MAHOROBA

Oct. 17th, 2007 10:22 am
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MAHOROBA
Moon Troupe, 2007

Stars: Sena Jun & Ayano Kanami

[ TCA Pictures Shop ] [ ENAK Sumire Style ] [ Takarazuka Precious ]

This here be a thorough summary, yo. Because the official summary fails in so many ways.

So. Take the gorgeous choreography of Sha Tamae, mix in gorgeous, moving music complete with shamisen written by a famous (and young, and cute) shamisen musician, the retelling of Japanese mythology, gorgeous, gorgeous costumes reminiscent of Susano-o, and Moon Troupe at its very best. And there you may have an inkling of MAHOROBA's greatness.

For me, its only major failure is that it is too short.

SCENE 1: The Milky Way - The Creation

It opens with the dark stage, and the backdrop (along the wings as well) is tiny blue and white pin-points of light, giving the effect of hanging in space. Nine musumeyaku coming onto the stage in billowy, gauzy white costumes (very much the kind of slow, beautiful style that opened Glassy Landscape), and then Asako gives the greeting. Mihou Aya, I have to add, is one of the dancers on the ginkyou, and is particularly lovely.

Asako appears in her most elaborate costume (all pale violet colors, despite the many layers, but trimmed with gold and silver, and with a staff/scepter), that of Izanagi, rising up from the floor. After a moment, Mihoko rises up on the wing to the left in a similarly elaborate costume (Izanami), and carrying a chain. They join together, and Mihoko drapes the chain over the staff. Together, they bring Yamato (Japan) into being.

SCENE 2: God's Poem - The creation of the lands, gods and goddesses

The oceans, the land, the gods and goddesses are all created. This is one of my favorite scenes -- if I have to narrow it down. The tone is very triumphant, and each of the gods and goddesses is wearing a splendid costume in representative colors, which brings an amazing splash to a stage. The siblings Susano-o (Ban Akira), Amaterasu (Izumo Aya), Tsukuyomi (Misa Noeru). This trio reappears throughout the show, often to narrate. There's also a very amusing bit where Tsukuyomi shakes his head and drags Amaterasu away from her sighing over Susano-o, but this happens later. Sarume (Kiriyan) and Sadaru (Yuuhi). Hinakogutsuchi, the god of fire (Izumi Aoki), Oyamatsumi, the god of forests and mountains (Ryouga Haruhi), Kayanohime, the goddess of grasses (Shirosaki Ai), and Kukunochi, the god of trees (Ryuu Masaki). Owatatsumi (Yoshizuki Eri), the god of the sea, and Kuraokami (Seijo Kaitou). Shinatsuhiko, the god of the wind (Kiryuu Sonoka). Ken Ruisu as Hayaakitsuhiko, and Mirio as Kuramitsuha. Everyone else is a celestial maiden or spirit of some sort.

Special note needs to be given to the fact that Masaki gets lifted! Twice! This is to help her stand out as an important person over the other underclassmen underlings.

SCENE 3A: The Dawn - The birth of Yamato's heroes

Prince Ousu (Sena Jun), the hero of Yamato, is born, along with other heroes of Japan. More celebratory dancing, this time with butterflies. ...... It's lovely, believe me! I even love Asako playfully chasing butterflies.

SCENE 3B: The Three Deities

Sumeramikoto (Koshino Ryuu) sends his son Ousu (Asako) off to Kumaso, the land of fire. Somehow they leave out the bit where it was because Ousu killed his brother and his father wanted to send him to his death. Instead they compressed and changed things a bit, and Ousu meets and receives both the robe and the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi from Ototachibana-hime.

SCENE 4: The Burning Island

Another favorite scene. It has a backdrop of exploding volcanoes, and the stage is set with shrine arches and torches. The drums pound in Kumaso as the fire god (Morie) and a bunch of warriors in black and red appear and dance frenetically. They have captives -- three princesses (Ai-chan, Nene-chan, and Remi-chan), whom they are enjoying toying with. The leaders of the warriors (the ones each with a princess) are Ahi, Magee, and Sonoka. Poor Magee had trouble with the lift Sunday and nearly dropped her princess. (Sunday was a huge "oops" day, but more on that later.)

Suddenly three women saunter into the camp carrying large jars of drink. They dance enticingly while the soldiers become drunker and drunker. The three women are, of course, Ousu, Sarume, and Sadaru in disguise. They slink about and Asako sings in a rather intriguing way, hypnotizing the soldiers. Jen has trouble for a moment on whether to focus on Masaki besottedly watching Asako dance, or Yuuhi wiggling her bum. Ahi, Sonoka, Masaki, and Magee are all together in the circle around Asako, and Masaki and Magee do something different every show just at the end before the soldiers crawl drunkenly to their feet to stagger off-stage after Kiriyan. Monday, Magee actually sprawled over Masaki by "accident". Tuesday she upended the jar over Masaki's head. ^^;

Eventually half the soldiers are passed out, and half have chased Sarume and Sadaru off-stage. Ousu pulls his sword and kills the last two (Ahi and Sonoka). The bunch who were off-stage come back and there's a fight, but our heroes are victorious and the three princesses are rescued. They sing their thanks.

