Golden Phoenix
Welcome to Golden Phoenix, a fan site to the character Layla Hamilton from the anime Kaleido Star.
I should warn you that the information section contains a lot of spoilers on pretty much every page. You'll find a summary of the anime series and specials, information about Layla and her interaction with the other characters and some thoughts and opinions from me.
If you just want some shiny icons, wallpapers and adoptables without spoilers, head over to the media section for some goodies.
Information
Kaleido Star - A summary of the anime's first season.
Kaleido Star: New Wings - A summary of the anime's second season.
Kaleido Star OVAs and Specials - Summaries of the three special episodes and other media.
Layla - Basic information about the character Layla Hamilton.
Shows - A list of significant stage productions throughout the series.
Family - Information about Layla's parents and her relationship with them.
Yuuri - He was her partner, her enemy, her friend and posibly her boyfriend.
Sora - The newcomer who went from from rival, to partner, to friend.
People - Other important people who have somehow influenced Layla's life.
Evolution - Layla's personality, character development and the causes for her changes.
Star - Is Layla a true Kaleido Star? About her achievements and the spirit of the stage.
Phoenix - The legendary mythological bird of fire who was reborn from its ashes.
Leo - The lion of the stars linked to the birthdate of Layla, marking her path in the constelations.
Similarities - Parallels and differences between Layla and myself, how I identify with her.
Wishful Thinking - What I think should happen; ideas for unlikely alternate universe spin-offs.
Kaleido Star
Kaleido Stage Kaleido Star is an anime series about a Japanese girl named Sora, who travels to the United States to join the Kaleido Stage, pictured on the left. It is a place where circus style plays are performed; they try to tell a story with the use of different acrobatic acts.
Sora and Layla When Sora arrives, Layla, whom Sora greatly admires, is the current star of the Kaleido Stage and becomes Sora's rival, though Sora has a long way to go before she can match Layla's skill. On right is a picture of Layla walking away, while Sora tries to show her talents in her late audition. As the series progresses, Layla takes a short leave out of Kaleido Stage to film a movie, then returns to find that Sora's skills have improved enough to be a truly worthy rival. This rivalry eventually makes them become partners on stage and true friends.
Yuuri Kaleido Stage is taken over by Yuuri (left), a trapeze artist who blames the Kaleido Stage manager, Kalos, for the accident that claimed his father's life years ago. During this time most of the crew of Kaleido Stage joined Yuuri, save for a few who remained loyal to the true Kaleido Stage.
Masked Star Sora and her friends were left jobless after refusing to work for Yuuri and formed their own company called Freedom Lights to work as freelance performers. Yuuri sabotaged their contracts as revenge for not taking his side and Freedom Lights was in trouble, until a masked woman began to appear in their performances doing amazing acrobatic stunts.
Both Yuuri and Sora figured out the woman known as the Masked Star had to be Layla, who had been traveling back and forth between the United States and Europe to perform as the Masked Star, while filming a movie overseas. Yuuri forcibly revealed her identity during a competition where she tried to help Freedom Lights.
Layla's return to Kaleido Stage had high stakes. Yuuri was in control, but he was doing a poor job of managing the shows, changing the stunts to make them safer, which left the company bankrupt. Layla made a bet with Yuuri that if she and Sora could perform the Legendary Great Maneuver, he would return Kaleido Stage to Kalos. Yuuri accepted, believing they would fail as that was the same maneuver that caused his father's death.
Fool When she rose to the challenge, Layla was able to see Fool, a spirit in the form a one foot tall man with long green hair. Sora had been able to see him since the start of the series, which Fool told her meant that she was destined to become a star. Both Layla and Sora went through intensive training, during which Layla injured her right shoulder, but she hid her pain and continued the training.
Sora and Layla Fool, the spirit of the stage, revealed the secrets of the Legendary Great Maneuver to Sora and Layla after their training was complete and they performed it on stage. Layla could no longer hide her injury but went on with the performance anyway, knowing that it would have dire consequences. The show was a great success, which impressed Yuuri and made him realize he was wrong to blame Kalos and seek revenge. It also caught the attention of one of Kaleido Stage's past investors, who bought Kaleido Stage and reinstated Kalos as the manager, allowing the crew to return to their jobs.
Layla revealed that she would no longer be able to perform at Kaleido Stage because of her worsened injury and entrusted her dream to Sora, who tearfully accepted. But like a phoenix, Layla would rise again.
Kaleido Star: New Wings
May During the second season of the anime, Layla's role was much smaller than in the first, since she was no longer part of the Kaleido Stage crew, instead acting in Broadway plays. She invited Sora to participate in one of her plays, though her true intention was to once again compete with Sora. Even if Sora's current rival, May Wong (left), also Layla's admirer, joined them on stage, Layla was disappointed that she no longer felt a competitive edge from Sora. She was also surprised that she could still see Fool, who had tagged along with Sora.
Leon Later, Layla visited Kaleido Stage to offer them a pass for the Circus Festival, an intense competition that she won three years ago, granting her consecutive invitations to return. Those invitations were transferable, meaning she could recommend someone to go in her place. Kaleido Stage had hired Leon Oswald (right), a famous trapeze artist from France to help bring in more of an audience after Layla left; Sora and May auditioned to become Leon's partner at the Circus Festival. May won easily, since Sora was unable to trust Leon as her partner.
Though Layla expressed her disappointment in Sora, she knew Sora wouldn't give up and called Yuuri, who had since gone to study in Europe, explaining the situation. Since Yuuri was Layla's partner when they won three years prior, he had another pass which he could use to enter the Circus Festival with Sora. They participated, but Sora withdrew in the middle of their performance because she didn't like the harsh competition and the bitterness it caused between the contestants. Layla was very disappointed and considered Sora unworthy of carrying out her dream.
It was said that when a true star is on stage, the hearts of the people all around become one and there is no more bitterness between them. Following that dream, Sora continued to work at Kaleido Stage until Leon chouse her as his partner. Sora worked hard to perfect the Angel's Maneuver with Leon, but Layla still considered her unworthy and decided to challenge her.
