This talk feature between Maikaze Rira and Sena Jun, who she had been in Flower Troupe with, was published for Maikaze’s retirement in the December 2006 issue of GRAPH.
GRAPH Farewell Talk: Maikaze Rira and Sena Jun
Maikaze: Ever since I was ken-1 you’ve pulled me along and supported me through the hard times, so I asked for you as my partner for this talk in order to offer you my gratitude somehow.
Sena: I’m so happy. This is our first time talking like this, isn’t it.
Maikaze: Yeah.
Sena: I knew about Maa-chan (Maikaze) ever since your Music School Culture Festival.
Maikaze: Huh, why did you know about me?
Sena: One of my classmate’s little sisters was in Maa-chan’s class, and she asked me if I could check on her sister’s makeup for the Culture Festival. I saw the dress rehearsal for the Culture Festival as well, and back then the impression I had of Maachan was that ‘she’s really got it together’.
Maikaze: You really emphasized that ‘back then’ just now, huh (laughs).
Sena: Yeah, that was my impression ‘back then’. You were really energetic, like ‘I’m gonna do it!’ (laughs). You had the top grades when you graduated from the Music School, right?
Maikaze: Yes.
Sena: So probably you felt like you had to do everything right and put pressure on yourself.
Maikaze: You’re probably right.
Sena: In your first show after coming to Flower Troupe, East of Eden, didn’t you you get a child role and wear a pink dress and a straw hat?
Maikaze: I did.
Sena: And during the play, didn’t you throw rocks at Komu-san (Asami Hikaru), who was paying a soldier?
Maikaze: I did~ (laughs).
Sena and Maikaze: ‘Go back to Germany, Kraut!’ (laughs)
Maikaze: Komu-san says that to me and I scream ‘kyaa’ and run away (laughs). That happened too, come to think.
Sena: Between your scenes, you spent the whole time in the wings in that child outfit. I was also alone in the wings a lot while waiting for my entrances.
Maikaze: We were together a lot.
Sena: Yeah. You are so good at dancing, so I think from the first moment you were assigned to the troupe everyone had their eye on you.
Maikaze: Not at all. During the East of Eden rehearsals, Director Tani told me that even when everyone was looking at me I should act as if I was all alone, but I couldn’t really do it.
Sena: I remember that. But back then, the way you put your all into it was so cute. I feel like the senior actresses treated you really fondly. At first, since you were the top of the class, you felt like you were pushing yourself because ‘I have to do it right!’ but gradually you showed more of your real self, where you just wanted to be spoiled. So everyone around you started to be like ‘Good girl, Maa-chan’ (laughs).
Maikaze: (laughs)
Sena: The thing I remember most from when you were a junior actress is the rehearsals from The Beauties, where you were chosen to be Etoille. When Maa-chan started singing, everyone spontaneously burst into applause, remember? And it wasn’t just because Maa-chan’s singing was so good that we started clapping… What year were you when that happened?
Maikaze: Ken-6.
Sena: It was 6 years since you joined the company, and even though there had been good times and times that weren’t so good, no matter how you felt you just kept working steadily, so I think that’s where the applause came from. I was also applauding, and I waas just so happy. ‘Look, Maa-chan’s an Etoille!’ And then you started crying (laughs).
Maikaze: (laughs)
Sena: Even though we had choreography after that (laughs). And even though it wasn’t as if you were retiring or transferring in that performance or anything (laughs).
Maikaze: That’s right. Everyone was so kind.
Sena: I’ll never forget the atmosphere in that rehearsal room. The atmosphere said everything there is to say about Maa-chan.
Maikaze: I was just so happy back then. I can still remember it clearly. Though I felt down or stressed at times, and sometimes I didn’t even know how to keep trying, I was able to feel how even so the senior actresses watched over me warmly.
Maikaze: Asako-san, you’d let me talk to you a lot even when I’d only just been assigned to Flower Troupe. Why was that? (laughs)
Sena: For real, why? You’re not really the type to be proactive in starting conversations.
Maikaze: I’m super bashful.
Sena: It’s impressive that you managed to talk to me like that (laughs). Ah, it’s not like I didn’t like it though (laughs).
Maikaze: (laughs) Sometimes I didn’t understand how to interact with seniors who I was still close in year level to.
