This Kageki feature from 2011 has the results of a survey of all the troupe members of the time, asking their impression of their Top Star through various questionnaires.
Otozuki’s was published in the November issue, and the survey seems to have been done during the performance or rehearsals for The Man in the Iron Mask/Royal Straight Flush!.
Troupe Survey: Image Investigation! – Otozuki Kei
We investigate Otozuki Kei based on Snow Troupe’s answers to our survey!
Which best fits your ‘image’ of Otozuki?
Q1: Dog – 58, Cat – 8
Otozuki’s answer – Dog
I want to get a dog sometime, and there are are a lot of girls in Snow who have dogs, so I get to see them a lot. I’m a dog person.
Q2: Black tailcoat – 35, Tuxedo – 30
Otozuki’s answer – black tailcoat
If we’re talking otokoyaku, it has to be the black tails! Is how I think, anyway.
Q3: Uniform – 47, Suit – 19
Otozuki’s Answer – Uniform
I remember really strongly being a junior actress and having all my seniors give me advice on wearing uniforms. Recently I wore a uniform in Dark Brown Eyes, and I still learned a lot, it’s really hard to wear them well.
Q4: Velvet – 38, Lace – 26
Otozuki’s Answer – Velvet
When I think of lace I picture the adorable musumeyaku, so maybe velvet has a more mature and sexy image?
Q5: Comedy – 50, Tragedy – 16
Otozuki’s Answer – Tragedy
Maybe so many people picked comedy because I tend to joke around a lot (laughs), but if I’m choosing, I like tragedies better.
Q6: Friendship stories – 39, Love stories – 26
Otozuki’s Answer – Friendship stories
Of course I like love stories, but I’d love to try challenging myself on stage with more stories of intense friendship between men.
Q7: Variety shows – 52, Romantic dramas – 14
Otozuki’s Answer – Variety shows
You all know me so well! (laughs) Of course romantic dramas are nice, but I like variety shows, since I can watch and laugh and switch my mood up. Even the junior girls will come ask me ‘did you see this one?’ if there’s a funny show on.
Q8: Digital – 57. Analog – 8
Otozuki’s Answer – Digital
I’m not all that great with gadgets, but I want to get all the latest things, so in that way I’m digital I guess. I got an iPhone the first day they went on sale in Japan (laughs).
Q9: Romeo – 64, Hamlet – 2
Otozuki’s Answer – Romeo
Since he was the role I had in my Top debut show, I’m really attached to him, and I feel really drawn to his strong core and the rest of his personality, so I have to pick Romeo.
Q10: Modern art – 50, Renaissance paintings – 16
Otozuki’s Answer – Modern art
I kind of picked this on instinct, but if there are 2 museums having special exhibits at the same time, I’ll go to the one with the modern art.
Q11: White – 39, Red – 15, Black – 11
Otozuki’s Answer – white
I feel like I want to be ‘white’; in the sense that I want to be able to reset and be dyed with a new color when it comes time for each new show.
Q12: Japanese-style shows – 43, Western-style shows – 23, Chinese-style shows – 0
Ototzuki’s Answer – Japanese-style shows
After all, they’ve always said that Snow Troupe is the one for Japanese-style shows, and I love doing action scenes with a katana.
Q13: T-shirt – 39, Dress shirt – 14, Blouse – 13
Otozuki’s Answer – T-shirt
I like wearing dress shirts and blouses as costumes, but for normal wear I’d say t-shirts. Because I’m a fun person maybe!? (laughs)
Q14: Bread – 45, Rice – 19, Noodles – 2
Otozuki’s Answer – Rice
I’m Japanese, so I have to pick rice, I think. I eat bread a lot during performances so maybe that’s why that’s the strongest image everyone has, but I like rice when it comes down to it.
Q15: Black tea – 25, Cola – 23, Coffee – 15
Otozuki’s Answer – Black tea
Definitely have to go with black tea! Huh? So many people picked cola, though. I don’t drink it all that much? Maybe it’s because I have that kind of energetic cheerful impression (laughs).
Q16: Sprint – 32, Hurdles – 30, Marathon – 4
Otozuki’s Answer – Sprint
Going all out in a sprint is so exhilarating, I love it.
Q17: Snowboarding – 43, Alpine skiing – 15, Figure skating – 8
Otozuki’s Answer – Alpine skiing
I have a lot of memories of going skiing with my family when I was little. I do think I’d like to try snowboarding sometime, but if we’re talking sliding on a single board maybe I’d rather go surfing (laughs).
