One of the yearly retrospective features from the December 2015 issue of Kageki, featuring Moon Troupe Top Musumeyaku Manaki Reika.

Looking Back on 2015: Manaki Reika

I’ve improved so much all through this year that looking back on my first role of Melanie, it feels like it was from quite a long time ago. Sometimes I think ‘have I really come so far just since then?’ Gone with the Wind, in February, was a restaging after a year, and while it was a difficult challenge performing the same role again after so much time had passed, as a musumeyaku I really love the part of Melanie so I enjoyed being able to take it on again.

In 1789: Lovers of the Bastille the part of Marie Antoinette was a big challenge for me. The show was a completely different style of musical than I’d done in Takarazuka until then, and I had to sing rock songs as Marie Antoinette… It’s definitely not a typical Takarazuka heroine role, and while I had a lot of different concerns while getting into character, now I’m grateful to Director Koike for the chance to challenge myself this way. I learned a lot about how to consider things as my own performer.

After that came Wonder of Love which was the first performance where I was the focus, so I was worried about it. But Director Koyanagi arranged everything I wanted to try performing so beautifully, and all the other members of the show helped me out a lot, so when the day came to perform I really did enjoy myself.

The Grand Theatre performance starting in November, Manon, is a very subtle and simplistic show, so I want to honestly portray all the emotions deep inside my heart. In the revue show, Golden Jazz, I want to get caught up in the themes and enjoy myself together with the audience.

Ryuu-san always says “I want to keep dreaming,” which is a phrase I love. I’ll hold on to my dreams and fearlessly challenge myself next year too.