Takarazuka Journal

Non-Stop!!
Moon Troupe 1997, Bow Hall

[ TakaWiki ]

Lead: Kuze Seika

Cast: Misa Noeru (Senka), Natsukawa Yura, Yoshizuki Eri, Juri Sakiho, Takashou Mizuki, Hoshino Hitomi, Mahoroba Yuu, Jouka Azuki, Naruse Kouki, Oozora Yuuhi, Minashiro Hikari, Mizu Natsuki, Mizusawa Hazuki, Yamato Yuuga, Hanase Mizuka, Saijou Mie, Kanou Chika

Summary:

Act I

Aspiring actor Lover Brightman attends auditions for a music company and just makes it in. There he endures strict training from very odd teachers, is used to help a promising classmate, and eventually loses his girlfriend. He looses his innocent confidence, but is re-inspired by his ever helpful theater spirit boy and eventually makes it.

Act II

Lover Brightman performs. Eventually, his spirit comes to lead him off, as he will join the theater spirits.

What I Thought:

More a revue-show type performance, with the paper-thin plot only there to string together the musical numbers. The theater spirits and the idea of the candle/lantern on stage were completely re-used by Fujii-Sensei when he did Touko's "A Bientot" last year.

The cast was great, and very nostalgic. Kuze Seika was... adorable. Also, snooty rocker Mizu Natsuki (ken-5) was worth any amount of pain. Hanase Mizuka was her cute self. I approved of Sakiho Juri and Yoshizuki Eri being Kuze Seika's main back-ups in a lot of numbers. (And Juri and Hoshino Hitomi were hilarious as the teachers.) Yamato Yuuga in that costume was.... ahahah. The duet dance between Natsukawa Yura and Non-chan was hot. Non-chan singing a Japanese version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" was.... unusual. The tuxedo number and the bit with the musumeyaku in the pink things was both hot and hilarious.

But the show was thrown in between the Takarazuka and Tokyo runs of Non-chan's farewell show, and you could tell they didn't have much time to practice. The choreography was much too difficult for the amount of time that they did have, and it shows. Also, the costumes suffer from late-90s Takarazuka Revue fashionitis. On the other hand, there is a costume which... which... which really cannot be described. It must be experienced. And I thought I had seen them all.....

Over-all, a must see for fans of late-90s Tsukigumi, or late-90s craziness. Otherwise, you can probably give it a miss.

Cinderella Rock
Moon Troupe Bow, 1998

Leads: Yamato Yuuga & Saijou Mie

[ TakaWiki ] [ TCA Pictures ]

( Cast: )

( Summary: )

What I Thought:

You know, I'm not sure if I should admit this, but I actually liked this show. However, it was pretty borderline. It was my love for the actresses that kept me into it, after I started wincing at each new "comical" moment. When the lead musumeyaku character's name is Madonna Carey, you know you're in trouble. And, I, er, ah, fast-forwarded through all of the songs. Even some of Saijou Mie's, and usually I like her singing. The songs and costumes were just spectacularly awful. No, I take that back. There were a couple of redeeming costumes: Yoshizuki Eri's dresses and wraps kept me endlessly entertained, Keiju Mana's makeup and wig were spectacular, and Cydo's beat-up jumper he appeared in for the first number was cute. Ah, the first number! I liked the first number! Okay, there were a few entertaining songs in there I didn't fast-forward through. Most of them Eri-san's.

Some of the characters were pretty awesome, even under the cheap jokes. Yoshizuki Eri as the evil stepmother was a touch of brilliance. Koshino Ryuu's gay costume rental shop owner killed me. Repeatedly. As did the evil stepbrothers: Kiriya Hiromu and Kusunoki Keika. Ryuu and Keika together... oh god. I couldn't breathe for a few seconds. Yamato Yuuga's Cydo (I know, should be Sid, but the poster on the stage says "Cydo") was a cute guy, and a likable character. Pretty impressive for a ken-3, even if she did do the cyclops eyebrow thing a little too often. Mie's character, on the other hand... Well, I loved how bitchy she was, actually. It was refreshing. I wanted to cuddle poor Misato Maya in this show. It just doesn't pay to be the evil lady's footmat, darlin'. All of the band members were cute, and as I said, Keiju's makeup and wig were amazing. Shijou Rui played the little boy again. No comment on Samba-Elvis!Daddy. No comment on Guille's family, except to say that they needed to kill the taco gag. Oh, and the granny was pretty cool. Oh, I give up. I have so much love for these actresses, I can't even dislike their awful characters. *grins* Not even drunken, homeless, Santa Claus-suited Misa Noeru.

I would say... this show is LUNA-esque ridiculous. Just... very odd components all thrown together. I can see it being a secret favorite of some fans. ;)

( Whee! )

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.

Hee, at long last, a summary for Buenos Aires no Kaze.

I love this show to absolute bits and pieces. Sexy Rika dancing the tango! Rika in leather singing angstily! What more do you need from life, really?

The dancing is great (of course! It's a Rika show!), the singing is great, the acting is great. My Sky Stage copy is the 1998 cast. Poor Tani, she was always getting the chinpira roles back then, wasn't she?

The siblings Ricardo and Lilianna are... very close. o.0 If I were ever to accuse Hankyu of inspiring perfidious thoughts, this would be the show. But Juri-pyon is amazing as Ricardo. I think this is one of my favorite roles for her, if not the favorite.

Saijou Mie is a favorite musumeyaku of mine, so I'm so glad to see her play opposite of Rika. Mmm... sparks.

I really love the minimalist sets. It makes it more gritty and intimate. *hearts theater drama city*

Also, did I mention Rika?