Drama
Two Girls. One Dream. And the entire world for a stage. At 13 years old, Maya Kitajima seems destined to spend the rest of her life toiling in a crowded restaurant alongside her bitter and unstable mother. But when her incredible acting talent is discovered by the legendary diva…
51 available episodes
Drama / Romance
Chigusa Tsukikage holds the rights to the play "The Crimson Goddess," a lost masterpiece that many would love to see brought back to the stage. Tsukikage, however, won't allow the cherished work to be diminished by an actress who isn't worthy of playing the title role. Fortunately, she has found two young actresses that just might be worthy: Maya Kitajima and Ayumi Himekawa. Though both actresses are exceptionally talented, only one can win the coveted role.
Drama / Romance
Kitajima Maya, a 13-year old girl with a talent for acting, was discovered by the reclusive actress Tsukikage. The story follows Maya's growing up, intense training, overcoming challenges, and evolving into the foremost actress of her generation (she is about 20 so far). Maya's greatest rival is Himekawa Ayumi, the beautiful daughter of a famous movie couple. They ultimately vied for the most sought-after role - the "Crimson Goddess". An equally important subplot Maya's relationship with the handsome and ruthless entertainment mogul Hayami Masumi, who secretly became her number one fan, but misunderstandings and bad-timing obstructed their romance... (Source: Anime News Network)
Drama
An OVA depicting the early events of the Glass no Kamen series. Kitajima Maya is a young girl from a poor background with no talents of use to school or her widowed mother. However, she is obsessed with movies, theatrical plays and TV dramas-to the point of remembering every line from a movie she's seen once, and dramatically acting out the stories, including every character, for anyone who will listen. One day, she encounters an old woman with a scarred face who claims that Maya is the girl she's been looking for-for the old woman has spent years protecting the rights to a 'legendary' play.
Drama / Slice of Life
The curtain rises on the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. Spotlight on Sarasa Watanabe, a starry-eyed 5'10" student who dreams of performing as Oscar, a male lead role. She forms an unlikely friendship with her new roommate, a former idol who now also hopes to join the all-female Kouka Acting Troupe. Together, they’re in for the role of a lifetime. (Source: Funimation)
Comedy / Drama
Kyouko followed her true love and childhood friend Shou to Tokyo so she could help him reach his dream of becoming an idol. She cleans, cooks, works three jobs and does nothing for herself because she loves him so much, but gets nothing in return. Still, she remains by his side. But then one day she goes unannounced to his agency with a delivery, and overhears him talking about her; he reveals to his manager that he only took her with him as a maid, and that he doesn't care for her at all. Upon hearing this, Kyouko doesn't just sit around and cry. She cuts and dyes her hair, changes her clothes and attitude and thus begins her journey to join showbiz and have her revenge against Shou. (Source: Anime News Network)
Comedy / Drama
Sora, a young girl from Japan, comes to America in search of her dream. She wants, with all her heart, to be a member of the Kaleido Stage, a world famous circus, with a combination of musicals, acrobatics and magical effects. With the help of her friends, she struggles to make this dream come true.
Drama
The story revolves around a mature prisoner who was released on good behavior during Japan's Shouwa Genroku era (1960s to early 1970s). He is called Yotarou by others, a term that means an "anti-hero" or a "dim-witted man." When he returns to society, he starts a new life in rakugo (comic storytelling). Touched by Yakumo's role as the "grim reaper," he asks the master to take him in as an apprentice. Most of the season delves into Yakumo's own past during World War II and the years afterward. (Source: Anime News Network) Note: The first episode aired with a runtime of 48 minutes as opposed to the standard 24 minute long episode.
