thinking about Takarazuka again

I prefer to believe that 'tis my intuition - the one that is described by socionics - though I might be wrong. still, this time I guessed it right. YES I DID

after RomiJuri and BeruBara which were in my mind raping the current Moon, MeMy came - and 'twas good but still something told me Moon awaits for something much more 'Moonish', something closer to their current state, something that would really look like 'this is how it should be!'

The Poses sing - 'I guess you're right...' - and I am singing it, too

this is it! this is it! I do not know why - because of my intuition or not - I guessed that Lupin will be a feast for my soul. today I see the poster. unlike many other posters done in a very artificial manner - which is a thing almost everyone agrees! - 'tis very beautiful, and finally I see Moon I can believe in

there is one dilemma left for me. when should I go to Japan? shall I go to Osaka in July? or shall I wait for the Tokyo performance in September?

ohhhh I must see it or I shall die >____<

of course I hope my prediction will be right...

oh... wait... stop... where is Mirio on the poster? she is not? why?

thinking about Zuka and post-Zuka again

since I have to defend my graduation thesis on May 28th having a trip just before that important day seems somewhat impossible to me now - even if by some chance I managed to persuade my friend to come to Tokyo for my sake

at least she promised to send me a poster with 'My Fair Lady'

giving prophecies on what is going to happen is Zuka is not my job but Mirio and Sakihi in the lead of Flower on the Big Sports Festival seems a variant to me. and since by any means I will be there in 2014, if not at the Festival, than at something else, I imagine how 'twould look. well this is only an assumption, huh

the fact is that no matter how much I try to make myself understand that the current trio of Flower is Ranju, Ranno and Asumi... I just cannot. どう見ても Mirio does not belong

and Ranno looks like a different person from her Moon period. me, who has never even watched a single performance with her, certainly dares to say it. however, I can say for sure no chemistry was born between Mirio and Hana only because they were in one troupe for some time

I wonder if I am wrong in thinking that the period of 'strong' otokoyaku has gone? they become cuter and cuter, more and more elegant, beautiful and... sophisticated... no, I cannot choose the right words. I mean, where is that 'good old' sense of reliability, dependability, soundness... and where is their charisma? 

cuteness is great but I cannot persuade myself any longer that 'I am a flower, I feed on sunlight and water', like my friend Kate used to say

Mirio transfering to Flower... so what?

one would be blind not to notice that Mirio has been trained and prepared. Demi-Top is not a position same as nibante to wait for the Top to graduate and become the new one after that. having a fresh Top in Cosmos and a Top-to-come in Snow, there are only 2 Troups able to provide Mirio with some future. 'tis easy to guess which one is more realistic, isn't it. if you ask me, even Mirio's face looks Flower-ish, and girls who are to come to Moon are as cute as Miya which establishes, apparently, the new 'face' of Moon

well, that was really predictable. not that I care anymore
I have to admit there is less and less attractive in Takarazuka now

new Moon musicals ~ will I ever be satisfied, huh?

so, MeMy again. by extremely young Moonies. erm... I wonder if they will be able to do it... no, I mean, this time the choice of the musical is good, but couldn't it wait just a little? both the roles there are not all of young people, and the level will be extremely high. I am also pretty sure MeMy requires a good lot of ad lib. or doesn't it? whatever, just I doubt MasaMiriChapi are mature enough... especially after the brilliant Sena-sama, Ayano-sama and Kiriya-sama version

and Bow with... Tamaki. ok, so she's been promoted visibly. Uzuki and Shimon can abandon their hopes. their shinjinkouens didn't impress Zuka administration as much, I guess? 

in the end, if I saw young Kiriya-sama, would I fall in love with her the same I am now? maybe Tamaki will grow? what do I know about her to dislike her like this? can I base my opinion on the only fact that she is moving to the top too fast?

these points need thinking over and patience, patience and patience

thinking of BeruBara 2013

the more I think, the more I understand that I must look really hypocritical. based on nothing else but my intuition and inner view of the world, my opinions have no right to be called unbiased. in the end, what do I see as lacking here?

firstly, both Top and Demi-Top are Moon children from the very beginning. they grew up in Moon and know Moon best. they belong to Moon

secondly, they didn't tear apart MasaMiri duo, which would not only break my heart, but of many other fans, I believe

thirdly, among many Takarasiennes who played Oscar, I must be honest, Masao looks the closest. she is moderately elegant, cool (I mean, like temperature) and feminine. even her face reminds Oscar as in Ikeda-sama's art. and Mirio has already proved that being supporting - not a 'minor character' but a 'supporting character' and playing in pair, regardless of playing with otokoyaku or musumeyaku - is her forte

fourthly, if there is a way to let a young musumeyaku feel more confident, then 'tis not to break her by giving her a role absolutely far from what she is naturally, which is what I see in case of Chapi playing Rosalie. obviously Chapi would make no Marguerite Blackeney or Carmen, but 16-year old Juliet was a good choice for her, I believe

...then what is that feeling that makes me still be opposed to BeruBara in Moon?

my humble opinion on Kiriya-sama's first concert 'Amore e Musica'. Quatre Reves shopping. thoughts on the new Moon Troupe

it took me a few moments to realise I was not in Takarazuka. then it took me a few minutes to understand I was watching Kiriya-sama live, on the stage. it also took me several numbers to decide whether I like it or still cannot accept it. the full comprehension of what was going on came probably when the first set of numbers finished and a short break with talk session started. 'the same Kiriya-sama, the same gestures and movements, the same walk, and of course the same voice. 'tis her that I see...' I thought. and this made me comfortable and calm

I don't think there is any need for comprehensive analysis here. to start with, I would never be able to say anything bad about the concert. from general perspective, on the other hand, there was nothing I could be dissatisfied with

the concert consisted of several blocks - opening, love and music, prayer, passion, the native place of heart, memorable musicals, and songs of love - dream is endless

well, an opening is an opening. I would rather include the title song - 'Amore e Musica' - in the opening also, but 'tis in the section 'love and music', the rest of it given for 'standard jazz numbers'

'prayer' is probably my favourite, because Kiriya-sama's perfect taste and sense of music made two masterpieces out of famous songs - 'Ave Maria' and 'Nella Fantasia', both in original arrangement

'passion' speaks for itself and I only need to add that this section included dancing also which was unbelievably hot... >___<

