This brief article about Asaka Manato’s Melancholic Gigolo/Citrus Breeze III tour was published by Sankei News on October 25, 2015.

Cosmos Troupe Top Star Asaka Manato’s first tour: “I want to share the charm of Takarazuka freely”

Cosmos Troupe Top Star Asaka Manato’s national tour of Melancholic Gigolo–the Dangerous Inheritor (written and directed by Masatsuka Haruhiko) and Citrus Breeze III (written and directed by Okada Keiji) is currently in the midst of performances. The tour continues until November 8th and visits 15 locations, going as far as Hokkaido.

This is Asaka’s first national tour after ascending to the position of Top Star in February. During curtain calls on the first day of performances (on the 10th, at Osaka’s Umeda Arts Theatre), Asaka smiled and said “I want to share the charm of Takarazuka freely with everyone who doesn’t know Takarazuka, so every day I plan to go onstage with a fresh feeling.”

This is also Asaka’s first double feature show as Top Star. In this musical full of comedy touches, Asaka plays a free-spirited gigolo who ends up in a get-rich-quick scheme. The jaunty show refreshingly displays Cosmos Troupe’s rebirth.

“It makes me really happy to put on a show that warms people’s hearts and can be said to represent Cosmos Troupe without exaggerating,” said Asaka. About the audience’s constant laughter, she said “the warm applause and laughter I heard became my strength. I think that the laughter gives a fresh feeling as well and is important to create the show.”

After this, the show tours Tokyo, Chiba, Nagano, Yamanashi, Niigata, Fukushima, Yamagata, Akita, Iwate, and Hokkaido. Asaka smiled and said “pick up your suitcases and come with us!”