#Aya Ouka

[liminal-roses]

Ayana looks like doll

[fayegumi]

End of the Year Takarazuka Tag: Day 2

Never Say Goodbye: Which taidansha was the hardest for you to say goodbye to this year? This is hard. Very hard. There's been so many hard-hitting taidans this year that it makes it incredibly hard to chose.

Asazuki Kiwa

Although she's not officially taidanned yet (4 more days...) I've decided to include her since it will still be in 2022. Being both a hana and yuki fan, Kiwa was the best of both worlds, having been in both troupes for long periods of time. Also being one of the oldest musumeyaku to make top makes it something all the more special. In terms of crying, I undoubtedly cried the hardest during these yukigumi taidans (Karen's speech hurt...). Kiwa's especially. The way she speaks so truthfully on how her road as a musumeyaku wasn't a straight one, how she constantly fell and made mistakes, yet kept pushing forward just stabbed me right in the heart. It hurts that she will be gone, but my hurt most of all isn't even hurt; it's just intense admiration for such a strong woman who devoted herself for nearly 13 years to such a rigid place as Takarazuka. No one expected her to "make it" (become top musumeyaku, but this is by no means a complete measure of achievement), yet she did. She did it. She pulled through like moon still hanging there in the sky in the morning, her namesake. Congrats Kiwa, congrats on all that you've done and accomplished. You did amazing, have a great rest, and I'll always be rooting for you. Honorable mentions:

Aya Ouka: Her announcement hit the hardest. One of the first people I latched onto in yuki. I felt like she could've made so much more if the track hold her back, but I'm glad she's onto better things where she can really shine.

Then of course, are latest hana taidans Oto Kurisu and Hiryuu Tsukasa.

Although the announcement was very shocking, and by no means did the taidans not hurt. I can't help but feeling satisfied for them. I'm satisfied for both Kiwa and Ayana, of course, but I can't put into words the difference in emotions I feel, especially with Kiwa.

[heavenlyakin]

just had a thought… atsumu gets banned by the twins from playing with their Barbie’s bc he makes them too “realistic” and tries to introduce multiple plot lines the girls just don’t vibe with

[anicastes]

You’ll have to forgive my bonehead of a sister.

[wtheckzukasubs]

“The Lost Glory” (Shinko Version) subs

Download here: wtheckzukasubs.tumblr.com/shows

I’m not a fan of the plot, but I fell in love with this musical when I watched this shinko version. I love so much this trio! Of course, Maou Yuuki had huge shoes to fill playing Todoroki Yuu’s part, but the chemistry in the cast and their charisma too. You’ve also got Coto playing the villain, Airi playing the heroine, Seo Yuria playing a helpless romantic, plus Shidou Ryuu, Shiroki Mirei, Hinami Fuu, Amahana Ema, Aya Ouka. Ah, the magic of watching shinko after some years, it’s almost a look into another dimension.

These subs are rather old. I meant to release this around the time Beni was retiring but ended up postponing forever... like most subs on my list.

As for trigger content, beware for blackface, suicide and toxic relationships. This story is loosely inspired by Othello, by the way.

There are good songs btw. Oh and a very good dance number a little after the middle.

Timed to the Sky Stage release.

[nalanzu]

Weiss Kreuze Episode 13: Bruch

So we've reached the halfway point of the series. We get a brief recap of Omi's family drama, and from the title the heavy drama isn't slowing down any time soon.

We do get the lovely sight of Takatori beating the shit out of Schuldig and Farfarello with a golf club for killing his daughter. Crawford redirects his rage to Weiss, which works incredibly well despite Schuldig having literally fired the gun.

The cases of the week aren't going to stop either, as we see a para-military type by a burning warehouse followed by a news report of a military base being broken into. Weiss, however, is more worried about the fact that there is a telepathic assassin who knows who they are. Ken and Yohji think it's time to fuck off into the sunset. Aya, of course, is still hellbent on revenge and will hear no talk of breaking up the team.

Omi and Persia have a conversation in a lovely cemetery off the bay, in front of Ouka's grave. Omi has come to the conclusion that Aya is right and Takatori must be stopped. They're interrupted by the man himself also showing up to pay his respects to his late daughter, but before we get the fallout of Takatori potentially recognizing Omi, we're going to rturn to the case of the week.

On the news, the stolen military weapons have been used to commit acts of domestic terrorism, which have been signed Weiss. Our heroes, of course, are furious that their name has been slandered. Not that anyone outside Kritiker knows who Weiss is, but they're still pissed about it. They do, of course, recognize that it's Takatori's assassins who are behind these shenanigans, and Kritiker takes the very reasonable step of not sending Weiss directly into the very obvious trap. Weiss does not appreciate this concern, especially Aya, who just wants to murder Takatori Reiji and will straight-up leave Weiss and Kritiker to do it.

