PUCK!

Jeez... I’ve done it again! I’ve abandoned my blog for months on end L

I always tell myself I need to find time to write here, but it’s much harder than it seems. Actually I’ve been so busy I’ve had very little time to watch Zuka – though I have watched some, of course.

At any rate, today I feel the urge of recommending and praising a show which has bewitched me in the past couple of months…

PUCK

Please be warned: there might be spoilers!

Puck was staged by the moon troupe in ’92. The top star at the time was Suzukaze Mayo (whom I ranked 5^th in my previous post). Thanks to this show I have come to love Suzukaze Mayo even more than I did before: her acting is so meticulous and at the same time natural! Not to mention her incredible singing.

Anyway, back to the show.

Puck is loosely based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night Dream but the whole focus is on Puck, a cute but somehow clumsy and mischevious fairy, and the way he interacts with a group of humans, in particular a girl called Hermia. There are several sub-plots and interesting characters, such as the king and queen of fairies or the rock-star-to-be Bobby played by Amami Yuki.

The show has both really funny and really moving scenes and is particularly interesting because of the evolution of the main character. At the beginning Puck is just a newborn fairy who knows nothing of the world, innocent and perky. As the show goes on, Puck evolves slowly but continuously, grows into awareness while going through different emotional stages. Honestly, I think that playing such a character must be very difficult and Suzukaze Mayo is so good! She honestly made my heart melt.

Amami Yuki is also really good in this funny role, she made me laugh really hard!

The show was also somehow really original… let’s just mention a pair of roller skates and moving donkey ears!

This show is DEINITELY a must see!

I usually just post links to bits of shows, but I'll just go ahead and post the link to the full show this time.
I know that some people think this is not right, but here's what I think: if there had not been online videos I would not have become a Takarazuka fan and I would not have supported Takarazuka by going to the theatre and buying a bashful amount of goods XD

So, here is the link to the show! Enjoy!

General updates + My top 5 otokoyaku so far

It's been such a long time since I last wrote here!

I feel so sorry about abandoning my beloved blog for so long, but it's been a very complicated period for me, so full of life changing events.

I am really glad to see that some of you have visited the blog all the same, despite my absence, and I hope to be able to count on your support in the future as well.

While away from Takarazuka Pills I have kept on watching shows and reading news, so hopefully I will be inspired to write as frequently as I used to - there are so many topics I could write about!

So, even though my life is becoming busier, I truly hope to keep it up :)

Today I have decided to show my favourite 5 otokoyakus at the moment (ranking might change in the future!)

To be honest, it is hard to pick my favourite 5, but what is harder is to actually decide how to rank them

At any rate, here I go, starting from the 5th!

5. Suzukaze Mayo

The only reason why I ranked her 5th is that I have not watched enough stuff with her in order to rank her higher. As a matter of fact, I have only watched The Rose of Versialles 91 with her so far, but it was good enough for me to include her in my top 5.

And why is that?

Well, on top of being gorgeous, she has an incredible voice. Her singing is really good, listening to her I have realised how much singing standards have been dropping in Zuka lately.

Curious fact that makes me love her even more: her nickname is Kaname - yes, same name as my belove Ouki Kaname!

Here is an extract from The Rose of Versailles - Oscar '91. In this video you will also see Amami Yuki as André.

4. Sena Jun

Deciding between whether to rank her 4th or 3rd was really hard! Because I really like her a lot. But then I guess that the one I placed in 3rd position has something she doesn't.

At any rate, let's talk about Asa (Sena Jun)!

She acts well and she has good charisma. Her voice is easily recognisable and pleasant. I especially like her in funny, perky roles: her Bill in Me & My Girl was beyond awesome!

So here is an extract from it. Enjoy!

3. Shibuki Jun

I have only watched one show and one TCA Special with her so far... and yet, she's up in 3rd position!

That's because...: she has a lot of charisma, her voice is one of my favourites overall (probably equaled only by Wao Youka), she dances amasingly well and her acting is extremely moving.