Layla Despite her shoulder injury which she was thought to be unable to recover from enough to perform, Layla trained and mastered the Angel's Maneuver, performing it in an audition with Yuuri versus Sora and Leon. Though Layla's performance was perfect, in the end she admitted Sora's was better, because Sora captured the hearts of the audience and made Layla want to watch her perform. Layla told Sora it would be her duty to face her opponents until her time as Kaleido Stage's star ended.
At the official performance, Layla was in the audience. Fool appeared before her, bowed and faded away. Layla interpreted this as her role being over.
Kaleido Star: OVAs and Specials
Extra Stage: Layla's role was very minor in this OVA as it centered around Rossetta, who became able to see Fool along with Sora. It was revealed that Layla was training with her childhood friend Macquarie, who wanted to act in Broadway.
Gloriosa Lilies Legend of Phoenix: Layla was to act as the Phoenix in a Broadway play, while Sora was playing the Phoenix at Kaleido Stage, but both were having trouble becoming satisfied with their own performances. In hopes of finding what was missing, Layla set out on a journey by bicycle to spend some time alone thinking. She performed acrobatics along the way, showing that she had not neglected her training.
Layla remembered she used to be a crybaby when she was little until her mother passed away and she was determined to never cry again. In the end, she decided to accept that side of herself and gained the confidence to perform as the Phoenix, which had been her mother's favorite mythological creature. It was also revealed that Layla's favorite flowers are the Gloriosa Lilies, which her mother liked since they resembled a Phoenix.
Layla It's Good! Good!: This was a silly little episode with chibi versions of the characters. Unlike the rest of the anime, this episode was computer animated. They sang, danced, juggled and May gave them cooking lessons. Layla lacked cooking skills, but was determined to learn something.
Wings of the Future: This isn't really an OVA but I wanted to write a little note about it anyway. Wings of the Future is the Kaleido Stage manga sequel which started being serialized on Shonen Fang, but was discontinued when they stopped publishing the magazine. Because of this, very little is known about it. From what I could gather, five chapters were published and the story took place fifteen years after the anime. It centered on Sora's little sister Yume, who had just joined Kaleido Stage. Layla role in the manga, if she was intended to have any in later chapters, remains unknown.
Mr. Policeman's Amazing Wedding: A light novel that as the title says is about the wedding of Sora's friend Jerry, who is a police officer. I have been unable to find further information about this, but if I ever find a translation, I'll type up a decent summary.
Layla
Layla Layla Hamilton was a very successful performer at Kaleido Stage, who mastered various acrobatic feats. As the only daughter of Mr. Hamilton, who owned a chain of hotels and investments of various kinds, she grew up in a rich environment. She used to be a crybaby as a child, speaking her mind, becoming easily upset and clinging to her mother, Rola. She changed after her mother's death to become strong and independent.
Layla and Rola Layla greatly cared for her father, though they had become somewhat distant over the years. Eventually he came to understand her and they became close. One of her favorite childhood memories was seeing Alice in Wonderland at Kaleido Stage. It was one of the rare moments she could spend with both her parents as her father worked a lot and her mother was often hospitalized.
Inspired by Kaleido Stage, Layla grew up to be its next star. A newcomer, Sora, became her rival, though Layla was a step ahead. Eventually, Sora caught up to her, becoming her friend and partner for the Kaleido Stage performances.
Layla Layla achieved true stardom, performing an acrobatic feat thought to be impossible, the Legendary Great Maneuver. She was injured during the harsh training to prepare for it, but she continued despite knowing it would have consequences further complicating her injury. This was her last performance at Kaleido Stage and afterwards she went on to become an actress in Broadway. She returned to Kaleido Stage to challenge Sora again, until she was satisfied with Sora's performance, then went back to Broadway and continued her acting career.
The name Layla means "dark beauty" or "born at night". She was voiced by Sayaka Ohara in Japanese and Sandra Krasa in English.
Shows
This page has information about the different stage productions that took place during the series and Layla's role in them.
Alice in Wonderland: This was the show Layla went to see with her parents as a child. She was enchanted by Kaleido Stage and inspired to join.
Layla Layla Romeo and Juliet: When the series began, this was Kaleido Stage's current production, with Layla as Juliet and Yuuri as Romeo. The last scene featured Layla's Golden Phoenix, an acrobatic stunt which involved jumping from a spinning trapeze and posing in the air as a phoenix, before joining Yuuri on the next trapeze.
It was also the Golden Phoenix which brought Layla and Yuuri their victory when they performed at the Circus Festival. This is one of Layla's most well known costumes consisting of a white suit with golden stripes, red top, long red sleeves and long translucent red fabric. She also wears a pair of white feathers on her head.
Layla Layla Layla Cinderella: Layla played the title character doing a show on a trampoline and tossing a baton shaped as Cinderella's broom. Then she did a trapeze show with Yuuri, who played the prince, for the ball scene and ending. She had different costumes for each part of the play. On the left is Cinderella's peasant costume, an orange dress with a red apron, it was a relatively simple costume.
Layla Layla Layla On the right is the ball costume, Layla has the long skirt when she goes on stage after the fairy godmothers finish their trampoline act. The skirt falls apart into flower petals as she jumps and the next pictures are the final Cinderella costume, a pale sky blue suit with white decorations, a long pant on the left and a long white boot on the right. She has white angel wings on her back and a sky blue flower bud crown on her head with a red feather in the middle.
Layla The Little Mermaid: Layla played the title character one year prior to the start of the series. When Kaleido Stage brought back the production due to its past success, an investor expressed interest in seeing someone new perform. Layla temporarily left to act in a movie and Sora played the mermaid.
The mermaid costume was the same for both of them. It consisted of a golden crown, white bra, yellow gloves, a yellow tail with blue stripes and a mint green belt. During the scenes where the mermaid becomes human, the tail is replaced with a white skirt.