'the native place of heart' and 'memorable musicals' are actually a Takarazuka corner full of great hits which I couldn't listen to without tears. I wasn't able to see SP or Studio 54 live, but I heard my favourite songs at least. even though 'twas not in Takarazuka...

the last part consists of great hits like 'Caruso' which was absolutely beautifully performed by Kiriya-sama

and of course 'My Way' is the best. I am not sure whether Kiriya-sama's voice got better after much singing (same as mine, haha), or she was previously saving energy to make a gorgeous finale, or 'twas my imagination, but her last notes were marvellously strong and full of sound

if I am not mistaken, there were 3 'encores'. each time I was already saying goodbye to her, but the curtain raised again and again. I wiped my tears with a tissue after 'My Way' and never cried during the rest, wanting to carve in my memory everything I saw. my eyes were still a bit red, however, when I looked at myself in the mirror in the toilet several minutes later. I didn't mind it

when we came to Quatre Reves on Saturday I realised one thing. even though my support to Takarazuka and Moon Troupe hasn't vanished, my heart doesn't belong to it anymore. my original intention was to buy only 3 DVDs of Kiriya-sama there, but when I looked into my purse I understood I could afford something else. after doing 2 or 3 circles round the shop I took a mirror and 'Algiers no Otoko' Le Cinq. I didn't want Ryuu-sama's Top Star goods, though I have to admit there was a cute pendant, not the one with a smiley. I didn't want any calendars, though they were advertised here and there, and I didn't want any stills. I didn't buy Kageki with Asumi-sama on the cover, and I didn't buy RomiJuri or Spring Snow programme. the only thing I regret not buying is the 'Takarazuka Oldies' CD, but I decided not to search for it. the new Moon is something I will follow closely and probably sympathize with, but 'tis no longer my obsession. no longer my 'native place of heart'

just a few words about Mirio's Bow 'Spring Snow' ~ a boost of popularity? unexpected

just read that all the tickets for 'Spring Snow' Bow Hall were sold out during the pre-sale via PIA, Lawson and e+. the advance sale began on August 24th as far as I have understood. therefore there is no general sale via Takarazuka web-tickets or in counters of the theatres

as if Mirio had never had a lead role in a Bow performance before

my humble opinion on 'The Man from Algiers' ~ it's been a year, huh?

 ...after the classes finished - 12-50 as usual - I left Meric Japanese Language School where I was studying and hurried to the subway. as my friend Sae-san told me there wasn't much time I preferred to run, but that was a bad decision - I dropped my walkman which has the screen glass on the very top with no protection and got it broken. as I never bothered to replace the glass, 'tis still the same now. when I arrived at Umeda I had to count carefully the staircases and escalators because our meeting point wasn't too easy to find for me who could not get used to new places even after spending a month in Osaka. needless to say, I was successful. having bought some snacks we took the train to Takarazuka and arrived there in a blink of an eye. the road from the station to the Theatre was very beautiful in summer, though I wished I could visit it in March when sakura trees bloom, as Sae-san told me that 'hanamichi' is all bestrewed with the flower petals. the interior of the Theatre seemed to be bigger than the building when looked at from the outside. the halls and the shops were all cute and crowded. we proceeded to the seats. though 'twas balcony and our seats were #2 and #3, left edge, I could observe the stage pretty well. so, the curtain raised...

I tried several times to recall why I was so delighted after seeing the performance. well, here's the reason

vivid colours of the costumes, moving decorations in the backstage, perfect steady loud low and a bit husky voice of Kiriya-sama, perfect synchro of the dancers (well ok this particular screencap is not a good proof) - and probably this particular lift marked the beginning of my love of lifts?

KiriMari duet song. perfection again. if 'tis KiriMari than an average lovers' song becomes special. I would be really mad for the fact that Moon is playing this tragedy, if not for KiriMari who create a fresh image of the main characters which is impossible to mistake for anything else

Koshino-sama and Hanase-sama were of course inimitable. recognizing Ayahoshi-san was much more difficult. I mean, after seeing her like this - a capricious young child - one wouldn't think she can sing the song from 'Notre Dame de Paris' scene of 'Dance Romanesque'. at least I wouldn't

'ai wa doko ni iru' is just an average Top Musumeyaku character's song, but 'twas really good to hear it from Aono-sama. this very song made me understand that Aono-sama is not as plain as I was afraid she might be when I only looked at her photos and knew nothing else

the scene of preparations for the party in Paris gave me the first impression of the 'many-members-having-fun-on-the-stage' thing. now that I see it for the second time I can't help wondering to myself... is it strange that for me seeing Japanese portraying French waiters and maids - and moreover being pretty credible - is not strange?

Hanahi-san as Annabelle was too credible. so credible that I started doubting whether she was credible or not. sounds like nonsense but this is what I thought

one more surprise - Seijou-san as Michelieu with... a gigolo aura? I mean, she was an personification of the courtesy- and gallantry-covered onslaught that are one of the main MOE points about Takarazuka in my mind

otokoyaku group sing Julien about the downtown of Paris where there are a lot of nice girls. again. actresses on the stage singing as if they were real young men willing to have some adult fun - note strange, at all! ^o^

Aono-sama's dance in the golden outfit in the nightclub is perhaps one of the most beautiful dance I've ever seen. and the golden glitter suits her so much *____*

Hihou-san is a great surprise again. her voice, to be precise. I am a bad judge in terms of person's appearance, but her low voice is really unexpected after you look at the cute smiling face of hers on some photo

hard to admit, but Morie's charm was a bit hard to notice this time. to be precise, I didn't remember much about her after the first time I saw her on stage, but surely this time I can pay more attention to her as I don't have to dissipate my attention to many things. now I can understand those who love her deeply. perhaps, this is the image of hers that is the most natural and attracts the fans

finally, Mirio as Henri. if I could see her in this image more... so gentle that she almost radiated peach-coloured light around her... does it sound strange? but I really was able to see it during the scene where Annabelle heard the conversation between Julien and Elizabeth - how she lifted Hanahi-san, how she looked at her, how she touched her,  how she sang after... I melted. well of course that does not mean I justify her Henri who, in the end, killed a human being
and Masao as Jacques. guys, how can you like villains like this? I mean, Masao created a villain with no slightest trace of mercy or a chance for redemption. she was too credible. this is why I have such an image of hers - capable of playing 'true' villains. having this Jacques as my first impression of Masao I truly cannot understand those who see her differently
well and the final dialogue of Julien and Sabine - if someone doubts there were no real love between those two, I don't know what real love is. who were those two, Julien and  Sabine or KiriMari?
my love towards this Combi might seem to have its roots in a mere coincidence, but this love hasn't died yet, and perhaps won't. why do I love them so much? maybe I love how Aono-sama grasped Kiriya-sama's back? maybe I love how Kiriya-sama holds Aono-sama's head?

maybe I love this look of Kiriya-sama with her eyes cast down or closed, and a tense smile on her face? maybe I love how Aono-sama can express so much hope and happiness with her face, though there is not anything special on it?

