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Kaleido Star

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is an anime series produced by GONZO DIGIMATION and licensed in the United States by ADV Films.  It was a joint venture involving Japanese studio Gonzo Digimation Holding, Korean studio G&G Entertainment, and American studio ADV Films[}}}] (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.. The series is about a young girl who comes from Japan to the United States in search of her dream. She wants, with all her heart, to be a member of the famous Kaleido Stage (a circus similar to the Cirque du Soleil). With the help of her friends, she struggles to make this dream come true.  The series was aired on the Anime Network during 2005 in the USA.
Contents

Plot

Season 1

The plot of the first season begins with Sora arriving in America full of hope as she is to audition for Kaleido stage, but she immediately begins to encounter troubles as she finds herself meeting weird people and has her bag stolen. A kind police officer gives her a ride to Kaleido Stage where she finds she has missed her audition. A performer is injured, however and Sora is given an opportunity to perform.

Sora spends the beginning of the season as an outcast, as the other performers believe that she had relations with the director to gain her position. Layla, the star of the show in the story, is particularly coarse towards the new recruit. With the help of a friend, Ken, and a lot of hard work and determination, Sora begins to earn the respect of those around her. Her incredible personality wins her a variety of friendships (including that of a baby seal) as well as several increasingly major roles in the productions. However, things begin to go astray as Layla's father pressures her to leave and insiders plot to take over and shut down Kaleido Stage. Sora must rely on her winning personality, hard work and close friendships to keep the stage afloat.

Season 2

In the second season Sora returns to the stage after attempting the great Mystical Act with Layla. The absence of her co-star, having retired to further a career in Broadway productions, prompts a slight decline of the Kaleido Stage. The owner brings in a new recruit, Leon Oswald (a lofty trapeze artist). Leon does not accept Sora as worthy of being on the stage with him, which leads a new recruit (May Wong) to challenge Sora's position as Leon's partner. Most of the season concentrates on Sora finding and pursuing her new dream. Her first goal is to attend the circus festival in Paris, but the competitive circuit is not kind to her carefree, optimistic outlook. After many trials and rejections Sora aims to become a "True Kaleido Star" while creating a fun, conflict-free stage.

