Mori Keaki published this essay book the month before her retirement as Top Star of Snow Troupe. It is mainly a memoir of her personal journey in Takarazuka, as well as her early life. Her writing\/formatting style is kind of unique, and I tried to reproduce or reflect it as much as possible. 120% Darling has around 24 chapters, and I plan to post one every Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a really lovely book, that ended up making me cry many times. I hope you enjoy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a table of contents with links to all the chapters, go here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The core is vital to being a \u2018man\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve talked about singing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve talked about acting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, I\u2019ll talk a bit about dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takarasiennes can all sing, dance, and act, so the saying goes\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n In theory, they learn all that during 2 years of intense instruction in the Takarazuka Music School, before going on to be students of the Takarazuka Revue, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, in Takarazuka, it seems like everyone can say things like \u2018Before entering the Music School, I studied ballet or whatever sort of Western dance, or Japanese traditional dance, for over 10 years!!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what about me!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was a complete amateur, to the point you\u2019d want to burst out laughing if you had to watch me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even now I wish I could laugh and gloss over the fact I was really lucky to even get in. Hahahahaha\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, it wasn\u2019t as if I hated dancing as a child or anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would dance at the O-Bon festival, and at school rallies (?), and I\u2019d copy the dance moves of Pinky and the Killers1<\/sup>\u2026all the time (?) (Ah\u2026that makes my age pretty obvious\u2026doesn\u2019t it)<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, when it came to ballet\u2026I found it reeeally hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even the very basics have so much meaning, you see!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mori Keaki\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you\u2019ve seen in the prior incidents, I was the type to suddenly get wholeheartedly \u2018into\u2019 something. This was in the Music School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As it turned out, the girl whose name was right before mine in the class roll was one of those 10-year-career ballet dancers. We would dance together most of the time, and she would tell me \u201cif your foundational technique is perfect, your ability to express yourself will be perfect\u201d; they went together, basically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah~, when I was dancing with her, I at least felt like a real prima donna!! It felt as if we were floating over the lake together. Wah~\u2026so much fun. (At the time, we were working on Swan Lake. Yes.) Therefore, generally, since I had become a swan I couldn\u2019t tell or care if my legs were up or down (?) from where they were supposed to be. Isn\u2019t that great!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that was the state of Mori Keaki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even after entering the company, in dance scenes I didn\u2019t really bother with technique, and really just went along with the feelings of the scene when dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, I would totally bluff my way through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf people are watching me\u2026they\u2019ll figure out I don\u2019t actually know the basics!\u201d I thought. \u201cI wasn\u2019t really a dancer in the first place\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for singing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wrote some about it before, but.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My voice was certainly decent\u2026 When I was in the Music School, I was actually a soprano!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for acting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandpa Brunner had \u2018opened my eyes\u2019 to what it was to be a Takarazuka actor and a professional stage performer, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had aaaalways been in love with acting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, I\u2019d ended up being given various really noticeable roles even in junior performances and Bow performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour dancing is\u2026not really there,\u201d people would say\u2026 Wahhhh~<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter how hard I might try, compared to someone who had been studying constantly since they were a little kid, of course there would still be a difference. I would end up thinking stuff like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot much I can do now. I\u2019ll just have to put all my emotions into it!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ooof course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Going back to Valentino<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My voice was broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, I had to sing anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How can I describe it\u2026what it felt like when my voice was broken\u2026hmmm\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you break your vocal chords, it\u2019s like a worn-out hose full of holes or something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A worn-out hose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you run water through it at the same pressure from before it was worn out, all the water will leak out in the middle, and in the end what comes out is only a few drips, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s kind of, like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The air you try to use for vocalizing all seems to vanish and leave nothing but a hollow sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, in order to sing at the same volume as before it was broken, it takes, obviously, a lot more lung capacity than normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, suddenly increasing your lung capacity is not something you can actually do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what to do!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Increase your ability to use the air already in your lungs!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, it\u2019s just abdominal muscle training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s what it was\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, it\u2019s really only because I\u2019m looking back on it now, that I can relate this so calmly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time I was actually in Valentino<\/em>, though, I was thinking, I have to get my voice to function somehow! So I was totally desperate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I was really focused on that\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I ended up really strengthening my core muscles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had only been thinking about my voice all the while, but one day, we were working on the choreography of a dance scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this!?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t struggling at all. I could lift my legs up so easily\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey\u2026what\u2019s going on!? What\u2019s up with me!?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was the result of my abdominal muscle training. So, my waist and hips as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I had some more core strength, the things that were impossible before became really easy, you see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe that seems a bit strange, but anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmmm~ For men, it\u2019s the core\u2026\u201d I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women tend to just breathe from the chest; so, only the capacity around their rib cage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Men\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey breathe from the whole core\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a lot more intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, my abdominal training!?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It had really helped with using my lower limbs as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was a new \u2018discovery\u2019 too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later on, this became a really important point among everything about performing as an otokoyaku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, because of that, dancing as an otokoyaku became more and more fun for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that core strength foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mori Keaki was able to feel good about dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to my time as a junior student\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n What do you think? Isn\u2019t it definitely a bit better!? Hahaha\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d like to know what you think. Please tell me sometime!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 – A popular group of the late 60s and early 70s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mori Keaki published this essay book the month before her retirement as Top Star of Snow Troupe. It is mainly a memoir of her personal journey in Takarazuka, as well as her early life. Her writing\/formatting style is kind of … Continue reading
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