Takarazuka Journal

You know, I remember not writing up a review of Cinderella Rock, but I know I wrote up something for Twelfth Night. I remember doing it. o.0 *shakes head*

Twelfth Night (Bow Shakespeare Series #4)
Moon Troupe Bow, 1999

Leads: Yamato Yuuga & Hanase Mizuka

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( Summary: )

What I Thought:

I really, really love this show for a rather unusual reason. It's one of the few shows (not counting music salons) where I believe the lead musumeyaku part is more interesting/important than the lead otokoyaku part. Hanase Mizuka's Viola is really a great character. Even Takarazuka had a hard time staging Twelfth Night without Viola. She pro-active, she's fun, she's mature enough to think things through. And, of course, she's madly in love with Orsino. This was 1999, so Yamato Yuuga still hadn't quite overcome her fish-faces and eyebrow twitches, but I really liked her Orsino better than her role in Cinderella Rock. Plus, she had pretty poets blouses. Ozora Yuuhi as Sir Toby was a very fun, rather amusing character. She seemed more high-nosed aristocrat than drunk, but her scheming definitely brought out some of the best scenes in the show (like the duel between Viola and Sir Andrew). Casting Natsukawa Yura as Olivia was a stroke of genius. Ritsu Tomomi makes a perfectly ridiculous Marvolio, but makes him perhaps a little too sympathetic? Mayama Haru seemed to have lost ten years as she played the jester Feste, my second favorite character in this show after Mizuka's Viola. Shijou Rui's Sir Andrew was... oh lord. How did they ever think that girl would be an otokoyaku, when she kept getting type-cast in these silly, squeaky, adorable roles? I got major slashy vibes from Kaji Yuuki's Sebastian and Narumi Jun's Antonio, who were great together.

Altogether, a really fun, really well done comedy. It's silly without being too slapstick, and has some fun songs and dances. And the casting was A+!

( Whee! )

Winter Garten
Star Troupe Bow Hall, 2002

Double-Lead: Asazumi Kei and Matobu Sei

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1/2 off video until Feb. 28th: [ TCA Pictures Store ] [ Takarazuka Video ]

( Cast: )

( Summary: Am I anywhere close, Cate? )

( What I Thought: )

It's not out on DVD, and once the video sale is over, the video won't be available in the Takarazuka stores anymore. So if it seems like something you'd like, buy it while you can! *cuddles own half-off video* Though, at the rate they're going, maybe it'll get released on DVD if when Un-chan becomes a top star. ;)

( Pics! )