WINGS is a Kageki feature where a few young actresses answer questions about themselves and Takarazuka. This issue’s column includes Yuunami Kei, Shidou Ryu, Rui Makise, and Haruha Rara.

WINGS – April 2015

1. Favorite Takarazuka shows
2. Favorite __ (insert your own)
3. Charm point
4. A challenge you want onstage
5. A challenge you want offstage
6. Something you want people to notice about you onstage & personal promo

Yuunami Kei, Flower Troupe
Debut: 2010, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL
Recent Prominent Roles: Elisabeth (2014), Black Angel; Embraced by the Seas of Calista junior performance (2015), Roberto Gorgi

1. Romeo et Juliette
2. My favorite scent – Bergamot; My favorite drink – Royal Milk Tea; My favorite place – places with a beautiful ocean view
3. My hands and feet, which are small compared to my height. Althought maybe it’s a weak point for an otokoyaku…
4. I want to try a villain role!
5. I want to go scuba diving! I heard that under the water it’s a really quiet world, so I want to experience that.
6. I want to keep doing my best and putting in all my energy as a proud otokoyaku of Flower Troupe!

Shidou Ryuu, Star Troupe
Debut: 2010, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL
Recent prominent roles: The Lost Glory junior performance (2014), Curtis Danford; Like a Black Panther (2015), Seven Seas member

1. Babylon¹
2. My favorite food – white chocolate; My favorite book [genre] – Fantasy; Music – jazz
3. My smile (smiley)
4. The types of roles I’d especially like to try as an otokoyaku are villains or people with a dark side. I’ve never played that kind of role before.
5. I want to try designing my own accessories and such and make them for real!
6. In Takarazuka they say ’10 years to otokoyaku’, and I’m now plunging into my 6th year! From now on I want to challenge myself more and more with the things I’ve struggled to express previously!! Please keep supporting me!!!

Rui Makise, Cosmos Troupe
Debut: 2011, A Second Fortuitous Meeting
Recent prominent roles: The Rose of Versailles: Oscar junior performance (2014), Alain de Soissons; An Oath on the Midnight Sun junior performance (2014) , Carl Pontus Lillihorn

1. Elisabeth, Dark Brown Eyes
2. My favorite beverage – soy milk; My favorite scents – geranium, lemongrass; My favorite theatres – Takarazuka Bow Hall, Chuunichi Theatre²
3. My loud voice and my Passion!! (laughs)
4. I want to challenge myself with more roles that are completely different from me! I think in order to master being an otokoyaku its important to play a variety of roles and broaden your horizons.
5. Kyogen. Right now I’m really interested in kabuki and Japanese-style theatre, so I want to try learning [Kyogen’s] vocal style!
6. I’m going to keep showing you unexpected sides of Rui Makise! Look forward to it ✨

Haruha Rara, Cosmos Troupe
Debut: 2012, Brilliant Days
Recent prominent roles: Phoenix! Takarazuka (2014), White Bird; An Oath at Midnight junior performance (2014), Countess Egmont

1. ME AND MY GIRL
2. My favorite colors – pastel purple, salmon pink; My favorite brand – JILL STUART; My favorite person – Audrey Hepburn
3. I want it to be ‘my smile’… I have long eyelashes.
4. I want to be able to use lots of different vocal styles. The voice is so important for getting in character, and I think being able to use a lot of voices will help me broaden myself as a performer.
5. Cooking. I just started living by myself so I want to do my best for my health!!
6. I hope you’ll look at my different ways of expressing myself in acting, dancing, and singing, and also my smile!

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1 – Presumably she means the revue staged in 2002-3.

2 – Chuunichi Theatre has since closed.