...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
