Kaleido Star

From Animepedia

Kaleido Star is an anime series produced in Japan by GONZO and released in the US by ADV.

Plot

Season 1 Sora flies to the US from Japan to fulfill her dream of becoming a part of the famous circus Kaleido Stage. She struggles through various acts in order to gain the acceptance of the cast and prove her worth on the stage. But the Stage is in peril as a certain cast member tries to shut down the group as revenge.

Season 2 After completing the great mystical act with Layla, Sora struggles to keep the Kaleido Stage afloat. Beginning to doubt herself amidst conflict with the new rising stars of the stage, Sora enters a circus competition in France with an unlikely ally. In the end, she finds a dream to pursue: a happy, conflict-free stage.

Characters

Sora Naegino is the main character. She works hard to fulfill her dreams of becoming a Kaleido Star.

Layla Hamilton is initially the antagonist of the story, rejecting Sora as a member of the cast. She warms Sora and becomes her partner for the great mystical act. Injuring her shoulder, she cannot return to the stage and pursues a career on Broadway in the second season.

Mia Guillem is one of Sora's first friends in the cast. Later in the first season, she begins to write and choreograph the shows.

Anna Heart is another of Sora's first supporters. She truly wishes to be a comedian like her father, but is better suited for serious roles.

Yuri Killian is Layla's partner and a star at Kaleido Stage. He turns on the cast and shuts down the show as revenge against the owner for his father's death attempting the mystical act. Yuri also blames himself for the death of Leon's sister.

Fool is the magical, fairy-like spirit of the stage. He guides Sora to becoming a "true" Kaleido Star.

Sarah Dupont is the singer for Kaleido. She has performed with the group since the beginning and is very close with the owner of the Stage.

Ken Robbins is the stage manager, being unable to perform with a weak heart. He shows a romantic interest in Sora, who is oblivious to his affections.

Kalos Eido is the owner and founder of Kaleido Stage.

Marion is the daughter of a famous trampolinist who died. She plays freely around the stage, befriending a baby seal that Sora found on the beach.

Jonathan: the baby seal

Rosetta Passel: an expert diabolo artist who learns stage presence from Sora, who also inspires her to learn trapeze.

May Wong only appears in the second season where she challenges Sora's position as lead.

Leon Oswald also only arrives in the second season. A world class trapeze artist, Leon rejects all performers who are unable to complete the act his sister died trying.

Openings/Endings

• Season 1: Take It Shake It [1] (lyrics) from Anime Lyrics's Search Engine. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.