It's not about IQ.
The trick is to watch Utena and Penguindrum to get a feel for Ikuhara's storytelling techniques (he's the biggest influence on Furukawa, who directed Starlight), then read up on what Takarazuka Revue is, watch one random idol anime to get a feel for how that formula normally works, then watch the Revue Starlight series, and then finally the movie. You probably want to repeat those last two steps twice.
I'm a certified retard and I had fun doing this, so (You) can too.