The Legend of the Stardust Brothers 1985

Following their performances, rival musicians, punk rocker Kan Takagi of London Boots, and new-wave artist Shingo Kubota of Super Cars, are scouted by Atomic music producer Minami Kiyohiko Ozaki, who offers a large sum of money to sign them. He promises that he can make them both stars within a week, but they must perform as a duo. Despite not being able to stand each other, they accept the offer, ditching both their bands, and are transformed into the synth-pop duo, Stardust Brothers. They quickly rise to fame, landing a top-charting single and enjoying widespread commercial success. Alongside them, Marimo Kyôko Togawa, their number one fan and the president of their fan club, dreams of becoming an idol but runs into the stubborn, sexist walls of the entertainment industry.

As the duo peaks, their image becomes more reckless and hedonistic, sparking concerns at the company which wants to curate artists with cleaner public personas. When Shingo misses a show, Marimo steps in to entertain the crowd with a song of her own, and the performance becomes a surprise hit. Her success showcases a path to stardom that exists outside the contract, since she isn’t bound by the same restrictions as the male duo due to her gender.

The plot thickens when Minami is approached with a high-stakes offer to promote a new artist, Kaoru Issay, the politically connected son of a powerful figure. Kaoru harbors a crafty plan to generate scandal and boost his own fame by targeting Marimo, creating a spectacle that will captivate the public. Kan and Shingo respond by continuing to perform, determined to win attention on their own terms, and Marimo decides to join them in their pursuit of independence. Kaoru and his henchmen close in, culminating in a deadly confrontation that leaves Minami dead at the hands of Kaoru.

In the present day, Kan and Shingo still perform as the Stardust Brothers, but their star has faded. They entertain a largely uninterested crowd, and a final, fatal twist brings the story to a stark close: they are shot and die on stage, receiving an unexpected, bittersweet round of applause from the audience for the first time that night.