is a Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series by Kumiko Saiki. It was serialized as in

Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...

's manga magazine ''Jump X'' from 2012 to 2014 and was collected in two volumes. It was later re-released as in a single volume by

Hakusensha is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company mainly publishes manga magazines and is involved in series' productions in their games, original video animation, music, and their animated TV series. The com ...

in March 2019. A

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

manga by Saiki has been serialized in Hakusensha's manga magazine ''

Melody A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...

'' since 2015. It has been collected in twelve volumes. The re-release and the sequel are licensed in North America by

Seven Seas Entertainment Seven Seas Entertainment is an American publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original English-language manga, but now publishes licensed manga and light novels from Japan, as w ...

. An

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series adaptation produced by

Pine Jam is a Japanese animation studio established on July 3, 2015 by ex-Eight Bit (studio), Eight Bit producer Kazuyoshi Mukaitouge. Works Anime television series Original video animation Original net animation Anime films Video games Referen ...

aired from July to September 2021.

Plot

Founded in the Taisho era, the attracts people's hearts across generations on a beautiful and gorgeous stage created only by unmarried women. The 100th generation students who have passed through a high magnification and entered the to develop their music and dancing skills. Sarasa Watanabe (the main protagonist) is a 1.78m tall student who dreams of acting as a '' Otokoyaku'' (i.e. male protagonist) and someday playing the role of

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

in the Kouka Revue’s production of ''

The Rose of Versailles also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival ...

''. She forms an unlikely friendship with her new roommate, Ai Narata, who is a disgraced J-pop idol and former idol group member who hopes to join the Kouka Revue to escape from her troubled past.

Characters

; : :She is a Kouka actress-aspirant at the Kouka School who stands out from the rest of the Centennial Class and the entire school, and not just because of her bubbly demeanor and being the tallest student in the school. ; : :A former idol expelled from her group because of her trust issues with men, she applied at the Kouka School to escape her past and men in particular. She finds Sarasa, her classmate and dorm-mate, to be annoying at first. ; : :Being a huge Kouka fan, she enrolls at the Kouka School, skipping her chance to become a

prima ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancers ...

. She is the class representative of the Centennial Class. ; : :She is the daughter of a second-generation Kouka actress and is in the same class as Sarasa and Ai. ; : :Timid, shy, and plagued with problems concerning her weight, she almost quit the school due to the pressure; but, despite being underrated, she is one of the most talented performers in the Centennial Class. ; : :She is one half of the Sawada Twins. Inspired by a bunny lady twins they saw on a Kouka performance, she auditioned for the Kouka school with her twin sister, but delayed her admission when her other twin did not make it, which became a flashpoint in their relationship with each other. ; : :She is the more chipper half of the Sawada Twins. Inspired by a bunny lady twins they saw on a Kouka performance, she auditioned for the Kouka school with her twin sister, but because she did not make it on the first try at auditioning for the school, her sister had to delay her admission, which became a flashpoint in their relationship with each other. ; : :The top star of the Kouka Winter Troupe, who is friends with Ai and Sarasa. Her real name is . ; : :One of the second-year students, and is Ai's student-advisor. She would sometimes bully Sarasa a bit, but she is, in her own way, dedicated to guiding Ai. ; : :The second-year student who is Sarasa's student-advisor. She would stand for her ward whenever Hijiri became a bit malicious with her. ; : :She is sometimes seen with Hijiri and Risa, as she is in the Second Year, and serves as the class representative of the 99th Class. ; : :He is known to Kouka school alumni and theater fans as "

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

" for his portrayal in

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

. He is currently retired from acting after an accident during a performance, and is now an instructor at the Kouka School. ; : :Ai's uncle and the only male she trusts. He is an instructor at the Kouka School. ; : :He is a kabuki actor who is the heir-apparent to the name of the 15th-generation kabuki actor Shirakawa Kaou (Shirakawa Kaou XV). He is also Sarasa's boyfriend, although they act like simple childhood friends. His real name is . ; : :A

