Software:World Dai Star

Short description: 2023 mixed-media project

World Dai Star
Anime key visual
ワールドダイスター (Wārudo Dai Sutā)
Created by	Takahiro Egg Firm Bandai Namco Filmworks
Manga
Written by	Nanafuji
Published by	Media Factory
Magazine	Comic Alive+
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	April 2, 2023 – present
Volumes	1
Anime television series
Stella of the Theater: World Dai Star
Directed by	Yū Kinome
Written by	Yasuhiro Nakanishi
Music by	Ryo Takahashi Kenichi Kuroda Tatsuya Yano
Studio	Lerche
Licensed by	Crunchyroll
Original network	Tokyo MX, BS11, TV Aichi, HTB, MBS, SBS
Original run	April 9, 2023 – June 25, 2023
Episodes	12
Game
World Dai Star: Yume no Stellarium
Released	JP: July 26, 2023

World Dai Star (ワールドダイスター, Wārudo Dai Sutā) is a mixed-media project written by Takahiro and created by Egg Firm and Bandai Namco Filmworks, with original character designs by Mika Pikazo. An anime television series produced by Lerche aired from April to June 2023, and a mobile game titled World Dai Star: Yume no Stellarium was released in July 2023.

Plot

After Dai Star stage performers exploded in worldwide popularity in the 20th century, 16-year-old Kokona Ōtori follows her dream of becoming a World Dai Star by auditioning for the Sirius theatrical troupe.

Characters

Sirius

Kokona Ōtori (鳳ここな, Ōtori Kokona)

Voiced by: Manaka Iwami

Kokona is a 16-year-old second-year high school student. She has been fascinated by the Sirius theater since she was a child and auditioned to join the company to become a World Dai Star. Kokona has a cheerful and friendly personality who can get along with anyone. She lacks confidence in her performance and skills, and often becomes timid. But she admired and strongly trusts her best friend, Shizuka, who is always so confident.

Shizuka (静香, Shizuka)

Voiced by: Ikumi Hasegawa

Shizuka is a winsome, confident person with a calm, analytical mind. She has something that Kokona Otori does not have. She is always worried about Kokona, who tends to be weak, and always encourages her and gives her sound advice. The two of them work hard every day to realize their dream of becoming a World Dai Star.

Kathrina Griebel (カトリナ・グリーベル, Katorina Gurīberu)

Voiced by: Sally Amaki

Kathrina is a 16-year-old second-year high school student from Germany whose parents are both World Dai Stars. After an incident, she left her home country and went to Japan alone to pursue a career in theater.

Yae Niizuma (新妻八恵, Niizuma Yae)

Voiced by: Maria Naganawa

Yea is an 11-year-old fifth grader. She's an angel-like girl who treats everyone calmly and politely. Although she is only 11-years-old, she boasts overwhelming acting ability that allows her to dominate the stage in an instant, and is currently said to be the only Dai Star candidate in Sirius. On top of that, she is still a mass of improvement power, and is extremely stoic when it comes to acting.

Panda Yanagiba (柳場ぱんだ, Yanagiba Panda)

Voiced by: Naomi Ōzora

Panda is a 13-year-old second-year junior high school student. She's friendly, yet a calculating realist. She is a hard-working type of person. She's envious of the natural ability of other to do anything.

Chisa Sasuga (流石知冴, Sasuga Chisa)

Voiced by: Rico Sasaki

Sasuga is a 13-year-old second-year junior high school student. She has a strong presence with her unique sensibility, style and good looks, but she herself is very self-paced. but is a so-called mysterious character who often doesn't think about anything.

Noa Hiiragi (柊 望有, Hiiragi Noa)

Voiced by: Nanako Mori

Hiiragi is the vice-president of Sirius. She's the former No. 1 of Sirius. After her retirement, she turned down invitations from other theater companies and became a behind-the-scenes and vice-president member of Sirius, where her former teacher is. Now mentoring the next generation of performers.

Shamo Yamabuki (山吹 シャモ, Yamabuki Shamo)

Voiced by: Romi Park

Shamo is a former World Dai Star, she is a founding member and president of Sirius, leading the company for decades. After discovering Hiiragi as her successor, she retires from active duty and entrusts the future of Sirius to her. At Shiriusu Yu, she serves as both a watchman and a dormitory mother.

Hana Kudo (工藤 花, Kudō Hana)

Voiced by: Yuuki Kuwahara

Hana is the director of Sirius. She was originally a member of Sirius, and after leaving the company she studied directing and returned to Sirius.