Layla and Sora Layla and Sora Arabian Nights: This show's last scene featured a battle on a tight rope, on a ship model that moved to simulate the waves, with fire effects under the ship. It brought out Layla's true competitive spirit as she trained with Sora out at sea, by having a real fight on a tight rope on a ship during a storm. Her costume was fairly simple, consisting of a black top, white pants, a white bandana and a long red coat.
Layla and Sora Sora, Layla and Mia Freedom: This was the last show before Yuuri's takeover; he had recruited most of the Kaleido Stage performers, leaving them with a very small cast. This show was about two tribes that were at war, but found similarities in each other and realized they had to work together to achieve their dreams. Layla and Sora played the leaders of each tribe.
Layla's costume consisted of a black top, khaki pants and a white fur cape. After the show, as the cast received the audience's applause, Layla joined hands with Sora (her costar) and Mia (the play writer, also a performer). This acknowledgement surprised them since they admired Layla so much.
Layla Legendary Great Maneuver: This wasn't really part of a story as much as it was an attempt to accomplish something previously thought to be impossible. The training involved various exercises using only the right arm, rope climbing, being tied to a cliff-side by a long rope and pushing off the cliff as high as possible. Layla injured her right shoulder when she crashed into the cliff, but went on with the training. Finally, there was jumping from a trapeze, pushing off a log tied in mid air without holding on to it and jumping back to the same trapeze.
Layla and Sora Layla The maneuver itself was about two people jumping off opposing trapezes and joining hands in mid air, then pushing against each other's hands, hard enough to be sent back to the trapeze from where they came. Layla performed it despite her injured shoulder, which she seriously damaged because of this. She claimed to be satisfied with this as her last Kaleido Stage show, having received what she called "the best applause" and the satisfaction that her father watched her perform.
Layla's costume for the Legendary Great Maneuver was a white suit with a blue sun on the right hip, one pant-leg on the left, a yellow moon and star on the left thigh, a long boot on the right, a long sleeve on the right and a feathery collar. She also wore a feather hairclip.
Swan Lake: After being disappointed by Sora, Layla auditioned for the role of the main character, Odette, having sent her maids to spy on Sora so she could come up with a more rigorous training for herself.
Layla The Angel's Maneuver was not as complicated as the Legendary Great Maneuver; it was about jumping very high and posing like an angel in the air. There were also multiple trapezes available and it was more about aim and balance, instead of strength and synchronization. Since this was only an audition, her costume was very simple consisting of a pale sky blue dress and shoes with white tights.
Layla Salome in Vegas: This show, unlike the others listed before, did not take place in Kaleido Stage. It was a play in Broadway where Layla acted as Salome. Layla costume for Salome was a black bra, red skirt, flowing red fabric and golden jewelry.
Salome was a dancer who was loved by a rich man she refused, despite him promising to give her all she wanted. What Salome really wanted was another man she had fallen in love with, but in the end that man was killed by the one she refused.
Layla Layla Layla Phoenix: This was another Broadway play. Though everyone was wowed by her performance, Layla wasn't satisfied and set off to figure out what was missing. She returned after having done some thinking about her past and was able to play the Phoenix. Layla's costume was a black top, long back pants and a feathery red scarf. She decided to have Sora cut her hair right before the play, which hints that the fire wings might have been Layla's idea, so she would need to keep her hair out of the way.
Family
As a child, Layla was very attached to her mother, Rola, and would cry and get angry when she was hospitalized. Rola's health was fragile and Layla would complain about her broken promises to get well and go home. After her mother passed away, Layla decided to stop being a crybaby for her father's sake and promised herself never to cry or sadden her father.
As she grew, Layla's relationship with her father started to lack communication. He wanted to give her enough love for himself and his deceased wife by showering her with material things and Layla didn't want to disappoint him by voicing what she really felt. She wanted to make him proud and pretended to accept his gifts, saying that's how he showed he cares, albeit she just wanted his attention.
Mr. Hamilton did what he thought was best for his daughter, for example paying celebrities and new talents to go to her birthday parties to give her publicity and social standing, though he didn't attend the parties himself. Layla pretended to appreciate the parties so as to not disappoint her father, but secretly cancelled them every year, instead using the time to train.
note When Sora found out about the cancellations, she called Mr. Hamilton and told him the truth, begging him to visit Layla on her birthday. He refused, saying he was too busy, but faxed a note which Sora placed inside a card on a cake she and her friends baked for Layla. Layla refused the cake at first, not in the mood to celebrate her birthday, but Sora insisted that she should at least read the note from her father.
Though Layla declined to read the note at first, she later sent her maid to get the cake, claiming she would accept it since they took the trouble to bake it. At her house, Layla opened the note to find it was a scan and smiled recognizing her father's handwriting. The note read: "Happy Birthday! Layla Forever sparkling star of my heart! My little Kaleido Star."
Masked Star Layla and her father Layla's father wasn't pleased with her chosen career as a performer at Kaleido Stage and wished for Layla to be a movie actress, albeit Layla preferred live audiences. When Yuuri took over Kaleido Stage and Layla refused to work for him, Mr. Hamilton was happy that she started acting in a movie instead. He was a judge at the competition where Layla appeared as the Masked Star to join Freedom Lights' performers and answer to Yuuri's challenge. He was very disappointed when Yuuri suddenly jumped on stage and removed her mask revealing her identity.
After Layla performed the Legendary Great Maneuver with Sora, she was surprised to find that her father had been watching. He finally understood why Kaleido Stage meant so much to Layla and congratulated her, amazed by her performance. Thus, father and daughter finally had their happy ending.
Yuuri
Yuuri Yuuri Killian goes from partner to enemy to friend in the course of the series. He was Layla's partner for various shows and competitions including the Circus Festival, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella and the Swan Lake audition. Yuuri became Layla's enemy when he took over Kaleido Stage and later challenged her by letting her know he was aware of her secret identity as the Masked Star.
