Words and Pictures is an update on backstage events from each troupe, with the writers rotating quarterly.
Ootori Mayu was the Flower Troupe writer for the first quarter of 2013. This column features Ootori’s experience watching Ranju Tomu’s ‘Streak of Light’ concert, Ocean’s 11 rehearsals, and Ranju’s guest appearance in The Rose of Versailles.
Words and Pictures and P (February 2013)
Everyone, I think you must all be nearly used to writing ‘2013’ now, but how is your year so far? This is “P”-Ko and Osugi. Psych!! It’s Ootori Mayu [Make sure you read it out loud 🐰 says Marin-san (Yuuma Rin)]1.
Let’s get straight into this month’s material!! Yay!!
⭐️ Streak of Light 🔦
Like I said in my column last month, I went to see the concert!! WOW!! (⬅️ Hanano Juria-san added this)
Starting with the prologue, the otokoyaku down to the most junior performer are all so intense!! And the musumeyaku are, as expected for Flower Troupe!! So cute and gorgeous ❤️ I was pulled right in. And then—Mayu-san (Ranju Tomu) going into the audience. As I was watching her turn her Ultimate Sparkle Coolness Beam on one audience member after the other as she interacted with them, making them completely unable to be rehabilitated, I was watching from behind (thinking ‘I have to convey this accurately for Words and Pictures’)…but as I watched, Mayu-san and her Ultimate Sparkle Coolness Beam were getting closer and closer…and then both her hands…were holding P’s face…aaAAaaAA ⭕️❌🔺🟥😵❤️ PIIIIIIIIIII
With that PIIIIII sound, P became even more impossible to rehabilitate than anyone else in that theatre.
It’s a good thing this happened during a break.
⭐️ Middle School Boys
The Ocean’s 11 rehearsals finally started. My character, the genius hacker Livingstone, has most of his scenes together with the Molloy brothers (Minami Maito and Yuzuka Rei), known as the VFX magicians. The other day, our rehearsal start was scheduled at the same time, so the three of us went to go eat at the company cafeteria together. The three of us all ordered a meal tray with a main dish, side, and rice, and I was just starting to think that maybe this was a little much when…
“Ootori-san! The miso soup is really good too!”
Both of them were smiling at me just as if they were actual brothers. Both of them had already added miso soup to their trays and (Yuzuka) Rei had even added another side.
“How much are you planning on eating!” teased Maittii (Minami). Hold up, aren’t you eating plenty too!? Swept up in their enthusiasm, I also ate everything including the soup. Takarasiennes eat so dang fast. I said in Kansai dialect for some reason.
Then. As soon as I thought ‘I’m so satisfied…so full…’
Rei: I want to eat french fries.
And then Maittii chimed in with ‘you’re so right’.
I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s ever been dying to retort ‘are you a couple of middle school boys in your growth spurt making your mother weep trying to make enough rice to feed you!!!’
⭐️ Andre-sama
In order to see our Ultimate Sparkle Cool Ranju Tomu-sama playing Andre-sama, all of us Flower Troupe comrades went to see the dress rehearsals for Moon Troupe’s Rose of Versailles!!
Even though we already knew the story, we cried at the famous scenes, like ‘This one night’ or ‘the Bastille’ where Andre-sama dies. And most of all, Mayu-san’s Andre-sama had such generosity, manliness, such huge and cool love, so we were completely plunged into the world of Rose of Versailles. And then Oscar-sama breathed her last calling out to Andre…
Since it was the dress rehearsals, we were a bit tense as we watched them protectively. Then, we beheld the rumored flying carriage!!! The impact was so powerful, and it felt so close that it could be passing over our heads, that our tears from earlier vanished. We were all cheering with joy!!! Andre-sama waved down from the carriage at the Flower Troupe group and smiled. P was so happy to there for this priceless moment that could only happen at a dress rehearsal.
⭐️ Snakes
As I promised, this time there will be plenty of ‘pictures’…so I got everyone around during the break in rehearsals to draw one for me!!!
Drumroll please. The theme, I don’t have to tell you, is ‘Snakes’. It’s sneks~. Hmmm. They all have so much individuality, don’t they.
Saori-san (Takashou Mizuki), Marin-san (Yuuma Rin), Ichika-san (Ichika Sakura), Kumi-san (Mebuki Yukina), Ipan (Seto Kazuya), Atsushi (Hidaka Daichi), Kiki (Serika Toa), Maittii, Rei, and then, and then, Juria-san (Hanano Juria) drew this dazzling serpent influenced by the Aesthetic Movement.
Everyone, thank you so much!!!
Next issue, I hope to present to you P’s ‘pictures’ too.
Thank you for reading to the end of this column! See you next month!
1 – Piiko and Osugi are a Japanese comedy duo, and Ootori’s nickname is ‘P’ (so it’s read the same way)