Subtitles Kaleido Star (Flight of the Amazing Angel, Kaleido Star: Legend of Phoenix - Layla Hamilton Story, Kaleido Star: New Wings, Launching An Amazing Smile!) TV Series, 2 Season, 58 Episode. The Kaleido stage shines again!
StoryAs the saying goes “true friends are those who will help you hide thebodies” or in this case “will watch soggy shoujo anime with you”.With this in mind, both Chii and I embark on another marathon, sharingin the pain of what we thought would be mediocre fluff. Instead, Ifound bubbling excitement as each instalment of the circus melodramacontained within Kaleido Star loomed closer. Unfortunately, entertainment is subjective and my feelings were not echoed by my partner in crime..The show starts out with a highly predictable “clumsy young girlovercomes the odds to become a star, with a little romance in the mix”plot-line. With a groan from Chii, I steeled myself for 52 episodes ofdrudgery. How many times are we going to have to see the tokenbishounen swing into action to save the day? Will there be a moral taleat the end of each show? Will we care? Answering its critics, Kaleido Star soon demonstrates why you should give all anime a fair chance – theugly caterpillar shakes off its cocoon and took flight as a fascinatingbutterfly. A hesitant start gives way to an unusual twist and a lovablehero becomes a detestable adversary – a fragmented circus cast arethrust into increasingly reckless routines with wavering loyalties.In building up convincing relationship and highlighting the invetableconflicts that flow from these interactions, the show treats eachsupporting to character to some back story. The exploration of the pastand resulting drama does become a little tiresome, especially whencompared to the high-flying trapeze action. However, the constantpresence of either a new epic challenge or anantagonist-you-love-to-hate gives the show a must-see feeling thatbecomes strangely addictive. A shock twist in the second half seesSora’s resolve waver due to the introduction of new competitors, Leonand May – adding conflict to the ever-present excitement.Whilst cutesy and comical at times, the writers masterfully build upthe tension with “will-she-won’t-she” scenarios. Using the comicalSpirit of the Stage and his pack of tarot cards to predict the future,the viewer comes to frequently expect the worst and see the heroinefail – even if we all know this never happens in a family friendlytitle. The tingling apprehension is unmistakable as Sora performs hercunning stunts, and keeps me coming back episode after episode with asmile on my face.Chii’s corner – Kira!!!!!!! this is vomit inducing zomg uber gayAnimationKaleido Star does not reflect its supposed focus on the fluidityand grace of acrobatics in its animation. Bland character designs areroutinely recycled and their jerky movements look more like brokenclockwork robots when compared to the elegance of real-life gymnasts.Slow motion shots are used ffrequently, giving time for the performer’sinner monologue. That said the backgrounds exploit a rich and luxuriouscolour palette; from the deep azure blue skies to the sparkling goldentent of the Kaleido stage, the variation and design of costumes arealso impressive. The typical Gonzo dabble with CG isn’t as garish assome more recent productions, such as Blassreiter; however, when used sparingly it surprisingly fits with the tone of a delicate shoujo title.Chii’s corner - Uhhhg the animation is so ugly lolSoundBouncing into action with an upbeat track, the background melodymeanders along, before finally crashing into the safety net with agod-awful J-rap monstrosity that feels out of place. Redeeming itself alittle with the second opening, the tempo is raised and sounds similarto a camp Eurovision entry. Slow violins accompany the moving andemotional scenes, whilst the excitement of the circus is echoed in anelectrifying big top melody. I know there is a huge fan-base for the Kaleido Star soundtrack, but my natural aversion to J-pop stops me from appreciating this.The beauty of a dual audio series is getting to sample the quality of both Japanese and English voice acting. For me, Kaleido Star is definitely a show that should be watched in its native tongue. Thesubtitles reveal how different the scripts became during translation,and how many jokes have been toned down to suit a family orientatedaudience. For the most part, the Japanese seiyuu are ample butordinary. However, the characters that are mildly annoying becomegrating when voiced by whiny Americans. With the very British Sarahsounding more like an extra from Austin Powers and Sora being vocalisedby a whiny brat, the laughable performance verges on the comically bad.Chii’s corner - I have it in English! It's SO BAD! hahahaCharactersWith the feeling of a cast you’ve met before, there is a generoushelping of stereotyping and typical anime traits. The star of thecircus, Miss Layla, is a stuck-up bitch that plays the perfect rival tothe up and coming heroine Sora. As detestable as her personality is, Icouldn’t help but like her cold