...and the curtain falls down. even now I consider this ending too abrupt. even now though I know how it ends, I have that feeling again - 'that's it?'

conclusion
I cannot be unbiased, can I? taking into account 'twas the first Takarazuka performance I saw, and the first Takarazuka performance I saw live. let me put it this way: play itself - not one of my favourites, but the performance... *____*

I have to thank once more the people who upload these things

BTW the Tudou links are
part 1
part 2

2013 BeruBara ~ you're kiddin'

you're fuckin' kiddin' me

MasaMiri as Oscar and Andre??? switching roles again??? with Ranju-sama and Sou-san in special Moon performances??? Ryuu-sama, Ouki-sama and Yuzuki-sama in special performance of Snow???

WHAT'S WITH THAT CONSTANT MESS???

oh, you can do whatever perverted things with other troupes, I don't really care, but I CAN speak for Moon, and Moon should be left in peace to do their job. LOOK CLOSELY, WHAT RYUU-SAMA IS AND WHAT OSCAR IS

my head is going to explode

link! excerpt from 'Misty Station'

perfection... perfection, perfection, perfection! Otokoyaku Stair Dance, Top Combi Duet Dance, 'Final Countdown' covered by Ryuu-sama and Kiriya-sama, ’My Way' covered by Kiriya-sama and Sawaki Rizu-chan, and of course - the wonderful orchestra accompanying every move of theirs...

is there anything else on this Earth you could wish for?

I am already hitting the wall with my head. WHERE'S THE REST???

ok I know I just have to purchase a disc myself. but you know, the excerpt exists already! it means that someone should have the whole revue! am I wrong? o.O

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/1gLpyrL-D0Q/
I just wondered what the old versions sound like. actually Elvis did not impress me much - sorry, fans! Sinatra-san's manner seems just a bit more suitable to me ^^`

translation. an article centered on Ryuu-sama in light of coming RomiJuri

my personal recommendation - if you have/want to do something requiring a considerable amount of efforts and energy so that it makes you too lazy and too cunning, I mean, you busy yourself with anything but THAT, there is one option how to make yourself finally finish THAT. you should put yourself into circumstances when you have nothing else to occupy yourself with, but to do THAT
in my case 'twas visiting my Grandparents in small urban village where even talking on the phone is expensive - as 'tis another subject of the federation, to say nothing of web-surfing. so I hoped I would translate and translate and translate - all the free time which was in abundance, because the free time was when I was not eating/sleeping/gathering berries in our 'dacha'
my hopes were in vain. the bunch of articles I took with me still lies untouched. I only managed to translate two articles and started the 3rd one. well partially responsible for that are my Granddad and Granny who took away the table from the living room, so that I had nothing to write upon except for the kitchen table which was not available any time of the day. however, I myself was not too eager, as well. this time I felt again how much satisfaction I feel when finishing one more article, and I vowed again that I would not waste any more time when I come home. I have been giving promises like this to myself dozens of times, you know. will I keep it now?

original article

New moon troupe Top Star Ryuu Masaki - an exceptional first performance of the new top with switching roles
The new Top Star of Moon Troupe, Ryuu Masaki, is to perform in the musical 'Romeo and Juliet'. This will be an exceptional start, as the main role of Romeo and the villain role of Tybalt will be switching roles for Ryuu and the demi-Top Star Asumi Rio. We asked Ryuu about her feelings before the first performance which is to take place in the Grand Theatre on June 22nd.

Ryuu was born in Higashiosaka and debuted in 2001. She moved smoothly through these years and after the previous Top, Kiriya Hiromu, retired, she was promoted. She is the first actress enrolled in the XXI century to become a top. 'I am genuinely glad. I am a leading male role player in the Moon Troupe I was born and grew up in, so I am emotionally supported by all my comrades. This is the best thing.' - she says.
a paragraph with trivia omitted
Attractive two roles
'I think two roles is an attractive thing. With every day I realize how interesting it is.' - Ryuu says. 'In this performance, you know, the feeling you have after watching it and the feeling you have when you are actually playing in it are different. I thought Romeo is, like, a beautiful dreamer, but I cannot be satisfied only with that. He is stubborn with his own ways, and he is somewhat of a naughty and capricious child with a bit of a wilderness. It will be interesting to see how he changes after he meets Juliet. Unlike him, Tybalt is a role of a hard and violent lover. He is a character I would hardly play as a Top, so there is a feedback. Our characteristics with Asumi are originally different. We both feel the same love in the place of our characters and thus create our roles.' - she explained vigorously.
Considering her partner Manaki Reika she shared her impression - 'Chapi (Manaki's pet name) is cute like a puppy. She is of the youngest underclassmen (enrolled in 2009), so I feel I should bring her up and look after her. I want to see how a puppy grows into a lady, into a woman. A Combi is when two become one, so I want us to be all lovey-dovey.'
Self-awareness as a Top is gradual
About realizing her position as a Top Ryuu said - 'As my words are being listened to attentively, I can feel the self-awareness of my position gradually coming, but I have not realized it fully.' Considering her hopes about leading the new Moon Troupe she said - 'I want  become someone like a team-leader, not someone who sits on a high throne. To the merits of performances in a group with solidarity which existed in the times of ms Kiriya, I want to add the variety of everybody's individualities, and run together with everyone. I want to create a troupe which shows with all it's surface how youthful, energetic and powerful it is.'
Ryuu, having a strong concern about growing, having a strong motivation to perform on the stage since her underclassman times. What kind of passionate Romeo will she show us, will she make Tybalt a big role, these are the things to look forward to.

