Takarazuka Journal

Oh yeah, meant to post this! Because... Ahahahahahah.

UGH. I hate Thursdays SO MUCH. (← *sorry, had to vent*)

Anyway, Tom dinner show announced for May. Title not decided yet, and I suspect there may be at least a few underclassmen who also haven't been announced? Because a completely solo dinner show would be logistically difficult in Takarazuka Land (no one to cover for you while you change costumes, and what 21st century Takarazuka show worth its salt would only have one set costume?).

I have no idea why this announcement has suddenly set my spider senses tingling, since Tom has practically had a dinner show every year for nearly a decade; I suspect my antenna is broken. ;)

And I've also heard through the rumor vine that Tom is going to be in Hoshigumi's next Grand Theater show in Oct./Nov., while I'm here rattling my antenna. *grin*

So, I was going to try and wait and do a nice big summary post of July Kageki things, but things are a bit insane right now because I've just moved and started a new job and... yes. My schedule is still so topsy-turvy that I'm pretty much functioning on two brain cells by the time I get home at night and so nothing much gets done fandom-wise. Here's to hoping things settle down by next weekend, but in the meantime:

In the July Kageki, we not only get the monthly Tom "Talking to myself", but it's a "Talking to myself with photo"! In it, Tom's holding her youngest brother's little dog. They're both skin and bones and need a plate of hamburgers, stat. Tom tells us she hasn't been home to Kumamoto in a long time, but she took a month off recently to go home for her youngest brother's wedding. She concludes by telling us that although her beloved lifestyle is in Osaka and Tokyo, going home gave her a chance to recharge that she's grateful to her little bro for.

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? )

A little belated, but:

Press conference for Dancin' Crazy. I am very amused that Rika has decided to grovel fangirl, where others did not. (  As, for example: )

---

And Kazahana finally caught up with Rika to get her picture, since she missed her on her last photo-taking spree.

---

The Kean poster was unveiled along with the news conference for it. Trust the media queen to get the media blitz. ;)

Takarazuka Official Website
Takarazuka Precious 1 2
Enak Sumire Style
Sanspo

---

And why am I not shocked at all that it's Yumiko done up like a vampire, even though according to the show summary it's Otsuki Sayu who will be playing the bloodsucker? *amused*

New OSK has had a fair number of retirements in the last few months, including their top star Daiki Makoto. I wonder if the company is keeping New OSK at a certain size? Or are a lot of the "older" actresses who stuck around to help restart OSK deciding things are settled down enough that they can retire now? Even so, each retirement seems so very sad and precarious, with only 34 members, and most of them very, very new. And then Sawaka Rin retired earlier this week! It seems a surprise.


Compared to that, I feel like retirements in Takarazuka aren't something awful at all. I realize for the particular fans of a 'sienne, it's sad to see her leave Takarazuka, particularly the otokoyaku who will probably never be "real" otokoyaku on stage again. But I became a fan with my favorite star already retired, so maybe this gives me a skewed perspective on things. And lately I've become more interested in OG performances. I think it's wonderful to see them branching out, leaving behind the stereotypes, trying out new skills. No more stereotypical nice-guy/nice-girl top star roles, or best-buddy/villain 2bante. And, sure, not everyone continues in the entertainment business. But I think it's wonderful to think that after 5, 10, 16 years of giving their life to Takarazuka they'll get to have a family, to settle down and eat and not be continually stressed all the time. Or go on and become a kick-ass politician, or do whatever has been burning in the back of their minds as something they want to do.

Few people can stay where they are forever. And even if they do, they change, the things they do change. Even Tom seems to have been slowly phased out of the daigekijou shows these days.

So, yes, I'm crazy and I love hearing about retirements and troupe moves. Because this means that someone else will get to step up. It means a shuffling, new things. Everyone retires eventually, even a lot of Senka. I'll admit, I've been on the edge of my seat waiting since we learned that Osa's next daigekijou play was "Adieu Marseille" and written by Koike-sensei (whoo-boy, no way to miss that one). Not because I'm spiteful, or mean, or even that I think Osa has "faded" lately. (Actually, I've loved her more recent performances a lot more than watching her older ones as top star. And anyone who heard her perform in "Kurotokage" will tell you her voice is more powerful than ever. I still get shivers thinking about it.) It's because now we have the excitement of waiting to hear who is the next top, the next 2bante. Seeing which babies will rise up in the new Hanagumi.

My money is on Un-chan as next top. Because that last round of shuffling coincided right before the run of retirements, making me think that Hankyu was getting their "men" into position early. And because Un-chan fits so well into Hanagumi that newer fans seem to be shocked to hear she was ever anywhere else. *winks* As for Sakurano... I think Hankyu certainly likes her a lot. She's gotten some amazing roles. I think if she wants to stay, she'll stay. If she wants to leave and start a new stage/acting career, now would probably be a good time for her to try it. But a few more years also wouldn't hurt her chances, I think. So I could see her choosing either way.

