Kirarin Revolution | |
きらりん☆レボリューション (Kirarin Reboryūshion) | |
---|---|
Genre | Romantic comedy [1] |
Manga | |
Written by | An Nakahara |
Published by | Shogakukan |
Imprint | Ciao Comics |
Magazine |
Ciao Pucchigumi [2] |
Demographic | Shōjo |
Original run | March 2004 – June 2009 |
Volumes | 14 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Masaharu Okuwaki |
Produced by | Susumu Matsuyama (TV Tokyo) Shinsaku Hatta (eps 1–31) Kensuke Sarai (eps 32–68) Takahiro Suzuki (eps 69–102) |
Written by | Michihiro Tsuchiya |
Music by | bice |
Studio |
Synergy SP G&G Entertainment |
Original network | TX, TVh, TVA, TVO, TSC, TVQ, BSJ, QAB, AT-X, TOS, BSS, ABA |
Original run | April 7, 2006 – March 28, 2008 |
Episodes | 102 |
Anime television series | |
Kirarin Revolution Stage 3 | |
Directed by | Yoshitaka Fujimoto |
Produced by | Susumu Matsuyama (TV Tokyo) Takahiro Suzuki Mayumi Sato |
Written by | Hiroko Fukuda |
Music by | Yoichi Sakai |
Studio | Synergy SP SimImage |
Original network | TV Tokyo Various Broadcast Japanese Networks |
Original run | April 8, 2008 – March 27, 2009 |
Episodes | 51 |
Games | |
Kirarin Revolution ( Japanese: きらりん☆レボリューション, Hepburn: Kirarin Reboryūshon) is a Japanese manga series by An Nakahara. The series ran in the shōjo manga magazine Ciao from March 2004 to June 2009, with side stories running in Pucchigumi in 2006. The manga sold a cumulative total of over 10 million copies and was awarded Best Children's Manga at the 2006 Shogakukan Manga Awards.
An anime adaptation premiered on April 7, 2006, in Japan on TV Tokyo and ran for 102 episodes until March 28, 2008. [3] A second season with the subtitle Kirarin Revolution Stage 3 (きらりん☆レボリューションSTAGE3, Kirarin Reboryūshon Stage 3) aired from April 8, 2008, to March 27, 2009, in high-definition and 3D animation. The anime series stars Morning Musume member Koharu Kusumi, and during the show's run, she released music and made appearances at concerts and crossover television shows as the character. [4] Starting with Kirarin Revolution Stage 3, additional cast members joined her in music activities, such as MilkyWay and Ships.
Kirari Tsukishima, a 14-year-old beauty, does not care about idols and the entertainment world because her mind is occupied by food. One day, after saving a turtle stranded in a tree, Kirari meets a boy named Seiji, who gives her a ticket to a concert to show his gratitude for her saving his pet. However, when Kirari shows up at the concert, another boy named Hiroto, tears up her ticket and warns her to stay away from Seiji, because they both live in different worlds. Kirari learns that Seiji and Hiroto are members of the idol group Ships. Finally understanding the meaning of "different worlds", Kirari refuses to give up pursuing Seiji and declares that she will also become an idol. However, being an idol requires tons of training and talent. Faced with rivals and scandals, Kirari is determined to come out as a top idol.
