(Note: So an update — this will be the last time I’ll use La Magnifique Grande Scene as the title in future reviews, as it at some point last year was localized as The Magnificent Grand Scene. This is despite the fact that the first 8 volumes I purchased have La Magnifique Grande Scene on the cover. Anyone who has been purchasing this series can let me know when this was officially changed.)
That’s it, it’s set: Sakura and Kanade don’t like each other very much! So making sure you set conditions in a competition to prove your point is a reckless thing to do for Kanade, who’s facing off against someone who’s been doing this for years. And Kanade doesn’t get off to the best start when she does a weird interpretation of Swanhilda in the competition.
But hey, her technical performance was enough to get her into the finals.
La Magnifique Grande Scene volume 3 continues a contentious rivalry between Kanade and Sakura, and losing means a loss of pride and taking lessons in the “dance for fun” program. However, what ends up happening shows how far Kanade has to go in ballet but in a way where all three characters change in some way. Yes, three characters, as Shoko stars in this one, with her performance in the finals being really strong. Meanwhile, for Sakura, her emotions spill out when she sees how far Shoko and Kanade have come despite their first performance and while believing she’s being trained by the best.
So this volume showcases character growth that manages to be expected and yet also a surprise. Spoiler alert: after the finals, Sakura stopped showing up to her mom’s lessons. (Why yes, Kanade lost! Of course she did!) That means Kanade shows up to the “dance for fun” program not only to learn Sakura’s not there to rub it in her face, but even to learn she hasn’t been there for days? What’s going on here?
Well, it’s not too long before she learns, while attending another ballet lesson with Shoko, that Sakura’s there too, and she’s looking as great as ever. Did Sakura breaking down in front of Kanade while at the finals rattle her? Nope, the only thing that did was make her realize, and especially since she didn’t get first place, that she needs to see more from other instructors rather than just her mom to determine what’s best for her needs. Hence the surprise at how her character arc turned out.
Meanwhile, Cuvie does this while still making sure Kanade finds time to grow. Even in a class for fun Kanade manages to not only discover something new, but find out that even instructors for a class like this are great for improvement. I believe this is a case of opening your mind to new opportunities, and not only did she do that, she ran full speed ahead…which also got her taking a tumble that got all the kids mad and her pissed. So she managed to grow, Sakura managed to grow, and even Shoko grew as ballet dancers, all in a way that could make certain shounen series blush with envy.
Between that, other elements (from connections to more ballet tips to even a teaching moment) and the wonderful art, La Magnifique Grande Scene continues to be a great read. It might be a bit simple, but the threads so far are manageable, and the characters continue to be fun to root for or root against. Very much wish I hadn’t taken so much time away from this series, and looking to read more of this to see where things take these three (and plenty of others) soon.