On the other hand, she's not one of the best looking otokoyakus. I usually call her "the ugly but pretty one"... and that's an endearment. Why? Well, because if you look at her pictures, she usually doesn't look good. If you really take in her features... well, she's not that pretty. But when she acts she changes completely, she becomes so beautiful! And I think that that's one of the things which make a great actress.

The show I have seen her in is Seal of Roses, and it made me fall in love with her.

So here is an extract, I hope you'll love it as much as I did!

2. Ouki Kaname

Oh God, how it hurts me not to put Kaname first!

I had to think about it for a while, but then I realised that I could not give her the gold medal after all - just for a tenth of a point, though ;)

As those who are familiar with this blog already know, I basically worship her :P

Kaname is one of the most beautiful otokoyakus I have seen so far and on top of that she has some top notch acting skills. Her eyes are killers, her smile as well. She truly seems to be a natural. Another thing about her is her stage presence: she stands out so much! And that's really important for a top star, I believe.

The only not so positive thing about her I could say is that, though she sings well, her voice is not one of the best. To be honest, I like it the way it is, I think it has personality and feeling, but I realise that technically it's far from perfect.

I found out about her when watching Star troupe's Romeo & Juliet. Since then I have watched tons of shows with her, including The Legend of Galactic Heroes and Montecristo live.

She's made me cry, she's made me laugh and I love her unconditionally!

Here's a digest from Montecristo.

AND THE FIRST PLACE GOES TO...

1. Wao Youka

After careful consideration, I decided that I really should assign the first place to the otokoyaku who made me fall in love with Takarazuka to begin with. I am not sure if I would be so much into Zuka if I had not seen Wao's Phantom as my first full show.

Honestly? I see no faults in her, at least none that is relevant. She is beautiful (maybe not as perfectly beautiful as Kaname, but still), she's a great actress, she has charisma and her voice is out of this world.

I have seen most of her shows and I liked 99% of what I have seen. There's something about her that simply caught my heart.

Maybe if I had to describe her with just one adjective, that would be POWERFUL. Powerful voice, powerful acting, powerful stage presence and powerful personality. Hanafusa Mari and her were the golden combi, such a perfect combi that I wonder when we shall see one like that again.

So here's the first scene from the first full show I ever watched, the show which made me fall for Zuka and to which I owe the fact that I am here, writing on this blog at night even though I have work tomorrow and I am dead tired XD ... I hope you appreciate!

Phantom 2004 (Cosmos) GIF

While browsing through my laptop I found this gif I made about two years ago.

It's from one of my favourite scenes in Phantom.

Wao's acting is stunning. I believe that Phantom is her best performance ever and it's close to perfection... so close to perfection I'd say it's perfect! XD

If you haven't watched her version of Phantom yet, you absolutely must!

HOME 私の夢が叶う場所 Lyrics

Tonight I can't seem to get sleepy and a song keeps on ringing in my ears. I had been thinking that I should translate some lyrics for a while, but then I never did. Tonight I decided that I would.

The song is HOME The Place Where My Dream Comes True, from the show Phantom.

It's the first full show I have ever watched so I am particularly attached to it.

The music is awesome and this song is just adorable.

Hopefully I've done a decent job, but if it's not satisfactory please forgive me ;)

So... here it is!

KANJI

いつも待っていた　心の中では
夢に手が届く　その時を
パパは言っていた　その場所に来れば
胸のときめきが高鳴ると

I'm Home この舞台なの
美しい音楽が溢れ　私を包むの
空の彼方に届くように　想いを込めて
私は歌うわ　ここで

素敵なオーケストラが奏でるなら
魔法の世界が広がる
アリアを聞けば感じられるわ
この世に生まれた喜びと幸せも

Dream 描き続けた夢も
いつか願いがかなうとわかるの
この舞台でいつの日か歌うのよ
きっと叶うはずよ
夢は

いつも待っていた　暗闇の中で
天使が囁く　その時を
今　聞こえるあの声
夜ごと探し求めた　幻の声だ
心の中に思い出がそっと甦る
安らぎ感じる　何故か

この子は誰だろう？
僕だけに歌う
野原に咲く名もない花のように
僕にならばできるだろう
彼女を可憐で素敵なブーケに変える


Dream 描き続けた(My Dream 描き続けた)
夢も(My Dream 夢も)
いつか願いがかなうとわかるさ(いつか願いが叶うと分かるの)
この舞台で
いつの日か歌うのよ(いつの日か歌うのよ)
きっと叶うはずさ(きっと叶うはずよ)
夢は