_____

remarks

1. what did she mean by 手答え? I wonder. I tried many dictionaries including Jap-Rus, Jap-Eng and Jap-Jap ones, but all I get is 'reaction', 'result', 'response', 'resistance' or 'feedback'. in the end, I simply put the words without proper understanding of what I have translated...
2. actually I didn't know the word 愛称 (aishou), but I guessed it should mean something like 'nickname' or 'affectionate diminutive'. the Russian translation is also close to what the kanji actually mean - 'love' and 'call/name'. however I checked the jisho.org dictionary and saw another variant - 'pet name'. one could not wish for a more suitable place to use this phrase - the very sentence where Manaki-sama is compared to a puppy
3. Ryuu-sama always gave a feeling of an outwardly restrained person to me. I remember her in the Tokyo Eye issue about Takarazuka where she showed an example of the Takarazuka perfection - polite, smiling but discreet, elegant in her looks and her manner of speaking, multiplied by her low calm velvet-like voice. however, the more I see programmes with her and read her interviews etc., the more I understand she's not the 'cool' type. her 'Romio tte utsukushii doriima tte kanji ga shita keredo' instead of 'Romio to iu yaku wa utsukushii doriima no you na kanji ga shimashita ga' or something like this, her 'yancha' and constant ending her sentences with 'ne', these words were actually the biggest gift that I got from this article
4. and her attitude towards Manaki-sama... the difference between their age is considerable, and the difference in experience is even more scaring, but it seems, their relationship is establishing in a good way. I hope they won't be too 'rabu-rabu', and I hope their types will not be that of the 'elder brother' and 'younger sister'. if they really become one like Ryuu-sama said, this will be the best thing I could ever wish for, considering my Moon Troupe

my humble opinion on 'Dance Romanesque' by Moon (2011) ~ my first...

though I mentioned 'Dance Romanesque' several times (oh, didn't I?), I have never written down all I feel about this wonderful 'show spectacle'. and I should!

the reason why I watched it again today is that I stumbled upon an article about 'Algiers' and 'Dance' and translated it. no, this is not the reason... after translating I decided to check the spelling of names on TakaWiki, and while doing this - I read that Aono-sama was absent during one of the scenes in 'Dance'. I have read it for many times, but 'tis only today that I realized that she was absent exactly when I went to see the performance. no, better to say, I happened to go there when she was absent, yes

of course I did not notice any change. I didn't even know that Aono-sama should have been there, eh? whatever

after realizing this fact I decided to check what scene exactly 'twas. and after checking - I could not stop. I felt really bad after 'Hakushaku' and I had to allow myself have some medicine to drive that poison out of my body. therefore I watched the whole revue, yes

the curtain rises. the introduction. Masao sings. musumeyaku-san dance. Kiriya-sama appears. I see the same setting, the same dresses, everything is all right. I don't feel anything strange... and then the music suddenly changes. the rhythm becomes stronger. Kiriya-sama runs downstage. I recognize the title theme song. otokoyaku-san run up to the stage

心に響け、熱い歌 - ring in the heart, the hot song

and me is already struggling with tears

my love. my first. my Romanesque, that stole my Takarazuka innocence

心に刻め、その祈り -  carve it onto your heart, that prayer

and those beautiful ladies dance with smiles on their faces, which almost physically warm me

未来の自分を失わないで - don't lose your future self

the tension rises

この一瞬を永久に変える - this instant is turned into eternity

and ladies regroup into a triangle lead by Kiriya-sama

Ah~ - needs no translation

and then...
DANCE!

this revue is, perhaps, created to be the closest to the mere mortals - I mean, siennes invaded the audience. literally. including the balconies. I can imagine what it feels like when Aono-sama gives you a 'low five' running across the hall

Kiriya-sama's solo number did not impress me much, but it had a very typical 'shabadaba' in the end, and of course - Kiriya-sama winking before she disappears is... *___*

the scene about the '(un)inhabited mansion' is not among my favourites. a bit boring, I might say, if not for the soft image of Masao which contrasts a lot with her Jacques

the loose reflection of 'Notre Dame' is also a very strange thing, but there are a lot of good points in it. splendid acting of Kiriya-sama in an unusual role, and of course - Ayahoshi-san's singing. one of the best songs I ever heard in Zuka revue parts. also, the following battle is accompanied with one of the most wonderful background instrumental works. I really, really, really pay respect to the composer, the orchestra and the guitarist(s?)

well, lifting Kiriya-sama to the ceiling with white wings (they were moving, BTW) is a bit too much... too experimental... well, though this seemed strange to me, I cannot be against it. more diversity is never to the worse

as the programme says, this scene uses several pieces from 'Mask 41' OST. they are 'Kyoko's Dilemma', 'Cerca De Ti' and 'Fight with Dream'
then, the K-POP scene. guys... where's the K-POP itself? I am no specialist, but I have been told much about K-POP bands and I watched a bit of PVs and concert performances due to several friends and acquaintances of mine being fans of K-POP boys-bands. so, this number is a bit week for me, by the same token the music and the vocals were not really impressing. the dancing is much better, though, combining typical Zuka movements with -POP ones

the next part is a standard Zuka dancing number which has nothing special about it, but allows the spectators to enjoy some points that Zuka is famous for. namely - hot Latin background music, Kiriya-sama's singing in the same manner, Aono-sama representing musumeyaku charm, and a splendid synchronicity of movements which matches the music so perfectly that you quite forget they are real people dancing on the stage. also, a good scene for Morie and Magee who were overly cute

the Mirio's cover of 'Puttin' on the Ritz' is funny. really funny, because of both the music and her Engrish

row cancan rockette dance is very cute. and I consider myself to be lucky to see it the very first time I watched a Revue

