There’s a section in Kageki called ‘Words and Pictures’ where one sienne from each troupe is chosen quarterly to write about behind-the-scenes episodes from their troupe. (It’s slightly similar to Troupe Report, but longer and with a fixed turnover.)

Mizu Natsuki was the writer for Cosmos Troupe in the first quarter of 2003. In this installment, she discusses the Setsubun festival tradition of ehoumaki, as well as behind the scenes of Miracle of the Holy Star and rehearsals for Pierre the Mercenary.

O-Mizu’s Road of Flowers, Part 2

Did you all eat futomaki while facing in a lucky direction yet this year? I’m saying that even though I’ve never eaten futomaki for Setsubun, but apparently “Facing a lucky direction and silently eating an entire futomaki” is a Kansai-only tradition (Probably 😅 I don’t really know actually 😅)

So, here I would like to give all of you who might be thinking of challenging yourself with a futomaki this year some ‘futomaki eating pro tips’.

1. Allow yourself plenty of time when you start eating.

(Explanation) From an account I heard, Takarasienne X, who spent February 3 in rehearsal, started eating her futomaki in passionate silence while chanting her wish in her heart. But then!! The rehearsal started the very moment she started eating—and since she was still saying her wish internally she was forced to completely ignore what the director was saying, so it was apparently the ultimate…no, the worst peril she’d ever been in when a rehearsal resumed. And it turned out that her wish was to have fun putting on a successful show with everyone… 😥 (The universe never goes along with your plans 🍥)

2. Don’t do it together with someone you like.

(Explanation) This is just the appropriate approach to eating an entire futomaki. If you’re eating the whole thing in silence without anything to drink, anybody would get a bit out of sorts. I think perhaps the best way to do it would be in a large group facing the same direction, if possible keeping your faces in the same angle, and soak in the enjoyment even amidst the wordless quiet 🌸

3. Don’t mix up your lucky direction.

(Explanation) I don’t even have to explain this one. Obviously you’d be so frustrated after putting all your effort into eating that futomaki ☠️

What do you think? But see, here’s the thing. Since I believe “Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures 💖”, the idea of wasting one of my only 3 fun meal times per day on just one futomaki is too much, I can’t do it 🍥 The last thing I want to mention is, Sushii-san’s (Kotobuki Tsukasa) family [sushi restaurant]’s futo-maki are suuuuuper tasty, but they’re also suuuuuuper thick, so if you decide to take one on make sure you’re mentally prepared.

Next, I’d like to go back in time a little, to something that happened in the costume room during preparation for the year’s end-New Year Osaka/Tokyo production Miracle of the Holy Star.

Once the finale was over and the show ended, pretty much all of us in the cast would strip off our costumes at once in the costume room. We were in there when suddenly we could hear the voice of Kitarou’s Papa Eye… 💦 And not just one or two people, but so many voices were calling out “Hey!! Kitarou 👁”

Of course it wasn’t like Kitarou was actually there, or even just a group wearing yellow-and-black striped vests. Masami (Miwa Asahi), who loves impressions, started it, and this set off a chain reaction as Eriko (Nanaho Hikaru), Yaetsu (Oomi Ako), Susshii-san, and then finally, even our sweet prince, Takako-sama (Wao Youka) [kirakira] started showing off their own Papa Eye impressions 💨 According to Masami, “When you say the ‘rou’ in ‘Kitarou’, you should push your lower jaw forward a little bit.” You tried that just now as you were reading, didn’t you 👁 How was it? Did you sound like him? If I ever get the change I’d like to hold a Cosmos Troupe Kitarou Impressions Contest. I’m sure someone will let you know the results in Words and Pictures 😄 Look forward to it!!

Anyway, about this month’s Words and Pictures, I wanted to make sure I submitted it before the deadline, so the night before the day it was due, I was desperate…I spent until 5am that morning getting it all written, but then, the next morning, I forgot it at home 😅 Of course I couldn’t even look the nice lady from editing in the eyes when she came to get it from me 🍥

Thanks to that, though, I got another piece of material!!

This happened on rehearsal opening day, during the script read-through. Iori (Naoka)-san is supposed to be in the production, but since she is off playing a LOVELY 💖 LADY in Hakataza², Director Ishida was her understudy in the script reading. At first it went really well, and he was getting through it smoothly while explaining the story, but as he got more absorbed in his descriptions he started to forget to read Iori-san’s parts. “Who’s next? Oh, it’s me 😅” And when he got too into the story and read Pierre’s (Wao Youka’s) parts that was a big hit with everyone 😁

Iori-saaan, please come back soooon 💖

Right, right, in this production we’ll be saying goodbye to Iori-san, as well as my classmate Kinomi (Kazaki Maya), Yuuka-chan (Tsubaki Haruka), and Airi (Hanamiya Airi). But I want to have fun and make lots of memories until the very end. Thank you so mu~ch 😁

Well then… I’ll see you next month.

Mizu

1 – It’s possible she is thinking of Sirotan, who seems to be dressed in sushi outfits once in a while.

2 – Shortly before her retirement, Iori Naoka participated in a co-ed production of KISS ME KATE in Hakata. This performance is sometimes erroneously listed as being after she had retired.