ROMAJI

Itsumo matteita   kokoro no naka de wa
yume ni te ga todoku   sono toki wo
papa wa itteita   sono basho ni kureba
mune no tokimeki ga takanaru to

I'm home   kono butai nano
utsukushii ongaku ga afure   watashi wo tsutsumu no
sora no kanata ni todoku youni   omoi wo komete
watashi wa utau wa   koko de

Sutekina okesutora ga kanaderu nara
mahou no sekai ga hirogaru
aria wo kikeba kanjirareru wa
kono yo ni umareta yorokobi to shiawase mo

Dream   egakitsuzuketa yume mo
itsuka negai ga kanau to wakaru no
kono butai de itsu no hi ka utau no yo
kitto kanau hazu yo
yume wa

Itsumo matteita   kurayami no naka de
tenshi ga sasayaku   sono toki wo
ima   kikoeru ano koe
yogoto sagashimotometa   maboroshi no koe da
kokoro no naka ni omoide ga sotto yomigaeru
yasuragi kanjiru   nazeka

Kono ko wa dare darou?
Boku dake ni utau
nohara ni saku na mo nai hana no youni
boku ni naraba dekiru darou
kanojo wo karen de sutekina buuke ni kaeru

Dream   egakitsuzuketa (My Dream   egakitsuzuke)
yume mo (My Dream   yume mo)
itsuka negai ga kanau to wakaru sa (itsuka negai ga kanau to wakaru no)
kono butai de
itsu no hi ka utau no da (itsu no hi ka utau no yo)
kitto kanau hazu sa (kitto kanau hazu yo)
yume wa

ENGLISH

Within my heart I had always been waiting
for that moment when my hands would reach my dream
dad always said that if I came to that place
my chest would beat fast

I'm home, this is the stage
overflowing with music, it engulfs me
as if reaching beyond the sky, enveloped by emotions
I sing, right here

If a wonderful orchestra plays
the world of magic broadens
if I hear an aria, I can feel
the joy and happiness of being born in this world

Dream, I know that some day
my wishes will come true, and the dream I've kept on painting too
someday I will sing on this stage
that dream
is definitely going to come true

I have always been waiting in the darkness
for that moment when an angel would whisper
now, I can hear that voice
it's the illusory voice I looked for nightly
in my heart memories are gently awoken
somehow, I feel peace

Who is this girl?
Like a nameless flower blooming in a field,
she sings just for me
if it's me, then I probably can
change her into a lovely and gorgeous bouquet


Dream, I know that some day
my wishes will come true, and the dream I've kept on painting too
someday I will sing on this stage
that dream
is definitely going to come true

Note: I didn't translate the bits in the brackets simply because they have the same meaning as the sentences coming before them. The only reason why they have been added in the JP lyrics is because at that point Eric and Christine sing at the same time with some slight differences in the wording. But trust me, the meaning is the same ;)

I hope that this is of some help :D

I will probably translate some other lyrics later on!

Takarazuka Pills' debut on Twitter!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Takarazuka Pills' Twitter has been created! :D

If you have a twitter account, please follow!

Here's the link: https://twitter.com/TakarazukaPills

I hope that by having both the blog and the Twitter account Takarazuka Pills will be able to grow further and to give a better service :)

If you have any suggestions for the future, please let me know!

Thank you so much for your support!

When otokoyaku play female roles... Part I: Ouki Kaname

Sooner or later, all otokoyaku end up playing a female role, whether it be a big or a small role, just for one dance or for a whole play (well, maybe not all otokoyaku, but many :P ).

Opinions on otokoyaku playing musumeyaku roles are varied.

I must say that most of the times I get a weird feeling when I see an otokoyaku playing a female role. I can't really explain why, but I suppose that it might be because I'm so used to seeing them as men that it's weird to see them playing women... even though they are women!