Kirarin Revolution was serialized in the monthly magazine Ciao from the March 2004 issue to the June 2009 issue. [1] The chapters were later released in bound volumes by Shogakukan under the "Ciao Comics" imprint. A total of 14 volumes have been released. Originally, Nakahara planned Kirari's name to be "Konomi Hazuki" and Hiroto's last name to be "Tsukishima." [5]
No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN |
---|---|---|
01 | August 28, 2004 [6] | 978-4-09-135616-1 |
02 | February 1, 2005 [7] | 978-4-09-135617-8 |
03 | April 27, 2005 [8] | 978-4-09-135618-5 |
04 | August 27, 2005 [9] | 978-4-09-135619-2 |
05 | December 26, 2005 [10] | 978-4-09-130296-0 |
06 | March 31, 2006 [11] | 978-4-09-130399-8 |
07 | July 29, 2006 [12] | 978-4-09-130525-1 |
08 | November 29, 2006 [5] | 978-4-09-130665-4 |
09 | March 30, 2007 [13] | 978-4-09-131090-3 |
10 | August 31, 2007 [14] | 978-4-09-131230-3 |
11 | January 31, 2008 [15] | 978-4-09-131497-0 |
12 | July 1, 2008 [16] | 978-4-09-131760-5 |
13 | November 28, 2008 [17] | 978-4-09-132086-5 |
14 | July 24, 2009 [18] | 978-4-09-132685-0 |
Kirarin Revolution was adapted into an anime series by SynergySP and G&G Entertainment in 2006. [19] It aired on TV Tokyo from April 7, 2006, to March 27, 2008, for a total of 102 episodes. Koharu Kusumi from Morning Musume was cast as Kirari. Kusumi also performed the opening and ending theme songs, as well as releasing music under Kirari Tsukishima's name. [20] Kusumi noted in her autobiography, 17-sai no Tenshoku, that the anime was originally supposed to last for one year, but due to the success of the show, it was renewed for two more broadcast years. [21]
After the show's third renewal, Kirarin Revolution broadcast its second season with the subtitle Kirarin Revolution Stage 3. The show aired on TV Tokyo from April 8, 2008, to March 27, 2009, for a total of 51 episodes. [22] It was animated by SynergySP and SimImage in 3D animation and HD format. Noel Yukino and Kobeni Hanasaki, new original characters played by Sayaka Kitahara and You Kikkawa from Hello Pro Egg, were added to the main cast. [23] Takuya Ide and Shikou Kanai were cast as the new actors for Ships members Hiroto and Seiji. [24]
In addition to providing the voice to Kirari, Kusumi made crossover appearances at concerts and television shows as her character, including being a recurring guest on Haromoni and Oha Suta, [25] which made her one of the pioneers of the "idol voice actor" crossover beginning in the late 2000s. [26] For the summer of 2007, Mai Hagiwara from Cute was cast as an anime-original character, Hikaru Mizuki, and became part of an anime-original idol subunit Kira Pika with Kusumi for a short story arc, releasing music and making in-character appearances on other television shows on TV Tokyo. [27] During Kirarin Revolution Stage 3's run, the show's new format launched a singing career for new cast and allowed crossover appearances on other television shows as their characters. [23] [24] On April 4, 2008, Ide and Kanai appeared on Oha Suta as their characters for the first time and also had their own in-character segment on the show on Thursdays from April 10, 2008 to May 4, 2009. [25] [28]
In 2007, Viz Media Europe licensed the anime for European release under the title Kilari! [29] [30]
Short live-action drama episodes were aired on Oha Suta, with small segments aired over several days. The cast from the anime series reprised their roles.
No. | Title | Original air date | Original end date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Secret Behind the New Song "Happy"" Transliteration: "Shin Kyoku "Happy" Tanjō no Himitsu" ( Japanese: 新曲「ハッピー☆彡」誕生の秘密 [31]) | April 23, 2007 | May 2, 2007 | |
Kirari records her newest song, "
Happy", with Jake Shimamura, an eccentric music director. | ||||
2 | "Can Kirari Perform at the WHF Stage?" Transliteration: "Kirari wa WHF Suteiji ni Deban Dekiru no Ka?" ( Japanese: きらりはWHFステージに出演できるのか?) | June 8, 2007 | June 21, 2007 | |
3 | "Kira Pika Story" Transliteration: "Kira Pika Sutōrī" ( Japanese: きら☆ぴか ストーリー) | July 4, 2007 | July 18, 2007 | |