Top Combi dance would be really good... if not for the fact that I dislike the song 'Sunny' in the original and the instrumental version is not much better

the all-troupe number is indescribable... I have no words to express how much I love it. the white costumes, the golden background, the expressive music, and the general concept were absolutely perfect and memorable. it might seem stupid, IDK, but I love when there are a lot of people together. it creates an image of unity and warmness

and this particular jump - to be precise, two of them - is simply GORGEOUS

 the following Masao's song reveals how warm and soft her timbre can be. the dance accompanied by the instrumental version of the song, where musumeyaku-san move as if they were made of water, is also a splendid number. I have watched many revues - of Moon, of course - but I cannot recall anything like this
and then, Stairdance. actually, I have never heard any of Yuzu's songs, though I might have heard their name. still, I wasn't aware of the original song until November when suddenly I saw a trailer of Yuzu's concert on a huge screen on a building somewhere in Shibuya (or I don't remember where), and suddenly I recognized the song. my dear friend, Sae-san, told me - 'you see? 'tis Yuzu'

needless to say, Kiriya-sama's strong low voice is superb, so is the orchestra arrangement. the song is completely different. however, the original is nice, too
the next Top Combi dance is among my favourites. first, I came to realize that this blue suits Aono-sama greatly. second, their movements are perfect. third - I cannot recall what music there was in the original performance. 'twas replaced in the vid, so I am somehow frustrated that I could not memorize this beautiful number to the utmost. I should have. I really should. if not for my poor memory...
at least I should thank TakaWiki again. they wrote a hint that implies that the scene is called 'we're all alone' - am I wrong? well, the scene is not called like this, but the song used was obviously Boz Scaggs' one of this name. I don't know why the Japanese love it so much - it played a big part in Takeuchi Naoko's 'Rain Kiss' and meseems I have heard something about it later. also, this vid is from his concert in Japan. I listened to it then, when I read the manga, and didn't like it at all. can't get what's so special about him

 then, the parade

 

the gorgeous parade starting with beautiful voice of Hazaki Mana-san. her high notes were really impressing, but the following main theme overwhelmed me again...
the curtain falls. in the dancing figures of Moon Troupe members I see the characteristic image of Takarazuka and, strangely, I recall watching 'Sakura Taisen Katsudou Shashin', the full-length movie for the first time

it rings in my head. 'tis carved in my heart. the moment it ended turned into eternity and did not let me lose my future self
oh I should pay more attention to the theme songs lyrics, shouldn't I?

Happy Birthday Mirio

I want to congratulate Mirio. The Mirio whom I love, Mirio who was so cute and tender. please be gentle Mirio everyone knows and loves. please be Moon child. I pray

translation! ~ RomiJuri first performance

things to be aware of

• spoilers in the article! if there are people who have never read the book, or watched any movie or musical based on it, this article will ruin everything for you. I actually doubt there are such people, though
• information! or, better to say, lack of it. most info is either already provided in other articles (including those I translated), or presents common knowledge, though there are a few words about the show
• pictures. unfortunately, not many of them this time. I will search for more for sure, but that will be later

the original article

The curtain has raised for the first musical of the New Moon Troupe of Takarazuka Revue - 'Romeo and Juliette'

On the 22nd of June, the curtain has raised for the first musical of the New Moon Troupe of Takarazuka Revue - 'Romeo and Juliette'. This performance marks the new system of Moon Troupe - Ryuu Masaki as Top Star, Manaki Reika as Top Female Role Player and Asumi Rio as Demi-Top Star.

The musical is based on the original work of Shakespeare - a famous love story, and it involves music with a rock taste, modern clothes and installation, the music, lyrics and direction having been created in France by Gerard Presgurvic. The musical, which was first performed in France in 2001, was then performed in almost every country of the world and gained an audience of more than 5 000 000 people. In Japan it was prettified and directed by hit-maker Koike Shuuichirou in Takarazuka, and first performed by selected members of Star Troupe. The next year, 2011, the Grand Theatre version was performed by Snow Troupe, and the Moon Troupe version will become the third one.

This time one of the points about the performance is that Romeo, the leading role, and Tybald, the villain role, will be switching roles for Ryuu and Asumi. On the opening day Ryuu is playing Romeo, while Asumi is Tybald. The new potential is shown by two Superior Members - Ema Naoki and Miho Keiko - and Miya Rurika who has just transferred from Star Troupe.

The peculiarity of the Takarazuka version is that in addition to the symbol of the musical - 'Dancer of Death' (Tamaki Ryou) - a role of 'Dancer of Love' was established (Akizuki Saya). These two proclaim the beginning of a story of love and death.

The story tells us about two noble families in Verona, Italy - Montague and Capulet. They have been nurturing hatred towards each other for centuries, so that even the youth is involved. Meanwhile, the heir of the Montague family, Romeo (Ryuu), and the daughter of the Capulet family, Juliette (Manaki), meet at a masquerade and fall in love at first sight. The two, whose first love develops swiftly, open their hearts to Father Florence (Ema), and with the help of Juliette's nurse (Miho) hold a secret marriage ceremony. 

Juliette's elder cousin, Tybald (Asumi), has been attracted to Juliette for a long time, but Lord Capulet (Koshino Ryuu) is going to accept the marriage proposal of the richest person in Verona - Count Paris (Shimon Yuriya). At the same time, the rumours about the marriage ceremony of Romeo and Juliette start to spread, and Tybald encounters Romeo's best friends, Mercutio (Miya) and Benvolio (Seijou Kaito), and others in the city, this leading to an explosive situation. Romeo interferes to stop them, but Mercutio is stabbed by Tybald, and Romeo kills Tybald in a frenzy. 

Romeo is banished forever from Verona, and after spending a night with Juliette, he leaves for Mantua when the dawn breaks. Juliette, who is coerced to marry Count Paris, prays Father Florence to help her, and obtains a medicine that would make her sleep so that she would look as if dead. It was planned that she would escape from the city with Romeo when she wakes up, but the plan fails. Romeo, who hears of Juliette's death, meets with her in the burial chamber, and drinks the poison, and when Juliette wakes up, she sees Romeo lying dead, and stabs herself in the chest. The two, who reached their love at the cost of their lives, thus made the two families come to a reconciliation, and together with the Dancers of Death and Love they swear an eternal love in Heaven...

The finale is created with audaciously arranged numbers, such as the theme songs 'Kings of the World' and 'Aimer'. After rockette dance in tutus designed with a heart on the breast, in the male role players dance the dandy figure of Ryuu on the Grand Staircase appears together with a lady, proceeding to the debut Top Combi dance, and then to Parade, where Ryuu descends the Grand Staircase wearing huge feathers which mark the Top Star.

The performance will continue till July, 23rd, in Takarazuka Grand Theatre, and take place in Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre from August, 8th, to September, 9th.