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to have a look at what otokoyaku playing musumeyaku look like, and I decided to start from my beloved Ouki Kaname - my favourite top star at the moment, as you probably already know ;)

Kaname has played various female roles, though mainly short ones. She has probably played more female roles than I know of, but here are four roles I know about, in chronological order, from the oldest to the newest!

1. Queen of the night

Takarazuka's dream kingdom, 2005, Snow troupe

It's a short video, but I think that Kaname looks fabulous. In this dance both Kaname and Ozuki Toma play the queens of the night... sexy! ;)

Here's the video!

2. Cinderella

Miroirs, 2008, Snow troupe

This is a video I never get tired of! Kaname looks fabulous in her Cinderella dress, and I love the fact that in the end her otokoyaku side clearly comes out... :P

Click here for the video!

3. In the desert...

Luna Rossa, 2011, Cosmos troupe

In this dance Kaname is soooo sexy! I honestly think she looks fabulous... though I must say, it's so easy to tell she actually is an otokoyaku ;) But, compared to some other otokoyakus, she is still feminine enough :P

Unfortunately I couldn't find a video for this scene, but here are some screen caps I have taken from the DVD ;)

4. Pineapple Queen

Amour de 99!!, 2013, Cosmos troupe

Over the top but extremely pretty, welcome this year's Pineapple Queen!

It's an unforgettable performance, trust me ;)

Unfortunately there is no DVD yet, so I couldn't take any screen shots, but here's a couple of photos of the Pineapple Queen :D

希望を捨てるな！The Count of Montecristo / Amour de 99!! (II)

On Sunday the 17th, Monday the 18th and Sunday the 24th of March I went to watch  the new Cosmos troupe show, The Count of Montecristo / Amour de 99!!

I loved it so much! And I must say, I liked it more the second and third time. The first time I was a bit taken aback by the fact that they changed quite a bit the story compared to the novel. I understand it was necessary in order to turn a novel which is over a thousand pages long into a one hour and a half musical, though.

At any rate, the music is first class! The songs got stuck badly in my head, so now I am really looking forward to the DVD and CD!

WARNING: from here on there might be SPOILERS!

The first act, The Count of Montecristo, was a bit difficult to follow at first, but extremely well done. Not only the songs were great (one of the songs actually makes me want to cry every single time I listen to it), but the setting was also really really good. In particular, the scene in which Edmont Dantès is in prison, the stage is really awesome: there are two levels, and on the lower level you can see Dantès getting more and more desperate by the day, while on the upper level you see scenes of what happens in the lives of those who are free (Mercedes, Danglars, Fernand etc).

There were a few extremely dramatic scenes, but also a couple of really funny ones. The scenes in which appeared Bertuccio (Ozuki Toma) and the pirates were often the stress releaf. In particular, there is one scene with Bertuccio, Vampa and the pirates/smugglers which is really funny. I am not an expert of Japanese accents, but I have a feeling that the pirates speak with a Kyushu accent... which would make sense since I believe that Kyushu was an area with quite a lot of pirates in the past. And that was also funny. (I might be wrong though, so feel free to correct me!)

It goes without saying that Ouki Kaname was amasing in the role of the count: every time I see her on stage my admiration towards her increases. Not only is she extremely beautiful, but she's an excellent actress. Her singing might not be one of the best among the top stars, but she conveys such emotions that I get lost for words. She's the best ;)

I must say I was also really really pleased with Misaki Rion: her Mercedes was spot on. In several scenes she moved me to tears. Thumbs up for her! I'm ashamed to say I don't usually pay much attention to musumeyaku (unless they annoy me) but she was so good that I feel it's my duty to spear a few words for her. Just as I thought, I think that Kaname and her make a great combi.

Yumi Hiro, Ozuki Toma, Asaka Manato, Nanami Hiroki, Hasumi Yuuya... there are so many awesome actresses in the current cosmos troupe that I can't possibly talk about all of them. Honestly, great GREAT job sora gumi!!!

The second act, Amour de 99!!, was full of energy and interesting. It was a celebration of Takarazuka which followed its history. The actresses performed dances from several old shows.