Just in case it's not already clear, we get to see a soot-stained Schuldig cackling at news of the bombings. He doesn't want to reveal their identities to the public, either, he wants to play with them and so does Farfarello.

Manx and Persia think they're being watched, as the election approaches, and Persia - the police commissioner - arrives for a meeting with Takatori - vice prime minister. Takatori wants Persia to deal with this rogue group, Weiss, who is rampaging around the city. Or, he says smugly, is there some reason the commissioner doesn't wish to address the issue? They are playing very ridiculous cat-and-mouse. Persia's counter is a military special forces group that Takatori had formed while he was apparently in charge of the defense force (I - I'm not sure how politics work but I don't think this is it). It has gone AWOL. They clumsily dance around the idea that this AWOL special forces unit is Takatori's secret army before Takatori asks what he really wants to know, which is who Omi was. All he gets out of it is that he's Ouka's friend, an obvious lie.

Omi, in the basement, is trying to figure out what to do about the terrorists. Aya is cranky and accuses him of spying. Omi is also cranky and lets it slip that Persia is his uncle. More Omi family drama incoming, my friends.

Aya, who has zero chill, immediately runs off to threaten Persia for the terrible crime of being a Takatori and not letting Aya murder his nemesis. He gets a gun to his temple, courtesy of Manx, and demands to be sent out on a mission immediately. Not only does he have no sense of chill, he has no sense of strategy or timing. When he doesn't get what he wants, he threatens to take his toys and go home, by which I mean he threatens to quit Weiss. Persia reminds him that the only reason his sister's medical bills are being paid are because Kritiker, his employer, is paying them. Aya's only answer for this is that he's not going to take orders from a Takatori. Oh, Aya.

This entire conversation, by the way, was observed by a shady government-type in a suit and sunglasses.

The next terrorist attack involves more explosives, killing multiple people. Persia still doesn't want to send Weiss into an obvious trap. Manx points out, quite reasonably, that they can't just keep doing nothing, even if their opponent is military special forces. I can't help but feel that there's a middle ground between Do Nothing and Send Weiss To Handle The Terrorists. I'm pretty sure that middle ground is Collect Information And Develop A Plan. Nobody on the show agrees with me, though, and they're just going to point Weiss at the problem and say, Fix it.

Aya, meanwhile, is having flashbacks of the day his sister was run over and being told that she would almost certainly be braindead and comatose forever. I have some thoughts about quality of life here. we get a dramatic scene of Aya folding an earring into her hand, while he wears the other one of the pair. Back in their assassin basement, Omi has tracked the location of the terrorists probably, and everyone but Aya is set to go kill some dudes. Omi tells them Aya has quit the group, although he really has no solid basis for this.

Instead of going straight to the dramatic fight, we get another flashback to the night sister!Aya was hit by a car and a scene of them at a festival. It kills the pace entirely. Just kills it. Kills the pace and the mood. We learn that the two of them found their parents dead on the floor at home, suffocated by gas, and Aya notices the gas and a tiny bomb right before the house explodes. Aya, trapped in the wreckage, watches as his sister is run over after she escaped the house. We also learn that Aya's father was suspected of having participated in an embezzlement scheme, so the gas leak is possibly suicide, according to the papers. Ah, the plot is thicker than we have been led to believe.

Aya, of course, is absolutely convinced that his parents were murdered. There is a cute bit with the earrings, which sister!Aya bought at the festival, and Aya vows revenge. He gives his sister the one earring, which she has apparently been holding for years (what hospital staff member is going to leave the earring in her hand? omfgggggggggg), and puts the other one on. Did he just pierce his ear with the earring? The fuck, Aya.

We finally get back to the present, where Weiss attempts to sneak into the very obvious trap and is immediately caught by the terrorists with a giant floodlight. Good job, guys. Aya, for his part, sees Takatori's car driving down the road and leaps on top of said car. He attempts to stab Takatori through the roof of the car, with his sword, and all he is going to do is ruin the damn sword. Takatori isn't even IN the car, it's Crawford being smarmy.

So we've got 3/4 of Weiss running away from rocket launchers and Aya facing off against Crawford's gun and Farfarello's knives. Manx, in a car with Persia, thinks the fact that Aya isn't with the group is affecting their performance. Guys, I do not think that's the problem. That is really, really not the problem. Persia is also aware that his brother knows about his little side project courtesy of the spy from earlier.