Romeo and Juliet After Yuuri was impressed by Layla and Sora's Legendary Great Maneuver and let go of his thirst for revenge, they went their separate ways, living in different countries, Layla in the United States and Yuuri in France, but they remained friends.
Cinderella While they were partners, Yuuri sometimes drove Layla to Kaleido Stage and other places. After the shows, they left in a limousine along with Kalos. Since they were often seen together, they could be perceived as couple, but I don't think it was official.
When Yuuri finally made his move to take over Kaleido Stage, Layla mentioned she suspected he was up to something and showed that distrust had been present for some time, however, before then, up to the last show before the takeover, they spent a lot of time together. I think they liked each other.
Slap Yuuri drove Layla to Kaleido Stage for the final performance of Freedom, reminding her that it was her last. Layla argued that it would not be her last performance unless she chouse it to be. If they were on their way to a relationship before, Yuuri's Kaleido Stage takeover marked the end of that road, at least for the time being. Layla even slapped Yuuri hard during one of their arguments over Kaleido Stage.
After Yuuri took over Kaleido Stage he wanted Layla to work for him, but she refused. During a conversation Layla had with her father about the future of her career, he mentioned he knew she couldn't resist working for Yuuri. This showed that Mr. Hamilton thought there was something going on between them, albeit Layla quickly denied the possibility of working for Yuuri.
Though Yuuri firmly stated his belief that Layla and Sora would fail to perform the Legendary Great Maneuver, he expressed his wishes to perform the maneuver with Layla. This showed that he thought their failure would be due to Sora and had confidence in Layla's skills. He was also willing to take the risk performing the maneuver with Layla, despite a failed attempt having been the cause of his father's death years ago.
Layla is a very strong and independent woman who doesn't take betrayal lightly, but is also capable of forgiveness. At the point where New Wings ends, I don't think she would offer Yuuri more than friendship for the time being, though she forgave him for all the trouble he directly and indirectly caused. Even so, he would have to truly prove himself beyond a doubt to earn a chance at being more than friends; but I think that with time he has possibilities.
Despite his initial decision to leave the United States and study drama in France at the end of the first season, his interaction with Layla, Sora and even Kalos during the second season showed that he had been forgiven. Layla contacted Yuuri and asked him to partner with Sora at the Circus Festival; he complied, revealing to Sora that Layla had asked him to do this.
Yuuri Later, while Layla prepared for the Swan Lake audition, Yuuri and Kalos talked about how it would be seen if Layla won the role of Odette and returned to Kaleido Stage. She had left "at a brilliant note" and could be seen as greedily seeking the spotlight if she suddenly returned, despite having retired from Kaleido Stage to act in Broadway. They commented that she would be received "with thunderous applause" or "be laughed off the stage" and Yuuri mentioned that if it came to that, he would be there to endure it with her.
Yuuri Yuuri is a complex character at first driven by his desire for vengeance and later by guilt. It was revealed that during the Circus Festival that he and Layla won three year prior to the series, Yuuri asked Sophie, Leon's sister, to meet him. Yuuri never intended to show up showed and things took a turn for the worse when Sophie was hit by a truck while rushing back to the competition and taken to the hospital conscious but in critical condition.
Leon believed it to be an accident at first and begged Yuuri to see Sophie at the hospital so she wouldn't die feeling betrayed by someone she admired. Yuuri refused, since he needed to participate in the Circus Festival and Leon held a grudge against him.
Yuuri This event didn't seem to matter much to Yuuri while he was caught up in plotting his vengeance, but after changing his ways inspired by the Legendary Great Maneuver, he felt guilty and blamed himself for Sophie's death. He tried to atone by challenging Leon to a dangerous sword fight on the trapeze, purposely insulting him so that he would not hold back.
Sora intervened, saving Yuuri from being seriously injured and possibly killed by Leon, although it was Layla who had the final word in making Yuuri realize his sacrifice would be in vain. Layla seriously told Yuuri this wouldn't change anything and got through to him.
After the Swan Lake audition, where Yuuri was Layla's partner, Yuuri had a short conversation with Leon, where he revealed that the Angel's Maneuver could be performed by one person and they were only there for support. He mentions that even the strongest woman might sometimes want a shoulder to lean on.
Yuuri and Layla Yuuri and Layla Albeit Yuuri only appears in flashbacks in the Legend of Phoenix special, maybe after some time passes there is still hope for this couple. Personally, I think they're good together, they've had their ups and downs in the past, but Yuuri changed his ways and Layla forgave him. After some time passes, they have a good chance to work things out as more than friends, they just need to build trust again.
Sora
Sora When Sora Naegino (left) and Layla first met, Sora was late to her audition for Kaleido Stage and Layla refused to give her a chance to try out, though Sora was allowed to stay and watch the show. A trampoline artist was injured when Sora clumsily tried to help her backstage, it was nothing serious, but she couldn't appear on the show which was about to start.
Having witnessed Sora's talent when she apprehended a thief who tried to steal her luggage on the street, Kalos suggested her as a replacement. Her first performance was a little clumsy since she had no trampoline experience and Yuuri had to step in to save her from crashing at the end. Layla was not pleased with any of that.
Sora was allowed to stay in Kaleido Stage despite not having done the auditions, which brought her a sour attitude from the others, especially Layla, who challenged Sora to master the Golden Phoenix or leave Kaleido Stage. Though Sora was unable to perfectly perform the Golden Phoenix and fell into the net, Layla recognized her effort and how far she came in such a short time, conceding to Sora's performance being close enough to the Golden Phoenix.
Sora's learning process continued while Layla remained ahead. When Sora was upset about making a mistake during Cinderella, Layla gave her no pity, this drove Sora to try harder to improve and her admiration for Layla didn't waver. While Layla took a temporary leave to act in a movie, Sora continued to improve playing the title character in The Little Mermaid and Layla returned to find herself paired with Sora for the next production: Arabian Nights.
