World Dai Star Episode 7: Return of Aladdin

I wonder how many will get the reference without Googling it?

We began with a snippet of Yae’s backstory. Noa met her in a church choir and invited her to watch her show and decide if she wanted to join SIRIUS. She of course did.

During a conversation we apparently learned it wasn’t a scheme by Noa to push Kokona under the rug in favor of Yae. It just happened because Kokona wasn’t strong enough of a performer yet. Yae knew and felt guilty but didn’t exactly do anything to stop it. We’d learn why later. Noa said it’s a mistake to tone down a performance.

After Kokona and Shizuka got back on the same page they trained together to find the right Aladdin role to play. Once they had a vague idea of which direction to take the character they requested to change the performance by playing a differet Aladdin than what’s in the script. That meant many changes to the entire show but seeing our main duo’s resolve convinced Yae to give it a shot and the others followed suit hitting Kokona with “reckless dummy” bombs. Apparently this was what Noa wanted to see from Kokona all along as she deemed the duo ready for some special hardcore training.

Remember last time Yae hinted a personal reason she had to become a World Dai Star? We learned it’s because she wanted to perform on stage with Noa. This was elaborated in the rest of the flashback. Yae was excited to co-star in The Little Mermaid with Noa. As she rushed over to practice with Noa she heard her talk to Granny saying she’d step down from acting and take on backstage roles. Granny said she still had time to become a World Dai Star in other troupes but Noa felt indebted to SIRIUS and wanted to help them find a new World Dai Star. She would not take the stage again until that day came.

Yae wanted to become a World Dai Star so Noa would come out of retirement and join her on stage. AGE GAP BABEH!

It’s once again showtime. Kokona went all out playing a cooler, more expressive and sexier Aladdin. Noa told her to bring out the same energy she showed the day she played Prince Eric during her first audition. Shizuka helped guide Kokona through their mental bond.

I forgot to mention last episode that Noa’s Sense was the ability to scan other Senses, meaning she could scan and understand other Senses, hence why she’s a perfect fit for a backstage coach role. She helped Kokona and Shizuka better understand their Sense. Kokona’s mimicry and raw emotion was combined with Shizuka’s power to adapt very quickly to create the Super Actor KokoShizu. So powerful were they Yae’s Sense didn’t fully entrance everyone like usual. It also helped that Noa revealed the weakness of Yae’s Sense. She entranced people so much no one else mattered. In a team profession that wasn’t a good thing, especially for actors aiming to become Dai Stars.

We ended the episode with Kokona (and the others) interrupting an intimate YaeNoa moment. The important thing is we have another future couple.

Good stuff as always. The next performance is Romeo and Juliet…Oh for the love of Pete. Not again. There are hundreds of other plays besides R&J you know.