Revue Starlight - Recommendations

Alt title: Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight

If you're looking for anime similar to Revue Starlight, you might like these titles.

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Revolutionary Girl Utena

When Utena Tenjou was very little her parents died, and a prince comforted her in her time of loss, giving her a ring with a rose seal. He so impressed her that she decided to become a prince herself one day. Now, Utena is a teenager at Ohtori Academy who's athletic and notorious for dressing in a boy's uniform. When a member of the Student Council humiliates a friend of hers Utena challenges him to a duel, and he accepts only when he sees she possesses a rose seal ring. She soon discovers that this is no normal duel - it's a bizarre and ritualistic battle that the Student Council regularly conducts. In fact when she wins, Utena finds to her considerable chagrin that she gets to have Anthy Himemiya, a rather docile student, as her 'Rose Bride'. If she wants to keep Anthy she'll have to win more duels against members of the Student Council and others. What is the ultimate purpose of these duels and Anthy's role as the Rose Bride?

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Reasons you might like Revolutionary Girl Utena...

HasseRovdjur HasseRovdjur says...

Both series feature a lot of performative elements, like songs, stage play elements, and dueling. Utena is far more transgressive, even to this day, but Starlight definitely has taken notes. If you want a show about odd school life with fantastic elements such as odd architecture, larger than life duels, and other forms of intrigue. Look no further.

Fans of either would do well to check out the other.

ofall ofall says...

Similar battle set ups, both quite theatric. Also, both imply lesbian attraction (depending on if thats how you want to read it in the case of Revue Starlight). They also both have a repetitive pre-battle sequence.

Gavia Gavia says...

There is no doubt in my mind that Revue Starlight was heavily inspired by Revolutionary Girl Utena.

The main stories of both focuses on the relationship of two girls, with a fictional play/fairytale that ties into the backstory and the underlying plot, and the reason for the duels. Said duels work on a metaphorical level as fights over ideals and philosophy, set to thematically suitable songs, while the combatants wear military inspired outfits.

The shows have similar settings, with a school hiding the fantastical stages of the duels, where magic and giant structures dominate. Both have alike cinematography and uses of symbolism. Further, in both shows there are odd and unexplained animals.

If you liked one and want more, you should certainly check out the other.

nyanlu nyanlu says...

If you liked Revolutionary Girl Utena or Revue Starlight, you'd surely like the other because they both have epic duelling scenes in stunning military-inspired outfits, not your usual academy settings, fighting in order to gain something that is incredibly important to the characters, repetitive (almost magical girl transformation-esque) sequences, fairy tale elements, symbolism and surrealism. As well as strong and varied female characters and incredible soundtracks. 

Princess Tutu

Princess Tutu

Once there lived an eccentric author called Drosselmeyer who wrote grand tragedies - one of them was the tale of a prince who sealed away an evil raven by breaking his own heart into tiny pieces. However, before the story could be completed, the author died and the tale took on a life of its own. Now, in a town where fiction and reality meet, the story continues on its tragic course with Ahiru, a duck who transforms into the beautiful Princess Tutu in order to restore the prince's heart. But will Ahiru's act of love be enough to defy the story's terrible destiny and lead to a happy ending?

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Reasons you might like Princess Tutu...

Lazy2pig Lazy2pig says...

The looks too are similar in the fact that in both the "fighting" is dancing,And in other hand there's this feeling there's something more to that world we as viewers don't know about.

Gavia Gavia says...

Both shows focus on the students of a school of performative arts, with a narrative about... well, the narrative. The characters rebel against the tragedythey are stuck in, as dictated by a story-within-a-story, which lends itself to meta-discussions about stories and fate. Both shows further have some mahou shoujo elements, Princess Tutu obviously more so. In both, the characters fight using dancing to convey their emotions. The characters generally don't react to the talking animals. If you like one, give the other a chance.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

One night, Madoka has a terrible nightmare – against the backdrop of a desolate landscape, she watches a magical girl battle a terrifying creature, and lose. The next day, the teen's dream becomes reality when the girl – Homura – arrives at Mitakihara Middle School as a transfer student, mysteriously warning Madoka to stay just the way she is. But when she and her best friend Miki are pulled into a twisted illusion world and meet a magical creature named Kyubey, the pair discovers that magical girls are real, and what's more, they can choose to become one. All they must do is sign a contract with Kyubey and agree to fight witches that spread despair to the human world, and in return they will be granted a single wish. However, as Homura's omen suggests, there's far more to becoming a magical girl than Madoka and Miki realize...

2 votes

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Reasons you might like Puella Magi Madoka Magica...

AardvarkRex AardvarkRex says...

Common plotline: a magical talking animal lures teenaged girls into participating in battles (with weapons) by promising to fulfill their greatest wish, but neglects to mention that the deal has a catch. One character tries to stop another from getting involved after learning the truth. There are also time loops and a sacrifice used as a last resort at the end in both. Madoka Magica is the darker of the two.

animenimal animenimal says...

They are pretty much the same even the wish of the main character but revue starlight is softer without despair for anyone who don’t really want to be depressed but just emotional.

Yurikuma Arashi

Yurikuma Arashi

After an asteroid explosion and meteor shower lit up the sky over planet earth, strange adorable bears began to attack and devour humans. The earthlings responded with violence of their own, and in the end, a massive barrier – the Wall of Extinction – was erected to separate man from bear. This fragile peace lasted until two high school girls encounter a yuri flower blooming – only to be shaken by the piercing warning of the Bear Alarm! Once again, bear and man - or bear and girl - will be pitted against each other in a deadly and mysterious showdown.

