴 珠緒, Tomoe Tamao) Voiced by: Tomori Kusunoki Kaoruko's childhood friend who greatly values tradition. She holds a unique fondness for the school and its performance department as her grandmother and mother both graduated from it. With the department facing closure, she fights ardently for its survival. She fights using a tachi. Ichie Otonashi (音無 いちえ, Otonashi Ichie) Voiced by: Azumi Waki Although her surname means "silent", she's actually a frequent troublemaker. She isn't a deep thinker but is straightforward and friendly. While she can be clumsy, she is willing to work to become a better stage girl. She was an idol in junior high before her group got disbanded and still aspires to be one. She loves pulling pranks on everyone, especially Fumi. She fights using a Japanese war fan. Fumi Yumeōji (夢大路 文, Yumeōji Fumi) Voiced by: Reo Kurachi A student who transferred from Siegfeld to Rinmeikan under enigmatic circumstances. Fumi is a serious, strong-headed, and determined person. Initially, she refuses to participate in Rinmeikan's Performance Department, but Tamao's kindness and her determination influences her to return to the stage. She works a part-time job at Tamao's family's restaurant to support herself and is obsessed with ponzu. She has a younger sister, Shiori, whom she is fond of but currently estranged from. She fights using a swordbreaker. Rui Akikaze (秋風 塁, Akikaze Rui) Voiced by: Risa Tsumugi Tamao's underclasswoman since junior high. Although she frequently gets nervous and doubts herself, she's training to be a stage girl because of her longtime admiration for Tamao and her desire to have a place where she can express herself. She is especially proficient in stage fighting. In addition to theater, she practices kendo and is noted to be fairly good at it. She fights using an odachi. Yuyuko Tanaka (田中 ゆゆ子, Tanaka Yuyuko) Voiced by: Iori Saeki A frequent napper who even brings a pillow to class with her. In spite of her reputation and laid-back personality, she is actually a very smart and hardworking person whose sleepiness during the day comes from her hard work practicing solo until late into the night. However, she doesn't like showing it directly and actively tries to hide how hard she works from others. She dreams of becoming a rakugo storyteller and loves Japanese traditional arts. She fights using kunai. ## Frontier School of Arts Five students from Frontier School of Arts, an unconventional, modern school, debuted in 2018 as additional main characters in the mobile game. They have also released one single and performed alongside Starlight Kuku Gumi in their third concert. Aruru Otsuki (大月 あるる, Otsuki Aruru) Voiced by: Megumi Han A girl with no background as a stage performer, Aruru is always happy and cheerful, and never lets any sadness get her down, believing a bright attitude makes it easier to improve her performance abilities. She inspires her friends to act to their full potential and sees them as family. Behind her happy personality, however, is a traumatic past - she was abandoned by both her parents at birth and spent her childhood in an orphanage, with a slip of paper her only clue to her identity, until she met Misora and her family's theatre troupe. She is an enthusiastic baker, but her creations are mostly inedible. She fights using two Colt Single Action Army handguns. Misora Kanō (叶 美空, Kanō Misora) Voiced by: Ayana Taketatsu Aruru's childhood friend who balances out her highly upbeat nature. She comes from a stage background, as her parents own a small theatre. Though her parents react with skepticism due to the hardship of the lifestyle, they acceded to her desire to become a stage girl. She has two younger sisters and two older sisters. She also has a huge appetite and often eats a shocking amount of food to keep up her stamina. She's good at basketball and other sports. She's totally unaware of Aruru's past despite being close to her as a child until later stories. She fights using a spear. Lalafin Nonomiya (野々宮 ララフィン, Nonomiya Rarafin) Voiced by: Miyu Tomita She is a year older than Aruru and Misora, yet she appears to be very childish, cute, carefree and energetic girl with passion for rabbits. She's a former model and child actress. She is half-German on her mother's side, although she cannot speak any German. She's very dynamic and dedicated as a stage performer, often working her acrobatic abilities into her scenes. She fights using a hammer. Tsukasa Ebisu (恵比寿 つかさ, Ebisu Tsukasa) Voiced by: Emiri Katō One of the most talented stage girls at Frontier, she suffered an injury that forced her to withdraw from performing for a few months prior to the start of the story. However, thanks to Aruru and Misora's encouragement, she returns to the stage. She had a strict upbringing due to her wealthy family, which lead her to try to break out of her shell as a high school student and become interested in things like fashion and inexpensive snack foods that she was denied in her youth, but despite her frivolous looks, she is responsible, very