Takarazuka Journal

Oops. XD Meant to post this last month and then I forgot:

( Desperately Seeking Susan posters )


Okay! Now! Time for a scavenger hunt! I'm looking for pictures that relate to every show Masaki has ever been in. I'm making a collage (not going to give away the details till it's done, though), so I need simple pictures that are extractable, and ones that are still recognizable when shrunk down a lot. Like a pirate's hat for Great Pirates, or something.♥♥

Bakumatsu Junjou Den
Shinbashi Enbujou, 2008

Starring: Ishihara Satomi, Makoto Tsubasa, Yoshizawa Hisashi, Tategata Hiro, Tachibana Daigoro, Yabe Taro, Wakabayashi Ken, etc.

[ web site ] [ more pictures than you can shake a stick at ]



If I'd done my research properly--hell, if I'd done any research--I would have been prepared. But I didn't, so I wasn't.

( Why Bakumatsu Junjou Den is hard to handle. )

On a more cheerful note, let's talk about the lead actresses? I liked Ishihara Satomi and as I read through her profile in the program it dawned on me why she seemed so familiar. She played the grown-up daughter in "Kita no Zero-Nen"! (I love and adore that movie.)

Despite having second billing, Mami didn't really have a huge amount of stage time. Maybe 30 minutes? 40 minutes? out of the entire show. But when she was on stage... well. Leather and husky voice and shaggy hair and all, Mami is pretty unmistakable. In the program (or maybe it was the magazine article I read just before the show?) she talks about how this was totally unfamiliar territory for her, because as an otokoyaku her job was to play a male role, but let the "woman" also shine through, whereas here she had to be all-male. I tried to see this all-maleness as I was watching, but I admit to failing. She was just... Mami, brass balls and all (sorry, in-joke). At the very end, there's a really short dance number where she's in a dress. She looked gorgeous. I like actress Mami, so I hope she does more straight-play kind of shows again that I can go to see.

So... there. I still can't decide if I'm glad I went or not, which in a way makes me glad that I did. I like being conflicted. I just wish I'd had someone else with me. It wasn't the kind of show a stupid blond foreigner wants to go to alone. Questions? Please fire away. More erudite opinion than me? Please tell me what went completely over my head. ;)

PS - All fight scenes and sword fight/dance scenes were love.

Ahah. Ahahaha. So, this kid actress named Ishihara Satomi is playing a male role in a play in August, and a promotional shot was just released today. And the press had a huge field day with the news that there will be (*gasp*) a kiss scene in the play between Okita (Ishihara) and Ryouma.

But this is relevant to us, because guess who's playing Ryouma? Mami! <3<3

And they both look.... absolutely stunning in the photo. Cheers to that.

But I can't help but laugh because this poor kid says, "[...] Makoto-san is tall, and sexy, and cool. There is a kiss scene, so I want to act well to make this into something impressive."

... I... impressive? Oh, sweetie. You'll never live this one down.

Excerpts from Kishi Kaori's "Takarazuka: The Fairies' Backstage". (Published by Mainichi Shinbunsha in 2002. ISBN4-620-31555-9) She cracks me up, with her irreverence and rambling from one topic to another in the middle of short two-page essays. Anyway, I thought Zunko fans might find the first one interesting.

( Why, Zunko? )

( Stage Accessories Are All at Your Own Expense )

( Which Ear Does the Earring Go In? )

Lest it be lost in the excitement over Taka-chan's movie role (which is SO very yay):

This month, Mami is in a musical with... KAT-TUN. ^^;;;;;;;;; Tickets are, I believe, all sold out.

Randomly thought this might be fun. I've sorted Tsuki shows with top star leads (not including dinner shows, concerts, etc.) and listed them in order of preference for each star. I stopped at Yuri, because I don't think I've seen enough of Kaname and Utako's to make a ranking. Er, and I kind of skipped Saeko because of her shows as top star that I've seen, the only one that didn't put me to sleep was Elisabeth. Though her Epiphany from when she was in Hoshi remains a huge favorite of mine...

( Read more... )

.... From this list I realize yet again how much more I tend to love Bow Hall/Drama City shows. But I was being firm! Only top star shows!

Alas (Special Performance)
Moon Troupe Theater Drama City, 1997

Leads: Makoto Tsubasa & Kazahana Mai

[ Takawiki Page ]

I don't even think I can begin to summarize or review this show. Actually, I seem to remember someone already has, and I'm definitely going to go and see if I can remember who it was and read it now that I've seen the show. But I'll tell you the ten things about this show I think you NEED to know, in order of importance:

1) Rika is a bad-boy, dancing gigolo in a suit. And they cut out one of her numbers. With a FEDORA.
2) Eri-san had longish hair in '97, and has it pulled back in a little ponytail a la Maya Miki during the tango club numbers. I DIE of LOVE.
3) Ken-2 Sarara is the cutest thing ever. Especially in a frilly, pink dress.
4) Act two has been chopped to hell because of all the numbers they cut for copyright reasons, and yet we are forced to suffer through all 30 minutes of those TCA-Special-gone-bad, hellish island numbers in act one. Shou-sensei, I expected better of you.
5) There is ANJU choreography.
6) Rika and Mami have a choreographed sword fight. It is very DRAMATIC.
7) Did I mention Eri-san's ponytail?
8) Mami wears many outfits which can only be described as "Mami Revue Outfits" (I really think this should be made an official zuka fan phrase), and is very MAMI-LIKE.
9) Gaichi, Juri-pyon, Kiriyan, my little Valley Girl, and pink-frilly-dress!Sarara have a really, really, REALLY cute number together.
10) Ahi carries Mami on her back during the second curtain call. This is a girl who knows how to make herself useful.

You know, when my Graph subscription runs out this time, I think I may switch over to Kageki. These pseudo-gossip columns are too cute.

In March's issue, there's a somewhat interesting article detailing the progress of PariSora/Fancy Dance from the first group meeting all the way through show time. ceteranna, you might find this useful for ficcage. I'll try to go through and summarize sometime, if you're interested.

There was also a most intriguing (and very biased) report on the shinko, and an adorable article called Tsukigumi Talk Land: Our Prince and Princess. Of course, I loved best Masaki's cuteness, ( but I suspect you rabid fangirls will enjoy: )

And then there was Ayana Oto's adorable gossip column, as she's the Yuki girl of the last three months. ( Here's a few amusing tidbits )

Doing the review for Slapstick reminded me of a similarly titled Tsukigumi show that I don't think I've ever written up a review for. This is A Crime. So I'm rectifying that.

Practical Joke
Moon Troupe Drama City, 2001

The story of a man who works behind the scenes of 1960s Hollywood to keep the movie world's secrets secret.

[ TakaWiki ]

( Cast )

( Summary: )

What I Thought...

... Can be summarized very easily. This show is informally known as (  That Show Where Kiriyan is Hotter Than Anyone Has a Right to Be, and Yet Incredibly Sweet, and Mami Gives Us a Strip Show Standing on Her Couch. )

Jen says: Three thumbs up!

Thanks, faux_semblant!

1. Mami sleeps. A lot. Apparently she fell asleep in the middle of classic ballet class once in Music School when everyone was at the bar doing grand plies (or however you spell it). She was the only girl who didn't rise up again from the knee bend....
2. When she graduated, she was 34th in her class, out of 46! (Natsukawa-san was 4th)

There was quite a lot of expose in this short TV interview, and it was hilarious!