We are proud to present our twelfth release! This one was a group effort of three Zukalations translators, headed up by animaniacal.

Times of change bring turmoil and lots of shifting in the underbelly of society, where someone can either sink lower or take advantage and find a niche for oneself. No place is that more true than a Shinagawa brothel, right off the first stop south of Edo on the Tokaido Road, the grand route that stretched from Edo to Kyoto.

Based on a critically acclaimed 1950s movie, the story is in part a commentary on the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 1860s, and part a commentary on the end of legal brothels in Japan in the 1950s, and the dissipation and degeneracy of youth who lived in both periods. This musical takes these themes and brings them alive today, with a focus on the end of the Takarazuka careers of many in the main cast.

Bakumatsu Taiyoden is an intricately plotted, fast-moving, fast-time story of love, survival, illness, lust, greed, and rebellion. Takarazuka’s Snow Troupe puts on a show more than worthy of your time!

Animaniacal loved translating this story because of her intense love and interest in the Bakumatsu history, her general love the classic tale of trickster bringing together diverse storylines into a “happy” ending, and of course, the wonderful send off this play was for her favorite Snow Troupe stars.

This script was made for the dvd/bluray recording and includes the debut of the 103rd class. It also features many detailed historical notes.