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

actor and is married to the daughter of Shirakawa Kaou XV. Sarasa is rumoured to be his illegitimate daughter, but in actuality, she is the illegitimate sister of his wife, making her his sister-in-law. His real name is . ; : :A legendary Kabuki actor, he is the

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...

of the Misatoya Acting House (a prestigious Kabuki acting house) and a Living National Treasure. He is a renowned ''

tachiyaku is a term used in the Japanese theatrical form kabuki to refer to young adult male roles, and to the actors who play those roles. Though not all ''tachiyaku'' roles are heroes, the term does not encompass roles such as villains or comic figures, ...

'', specializing in the ''

aragoto , or 'rough style', is a style of kabuki acting that uses exaggerated, dynamic (forms or movements) and speech. roles are characterised by the bold red or blue makeup () worn by actors, as well as their enlarged and padded costumes. The term ...

'' style and whose best role is Soga Gorō/Sukeroku in ''

Sukeroku ''Sukeroku'' (助六由縁江戸桜) is a play in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'' ("Eighteen Great Plays"). The play is known in English as ''The Flower of Edo''. The play is strongly associated with the ...

''. He is also Kōsaburō Shirakawa's

father-in-law A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity (law), affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship. A person i ...

and Sarasa Watanabe's father, making Sarasa his secret illegitimate daughter. His real name is . ; : :The School's drill sergeant.

Media

Manga

''Kageki Shojo!'' is written and illustrated by Kumiko Saiki. It was serialized in

's ''Jump X'' magazine from May 10, 2012, until the magazine ceased its publication on October 10, 2014. Shueisha collected its chapters in two volumes, released on May 10, 2013, and October 17, 2014.

later re-released the series as an omnibus volume, with the title ''Kageki Shojo!! Season Zero'', on March 5, 2019. The re-release has been licensed in North America by

, who released it under the title ''Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises''. A sequel series, titled 'Kageki Shojo!!, began serialization in Hakusensha's ''

'' magazine on February 28, 2015. The series has been collected in twelve volumes. The sequel series has also been licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment in North America.

Volume list

=''Kageki Shojo!''

=''Kageki Shojo!!''

Anime

television series adaptation, also titled 'Kageki Shojo!!, was announced in the December issue of ''

'' magazine on October 28, 2020. The series is animated by

and directed by Kazuhiro Yoneda, with Tadashi Morishita handling the series' composition, Takahiro Kishida designing the characters, and Tsuneyoshi Saito composing the series' music. It aired from July 4 to September 26, 2021 on AT-X and other channels. The opening theme song "Hoshi no Orchestra" (Starry Orchestra) is performed by the three-member band saji, while the ending theme song "Hoshi no Tabibito" (Stellar Traveler) is performed by

Sayaka Senbongi is a Japanese voice actress. Biography Senbongi studied acting at the Japan Narration Institute. Before graduating, she made her debut as Claire Kokonoe in '' Chronicles of the Going Home Club''. In 2015, she joined I'm Enterprise. She voiced ...

and

Yumiri Hanamori is a Japanese voice actress. She used the alias – her given name spelled backwards – in her debut, "The Second Audition". Career Hanamori became interested in acting during her second year in high school. In 2015, she served as the 62nd pe ...

Funimation Funimation was an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime ...

licensed the series.

Episode list

Stage play

A stage play adaptation was announced on June 23, 2023. It ran in Tokyo from October 18–22, 2023.

Reception

The

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...

listed the first volume of 'Kageki Shojo!! as one of the top 10 manga of 2021.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Pine Jam Anime series based on manga AT-X (TV network) original programming Funimation Hakusensha manga Hakusensha franchises Kabuki in anime and manga Pine Jam Seinen manga Seven Seas Entertainment titles Shōjo manga Shueisha manga Takarazuka Revue