three things that led me to Takarazuka ~ some memories of my past

I have been telling my friends that there were only 2 anime series that made me feel interested in Takarazuka. I was forgetting one thing, not as obvious but even more important.

It happened 5 years ago when I was rewatching 'Samurai X' or 'Rurouni Kenshin'. Already having stable internet connection, unlike the first time I was watching it on TV, I could indulge in watching it with the original sound and check some info in the web whenever I wanted. That's why I could fully appreciate the Japanese art of voice acting and immediately fell in love with Suzukaze Mayo. Her voice was some kind of magic and I couldn't fail to check what kind of person she is. She turned out to be a former Takarazuka Top star, but that time it was nothing but a name to me.

Just a month later I started watching 'Sakura Wars' or 'Sakura Taisen'. I've read that the composer was inspired by the OSK all-female troupe, if I am not mistaken, so it's no wonder the soundtrack is full of josei-kageki-like songs - songs reminding those performed by all-female troupes (and there are quite a few in Japan, which is a topic I will develop in a separate post later).

But this isn't the first time I touched the 'female revue' esthetics. The first time was 'Sailor Moon'. And I'm not speaking of Haruka, the obvious Takarazuka-inspired symbol. I'm speaking of the Three Lights. Yes, Ogata Megumi is great, but the heart of 90s lies in these two songs.

 

Sakura Taisen Kanadegumi ~ haters gonna hate

and I join them with all my heart

there is only one thing on the Earth that can calm me down - reading opinions similar to mine. and this time I was lucky to have one person saying this

and I could not agree more. Paris and New York were already far from what I would wish to see in SW, but this is simply frustrating. reverse harem, a bunch of popular male seiyuus, cute girlish manga by some unknown mangaka. no Fujishima-sensei style. no mecha. no sense of working together. no charm of Showa era. even though the song by Tanaka-sensei is good, it no longer has that special atmosphere one can feel in the original SW

when I see this I feel nothing

and when I see this I cry

simply o___O

well, me understands one can write shoujo-ai fanfics taking their 'inspiration' from the Sakura Wars. though it seems disgusting to me, me can suppose the personalities could seem suitable for some preoccupied with s... oh, me wanted to say, 'with shoujo-ai' fic-writers.
still me would be happy to hear the explanations of how they managed to create shoujo-ai in 'Aria', 'Kiki' and 'Last Exile'. just someone, explain me please