Backstage Journal is a short Kageki feature where very young cast members write anecdotes about what’s going on behind the scenes of the productions. They’re not very deep, being full of emojis and more like blog entries than articles, but they are a cute and fun way to get to know actresses and hear more about behind-the-scenes goings-on from a different point of view than the main stars.
This one is by then-Snow Troupe member Arisa Hitomi (of the 98th Class) and was published in the April 2015 issue.
Backstage Journal – Lupin III/Fancy Guy! (Arisa Hitomi)
Hello, Kageki readers ✨ I’m Snow Troupe’s Arisa Hitomi! I’m so honored to have this opportunity to write a Backstage Journal for Sagiri-san and Sakihi-san’s debut production. I’ll do my best to do all my beloved Snow Troupe members justice so you can enjoy these stories!
🌸 From the Tokyo run of Lupin III 🌸
~An episode at the changing rooms~
All the dancing girls in Scene 9 had gathered still in their costumes just after the scene. And then who came to change costume but Yumeno (Seika)-san! All the dancing girls gathered around Yumeno-san… 💖 Yumeno-san was thrilled 💖 “You’re all so cute 😍 I’m so happy 😍” She was surrounded by the fairylike and adorable dancing girls 💖 It was just like a swarm of butterflies around a beautiful flower ✨ When I asked Yumeno-san about it, she said that this had been going on ever since the Grand Theatre run, and she seemed so happy about it. “It makes me so happy when they’re all around me somehow 💖 The other day I got a picture with all of them for the first time ✨.” Yumeno-san looked so beautiful with all of the dancing girls surrounding her and the whole time she had the happiest smile as she said “Thank you~ 💖” ✨ Everyone adores Yumeno-san…it’s wonderful ✨
~Adlibs~
The play is full of adlibs, but I’d like to talk about 2 of them here ✨
💖 Sagiri-san and Sakihi-san 💖
In Scene 8, Sagiri and Sakihi have an acting scene together in Marie Antoinette’s room ✨ During the scene, Sagiri-san will say something funny along the lines of “I’m Lu-(adlib goes here) the Third!” and Sakihi-san repeats it back cutely, “Lu-(adlib goes here) the Third? 💖” On or off stage, they’re such a lovey-dovey pair 💖 It just makes you happy to see them like that, doesn’t it 😊
💖 Nozomi-san 💖
In scene 6, after the Aventuriers number in the catacombs, Lupin III (Sagiri) has an adlib exchange with Count Cagliostro (Nozomi), but she asks her a different question every day 💦 I’m right close by but every day I get so nervous, so I’m afraid Serafina is of no support to Giuseppe (Nozomi)… 🥲 Every day Nozomi-san has a reflection session after Scene 6. If she didn’t have a skillfull comeback she seems very down, she’s so earnest about it… But on days where she has a good comeback I’ve seen her bouncing along to the music before her entrance in Scene 9… 😊 Nozomi-san performs with a different mindset every day…I was so happy to be given the chance to be close to her. Nozomi-san, who is respected by everybody…she is so wonderful ✨
Did you enjoy my column? Thank you so much for reading this whole thing. I’m staying grateful every day and doing my best on stage so that you can all enjoy our show, so I hope we can meet again in the pages of Backstage Journal one day… 😊