This Kageki feature from 2011 has the results of a survey of all the troupe members of the time, asking their impression of their Top Star through various questionnaires.
Otozuki’s was published in the November issue, and the survey seems to have been done during the performance or rehearsals for The Man in the Iron Mask/Royal Straight Flush!.
Continue readingESPECIAL TIME was a long-running invitation talk feature in GRAPH, where one sienne is given the opportunity to invite someone else.
Otozuki Kei’s feature, where she invited Shirahane Yuri, was the very first iteration, published in the February 2008 issue. (There were many other invitation talk features in the past, but usually operated on a ‘relay’ system rather than having both parties be new every issue.)
Some of the outtake photos from the back of the magazine are also included.
Continue readingIn this Kageki feature, the follow-up to a feature published in 2002, a group of younger otokoyaku pick topics from a list and write a short reflection or anecdote.
Continue readingThis talk, recorded towards the end of the Takarazuka run of Snow Troupe’s 2011 Romeo et Juliette production, features Otozuki Kei, Sagiri Seina, and Misuzu Aki. It was published in the March 2011 issue of GRAPH.
(Note that while this production is known for the March 11 earthquake occurring in the middle of it, it is not referenced in this talk as it was recorded around a month before and published likely a few days before or after.)
Continue readingThis talk, featuring Mizu Natsuki, Ayabuki Mao, and Otozuki Kei, was recorded late in the Takarazuka run of the 2007 Snow Troupe Elisabeth and published in the August 2007 issue of GRAPH.
lost-in-the-land-of-stories kindly provided the translation excerpts used when they quote the show.
Continue readingIn the 2012 Top Star feature, the Top Stars are asked to pick answers to questions based on their current mood.
March questions: ‘What movie genre would you be interested in right now?’ and ‘If you were buying a new wallet right now, what color would you buy?’
Continue readingRanking Talk was a Kageki feature from the mid-2000s where young otokoyaku stars would rank each other in various categories. This one was published in the October 2005 issue and features Mirai Yuuki, Sou Kazuho, and Otozuki Kei.
Continue readingThis interview with Otozuki Kei preceding the opening of The Man in the Iron Mask/Royal Straight Flush! was published on Ticket Pia. The original article was written by Kuroishi Etsuko [approximate reading] and can be found here.
(Archived version here, as there are occasional issues loading the original page.)
Otozuki Kei interview: “The Man in the Iron Mask/Royal Straight Flush!”
Takarazuka Revue Snow Troupe’s Top Star Otozuki Kei’s smile is so refreshingly charming that it seems to instantaneously make everything around her more cheerful. It’s been about a year since she became Top Star, and her next challenge is The Man in the Iron Mask, based on the book by Alexandre Dumas which was made famous by the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. We asked her how she is portraying the completely opposite characters of the heartlessly cruel tyrant Louis XIV and his imprisoned older twin brother, Philippe.
Pia: This time you’re being challenged with a double role; how do you feel about it?
Otozuki: When I first received the script, I thought it would be easy to portray them since their personalities and the circumstances they were brought up in were so different. But when rehearsals actually started, I found it really difficult to get into character as Louis XIV. While it’s been 14 years since I joined the Takarazuka Revue, I’ve never had the role of a tyrant before. It takes a lot of imagination so I’m having to fight for it. Also, I want to make sure I’m conveying Philippe’s feelings after being imprisoned and masked for 6 years.
Pia: Since it seems like we’ll be able to see a new you, expectations might be high.
Otozuki: I’m really happy to be able to show the audience different sides of me by portraying opposite roles in the same show.
Pia: In the cast list, there are roles like “(Bowling) Ball attendant*” and “(Moliere’s Troupe) Mito Mitsukuni” so we’re really curious about that! (laugh)
Otozuki: That’s right. (laugh) Louis XIV likes to play and he’s very promiscuous, so the bowling scene shows what his everyday life is like. In performance with all the scenery and choreography, it’s really fun to watch. The show was made to be enjoyed by young and old, men and women, and Mito Mitsukuni is a part of that too. Please come and watch it.
