A feature from the July 2016 Kageki, while Tamaki was preparing for La Legende du Roi Arthur, her first show as Top Star.

About Me: Tamaki Ryou

Name: Tamaki Ryou

Member of: Takarazuka Revue Moon Troupe

April 2006 – Entered Takarazuka Music School

March 2008 – Graduated Takarazuka Music School

March 2008 – Joined Takarazuka Revue

May 2008 – Assigned to Moon Troupe

Something you’re into currently:

The other day I bought some chic, kind of retro headphones. Until now I’d just been using earbuds, but I saw some people listening to music on headphones and thought they looked stylish so then I really wanted them. I tried them out right away the day I bought them, and the sound quality really is totally different, so I’m completely happy with them. During the Tokyo performance, I’ll be riding around on trains a lot, and I want to go shopping while listening to music on my headphones, so even now I’m really excited about it [laughs].

Your strong points:

I do things at my own pace, and I don’t put on airs. And then, I’m not sure you can really call this a strong point, but perhaps that I keep an eye on what’s around me. It’s a habit I’ve had ever since I was a junior actress; back then if we were in rehearsal and there was something wrong with the props, say, I would notice right away and go to do something about it. But then as time when on and now that I’m a senior actress, they’ll tell me ‘you don’t have to do that, so just sit there’ [laughs].

Your weak points:

Sometimes I don’t listen to people [laughs]. If there’s something interesting I want to ask about I’ll get really excited and start a conversation, but then once I’m done talking I’ll be satisfied and no matter what the other person wants to say my thoughts will dash somewhere else right away. But it’s not that I’m not listening at all [laughs].

Special skills:

Athletics. I learned to swim when I was three years old, and when I was a student I did some other things, so I have real confidence in my strength and my willpower. In swimming, I mainly did freestyle, but I also did backstroke sometimes.

About your first tour lead:

Obviously it was really tough. On opening night at the Umeda Arts Theater, I didn’t realize how much energy getting through both the play and the show would require, so by the end of the performance I was completely wiped out. I was thinking ‘can I really make it through this whole tour?’ but by the next time I was getting used to it, and it was good experience in consistently getting to the end of a 2 and ½ hour show in the same condition. This tour’s schedule was actually quite hard and the travel was a strain, but whenever we’d arrive in a new place we’d all go together to eat whatever the best food from that region was. For example, in Morioka the authentic Morioka cold noodles left a deep impression, and in Niigata we tried the local sake—all of the other places had delicious food as well, and we were able to just relax a bit and enjoy ourselves.

Also, since it was a tour I really felt the excitement from the audience. This was especially noticeable in Kumamoto Prefecture; we arrived in our final location of Fukuoka the day after the earthquake, and as Takarazuka stage shows are a luxury entertainment there were people affected by the destruction who considered this an inappropriate time for the performance. Due to the effects of the earthquake the show was postponed temporarily, and I was really tense when I went onstage. However, during the performance, I noticed some audience members watching with tears in their eyes. There was such warm applause from the whole theatre, and we all realized once again that it’s only because of the audience that it’s possible to put on a show.

How would you compare your image of the future as a junior actress with how you are now?

It’s completely different from what I imagined. I had no idea things could possibly turn out this way. After joining the Revue, when I was ken-1 and ken-2 I would push myself thinking ‘I’d like to be like this or that’ but what I ended up being given was so much more than I imagined at any time. Of course I was awfully happy about that, but I was working so hard trying to live up to what was right in front of me I never really put together any images of a potential future. Looking back, my first Bow Hall lead ‘Prince Tsukigumo’ was that way.

However, at the time of Puck/Crystal Takarazuka I had a bit of a breakthrough, and I was able to start thinking about what kind of otokoyaku I wanted to become and how I could achieve an otokoyaku atmosphere that was unique to me. I’ve learned so much from amazing stars of the past, and I was always thinking ‘If this were me how would I be able to do it, and what would I be trying to achieve?’; I felt if I was continually examining myself this way it might make my own otokoyaku style distinguishable. Currently, I think I want to become a really ‘manly’ and buff otokoyaku.

What moment recently most moved you?

During the National Tour, Nagina-san and Uzuki-san kept all sorts of things in order, like the group dance scenes and looking after the junior actresses, and they made an environment for me where I could concentrate on my own role. During the parade of the senshuuraku performance Nagina-san was next to me, and when I turned to bow to her for the last time and saw her face I was struck by so much gratitude welling up within me that I wanted to cry. I was moved in a way I hadn’t been before. After the performance was over I told Nagina-san about it and it seemed like she’d noticed, so I realized how much it was possible to convey even without words. It also made me realize once again that even though during a performance we’re of course not speaking directly to the audience, it’s still possible to convey our personal feelings.

After this current performance ends Nagina-san will be moving to Senka, so I’ll miss her terribly. I respect her so much as both a person and as a performer, and I want to learn as much from her as I can until then. I hope from the bottom of my heart that we will have a chance to perform together once again.

Nobunaga/Forever Love!!:

My role in the play, Roltes, manipulates the people around Nobunaga, trying to corner him. He has a very complicated past, and I want to clearly portray the hidden aspects of such a character in my performance. Director Fujii made the revue with Ryuu-san in mind, so I want to make sure I do my part to the fullest. Many classmates I was close with, and people from classes near mine, will be graduating with this show so that’s very sad, but I want to make sure I remember Ryuu-san and current Moon Troupe clearly.

Your next show, Legende du Roi Arthur:

It’s being performed for the first time in Japan, and like 1789, the book, lyrics, and music are all by Dove Attia, so I feel like perhaps there’s some meaning to the fact it’s Moon Troupe performing it. Since it’s a French rock musical there’s a lot of talk and excitement about it, but I want to make sure we take every aspect and make sure to prepare thoroughly. I feel the pressure and responsibility there, but I’m enjoying seeing how it all comes together, and even above that since it’s our duty as performers to put on a good show for the audience, so they think ‘I’m glad I came’ as they are going home, I want to work hard towards making sure this performance does that.

What challenges do you want to take on in your future stage career?

Up until now, I’ve been doing pretty heavy stuff, I guess you could say (laughs), a lot of roles where I end up dying, so I think it would be nice to do a bright show, something comedic with a light touch. Besides that, I’d like to do a pure love story.