Kirarin Revolution, episodes 31 & 32

(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).



Episode 31:

Kirari (and SHIPS) is going to New York! She's so excited, even the walkway in the airport is a thrill. And while everyone else is sleeping on the plane, she and Naa-san are busy eating the food (I guess she'll eat anything, then :P). By the time they get to America, she's sleepy from no rest and can't adjust to the time difference. This is a problem, as she makes the mistake of wandering off, without thinking, to get a balloon for a little kid. Now seperated from her friends (and fellow Japanese), she has no way of knowing where she is, and can't even ask for help. Eventually even Seiji gets lost from looking for her, but luckily finds her, and so they decide to sightsee around New York until they either locate the hotel or run into the others. And what an adventure they have! Giant interactive keyboards, candy and other sweets, hectic streets. Kirari wins a donut eating contest, too, at the recommendation of a local donut vendor (whom Seiji can talk to, since he's been to America before). Meanwhile, Hiroto, the chairman, and her manager frantically search for their lost lambs, running into Kirari's brother, Subaru. He offers to lend his aid, of course. Even Arashi enters the act - he was in New York to be in a magic contest. After all of this arguing over thier two star's whereabouts, we see Kirari and Seiji walking in the park. As a carriage is about to reach them, Kame-san rushes away from Seiji, trying to proect the horse from stepping on a nail in the road. As thanks, they are offered a free ride. When mistaken for a couple, Seiji finds it amusing, and Kirari doesn't understand why all she can think about is Hiroto. Just before our finders and seekers can meet (after Seiji and Kirari get off the ride, they all spot each other from opposite sides of the park), Kirari bumps into a blonde-haired woman, and both she and Seiji are grabbed and pulled into a waiting car. A kidnapping?!



Episode 32:

No, not a kidnapping - just a misunderstanding. The woman they ran into is an American celebrity named Tina Judy Garland Turner. Her bodyguards thought Kirari and Seiji were fans out to bother her, and simply reacted. While Kirari worried that communication would be difficult, it's shown immediately that Tina is also fluent in Japanese (why? I don't know. Plot convenience, I guess). She feels terrible about ruining the reunion, and has her limo go back. But by then, everyone has already run off for help, so Tina tells them to come stay with her until something is worked out. Naa-san prints off flyers and leaves to enlist the help of local cats, and Tina and Kirari watch Seiji play a game of basketball. While doing this, Tina makes the comment that Kirari has a very nice boyfriend, but the Japanese girl explains that he's simply her senior, and nothing else. When Tina finds out that Kirari is also a celebrity, like Seiji, she is surprised - Kirari doesn't have a celebrity aura at all. This hurt's the young idol's pride. Finding him impressive, Seiji is asked to perform with Tina that night for a special concert, and he accepts. Because she feels bad, and wants to see Kirari shine, the American blonde asks her international counterpart to also join in. Come showtime, Kirari is nervous; however, by then (and thanks to the cats Naa-san asked for help from) Hiroto and the others are also there to cheer her on. Kirari yells for Hiroto to join them (as does Seiji and Tina) for a grand finale. Later, after all is said and done, Tina asks Kirari to visit again - hopefully with a boyfriend to meet.

I'm just a little confused here. If a celebrity was being bothered by fans, why would her bodyguards grab them and pull them into her limo, where she could be harrassed further, or worse? I do like Tina, though. She was a breath of fresh air for gaijin stereotypes. Can't say the same for the donut vendor, though :B