_____
remarks

1. anybody can tell me where are Chapi's legs on the second photo (obviously Top Combi dance)? 
2. anybody can tell Zuka to be less greedy? I can't! such small photos... >____<
3. anybody can tell me what for the plot and trivial facts are put in the article? moreover, I noticed this too late. and after I have translated everything (which took me quite a while) I can only ask myself... WHAT FOR? 90% of the info absolutely irrelevant. this is why I put a warning on the top of the post
4. anybody can tell me if 'tis wrong to name Juliet - 'Juliette'? I cannot help writing like this... I mean, in French she IS 'Juliette', and in Russian she is 'Julyetta' - even writing Capulet cost me a lot of efforts (instead of 'Capuletti'), but while I coped with the family name, writing 'Juliet' is kind of impossible for me...
5. finally, my impression. at least, the Moon's version of RomiJuri is slightly different from the previous ones, and I am a bit relieved. this is not a 100% copy of Snow and Star, and that's good

my little thoughts on the new Moon Troupe

this is kind of a challenge for me - to accept the new Moon Troupe. I ought to

however I could think of it, the fact that I joined the Zuka world when Kiriya-sama was there is an accident, and probably, every change can seem unbearable at first. maybe, Sena-sama fans were not able to accept Kiriya-sama, too. well, maybe not, but at least, Moon Troupe changed drastically in 2010, didn't it? and it has always been like this. probably...

so, accepting the new Moon is a challenge - not a problem anymore, but a challenge I will gladly cope with. you know what? I can see already the new image of Moon which will sooner or later prevail over the gloomy repetitions that Moon is going to perform

I hope, it will prevail - the shiny Moon that we see on the last photo from the RomiJuri article. I see a great mobility there, I see a combination of classic and modern, but there the energy of Moon remains the same - the gold, the yellow and orange

Let the Flower be delicate, let the Star be sophisticated, let the Snow be affected and Cosmos - original. Let Moon preserve its warmness

the only strange felling I have is that... though obviously I was attracted to Takarazuka due to the fact that women there play male characters (not only by this fact, but 'twas the MAIN point. I doubt there are people who were attracted for purely another reason), now that I think of Moon, I see Manaki-sama first

I mean, of course I love Masao and Mirio, I did and I will, but Reika-chan seems to be an essence of the current Moon. she is the one who will shine brightly and represent the Moon in my eyes. she is the one I feel the closest to - even Ryuu-sama and Asumi-sama seem farther - just a bit

my only prayer is - Manaki-sama, please, become a strong Top. no, become THE strong Top Musumeyaku that Moon is famous for, like spectators of 'Scarlet Pimpernel' said about Aono-sama, which Kiriya-sama mentioned. become a strong Top Musumeyaku that kouhai can rely on and sempai can be proud of. please create a wonderful Triple Combi with Ryuu-sama and Asumi-sama

BTW... will the Top Combi dance be performed with Asumi-sama or Ryuu-sama on the days when Romeo is played by Asumi-sama? I wonder... o___O

RomiJuri opening night! ~ oops, not night but day, ok

considering Moon Troupe

so, what should I say? congrats...

though I am not very happy with the current state of affairs in Moon Troupe, I have been thinking much about it, about Zuka in general - and the only possible conclusion is... I shall support Moon Troupe from now on, no matter what they do

in the end, I cannot switch my attention to another troupe and start loving it. 'tis too late! the others will forever stay a subject of respect and average interest for me, while Moon Troupe is forever mine. yep

considering RomiJuri

they already made some goods - and I can see crowds of fans who invaded Quatre Reves today, after the first performance ended only several hours ago

RomiJuri goods ^.^

considering Ryuu-sama

her personal design concept is also ready, though the video address is still missing. I wonder why they made such a choice of the theme... o___O

http://tca-pictures.com/quatre/star/moon/

translation of the explanation:

The design is based on favourite key words - 'castle', 'Milky Way', 'smiley', 'charm'.

Also, different kinds of plaid were applied to the items (remark - you see, they took Ryuu-sama's image from 'Edward VIII - Misty Station'!)

Essence that shines bright like Takarazuka itself was inlayed in the design so that it opens a view of a fantastic world.

'Castle'

The main motif is a big 'castle' (this word is constantly written in English). To the 'castle' created with an antique touch, a balloon was added, which seems an unbalanced thing at first sight, but adds a cute accent (can somebody tell me why SO MANY loan words in katakana were used in the explanation??? was this done on purpose? I wonder...).

'Plaid'

It is a grid pattern which differs depending on the item. The propinquity with the motif is born, and thus the attention is paid to a modern and stylish design.

_____

can someone tell me WHERE is this item stylish and modern??? this is a bag charm from the Ryuu-sama line, BTW

 

 another thing I cannot understand is this ↓

 'tis a pendant. and there is a bracelet with the same smiley. ok, smileys are good... but this is not for a Top Star design, and of course not for a Moon Top Star! ohhh how I hate this...

considering Moon Troupe again

you know what? I finally understand... they are trying to break the stereotypical images of Ryuu-sama and Asumi-sama. Ryuu is used to playing villains - as nibante, and Mirio has always been named a 'cute animal', which is once more proved by the Moon voting 'if we speak of a *, it is...' where she won the nomination 'if we speak of a pet'. This is exactly why they made Masao play in 2 musicals with tragic developments and a very fragile gentle image, the Top Star goods design was made overly cute, and Mirio was given a Dinner Show where her image was absolutely Z-Boy-ish cool and a bit brutal. however, the traditional images of them cannot be broken completely, therefore Mirio was given Romeo role, and Masao was given Tybald role. this is what I think now, and this is the reason of my frustration

Translation. an article about Moon RomiJuri 2012 ~ Yes, again!

