(In Order of Appearance)
Characters:
Sora Naegino: The heroine of our story and soon to be Kaleido Star! Sora idolizes Layla and was always determined to prove herself. Her dream is to create a stage with no competition, and all she wishes for is to awaken everyone's "Angel Hearts" and to see smiles on everyone's face.
Kalos Eido: Known simply as "The Boss," the owner of the Kaleido Stage, he loves Sarah, and pushes Sora to do her best to become a true star.
Mr.Policemen: Sora's number one fan, Mr.Policemen is always helping the group. He marries Kate, and not till the middle of the series do we learn that his name is Jerry.
Ken Robbins: Stage Director for the Kaleido Stage, Ken has a crush on Sora but is immensely shy and shows his devotion to her by being by her side through all the tough times.
Layla Hamilton: Star of the Kaleido Stage, and eventual partner to Sora, Layla's passion for the stage pushes her to do her best and prove her skills to her father.
Yuri Killian: Partner to Layla and business partner to Kalos, Yuri is mislead and eventually becomes an angel for both Sora and Layla.
Mia Guillem: Best friend of Sora and Ana, Mia turns from hopeful performer to successful writer and director for the Kaleido Stage.
Anna Heart: Best friend of Sora and Mia, Anna, the princely female character, only dreams of following in her father's footsteps and making the audience laugh.
Sarah Dupont: She's in love with Kalos and is a talented singer, Sarah is the crazy dorm supervisor and who loves learning the strangest types of martial arts.
The Fool: A comedic, perverted Spirit of the Stage, Fool lives with Sora and eventually shows himself to Layla and Rosetta. He helps Sora to perform "The Legendary Great Maneuver" and "The Angel's Maneuver" and pushes her to become a true star.
Marion&Jonathon: Daughter of lead constructor, Shawn, Marion becomes a trampoline performer and best friend of the baby seal, Jonathon.
Rosetta Passel: The Diabolo World Champion, Rosetta is very determined to be her best and idolizes Sora. By the end of the series, Rosetta is able to see Fool and dreams of one day performing the "Legendary Great Maneuver" with Sora.
May Wong: Rival to Sora, May is known as the Ice Queen, and helps Sora learn her true powers. She's strong-willed, persistent, and stubborn. She refuses to lose to Sora, and eventually figures out that she is Sora's Odile.
Leon Oswald: Eventual partner of Sora, Leon is known as the "Devil of the Stage," and world renowned for his stage skills. Until he meets Sora, Leon does not believe that anyone is capable to be his partner, he pushes Sora to her limits and becomes her partner.
Cathy Taymor: A Broadway Director, Cathy helps Mia write stories and is Layla's new partner.
Sophie Oswald: Leon's younger sister who died 3years before the story begins, and is his one inspiration.
Extras- Julie&Charlotte: a humorous duo who are always lingering around Miss Layla. Sora'sFamily: Her biological parents died when Sora was very young, so she grew up with her aunt & uncle who have a daughter, Yume. Mr.Kenneth: Main investor towards the Kaleido Stage. Layla'sMaid: She's always happy to help Layla and to keep her secrets. CircusTroupe: Friends to Kalos, this group help teach Sora her first lesson of watching the audience. Mute&Alice: At first rivals, friends of Sora from the Circus Festival.
Review:
Kaleido Star is one of the most inspirational Anime's I have seen. All of the characters are always entertaining and fun to watch. The Kaleido Stage is a place where dreams come true and where dreams are made. Every character, although they seem to be bad, always turn around and have an "Angel's Heart." And that's the whole point of the story. Sora realizes that everyone has an "Angel Heart" and is able to smile, if given the right motivation. Sora makes a great heroine because she never gives up. Sora is always striving for the stars and is so passionate towards her dreams. It seemed that Sora cried at least ONCE in EVERY episode, and that shows that it's ok to cry and to show your true feelings. The series could have done without the OVA "Kaleido Star: Special Stage." Although it makes a great story and we get to see the dream passed onto Rosetta, the story could have lived without it. Another part of the story that should have been expanded upon: Ken and Sora's relationship. I'm for both versions: I love the fact that Sora was always fighting for her dreams and was never distracted by love, and that makes for a great story. BUT~ I'm always a "hopeless romantic" and I would have loved to see them fall for each other! As of right now, I've seen this series 4times, 3of which were in this same year! And I am so ready to watch it again. The comedy never gets old, and the story still inspires me. It's definitely one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES!!