Kirari and Hikaru prepare to debut as an idol sub-group named Kira Pika, but they must resolve their differences to be successful. | ||||
4 | "Chase After the Mystery Behind the Strange Ring!!" Transliteration: "Fushigi na Yubiwa no Nazo wo Oe!!" ( Japanese: ふしぎなゆびわのなぞをおえ!!) | October 24, 2007 | November 6, 2007 | |
5 | "The Second Kirari?! Noel Yukino version" Transliteration: "Dai Ni no Kirari!? Yukino Noeru hen" ( Japanese: 第2のきらり!? 雪野のえる編) | April 14, 2008 | April 18, 2008 | |
Kirari wants Noel to become an idol, but Noel is not interested and wants to play sports. | ||||
6 | "The Second Kirari?! Kobeni Hanasaki version" Transliteration: "Dai Ni no Kirari!? Hanasaki Kobeni hen" ( Japanese: 第2のきらり!? 花咲こべに編) | April 21, 2008 | April 25, 2008 | |
Kirari wants Kobeni to become an idol, but Kobeni feels too unconfident. | ||||
7 | "Kira Revo Plus: The Secret Behind Pa-Pancake" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Papankēki Tanjo Hiwa" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ パパンケーキ誕生秘話) | July 7, 2008 | July 15, 2008 | |
8 | "Kira Revo Plus: The Journey to the Special Live Show" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Supesharu Raibu e no Michi" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ スペシャルライブへの道) | September 26, 2008 | October 1, 2008 | |
MilkyWay and Ships prepare for their first concert event. | ||||
9 | "Kira Revo Plus: Rute-Rute version" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Ruterute hen" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ るてるて編) | October 20, 2008 | October 28, 2008 | |
A cursed
teru teru bōzu, known as a rute rute, starts pursuing MilkyWay and Ships, causing rain to fall wherever they go. | ||||
10 | "You're Here" Transliteration: "Kimi ga Iru" ( Japanese: きみがいる) | November 25, 2008 | December 1, 2008 | |
| ||||
11 | "Kira Revo Plus: Happy Happy Sunday! version" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Hapi Hapi Sandē! hen" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ はぴ☆はぴサンデー!編) | January 26, 2009 | January 30, 2009 | |
Hiroto and Kirari switch bodies and must go on with each other's lives without anyone noticing before they can change back. |
Several video games produced by Konami were released for the Nintendo DS during the show's run. All six games sold a cumulative total of 650,000 copies. [32]
Title | Console(s) | Release Date | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|
Kirarin Revolution: Kira Kira Idol Audition (きらりん☆レボリューション きらきらアイドルオーディション) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Kirarin Revolution: Na-san to Issho (きらりん☆レボリューション なーさんといっしょ) | Nintendo DS | Konami | |
Kilari: Become a Star [a] | Nintendo DS | Konami | |
Kirarin Revolution: Tsukutte Misechao! Kime Kira Stage (きらりん☆レボリューション つくってみせちゃお! キメ☆きらステージ) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Kirarin Revolution: Minna de Odorou Furi Furi Debut! (きらりん☆レボリューション みんなでおどろうフリフリデビュー!) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Kirarin Revolution: Atsumete Change! Kurikira Coord (きらりん☆レボリューション あつめてチェンジ!クルキラ★コーデ) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Atlus released a set of trading cards for the series that were compatible with the Kirarin Revolution arcade games available from November 28, 2006, to July 2009. The first set was titled Kirarin Revolution: Happy Idol Life (きらりん☆レボリューション ハッピー★アイドルライフ). The second, released in 2008, was titled Kirarin Revolution: Kuru Kira Idol Days (きらりん☆レボリューション クルキラ★アイドルDays). Along with Takara Tomy's paper doll Millefeui Cards, the Kuru Kira Idol Days cards sold a combined total of 50 million pieces. [32]
Kirarin Revolution has sold a cumulative total of over 10 million physical copies. [35] It won the 2006 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga. [36]
