The Energy-3

[ekusudei]

The Energy-3

Flower: "Dawn Overture", Mizu Natsuki
Snow: "Nova Bossa Nova", Tatsuki You
Cosmos: "Passion", Kuon Maya

This was an eclectic bunch, as usual. Interesting shows, but although the girls obviously worked hard, these weren't the best shinjin koen performances I've seen.

Yoake no Jokyoku

Mizu played Kawakami Otojirou, a 19th century man with a dream of taking his traditional Japanese theater to America and performing there. He brings his troupe and his wife (Sada: Fuzuki Miyo), and they travel from Honolulu to New York City, but can't find a place to perform. Their funds and spirits drop, and ten months pass. Eventually they find a place to perform, but in America they cannot have men on stage performing women's roles. The only one who could do it is Otojirou's wife, but he refuses to have her on stage. The most delicate of their group dies during the cold winter. Otojirou is devastated. Sada tells him she will perform on stage, for all of their sakes.

It's a success. Time passes, and they travel around Europe performing to posh audiences. But Otojirou doesn't like the vain creature his wife has turned into, and he's jealous of all the attention she gets from men. They meet Yuki (Maikaze Rira), the wife of a Parisienne, who thinks that their performances have lost their Japanese soul. She convinces them to return to Japan. Otojirou and Sada reconcile, and Otojirou tells her his new dream is to bring their theater back to Japan, and introduce female actresses to the stage. Sada will lead the way. However, when they return to Japan Otojirou becomes very ill. He lives long enough for his first show to be performed, and then passes away.

Honestly? I think Maikaze Rira stole the show. She was so very, very stereotypical serene Japanese. Mizu's Japanese dancing for the plays within the play was gorgeous, as was Fuu-chan's. I didn't like the turn the play was taking for a while, as it seemed sexist as hell, but then they improved things. I wouldn't mind checking out the full play some day.

Nova Bossa Nova

*glee* I love this show, as we all know. Summary here. I had a lot of fun with this version, because I love the cast, most of whom I only know through these shinjin koen digests. Most of them are retired now, so it was nice to see them again.

Sol: Tatsuki You
Ouro: Ranka Rea
Estrela: Konno Mahiru
Father Lua: Mirai Yuuki
Sister Mama: Ai Youko
Mar: Machika Meguru

Overall, not bad. Despite loving the seito, however, I have to say that Shii-chan wasn't nearly as good as Kiriyan. I'm not sure why I love Tatsuki You so much; I just do. Such a cutie.

Gekijou ~Jose and Carmen~

Yet another Spanish love tragedy, where desire only leads to disaster and the death of everyone and their pet mouse. Don Jose (Kuon Maya) is a young soldier engaged to a nice respectable young lady, but he meets the gypsy Carmen (Nanjo Hikari) at a festival and falls in love. Eventually he ends up stabbing a superior officer over her, so he runs off with the gypsies. He also ends up killing the gypsy boss and Carmen's husband. And then, of course, when Carmen tries to leave him, he kills her too. Of importance is the fact that he does not then commit suicide as any true hero should. No, he has to get shot by a firing squad. But apparently that makes no difference to Carmen, who waits for him in heaven.

Despite thinking the story is silly, I rather liked the costumes, and I think this is one I'm going to look for. Kuon Maya wasn't quite ready for the role, but I'd love to see Shizuki Asato play it.... (Hee, and I found Sararan again!)