The Layla Hamilton Story puts on the greatest period of one of the best shows in recent years, Kaleido Star. It is made of win and deities. It features superb dramatic moments and wonderful lesbian undertones. It has two unforgettable insert songs. For Kaleido Star fans everywhere, this is an OAV no one should miss.
Animation: Gonzo proves that they still have the stuff. From the very beginning, the art design stays very consistent throughout the whole show. Characters blink, move, and do amazing acrobatics with such amazing fluidity that I was not able to even blink. Imagine the original TV series on hyper-steroids. The natural wind-blowing-on-hair scene during Layla's introspection has to be one of the best wind-blowing scenes in all of anime. Layla's bike ride down the steep incline, along with the ending animation, just makes me want to cry out in happiness that God gave me eyes.
Sound: Two superbly fitting pieces, one as the opening, and one as the ending, round out the amazing soundtrack. Old songs from the TV series were brought back, bringing the emotional scenes to a climax. The sound effects are just as jarring as the original series, especially the very last scenes of Sora's and Layla's respective performances. The voice acting also did a wonderful performance, especially Layla's soliloquies and May's comedic commentary. What's strangely missing was a line from Leon, one of the key characters in the original series.
Story: Before I watched this, I was given the impression that the OAV was going to be a big long flashback on Layla's past. Boy was I ever so wrong. Well, some of this was a flashback on Layla's past (where we get to see the cute little Layla Hamilton), and some was flashback of the whole Kaleido Star series, but mostly the OAV was dedicated to Layla struggling to find her future and come to terms with her dad. May was added for comedic effect, and so was Ken. A very solid story; the best part being the part where Sora cut Layla's hair. That one scene spilled over so many lesbian undertones along with deep morals and themes that I was showered with happiness.
Character: Layla was the main character here, so all you Mia and Anna fans will probably be a bit disappointed. I learned quite a bit about Layla in this OAV, from her severe phobia of failure to her hidden past of being a weakling and a crybaby. All this makes me appreciate her already beloved character even more. Sora was her usual happy-go-lucky self, so not much development there. But there was no need to, since Sora did fulfill her purpose as Layla's pillar of support. All the other characters only had cameos, and somehow (I don't know why), Ken started wearing those fruity glasses. It makes him look more pimp, I guess.
Value and Enjoyment: If you have not watched the original series, stop right here. Don't even think of watching this. That's like reading the epilogue of a book without even looking at the table of contents nor the pages in between. That's like watching Advent Children without even knowing what a Buster Sword was. In order to fully enjoy this OAV, watch the original. All in all, I was truly amazed at the quality and enjoyment I received while watching this. Jyunichi Sato is a genius. But I do feel a bit of sadness, knowing that this will probably be the last period of an amazing show. What a great ride it was, all the way to the end.
Anime: Kaleido Star: Legend of Phoenix - Layla Hamilton Monogatari
Info
- Info
- Titles
- Add to My List
main cast
Layla is going to perform Phoenix in Broadway. Playing this important role, she sets out on a journey by bicycle alone without leaving any message in order to find out what is missing in her.
Source: ANN
Source: ANN
Statistics
- collapse pane
directly related anime
Prequel
OVA, 2004, 1 ep, ,
- Reviews
- add Recommendation
- collapse pane
- Latest discussions
- Clubs
- collapse pane
newest discussions
-
TopicsRepliesViewsLast post
- Anime Tags
- Character Tags
- collapse pane
- Cast
- Staff
- Songs
- Discography
- collapse pane
Cast
show all
add/edit cast
main character
17-18, female, , actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity. The ancient Greek word for an "actor", ὑποκριτής (hypokrites), means literally "one who interprets"; in this sense, an actor is one who interprets a dramatic character., adolescentAn adolescent (teenager) is 13 to 19 years old., athleteA person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts., blue eyesThis character has blue-colored eyes., gymnasticsA competitive sport in which this character performs optional and prescribed acrobatic feats mostly on special apparatus in order to demonstrate strength, balance, and body control., humanModern humans are the only extant members of the subtribe Hominina. Together with chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, they are part of the family Hominidae. Terrestrial animals, humans are characterized by their erect posture and bipedal locomotion; high manual dexterity and heavy tool use compared to other animals; open-ended and complex language use compared to other animal communications; larger, more complex brains than other animals; and highly advanced and organized societies., introvertIntroverts are people whose energy tends to expand through reflection and dwindle during interaction. They tend to be more reserved and less outspoken in groups. Introverts generally enjoy time spent alone or with close friends, and find less reward in time spent with large groups of people.
Some of the typical solitary activities are reading, writing, using computers, hiking and fishing. The archetypal artist, writer, sculptor, engineer, composer, and inventor are all considered highly introverted.
Not to be confused as being shy - introverts prefer solitary activities over social ones, where as shy people (who may be extraverts at heart) avoid social encounters out of fear. Like extroversion, introversion is not a black and white measurement, and these people may share some of the same traits than extroverts., long hairLong hair is hair from (but not including) shoulder-length, up to (but not including) waist length hair. Sidelocks do NOT count as long hair.