Now I'm bouncing around waiting for the next round of troupe moves. But I wonder if they'll wait a year or two to let the new troupes settle down first?

Moving this one up the queue, because I told kyanited I'd review it, and if I don't soon, I'm going to forget. ;)

Yukinojou Henge
Snow Troupe, 1994-95

Leads: Ichiro Maki & Hanafusa Mari

[ TakaWiki Page ]

The World's Shortest Summary:

( Read more... )

What I Thought:

A show with both the top star and the nibante in drag (kind of). Sign me up, please? Ichiro Maki makes an absolutely breathtaking onnagata, and her famous cheekbones are in fine form here. The role of Yukinojou was perfect for her, with a very interesting blend of femininity and masculinity. I never felt like I was watching a woman playing a man playing a woman... Yukinojou was definitely male. Oh, Takarazuka.... (*cue singing*) Takane Fubuki, on the other hand, had me blinking a few times, playing the very assertive Ohatsu. But I really liked Fubuki in a female role.

Hanafusa Mari in her first top star role. She seemed so terribly young and fragile, definitely both characteristics of the character she was playing. She didn't have a huge amount of stage time -- this is pre-legend Hana-chan! I liked her chemistry with Ichiro, and suddenly wish that Soragumi had done more Nihonmono. She was very pretty in her kimono. ...... On the other hand, Wao.... Wao was just ridiculously silly. *grins* There were so many young stars here! Wao Youka, Kouju Tatsuki, and Aran Kei were all lackeys and villagers and basically the slapstick-ish characters. Todoroki Yuu was 3-bante, and made a wonderfully roguish Yamitarou. Something about how she did her makeup for this show that I really enjoyed.

( Read more... )

Masaki's April Cafe Break is miiiiine~! Thank you a bazillion more times, cherrytop, for recording it for me. :D

Some of you may or may not know, Chiharu (Yabuki Shou) appears to be sticking close to the Takarazuka juggernaut. Several sightings have been seen in the latest batch of photobooks in the make-up credit section. And Un-chan mentions that Chiharu helped her get ready for the still photo for "Mind Traveller", which is her favorite still yet.

There is a rather interesting article in Takarazuka Precious about stage names and nicknames. Did you know, wao_wao, that Kotobuki Tsukasa's family runs a sushi shop? So much is now explained. And if I'm reading this right... Kasugano-sensei requested that Tom stopped using the "Todo" nickname because it wasn't right for a romantic actor? And "Shibi" appears to be a shortening of "Tomoshibi". *g* And Matobu Sei's "Un" nickname is from "うん太"... no wonder she changed it to "Yuu".

Rika and Juri-pyon's Thoroughly Modern Mille has opened at last! And Rika's fellow OscarPro co-workers went to cheer her on, including Kashige. Random articles from Takarazuka Precious: news conference and opening night.

*happy sigh* I'd been saving this video for months and months and months, just because Tom's Yukigumi was a national treasure and I'm trying to space out the shows. XD

The Man Called Bacchus / Splendor of a Thousand Beats '99
Snow, 1999

[ TakaWiki Page ]

( Cast )

( Summary )

( What I Thought )

Comparing these two, I have to say... 1990 is less painful. And trust me, this is a frightening thing indeed.

Here's the info and song list for TMP 1990 "Hello! Wonderful Time"

Points in its favor include, as many agree, the cuteness of the baby 'siennes in tuxes. Also, Oura Mizuki and Marimo Eri's lovely dance to "New York, New York", Mori Keaki in a suit "42nd Street", and a version of "Leaning on a Lamppost" from Me and My Girl with Kodama Ai playing the policeman.

Points against include: lycra, bad singing, attempts at Beatles and David Bowie covers, and... well, too much to list, really.

TMP 1989 "That's Movie! II

It's two hours of Oscar-winning songs from the 30s to the 80s. And no one attempted to modify them to keys that these woman could actually sing in. I swear my ears started bleeding. Again with the lycra too, but mainly the problem was the singing, because... that's all they did. A few brief walk-across appearances of otokoyaku in dresses (Scarlet ahoy), but that's all we had to break up the monotony.

Points in its favor include.... Suzukaze Mayo singing "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun (Hey, I'm an 80s child, okay? I like this song; it makes me cry.), and... uh.... Utako's giant, dangly moon earing? ...... And also, um... well, uhm... It's Takarazuka? Actually, though, it was more than worth it for Kaname's version of "Take My Breath Away". It sure did. And also, the faces Fubuki was making at the baby doll in that one song were really priceless.


It appears that Marimo Eri was the current favorite back then. I think she had more appearances in each show than any of the other top stars. I can see why, too. She sang decently and danced well.