Looking Back on 2022 – Cosmos Troupe

Every year in Kageki, each Top Star and Top Musumeyaku publishes a recap of their year in the December issue. While in the actual magazine, the Top Stars and Top Musumeyaku have separate sections, for posting I am combining the two statements for each troupe. (I have also only translated the statements and left off the rather overwrought advertising-style intro blurbs just to save time.)

This is the last of the recap series, as Senka has not printed recap features since the retirement of Todoroki Yuu.

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Looking Back on 2022 – Star Troupe

Every year in Kageki, each Top Star and Top Musumeyaku publishes a recap of their year in the December issue. While in the actual magazine, the Top Stars and Top Musumeyaku have separate sections, for posting I am combining the two statements for each troupe. (I have also only translated the statements and left off the rather overwrought advertising-style intro blurbs just to save time.)

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Looking Back on 2022 – Snow Troupe

Every year in Kageki, each Top Star and Top Musumeyaku publishes a recap of their year in the December issue. While in the actual magazine, the Top Stars and Top Musumeyaku have separate sections, for posting I am combining the two statements for each troupe. (I have also only translated the statements and left off the rather overwrought advertising-style intro blurbs just to save time.)

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Looking Back on 2022 – Moon Troupe

Every year in Kageki, each Top Star and Top Musumeyaku publishes a recap of their year in the December issue. While in the actual magazine, the Top Stars and Top Musumeyaku have separate sections, for posting I am combining the two statements for each troupe. (I have also only translated the statements and left off the rather overwrought advertising-style intro blurbs just to save time.)

Note that Moon Troupe’s statement was taken while they were still in rehearsals for the National Tour that played in November.

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Looking back on 2022 – Flower Troupe

Every year in Kageki, each Top Star and Top Musumeyaku publishes a recap of their year in the December issue. While in the actual magazine, the Top Stars and Top Musumeyaku have separate sections, for posting I am combining the two statements for each troupe. (I have also only translated the statements and left off the rather overwrought advertising-style intro blurbs just to save time.)

Continue reading

Looking Back on 2015: Hinami Fuu

One of the yearly retrospective features from the December 2015 issue of Kageki, featuring Star Troupe Top Musumeyaku Hinami Fuu.

Looking Back on 2015: Hinami Fuu

While Like a Black Panther/Dear Diamond!! was the retirement performance for the Top Combi, I tried not to be too conscious of that and I remember it as an enjoyable show. Nene-san [Yumesaki Nene] is so lovely and cute…of course, I learned a lot of things about being a musumeyaku during rehearsals for this show.

Next was the national tour performance. I was really worried about taking the position of Top Musumeyaku, but Michiko-san [Hokushou] looked after me all the time and lent me her strength. I feel like without that I would have lost the determination to battle on as a performer.

The role of Elaine in Great Pirates I felt was a great one to advance as a musumeyaku, so I put together a really detailed image of how I wanted to perform as Elaine. Amour, That is… was the show I debuted in, so when I think about that time I’m really deeply moved. Having the chance to encounter it again made me really happy.

I had a lot of difficulties with Guys and Dolls in rehearsals, but when the curtain opened I felt the warmth of the audience and the rest of Star Troupe around me, and it made me really happy… It was so fun that I would feel lonely every day after the performance was over, so it was a very happy performance for me.

Since I was conscious of the fact that I am poor at Japanese dance, I practiced up to my limits for the Takarazuka Traditional Dance performance. By the time it came to perform I was looking forward to it, and on the day of the show I was able to enjoy myself through the dancing.

This year I had a lot of valuable experiences and met a lot of different people through each performance, but among all those people the meeting that most affected me was with Michiko-san. Next year I will keep working hard to increase the feeling of improvement I have now.

Looking Back on 2015: Kano Maria

One of the yearly retrospective features from the December 2015 issue of Kageki, featuring Flower Troupe Top Musumeyaku Kano Maria.

Looking Back on 2015: Kano Maria

Ernest in Love was full of firsts for me, but Asumi-san and all the other senior actresses guided me kindly, and the whole performance had a warm atmosphere.

I felt like the character of Alicia in Embraced by the Seas of Calista was very charming, but as it was the first time I played the same role for a long time I was able to see my own bad habits and weak points. It was a performance where I really struggled and worried about things but in the end I learned a lot.

Takarazuka Fantasia was a very hard show, but because of that our sense of unity was strengthened and I feel like I was swept up in a great wave.

Rose of Versailles: Fersen and Marie-Antoinette is a show that I love and have a lot of strong feelings about, so I was able to pursue my own ideals as I played Marie Antoinette. I dug down to find the deepest facets of the character, and realised even more how wonderful the show is. During the Taiwan tour, I was worried about how the audience would see ‘the Japanese Takarazuka Revue,’ but the cheering and applause overwhelmed me. That feeling will become a wonderful memory I can never forget.

The Takarazuka Japanese Dance Recital was a learning experience for me, and the more experienced Top Musumeyaku taught me a lot.

In the show we’re performing in right now, New Tale of Genji, my role of Fujitsubo is quite difficult, but I feel it has a lot of worth for me as a performer. Melodia has a lot of grown-up and passionate scenes, so I want to display a new side of myself to the audience.

Next year I will continue performing in happy musicals with Ernest in Love and Me and My Girl. I hope it will be a fun year for the audience as well.

Looking Back on 2015: Manaki Reika

One of the yearly retrospective features from the December 2015 issue of Kageki, featuring Moon Troupe Top Musumeyaku Manaki Reika.

Looking Back on 2015: Manaki Reika

I’ve improved so much all through this year that looking back on my first role of Melanie, it feels like it was from quite a long time ago. Sometimes I think ‘have I really come so far just since then?’ Gone with the Wind, in February, was a restaging after a year, and while it was a difficult challenge performing the same role again after so much time had passed, as a musumeyaku I really love the part of Melanie so I enjoyed being able to take it on again.