Dugong (ジュゴン)

Voiced by: Hina Kino

Dugong is an otter kept in Sirius. Acting as a pet and mascot. There is a rumor that says if Dugong catches a liking to a human they will become a Dai Star.

Gingaza

Koyomi Senju (千寿 暦, Senju Koyomi)

Voiced by: Mariko Toribe

Koyomi is a 17-year-old third-year high school student. She is the daughter of the Senju family, a prestigious stage family and Iroha's older sister. She has Dai Star parents. Through tireless efforts, her talent blossomed and she climbed to the rank as the young ace of Gingaza.

Ramona Wolf (ラモーナ・ウォルフ, Ramōna Uorufu)

Voiced by: Minami Tanaka

Ramona is a 17-year-old third-year high school student who came from Germany. She's the type who is serious and always wants things to be clear. She values ties with people more than anything else, and if someone is in trouble, she immediately lends a helping hand, no matter who it is.

Xue Wang (王雪, Wáng Xuě)

Voiced by: Hanai Miharu

Xue is a 15-year-old first-year high school student from China who passed the international entrance exam and joined Gingaza. Her greatest strengths are her quickness to act and her high hunger spirit. This has led to her own growth and ambition. She lives a thrifty lifestyle in order to send money to her family, and is extremely strict when it comes to money.

Lilja Kurtbay (リリヤ・クルトベイ, Ririya Kurutobei)

Voiced by: Anzai Yukari

Lilja is a 17-year-old third-year high school student from Finland. She is so beautiful that she was scouted by Gingaza due to her overwhelming presence, and she herself is particular about her beauty. It seems that she senses life in gathering people's eyes on the stage, and even wears bold costumes to make herself attractive.

Hikari Yonaguni (与那国 緋花里, Yonaguni Hikari)

Voiced by: Shimoji Shino

Hikari is a 15-year-old first-year high school student. She's a positive girl from Okinawa. She loves training to the point that she doesn't mind the strict training at Gingaza. Although she is troubled by cold interpersonal relationships within the theater company, she seems to be relieving that stress by chatting through video distribution.

Gekidan Denki

Iroha Senju (千寿 いろは, Senju Iroha)

Voiced by: Miho Okasaki

Iroha is a 16-year-old second-year high school student who loves anime and manga. She is the daughter of the stage's prestigious Senju family, and Koyomi's younger sister.

Mito Shiromaru (白丸美兎, Shiromaru Mito)

Voiced by: Reina Kondō

Mito is a 16-year-old second-year high school student. Because of her complicated family environment, she has a very quiet and passive personality. She has complete trust in her first friend, Iroha, and her hobbies, including cosplay, anime and the entrance exam for Gekidan Denki.

Kamira Akiru (阿伎留 カミラ, Akiru Kamira)

Voiced by: Wakai Yuuki

Kamira is a 16-year-old second-year high school student who grew up in a downtown area. She has a lot of part-time job experience and grew up in a place with many temples and shrines, so her mental age is quite high. After seeing Iroha's performance, she fell in love with theater and joined the Denki troupe, but in terms of acting, she is still in the growth stage.

Tsubomi Nekoashi (猫足 蕾, Nekoashi Tsubomi)

Voiced by: Serizawa Yuu

Tsubomi is a 17-year-old third-year high school student. She believes herself to be a person with special powers, and even though she is being targeted by a dark organization, she is performing theater with determination.

Towa Motosu (本巣 叶羽, Motosu Towa)

Voiced by: Akao Hikaru

Towa is a 11-year-old sixth grader. She's a genius child actor who has been active on TV since she was young. She's not good at hard work, so she came to the relaxed atmosphere of Gekidan Denki to take it easy.

Eden

Hatsumi Renjakuno (連尺野 初魅, Renjakuno Hatsumi)

Voiced by: Kana Aoi

Hatsumi is a 20-year-old actor and screenwriter. She is a self-reliant type who goes her own way, and is a strict leader who doesn't approve of acting that relies on their sense, but she often takes care of her favorite girls.

Daikoku Karasumori (烏森 大黒, Karasumori Daikoku)

Voiced by: Kana Aoi

Daikoku is a 13-year-old second-year junior high school student. Having a dark past, she has used the "Shadow Heart" to make a performance full of emotion. She has a past with Sirius, and complicated feelings towards Panda. She is fascinated by the charm of the representative.