and competitive side that pushes therest of the troupe into giving their best. She is given a reason forher distant attitude, and her unsurpassable skills are shown to beearned through hard work instead of just being “there”. The mid-pointof the series sees this pliable blonde undergo a lot of development andsoon elevated to the position of a courageous and lovable staple in Kaleido Star – dare I even say one of my favourite female characters ever?As the main female protagonist, Sora also undergoes considerable growthin the first few episodes. Starting out as an ambitious, but clumsyacrobat, she soon transforms into a bubbly aerialist. Even though Iinitially found myself cheering the dozy bint as she ate mat for thetenth time, I found her determination contagious and was soon on theedge of my seat for her next death-defying stunt and wanting her toland it perfectly.One of my favourite parts of the show was the varied supporting cast.From the comically perverted spirit of the stage, Fool, to theunreadable stage leader Kalos, each acts as a support for Sora’s growthby proposing additional challenges. The second half of the seasonfeatures Leon “the Grim Reaper” who stirs up the troupe with hisselfish personality and May who becomes Sora’s personal challenge andbiggest adversary. Again, the initial sense of cliché had me thinking“here we go again”, but the writers develop the characters and add someunexpected twists that had me reaching for the remote's next button indesperation for the next episode.Chii’s corner - What is the point of the bitch?I'm so tired of such a cliché character Iwant her to fall on her headOverallFeeling like a cross between Princess Tutu and Battle Athletes Victory, Kaleido Star takes a while to come into its own – but the wait is worth it. With anentertaining journey, the show is ultimately nothing but camp fundesigned for those looking to sit back and enjoy without having tofigure out any plot complexities. I honestly expected to dislike thesentimentality, especially with Chii’s running critique of crudeness,however Kaleido definitely disarmed and then grew on me. As theconflicting comments can contest, this is a love or hate show that willnot appeal to everyone, but I definitely enjoyed a heart-warming tale.Final words of wisdom from Chii - (KiraRin) Chii, bad news, I'm giving it an 8 (Chii) You have brain cancer (Chii) You make kids in Africa cry
DVD
| Synopsis: | |
True to Fool's promise, the legendary great maneuver has made Sora a star. Now a draw in her own right, the Kaleido Stage builds its shows around her. Being a star is no cakewalk however. Her new partner, Leon, is an icy perfectionist with nothing but disdain for Sora's freewheeling performance style, she's adrift without a goal after Layla's career-wrecking injury, and just to complicate things, brash newcomer May Wong is gunning for her position. As Sora sets out to get Leon to accept her and May to stop hating her, she must re-form her dreams in a poisonous atmosphere of envy and strife. It's a brutal task for one as sensitive and idealistic as Sora, and one that threatens, along with the pressures brought to bear by Leon and May, to crush her. But another legendary act, the Angel's Maneuver, may provide a solution, and one that leaves everyone happy..just the way Sora likes it. | |
| Review: | |
A good deal of what made Kaleido Star's first season such fun was the way it upset Sora's life and shunted off in new directions every couple of episodes. Season two has little of that restlessness. The change is not felicitous; at least not at first. Rather than Sora overcoming a wild procession of escalating trials, season two begins with Sora festering slowly in place as uncertainty and doubt eat their way into her and she bows beneath the abuse heaped on her by May and Leon. It's unpleasant stuff, and not necessarily in a good way. May and Leon have their reasons for behaving as they do, but they don't really come into play until the second half, leaving the first half one big slice of sadism during which they inexplicably dump on Sora while she and the series steadfastly refuse to take them to task for it—a fact that rankles far more than any of their selfish, insensitive or cruel acts. As Sora, and by extension the series, drifts aimlessly in a morass of angst, the episodes begin to blend one into the other and Sora's losing acrobat battles, along with the sadly outgunned comic interludes, grow increasingly interchangeable. It's a dark, muddy and frustrating stretch of episodes, as much for the way it paints Sora as a passive victim as for its angsty tone and torpid plotting. But it also serves a definite purpose. Kaleido Star's second season is basically a 25-episode version of one of the first season's brisk three-episode arcs. Their customary ploy was to establish an obstacle and have Sora agonize about it and then overcome it with raw spunk, and that's exactly what this season does, only in extended form. That makes the opening half the 'agonize' portion of the plot, and a necessary evil in laying the