Q18: If she was going to try a female role…? – Sally (ME AND MY GIRL) – 54, Carmen (Jose and Carmen) – 7, Marie (Ephemeral Love) – 5
Otozuki’s Answer – Carmen
What! Sally!? Why the heck. This is the first time anyone’s said that to me…but I guess? (laughs) I want to try a cool role with the dark makeup so that’s why I picked Carmen.
Q19: On a vacation…? – Having fun at a theme park – 46, Relaxing at a hot spring – 10, Touring foreign historical sites – 9
Otozuki’s Answer – Touring foreign historical sites
Yes, I do like Disneyland (laughs) and all those places, but if I managed to get a long break I’d like to go abroad. I want to go places connected with my shows.
Q20: Pop music – 56, Rock – 9, Classic – 1
Otozuki’s Answer – Pop music
I like all of them just in terms of the songs, but when it comes to being able to enjoy myself together with the audience and the other troupe members I’d go with a pop song.
Q21: Basketball club – 37, Tennis club – 19, Kendo club – 10
Otozuki’s Answer – Kendo club
I picked the kendo club because I’d really love to try that sometime, but I guess from my general impression I can see it being the basketball club.
Q22: Summer – 52, Spring – 9, Autumn – 3, Winter – 2
Otozuki’s Answer – Summer
I love summer! The days are long and it stays bright no matter when, so it gives me tons of energy.
Q23: Otozuki’s onstage image – A glittering sun – 38, A refreshing wind – 20, A clear blue sky – 4, A broad abundant ocean – 2, A sensitive moon – 2
Otozuki’s Answer – A glittering sun
Ah~, I’m so happy! The brilliantly glittering sun really makes the mood brighter, so I really hope I can be like that.
What would she do in this situation?
If she went back in time to the past?
1: She’d become a popular popstar who’s rumored to have ‘come from the future’. – 39
2: She’d keep trying to think of ways to get back to her own time. – 10
3: She’d use her foreknowledge to become a leader in that era and help people. – 10
4: She’d live an ordinary life as a person of that era. – 7
Otozuki’s answer – 2
Why is everyone saying pop star!? (laughs) Hmm, but I think since I love all my friends I’ve spent time with and the audience that supported me, I’d really want to get back to my own time. I believe that if you wish hard enough you can make it come true, so I’d keep trying to find a way to get back.
When you wake up she sees a rabbit. To her supprise, the rabbit speaks. Then…?
1: She’d call someone on the phone. – 27
2: She’d just accept what was happening. – 23
3: She’d go back to sleep. – 14
4: She’d rub her eyes and refuse to believe it. – 2
Otozuki’s answer – 1
A rabbit talking to me isn’t something that would happen every day, so if I had the opportunity I’d like to talk to it. And even if I called someone, I don’t think they’d have very helpful advice (laughs). So I’d like to just accept it.
If she suddenly got a week’s vacation, what would be the first thing she’d do?
1: Immediately go on a trip. – 41
2: Tidy her house. – 16
3: Get some sleep. – 9
4: Do nothing. – 0
Otozuki’s answer – 1
Everyone understands me~! I’m so happy. I’m a really proactive person, so I can’t just sit around my house. I do really like tidying up, but I already tidy up anything that bothers me straight away, so I do it little by little when I have bits of time. So I think I’d just go straight out on a trip.
Otozuki Kei=Momotaro. She takes her millet dango and sets out to drive out the oni, and gains the dog and monkey as party members, but by the time she runs into the pheasant, she was out of dango. What does she do…?
1: Figure out something else to give to the pheasant instead of the millet dango and make friends. – 26
2: Ask the pheasant what it would want to join the group. – 25
3: Free answer. – 10
4: Give up on the pheasant, and level up teamwork with the dog and the monkey before attacking the oni. – 5
Free answers:
a) “Ah!! My millet dango are all gone! Ahaha~ (laugh) I’m so sorry, so sorry,” and laugh it off apologizing and saying “What do I do~” as if she’s at her wit’s end until she skillfully turns the pheasant into a party member. She has that kind of conversational skill (laughs). So she wouldn’t actually have to give it anything (laughs).