Layla and Sora It was during their training for Arabian Nights that Layla and Sora truly began to connect, with Layla finally seeing Sora as a worthy rival. At first when they rehearsed, Layla decided that Sora should adapt to her pace, but realized that wouldn't work and instead decided to make the final scene a real battle between them. They also maintained their connection when they performed Freedom.
When Layla appeared as the Masked Star, Sora knew right away it had to be her, despite all evidence pointing to Layla being in a different continent at the time. Sora recognized Layla's moves and Layla trusted Sora to be able to improvise a performance with her.
During their training for the Legendary Great Maneuver, Layla was always ahead, which left Sora feeling she wasn't good enough to be Layla's partner. Layla wasn't too supportive with words, but she tried to do everything she could to make the feat easier for Sora.
Even before Fool revealed what the Legendary Great Maneuver was, Layla figure it out because of the training and began to try to lose weight so that she would weight the same as Sora, despite being a head taller, to be more balanced and improve their chances of success.
Layla Due to her harsh diet, Layla lost her focus during her cliff-side training and smashed her shoulder against the cliff on the way down. She pretended to be alright and continued training despite the pain. Sora was upset when she found out Layla was dieting and hiding her injury, despite their promise not to keep secrets from each other.
Sora Right after the Legendary Great Maneuver was done, Sora overheard Layla telling her father that she would not be able to perform at Kaleido Stage anymore. She took this as a harsh blow, crying because her idol would no longer perform or share the same stage with her. Layla calmed her by asking her to be her dream and carry on for her at Kaleido Stage.
May and Sora During the second season, Sora was overjoyed to see Layla again when she was invited to Broadway to participate in the play Salome in Vegas with Layla. Sora and May, who followed her, were cast to play a representation of Salome's emotions, doing acrobatic dancing at the same time as Layla danced as Salome. Sora and May were given the chance to play the part how they wanted, but they were unable to steal the audience's attention from Layla, failing to give her the competition she wanted.
The contrast between Layla and Sora became clearer. Layla was competitive while Sora strongly disliked competition and had a hard time dealing with it. After Layla was disappointed by Sora dropping out of the Circus Festival, she regretted entrusting her with her dream and once again became her greatest rival. Layla competed with Sora for the role of Odette in Swan Lake doing the Angel's Maneuver. Watching Sora perform, Layla recognized her talent.
Thanks to Layla, Sora learned to handle competition better, understood why it was sometimes necessary and finally gained the confidence and inspiration to perform a perfect Angel's Maneuver. After Sora won the Swan Lake audition, she continued to admire Layla greatly, asking if she could still be her dream, but Layla encouraged her to follow her own dream, instead saying Sora was her "pride and joy."
People
This page will talk about other people aside from her parents, partners and rivals, who are significant to Layla. She doesn't interact too much with most of the cast, though it is continuously stated that they admire her.
Kalos Layla holds a friendly professional relationship with Kalos (left), he values her advice and listens to what she has to say about what should or shouldn't be done in Kaleido Stage's performances. They had a disagreement in that Kalos allowed Sora to stay in Kaleido Stage, while Layla initially wanted her to leave. In the end, Layla understood why Kalos had so much confidence in Sora.
Macquarie Despite her relatively small role in the anime, Macquarie (right) was a significant character in Layla's life. She was the daughter of one of the maids who worked for the Hamilton family when Layla was little. They grew up together becoming childhood friends. Later, Macquarie became Layla's maid and her confidant who sew the Masked Star costume, managed her schedule and kept her informed, so that Layla could travel between Europe and the United States filming a movie and secretly performing as the Masked Star.
At the end of the second season, Macquarie resigns working as a maid in the Hamilton mansion, instead requesting to go to Broadway with Layla to follow her dream of becoming a performer. Layla agrees and helps Macquarie train. Though they now live as friends, Macquarie continues to assist Layla as she always has.
Cathy Cathy (left) is Layla's manager as a Broadway actress. She's headstrong and direct, as is Layla. In spite of that, and surprisingly because of that, they get along well. Cathy doesn't hold back when it comes to criticizing something she doesn't like about a performance and Layla appreciates the challenge this brings her as an actress.
May May (right) arrived at Kaleido Stage during the second season, becoming Sora's new rival. She greatly admired Layla and it had been her dream to perform on stage with her. This dream came true when she and Sora performed with Layla in Broadway in the play Salome in Vegas. Later, Layla gave May a special training which, more than just acting lessons, was an attempt to help May put more emotion and intensity into her performance by regaining her own smile.
Evolution
Layla This page will take a closer look at the evolution of Layla's character and her personality. When she was little, Layla was kind of spoiled. She cried easily and spoke her mind, making a fuss whenever she was upset, and she got upset over practically every little thing.
The way she acted as a child was to be expected if we consider her background as the only daughter of a rich couple. Layla must have been raised to be proper and polite, hence why she didn't take a high and mighty attitude with the mansion staff, instead treating them as equal human beings. Albeit, she was also given everything she wanted and was sheltered from the hardships of the world, thus making her sensitive and loudly expressive of her emotions.
The young Layla must have had trouble understanding why things didn't always turn out well and it frustrated her to tears when life didn't go exactly as she wanted, especially with her mother being hospitalized often. She was surrounded by kindness, so not being able to have what she wanted was a disappointment young Layla was not used to dealing with.
Layla When her mother died, Layla realized that she couldn't always get what she wanted by crying and regretted her behavior, which had caused her parents to worry about her. That was the first major change in Layla's character. Layla received a rude awakening, realizing that things in the world would not always turn out how she wanted and she experienced a sudden personal growth, becoming much more mature after losing her mother and having decided not to sadden her father again.
Layla's mother, Rola, passed away with her last few memories being of her daughter crying sad and angry, because she could not keep her promise of getting better and going home. As any small child, Layla looked to her parents for support and seeing her father's sadness, realizing he was worried not only about Rola, but perhaps more so about how her approaching death confirmed by the doctors would affect Layla, she felt guilty.