Characters

Sora Naegino
Sora is the main character of Kaleido Star. Her parents took her to Kaleido Stage when she was young. Although they died shortly thereafter, Sora was inspired to become a member of the Stage when she reached adulthood. With her aunt and uncle's hesitant approval she traveled to the United States to audition. While she wanders around lost, her bag is stolen. As a consequence of chasing the thief and speaking to the police, she is late to the audition. Layla will not allow her to audition, but the owner gives her a chance to perform in the actual show. Most of the cast do not accept Sora at first because of the special circumstances through which she joins. Sora wins the cast over with persistence and hard work along with a magnetic personality. In the beginning of the series Sora is the only one who can see the magical stage spirit Fool. This character reveals she has been chosen by the stage. In the first season, Fool reveals only she can perform the Mystical Act with Layla. In the second, he reveals that she has the potential to become a "true star".
Layla Hamilton
Layla is portrayed as an accomplished and seasoned performer. She is a stubborn character and plays an antagonist like role in the beginning of the story, but like many of the other characters, she befriends Sora. Layla is the daughter of Mr. Hamilton, a wealthy hotel owner. He would prefer Layla to be an actress and is frequently trying to push her into doing so. Layla eventually stands up to her father and rejoins the circus. At the end of the first season, after attempting the great Mystical Act and injuring her shoulder Layla gives up the circus and retires to Broadway.
Mia Guillem
Mia is a close friend of Sora's. In the second episode, Mia accepted Sora's presence on the stage after Sora attempted the Golden Phoenix. Later in the series, Mia becomes passionate about writing the scripts for Kaleido Star's performances. She occasionally has inner conflicts between performing and attending to her sick grandmother.
Anna Heart
Anna is also good friend of Sora's. She too accepted Sora in the Golden Phoenix episode. Anna is talented in many areas and frequently plays more serious parts. Anna truly wishes to perform comedy and usually tries to get Mia to write comedy into her parts. The request is almost always denied.
Yuri Killian
Yuri like Layla is an experienced performer. During a flashback he reveals his father died attempting the Mystical Act and he never forgave Kalos for letting his father try. He plays a pivotal role in the second half of the first season when he betrays the stage, first by stealing away a good portion of the cast and later by buying out the stage and closing it down. He later agrees to open it again if Layla and Sora accomplish the Mystical Act. In the second season, Yuri helps Sora get into the Circus Festival in Paris. He appears to be a bitter rival of Leon's, feeling that he is responsible for Leon's sister's death.
Fool
Fool is a ghost (or stage spirit) who befriends Sora who keeps him a secret from other people. Fool is perverted and tries many times throughout the story to see the women naked. He asks Sora many times to take a bath so he can get an opportunity to see her without clothing. Sora is quick to prevent Fool from peeking in any given situation by trapping him somewhere. Later in the first season, Layla becomes capable of seeing Fool as well. In his more useful moments, he reveals possible futures to Sora. He is also the character who reveals the inner workings of the Mystical Act.
Sarah Dupont
Sarah is the singer of Kaleido Stage and also the building manager for the dorms where everyone lives. She is an avid martial artist who frequently proposes bizarre alternative methods to help Sora achieve her objectives. She's well acquainted with Kalos and has been with the Stage from the beginning, when she and Kalos were performing on the street with their other friend. This friend returns once to try to persuade Sarah to leave Kaleido Stage, but she refuses.
Ken Robbins
Ken is the stage manager for Kaleido. He is unable to perform due to a heart condition. Ken also greatly admires Sora, in many respects, but never has the guts to confess his true feelings for her. This doesn't stop him from doing everything he can to help her out. Frequently he acts as her personal trainer, warning her of the dangers she might encounter. Many times he acts as the voice of reason for the group.
Kalos Eido
Kalos is the owner of Kaleido Stage and gives Sora many helpful pieces of advice throughout the anime. He also maintains high expectations of everyone he encounters. Before Kaleido Stage, Kalos used to perform on the street with Sarah. Their past relationship is rather vague. Kalos is also the one who trained Yuri's father for the Mystical Act. He is the only person who can tell Layla and Sora how to train for the act.
Policeman (Jerry)
The character Jerry is self-described throughout the show as Sora's "#1 fan". He has helped and supported her from episode one. He is also secretly in love with the doctor who occasionally appears to help cast members through physical injuries. In the second season, the policeman gathers the courage to ask her to marry him.
Marion
Marion is a young girl living near the stage. Her father works on sets, but her mother (a former trampoline artist) is dead due to an accident. Like many of the others, Marion doesn't accept Sora at first, but is quickly won over to her side. In the second season Marion begins to perform with the group on the Children's Stage.
Jonathan
Jonathan is a baby seal that Sora picked up one day. Unable to keep pets, Sora tries to hide him. However, the secret is revealed and instead of kicking him out, Marion's father builds a tank for him. He is capable of doing many tricks and sometimes seems more coordinated than Sora, creating comical performances that the children attending love. During the second season, Jonathan becomes closer to Marion and refuses to perform with anyone else.
Rosetta Passel
Rosetta is a world champion diabolo performer. After her first Kaleido performance Kalos kicks her off the stage because she was unsatisfying. Sora takes the girl under her wing teaching her how to put audience enjoyment before technical perfection. In return, Rosetta teaches Sora diabolo, which Sora returns to when she needs help learning new acts. Rosetta returns in the second season wishing to become a trapeze artist and follow in Sora's steps.
Mei Wong
First appearing in the second season, Mei is a new recruit from China who challenges Sora's position. Sora and Mei have a tense rivalry for most of the second season, which aids both in becoming better performers. Mei wins the ability to become Leon's partner for the Dracula show. During one of the performances Leon drops her dislocating her shoulder. This allows Sora to obtain the spot for the Circus festival. Due to her rivalry, Mei overtakes Sora with a new one armed trick, giving her the spot.
Leon Oswald
Leon is a trapeze performer who arrives in the second season. He comes off as arrogant, refusing to perform with Sora because she is not skilled enough for him. His true desire; however, lies in a promise he made to his dying sister: to see the Angel's Act completed.
Macquarie Thompson
Macquarie Thompson is May's former ice skating coach. She also teaches Sora to skate when Leon proclaims a new show will be done on ice. She is a motivating force for both girls.

Staff

Theme music

Opening
  1. "TAKE IT SHAKE IT" by Sugar (eps 1–13)
  2. "Yakusoku no basho e" (約束の場所へ) by Chihiro Yonekura (eps 14–26)
  3. "Tattoo Kiss" by r.o.r/s (eps 27–51)
Ending
  1. "real Identity" by Sugar (eps 1–13)
  2. "Boku wa kokoni iru" (僕はここにいる) by SOPHIA (eps 14–26)
  3. "Escape" by r.o.r/s (eps 27–50)
  4. "Yakusoku no basho e" (約束の場所へ) by Chihiro Yonekura with Kaleido Stars (ep 51)

Trivia

References

External links

Japan
USA & Canada
Korea

 

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