Oricon notes that while actors releasing music as their characters have been notable, [20] Kusumi portraying Kirari Tsukishima in voice and in a real-world context pioneered the "idol voice actor" crossover beginning in the late 2000s, along with Aya Hirano from the Haruhi Suzumiya series. [26] Parallels have been drawn between Kusumi and Kirari, citing their similarities in age, career, and process of becoming an idol, which led Kusumi to be closely associated with the character. [20] In the week of December 24–30, 2007, the Kirarin Revolution anime series had an average viewership rating of 2.6%. [37] Kusumi was named #17 in Daitan Map's "Top 50 Voice Actors of Popular Characters" in 2007 for her role as Kirari. [38]
On his review of the first volume, Carlo Santos from Anime News Network highlighted the focus on friendship, the story's light-hearted tone, and clean artwork as attractive to young readers; at the same time, Santos mentions the story presents a wish fulfillment fantasy and advises critics of the idol industry to "avoid the series entirely." [39] Kirarin Revolution was ranked #6 on Anime News Network's list of "6 Idols that Fandom Forgot", with Lynzee Loveridge stating that despite the series' long run, it failed to attract an audience outside of its target demographic and was quickly forgotten after its end. [40]
Kirarin Revolution | |
きらりん☆レボリューション (Kirarin Reboryūshion) | |
---|---|
Genre | Romantic comedy [1] |
Manga | |
Written by | An Nakahara |
Published by | Shogakukan |
Imprint | Ciao Comics |
Magazine |
Ciao Pucchigumi [2] |
Demographic | Shōjo |
Original run | March 2004 – June 2009 |
Volumes | 14 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Masaharu Okuwaki |
Produced by | Susumu Matsuyama (TV Tokyo) Shinsaku Hatta (eps 1–31) Kensuke Sarai (eps 32–68) Takahiro Suzuki (eps 69–102) |
Written by | Michihiro Tsuchiya |
Music by | bice |
Studio |
Synergy SP G&G Entertainment |
Original network | TX, TVh, TVA, TVO, TSC, TVQ, BSJ, QAB, AT-X, TOS, BSS, ABA |
Original run | April 7, 2006 – March 28, 2008 |
Episodes | 102 |
Anime television series | |
Kirarin Revolution Stage 3 | |
Directed by | Yoshitaka Fujimoto |
Produced by | Susumu Matsuyama (TV Tokyo) Takahiro Suzuki Mayumi Sato |
Written by | Hiroko Fukuda |
Music by | Yoichi Sakai |
Studio | Synergy SP SimImage |
Original network | TV Tokyo Various Broadcast Japanese Networks |
Original run | April 8, 2008 – March 27, 2009 |
Episodes | 51 |
Games | |
Kirarin Revolution ( Japanese: きらりん☆レボリューション, Hepburn: Kirarin Reboryūshon) is a Japanese manga series by An Nakahara. The series ran in the shōjo manga magazine Ciao from March 2004 to June 2009, with side stories running in Pucchigumi in 2006. The manga sold a cumulative total of over 10 million copies and was awarded Best Children's Manga at the 2006 Shogakukan Manga Awards.
An anime adaptation premiered on April 7, 2006, in Japan on TV Tokyo and ran for 102 episodes until March 28, 2008. [3] A second season with the subtitle Kirarin Revolution Stage 3 (きらりん☆レボリューションSTAGE3, Kirarin Reboryūshon Stage 3) aired from April 8, 2008, to March 27, 2009, in high-definition and 3D animation. The anime series stars Morning Musume member Koharu Kusumi, and during the show's run, she released music and made appearances at concerts and crossover television shows as the character. [4] Starting with Kirarin Revolution Stage 3, additional cast members joined her in music activities, such as MilkyWay and Ships.
Kirari Tsukishima, a 14-year-old beauty, does not care about idols and the entertainment world because her mind is occupied by food. One day, after saving a turtle stranded in a tree, Kirari meets a boy named Seiji, who gives her a ticket to a concert to show his gratitude for her saving his pet. However, when Kirari shows up at the concert, another boy named Hiroto, tears up her ticket and warns her to stay away from Seiji, because they both live in different worlds. Kirari learns that Seiji and Hiroto are members of the idol group Ships. Finally understanding the meaning of "different worlds", Kirari refuses to give up pursuing Seiji and declares that she will also become an idol. However, being an idol requires tons of training and talent. Faced with rivals and scandals, Kirari is determined to come out as a top idol.
