Excellent doujin. It really captures what makes each character of Seiran so appealing- an interplay of strength and vulnerability, drawn from the same sources. They're defined by their pasts, but not in positive ways- unlike so many of the girls from Seisho, they can't just draw on happy memories to recover brilliance, because those memories are the source of their sadness. But without having experienced true brilliance, they also can't create anything new, and strive instead to be jealous and vindictive, stealing from those with success to obtain something for themselves, even if they know that this victory will never be legitimate. And in the end, those that were kicked into darkness and denied starlight realize that true beauty lies not in regaining what they've lost, but in the strength they had to get back up, and the people they met on the way.
Seiran's girls are a foil to Seisho's- while the latter strive to let the welfare of the troupe overcome the selfish interests of a single star, Seiran's girls never fit into a troupe, and became bitter outcasts instead, having their desire for unity and collective progress turned cruelly against them. They never wanted to be revolutionaries, but the failure to be 'normal' forced them to turn into invaders, even though they're betrayed yet again by the person who united them under Seiran's banner- Yakumo. And in the end, they come to the same realization as the girls from Seisho- that togetherness and unity is the real treasure, and the answer is not to fight for an institution or for your own acceptance within it, but for the sake of your true companions, no matter where you end up. Like all of Starlight's stories, the conclusion is a confirmation of togetherness, of emotions and love beyond tokens or trinkets or traditions.
In that sense, the scene in this doujin where Koharu promises to conquer the world and make it her kingdom really shows off the character development at work. For the sake of her friends, she's ready to be a king and launch another campaign, but Suzu and Hisame tell her that they've got their own worlds to strive for, and there's no reason to be invaders or thieves anymore, because they've found their own brilliance now. Seiran are no longer the girls defined by their longing for a distant, beautiful figure from their childhoods, no longer the outsiders trying to stake claims to a play that doesn't embody their story. Starlight was never going to be the right fit for Seiran- for one, they don't operate in Flora and Claire pairs, but are a considerably stronger, self-sufficient trio.
Therefore, just like Karen and Hikari, they need to create their own story, to move beyond a disruptive 'blue storm' and become a proud 'kingdom of blue'. Even Yakumo, eternally obsessed with resurrecting the good old days and re-enacting Starlight, realizes that these girls are not replacements or puppets for her to project her adolescence onto. They're fiercely individual, powerful and brave, and eminently capable of creating their own world instead of stealing or conquering the ones built before. As always, the answer is renewal, and an enduring hope in the power of today. And this doujin really captures that resilient, valiant spirit, giving Seiran a fitting segue into their future. I'm glad I came across it- Starlight really does character parallels like nothing else.
