Anime like Kageki Shoujo!!

Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight

Also known as Revue Starlight.

Studio: Kinema Citrus , Pony Canyon , OVERLAP , APDREAM , TBS , Sound Team Don Juan , Nelke Planning , Bushiroad , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Music , Psychological

The franchise centers on "Starlight" — the song and dance revue troupe loved throughout the world. Karen and Hikari make a promise with each other when they're young that one day they'll stand on that stage together. Time passes, and now the girls are 16 years old. Karen is very enthusiastic about the lessons she takes every day, holding her promise close to her heart. Hikari has transferred schools and is now away from Karen. But the cogs of fate turn, and the two are destined to meet again. The girls and other "Stage Girls" will compete in a mysterious audition process to gain acceptance into the revue.



Tags: Musical Theater , Primarily Female Cast , Ensemble Cast , Acting , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Meta , Boarding School , Battle Royale , Fairy Tale , Animals , Time Loop , School , Coming of Age , Yuri , Henshin , Swordplay , Philosophy , Dancing , LGBTQ+ Themes , Unrequited Love , Love Triangle , Tomboy , Spearplay , Archery , Amnesia , Motorcycles , Urban

Versailles no Bara

Also known as Lady Oscar: The Rose of Versailles.

Studio: Tokyo Movie Shinsha , The Right Stuf International
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Romance

Raised from birth as a man, the Lady Oscar commands the palace guards at Versailles in the years before the French Revolution. Her beauty and noble spirit make her a shining figure in the eyes of both men and women but she is torn between her chosen life of service and duty to class and country and her own heart and desires. She lives as a noble amidst the opulence of Versailles but her keen senses and compassion are not blinded to the poverty of the French people.



Tags: Historical , Royal Affairs , Class Struggle , Tragedy , Foreign , Military , Politics , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Crossdressing , Ojou-sama , Primarily Adult Cast , Gender Bending , Swordplay , Tomboy , War , Philosophy , Time Skip , Suicide , Guns , LGBTQ+ Themes , Maids , Heterosexual , Religion , Unrequited Love , Love Triangle

[Oshi no Ko]

Also known as Oshi No Ko.

Studio: Doga Kobo , KADOKAWA , Shueisha , Doga Kobo , CyberAgent
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes?



Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast began on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~82 minutes.

Tags: Acting , Tragedy , Idol , Revenge , Twins , Male Protagonist , Urban , Reincarnation , Heterosexual , Detective , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Orphan , Pregnancy , Time Skip , Age Regression , Tsundere , Filmmaking , Seinen , Fake Relationship , Love Triangle , Bullying , Primarily Female Cast , Family Life , Urban Fantasy , Suicide , Fashion , School , Otaku Culture , Female Harem

Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Movie

Also known as Revue Starlight: The Movie.

Studio: Kinema Citrus , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Music , Psychological

The stage emulates life and compresses it, setting free skills learned over lifetimes in brief but dazzling displays for the amusement and judgment of others. For the performers, it is the ultimate risk, and some will rise while others must fall. Nowhere is this truer than at the Seisho Music Academy, where music, dance and real weapons all come into play in the creation of the next great Star. Karen and Hikari’s destinies have been linked since a childhood promise, but their journeys here have taken very different paths. Now, after Hikari leaves, Karen must discover who she is without her opposite, while Hikari must rediscover her own course.



Tags: Acting , Musical Theater , Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Swordplay , Meta , Primarily Teen Cast , Yuri , CGI , Classic Literature , Spearplay , Shoujo , LGBTQ+ Themes , Trains , Desert , Dancing , Henshin , School , Love Triangle , Animals , Archery , Urban , Boarding School , Athletics , Yandere

Glass no Kamen (2005)

Also known as Glass Mask (2005).

Studio: MediaNet , Sentai Filmworks , TMS Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

Two Girls. One Dream. And the entire world for a stage.

At 13 years old, Maya Kitajima seems destined to spend the rest of her life toiling in a crowded restaurant alongside her bitter and unstable mother. But when her incredible acting talent is discovered by the legendary diva Chigusa Tsukikage, Maya finds a new future filled with both golden opportunities and terrifying risks.

For Ayumi Himekawa, success has always been assured, yet she longs to be recognized for her own talents and skills, not her famous parents' connections.

For both, the ultimate prize is the role of The Crimson Goddess in the play of the same name, a part created by Chigusa. To achieve this goal, both Maya and Ayumi must seek out and conquer every acting challenge, pushing the limits of their talent and endurance to the utmost, until they are worthy of the part…

But for one to win, the other must fail!