groundwork for the spunky portion. That doesn't entirely excuse it. Whatever its reasons, the fact still remains that it reduced Sora to a weak-willed loser for ten-plus episodes. And dragging out the dark portion of the plot over an entire half-season exposes a lot of shortcomings that would have been better off smothered under sheets of feel-good fun. Things like the formulaic cycling of heavy and comic scenes, or the series' habit of hammering its points home with unnecessary force, or May and Sora's embarrassingly overplayed rivalry. Later, even after the series enters the spunk phase, you still notice them, which dampens a good many fine scenes. Dampens—not ruins. When Sora regains her bearings (when and how would be unfair to give away), it's as if the series has regained them with her. There were signs of life before—Sora venting at Leon in a rare display of ire; the return of Yuri, vastly altered by Sora's influence—but the series really takes off only when its lead does. With Sora smashing through barriers and straightening out twisted personalities in that indomitably kindhearted way of hers, it's just like being back in season one. Which is to say: lots of fun. The goofy humor is funny again. The acrobat showdowns are exciting, and the character growth explosive and hugely satisfying. There's really no describing how fulfilling it is to see an increasingly desperate May laid low by Sora's newfound determination, and subsequently elevated by her example. Or what a relief it is when the first cracks show in Leon's implacable facade and Sora unconsciously worms her way into them. That the changes are psychologically sound is just gravy. Reinvigorated, the series fills its last leg with marvelous scenes. The first half is certainly technically accomplished, particularly in its attention to details of physique and human movement (essential in a show about acrobats), but aside from the mid-season climax (highlighted by the sight of Sora in mid-flight amid a comet's tail of tears) nothing particularly sticks in the mind. In no small part because it's hard to enjoy the visuals when you are overcome with a desire to slap the heroine. The second half, on the other hand, is an embarrassment of memorable moments. Some are modest. May's first conflict with the real Sora takes place almost exclusively in their eyes. But most are downright opulent. From an impromptu acrobatics show in the midst of a bank robbery to Sora communing with seagulls as she soars behind a speeding boat, the final episodes are crammed with ambitious, extravagant set-pieces. And none are more ambitious, or more extravagant than its finale. There's a good deal of corn in the final scenes, but they are so wondrously, mind-blowingly beautiful that you hardly notice. Like the legendary great maneuver, the Angel's Maneuver lives up to its name: it's heavenly. Even now, with nearly a decade of animation advances under our belts, the sequence awes. Kaleido Star's English dub has been around for most of that decade as well. Fans have had that long to familiarize themselves with its slight over-enunciation, with the weak links in its cast (mostly the accents adopted for characters like Sarah, Leon, and to a lesser extent Yuri, though Ken remains problematic as well), and with its overall serviceability and general inferiority to the original (the gap in dubbing experience really shows). Likewise the extras, including the two stolid commentary tracks, during which Illich Guardiola (Yuri) and Mike MacRae (Leon) discuss their respective accents, are relics from the original ADV releases. The only thing, really, for Kaleido veterans to get excited about are the OVAs. Not the episode 52 OVA, which merely makes you wish that the series had ended at fifty-one, but the Legend of the PhoenixOVA, a little fifty-minute wonder, making its stateside debut on this set. It's not just new; it neatly encapsulates everything that makes (or made) Kaleido Star good: great comic timing, solid, ever-evolving characters, subtle yet superb fan-service, inspirational messages that actually inspire. It even does the series one better on visuals, giving them a gentle budgetary boost, all while demonstrating the underutilized gentleness of Mina Kubota's oft rousing score and the equally underutilized comic potential of May Wong. Extras don't get any better. It unfortunately (but not unexpectedly) has no dub. It's rare to find a series as neatly bifurcated as Kaleido Star's second season is. It's as if it took Sora's two emotional extremes (despairing confusion and indomitable optimism) and isolated them in opposing halves. Not necessarily the wisest strategy. While true that the delightful second half couldn't have existed without the infuriating first, it's still a chore to get through the one to get at the other, which makes this set rather difficult to wholeheartedly enjoy. |
| Grade: | |
Overall (dub) : B- Story : C+ Art : A- + Great fun in its final half; jaw-dropping finale; Legend of the Phoenix OVA. | |
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