Kirarin Revolution
A girl becomes an idol to win a boy's heart.
Kirarin Revolution is a Japanese manga series by An Nakahara. The series ran in the shōjo manga magazine Ciao from March 2004 to June 2009, with side stories running in Pucchigumi in 2006. The manga has sold a cumulative total of over 10 million copies. It was awarded Best Children's Manga at the 2006 Shogakukan Manga Awards. An anime adaptation premiered on April 7, 2006, in Japan on TV Tokyo and ran for 102 episodes until March 28, 2008. A second season with the subtitle Kirarin Revolution Stage 3 aired from April 8, 2008, to March 27, 2009, in high-definition and 3D animation. The anime series stars Morning Musume member Koharu Kusumi, and during the show's run, she released music and made crossover appearances at concerts and television shows as the character.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Romantic comedy
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Kirari Tsukishima, a food-obsessed 14-year-old, rescues a turtle from a tree and receives a concert ticket from its owner, a boy named Seiji. At the show, another boy, Hiroto, destroys the ticket and tells her to keep away from Seiji because they belong to different worlds. Kirari discovers Seiji and Hiroto are in the idol group Ships. Refusing to give up on Seiji, she vows to become an idol herself, facing tough training, rivals, and scandals on her path to the top.
Characters
Kirari Tsukishima is a beautiful 14-year-old girl who strives to become an idol to get closer to Seiji. She has a huge appetite for food and, despite her lack of talents, perseveres with help from friends. Over time, she falls in love with Hiroto instead. Na-san is Kirari's intelligent cat who helps and protects her. Hiroto Kazama, a member of Ships, is honest and strict toward Kirari but falls in love with her and often helps her. Seiji Hiwatari, also in Ships, is gentle and air-headed, and Kirari compares him to a prince; he owns a pet turtle named Kame-san. Noel Yukino, an anime-original character in the unit MilkyWay, is athletic and loves sports; she is in love with her childhood friend Cloudy and owns a cat. Kobeni Hanasaki, another anime-original in MilkyWay, is often seen with a crystal ball and owns a cat. Arashi Amamiya is Kirari's childhood friend and an illusionist who moved to Osaka; he tries to make Kirari quit the entertainment world to fulfill a childhood promise. Erina Ogura is an idol who views Kirari as a rival and manipulates others; she attends the same school and formerly held the princess rank in class. Fubuki Todo is also a character.
Media
Kirarin Revolution was serialized in Ciao from the March 2004 issue to the June 2009 issue, with chapters released in 14 bound volumes by Shogakukan under the Ciao Comics imprint. Originally, Nakahara planned Kirari's name to be Konomi Hazuki and Hiroto's last name to be Tsukishima. The anime adaptation by SynergySP and G&G Entertainment aired on TV Tokyo from April 7, 2006, to March 27, 2008, for 102 episodes. Koharu Kusumi from Morning Musume voiced Kirari and performed theme songs, releasing music under the character's name. The show was renewed for two more broadcast years after its initial one-year plan. The second season, Kirarin Revolution Stage 3, aired from April 8, 2008, to March 27, 2009, for 51 episodes, animated by SynergySP and SimImage in 3D and HD. New characters Noel Yukino and Kobeni Hanasaki, played by Sayaka Kitahara and You Kikkawa, were added, and Takuya Ide and Shikou Kanai voiced Ships members. Kusumi made crossover appearances as Kirari on shows like Haromoni and Oha Suta. In summer 2007, Mai Hagiwara from Cute played anime-original character Hikaru Mizuki, forming the subunit Kira Pika with Kusumi. Viz Media Europe licensed the anime for European release under the title Kilari!
Reception
Kirarin Revolution has sold over 10 million physical copies and won the 2006 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga. Oricon noted that Kusumi's portrayal of Kirari pioneered the idol voice actor crossover in the late 2000s, alongside Aya Hirano. Parallels were drawn between Kusumi and Kirari due to similarities in age and career. In the week of December 24–30, 2007, the anime had an average viewership rating of 2.6%. Kusumi was ranked #17 in Daitan Map's Top 50 Voice Actors of Popular Characters in 2007. Carlo Santos of Anime News Network highlighted the focus on friendship and light-hearted tone but called it a wish fulfillment fantasy. The series ranked #6 on Anime News Network's list of 6 Idols that Fandom Forgot, with Lynzee Loveridge stating it failed to attract an audience outside its target demographic.
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