Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Movie: Maji Love ST☆RISH Tours

Well damn, they really just went in here stepping their whole game up

I got into the Utapri franchise via the rhythm game (English version discontinued now, curse you) and then tried the anime, didn't like it at all, but stuck to it - something had to be here. The new course kicked in when S4 started, and ever since then, I am fully on board: The Utapri franchise has been soaring for me once they did what was possibly the smartest move in their branding: no one *really* cares about the otome cishet romance aspect with a girl that has soup bowls for eyes, we ... want the hot and cool guys to be rad, everyone with their own stories and characterisations, plus some homoerotic moments.

And ever since then? Wowee, we are feasting.

Maji Love Kingdom, the concert movie before this one, was a welcome entry during the lockdown time of the pandemic for me: I couldn't go out, I hadn't seen a lot of people, and here I was: I could join a live performance at home - with the cheering, the spontaneous banter, the interactions with the crowd, all very entertaining and uplifting during a difficult time.

And now, the second concert movie is here and WEW they blew it out of the water: who cares about "realism" when you can deliver awesome performances, choreographies and outlandish staging - it is FUN. Have people flying, big hologram dragons, throw in flying boat, why not, you will have a STELLAR time.

Starish TOURS takes the approach of a musical style world tour, one song will have a Las Vegas vibe, another a French aesthetic and theme, and many more. And these make for a varied program with a lot of different entries, there will be something for your taste.

Honestly, 60 minutes well spent, it does exactly what it wants to do, plus a very fun encore, and I was amazed by the production value and attention to detail: expressive and powerful animation and staging, 3D that is smooth or snappy for whatever it needs to be, and the songs are catchy with their different vibes. I wonder how much the rise of kpop influenced this production, it feels very now, very modern - some other idol shows can only dream of such a freshness and spectacle.

If you are a fan, this is a must, and if you are just looking for a good time with a fun concert, this is also for you!