Layla Layla thought of herself as a burden to those who had been kind to her and she did not want to feel that way about anyone again. She was driven not only to become more serious, strong and independent, but also changed the way she interacted with the people around her. She made friends, but she felt bad if she realized she was relying on them.
Layla continued to be opinionated towards most people, except her father whom she wished to please. Albeit she didn't want to rely on others, she still interacted with other people as long as they didn't show weakness. Layla had learned that people don't always get what they want in life, and she was bothered by those who complained about it, seeking comfort and reliance in others and being a burden, this was how she viewed Sora at first.
It was when Sora proved herself to be talented and strong that Layla began to open up to her. Perhaps she subconsciously felt identified with Sora, the girl who had learned to be strong, just as Layla had. They shared many things in common, such as having lost a parent (both in Sora's case) and having been inspired by the Alice in Wonderland show at Kaleido Stage as children. These parallels helped Layla become close friends with Sora, having found someone with whom she shared so much, though she didn't consciously realize it right away.
Macquarie and Layla Despite Layla's strong dislike for those who relied on others and were unable to take care of themselves; she found herself helping Freedom Lights after Yuuri's take over of Kaleido Stage. This was also an important part of Layla's evolution, she did not want others making sacrifices for her, but she made sacrifices for her friends. As the Masked Star, Layla was in the role where others stood with her, giving kindness not because of an obligation, but because they wanted to.
When she performed the Legendary Great Maneuver, Layla did it not only for Kaleido Stage and Sora, but for herself and was satisfied with the outcome. Yet it was the journey more so than the goal that brought her the most character growth.
Layla still disliked Sora's moments of weakness, even if she had build a lot of trust with Sora. Though she wasn't quite as harsh as she used to be, Layla didn't offer words of comfort. Yet, differently from what she would have done in the past before becoming close to Sora, Layla secretly took it upon herself to make things work. She didn't wish to be a burden to anyone, but ended up trying to carry the weight of those who had become important to her.
I believe the reason for Layla deciding to work harder in secret during the Legendary Great Maneuver training was because she didn't want Sora to feel like a burden, since Layla knew how bad that felt. Sora doubted herself and Layla wanted her to find her own strength by herself, thinking it was the only way Sora could find true strength.
Sora was upset that Layla was pushing herself so hard and I think that in retrospect this event helped Layla realize that those who gave her kindness would feel better if she accepted it and didn't think of herself as a burden. In the Legend of Phoenix special, Layla thought of her past and realized that it was okay to make the reliance between friends mutual, after having experienced being on both sides of the situation giving and receiving.
To be reborn as a new person meant to be complete and to accept all the aspects of herself. Layla finally let go of her guilt and allowed herself to move on without thinking she was being a burden if she openly accepted kindness, which she realized she had been receiving even if she did not ask for it. An example of this is how Macquarie would make sure there was always a pot of Gloriosa Lilies flowers in Layla's residence, a sign of reassurance and hope, since the flowers looked like the Phoenix. Layla had not realized it was Macquarie taking care of the flowers all those years, until she became more perceptive of her environment by becoming more accepting of herself.
Layla After spending so much time striving to be the best, to achieve what she wanted and to please and protect the few special people who were important to her, Layla finally allowed herself to relax. She became more insightful and aware of the details around her since she didn't put so much pressure on herself. She also became more expressive, without the extremes of her childhood, but allowing her thoughts to show on her face a little more.
Layla is a hard-worker, independent and stubborn. She sets high goals for herself, which she relentlessly pursues. As they say "you are your own worse critic." When the constant hard work finally caught up to her, she stepped back and gave herself some breathing room out of necessity. That time off made her realize she had what it took to keep moving forward as a person after all, she just had to let herself relax a little more.
Star
Layla In the beginning of the series Layla was already considered a star, recognized for her acrobatic skills, grace and elegance. She loved to please the audience though she didn't connect too much with the other performers, albeit they still admired her. Layla finally found someone who challenged her with the arrival of Sora. Thanks to the friendship they formed, Layla began to acknowledge the other performers.
When Yuuri and Layla competed in the Circus Festival in the past, in the original version of Golden Phoenix maneuver, after Layla jumped and posed as the phoenix in mid air, Yuuri was supposed to catch her on the next trapeze. However, she told him they would change it so that he would simply wait for her and she would grab on to the trapeze herself. This would make the move more challenging since her jump needed more altitude, Yuuri suggested doing it as they practiced, but Layla revealed that she had already mastered the Golden Phoenix alone. This not only helped make the move more impressive and contributed to their victory, but it also showed Layla's desire not to depend on others.
Sora and Layla Opening up to Sora who had proven to be a worthy rival marked an important part of Layla's evolution. It was during their training for Arabian Nights that they became close. Layla's change became more apparent when they performed Freedom and Layla joined hands with her fellow performers, openly acknowledging them, as the audience applauded.
Sora and Layla Layla went to the rescue appearing as the Masked Star in Freedom Lights' performances, showing that she cared for her friends and worried about how they would manage to support themselves when Yuuri took over Kaleido Stage. This also showed her ability to fearlessly improvise acrobatic stunts.
It is clear throughout the entire series that Layla is an inspiration to many people and had a strong influence in their lives. Her evolution continued when she finally came to terms with her past in Legend of Phoenix, recognizing her strengths and weaknesses to be able to move forward.
Layla is talented, brings inspiration and has the capability to evolve; this is part of what makes her a star. So what about Fool? Sora was able to see Fool right away because she not only loved to perform and please the audience, but also connected with the audience and her fellow performers.
It was when Layla realized how much she cared for Kaleido Stage and truly worked as a team with the other performers that she was able to see Fool. She had the talent all along; she just needed to focus more on the other elements of the show, realizing it didn't depend only on her performance.
Sora and Layla Layla was able to figure out what the Legendary Great Maneuver was, deducing it from the training. Sora mentioned that while she had Layla to look up to, Layla had to find her path on her own.
