**This is a review for both the main anime and the movie.

Your first impression of Revue Starlight may be that of a generic Shoujo or Idol-ish show, however prepare to have every one of your expectations subverted in a magnificent fashion.

This series is a beautifully complex, coming of age fever dream that doesn't hesitate to throw out every scrap of logic that exists out of the window. Telepathic giraffes? Life-size replicas of Tokyo Tower flying all over the place? The viewer is constantly kept on their toes, with these maddening images often serving as extremely powerful metaphors and symbols. Due to this Avant Garde-like trait, every watcher can extract a different personal message from this anime, enabling the themes to be much more engaging and relevant to each person, along with exponentially increasing RS's replay value.

Admittedly, on first watch, the first 4 or so episodes are bland. The characters are flat, the plot is basic and the themes are weak. However, once the world and the character dynamics are established, this show instantly begins dissecting them; characters are broken down, motives are questioned, relationships are strained; with all this serving as a stage for all of RS's brilliantly woven themes.

Using a music/theater school as the backdrop is simply a genius decision; not only allowing the director to capture the energy and naivete of youth, but also enabling the stage to act as a metaphor for life itself. This is setting is further utilized by the sequel movie; whose melancholier beginning about graduation and moving forward in life perfectly sets the tone for all of the subsequent themes explored within this 2 hour master piece.

The movie is exceedingly aware of its place as a continuation of the end, and uses this knowledge to its advantage in order to enhance the viewing experience as a whole. Not only does it serve as a coming of age story about personal growth and evolution, it also acts as a meta commentary on the entertainment industry as a whole, where we learn about these characters, not as meagre actors, but as humans, that will never stop evolving, even without an audience.

The main cast of Revue Starlight consists of 9 high school girls, all with unique ambitions and goals to work towards. I can't say I was a fan of any individual character, but the cast's internal dynamics were what kept me engaged. Through this fever dream of an anime, all their inner thoughts, insecurities and hidden secrets are all materialized into this insane world, allowing the plot to break down these aspects into their core components. Is it justified to sacrifice others for your own victory? Is it okay to remain entrapped by a single glimmer in a sky filled with so many more stars? This anime presents the audience with many such dilemmas, where the answer is never shown as black or white, but rather as yet another small act on the grand scheme of life's play.

In the end, Revue Starlight is a series with virtually no parallels. It is not only one of the most unique shows I have watched, but also one of the best. It is the ultimate story about moving forward conveyed through some of the most bright and masterful direction this medium has ever seen. It is a star of an anime that will shine forever.

Thanks for reading.