Some of the typical solitary activities are reading, writing, using computers, hiking and fishing. The archetypal artist, writer, sculptor, engineer, composer, and inventor are all considered highly introverted.
Not to be confused as being shy - introverts prefer solitary activities over social ones, where as shy people (who may be extraverts at heart) avoid social encounters out of fear. Like extroversion, introversion is not a black and white measurement, and these people may share some of the same traits than extroverts., long hairLong hair is hair from (but not including) shoulder-length, up to (but not including) waist length hair. Sidelocks do NOT count as long hair.
voiced by:
Oohara Sayaka
secondary cast
18, male, , clownno description set, honestThe character tries whenever able to communicate in truthful manner. Also, they may not be able to hide their emotions and/or thoughts easily., indecisiveThis character has trouble taking their own decisions, and may rely on others to do that instead., kindHaving or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature., managerA manager is someone that coordinates the efforts of people to accomplish goals with efficient and effective usage of available resources. Managing includes planning, organizing, coordinating, commanding, and controlling. Small organizations, such as school clubs, tend to have only one level of management, while large companies generally have multilayer management; as such, a manager may range from a foreman to a corporate president., short hairShort hair is hair from (but not including) bald, up to (but not including) shoulder-length hair. This hair length is what one would typically, though not always, see on most males. Short hair includes hair that goes no more than a centimetre or two beyond the chin; anything longer is shoulder-length., yellow hairThe character has yellow hair. This does not map precisely to real-life blond hair., young adultSomeone is generally considered a young adult if they are between 20 to 40 years old.
voiced by:
Shimono Hiro
16, female, , black hairThe character has black hair., figure skaterno description set, ice skatingno description set, short-temperedThis character has a short temper, meaning he or she can get angry quickly., shortsShorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg., swimsuitA swimsuit is a garment designed to be worn by people engaging in water-based activities or sports or during certain activities under sunlight. Most kinds of swimsuit reveal a large portion of the body surface area. In anime, it is common for at least one episode to feature the characters in swimsuits, usually as an excuse for gratuitous fanservice; swimsuits, particularly one-piece swimsuits, are a very common fetish in Japan. One-off appearances of characters in swimsuits should not be tagged., tank topA tank top is a shirt manufactured without sleeves, or whose sleeves have been cut off. Sleeveless shirts are worn by people of any gender. They are used as undershirts, worn by athletes in sports such as track and field and triathlon, or as casual wear attire during humid weather. A muscle shirt is the same design as a T-shirt, but without sleeves. They are often worn during athletic activities or as casual wear during warmer weather., taurusTaurus (♉) is the second astrological sign in the Zodiac.
Duration: 20 April – 21 May
voiced by:
Nakahara Mai
16, female, bloodtype: O, , actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity. The ancient Greek word for an "actor", ὑποκριτής (hypokrites), means literally "one who interprets"; in this sense, an actor is one who interprets a dramatic character., athleteA person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts., extrovert1. an outgoing, gregarious person.
2. Psychology: a person characterized by extroversion; a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment (opposed to introvert )., gymnasticsA competitive sport in which this character performs optional and prescribed acrobatic feats mostly on special apparatus in order to demonstrate strength, balance, and body control., JapaneseA character originating from the island nation of Japan., purple hairThis character`s hair is colored somewhere between red and blue., shoulder-length hairShoulder-length hair is hair at shoulder length, within a few centimetres margin. This hair length is longer than what one would typically, though not always, see on most males. Short hair includes hair that goes no more than a centimetre or two beyond the chin; anything longer is shoulder-length. Typical male hair at the back of the head which reaches the shoulders does not count as shoulder-length hair; the individual hair strands are very short (0-4 cm), and therefore count as short hair., young adultSomeone is generally considered a young adult if they are between 20 to 40 years old.
voiced by:
Hirohashi Ryou
Group status
| Last Update | Name | State | N | Episodes | HE | SP | Languages | Source | Rating | Cmts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.05.2023 | Hi10 | complete | N | 1 | 0 | ja en | Blu-ray | N/A (0) | 0 | |
| 15.12.2021 | MiraiAnime | complete | 1 | 0 | ja en | Blu-ray | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 01.01.2021 | Elecman | complete | 1 | 0 | ja fr | Blu-ray | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 25.04.2018 | Moozzi2 | complete | 1 | 0 | ja ko | Blu-ray | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 25.10.2016 | Seed-Raws | complete | 1 | 2 | ja | Blu-ray | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 26.08.2016 | AniJP | complete | 1 | 0 | ja zh en | Blu-ray | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 03.05.2016 | CalChi | complete | 1 | 2 | ja | Blu-ray | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 11.09.2014 | AnimeAddicts | complete | 1 | 0 | ja hu hu | Blu-ray, DVD | N/A (2) | 0 | ||
| 01.08.2009 | Armandex | complete | 1 | 0 | ja pt-BR | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| 08.06.2008 | Nanikano Fansub [NF] | complete | 1 | 0 | ja es | DVD | N/A (0) | 0 | ||
| no group |
