Ever since the premiere of Starlight a couple of weeks ago, I’ve heard this take ad infinitum.
“Oh, I thought it was okay, but the last 5 minutes were amazing.”
I’ve even heard this applied to the second and third episodes.
At the risk of sounding condescending, I can’t help but think this attitude fails to appreciate
exactly what’s going on in those “boring” fifteen minutes of so-called downtime.
Think about it.
The way Starlight has been presented so far is basically one giant TOURNAMENT ARC—hey
hey, cut that out, Gigguk will sue me!
Anyway, as a tournament arc, it’s useful to remember what they’re all about.
Yes, they’re often used as an easy reason to have our protagonists fight each other
and display their abilities, but more often than not they’re also easy ways to illuminate
character motivations and ideologies.
In Boku no Hero, it’s the first time we learn exactly why Ochako wants to be a hero,
as well as Todoroki’s tragic past.
Essentially the Sports Festival arc asks and answers two questions.
“What does being a hero mean to you?” and “Why work so hard to become one?”
Now, while Boku no Hero had an entire season to give at least a basic overview of what
its characters were all about, Starlight does not have that luxury.
Unlike its shounen counterpart, it keeps its cards close to its chest.
This leads to that jaw-dropping “what the heck is going on?!”
moment at the end of the first episode, but as a result the show is given very little
time comparably to work its magic.
So, how does it go about doing that?
By stuffing that fifteen minutes with as much characterization, meaning, and metaphor as
it can.
If Boku no Hero’s questions were “what makes a hero?” and “why you?”
Starlight’s questions are remarkably similar.
“What does being Top Star mean to you?”
“Why you?”
While this is explored somewhat during the battles themselves, the vast majority of the
answers and supporting evidence are established in those crucial school time moments.
What does being a Top Star mean to Junna?
It means hard work to the point of collapse.
It means blood, sweat, and tears.
When Karen says that the leads this year will most likely be Tendou and Claudine again,
Junna aggressively dips her.
Her mouth says “We still have a chance” but her eyes say “Don’t you dare count
me out already.”
And after besting her at their Revue, Karen dips her back, as if to say “I know.”
You need this framework of Junna behind-the-scenes to give proper depth behind the revue scenes.
If you don’t know that she practices in her free time, continually shows up early—or
even the little stuff like being overjoyed by nailing a part in practice—you don’t
have the context of why she is fighting so desperately.
It’s the classic battle of innate talent versus sheer dedication, explored in other
notable series such as Fullmetal Alchemist (2003).
There’s a reason why her revue is named “The Revue of Longing.”
This attention to detail is by no means limited to Junna.
Every character is explored to a similar extent, and while it can be a little in your face,
there’s plenty of subtle moments that are the definition of “show, don’t tell.”
When Hikari first arrives, we see that she and the school are both literally and metaphorically
at a crossroads.
Karen is shown to care less about being late (and thus authority), opting instead to run
back and grab her hairpin, establishing where her priorities lie.
During morning practice, as soon as Tendou arrives she shadows over position zero, sparking
the others to literally fall in line.
Hikari only accepts Banana’s baked goods the second she learns that she’s not competing
for the lead.
Futaba and Kaoruko are seen together seemingly at all times, making Futaba’s desire for
Top Star in spite of her have more weight.
Of course this subtlety applies to the battles themselves.
While they’re filled with absolutely superb choreography and animation, they’re also
strong thematically.
This is why everyone was so outraged at HiDive’s subs, how do you not bother translating something
so important?
In the third episode, Karen fights a literal uphill battle while Tendou sings lyrics directly
tied to her “A dream isn’t something you have yourself, it’s something you give to
others,” ideology.
“Preparation is not what will carry you to the summit, if you stake your pride upon
the stage, you will be unstoppable.”
To her, she must be Top Star, because without her to be the bar, the others like Claudine
won’t put everything they have on the table.
In contrast to Karen’s bombastic flair, Tendou takes Position Zero nonchalantly.
That is Tendou Maya.
And since falling is a recurring motif within Starlight, I’m interested to see exactly
where that pride taketh her.
Once again, I’m not trying to be condescending.
If you noticed and know all of this and still find Starlight boring, sure, of course that’s
fine.
But for me, the show is utterly engrossing.
Others have already written about how strong the directing and cinematography are, and
it’s an incredibly fun experience simply sitting here going over the episodes with
a fine-tooth comb.
And I hope I’ve convinced you to join me.
Thanks for watching, and be sure to like and subscribe for more content.
There’s great content about Starlight already out there, from PhenomSage, Atelier Emily,
Sakugabooru, and Nearly On Red that I’ll link in the description in case you’d like
some additional reading. (or watching)
And of course, if anything I said was wrong, I’m sorry.
I must’ve stuttered.