the original article

On April 26th there was held a presentation of the upcoming performance 'Romeo and Juliette' which is to start in June in the Grand Theatre. It will become the first performance for Ryuu Masaki as the new Top Star after she succeeded Kiriya Hiromu, who graduated last week. Others who participated in the presentation are the new Top Female Role Player Manaki Reika and Demi Top Star Asumi Rio, and director Koike Shuuichirou.
The work chosen as the first performance is a musical based on the classic masterpiece of Shakespeare, which was first staged in 2001 in France, and became a big hit which can boast an audience of 5 million people all over the world. In Japan, the musical was first performed by Takarazuka Snow Troupe in 2010 and repeated by Star Troupe last year, and beyond Takarazuka there exist versions with Shirota Yuu and Yamazaki Ikusaburou. Koike Shuuichirou, who takes care of the performance, said - 'Right in the middle of the Snow Troupe performance there happened the earthquake catastrophe. The second part of the performance was cancelled, and when it was revived several days after, though some customers could not come because of transport circumstances, there still were a lot of customers who came. I was thinking then if it was right to perform a masterpiece about that romantic sweet love in such time, but there were people who said that quite opposite, exactly because of watching that performance they were able to face the next day, therefore I myself recognized the strength of Takarazuka, and once more recognized the value of existence. I think, it would be good if this performance could bring peace to the hearts of many people and power which would let them feel that what is called love.'
Another topic was the switching of roles of Romeo and Tybalt played by Ryuu and Asumi, who oppose each other tearing Juliette between them. Switching the main role in the first performance of a new Top is an uncommon form, but concerning this fact, director Kobayashi explained his objective - 'After Ryuu became the Top of Moon Troupe, it has become a very young troupe. And in a fresh troupe a lot of possibilities come out. Both Asumi and Manaki, and Ryuu herself, they are growing children, and I thought of polishing the skills of the whole Moon Troupe, so making the leading part a switching role seemed a good measure to me.'
Ryuu Masaki who is to become the new Top Star with this performance made her debut in 2001. On the twelfth year of her Takarazuka activity she took up the position of Top, thus becoming the youngest Top in the five troupes. Her greeting was very clear - 'United with the members of Moon Troupe I want to create an enjoyable performance, so I would like to ask you for your support.' Considering the switching roles she expressed her enthusiasm - 'As a stage performer I am blessed to be able to experience different things. I want to sincerely face it and put all my might into acting.' Manaki and Asumi also shared their respective views  - 'I am full of happiness because I have been granted with the role of Julette in such a masterpiece as 'Romeo and Juliette,' 'I was a fan of the 'Romeo and Juliette' story, so I can realize that I am a happy person to be connected with it by playing two roles in the performance. I will do my best reserving both my stamina and guts.'

translation! ~ an article about the last day of 'Edward VIII' and 'Misty Station' in Grand Theatre

 the original article

 

Takarazuka Revue Moon Troupe, the curtain has risen for the Top Combi Last Stage!

On March 3rd, the curtain has risen for the retirement performance of the Takarazuka Revue Moon Troupe Top Combi, Kiriya Hiromu and Aono Yuki.
The first part was the musical 'Edward VIII' based on the historical facts about Edward VIII, who earned great popularity among the masses and called 'Prince Charming' both at home and abroad. The musical paints both the false and the real image of him who, though loved by people, had to abdicate the throne in order to fulfill his love with an American national, Wallis Simpson.
The story starts with the funeral of Edward VIII, and then traces back the meeting of the couple. The unexpected direction of the funeral scene was quite interesting because a radio was used there, and thus seized the hearts of the spectators.
Kiriya, who played the open-hearted and possessing a modern character Crown Prince David (Edward VIII), was setting the pace of the performance with her nimble tone. Speaking of which, while looking as a man who leads free and pleasant life, the negative sides the character possessed as a person were also revealed. Thus, everyone could enjoy the splendid acting manner of Kiriya. Her partner actress, Aono, gently portrayed the changing feelings of Wallis to David, after she approached him in order to obtain a high status, and though a certain amount of loneliness and weakness was blurred in her, she finished as a strong woman with a firm heart.
Also, an indispensable supporting character was played by the Second, Ryuu Masaki. She portrayed Guy Burgess, a BBC producer, who was penetrating inside the scenes, but also narrated the story so that the spectators would not get confused. The Third, Asumi Rio, was playing the private secretary of David, who was watching over him, sometimes being harsh, but with a tender attitude, despite the fact he was twisting his secretary around his finger. While presenting her gentle image, Asumi showed both her character's strength of expressing his opinion straight to the face of the Crown Prince, and the irritation of being unable to help him.

The second part of the performance was 'Misty Station' starting with a scene which was to create a recollection of Kiriya's departure. She  played a young man Misty who embarked on an adventure with a trunk case and a map. After this a lot of dynamic scenes followed one by one. Cosmos, jungle, Arabia, enigmatic town, and a lot more - Misty is travelling around the variegated world. Among them, the scenes with Kiriya singing in the centre, surrounded by the Moon Troupe members standing in a row, and the male players dance in black tailcoats in perfect order were a grand sight. It was beautiful to the extent that a sigh would escape from the lips of spectators. Another certain thing was the duet dance of Kiriya and Aono, whose breath was perfectly matching, and there were also highlights for Ryuu, Asumi, and for those retiring like Aoki Izumi, Isshiki Ruka, and others, so the show was very enjoyable, presenting the overwhelming power of Moon Troupe.

For the last stage of the Top Star, in both works a lot of scenes and songs with farewell image were included. Do not miss the performance full of Kiriya's charm, who perfected in singing, acting, dancing, all these three skills.

 

 

 

 

 

script! well, a kind of... ~ Cafe Break in April - Moon retirements, RomiJuri

introduction

1. after being so angry with Mirio's photo session I was almost unable to see her face. however, I made myself listen to her and look at her. the Cafe Break was much later than the session I speak about, and Mirio is still cute and funny. perhaps I am wrong for being so annoyed with that image of hers...
2. also, bear in mind that this time I am not 100% sure that I could hear all the words they pronounce. mistakes possible
3. I did not put my remarks as I usually do, below the text. this time I felt like writing them directly after the sentences they are related to. I hope this doesn't spoil the text too much

if I am not mistaken, this is it

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/bEhbYcF-_WE/

Snow Troupe part

the vid starts with Snow Troupe material which I have no interest in (hint: this means - no literal translation)

what I would say is that even if I cast aside the 'absence of love' towards Yukigumi in me, still both Otozuki-sama and Maihane-sama sound very, very, very hypocritical. they speak fast and their words sound as if they were prepared before and learned by heart. and their words are just so... general... and... hollow... well, perhaps, one can say that they always say general and hollow words on such occasions, and perhaps, I am too biased to be able to feel any sincerity in the Tops whom I do not like. still, I did not have such feelings when I watched videos with my beloved Moon...

well, I can write this part down, if anyone really needs literal translation...

retirement part

we see Kiriya-sama saying the first part of her text from the conference (which can be found in my previous post). nothing in the article on the official website was different from what she really said, unlike newspapers articles which tend to sum up different parts of press-conference and omit a considerable amount of information

then some scenes from the farewell show follow

then Kiriya-sama descends the stage. the subtitle below tell us that the melody is not 'sumire no hana' but from 'Phoenix'. the debut performance of Kiriya-sama

then we cannot see who gives the first part of the flowers to Kiriya-sama... >___< showing the person from the back... and very short...

