life line by line

Following the fun episode of 44, episode 45 of Kaleido Star takes an slightly different turn and puts some of the serious parts of the story up front. Thanks to Rosetta’s mom, who booked a special performance for the crew after being throughly impressed at Kenneth’s Motors, everyone’s going to France! Of course, when Sora found out they were all going to France she was a tad… surprised ^_~

With everyone arriving in France, it’s off to the Noir Circus to meet up with Rosetta (since she left an week ahead) and practice their performance. Great scene here where everyone was shocked to see May smiling so brightly… only to be “relieved” it’s still the same old sharp-tongued May. Seems as if May was trying to re-find herself affter learning the value of the audience’s smiles; too bad it might take her awhile especially after the scene with the taxi Everyone eventually made it to the circus, only to find they’re stuck doing insane (and dangerous) acts. Like Sora being shot out of a cannon or the other girls who got knives thrown at them…. oops, the Kaleido Team from America got mixed up with another Kaleido performers; also didn’t help that the crew got the wrong circus. Anyway, they find their way to the Noir Circus only to discover that Rosetta went missing….

Meanwhile Rosetta has been following this has-been famous trapeze trainer (he stopped by the circus before asking one of his former students for cash), trying to get him to train her. She ends up in a warehouse that has various circus equipment, including a trapeze setup. The trapeze trainer hasn’t totally given it up and Rosetta got to show off her determination to want to learn. Awesome scene where Rosetta defended the Kaleido Stage by showing off some impressive Diabolo skills. Somehow, Rosetta won over the trainer and they start right away.

In comes in everyone else as they see Rosetta training on the trapeze. Inbetween all of them meeting again and training, Leon’s name came up and triggered the back story behind Leon and Sophie’s past. Apparently the two were the trapeze trainer’s last students before he quit. The siblings’, Leon and Sohpie, past wasn’t all peaches and cream as they lost their parents at a young age only to have non-loving relatives take them in. Luckily, the trainer saw their untapped potential and took them in. They began their training as Leon and Sophie were naturals, with the trainer believing they could perform the perfect Angel’s Act. Unfortunately for the young Leon, this involved some heavy duty training like juggling lead balls with easy. The trainer though that a strong partner who could lift the other was what was mostly needed for the Angel’s Act. All seems to go downhill as Leon could never totally match up with Sophie, until one day Leon & Sophie perform the beginnings of the Angel’s Act. The trainer then realized not only did one partner need to be strong but the other must have an ability to feel all the forces in play enabling him/her to be lifted as if light as a feather. The accidential finding led the trainer to re-double their training, making Sophie perform just as Sora had to in order to prove herself to Leon. The new training became too much, and Leon wants to quit only to have Sophie give a very moving speech on how the perfect Angel’s Act will change the hearts and minds of everyone. Still, Leon has had enough and the two do leave the trainer. Interesting scene when they leave as we start to saw the beginnings of Leon’s current personality.

Back in the current time, everyone to some degree was floored over Leon’s past. From the fact that Sophie was better than Leon to the Angel’s Act being the way to become a True Star, the realizations hit home; Sora the most. Sora now definitely has a path to follow, the same as Sophie’s: perfect the Angel’s Act to become the True Kaleido Star. Even May noticed the slight changes in Sora as a new determination has set Sora forth.

The night of the France performance, everything went smoothly. Sora was performing like a mad man, pulling off wilder (and cooler) moves that has May grudgingly moved. Seeing the two perform was simple fun, and how Sora’s power to energize everyone around her has come to bare fruit. May’s performance was simply classic; especiallly as she played the villian of the performance to a T (OMG, all those moves she did while calling out the names… I was laughing my ass off). The finisher came in the form of Rosetta blindfolded doing the trapeze with Sora without a hitch. In the background, well more like the audience, Yuri and the trainer were watching. Some foreshadowing converations between the two and based on the previews, looks like Yuri and Leon are back at Kaleido Stage!

What can I say? I think this episode succeeded even more than the previous one to make me love Kaleido Star more! Excellent how the creators/producers/writers used the trip to France to move three different storylines at the same time: Rosetta’s training in the trapeze, Leon’s past finally revealed, and the continued search for the Angel’s Act and True Star path. Everything flowed so well, I’m surprised so much was told in 25 minutes! Things in Kaleido Star are slowly coming to their climax, as there are only seven more episodes left…. will Sora become the True Kaleido Star via the Angel’s Act? What happened between Leon and Yuri three years ago? Will May ever be able to shine like Sora? What is the future for Kaleido Stage? Is Layla ever going to perform again?

So many questions, so little time. However, knowing how Kaleido Star played out so far I have no doubt that all those answers and more will be put to ease. All I have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride that is Kaleido Star!

BTW, watching the past two episodes really REALLY made me want to start picking up the DVDs. Argh. Maybe… one day. ^_~