Nikako Toneri (舎人仁花子, Toneri Nikako)

Voiced by: Shuka Saitō

Nikako is a 15-year-old first-year high school student from Aogashima. Thanks to the carefree upbringing on an island rich in nature, she has a rich and sharp sensitivity.

Iruru Yorozu (萬 容, Yorozu Iruru)

Voiced by: Hibiku Yamamura

Iruru is a 17-year-old third-year high school student. She has the ability to pass all roles with a passing score. However, despite her best efforts, she is unable to achieve a perfect score. She is very insecure about not being able to perform perfectly, but her potential and talent are highly regarded and valued. She is seen as someone who has a unique sense of stagecraft, which is essential in creating a solid foundation for any production.

Shigure Fudeshima (筆島 しぐれ, Fudeshima Shigure)

Voiced by: Maya Yoshioka

Shigure is a 10-year-old fifth grader. Because she is very intelligent and strong-willed, she tends to look down on other members other than Hatsumi, especially Daikoku as a rival.

Media

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Nanafuji began serialization on Media Factory's Comic Alive+ website on April 2, 2023.

Anime

An anime television series by Lerche aired from April 9 to June 25, 2023, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The series is directed by Yū Kinome and written by Yasuhiro Nakanishi, with Majiro handling animation character designs based on Mika Pikazo's original designs, and Ryo Takahashi, Kenichi Kuroda and Tatsuya Yano composing the music. Crunchyroll licensed the series under the title Stella of the Theater: World Dai Star.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Storyboarded by	Original air date

Mobile game

A mobile game titled World Dai Star: Yume no Stellarium was released on July 26, 2023.

Web radio

Web radio "World Daistar RADIO☆Waraji will be distributed on Nippon Cultural Broadcasting Corporation's "Super! A&G+" from December 29, 2022. The main personalities are Manaka Iwami and Ikumi Hasegawa

Reception

The anime adaptation, Stella of the Theater: World Dai Star, was positively received by critics. Toni Sun Prickett of Anime Feminist reviewed the first episode, saying it more interested in the "actual process of acting", specifically how characters inhabit the minds of the characters they play, and called it "quite a pleasure", especially for those who enjoy Acting School shows, but criticized the "world-building info dumps" by the characters, and character designs of adults which "feel very little different from those of the children."

Discography

Theme song

• "Wannabe Star!" (ワナビスタ！) by Sirius [Manaka Iwami, Ikumi Hasegawa, Sally Amaki, Maria Naganawa, Naomi Ōzora, Rico Sasaki]

• "Two of Us" (トゥ・オブ・アス) by Kokona Ōtori [Manaka Iwami], Shizuka [Ikumi Hasegawa]

• "Na mo Naki Koibito yo" (名もなき恋人よ; O My Nameless Lover) by Panda Yanagiba [Naomi Ōzora], Chisa Sasuga [Rico Sasaki] (ep 8)

Insert song

• "Diamond no Chikai" (ダイヤモンドの誓い; Diamond Oath) by Kokona Ōtori [Manaka Iwami] (ep 7)

• "Etoile" by Yae Niizuma [Maria Naganawa] (ep 12)

• "Farewell song" by Yae Niizuma [Maria Naganawa] (ep 12)

• "Mahou no Last Note" (魔法のラストノート; Magic Last Note) by Yae Niizuma [Maria Naganawa] (ep 7)

• "Masquerade" by Kokona Ōtori [Manaka Iwami], Yae Niizuma [Maria Naganawa] (ep 12)

• "Masquerade" by Yae Niizuma [Maria Naganawa] (ep 10)

• "New Nostalgic Friend" by Kokona Ōtori [Manaka Iwami], Yae Niizuma [Maria Naganawa] (ep 6)

• "Wasurena Uta" (勿忘唄; Forget-Me-Not Song) by Shizuka [Ikumi Hasegawa], Kokona Ōtori [Manaka Iwami] (ep 3)

• "Yumemi Tsukiyo" (夢見月夜; Dreaming Moonlit Night) by Kathrina Griebel [Sally Amaki] (eps 1,3)

• "Yumemi Tsukiyo" (夢見月夜; Dreaming Moonlit Night) by Kokona Ōtori [Manaka Iwami] (ep 1)

• "Yumemi Tsukiyo" (夢見月夜; Dreaming Moonlit Night) by Yae Niizuma [Maria Naganawa] (ep 1)

External links

• Project official website (in Japanese)
• Game official website (in Japanese)
• Anime official website (in Japanese)