Some of the dances were really amasing (there was one with blue costumes which I particularly loved, but I can't remember the name right now, and I don't have the program at hand... sorry).

The most notable part was probably the "pineapple queen" dance, in which Kaname wore the pineapple queen costume and showed her bare legs. She was awesome! I am always amased by the fact that she looks gorgeous both as a man and as a woman. 

I also really liked the tuxedo dance. It was actually very simple, with plain black tuxedos and red roses. I liked the fact that Kaname wore a tuxedo just like everybody else, with no rhinestones on it. It was really very very elegant. At the end of the dance Kaname gave the rose to one of the spectators... and I died of envy ;) every single time!

Another important part was probably a dance in which Ozuki Toma danced with Kaname dressed as a musumeyaku. I must say though that I don't think that Ozuki Toma pulls off the musumeyaku role too well. Somehow, I kept on seeing a man dressed as a woman on stage XD

On a side note, there is one scene in which Kaname has to take off a wig and a fake beard on stage. On the 18th, the beard got stuck and the mic fell off. I was impressed by her reaction: she didn't show any sort of emotion, she went on with her lines as if nothing had happened, and as soon as she could turn around so that the mic side of her face was hidden, she put it back on swiftly. She did so well, that my friends who were not looking through the opera glasses at that moment didn't even notice it. Congratulations Kaname, you really are a pro!

This is about it. Awesome show, definitely a must see. I'm glad I got to see it three times, and I wish I could watch it again. This show is really special to me, not only because I like it, not only because my beloved Ouki Kaname stars in it, but for one more reason... it's going to be my last Takarazuka show in quite some time. :(

Unfortunately, I had to leave Japan on Monday... so now I'm stuck in Europe and I'm missing Takarazuka (and plenty of other stuff) already. I wish I could have stayed, but I like to think of this as destiny: there must be a reason why I had to come back to Europe.

At any rate, even though I'm not in Japan any more, I will do my best to keep this blog updated with interesting news and curious facts.

Unfortunately I only have access to a rather bad Internet connection at the moment, so I cannot upload photos. I am really very sorry, but I don't have a choice. I hope to be able to get a better connection within a couple of months (which sounds like a hell of a long time...)

Thank you so much for reading my blog! :)

P.S. 希望を捨てるな！(don't throw away hope) is a line in one of The Count of Montecristo's songs. Since I was feeling down about having to leave Japan, it touched me deeply...
It also is sort of the message of the whole show :) Great, isn't it?

Takarazuka Stage Studio: Stage make-up service

As I have written in one of my previous posts, at the Takarazuka Grand Theatre in Takarazuka city it is possible to have the stage make-up done, wear Takarazuka costumes and have pictures taken.

Ever since I found out about it, I have always wanted to try it out... and I finally have! :D

It's necessary to get an appointment to do it, so when I went to watch Ocean's 11 I made an appointment for last Sunday.

There are quite a lot of costumes you can pick from, it was really hard to choose.

I went for the Finale Tuxedo (the typical tuxedo otokoyaku wear at the end of shows, with huge feathers on the back). I picked that one because I wanted otokoyaku clothes and I also wanted it to be as typical as possible.

If I get the chance again, I would also like to try Oscar (the white version with the cape) and Elisabeth. It is really really expensive, though, so I guess I'll wait.

The price depends on the size of the printed pictures and on whether you want any extras (stickers, mobile phone straps...). The cheapest set for just one costume and make-up is 11000 yen.

On the website it says it takes about 2 hours, but I believe it took me about 1 hour and a half... but then I had to wait for half an hour in order to pick up the printed pictures.

First thing they ask you to pick a costume, since the make-up is different depending on it, and a background for the photos (plain, the big and famous Takarazuka Grand Theatre stairs...)

Then, you are asked to take your clothes off and wear a sort of wide skirt and strapless top before starting with the make-up.

The make-up takes quite a while, but it is really interesting to see how it's done. You sit in front of a big mirror while they do it, so you can see the process. At first I was worried because it seemed a bit off, but it looked right after a few layers. It's really thick and quite complicated. I could hardly recognise myself after they finished! The only thing I didn't really like about the make-up is that I believe they painted my eyebrows at different heights, which was a bit weird. But it was amasing over all.