1 vote

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Reasons you might like Yurikuma Arashi...

ofall ofall says...

These shows have some visual similarities (though Yurikuma is much more eccentic). They both deal with past promises between two girls. They both feature a heavily female cast and deal with a strong bond between women.

Little Witch Academia TV

Little Witch Academia TV

Akko Kagari as a child watched the witch Shiny Chariot perform a show, and from then on dreamed of becoming a witch. She enters the Luna Nova Academy, a school for witches that Shiny Chariot attended. In this new town she meets new friends and starts a new school life. At the school she has lessons on riding brooms and the wonder of magic, but Akko and her friends Lotte and Sucy keep getting wrapped up in tumultuous events.

1 vote

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Reasons you might like Little Witch Academia TV...

ofall ofall says...

Both feature a plucky girl that watch to achieve her dreams despite not being the most ideal candidate. Both shows end up being much more than they seem from the earlier episodes.

Kaleido Star

Kaleido Star

Sora is a sixteen year old girl who has travelled to the US to join the Kaleido Stage, one of the greatest circuses in existence. However, as luck would have it, she arrives to the audition late, which almost costs her the chance of a lifetime. Fortunately, she manages to join the Kaleido Stage anyways due to the compassion of Kalos, the owner of the troupe. With the help of her friends and Fool, the perverted spirit of the stage who has the ability to predict the future, Sora will overcome trials and tribulations and she struggles to become the Kaleido Star.

1 vote

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Reasons you might like Kaleido Star...

Rascal Rascal says...

Both Revue Starlight and Kaleido Star have supernatural elements working on the sidelines for a high-stakes performance arts setting, with a lot of symbolic competition and a main character who strives to be the best. Both have a lot of side characters who go through development. If you're a fan of one stage story anime, you'll probably like the other.

Sarazanmai

Sarazanmai

The setting is Asakusa. One day, second-years in middle school Kazuki Yasaka, Toi Kuji, and Enta Jinnai meet Keppi, a mysterious kappa-like creature, who steals their shirikodama and transforms them into kappas. "To return to your original forms," Keppi tells them, "you must fight the zombies and take the shirikodama from them." Can the boys connect with each other and steal the zombies' shirikodama?! At the same time, something is happening at the police box where Reo Niiboshi and Mabu Akutsu work. This is the story of three boys who can't connect with someone important to them, learning about what it truly means to do so.

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Reasons you might like Sarazanmai...

Claptrap Claptrap says...

If you like shows with queer subtext and drama where kids sing about their problems at the end of every episode directed in an abstract style of storytelling where they face off against concepts, then these are the shows for you! Revue Starlight is directed by a protege of Ikuhara, and Sarazanmai is directed by Ikuhara, so it's not surprise they have a few similarities. Both shows are also fun for analysis, so if you enjoy one... that's also ripe in the other.

Riddle Story of Devil

Riddle Story of Devil

Tokaku Azuma is a heartless teenage assassin on a mission of death. She’s been sent to a prestigious, all-girls boarding school to compete in an assassination game against eleven other beautiful killers. Their heinous mission: send the innocent and cheerful Haru Ichinose to an early grave.

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Reasons you might like Riddle Story of Devil...

saladnmayo saladnmayo says...

Love strong girls who fight for themselves?

Then you surely love the actions they bring in the shows.

Ruthless yet passionate,their main driving force towards their goals is within their hearts and passion.

Strawberry Panic

Strawberry Panic

On Astraea Hill stand 3 prestigious female-only academies known as St. Miatre, Spica, and LeRim; and though the schools are separate, they share a single campus and dormitory. Nagisa Aoi is a 10th grader who has decided to transfer to St. Miatre's Girls' Academy. Though her transition has been smooth so far, while exploring the campus Aoi inadvertently falls down a hill, sees the beautiful Shimuza, and promptly (not to mention embarrassingly) faints. Nagisa continues to see Shimuza out and about, but soon discovers that she is the "Etoile" -- a well respected girl within all of the schools. With Shizuma taking a liking to the new transfer student Nagisa, secrets of Shizuma's past will unravel over the coming school year.

1 vote

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Reasons you might like Strawberry Panic...

AardvarkRex AardvarkRex says...

The two share a similar narrative tone with equal doses of drama and comedy in an all-girls school setting. In both, stage performance is a major subplot, as are the themes of rivalry and predestination. Both also feature a character with a strong but one-sided attraction to one of the protagonists. While Revue Starlight isn't officially GL, it still has very prominent yuri undertones.

Kageki Shoujo!!

Kageki Shoujo!!

Like the Takarazuka Revue, the young women who go to the arts academy Kouka Kageki High School play all the parts of musical theater, be they female or male. Narata Ai is a jaded former idol performing female roles—her roommate, playing male roles, is bright-eyed country girl Watanabe Sarasa. From the school to the stage to the rest of their lives, there is no challenge these young women can't face with their passion for performance.

1 vote

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Reasons you might like Kageki Shoujo!!...

AardvarkRex AardvarkRex says...

Both take place in an all-girls boarding school for stage performing arts. Kageki Shoujo is more down to earth and focuses on real life drama, whereas Revue Starlight is more epic/eccentric and has supernatural elements (as well as very prominent yuri undertones).