Sena: And me? I’m also a senior you were close in year level to, though (laughs).
Maikaze: (laughs) Asako-san, you have a side of you that makes it easy to talk to you naturally about anything (laughs). When I’m stressed and ask you for help, you’ll tell me your opinions honestly, and then say ‘Maa-chan, what do you think?’ and guide me like that. If it’s good it’s good, if it’s not it’s not; you tell me those things clearly. Somehow I can tell Asako-san things that would normally make me feel lame or embarassed to tell someone about.
Sena: We share that, don’t we.
Maikaze: That’s right.
Sena: In Flower Troupe, I got to dance with Maa-chan a lot, like the ‘Wine Bar’ scene in The Beauties, or ‘Night and Day’ in VIVA!, and in Canaria…
Maikaze: The golden duet in the finale!
Sena: Right. Maa-chan is so earnest that I could tell what you’re thinking right away when we danced together (laughs). I think we must operate on the same wavelength.
Maikaze: Maybe that’s why we were able to talk normally right from the start.
Sena: After going to Snow Troupe you sparkled more than ever, Maa-chan. And you were so positive and hardworking.
Maikaze: That’s because you let me ask you for advice about every single thing, it’s not as if I could have managed to be so positive all by myself.
Sena: In your Grand Theatre debut performance, you and Komu-san had a duet dance together wearing pink costumes, right?
Maikaze: The scene in JOYFUL that starts on the Grand Stairs, like a wedding ceremony.
Sena: Yes, that! I love that duet dance!! It always makes me think what a rare partnership you have: ‘she’s definitely the partner for her!’
Maikaze: You’re too kind.
Sena: Maa-chan, you’re so skilled at the art of musumeyaku that it’s like you’re the picture of what a musumeyaku should be, I think you’re really wonderful. I hope all the musumeyaku junior actresses are following the example of your musumeyaku spirit.
Maikaze: You’re too kind…
Sena: Please keep being yourself and showing us ‘This is what a Takarazuka musumeyaku is!’ until the very end. And I hope you can leave an even stronger impression of what it meant for you to be in Takarazuka. So that even after you’ve retired, people will still keep using you as an example of a musumeyaku: ‘In this sort of situation, this is what Maikaze-san used to do!’
Maikaze: Yes.
Sena: Well, I think the impact you have on the musumeyaku is plenty strong even now.
Maikaze: Oh, no. Although I try to look capable, I’m actually really inept, so in rehearsals it seems like I get corrected a million times over (laughs). So I’ve shown the junior actresses all kinds of embarassing sides of myself.
Sena: But that’s fine, I think.
Maikaze: I hope that everyone can look at me and understand how to work hard from that point, rather than trying to put on airs and hide that. Thinking that makes me feel better as well.
Sena: Yeah, yeah.
Maikaze: Although when I first stood in that position, I felt like I had to be able to do everything, and if I couldn’t do something I should feel ashamed of myself.
Sena: Letting people see you be embarassed or awkward is something that lets you grow, I think. This year, I had a special guest appearance in Snow Troupe’s Rose of Versailles, right? It was so fun to watch Maa-chan chatting with the other Snow Troupe musumeyaku (laughs).
Maikaze: Huh~ why?
Sena: I was thinking stuff like ‘Maa-chan is looking after her juniors’ (laughs). It made me smile. Earlier you told me about how you go out to eat a lot with Shirahane Yuri and Yamashina Ai, and I was thinking, again, ‘that’s so cute~’ (laughs). Keep leading the musumeyaku on in the future too.
Maikaze: I’ll go out to eat with them! (laughs)
Sena: (laughs) Pass down lots of your musumeyaku knowledge to your juniors.
Maikaze: I don’t know how much I can do but I want to interact with them as much as I can.
Sena: Honestly, I think ‘a girl like a baby’s breath flower’1 is describing someone like Maa-chan.
Maikaze: You’re too nice, you’re too nice (laughs).
Sena: (laughs) Please keep doing your best and being yourself to the end. And I hope we can keep up in the future.
Maikaze: Yes. Please do.
Sena: GRAPH readers, I hope you never forget this most musumeyaku of musumeyaku, Takarazuka’s Maikaze Rira!
Maikaze: (laughs)
1 – A common description of a certain ‘ideal’ type of musumeyaku.