Tags: Acting , Work , Shoujo , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Age Gap , Tragedy , Idol

Awajima Hyakkei

Also known as A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA.

Studio: MADHOUSE , KADOKAWA , MADHOUSE , Fuji TV , Rakuten , BS Fuji
Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

At Awajima Opera School, girls from across Japan strive to earn a place on stage. Wakana is driven by her love of musical theater, while Kinue studies with quiet discipline. Scholarship student Emi draws attention from all—but especially from Keiko, who struggles with admiration and comparison. Through shifting perspectives, their intertwined days explore ambition, friendship, and self-discovery.



Tags: Achronological Order , Primarily Female Cast , Ensemble Cast , School , Boarding School , Josei , Musical Theater , Episodic , Acting , Tragedy , Family Life , Yuri , Bullying , Suicide , Heterosexual , Religion , CGI , Male Protagonist , Time Skip

Dance Dance Danseur

Also known as Dance Dance Danseur.

Studio: MAPPA , DMM pictures , Shogakukan , Mainichi Broadcasting System
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

Danseur noble--a ballet dancer qualified to dance the role of the prince. Second-year junior high school student Murao Junpei was fascinated by ballet as a boy, but gave up on dancing after his father's death, as he had to become a man. However, one day, a beautiful transfer student named Godai Miyako appears before him. Miyako takes notice in Junpei's love of ballet and invites him to dance with her. Along with Miyako's cousin Mori Ruou, he begins his career as a full-fledged ballet dancer, with the aim of becoming the world's best dancer--the Danseur noble! Only those who have sacrificed everything are permitted to stand in the beautiful and harsh world of classical ballet. What will be the fate of a total beginner like Junpei?!



Tags: Dancing , Male Protagonist , Ballet , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , School , Bullying , Acting , Seinen , School Club , Incest , Martial Arts , POV , Judo , Time Skip , CGI , Suicide

World Dai Star

Also known as Stella of the Theater: World Dai Star.

Studio: Lerche , Bandai Namco Filmworks , GREE Entertainment , Bandai Namco Music Live , Hawkeye , Daito Giken , Good Smile Company , Studio Hibari , EGG FIRM , Lantis
Status: Finished
Genres: Music

Theater has taken the entire world by storm in the 20th century, and teenager Kokona Ohtori aims to take the big stage. Performers who shine the brightest are called Dai Stars, and for Kokona, her first step into stardom is auditioning for the prominent theater troupe—Sirius. As she cultivates her unique sense for the stage, a story of passion and aspiration unfolds in this super-theater age.



Tags: Acting , Female Protagonist , Musical Theater , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Primarily Female Cast , Super Power , Dissociative Identities , Ojou-sama , Chuunibyou , Tsundere

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Also known as Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju.

Studio: Studio DEEN
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

The story revolves around a mature prisoner who was released on good behavior during Japan's Shouwa Genroku era (1960s to early 1970s). He is called Yotarou by others, a term that means an "anti-hero" or a "dim-witted man." When he returns to society, he starts a new life in rakugo (comic storytelling). Touched by Yakumo's role as the "grim reaper," he asks the master to take him in as an apprentice. Most of the season delves into Yakumo's own past during World War II and the years afterward.



Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of 48 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.

Tags: Rakugo , Tragedy , Acting , Historical , Primarily Adult Cast , Love Triangle , Time Skip , Josei , Male Protagonist , Disability , Meta , LGBTQ+ Themes , War , Suicide , Elderly Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast

Onii-sama e...

Also known as Dear Brother.

Studio: NHK , NHK Enterprises , Tezuka Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

Before leaving her cram school, Nanako Misonō asks one of the teachers if they can become pen-pals. The teacher, Takehiko Henmi, is reluctant at first, but eventually accepts the offer. The story is narrated through the letters sent from Nanako as she enters Seiran, a renowned private high school for girls only. There she encounters many difficulties as an ordinary middle-class girl invited to the prestigious Sorority, the most traditional and sophisticated club on campus..



Tags: Shoujo , Tragedy , School , Ojou-sama , Coming of Age , Bullying , Female Protagonist , LGBTQ+ Themes , Yuri , Primarily Female Cast , Boarding School , Tomboy , Yandere , Heterosexual , Suicide , Drugs , Villainess , Basketball , Trains