Revue Starlight: The Movie

A very fitting epilogue for the TV anime that treats every character with respect, giving everyone a sense of purpose and decisiveness that was lacking from their TV counterparts. Karen, especially, who I found to be the most boring originally, had her past & current motivations fleshed out spectacularly. The theme of graduation is ever-present, with each pair of stage girls having their chemistry put on display for better or worse. It's less about developing the relationships further and more about forging your own identity as you come to terms with individual goals getting in the way of those relationships. It's abundantly clear that, much like the stage girls, Furukawa is beginning to forge his own identity here. While Ikuhara's influences are still evident, Furukawa has turned the symbolism up to 11 with this entry while embracing his very own brand of it. In a world where a Revue Starlight movie could have just been a cash-grab advert for the gacha game, we're incredibly blessed to have received such a great movie featuring violent theatrics, a magnificent score, and incredibly well-shot Revues that serve as a fitting sendoff for the cast.