At the Swan Lake show when Layla was in the audience, Fool bowed to her and faded away, signifying the end of her role. Fool didn't simply become invisible to Layla, he gave her his goodbye. This means Layla didn't really stop being a star, she didn't became unable to see Fool as one who gives up would, but rather she completed her part in guiding the next star and in that sense no longer had a reason to see him.
Layla was the star first, though she didn't fully realize her potential until she came to appreciate all the aspects of the show including the other performers. She guided Sora to become the new star and then it became Sora's turn to guide Rosetta, who was able to see Fool after he disappeared for Layla. This is a chain that's destined to continue with the dream of becoming a star being passed on from one person to another.
Phoenix
Layla The Phoenix is a mythological bird said to be reborn from its ashes, which parallels Layla's story. The Phoenix appears in various mythologies, including Persian, Chinese, Egyptian and Greek mythology. It is said to be a fire spirit that lives from five-hundred to a thousand years.
The color of its feathers varies from one version of the myth to another; the most common are the fiery colors of red, gold and similar shades. At the end of its life, the Phoenix is consumed by fire until only ashes are left, from which a new Phoenix or a Phoenix egg is born.
Rola and Layla The main theme associated with the Phoenix is rebirth, which has a clear connection with Layla's character. It was because the Phoenix could rise from its ashes that it was Rola's favorite mythological creature as she wished to overcome her illness like the Phoenix. Her liking for the Phoenix brought Rola to frequently read about it to Layla when she was little. After her mother's death, Layla was reborn as a stronger person, deciding that she will no longer cry.
Another change occurred in Layla years later, when Sora arrived to become her rival. This caused Layla to experience personal and professional growth and be reborn as a better performer.
After the Legendary Great Maneuver, which worsened her shoulder injury and made her leave Kaleido Stage, Layla once again found the motivation to perform on stage as an actress, though her plays still involved some acrobatic moves.
When she doubted Sora's ability and determination to succeed her at Kaleido Stage, Layla returned to challenge her. She mastered the Angel's Maneuver, despite her past injury and was finally able to leave Kaleido Stage without regrets when Sora proved to be a worthy successor.
Layla Layla In Legend of Phoenix Layla wanted to be reborn as a person, setting off by herself in a bicycle and performing acrobatics on the street to earn money after she left the few possessions she brought along unguarded and was robbed. She continued her journey and was caught in a storm that reminded her of her training with Sora before performing Arabian Nights and made her realize she had been looking at the past instead of the future.
Advised by an old couple who allowed her to take shelter in their trailer, Layla decided to start over in order to be reborn by accepting the past self she left behind in her desire to be stronger. Having found new determination, to celebrate this rebirth, Layla asked Sora to give her a haircut.
Leo
Fool During the first season of Kaleido Star, Fool uses tarot cards to predict the possible outcome of Sora's continuous trials. In the second season he uses astrology, often speaking of Sagittarius (Sora) and Leo (Layla).
Leo The sign of Leo is associated with the element of fire and the Sun. It encompasses the dates between July 22 to August 23. Some of the traits linked to Leo which apply to Layla are her determination and persistence. She strived to be the best performer, mastering difficult acrobatic feats to do so. She is a powerful person, who has proven to be strong both mentally and physically, earning the admiration of those around her.
Leo can be stubborn, a quality that is also present in Layla as she did not easily accept Sora, Kaleido Stage's end or even her own injury. She kept moving forward no matter what and chased after her goals even if the odds were against her.
Layla Considered to be opinionated, the sign of Leo fits Layla well. She was kind of blunt in telling Sora when she's being weak or has made a bad performance. Other moments that show this quality were when she insisted to Kalos that Sora should not be allowed to perform in Kaleido Stage, when she told Yuuri her last performance would be when she decided it was the last and when she told Yuuri his sacrifice if he was injured by Leon, would not change the past.
In summary, Layla stood up to all the challenges that came her way as a performer and as a person, actively working to overcome them with the ferocity of a lion.
Similarities
Layla At first glance we're as different as night and day, but I can identify with Layla's character in many aspects, though we are quite different in others. I'm not an acrobat or gymnast; I'm pretty much a couch potato. But just as Layla knows she has talent, recognizing it with confidence without being a show off, I know I'm smart and no one can tell me otherwise.
In the beginning of the series, Layla truly had no equal and she didn't pretend she did, not willing to recognize others simply because they said they were trying their best, unless they truly accomplished something. I do that too and like Layla, I'm not easy to impress. Both Layla and I are not people to be taken for granted. I might have been your best friend yesterday, but if you seriously disappoint me today, you might find me as your rival tomorrow.
Layla Layla is a sincere person who has the courage to speak bluntly when needed, which is something I admire. Layla can also be supportive if her support has been earned. Some situations in real life demand tact, as the drama that would be produced by a lack of tact would be more troublesome than the process of rephrasing what needs to be said to make it nicer, but I always feel annoyed if I do that and prefer to tell it like it is; I also want the same honesty in return.
Unfortunately, people who can talk and listen without sugarcoating are a rarity. Most people want to be acknowledged simply because they exist, that's not enough, it has to be earned. This does not mean that we lack "public relations mode", both Layla and I have that, but neither of us enjoys using it, despite being able to put on a good act.
Even if she grew up in riches, Layla is not hypocritical or snobbish. I didn't grow up in a mansion like she did, though that would have been awesome. I don't think I would have turned out as hardworking as Layla, but I've never really cared about social standing and I don't think I would have either way. Layla is not one of those rich characters obsessed with class and social standing; she treated her maid and childhood friend Macquarie as a friend rather than a servant, thanking her for the continuous help instead of taking it as it simply being Macquarie's job. People also had to prove themselves to her, rather than relying on their title or recommendations, which is something we share.
Layla Layla also mentioned that since she left Kaleido Stage and began to act in Broadway, instead of acting in more movies, people had started thinking her fame was yesterday's news, though those who actually saw the plays were driven to give her a standing ovation. About those who spoke less of her she said "you know that's never bothered me." Layla is perceptive enough to know her own worth and recognize her strengths and weaknesses. She pursues her own goals, instead of centering herself on what people will say. Honestly, I had always found it pathetic when someone gets so caught up in what people think about them that they don't consider what they think of themselves.