Comedy / Drama
Twelve-year-old Kouyama Mitsuki was devastated when she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor of the throat. She had made a promise to the boy she loves that she would one day become a singer, but her illness made singing impossible. To make matters even worse, two angels of death, Takuto and Meroko, appeared to Mitsuki and informed her that she only had one year left to live. This news provides an even greater motivation for Mitsuki to fulfill her dreams, and with a little bit of divine intervention, she begins her quest to become a professional singer so she can be reunited with Eichi before time runs out. (Source: Anime News Network)
Drama / Fantasy
In a fairy tale come to life, the clumsy, sweet, and gentle Ahiru (Japanese for 'duck') seems like an unlikely protagonist. In reality, Ahiru is just as magical as the talking cats and crocodiles that inhabit her town - for Ahiru really is a duck! Transformed by the mysterious Drosselmeyer into a human girl, Ahiru soon learns the reason for her existence. Using her magical egg-shaped pendant, Ahiru can transform into Princess Tutu - a beautiful and talented ballet dancer whose dances relieve people of the turmoil in their hearts. With her newfound ability, Ahiru accepts the challenge of collecting the lost shards of her prince's heart, for long ago he had shattered it in order to seal an evil raven away for all eternity. Princess Tutu is a tale of heroes and their struggle against fate. Their beliefs, their feelings, and ultimately their actions will determine whether this fairy tale can reach its "happily ever after." Note: Princess Tutu aired in two parts. The first part included 13 25-minute-long episodes, while the second part consisted of 24 12-minute-long episodes with a 25-minute-long final episode for a total of 38 episodes.
Drama / Mystery
When a pregnant young starlet appears in Gorou Amemiya’s countryside medical clinic, the doctor takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver Ai Hoshino’s child so she can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on the eve of her delivery, he finds himself slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, threatening to dull the shine of his favorite star. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts? And what will he do when unthinkable disaster strikes? (Source: HIDIVE) Note: Episode 1【推しの子】Mother and Children was pre-screened in advance in Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The regular TV broadcast began on April 12, 2023. The first episode has an extended runtime of ~82 minutes.
Drama / Fantasy
Millennium Actress blurs the lines between the past and the present, and truth and fiction, when a documentary filmmaker fulfills his quest to find the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, and learn why she mysteriously vanished at the height of her brilliant career. When Chiyoko grants the filmmaker’s request, he, in turn, presents her with a token – a key she had lost and thought was gone forever. The filmmaker could not have imagined that the key would not only unlock the long-held secrets of Chiyoko’s life, but also his own. (Source: Dreamworks) Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 28, 2001.
Drama / Psychological
Before leaving her cram school, Nanako Misonō asks one of the teachers if they can become pen-pals. The teacher, Takehiko Henmi, is reluctant at first, but eventually accepts the offer. The story is narrated through the letters sent from Nanako as she enters Seiran, a renowned private high school for girls only. There she encounters many difficulties as an ordinary middle-class girl invited to the prestigious Sorority, the most traditional and sophisticated club on campus.. (Source: AnimeNewsNetwork)
Drama / Music
Prism Stars are performers on the new popular ice show, Prism Show. They are superidols whose techniques, singing and fashion sense are a cut above all others. Aira and Rizumu are two Prism Stars whose goal is to become the best, the Prism Queen. However, the road to success is bumpy. (Source: AniDB)
Drama / Romance
Danseur noble--a ballet dancer qualified to dance the role of the prince. Second-year junior high school student Murao Junpei was fascinated by ballet as a boy, but gave up on dancing after his father's death, as he had to become a man. However, one day, a beautiful transfer student named Godai Miyako appears before him. Miyako takes notice in Junpei's love of ballet and invites him to dance with her. Along with Miyako's cousin Mori Ruou, he begins his career as a full-fledged ballet dancer, with the aim of becoming the world's best dancer--the Danseur noble! Only those who have sacrificed everything are permitted to stand in the beautiful and harsh world of classical ballet. What will be the fate of a total beginner like Junpei?! (Source: Crunchyroll)
Music
Theater has taken the entire world by storm in the 20th century, and teenager Kokona Ohtori aims to take the big stage. Performers who shine the brightest are called Dai Stars, and for Kokona, her first step into stardom is auditioning for the prominent theater troupe—Sirius. As she cultivates her unique sense for the stage, a story of passion and aspiration unfolds in this super-theater age. (Source: Crunchyroll)