serious about working to improve her stage skills, and cares deeply about her friends. She fights using two axes. Shizuha Kochō (胡蝶 静羽, Kochō Shizuha) Voiced by: Mikoi Sasaki Known as an acting genius on the level of Maya, Claudine, and Akira. However, because of her skill, she's often pressured by adults around her to diminish herself in order to let other people shine brighter. Outside of acting, she is a renowned gamer and incredibly fond of computers. Shizuha is very health-conscious and often makes smoothies and drinks for her friends and herself that are very nutritious, but taste awful. She fights using a scythe. ## Siegfeld Institute of Music Five students from Siegfeld Institute of Music, an elite school fostering strong competition, debuted in 2018 as additional main characters in the mobile game. They have also released two singles, performed alongside Starlight Kuku Gumi in their third concert, and starred in a Siegfeld-focused stage play with guest appearances from each other school. ## Senior Akira Yukishiro (雪代 晶, Yukishiro Akira) Voiced by: Hotaru Nomoto As Frau Platin, Akira is the leader of the Edels. She is exceptionally talented in many areas in performance, but she can be uncompromising and miss the social dynamics around her, making her come off as blunt and somewhat socially awkward. She has considered Maya Tendō her rival since junior high. She has high standards for her fellow Edels, but she looks out for them and helps guide them to their full potential. She fights using a jousting lance. Michiru Ōtori (鳳 ミチル, Ōtori Michiru) Voiced by: Yuka Ozaki Frau Saphir and Akira's close childhood friend. Michiru presents a friendly, energetic, and outgoing personality hiding a calculating interior. Her dream is to create the ultimate stage with Akira at the center, so she is interested in directing and producing in addition to acting. She's very perceptive of other people. She fights using a German greatsword. Liu Mei Fan (リュウ・メイファン, Liu Meifan; 柳美帆) Voiced by: Yume Takeuchi Frau Rubin and an exchange student from China who was a famous child actor back home. After watching a performance Akira was in, she was inspired to learn Japanese and enroll at Siegfeld in order to perform by her side. She is outgoing and passionate about everything she does. She enjoys gashapon and fortune telling, though her predictions almost always suggest disaster. She fights using a serpent spear, based on the weapon Three Kingdoms General Zhang Fei wields. Shiori Yumeōji (夢大路 栞, Yumeōji Shiori) Voiced by: Hikaru Tono Fumi's younger sister and the new Frau Jade, Shiori was recruited to be an Edel despite still being a middle school student. Shiori is fairly timid around those she doesn't know, but she is kind and has a lot of potential. As a child, Shiori was frail and only started attending school recently out of a desire to become a stage girl. Despite Fumi's distance and mysterious departure, Shiori respects her older sister and wishes to restore their relationship. She fights using a saber. Yachiyo Tsuruhime (鶴姫 やちよ, Tsuruhime Yachiyo) Voiced by: Haruka Kudo The elusive and mysterious Frau Perle. Yachiyo often teases the other Edels, provoking anger from the more serious ones like Akira and Mei Fan. She often gets swept up in her imagination. Despite her appearance, Yachiyo is an incredibly skilled stage girl and tailor. Like Michiru, she is very perceptive of people. She fights using a crossbow. ## Junior High Stella Takachiho (高千穂 ステラ, Takachiho Sutera) Voiced by: Hina Aoki A transfer student from the Munich National Academy of Arts in Germany and the maternal granddaughter of the school director Victoria Siegfeld. Her given name is Stella Siegfeld, but she goes by her Japanese grandfather's surname while in Japan. Since her ancestors founded the school, she seeks to protect its traditions, though she tends to act spoiled when surrounded by her friends. Shiro Ōgami (大賀美 詩呂, Ōgami Shiro) Voiced by: Kanon Matsuzawa Another transfer student from Germany, Shiro is Stella's childhood friend who also serves as her de facto maid and protector. Quiet and serious, she comes from a family who has served the Siegfelds for generations, and refers to Stella as "ojousama" (young mistress, or Miss Stella). Ryōko Kobato (小鳩 良子, Kobato Ryōko) Voiced by: Ruka Fukagawa A low-achieving student who enrolled in the school as an alternate, she suffers from low self-confidence and is strained by the competitive nature of her classmates. Despite this, she is determined to overcome the difficulties in order to provide for her large family at home. Minku Umibe (海辺 みんく, Umibe Minku) Voiced by: Kokoro Kuge A student who possesses natural abilities as a stage performer, but has a freewheeling attitude that prevents her from getting good grades. She is currently trying to figure out her stage girl status. Kuina Moriyasu (森保 クイナ, Moriyasu Kuina) Voiced by: Yuria Sato The president of Stella's class and a hardworking, serious student who aims to follow Akira's footstep. ## Seiran General Arts Institute Three