lilywilde

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'Tis the season to rewatch this! Pei's gorgeous Black Lizard with a Christmas finale.

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Wish I could. I can’t but if you can you definitely should. Some one tell me the highlights

https://twitter.com/ayabukimao_fc/status/1377563104389685250?s=21

Yumiko and Mizu will do a zoom event together! You can join even if you’re not a fanclub member. It’s on the 18th of April and costs 5500 yen. It says in the info that you can pay with visa/mastercard, and hopefully this includes foreign cards.

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Yurika is… somewhat handsome.

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Musumeyakugoroshi.

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Beware of Francis.

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#makaze suzuho

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#Todoroki yuu #makoto Tsubasa

Poster of 71st Special Show - IV Voice has been updated!

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Behold my latest zuka mad scientist procrastination project.

This only includes connections of at least two shinko leads from the same top star (with a little cheating for Charlie who only got a half grand theatre lead to begin with). Thicker lines indicate several shared leads.

While this is another thing I made before the horrible, horrible news and just put off posting, it warms my heart that Mine’s legacy lives on in Yurika.

Additionally, the chart only includes top stars but please imagine Yumiko right there next to Mizu on another line from Tamo.

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“Shigure Hill Road in Nagasaki” (Moon) subs

download here: wtheckzukasubs.tumblr.com/shows

This has been a request but it was also some challenge. My Japanese is far from good so each sub is a struggle, but this entered the list of the hardest ones I’ve ever faced, right next to Samurai Final. In other words, the result may have become a little bit of a fanfic while I hit my head against walls to figure out WTF.

About the play itself, I believe this was Dan Rei’s taidan piece but Chapi’s character felt secundary to Tamaki’s and Todoroki’s friendship bonds (imo, of course). This was also Aasa’s last with Tsukigumi, and a special mention to how cute Ari is as Rasha.

Last, it was funny to look for some image to put here and almost get one of the 2005 version because Todoroki hasn’t changed AT ALL. 

PS: forgot to mention but this has been our 30th release! I was about to say solo, but you’ve been offering me so much I can’t say I’m doing this alone.

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Kumamoto-doushi!

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Terrific job, and a sublime show...

Mariposa subs

Some of you might be familiar with the TIPsubs, but since TIP is sadly out of operation we wanted to make this Masatsuka masterpiece of intense gut-wrenching YuMizu bromance more available again. To be honest the TIPsubs were also quite awkward (if I remember correctly they were translated via Chinese). This is a fresh translation from the script, timed for the DVD. I did the translating and @siridealphosphorus rephrasing and timing.

The subs can be found here.

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Mine memorial masterpost

Takashio Tomoe tells of how the “sanbakatrio” (her, Mine and Kotobuki Hizuru, launched as a trio at ken2, aged 19) gathered for the last time and laughed and cried and said “isn’t that right, Mine-chan?” to Mine’s beautiful, seemingly sleeping face.

Kojou Chiaki says it was such a shock for her sister Kojou Reika she thought she might follow Mine in a lovers’ suicide, talks about how beautifully top trio Mine’s, Tsuttsu’s and Maimai’s voices harmonised, and shares a stage photo of Tsuttsu doing a dangerous jump up into Mine’s arms on the ginkyou in the Revue Symphony finale.

Azuma Chiaki says they didn’t get to work together much as OGs and didn’t see each other since the 100th anniversary and she assumed Mine was healthy and working hard as usual and was very surprised, but in Takarazuka they were together a lot, for example in her taidan revue Fascination Mine did a difficult duet dance with a lift with her while Setouchi Miya was singing.

Wakaba Hiromi says she was invited to see Mine’s Japanese dance recital before covid and couldn’t imagine it would be the last time she saw her.

Minakaze Mai says Mine raised her carefully as her top partner and often invited her and Kojou Reika over for noisy dinner parties, that after taidan they could get over the strict Takarazuka hierarchy and become more like friends, that Mine liked her beer with shaved ice in it, and that she called her in November asking if she’d heard rumours and saying she wanted to tell her personally she was ill but if anyone asked she should tell them she broke her toe, and that she hopes to be Mine’s top musumeyaku in the next world too.

Satsuki Rise shares stage photos from the 2007 OG production of Lovers’ Suicide and talks about Mine’s tremendous qualities and capabilities and of the love for Japanese dance as the very foundation for Takarazuka they shared as teachers.

