The classmate interview column for the 89th class was written by Nanami Hiroki and ran in GRAPH in 2010. (The titles are usually elaborate puns, in this case Seven Seas=Nanami, 89 Records=a pun on the Japanese term for ‘white papers’.) Asumi’s interview was published in the July issue; she was still a Moon Troupe member at the time.
89 Records of The Age of Exploring the Seven Seas – #7: Asumi Rio (Moon Troupe)
Text and Illustrations by Nanami Hiroki
The sparkling sun! The blue sea! 89 Records of The Age of Exploring the Seven Seas!! It’s early summer!! It’s been getting hotter and hotter lately, huh 😣 I’m sensitive to heat, so I don’t like summer much…but, I feel like a lot of my fun memories that I don’t want to forget have been in summer 😄 I remember them every summer 🎵 What do you all remember? Alright, let’s beat the heat and set out for our voyage!! SS 89th, casting off!!
Our seventh passenger is Moon Troupe’s Asumi Rio!! As you can see for this edition we are ‘a penguin and a seal’. This started simply because I wanted Mirio (Asumi) to wear a cute animal costume!! Mirio is so pretty and cute in all 360 degrees, no matter where you look at her from ☄️ Well, probably you are all thinking ‘we knew that already’ (laughs). Our photoshoot had a way more laid-back atmosphere than usual!!
Asumi: It was so fun!! I had the picture of Kai-chan (Nanami) as a seal, so I asked for her to wear the seal costume.
Nanami: I’d been thinking ‘Ah, what if I could wear matching animal onesies with you, Mirio ❤️’ and I was so happy my wish came true!!
Asumi: Speaking of seals, when I was a Lower Student, once I wanted this giant seal plushie so bad that I folded it in have and squashed it into my bag 😮
Nanami: I remember that!! When you got back [to TMS] you showed it to me first thing, right!!
Asumi: Maybe I was homesick or something back then and I liked how holding it felt…
Mirio sleeping while holding the huge seal plushie really was so cute. I’m afraid I can’t show you…hm? You’re jealous? Well, these are the special privileges of being in the same class, so please forgive me!! Ah well…if only I’d taken a photo back then, I could sell it now for so much…no, no, that’s such a wicked thing to consider 😉 Everyone, please keep this a secret from Mirio (laughs).
When we were in school together, during our Lower Student year she was in the room next door, and our assigned seats were close together, so it feels like we were always together.
Nanami: When we’re talking about our classmates, there are some people where I can think of really big stories about them, but then there are people where even though we were always together there’s no story that really stands out…
Asumi: And I’m one of the always together ones!! Aren’t I 😄
Nanami: Yeah! That’s right. We used to eat our boxed lunches together all the time too!!
As Lower Students, the whole class cleans in the morning, and Mirio’s assignment was the entry area of the auditorium so it seemed like she was always struggling!!
Asami: The three of us on entryway cleaning duty argued all the time (laughs)
Nanami: I totally remember!! Even though we weren’t supposed to talk loudly in the Lower Student rooms all 3 of you would be yelling…
Asami: Yeah (laughs). But I think it’s because of those fights that I’m here today. Laughing and crying with people who started out as complete strangers, spending 24 hours a day together…so classmates really are a special presence!!
Me and Mirio often squabble about which of us loves our classmates more (laughs). So far there hasn’t been a conclusive victor 😆 You’ve all been reading my 89 Records so you’re on my side, right? (laughs)
Nanami: Recently I went to see THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL and Chauvelin was so cool!! The beard suited you so well too!!1
Asumi: Thank you!! He’s a ‘heavy’ kind of character, but fun. But of course it’s so much more fun on stage and not just the rehearsal room!!
Nanami: In ME AND MY GIRL your female role was just perfect too!!
Asumi: When you came to watch in Hakata, Sally was played by (Hazakura) Shizuku2, so our battle between women was so much fun. But musumeyaku are totally different creatures (laughs). Kai-chan, you’ve got to do one someday too!!
Nanami: No, no, nobody’d believe a 173-centimeter musumeyaku (laughs)3
I never imagined she’d say something like that (sweating) Ah, what a shock 💦
Even back when she was in the Music School, Mirio always seemed to be having fun when she was acting. Because of that, I just love Mirio’s straightforward acting performances!! In the Music School Mirio seemed just so cute but now she’s a super cool otokoyaku, so I really look forward to watching her!! Speaking of, when I asked her about her upcoming goals…
Asumi: The ‘theme’ is like, expansiveness and stuff…both internally and externally!! And also, I want to have warmth as an actor. I want to be the kind of otokoyaku who can stir the hearts of people watching in the audience.
Mirio is perfectly wonderful as she is right now, but I also feel that an otokoyaku’s manly expansiveness is very important!! I think through the passage of time, meeting different kinds of people and having different kinds of people, you can grow both internally and externally. I hope that we can keep getting closer to our ideal of an otokoyaku while treasuring our hearts 😄
Ah…and now it’s time for our traditional question from last month’s classmate guest!! Last month it was Shirahana Remi-chan so here’s her question 😄
Q: Have you discovered any tasty new restaurants lately? Whenever I have a delicious meal I think ‘I wish I could eat this together with Sayu-chan (Asumi)!!
A: Recently I discovered this pork shabu place where you eat it with salt and raw egg 💖 It was so good, we should totally go!! I also wish I could eat together with Miki (Shirahana) whenever I have something really good 😮
…maybe it’s just my imagination but I feel like I’ve become a third wheel somehow. (laughs) Sorry for using this GRAPH column to test our classmate love. I’ll apologize for the two of them too… Alright, you two, go ahead and enjoy going out to eat somewhere together 😄 Oh…but, maybe, if it was okay, take me with you!! Let me join your friend group!! Please (laughs)
Alright, everyone, it’s the end of our time together. Thank you for setting out on this voyage together this month! This moment is always a little sad… But I believe that just like you’re reading this now, I’ll be able to see you all again next month. Next month we’ll have a super cool Star Troupe otokoyaku, with a deep voice, a cute face, and eyes so big I’m afraid they’ll fall right out!!4
If Mirio and I went on a trip, it would be a world tour to eat all of the most delicious foods!!
Outtake:
The two of them swapped their costumes. The theme of this photo was ‘enjoying shaved ice on the veranda’, apparently.
1 Asumi had a little beard as Chauvelin (the only time in a Takarazuka production)
2 Another 89th class member; this was the Kiriya Hiromu-led production after Top Musumeyaku Ayano Kanami retired.
3 Nanami went on to play female roles in Valentino (2011) and Gone With the Wind (2013), as well as Oscar in Rose of Versailles (2014).
4 Miya Rurika