Once the make-up's done, they help you put the clothes on. I don't know how it's possible, but the clothes are size-free and seem to fit everybody perfectly. I was quite worried because I'm rather big for Japanese standards (172cm tall, thick boned and far from skinny), but there was no problem at all.

Up close the clothes did look slightly worn out, but they looked just as they should in the pictures, which is what matters.

After that, it's time for the pictures to be taken. With my costume, I could pick two accessories between a couple of shan-shan (the objects that 'Ziennes usually hold during the finale, often made of flowers and ribbons), a sparkly stick and a big feather fan: one for the whole-body picture and one for the close-up photo.

The process of taking the photos was also quite long and very interesting. They give you very precise directions as how to stand and position yourself and even move your feet and hands around a bit until you are exactly in the right pose. They take quite a lot of photos, so I was actually starting to get cramps in my hands... hahaha

Anyway, once that's done, you are asked to put your own clothes back on and then you're given various types of make-up removers and give you the time to put your own make-up back on.

Before you take your make-up off they take some head shots with your own camera. I didn't know that so I didn't bring mine. They took pictures with my iPod, but of course the quality is not the same... pity...

Of course they play Takarazuka music all the time.

All the employees were extremely kind.

It was an awesome experience and I honestly can't wait to do it again!

When you pick up the photos (usually the sets include two pictures, a full body one and a close-up one) they also give you a point card with your own picture on it. You get one point for every 1000 yen you spend at the Stage Studio. Once you reach 25 points you get a free strap and there's another present when you get at 50 points, but I don't know what it is.

The point card does not expire, which is great.

I know it's expensive, but I highly recommend this experience. Not only because it's exciting to wear the costume and the make-up of a loved character, but also because you somehow get to understand a bit more of what happens in the backstage.

It is possible to make an appointment on the phone, on the internet and directly at the Stage Studio counter.

I'm posting some of my pictures so you get an idea of what it's like. ;)

Ocean's 11

This year the Flower troupe is playing Ocean's 11, which was already played by the Star troupe in 2011/2012.

I went to watch it with some friends on February 17th. Honestly, I wasn't sure whether to go or not at first, since Ranju Tomu is not among my favourites, but then I decided that it was worth giving it a shot.

At first the plan was to buy standing tickets, but since they had not sold out all the seating tickets we could not do that. So we ended up buying B seats with a discount, which on one side was good, and besides, that's also a new experience.

I actually enjoyed the show very much. It was extremely funny and the songs were catchy.

I had never seen any show played by the current Flower troupe and I was impressed by some of the actresses.

I still don't particularly like Ranju Tomu, for some reason, but I was pleasantly surprised by Nozomi Futo, towards whom I felt an instinctive dislike but turned out to be an excellent actress. I don't particularly like her features, but her singing is high class and she played her role extremely well.

I also liked Harukaze Misato, Seto Kazuya and Taiga Rin (though she only played a small part, but I loved her voice!).

Overall, I think that most of them were excellent.

However, I was rather disappointed in Hanagata Hikaru: I felt that her singing wasn't very accurate and her voice wasn't powerful at all. I am no expert, though, so maybe that's just how I feel about it.

Ranno Hana is an excellent performer with a great voice, though she doesn't do as good as I expected in the high notes.

At any rate, it was a really enjoyable show and we all laughed like crazy. I'm glad I decided to give it a shot!

We also went to the Petit Museum, in which this time they had the Saint Exupéry / Conga! exhibition.

Unfortunately I haven't seen that show, but after seeing the costumes for Saint Exupéry I definitely want to watch it. The Little Prince costume is the cutest thing ever!

I don't feel as enthusiastic about Conga!, though. I have only seen some bits and pieces while at the Petit Museum, but I thought that the costumes were too over the top and the music... well, just not very appealing.

The museum was fun and we got to play around with some props. I think it is really worth it to go to the museum every time they get a new show. Seeing the costumes is always a great experience.

It was a great day all in all, and I can't wait  for the next show!

The Count of Montecristo / Amour de 99!!

