This article about Ayaki Hikari’s performance in the Golden Desert junior performance was published by Daily Sports Online on November 30, 2016. The original article can be found here.

Takarazuka Revue Flower Troupe: Classmates in leading roles – “I felt very much like a beginner…” says Ayaki Hikari

The Takarazuka Revue Flower Troupe’s up-and-coming young star, Ayaki Hikari, had her first solo leading role in the junior performance of Golden Desert, which took place on the 29th at the Takarazuka Grand Theatre in Hyogo Prefecture.

In the last Flower Troupe show, Me and My Girl, she shared the lead role of the junior performance with Yuunami Kei between Act 1 and Act 2, therefore this is her first ‘solo’ junior lead. In this performance, the lead role was written specifically for the Top Star, Asumi Rio: “Of my life and stage experiences, this is among the hardest,” Ayaki reflected.

She said that Asumi advised her “the script should be pinpoint accurate, but other than that the approach is up to Aka [Ayaka’s nickname].” Regarding the shifting sets and quick-changes, Ayaki said firmly “even above getting immersed in the play, it’s important to continue considering safety.” On the other hand, “I felt very much like a beginner, but then when the audience applauded I was like ‘gosh, are they looking at me?’ and I was really moved,” she said, finally smiling.

The heroine was played by Ayaki’s classmate, the musumeyaku star Shiroki Mirei. This show is the retirement performance for Top Musumeyaku Kano Maria, who gave Shiroki vigorous encouragement, telling her “think ‘I don’t care if I die today!’ and perform it like that.” Describing how she had advanced, Shiroki said “thanks to that I was really enheartened. I’m going to do much more with that kind of intensity, not just here but in the future.”

This junior performance served as the reunion for the stars of the Takarazuka Music School Culture Festival¹. “Since Shiroki has a lot of experience in the heroine roles I was thinking I could rely on her to prop me up but she helped me stand on my own two feet as an otokoyaku,” Ayaki said gratefully. Shiroki also said with some surprise “she’s come so far…she’s like a senior otokoyaku.”

Since this marks seven years since their debut performance, with this show the 6 members of the 96th class in Flower Troupe will be graduating from junior performances. As representative of the 96th class, Otohane Emi stated, looking back on their progress since debuting, “while this is a more private matter, this is the last junior performance for us 96th class members. While our journey so far has not always been easy, we intend to keep working hard to support Flower Troupe.”

1 – A recital culminating students’ 2 years in the Takarazuka Music School.