Anime Review: Kaleido Star

Review Kaleido Star Written by Warpshadow Rating very good

A while back I reported that anime companies are using part of their profits to produce new anime shows. One such show is Kaleido star partly produced by ADV. I am happy to say that in the case Kaleido Star it is money well spent.

It has always been Sora's dream to perform on the Kaleido stage ever since she was a little girl. One day she flies all the way from Japan to the American city of Cape Mary to Audition. Everything goes wrong for Sora from her luggage being stolen to her being late for the audition but in the end she is taken on as a performer. She has a long road ahead of her and she must work really hard but that is fine since Sora believes in herself. A being known as the fool appears before her and says she is destined for the stage.

While it technically isn't a sports show Kaleido Star has all the trapping and most of the conventions of other sports anime. It also qualifies as a shojo anime although it doesn't lean on Bishonen or cuteness like a crutch. Sora is a simple character but one that the viewer can easily empathize with. The rest of the cast is an ensemble of likable characters allowing for good episodes even when the plot is sparse. This is a show for all ages, telling from the opening speech Sora gives every episode it looks like a kid's show but fortunately doesn't talk down to the audience. The animation is the kind of quality computer animation expected from Studio Gonzo and the performances look really amazing.