In 1789: Lovers of the Bastille the part of Marie Antoinette was a big challenge for me. The show was a completely different style of musical than I’d done in Takarazuka until then, and I had to sing rock songs as Marie Antoinette… It’s definitely not a typical Takarazuka heroine role, and while I had a lot of different concerns while getting into character, now I’m grateful to Director Koike for the chance to challenge myself this way. I learned a lot about how to consider things as my own performer.

After that came Wonder of Love which was the first performance where I was the focus, so I was worried about it. But Director Koyanagi arranged everything I wanted to try performing so beautifully, and all the other members of the show helped me out a lot, so when the day came to perform I really did enjoy myself.

The Grand Theatre performance starting in November, Manon, is a very subtle and simplistic show, so I want to honestly portray all the emotions deep inside my heart. In the revue show, Golden Jazz, I want to get caught up in the themes and enjoy myself together with the audience.

Ryuu-san always says “I want to keep dreaming,” which is a phrase I love. I’ll hold on to my dreams and fearlessly challenge myself next year too.

Looking Back on 2015: Asumi Rio

One of the yearly retrospective features from the December 2015 issue of Kageki, featuring Flower Troupe Top Star Asumi Rio.

Looking Back on 2015: Asumi Rio

January’s production of Ernest in Love was difficult since it was a comedy, but the whole theatre had a really warm atmosphere and I’m glad we had it as our introductory performance with a new Top Combi.

Embraced by the Seas of Calista was my first original production since I became Top, so I had some concerns, but I took on the challenge with the hope of seizing hold of the audience’s feminine emotions through Ms. Ooishi’s script1. Takarazuka Fantasia was rather hard to perform, but it had the message that the reconstructed Flower Troupe would spread its wings. During the middle of the show when I saw everyone’s smiles as they watched, I was really moved. When we received the annual Group Award for this production2, my emotions were split between tears and happiness.

Since I was performing as Fersen for the second time in the Taiwan production of Rose of Versailles: Fersen and Marie-Antoinette, I figured out some new things and tried to get deeper into the character. During the performance of Takarazuka Fantasia I felt united with the Taiwanese audience members, which made me really happy. I was able to get over my uneasiness about performing in a foreign country since I had all my friends with me, and our bonds deepened as if we were all meant to be together.

The Takarazuka Traditional Japanese Dance Recital was really difficult since I was performing Japanese dance by myself for a long time, but I feel like it was a valuable experience.

Since we had been split into the Taiwan group and the Bow Hall group doing various great things, when we all reunited after a long time for New Tale of Genji the rehearsals were really lively. I was really worried about playing Genji, to the point where I said it was the hardest role I’ve had so far, but I want to work on the performance scene by scene and hopefully by the time the last day comes around I will have a deep understanding of the character. Melodia: A Warm and Lovely Melody has various scenes where everyone gets to shine, even the junior members, and it will be very energetic. Every day we’re working on how to present each scene.

While performing, I make new discoveries about how I consider the stage and how I ought to conduct myself, as well as deepening my connections with the other members of the troupe. I’m really happy that I have such trustworthy friends, and I hope to be someone who can lead them well.

1 – This production was one of two (as of time of posting) written for Takarazuka by Ooishi Shizuka, a non-Hankyu-employed screenwriter who mainly writes for television.

2 – In the Takarazuka Annual Awards, Flower Troupe received the Group Award for scene 10 of Takarazuka Fantasia, “Sakura Fantasia”.

Looking Back on 2015: Hokushou Kairi

One of the yearly retrospective features from the December 2015 issue of Kageki, featuring Star Troupe Top Star Hokushou Kairi (who had just joined the troupe from Senka midway through the year).

Looking Back on 2015: Hokushou Kairi

Since I’d always wanted to be in a show with a happy ending that had action scenes and a human element to it, Jirokichi of the Wind: Night Flight Over Edo fulfilled all my dreams for years. It had a lot of new challenges, such as fight scenes at a higher level than anything before, so I felt like I was pushing my limits every day (laugh). I’m really glad that I was able to achieve what I did then and have those experiences.

In [Billboard Live]1 there was a lot of pressure since I had to stand on the Billboard stage and put on a performance to match first-class recording artists, but I took on the various challenges with the intention of giving the audience a good time. As a result, it felt like I was performing from a place really close to the audience, and I felt even more than ever that I was able to enjoy the music together with the audience. It was really fun.

And then, in May, I transferred troupes to Star troupe. In the three years before that I had been in Senka, performing with all the different troupes, so I suppose you could say I was gathering a wealth of experience…I’m glad I could go to my new troupe with those assets.

The national tour performance Great Pirates was a show that required a lot of communication between everyone as we were putting it together, so I’m glad I had it for my first production after changing troupes. Amour, That is… fulfilled my dream to show a Takarazuka revue show to the whole nation, so that made me really happy, and I’m really grateful for the new scenes that were put in for this production.

The role of Sky in Guys and Dolls was performed by past Takarazuka stars so I was a bit uneasy about performing it myself, but I decided this was the place to display everything I’d learned until then and fought to perform it well.

In the Takarazuka Traditional Japanese Dance Recital I had the difficult task of performing in “Shooting Star”, a work for 4 dancers. While dealing with that challenge, I understood the real importance of continuous, habitual practice.

I’m going to have a lot of shows giving me new challenges next year, so I’m eager to carry on the traditions of Takarazuka while giving everyone entertainment that isn’t limited by the bounds of Takarazuka.

1 – While she wrote Music Palette (the title of her dinner show in 2014), the details and dates clearly reference her Billboard concert from 2015.