students from Seiran General Arts Institute debuted in 2018 in the franchise's second numbered stage play, before being added to the mobile game as additional main characters. They have also released one single, starred in a Seiran-focused stage play, and played central roles in Siegfeld's stage play. Koharu Yanagi (柳 小春, Yanagi Koharu) Voiced by: Kanon Nanaki The "genius of Seiran," a stage girl whose reputation and capabilities are acknowledged even by Maya Tendō. Suzu Minase (南風 涼, Minase Suzu) Voiced by: Minami Tsukui A stage girl who attended the same middle school as Seisho's Mahiru Tsuyuzaki. Suzu was the ace of the cheerleading squad just as Mahiru was the ace of the baton twirling team. Inspired by Mahiru's skills at a baton twirling meet, she requested to incorporate baton twirling into cheerleading routines. Her dream is to stand on the same stage as Mahiru and see the view from it together with her. Hisame Honami (穂波 氷雨, Honami Hisame) Voiced by: Yoko Kadoyama A stage girl who attended the same middle school as Seisho's Nana Daiba. She has a beautiful singing voice and was part of the chorus club in middle school. She wanted to put on a play with Nana, but she felt that she was not good enough and didn't show up at the performance so that she wouldn't bring down Nana. Kyōko Yakumo (八雲 響子, Yakumo Kyōko) Voiced by: Yuka Kobayashi Seiran's club teacher. ## Other Giraffe (キリン, Kirin) Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese); Jay Hickman (English) The sole occupant of the underground theatre, for the most part, is a giraffe who officiates over revues. Normal in appearance, the giraffe speaks human languages and can contact Stage Girls by a mobile app with a distinctive ringtone. Though he is never seen outside the theatre, he is able to know the Stage Girls' activities and thoughts. In stage plays, the giraffe appears as an offstage voice only. Elle Nishino (西野 える, Nishino Eru) Voiced by: Kaoru Sakura In the Re LIVE mobile game, a young woman known only as Elle joins the giraffe, summoning Stage Girls of multiple schools to the theatre. Unlike the giraffe's revues, Elle's revues – as well as Elle herself – are products of the imagination of a five-year-old child, given form through her fledgling playwriting efforts inspired by the Stage Girls' performances. Though Elle of the theatre cannot speak to the real Elle, the Stage Girls find the real Elle and help to nurture her writing. Andrew (アンドリュー, Andoryū) Voiced by: Unknown A mole teddy of Elle Nishino, who appears in Stage Girls summoning. Like Elle herself, he is just a product of the imagination of Elle herself. In his imagination form, he is a shopkeeper. ## Stage plays The series began as a stage play performed at the AiiA 2.5 Theater in Tokyo. The first performances, titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE \#1 were held from 22 to 24 September 2017, and a re-run titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE \#1 revival took place from 6 to 8 January 2018. A sequel stage play, titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE \#2 Transition, was performed at the Galaxy Theater in Shinagawa from 13 to 21 October 2018, with a re-run titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE \#2 Revival performed at the Maihama Amphitheater in Chiba from 12 to 15 July 2019. A third stage play, titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE \#3 Growth, was performed at Shinagawa Prince Hotel Stellar Ball in Shinagawa from 27 July – 1 August 2021. The play was originally meant to be performed in July 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and an online prequel stage play, titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE ONLINE, was held in its place. A fourth stage play will be held in February 2023 at Tokyo Tatemono Brilla Hall. A stage play focusing on the students of Seiran General Art Institute and a spin-off of The LIVE \#2 Transition, titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE Seiran BLUE GLITTER, was performed at the Galaxy Theater in Shinagawa from 21 to 27 December 2020. A stage play based on the Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: Re LIVE game and focusing on the Edels and Junior High students of Siegfeld Institute of Music, titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The LIVE Edel Delight, was performed at the Galaxy Theater in Shinagawa from 18 to 27 February 2022. A spin-off stage play focusing on the Junior High students of said school, titled Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight: The STAGE Junior High Regalia, was held at the Hikosen Theater in Taito from 14 to 24 October 2022. ## Sources - Revue Starlight · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/?curid=54170616 Source: Wikipedia contributors — https://en.wikipedia.org/?curid=54170616&oldid=1382465829 Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Adaptation notice: Reformatted for XPay; the source may be abridged, restructured or translated. Consult the cited revision for the original.