“Ah~! Actually I think I do say ‘I’m so sorry, so sorry’ a lot maybe (laughs)”
b) She’d tell the pheasant ‘when we get back I’ll make you some even better millet dango!!’ and convince it to join her.
c) She’d get so excited talking and trying to make friends that she’d forget all about attacking the oni and they’d go out for tea together.
“What, I’m going out for tea now!? (laughs)”
d) I don’t think she’d try to force the pheasant to join her, but she’d tell it she’d make it as many millet dango as it could eat when they returned and convince it that way. I’m sure the pheasant would be won over by Kei-san’s good nature.
e) She’d make friends so it would want to help her.
f) ‘Instead of a millet dango…’ she’d offer a wonderful song and dance performance and convince it to join her that way.
g) She’d make friends right away without having to give it anything.
“Yeah, yeah, I’d want to make friends.”
h) She’d convince it to at least join her for now and buy it something tasty along the way.
i) She’d do her best to make it some millet dango herself.
j) She’d give it some other sweets that she brought along secretly.
k) She’d make some millet dango. Or maybe order out for them!! (laughs)
“Order out… (laughs)”
l) She’d appeal to the pheasant’s desire to be needed.
“Ah~ these are so funny! All of them are the best. I can’t rank these.”
Otozuki’s answer: 3 (Free answer) – I wouldn’t lure it with the millet dango or anything, but tell it about how I felt about attacking the oni… And then, if it understood where I was coming from and was willing to join me, I’d want to give it something in thanks eventually.
Like, “I want to capture the oni! Please, I need your help too!”. Right now, I’m so happy being supported by everyone in Snow Troupe, and it would hurt if any one of them were missing. So thinking about that, I don’t think I could just give up on the pheasant… Somehow I’m answering this really seriously now (laughs).
What are Otozuki Kei’s must-have items?
Stretch pole (‘With cover 💖’, ‘Since she’s always using one during warmups (laughs)’, ‘One full of love from the musumeyaku’) – 8
Balance pole
Muscles
Coco & Nuts1 (‘Her Coco-chan plushie’) – 2
Smile (‘SMILE!!’, ‘Her smile never fades no matter what’, ‘Her smile as dazzling as the sun 😃’, ‘her superpowered smile’, ‘If she doesn’t have that sparkly smile ✨ then it’s not the real Kei-san!’) – 12
Her laugh
Her laughter (‘Her almost exaggerated feeling laugh’, ‘Her big laugh’, ‘No matter where you are you can hear Kei-san laughing’) – 5
Her smile as dazzling as the sun and her beautiful voice ✨
Her energy
Milk Tea
Sweets (‘definitely sweets’, ‘SWEETS🍰’, ‘sweet things’) – 10
Chocolate 💖 – 2
Starbucks and sweets
Her curiosity ✨ Her energy when she goes after something that interests her is so amazing!!
“Ah~for sure! When I’m interested in something, I really can’t back off. But I think that’s something a performer really needs, so I feel like we’re all super full of curiosity…”
Erasable color ballpoint pen (laughs). She’s always so precise about writing in her script and scheduler with this!
iPhone (‘her phone with the Elmo case’, ‘her elmo case iPhone’) – 6
“It’s really convenient since I can look things up the moment I want to.”
iPod
“I actually don’t have an iPod~. Maybe they’re thinking of the iPhone?”
Her ultimate aura
Her friends!! She always has somebody with her!!
Abercrombie perfume
VISA Card
Otozuki’s answer – Smile
‘Smile’ is my motto, so I always want to keep my smile up and not let it fade. I’m happy to see so many people listing it. Of course this goes for after I joined for Takarazuka, but even when I was little I’ve always loved making people happy. When I’m in rehearsals, my baseline feeling is that I always want to make it a fun atmosphere. I want to put out that atmosphere myself, and when I see the audience or my friends laughing, it makes me really happy.
About the stretch pole…
I can’t warm up without it, so it’s definitely a must-have item for me! I take it to Tokyo performances too, with the cover a bunch of musumeyaku made for me for Valentine’s day.
About the eraseable ballpoint pen…
I really use this a lot~! During rehearsals, when I’m discussing different things with the creative staff, sometimes there will be changes in how the character I’m performing is supposed to feel and stuff, so I’ll need to rewrite my notes and my scripts used to get so messy. But with this pen, even if I have to edit, I can just erase it, so it’s so convenient. I have a set of 10 colors, and I love trying to use them the most effectively… (laughs). Right now I’m so into using these pens to make my script and schedule book pretty.