SCENE 5: Niraikanai

The princesses are returned to their homeland, and dance there with other maidens in a land under the sea. This is the big musumeyaku number and... it's actually interesting enough to keep my attention. They have shell castanets. Ousu follows them, and then spots Ototachibana-hime and goes off chasing after her. Asako reappears in a costume change and dances with the musumeyaku. Later, Kiriyan and the otokoyaku appear in orange and black outfits and dance a kung-fu-ish number. Big group finale!

SCENE 6A: The Three Deities

Ahi and Ai-chan and Masaki reappear in their deity costumes, while the senka trio is raised behind them playing some percussion instruments. Time to celebrate rice! Ahi, Masaki, and Ai-chan are lifted and danced off-stage. Jen squeals.

SCENE 6B: Ears of Rice

Another scene I love! Ousu, Sarume, and Sadaru dance and sing to festival-ish music. It ends with rice planting and lovely orange and red lighting simulating a sunset as our heroes wave and leave.

SCENE 6C-D: The Three Deities

More narration from the trio. Ousu receives his name "Hero of Yamato" (Yamato Takeru). Asako sings a solo on the ginkyou about how much she loves Yamato while the celestial nymphs reappear and dance. I love this song. I even love the bit where Asako deliberately lets her voice break on the "kokoro" in the final verse, though that took two viewings.

SCENE 7A: Tempest

The choreography for this number is splendid too. Yamato Takeru, Ototachibana-hime, Sarume, and Sadaru go to the eastern lands by boat. The god of the sea, Owatatsumi (Yoshizuki Eri) becomes angry and raises a storm. Kuraokami (Magee), the god of flowing water, raises the waves, which pound the boat. The waves are 'sienne with long, flowing sleeves. Meanwhile, Yuuhi and Kiriyan are dancing on the raised platform at the back of the stage, while Asako and Mihoko are in the boat. To calm the god of the sea, Ototachibana-hime sacrifices herself. This is a truly lovely lift which picks her up and carries her out of the boat. *hearts* Yamato Takeru is devastated.

SCENE 7B: Prayer

Two drops of water sound, and Sarume and Sadaru appear on both edges of the stage. We're back in the cosmic setting. They sing a prayer, and then the celestial maidens appear to dance for Yamato Takeru and console him for his loss.

SCENE 8: Snowstorm

Another favorite. The scenery for this one is really cool, and the falling snow is my favorite of the LED displays. Yamato Takeru, Sarume, and Sadaru struggle on and come to a desolate land rubbed bare by the roaring wind. Asako, Kiriyan, and Yuuhi fight their way forward against the wind along the ginkyou in some very cool choreography, while the god of the wind, Shinatsuhiko (Sonoka), dances on the stage behind them and raises some warriors (led by Koshino Ryuu) from that land.

The warriors dance with long bows, and then with swords. This is some really cool choreography, and I was always torn whether to just watch it all, or use my opera glasses to watch Masaki shake her savage little black head. :D The warriors and Yamato Takeru and his companions do battle. Sarume and Sadaru fall against the horde, and Yamato Takeru loses the Kusanagi no Tsurugi (Masaki grabs it and runs while Asako is mourning Sadame). Yamato Takeru finally kills Koshino Ryuu, to the despair of underling!Masaki, who is killed a moment later by Susano-o. Koshino has a terribly cool line here... something along the lines of: "I was born in this land, I die in this land".

It strikes a chord in Yamato Takeru, who is dying from his own wounds. He crawls and drags himself back towards Yamato...

SCENE 9: A, B: Spring Comes Again in the Land of Excellence

In Yamato, the cherry blossoms are falling. Yamato Takeru sings again of his love and longing for Yamato as he dies. This is a rather cool solo for Asako, really full of emotion as she drags herself along the ginkyou. Just about the entire troupe comes out dressed in deep pink robes (as cherry blossoms) and dance slowly on the stage. As they circle around the center, suddenly Yamato Takeru reappears as a heron.

This is the first revue-ish costume, I thought. Feathers along the sleeves and coattails and faethers in Asako's hair. But it wasn't hideous. Mihoko also appears as a heron, along with Yuuhi and Kiriyan and most of the otokoyaku. I really like this number too...

The show ends on a very triumphant note. Yay for happy endings!

----

I loved the choreography even more than I was expecting to, and the costumers did a great job with costumes that really showed off Sha-sensei's choreography -- lots of long, silky and billowy sleeves and pant legs for the slower numbers and the storm numbers, and just plain cool outfits for the faster battle scenes and warrior dances. The still photos don't really do them justice -- you have to see them in action! Lots of large group numbers, which is always fun. One scene blended into the next at a non-stop pace, and the music carried you along through it all. The music was also in a good range for all of the singers.

A show I could have gone back to see again and again and again.

For the DVD, I hope they give us a lot of wide-angle shots and save the tight close-ups for the alternate angles. Because as much as you want to see the face of your favorites, the impact of seeing it all in front of you is pretty amazing. I actually tended to not use my opera glasses so that I could see it all.

My only two complaints... Although Ban Akira had some nifty things to do, it seemed odd to pull her into this show for only this part. And Masaki and Yuuhi were almost always in the same scenes.... So I missed Yuuhi almost completely. ^^;; Okay, one more complaint: Why is the whole things so catchy!? I kept finding myself on the verge of bouncing in my seat. Very embarrassing.

Also, I'm trying to mention everyone's favorites in here, but let me know if I've missed someone you want to hear about. ;)
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