Kodama Ai says the first Takarazuka show she saw was Adventurers in Love/Festa Festa with Mine as nibante.

Minoru Kou shares a picture of unused tabi she has saved from Mine’s time in Takarazuka and says Mine always scolded her, strictly, kindly and warmly, and now she can’t scold her anymore.

Aika Mire says Mine always looked after her when she was stressed out and crying, and that she had wanted to visit her in the hospital.

Emao Yuu says when she was in TMS the music teacher used Ai no tabidachi as a sort of litmus test to see who had what it takes to become top, and that the first time she heard Mine sing it live it was so amazing she got goosebumps, that the news don’t feel real, that Mine kept in touch and responded to her messages to the end and she didn’t know a thing.

Dan Hitomi says when she heard the news she couldn’t believe it and had to check with the people closer to Mine if it was a lie, that she enjoyed being scolded by her when working together on OG shows and that the last time she heard her voice was the year before last when she was hanging out with Bun and Mariko and they said “hey let’s call Mine..”

Shiraki Ayaka says if she hadn’t watched Sorrowful Cordoba/Lumiere she might not have decided to join Takarazuka, and that she listened to Mine’s cassette tape every day of the summer vacation of her third year in high school.

Hatsukaze Midori says Mine always criticized her singing but in Carnaval de Amor she finally told her her My Way was wonderful, and she was so happy she asked for their first (and last) two-shot, which she shares.

Kozuki Wataru says the tears won’t stop and shares how Mine looked her straight in the eyes and told her she didn’t need to try so hard to be a woman as Velma in Chicago, she was fine the way she was.

Ayaki Nao writes about how much Mine meant to her, how she choreographed and coached her in Epiphany and many other works and always encouraged her who lacks confidence, how she is a role model for the broad-minded (houyouryoku) otokoyaku type, how she fed her and went to the onsen with her and invited her over to her house sometimes to stay the night, how she conforted her when she was sad their January concert was cancelled saying she should make sure to stay slim enough to fit into the costume Mine gave her because there’d surely be new opportunities…

Hoshina Yuri says she loves Mine’s strict, warm and playful sides and that when she had to dance the Fukagawa Mambo she went to Mine for help and Mine drilled her hard and then fed her.

Tsukikage Hitomi says Mine choreographed her snow troupe top musumeyaku debut and said “stop calling me sensei!”

Hatsune Mayo says she enjoyed Mine as a choreographer, that she was very strict but had a cute smile and never abandoned the seito who couldn’t do it.

Yamato Yuuga says it’s too sudden and shares a two-shot from New York.

Ougi Megumu shares a lovely backstage photo from Tokyo Modern Times.

Kaon Yuuki talks about how much everyone loved Mine-sensei and shares pictures from Chicago.

Rizu Sawaki says Mine choreographed her twice while in Takarazuka, and that she meant to chorus from offstage in Mine’s opening number to last year’s Carnaval de Amor, but Mine said (loosely translated) “it’ll be more fun if we appear on stage together, I’ll whip up a choreography!”, and she also shares a lovely backstage photo of Mine hugging her.

Mishou Kazuki says she really wanted to dance the Fukagawa Mambo with Mine again but she’ll cherish what Mine taught her, always fussing over details like her obi and hair ornaments.

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宙組公演 『Hotel Svizra House ホテル スヴィッツラ ハウス』 画像up！

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Merry Christmas!

Toshiro Mifune

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Streaming Shakespeare! 

Some of the current and upcoming Shakespearian stage productions available for free on your couch.

Much Ado About Nothing (Great Performances)

Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Twelfth Night (National Theatre)

King Lear (Stratford Festival)

Coriolanus (Stratford Festival)

Two Noble Kinsmen (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Macbeth (Stratford Festival)

The Tempest (Stratford Festival)

Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Timon of Athens (Stratford Festival)

Love’s Labors Lost (Stratford Festival)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Hamlet (Stratford Festival)

King John (Stratford Festival)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Pericles (Stratford Festival)

Antony and Cleopatra (Stratford Festival)

Romeo and Juliet (Stratford Festival)

The Taming of the Shrew (Stratford Festival) 

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Cate Blanchett for Beauty Papers Magazine Issue No 7

- as Laurie Anderson, Andy Warhol, John Cage and Bruce Nauman

Photos by Casper Sejersen