Testimonials
1) This is what I find charming about Otozuki Kei! (On and offstage)
2) What is something she says a lot?
3) If you were going to use a nickname besides ‘Kei’ for her?
Asuka Yuu
1) On: Her huge smile when she finally comes down the stairs and sees us all waiting for her. Off: Even though she’s a high tech person and has been using her iPhone since the day it came out, she has such a cute case on it.
2) Maybe ‘Understood~!’? She’s always so sincere. She also makes a lot of reaction noises like ‘Huh!?’ or ‘Gya~!’
3) ‘Kimu’. She’s been called that in Snow Troupe ever since she was a junior actress. The ‘Kimu’ who sweat and cried and smiled and grew is now my Snow Troupe Top Star.
“Naga-san (Asuka) always accepts me with a smile, and just reading this answer she wrote makes me feel so warm~. Recently she was wavering over whether or not to buy an iPhone, and I really think she should get one. And then I want to get matching cases (laughs).”
Asaki Yumemi
1) On: Her gorgeous profile that I get to see onstage 💖 Off: When I’m worried about something, she’ll come give me advice about it and it’s so reassuring.
2) ‘Understood!’ ‘Got that!’ ‘No way!!’
3) ‘Smile’, ‘Shine’, ‘Kimchi’
“Give advice…though really, it’s mutual, so when I’m worried about something she’ll listen to me talk about it and give me advice. You can tell she’s my classmate from her answers.”
Misuzu Aki
1) On: When she’s goofing around with props right before the curtain goes up and making herself laugh. Off: When she’s given 3 bottles of iced tea and spends the whole time she’s drying her hair earnestly trying to decide which one she’s going to drink first when she leaves.
2) ‘Is this good…Is this good…This is good, right…’
3) I can’t think of anything besides ‘Kei’. We’ve used that since she was in the Music School…
“Mattsu (Misuzu) is from Kansai so she’s so selective about comedy (laughs). But I’m happy she’s been watching me trying my best. And right, I’ve been Kei to Mattsu since we were at the Music School.”
Ayana Oto
1) On: When she rolls her tshirt [sleeves] up to her shoulders when she’s sweaty during rehearsals 💖 Off: Kei-san with a sparkling smile when she sees some delicious looking sweets 💖
2) ‘Eh~~~!! (laugh)’ or ‘No way!?’
3) In that case, Kimu
“I do have that habit of rolling my tshirts up. Good eye, Hiromi (Ayana). When I get in the groove I just roll my sleeves up to my shoulders without even thinking about it.”
Oozuki Tooma
1) On: The ‘It’s fine, it’s fine’ aura she puts out with her eyes when I mess up the choreography. Off: Her 💖 eyes when she sees sweets
2) ‘This works, this works’
3) ‘Shou’, written “笑/Smile”
“That’s so Kitarou (Oozuki), she’s not going to give the ordinary answers (laughs). Right, right, when people make mistakes they always make this kind of ‘dang it!’ face, but I want the rehearsal space to be a place where it’s fine to mess up, so I’m always like ‘it’s fine, it’s fine, dance your heart out!’
Sagiri Seina
1) On: Her beautiful bicep muscles!! Off: The sparkle in her eyes in the instant she sees delicious looking sweets!!
2) ‘No wayyyyy (while laughing)’
3) Sweets Prince
“She’s seen the way my eyes sparkle when I spot sweets (laughs). I can’t hide that, can I. ‘Sweets Prince’ is maybe a bit long. Like, then the juniors would have to call me ‘Sweets Prince-san’ right? (laughs)”
Saou Kurama
1) On: Her smile 😃 Off: Her muscles, I wish I could be like that.
2) ‘Oh I see~ 💖’
3) Kim-san. Oto-san? (laughs)
“Her mentioning my smile and muscles makes me happy. Koma (Saou) has been near me in a lot of shows ever since she was a junior actress, so she’s observed me really well in a lot of ways. ‘I wish I could be like that’, well then, why don’t you work on building up muscle with me! (laughs)”
Renjou Makoto
1) On: Her smug expression when she’s doing a cool dance move. Off: The way she always listens sincerely to what people say. The sincerity in her eyes.
2) ‘Whaaat?’ (laughs)
3) Smiley (laughs)
“I’m not making any smug face though~ (laughs). Her answer about the offstage part might be because recently I had an acting scene with Kingu (Renjou) for the first time in a while so she was asking me about different things and I was talking to her sincerely, so maybe that impression is still strong.”