Kiriya-sama's address is as follows

'In my life, meeting with Takarazuka Revue, and that I have lived up till this day as Takarazuka's Kiriya Hiromu, - 'even if the clock is turned back, I would choose the same path'. *audience laughs&applauds - because this is a famous line her character, Edward VIII, uttered in the performance* From tomorrow, I will departure to an adventurous stage, to search a new dream. To all the spectators here in the Theatre, and to numerous people outside who watched over me, I want to convey the feelings from the very bottom of my heart - thank you so much for these 18 years.'

then we see a very brief demachi for every retiring sienne. even Kiriya-sama was shown for several seconds, including the fans saying 'thank you for everything' and Kiriya-sama throwing her roses into the crowd (though of course, it lasted much longer in reality >_____< why are you so greedy, Cafe Break creators???)

RomiJuri part

the presentation starts. the full translation I already posted

then (finally~) we have a chance to watch the songs presentation (I though I would never see them T___T) - and I was quite delighted with the combination of Ryuu-sama's and Asumi-sama's voices with Manaki-sama's. and of course, I am happy to hear her singing is good, just as I wanted it to be - sonorous and bright like that of a bird, though might be not very strong 

then 'ASUMI Cafe Break' comes. Asumi-sama welcomes the 'guests' as new Top Star ans new Top Musumeyaku

she says that there was held a presentation and asks for the Top Combi impression of it

Ryuu-sama laughs that Mirio hosting the programme is an interesting thing, and they agree that it is a new page for her (as a joke, of course... well, if I understood them right)

then Ryuu-sama starts explaining her feelings. 'finally, this has started' she says, meaning obviously their Topness. 'I have swore once more that I would do my best to create a performance that the audience would enjoy.'

Manaki-sama adds 'Though I was worried a lot, when I started singing I realized keenly that this is the beginning, that it is enjoyable.' (ohhhh you see how she looks on her partners when speaking?)

then Asumi-sama goes on talking nonsense. I am very sorry to say this but she really is >____< and somehow 'tis really funny...

'When I saw you two singing 'aimer' from aside, I thought you were so sparkling! you were so... close! *here Ryuu-sama bursts laughing* I mean, you both have such small faces... (BTW, she uses polite word for 'you both') but it is so fitting! so I became looking forward to it very much. also, I would like to ask... though it might be strange for me to ask this... is there an image of how Ryuu-san is going to play Romeo?'

'Not only Romeo, but also Tybald, and all the following roles I will have, I would like to play in an enjoyable Moon Troupe, with passion and energetically, to tackle those roles, this is what I think... to be the basis of creating a role. (this is a hard phrase to translate... by 'creating a role' Ryuu-sama means the process when the actor thinks of how to act, how to behave on stage, how to become the character he is to play, etc.) And what do you think of it, Mirio?'

'Me? Well... though I am worried, I am thinking - what can jump up to me from the environment, and how am I to react? (I should admit I did not find any resemblance of Asumi-sama's last word in dictionaries, so this is only my speculation) This is how I enjoy the process. Well, maybe I should already start creating a plan for myself.' (by plan they mean the process of creating the role which I described)

Ryuu-sama notes 'Though we have switching roles in one performance, in a way, this is as if we had two performances, and this is also an enjoyable aspect...'

Asumi-sama agrees 'When the roles are different, it is as if we had different performances. The same I felt when in Scarlet Pimpernel. The lines, the feelings were different to the extent I could not imagine, and thinking of how it would turn out to be, is also a thing to enjoy. Chapi, what do you think of playing Juliette?'

Manaki-sama *blushing already beet-red* 'Until now there weren't a lot of chances for me to have the honour of playing together with Masaki-san, and Asumi-san...'

Asumi-sama interrupts her (which seems such a cruel thing to me... how could she say this instead of supporting her kouhai?) 'Your face is so read... You're nervous so it's so red...'

Poor Manaki-sama touches her face and starts repeating in nervousness 'There weren't, were there? There weren't, were there?'

Ryuu-sama is the first to put an end to this 'Finish properly!'

Manaki-sama comes to her senses 'Yes! There weren't, so I am looking forward a lot. For me... personally... I wonder, what colour I would be dyed in, and with a pure white heart I want to move futher.' *and she smiles, probably happy she finally managed to finish her speech properly* (I remember the phrase about the colour used in animes and doramas frequently. this means that a person would be changed depending on some circumstances or other people. if somebody knows 'Kaichou wa Maid-sama', Usui used this phrase in the episode about choosing colours for the maids uniforms - he said that Misaki's colour was white because she was not influenced by anyone, and that he wanted to paint her with his)

Ryuu-sama develops the thought of them three 'The three of us seem to be a party which cannot be separated even if we are severed, and from now on, perhaps, there will be a lot of moments when we think not of ourselves, but of the other two, beyond the stage too, and turning this into a bond, thus creating a better teamwork, it would be great to create a performance like this. This is what I think now.'

Asumi-sams finishes 'So, ASUMI Cafe Break comes to an end today, but I would be happy to do this again! Thank you a lot!' *everybody laughs* (I am not sure why, maybe Asumi-sama simply said a nonsense again... I guess she might have used a word which is not usually used in such cases to mark the ending of the programme)

Ryuu-sama and Manaki-sama also say 'Thank you a lot'

farewell show part again

Kiriya-sama 'Thank you! My dear guests, I see you have already stood up... *laugh* this means... *laugh* your preparations are completed, am I right? *laugh* Hiro-san, and Soruna-san (she calls them by nicknames, huh?), I hope your warming up is also all right. *laugh* So, I would like to conduct the traditional Moon Troupe Closing Night Great Jump. (look at Mirio, she is limbering up her hands and neck!) Guests on the second floor, please be careful. Please, kumichou...'

Koshino-sama 'So, I would like us to jump on ban-ZAI. Tsukigumi...'

everybody, including the audience jumps shouting 'ban-ZAAAAI!'

Kiriya-sama says 'Thank you!' again

the end

(I ended up rewatching the last part several times. not only to write down what they say. simply... to watch again...)