Today's a happy day: the sale of Cosmos troupe's Montecristo tickets has started!

I can't wait to go watch this show, in which will of course star my dearest Ouki Kaname together with the gorgeous Misaki Rion.

This is going to be their second show as top stars, let's hope it is at least as succesful as the first!

I have bought tickets for March the 18th, so it's going to be a bit of a long wait...

In the meanwhile, enjoy the promo video ;)

1 Year Anniversary (/^O^)/

Today it's exactly one year since I first started writing this blog!
So, to celebrate, here's one of my very favourite scenes.
It's an extract from Cosmos troupe's Nice Guy! (second act of Classico Italiano) starring Ouki Kaname and Oozora Yuuhi.
Enjoy! :)

P.S.: and happy Valentine's day ;)

Versailles' roses bloom (ベルサイユのバラが咲く)

I found out about Takarazuka while looking for The Rose of Versailles anime videos on YouTube.

I stumbled upon a 1989 Takarazuka version of it and fell in love.

Since then, I have always wanted to see The Rose of Versailles live.

My dream's come true (twice)! (^___^)

On January 14th and February 3rd I went to Takarazuka to watch the Moon troupe version of The Rose of Versailles -Oscar & André.

Actually, I didn't have tickets for it: I was planning to buy them, but didn't make it.

So I went there and bought standing tickets, which can only be bought on the day of the show. I was afraid that they would also be sold out, but they weren't! Actually, I understand that they sell about a hundred of those, so if you get there by 10am (or even slightly later) you can almost be sure you'll get one - at least, that's how it went for me both times.

The first time I had a student discount and only payed 1000 yen! That was not possible the second time, though, so I had to pay 2500 yen (which still sounds reasonable to me). Apparently the student discount is available only for certain shows and on certain days.

From the standing seats you get a pretty good view of the whole stage, a lot better than I thought. It is impossible, though, to see the faces and clothes in detail.

So I rented the opera glasses: they are 500yen plus you have to give 5000yen (which will be given back to you once you return the opera glasses) as a deposit. Using those I was able to see the actresses' faces better than when sitting on an S seat.

If you want to watch a Takarazuka show but have no tickets, I advise you to do as I did: it's totally worth it.

Both times Oscar was played by Ryu Masaki and André by Asumi Rio. I didn't get to watch the inverted roles version (Ryu Masaki as André and Asumi Rio as Oscar) or the versions in which Ranju Tomu (flower troupe top star) or So Kazuho (new snow troupe top star) played André.

I guess it's a pity, but at the same time when I first see a certain person in one role then I don't like to change. I end up associating that face to that character and seeing somebody else playing it feels a little bit weird.

At any rate: the show was really really really (really!) good. I always thought that it was over-the-top, over done, over rated (though lovely) and maybe even a bit ridiculous... but I ended up being moved to tears: I didn't actually cry, but the tears were there, lurking underneath my eyelids.

It was actually also the first time I saw a show starring Ryu Masaki and Asumi Rio, and I liked them both. They both have great voices and Masa's face is so delicate, she made a perfect Oscar.

I won't say anything else, just in case: I don't want to spoiler this for anybody. If you have any questions or want to know any details (or want to share and compare opinions) feel free to comment! I would actually enjoy that.

Both times I went with friends who had never been to Takarazuka before. It seems that they liked it and that makes me happy :D

We also went to the special Rose of Versailles exposition that was held in the Bow Hall and to the Petit Museum, in which were exposed the Romeo & Juliette clothes & props plus some other things.

I spent those two days feeling as if I were in heaven... no wonder above the entrance to the theater they have written "PARADISE"!

Last time I went to Takarazuka I didn't like the food, though it was pretty (but the taste...!!!)

This time I found a place that was great! Close to the Bow Hall, on the second floor, there is a old-fashioned tea-shop which has delicious high tea and rose tea. If you go to Takarazuka, that's where I advise you to eat ;)

Anyway, enough said! I'll upload some pics :)

Cheers!

P.S.: there's a picture of Masa... though it's almost impossible to tell it's her. I wish that 'Ziennes wouldn't wear scarves, glasses and hats all at once when they exit the theatre... sigh!