Pia: The second feature is named after the winning hand in poker, “royal straight flush” but can you tell us what’s going to be in it?
Otozuki: I want it to be the kind of show that could only be performed by the current members of Snow Troupe. We’re aiming for it to be a very powerful and energetic show. There are lots of varied scenes featuring different performers, even including the junior actresses.. I think it’s the kind of show where not just us but the audience too will be caught up with it and want to dance with us. I want everyone to really enjoy it.
Pia: Your first year as Top Star has nearly passed: what is your mental state like?
Otozuki: In this play, the musketeers say their motto, “one for all, all for one,” in French. Right now I have everyone supporting me, and I want to work really hard for the rest of my troupe members so I can improve myself as I lead them on. Therefore, this show has perfect timing for me, and I’m really happy to be able to do it.
* As this show went through major changes after opening, this is a reference to a scene that was altered prior to the commercial disc release.
This interview with Snow Troupe Top Star prior to the opening of the 2011 production The Man in the Iron Mask/Royal Straight Flush! was written by Kuroishi Etsuko [approximate reading] for Ticket Pia and can be found here.
(There have been issues displaying this article; if you want to see the original and cannot load the page an archived version is here.)
Otozuki Kei interview: The Man in the Iron Mask/Royal Straight Flush!
Takarazuka Revue Snow Troupe’s Top Star Otozuki Kei’s smile is so refreshingly charming that it seems to instantaneously make everything around her more cheerful. It’s been about a year since she became Top Star, and her next challenge is The Man in the Iron Mask based on the book by Alexandre Dumas, which was made famous by the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. We asked her how she is portraying the completely opposite characters of the heartlessly cruel tyrant Louis XIV and his imprisoned older twin brother, Philippe.
Pia: This time you’re being challenged with a double role; how do you feel about it?
Otozuki: When I first received the script, I thought it would be easy to portray them since their personalities and the circumstances they were brought up in were so different. But when rehearsals actually started, I found it really difficult to get into character as Louis XIV. While it’s been 14 years since I joined the Takarazuka Revue, I’ve never had the role of a tyrant before. It takes a lot of imagination so I’m having to fight for it. Also, I want to make sure I’m conveying Philippe’s feelings after being imprisoned and masked for 6 years.
Pia: Since it seems like we’ll be able to see a new you, expectations might be high.
Otozuki: I’m really happy to be able to show the audience different sides of me by portraying opposite roles in the same show.
Pia: In the cast list, there are roles like “(Bowling) Ball Attendant*” and “(Moliere’s Troupe) Mito Mitsukuni” so we’re really curious about that! (laugh)
Otozuki: That’s right. (laugh) Louis XIV likes to play and he’s very promiscuous, so the bowling scene shows what his everyday life is like. In performance with all the scenery and choreography, it’s really fun to watch. The show was made to be enjoyed by young and old, men and women, and Mito Mitsukuni is a part of that too. Please come and watch it.
Pia: The second feature is named after the winning hand in poker, “royal straight flush” but can you tell us what’s going to be in it?
Otozuki: I want it to be the kind of show that could only be performed by the current members of Snow Troupe. We’re aiming for it to be a very powerful and energetic show. Even including the underclassmen, there are lots of various scenes featuring the different actresses. I think it’s the kind of show where not just us but the audience too will be caught up with it and want to dance with us. I want everyone to really enjoy it.
Pia: Your first year as Top Star has nearly passed: what is your mental state like?
Otozuki: In this play, the musketeers say their motto, “one for all, all for one,” in French. Right now I have everyone supporting me, and I want to work really hard for the rest of my troupe members so I can improve myself as I lead them on. Therefore, I am really happy that I was able to do this show with such good timing.
* This is a reference to scenes that were cut before the commercial recording of the show, as The Man in the Iron Mask went through heavy edits after the Takarazuka run.