Kirarin Revolution, episode 15

(きらりん☆レボリューション) 2006

Kirari (voiced by Koharu Kusumi of Morning Musume!) is a middle schooler who LOVES her food. So much so that it's scary! While girls her age swoon over idols, Kirari swoons over her dad's cooking, and couldn't care less about the life of a celebrity. But when she saves the pet turtle of Seiji of pop group SHIPS and falls in love, she decides to become an idol herself so that they can be together (or so she hopes).

Competition in the world of idols can't be avoided. Heavy-hearted with this unexpected fight against what she thought was the right thing, Kirari swears she won't be one if things have to be this way. She runs off. Now the teen won't even eat - her family worries that she's sick, or has been mistreated. The SHIPS posters on the ceiling of her room only make things worse, to the point of crying. At just the right time, Kirari receives two text messages from her friends Sayaka and Miku. Both contain enthusiastic words of support. Naa-san and Naya set up a stage on the bed and put on a play based on what happened earlier. The end message, as Kirari interprets, is that this shouldn't be the one incident to ruin her future. She decides to talk to Hiroto and Seiji about her feelings the next day at school.



Hiroto doesn't want to have anything to do with the "despicable" girl, so when approached (well, she pops up from the bushes) he walks away. She begs them to listen. Hiroto, with his head turned, says he first thought of her as dumb, and because she became as famous as them so quickly, you'd think she would be happy about rivalry between them. Seiji calmly adds that you can't avoid this sort of thing in the real world. You might as well work it to your advantage (or "the lighter side" as the subtitles say). Hiroto tells Seiji that the idiot won't understand, and they leave.

After school, Miss Kumoi has Kirari get into their usual car, and though Kirari says she doesn't want her lessons, that is not the point of this visit. Instead, her manager shows her all of the people working hard to get her CD out and heard about (including Kabata, who hasn't left his studio, nor slept, in a week). They are all a part of the success of the single. They are a team, and Kirari is the heart of that team.



As Kirari is walking home, she sees a large screen on a building, and remembers that "Sonata of Love and Youth" was supposed to be broadcast that night. SHIPS is in a car with a TV on and watch the same thing. As the starting scene unfolds, Seiji says that both Hiroto and Kirari did a good job, so the young idol's career won't end here. Kirari, meanwhile, watches both the movie and the spectator's reactions. The pedestrians openly express how good and admirable the drama and coupling is. Kirari is moved that people like it so much. Though her acting debut was stressful and awkward, it looks to have been worth it. Instead of her homestead, Kirari makes a change of plans and goes to the company building. She announces that she will do her best again. Not for fighting, but for her fans and staff. The chairman cries with glee.

In the end, however, SHIPS wins anyway. No matter what happens, when all is said and done, everybody is still friends. Hiroto calls Kirari an idiot, only this time it's said with affection.

I actually felt bad for Kirari, everybody treating her like she's a selfish, horrible person simply because she didn't like all of the bickering. But, you know, you have to think of others when you simply want to drop something cold turkey - especially when you're a celebrity.