In this feature from Kageki, siennes look back at their career and pick out roles that had an effect on their growth as a performer. This one was originally published in the April 2015 issue.

Turning Points: Stage – Nozomi Fuuto, Snow Troupe

April-May 2003: Takarazuka Flower Scrolls/Senor Don Juan – Debut

January-February 2005: Kurawanka (Bow) – Binbougami, Tokubei
When I learned to throw my passion into the role

I was playing two roles, but Binbougami was the major turning point for me. With the role rotations there were 5 cast lineups in total, and with Director Tani (Masazumi)’s passionate instruction every day it felt like I couldn’t even go to rehearsal if I wasn’t fully prepared for it. Director Tani was just terrifying, basically (laughs). I learned that you have to throw all your passion into rehearsals, and that it’s the reactions of everyone around the central figures that makes the story look complete. The senior actresses looked at what I was doing and me and my classmates watched each other. I got to feel for myself that you have to throw yourself completely into the acting, that even the surrounding characters have to commit their energy or the story won’t come into focus. I’m really glad I got to learn this at such an early stage.

January 2009: The Legend of the Great King and the Four Gods (Junior Performance) – Damduk
My first Junior Performance lead

September 2009: The Rose of Versailles Side Story: Andre (Junior Performance) – Andre

January 2010: BUND/NEON Shanghai (Bow) – Liu Wei Qiang
The role where I first felt my own personal style

I got this charismatic role at the time I had just graduated from junior performances and was starting to think of what I would be doing as an otokoyaku from now on…
He’s a tenacious man with a lot of darkness in his heart, and I was struggling to find my way in rehearsals. Even when I went home I’d keep thinking about Liu Wei Qiang. This was my first time confronting a role to this degree. And as for the songs, it was different from junior performances, since there I had Matobu-san’s example from the main cast. I’d always loved singing, so I was thrilled to have solos on the one hand, but I also struggled with how to express the character’s emotions through the songs.
I learned a lot about singing during plays during this time.

February-March 2013: Ocean’s 11 – Terry Benedict
The role that broke me out of my box

This was a role that helped me break down the wall that somehow, despite getting all kinds of roles, I hadn’t been able to get over before.
For the Flower Troupe production Terry’s solo was rearranged to a latin-style number, and I began to see his personality as I took it on every day determinedly trying to see how much I could make it my own. I realized that if I could figure out that one song I could get a view of the character.
I would think about how I could be the kind of villain who could react to and play off of Mayu-san (Ranju Tomu’s) character of Danny, and I could feel myself changing in the process.
It was really fulfilling for me, and I had so much help both from the creative staff and the rest of Benedict’s ‘team’. It’s thanks to Benedict that I was able to play so many different kinds of characters after that.

December 2013: New Wave! Flower (Bow Hall)
A show is something to enjoy with the audience

Up until then, I didn’t have confidence when it came to bringing out my own individuality in revue shows. I was the most senior cast member of the production so I had to lead everyone else along, and I made a lot of discoveries like how to bring the show together while picking up the energy from my juniors. For the next revue production, Takarazuka Mugen, my motivation towards revue shows and my way of looking at them had changed.

August-September 2014: Elisabeth – Luigi Lucheni
A character I approached and created simply

This role was really difficult, since so many people have played him and all of them had their own concepts on the character.
I thought about how Luigi might have appeared from Elisabeth’s point of view, and then read up on him. I wanted to do it simply and focus on creating him from the inside out, not starting from personal appearance, and I felt like I had to have confidence in myself and perform Lucheni the way I thought of him.
This was before my troupe transfer, so I think one of the biggest things for me was my desire not to leave behind any regrets in my last show with Flower Troupe.
I wanted to put all my energy into it so that there wouldn’t be anything left over after my last line, ‘UN GRANDE AMORE!’

Finally…
For me, every role and every show was a turning point. There are so many things the roles can teach me, and I pick up different things every time. Towards the end of every show, I always feel like my favorite role is the one I’m playing right then, and that’s something very important too, I think.
There are new discoveries to be made just by pursuing a character, and then I’ll be able to encounter the next role… I want to be able to grow even more from now on.