Kirarin Revolution was serialized in the monthly magazine Ciao from the March 2004 issue to the June 2009 issue. [1] The chapters were later released in bound volumes by Shogakukan under the "Ciao Comics" imprint. A total of 14 volumes have been released. Originally, Nakahara planned Kirari's name to be "Konomi Hazuki" and Hiroto's last name to be "Tsukishima." [5]
No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN |
---|---|---|
01 | August 28, 2004 [6] | 978-4-09-135616-1 |
02 | February 1, 2005 [7] | 978-4-09-135617-8 |
03 | April 27, 2005 [8] | 978-4-09-135618-5 |
04 | August 27, 2005 [9] | 978-4-09-135619-2 |
05 | December 26, 2005 [10] | 978-4-09-130296-0 |
06 | March 31, 2006 [11] | 978-4-09-130399-8 |
07 | July 29, 2006 [12] | 978-4-09-130525-1 |
08 | November 29, 2006 [5] | 978-4-09-130665-4 |
09 | March 30, 2007 [13] | 978-4-09-131090-3 |
10 | August 31, 2007 [14] | 978-4-09-131230-3 |
11 | January 31, 2008 [15] | 978-4-09-131497-0 |
12 | July 1, 2008 [16] | 978-4-09-131760-5 |
13 | November 28, 2008 [17] | 978-4-09-132086-5 |
14 | July 24, 2009 [18] | 978-4-09-132685-0 |
Kirarin Revolution was adapted into an anime series by SynergySP and G&G Entertainment in 2006. [19] It aired on TV Tokyo from April 7, 2006, to March 27, 2008, for a total of 102 episodes. Koharu Kusumi from Morning Musume was cast as Kirari. Kusumi also performed the opening and ending theme songs, as well as releasing music under Kirari Tsukishima's name. [20] Kusumi noted in her autobiography, 17-sai no Tenshoku, that the anime was originally supposed to last for one year, but due to the success of the show, it was renewed for two more broadcast years. [21]
After the show's third renewal, Kirarin Revolution broadcast its second season with the subtitle Kirarin Revolution Stage 3. The show aired on TV Tokyo from April 8, 2008, to March 27, 2009, for a total of 51 episodes. [22] It was animated by SynergySP and SimImage in 3D animation and HD format. Noel Yukino and Kobeni Hanasaki, new original characters played by Sayaka Kitahara and You Kikkawa from Hello Pro Egg, were added to the main cast. [23] Takuya Ide and Shikou Kanai were cast as the new actors for Ships members Hiroto and Seiji. [24]
In addition to providing the voice to Kirari, Kusumi made crossover appearances at concerts and television shows as her character, including being a recurring guest on Haromoni and Oha Suta, [25] which made her one of the pioneers of the "idol voice actor" crossover beginning in the late 2000s. [26] For the summer of 2007, Mai Hagiwara from Cute was cast as an anime-original character, Hikaru Mizuki, and became part of an anime-original idol subunit Kira Pika with Kusumi for a short story arc, releasing music and making in-character appearances on other television shows on TV Tokyo. [27] During Kirarin Revolution Stage 3's run, the show's new format launched a singing career for new cast and allowed crossover appearances on other television shows as their characters. [23] [24] On April 4, 2008, Ide and Kanai appeared on Oha Suta as their characters for the first time and also had their own in-character segment on the show on Thursdays from April 10, 2008 to May 4, 2009. [25] [28]
In 2007, Viz Media Europe licensed the anime for European release under the title Kilari! [29] [30]
Short live-action drama episodes were aired on Oha Suta, with small segments aired over several days. The cast from the anime series reprised their roles.
No. | Title | Original air date | Original end date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Secret Behind the New Song "Happy"" Transliteration: "Shin Kyoku "Happy" Tanjō no Himitsu" ( Japanese: 新曲「ハッピー☆彡」誕生の秘密 [31]) | April 23, 2007 | May 2, 2007 | |
Kirari records her newest song, "
Happy", with Jake Shimamura, an eccentric music director. | ||||
2 | "Can Kirari Perform at the WHF Stage?" Transliteration: "Kirari wa WHF Suteiji ni Deban Dekiru no Ka?" ( Japanese: きらりはWHFステージに出演できるのか?) | June 8, 2007 | June 21, 2007 | |
3 | "Kira Pika Story" Transliteration: "Kira Pika Sutōrī" ( Japanese: きら☆ぴか ストーリー) | July 4, 2007 | July 18, 2007 | |
Kirari and Hikaru prepare to debut as an idol sub-group named Kira Pika, but they must resolve their differences to be successful. | ||||
4 | "Chase After the Mystery Behind the Strange Ring!!" Transliteration: "Fushigi na Yubiwa no Nazo wo Oe!!" ( Japanese: ふしぎなゆびわのなぞをおえ!!) | October 24, 2007 | November 6, 2007 | |
5 | "The Second Kirari?! Noel Yukino version" Transliteration: "Dai Ni no Kirari!? Yukino Noeru hen" ( Japanese: 第2のきらり!? 雪野のえる編) | April 14, 2008 | April 18, 2008 | |
