Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love Starish Tours Report

Billboard outside Shinjuku Piccadilly in Tokyo.

Twenty-two times as of this blog post, and more planned.

I’ve never watched a movie or concert that often in such a short period of time in my entire life. Ever. Not even Maji Love Kingdom. Not even Shining Star Stage.

That being said, I think I can finally write a report about Maji Love Starish Tours.

The movie opened on Friday, September 2nd. This was a rough time for me who was coming back from a summer break and was instantly hit with not just the movie premiere, but a huge wave of announcements for promotional events and displays around Tokyo. It was also very different from the time I saw Maji Love Kingdom, when I was living outside of Tokyo and was preoccupied with 2.5 stages as well (which I’ve since given up). Promotion was also done somewhat differently–for Kingdom, a lot of collaborations and events were done before and during the movie. I think I recall Namjatown having an event over a month before the movie was out and I still knew so very little about Heavens and how much or little I liked them. I had only just started watching the movie when the amusement park event at Tokyo Dome City was happening. This time all of the events are happening during and after, which I think is a better idea.

My thoughts will be divided by different elements of the movie: animation, sound, and event progression. I’ll keep the details to a minimum, but I may mention a few scenes here and there that have been shown in previews on Twitter. I’ll put up a warning before they come up so you can avoid them!

Animation

One of the first things I mentioned on Twitter is that the animation quality is superb. I was worried when the trailer came out because it’s hard to tell from watching on a computer or phone, but also the trailer features them in their pilot attire, which looked a little stiff compared to typical concert costumes. However, seeing it on a big screen and watching everything outside of the opening song, it’s easy to tell that the animation is top-tier, well past Kingdom (in which you could clearly tell the difference in quality between the performance animation and the MC animation). From beginning to end, I felt like I was part of the audience on the big screen, and the idols came alive more than they ever have been. This is no normal anime where their mouth just opens and closes in one of a limited number of ways as they’re talking; their mouths match the words they’re saying. If you’ve heard Ren’s “Ready to Be A Lady,” you know how essential that is; they did an impeccable job on that part and still gives me goosebumps when I think about it.

Sound

To add to the previous point, the sound in the theater is also designed to make you feel like you’re in a concert. If you sit towards the front, the idols’ voices are more audible (this is important for certain songs) and towards the back, you can hear sounds of audience members, as if they’re right there with you. Due to the pandemic, we’re still not allowed to call out in the theater which is a little frustrating, but no matter how many times I watch, the audience cheers would feel so real that sometimes I’d think for a split second, “Was that someone IN the theater just now?!” I’m hoping this can be replicated in overseas screenings, and I also hope that surround sound will be supported when the DVD & Blu-Ray comes out (I may have to invest in a sound system if I want to watch it in my apartment).

Event progression

If you listened to the Maji Love Starish Tours single released in April, you could probably guess that Starish Tours is the opening song and START OURS is the closing song. In between are the Idol Songs and Cross Unit songs, but I won’t identify the order in which they’re played.

Overall, Starish Tours is much shorter than Kingdom, but the entire concert is so fulfilling that the shorter length is irrelevant. Unlike Kingdom–which had short MCs in between songs–the Idol Songs are performed one after another. If you are invested in knowing about each idol as a person, it’s absolutely essential to pay attention to their movements and facial expressions from beginning to end. I would recommend watching or rewatching the anime (1000% and 2000% are most recommended, but Legend Star also contains some important background as well). Knowing how each idol has grown from their days in Saotome Academy to the present, their struggles and their triumphs, makes every moment in Starish Tours even more special. I have to say that the progression from one song to another is somewhat quick that upon watching the movie for the first time, it’s a lot to take in. It took me several viewings for everything to really sink in, but maybe that’s just me and my somewhat easily distracted self.

One strategic point they made in the Idol Song performances was [[minor spoiler--highlight to see]] how they featured other idols during the solo performances. [[end spoiler]] This may be a little jarring for fans at first, but I assure you that it takes nothing away from your favorite idol (if you have one), and you may even come to appreciate the other members more if you initially only cared for one or several (although I hope you already do appreciate all of them!)

Overall

I’m a huge fan of UtaPri writing this report so maybe it seems biased, but even if you aren’t familiar with the franchise, it’s absolutely worth seeing if you’re interested in 2D idol performances, animation, music, Japanese voice actors, any or all of the above!

If you are a fan of UtaPri, and especially one of ST☆RISH, this is absolutely the movie you’ve been waiting for and it will surely exceed your expectations. As much money as I and many others in Japan have paid to see this movie repeatedly over the past few weeks, Starish Tours feels like the viewer is the one being rewarded every time. It’s the greatest love letter yet to their fans for taking part in this journey with them. ☆