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?