At first I got the impression that Layla would stubbornly pursue her goals no matter what, where I will stubbornly pursue my goals as long as I believe they are worth it, but it turns out Layla has some of that too. Though she can be stubborn and reckless at times, she does think things through and decides beforehand if she's willing to face the consequences, going through with the action if she believes it's worth it. The biggest example of this was the Legendary Great Maneuver, which marked her last formal performance at Kaleido Stage, she expected those consequences.
Layla Layla also temporarily left Kaleido Stage at the time Sora starred in The Little Mermaid during Layla's absence. That time Layla decided that making her father happy by acting in a movie was more important, though she returned, having concluded that her wish to perform at Kaleido Stage and face Sora was too strong to ignore. She had to make choices and was aware of their consequences, being able to reorder her priorities if needed.
Though Layla did not return to Kaleido Stage for a long time after the Legendary Great Maneuver, her unfinished business feeling she had left without a worthy successor was finally enough to make her go back for one last competition. The risk must be worth it and when she decides it is, for something truly important to her, Layla will charge in full force.
This aspect is seen again in Legend of Phoenix when Layla receives praise for her performance during the rehearsal for the play Phoenix, but warns them that the shows will be cancelled if she doesn't become satisfied with her own performance. She really wants to play the Phoenix, so she believes the effort she's putting into sorting out her thoughts is worth it, but going on with the show will not be worth it unless she can satisfy not only the audience, but also herself. The point is that she is the final judge of how far she's willing to go and for what reason, not allowing people to impose their will.
Layla The last similarity I share with Layla is not quite as deep for discussion as the previous few, we are both very inexperienced in the kitchen. Layla grew up with cooks and maids and I simply never held any interest for the kitchen.
While Layla is open to trying to cook, despite not doing it so often due to always being busy and having others to take care of it before she can even start, in contrast I don't think the effort is worth it just to feed myself. If I'm hungry anything precooked that tastes good will do. In the end, neither of us knows how to use a coffee maker, Layla might learn some day with Macquarie's coaching, but I don't like coffee anyway.
Wishful Thinking
Layla and Yuuri In Legend of Phoenix when Layla goes off in her bicycle journey to find herself and Ken drives Sora and May around as they try to find her, May mentions that she wants to think of Layla as never having worries. Sora agrees that she likes to think that too, but she understands that Layla is still human and wishes to be there for her. May's thoughts were also my thoughts regarding Layla's character. I wanted her to make a miraculous comeback despite her injury.
Layla mastered the Angel's Maneuver, which I think was more difficult than May's Demon Spiral. The Demon Spiral was a move performed having one arm on the trapeze. While it would be dangerous for Layla to strain her right shoulder, since she had even temporarily lost motion of her arm after the Legendary Great Maneuver, she could still perform with her left arm. Taking this into consideration, it's fairly certain that Layla could master the Demon Spiral if she wanted.
Layla It is my wish in practically all the series, movies and games I watch or play for the action hero to remain the action hero forever, or in this case the acrobatic star. Yet, I understand that Layla did have her reasons to leave Kaleido Stage beyond her injury.
Layla thought her sacrifice after the Legendary Great Maneuver was worth it; she accomplished the seemingly impossible and got "the best applause", which was what she wanted. She knew what was coming and was ready to accept that as her last show if it came to it, being conscious that it most likely would.
Layla The Legendary Great Maneuver had to be performed by a pair and only those capable of seeing Fool stood a chance. At the time when Layla did it, only she and Sora could see Fool. With the Legendary Great Maneuver as her greatest accomplishment, Layla had little she could do to top that performance and repeating it was not an option.
Layla could have trained herself to use her left arm for the maneuver, but she wouldn't want to make Sora train her left arm to perform it after watching Sora's struggle to master the training with her dominant arm. This left Layla without a partner with whom to attempt a second Legendary Great Maneuver.
Thinking she had done all she could do, Layla left Kaleido Stage, but later realized she still had some unfinished business, Sora had not surpassed her on the stage yet. After the Swan Lake audition, Layla mentioned that because she left the stage without being defeated, she didn't feel truly independent. Sora's ability to make Layla want to watch her perform, despite being in the process of performing herself, was what reassured Layla that she could trust Sora to continue pleasing the audience at Kaleido Stage.
Layla My wishful thinking was, and still is, for Layla to return to Kaleido Stage and perform along with Sora. I'm sure Sora would be literally jumping with joy if that happened, but it as it was symbolized by Fool and spoken by Layla herself, her role had ended. She could make great performances and wow the crowd, but what would she be chasing after? Motivation, confidence and determination are a big theme in this series, even more so then acrobatic abilities.
When it comes down to it, Layla left Kaleido Stage in a blaze of glory, the previous star burning to ashes to give way to the next one in an endless cycle like a phoenix. And like a phoenix, she was reborn in a new stage. Of course, my wishful thinking still stands the same way; I wish Layla could perform with Sora again. Even better, I wish that Layla and Yuuri could perform with Sora and Leon, with all four of them as part of the main cast.
Masked Star Another aspect of Layla's character I wish I had seen more is the Masked Star. This isn't a super hero series, but she would have made an awesome super hero. I wish for a spin-off or an alternate universe remake where the cast of Kaleido Stage are secretly super heroes. This would be different from the actual concept of the series, but I can still wish.
Yuuri Fool could be their guiding spirit, as Luna is to Sailor Moon, except with more mischief and comic relief. It wouldn't be a magical girl series; it would be more of a classic comic-book style super hero series similar to a cross between Batman and Teen Titans. Their acrobatics would be flashy, but not overly so, like a good martial arts movie. If that's too much to ask for, then just give Layla her own super hero spin-off and Yuuri can be the season one bishounen villain and season two love interest. Speaking of Yuuri Killian... more fan service please!