Manaka Ayu
1) On: The muscles in her arms when she has her sleeves rolled up during rehearsals! Off: Her smile.
2) The way she says ‘Whoa~h!’ when she’s happy.
3) Snow Troupe’s Prince
“So it’s seeming like everyone’s image of me is ‘muscles’ and ‘smile’ or something (laughs). I do say ‘Whoa!’ when I’m happy. I kind of stopped saying ‘Kya~! somehow because it felt too girly (laughs).
Ayanagi Shou:
1) On: The way she’ll be making a regal expression and then suddenly laugh is something I’ve found so charming ever since I was a junior actress. Off: The way she’ll be saying her Coco plushie is ‘So cute~ 💖’, despite how cool she is on stage. The other day I asked her about Coco and she seemed so happy to tell me all the details.
2) Reaction noises like ‘Sshu’ or ‘Sha~!’ (laughs)
3) Coco (laughs)
“I do get so excited when somebody asks me questions about something I like. I definitely say things like ‘Shu’ or ‘Sha’ and stuff a lot while I’m changing (laughs).”
Ayakaze Sakina
1) On: Her singing voice!! Angry songs, gentle songs, warm songs…she can do any kind of voice, I love her singing so much 💖 Off: It has to be that Kei Smile ✨ She always seems the happiest when she’s picking out sweets.
2) ‘That’s funny’, I feel like she says a lot…
3) SWEETS PRINCE ✨…Since if we’re talking about Kei it has to be sweets!! And she’s a prince 💖 it’s perfect 💖
“I’m happy to see she likes my singing. In The Man in the Iron Mask, running right now, I have a double role, so I was working hard in rehearsals to change my voice for each character.”
Maihane Mimi
1) On: When she suddenly bursts into a broad smile 💞 But then I also love how she has such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. No matter what happens to me I feel like she’ll be there for me!!! I love Kei’s hands 💞 Off: When I hear her laughing fit to burst it makes me so happy too. And then the way she’ll escort me no matter the situation (so naturally)!!! And she’s so kind, even when I’m doing something totally boring she’ll respond. And then no matter how busy we are she’ll never let me down with her sense of fun, she always gives me so much energy.
2) ‘Wah~✨’, ‘Heeey’, ‘What, for real?’, ‘I wonder…’
3) Prince 💖
“Wah~ she wrote so much! (laughs). Ah, maybe I do say ‘I wonder…’ a lot. Mimi, you’re really paying attention. ‘Prince’ is going to make me blush, though (laughs).”
From Kei: Message to Snow Troupe Members
When I was reading all your answers to this survey, I was so happy to see that about 80% of the answers matched what I thought about myself, so all of you, even the junior actresses, must understand me really well. Since I’ve been in Snow Troupe my whole career, you all understand me really well, and I’m so thankful for everyone since I’ve started doing lead roles, and I want to understand all of you better as well.
Up until now I haven’t had as much time to interact with every one of you one-on-one, so I feel a bit bad about that, so I want to watch all of you and see if there’s anyone who I can try to draw out more from. I think it’s amazing to see how much everyone grows from rehearsals to closing day of a performance, so clear that I can almost grasp it.
They say there’s no finishing goal in the arts, but right now it feels like all of you have set high aims for yourself that you’re striving towards, and I like being in that atmosphere. I don’t want our sense of unity to be below any of the other troupes. …Maybe that’s saying a little too much (laughs), but that’s really what I want.
Until now, I’ve often been asked goals like ‘What kind of otokoyaku do you want to be?’ and answered with my own ambitions, but now that I’ve become our lead player, I’ll answer ‘I want to be this kind of troupe!’ while thinking about the troupe as a whole and then realize ‘ah, they were just asking about me’ afterwards… (laughs). But that’s just how much I love the troupe I have right now, and I want us to keep sparkling brighter and brighter.
I want the people who come to see us perform to go home happier, so it makes me happy to see that everyone seems to be picking up on that. I love everyone in the troupe, and you all understand so many things about me, but I want to keep on finding new sides of myself to show you all.
I want to interact a lot with all the troupe members one on one and make our troupe even better. I’m going to keep evolving on and on, so I hope you’ll all keep trusting and following me.
1 – Otozuki collected these baby orangutan mini plushies while in Takarazuka.