Ryuu Masaki’s talk with the top students of the 101st class (who debuted in the 2015 performance of 1789 – Les Amants de la Bastille) was published in the June 2015 issue of Kageki.
Continue readingThis 2010 Kageki feature introduces young performers and has them talk about recent events in their lives. The May issue features Hibiki Reona, Karyou Shizuru, Fujisaki Eri, and Makaze Suzuho.
(Please note Fujisaki makes a brief mention of researching the Holocaust for an upcoming production.)
Continue readingClassmate Violets was a talk feature published in the 2003 volume of GRAPH (with another run, Classmate Violets in Full Bloom, in 2004). 84th Class Members Otozuki and Hokushou’s was published in the June issue.
Continue readingThis book was written by Takagi Shiro, who was at the time Director General of the Takarazuka Revue, and who was known as one of the great creators of the early Takarazuka era, together with Shirai Tetsuzo and Utsumi Shigenori.
This book was meant as an ‘explainer’ kind of guide for new fans at the time (the cover is Oscar and Andre, making the intended audience pretty obvious). It was published through Kosaido Books, not the Takarazuka publishing house.
The first chapter features the founding history of Takarazuka (going back to the settlements of ancient times) as well as the stories behind many of the signature songs such as ‘Takarazuka, Our Takarazuka’ (the company theme song) and ‘When the Violet Flowers Bloom’.
As the Takarazuka Grand Theatre complex was completely rebuilt in the early 1990s, much of the information describing specific buildings, et cetera, in the ‘present day’ is now out of date, but of great historical interest.
Continue readingIn the 2013 Top Star feature for Kageki, the Tops of each troupe took turns submitting questions that they would all answer, as well as predicting the question writer’s own answers.
The questions from February (submitted by Yuzuki Reon):
1) Which of these things would make you surprisingly or unsurprisingly the most happy to receive on Valentine’s Day?
2) Have you ever nearly fallen off the Silver Bridge?
BACKSTAGE was a GRAPH feature where stars answered questions and told stories about their backstage habits.
The July issue featured Houzuki An, Ayaki Hikari, Arisa Hitomi, and Neiro Yui.
Continue readingThe 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.
Continue readingWINGS is a periodically revived Kageki feature where a few young actresses answer questions about themselves and Takarazuka. This issue’s column includes Misora Maru, Kishou Kazuto, Ruo Ria, and Ayaji Yurina.
Continue readingThis offstage fashion overview published in the July 2016 issue of Kageki features Kurenai Yuzuru, Miya Rurika, Nozomi Fuuto, Shimon Yuriya, Ayakaze Sakina, Yuzuka Rei, Seo Yuria, and Urara Reimi.
Continue readingWINGS is a Kageki feature where a few young actresses answer questions about themselves and Takarazuka. This issue’s column includes Yuunami Kei, Shidou Ryu, Rui Makise, and Haruha Rara.
Continue reading