Kirari wants Noel to become an idol, but Noel is not interested and wants to play sports. | ||||
6 | "The Second Kirari?! Kobeni Hanasaki version" Transliteration: "Dai Ni no Kirari!? Hanasaki Kobeni hen" ( Japanese: 第2のきらり!? 花咲こべに編) | April 21, 2008 | April 25, 2008 | |
Kirari wants Kobeni to become an idol, but Kobeni feels too unconfident. | ||||
7 | "Kira Revo Plus: The Secret Behind Pa-Pancake" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Papankēki Tanjo Hiwa" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ パパンケーキ誕生秘話) | July 7, 2008 | July 15, 2008 | |
8 | "Kira Revo Plus: The Journey to the Special Live Show" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Supesharu Raibu e no Michi" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ スペシャルライブへの道) | September 26, 2008 | October 1, 2008 | |
MilkyWay and Ships prepare for their first concert event. | ||||
9 | "Kira Revo Plus: Rute-Rute version" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Ruterute hen" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ るてるて編) | October 20, 2008 | October 28, 2008 | |
A cursed
teru teru bōzu, known as a rute rute, starts pursuing MilkyWay and Ships, causing rain to fall wherever they go. | ||||
10 | "You're Here" Transliteration: "Kimi ga Iru" ( Japanese: きみがいる) | November 25, 2008 | December 1, 2008 | |
| ||||
11 | "Kira Revo Plus: Happy Happy Sunday! version" Transliteration: "Kira Rebo Purasu: Hapi Hapi Sandē! hen" ( Japanese: きら☆レボ+ はぴ☆はぴサンデー!編) | January 26, 2009 | January 30, 2009 | |
Hiroto and Kirari switch bodies and must go on with each other's lives without anyone noticing before they can change back. |
Several video games produced by Konami were released for the Nintendo DS during the show's run. All six games sold a cumulative total of 650,000 copies. [32]
Title | Console(s) | Release Date | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|
Kirarin Revolution: Kira Kira Idol Audition (きらりん☆レボリューション きらきらアイドルオーディション) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Kirarin Revolution: Na-san to Issho (きらりん☆レボリューション なーさんといっしょ) | Nintendo DS | Konami | |
Kilari: Become a Star [a] | Nintendo DS | Konami | |
Kirarin Revolution: Tsukutte Misechao! Kime Kira Stage (きらりん☆レボリューション つくってみせちゃお! キメ☆きらステージ) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Kirarin Revolution: Minna de Odorou Furi Furi Debut! (きらりん☆レボリューション みんなでおどろうフリフリデビュー!) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Kirarin Revolution: Atsumete Change! Kurikira Coord (きらりん☆レボリューション あつめてチェンジ!クルキラ★コーデ) | Nintendo DS |
|
Konami |
Atlus released a set of trading cards for the series that were compatible with the Kirarin Revolution arcade games available from November 28, 2006, to July 2009. The first set was titled Kirarin Revolution: Happy Idol Life (きらりん☆レボリューション ハッピー★アイドルライフ). The second, released in 2008, was titled Kirarin Revolution: Kuru Kira Idol Days (きらりん☆レボリューション クルキラ★アイドルDays). Along with Takara Tomy's paper doll Millefeui Cards, the Kuru Kira Idol Days cards sold a combined total of 50 million pieces. [32]
Kirarin Revolution has sold a cumulative total of over 10 million physical copies. [35] It won the 2006 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga. [36]
Oricon notes that while actors releasing music as their characters have been notable, [20] Kusumi portraying Kirari Tsukishima in voice and in a real-world context pioneered the "idol voice actor" crossover beginning in the late 2000s, along with Aya Hirano from the Haruhi Suzumiya series. [26] Parallels have been drawn between Kusumi and Kirari, citing their similarities in age, career, and process of becoming an idol, which led Kusumi to be closely associated with the character. [20] In the week of December 24–30, 2007, the Kirarin Revolution anime series had an average viewership rating of 2.6%. [37] Kusumi was named #17 in Daitan Map's "Top 50 Voice Actors of Popular Characters" in 2007 for her role as Kirari. [38]
On his review of the first volume, Carlo Santos from Anime News Network highlighted the focus on friendship, the story's light-hearted tone, and clean artwork as attractive to young readers; at the same time, Santos mentions the story presents a wish fulfillment fantasy and advises critics of the idol industry to "avoid the series entirely." [39] Kirarin Revolution was ranked #6 on Anime News Network's list of "6 Idols that Fandom Forgot", with Lynzee Loveridge stating that despite the series' long run, it failed to attract an audience outside of its target demographic and was quickly forgotten after its end. [40]