Shōnen Hollywood - Holly Stage for 49

Episode 13

And so Shōnen Hollywood comes to an end. With all of the team's internal conflicts resolved, this episode focused on them making final preparations for the Christmas concert, while also checking in on their various personal arcs. This episode's one startling revelation came right at the beginning, when Tesshi flipped a switch that made the entirety of the auditoriums seats fold in on themselves and disappear into improbable floor holes. I had to laugh at Kakeru's “I think that might surpass our dancing” - it's true, I wasn't really expecting Hollywood Tokyo to be a transforming robot.

From there, the show settled into its usual meditative pace, moving through a sequences of slow scenes as the team prepared themselves and their stage for their first big performance. Their visit to a shrine helped once again show off Shōnen Hollywood's beautiful backgrounds, as the boys lightly reflected on their hopes for the performance. At this point, it's a pleasure just to spend time with these characters - the writing is often so low-key that it feels like you're hanging out with actual friends, and not dramatically heightened characters.

The middle act of this episode was dedicated to resolving the last lingering threads of all the characters' personal problems. We started with Kira, who finally made up with his career-pushing mother and accepted the mantle of his own life. After that, the team's first makeup session was interrupted by Makki's old friends, as they came to laugh at him and ended up accepting the path he's pursued. Shun's arc was resolved simply by having him express his acceptance of the mistakes the others have made, and Tommy ended up passing his own inspiration along to the next generation.

The last and best of these arc-concluding scenes was Kakeru's, as he once again finds himself being yelled at for practicing too loudly in his bedroom. All throughout this series, Kakeru's uncertainty about his choices has been partially expressed through a kind of shame in his decisions. He gets embarrassed when his family interrupts him, he tells them not to come to his performance, etc. However, this time, when his sister yells at him for practicing his introduction too loudly, he actually asks her to stay and critique his performance. The scene that follows is one of the show's most endearing, and the relationship between Kakeru and his sister comes off as extremely natural. His shift here feels strongly earned, and that his arc would resolve through such a subdued, everyday moment as asking his sister for advice is perfectly in line with the kind of naturalism Shōnen Hollywood has always strived for.

We don't actually get to see Shōnen Hollywood's performance, unfortunately. The episode instead ends with their manager briefly demonstrating the “eternal” nature of idoldom, before the team is finally called to the stage. But it's an appropriate ending, given this show's larger themes - the characters all fret about success or stability, but the show itself seems to emphasize that you must live in the moment. It's a fine conclusion to a surprisingly great little show.

Rating: B+

Shōnen Hollywood - Holly Stage for 49 is currently streaming on Funimation.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.