days was a photo feature in GRAPH where performers created a journal or blog-style timeline of photos with captions. Sakuragi’s covers the end of 2016, featuring her performances of L’Aigle Aux Deux Tetes in Yokohama, the Takarazuka Special, and rehearsals for Chateau de la Reine/Viva! Festa!.
(Please note that there are brief references to weight/body image in this feature.)
Continue readingdays was a photo feature in GRAPH where performers created a journal or blog-style timeline of photos with captions. Aizuki’s, recorded while she was still a Cosmos Troupe member features the end of Chateau de la Reine through the start of rehearsals for A Motion.
Continue readingIn this GRAPH feature from 2016, troupe members were asked to vote on their favorite on- and offstage things about their top stars. Asaka’s was published in the November issue.
This is the second half of the feature that I began posting last time. In part 2, the troupe members vote on their favorite things about her personality off-stage and things she does while performing. (Part 1 here.)
Continue readingIn this GRAPH feature from 2016, troupe members were asked to vote on their favorite on- and offstage things about their top stars. Asaka’s was published in the November issue.
Since this is a long feature it is being posted in 2 parts to make formatting easier and more readable. Part 1 contains the troupe’s ranking of their favorite roles and revue scenes that Asaka has performed. (Part 2 here.)
Continue readingThis is Misaki Rion’s farewell invitation talk in Kageki, which was published in the April 2017 issue. She invited Senka member Yuuma Rin, who she had also performed with when they were both members of Flower Troupe.
Continue readingRelaxing Breeze (Fuwari) was a musumeyaku feature published in GRAPH, where an interview would take place at a cafe. It was focused on offstage topics such as how they destress or what they do on days off.
This interview with Misaki Rion was published in the December 2016 issue, a few months before her retirement.
Continue reading‘Fresh Questionnaire’ was a Kageki feature from 2012 about up-and-coming young stars. Mirion’s was published in the March issue (just before she went to Cosmos Troupe to be Top Musumeyaku).
Continue readingThis article about Misaki Rion’s press conference for her upcoming retirement was published by Daily Sports Online on August 24, 2016.
Misaki Rion’s retirement press conference: “It went by in a flash”
Cosmos Troupe top musumeyaku Misaki Rion, who has announced that she will be retiring in April of next year, held a press conference on the 24th, at the Takarazuka Revue headquarters in Takarazuka, Hyogo prefecture.
Misaki appeared at the interview wearing Takarazuka’s ‘retirement colors’, a white one-piece dress. “Ever since becoming top musume, I’ve always been aware of [upcoming] retirement,” she said; she was the partner of two successive Top Stars, Ouki Kaname and Asaka Manato.
She seriously began thinking about retirement on opening night of Asaka’s Grand Theatre introductory performance as Top Star, A Song for Kingdoms. “It was a wonderful script, and I had a very large role, and I could feel our power and passion as a unit,” she declared.
After discussing the situation with Asaka, she revealed that “Even in rehearsals and such, I’ve been valuing each and every day still more. If you take it since I entered the Takarazuka Music School, it’s been 10 years. It really went by in a flash,” she said, with tears coming to her eyes as she looked back.
Ouki Kaname’s words, “I want you to be my equal,” had a deep impression on Misaki. Also, she is grateful to Asaka, who “welcomed me with open arms.” Regarding what she will do after retirement, she said with a smile “I’m not thinking of anything about that yet. I want to carry through my life in Takarazuka first.”
Her retirement performance will be Chateau de la Reine/Viva! Festa!, which will run at the Takarazuka Grand Theatre from 2/3/2017-3/6/2017, and at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre from 3/31/2017-4/30/2017.
This coverage of the press conference for the 2016 production of Elisabeth was published by Crank In on April 15, 2016.
Cosmos Troupe Top Star Asaka Manato deeply moved by “Elisabeth” lead role: ‘This is the first show I had lines in’
The press conference for the Takarazuka Revue Cosmos Troupe production of Elisabeth: Rondo of Love and Death took place on the 15th, with Cosmos Troupe Top Star Asaka Manato and Top Musumeyaku Misaki Rion in attendance. Asaka is enthusiastic about the role, saying “this show is definitely going to challenge me. I want to completely change my image to perform as Der Tod.”
The original musical uses beautiful musical themes to follow the unfortunate fate of the astoundingly beautiful Elisabeth, who, despite only wanting to live a free, uninhibited life, becomes Empress of Austria. In the Takarazuka version, the lord of the underworld, Der Tod (‘death’), who loves Elisabeth, is made the main character. Since the first performance in 1996, 899 shows have been performed, with a record-setting audience of 2,160,000 people.
Asaka is the 9th actress to play Der Tod. Her black hair gives a sharp impression, and her makeup is reminiscent of a Visual Kei bandmember. Director Koike Shuuichiro said “her Der Tod feels more aggressive than any until now. She will express the violence that ‘death’ is really capable of.”
In her first year as a member of Takarazuka, Asaka took part in the Hanagumi production of Elisabeth, and it was the first time in her career that she was given lines. “I just had one line, ‘People are sick!’1 but I couldn’t even say just that one line well…” When talking about her memories of the show she shows her eagerness to play as Der Tod.
In addition, Misaki Rion, who plays Elisabeth, said “while there is a high barrier in front of me, I want to do my best to perform a new Elisabeth.”
“I’m usually playing cheerful roles,” Asaka said regarding her part of Der Tod, “so generally I would say brightly ‘I want to show a sunny personality’, but this is the exact opposite type of role. I’m going to access my negative side even in everyday life, so I hope I don’t bother anyone…” Asaka’s description of the secret side of role-building gained a lot of laughs.
1 – In the leadup to the song ‘Milch’.