With the kind of dramatic timing we expect from this show, Takatori calls Persia to gloat about almost certainly being elected Prime Minister in the election the next day (weren't there noises being made a couple episodes back about supporters he absolutely needed to win the election being murdered by Weiss? istg), but also to say that he knows who's behind the terrorist group, Weiss. He threatens Persia with Consequences as soon as he wins the election.

I feel that, with reasonable people, this would just be giving Persia warning and enabling him to prepare and develop a strategy. We have seen, however, that despite apparently successfully running a paramilitary shadow organization of spies and assassins, Persia has zero concept of strategy and he's not going to do anything useful with this information. As expected, Persia concludes that the best course of action is to go find Aya. Just. No. A prettyboy ball of rage with a pointy stick and no sense of perspective is not going to solve your problems, Persia.

Also, several episodes back, we had a whole-ass scene with A Kritiker Agent who had been set to watching Masafumi who turned up mutated and dead. This clearly indicated that YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAN WEISS. Why the fuck are you not mobilizing them? Why?

Aya, meanwhile, is getting his butt kicked by Crawford's ability to see where he's going to strike and just step out of the way. It's pretty funny, honestly, although Crawford is incredibly smug about the whole thing. Crawford tells Aya it's pretty sad that he can't see the future. Aya snarls that you're not supposed to see the future, you're supposed to make it. To be fair, that's a pretty good line.

Weiss is not doing well facing off against rocket launchers and helicopters, what with not having any ranged weapons except for Omi's darts, and Ken may or may not have a broken leg. We end the episode on Farfarello pointing a stabby weapon at Aya's face.

Honestly, for all of my bitching, this is a pretty fun episode. Nobody is acting reasonably. Nobody. The actions one would expect to be taken given the circumstances that must exist due to what's been laid out in the plot are not taken. There is a hyperfocus on the men in Weiss despite the fact that Kritiker has been stated to be a larger organization. Nobody understands that information is a valuable commodity. It's incredibly juvenile storytelling as it gets into details that were previously only implied and absolutely fails to create any sort of cohesive or believable narrative.

I have no idea why it's still somehow a lot of fun. Honestly, it's entirely possible that I just like yelling at the television that the problem they actually have is not the problem they think they have and either way Aya is 100% not the solution.

[nessie665]

Alternate love! Zuka Phantom Shinko Cast Part one

Wao Youka and Nanaho Hikaru 

Haruno Sumire and Mochizuki Rise

Ranju Tomu and Ootori Mayu (Oh MY GOD, CHILD, WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER?  Youngest-looking Erik ever, I swear) 

Nozomi Fuuto and Aya Ouka

[fallinginlovezuka]

[cruelangel94]

Cast:

Hayato Kasukabe: Masaaki Mizunaka

Shiragiku Ono: Azumi Waki

Riho Tsukishima: Aya Yamane

Ami Tsuruga: Sayumi Suzushiro

Akane Hououji: Asami Seto

Ouka Makuzawa: Ruriko Aoki

Studio: Tezuka Productions

[zukadiary]

The whole top star subject is fascinating! Would you be willing to hypothesize on who seems to be the next top star/nibante/Sanbante in each troupe? Purely for fun, we know things can change!

Ok ok ok.... I will do this if

we all remember that in Takarazuka the rules are made up and the points don’t matter... I’d never stake anything on anything

no one @’s me about my hunches!!

(Full names only because lots of newbies in my inbox this week)

🌸 Towaki Sea is for all intents and purposes Hanagumi’s nibante. I know like... she’s not getting cast in nibante roles yet, and even with Seto Kazuya’s weird nibante-but-not reign coming to an end, Minami Maito might keep pulling rank for a bit. BUT, Towaki Sea is the Visa girl, she was pulled into Hanagumi to be top star, and barring transfers I think she’s pretty much guaranteed to be the the next top star.

Below that, well, Hanagumi isn’t exactly flush with upperclassmen. Seino Asuka is the next definitely tracked person, with 3 shinko leads and a solo bow, but she’s allllll the way down still in shinkos. Between her and Towaki Sea there’s Hiryuu Tsukasa with 1 shinko lead and 1 shared bow lead hovering in a kinda will-they-or-won’t-they scenario (I’m betting they won’t which is NOT my assessment of what should happen, just what I think probably will happen). I have no idea who they will treat as sanbante once Towaki Sea is consistently getting nibante roles, and honestly I think that between Yuzuka Rei and her so many years will pass that the landscape will change before Towaki’s successor.

🌙 Tsukigumi’s line of succession hasn’t changed since the Tsukishiro/Asami swap in 2017, with the exception of Miya Rurika removing herself from it. Ostensibly, Tsukishiro Kanato > Akatsuki Chisei > Kazama Yuno. 

HOWEVER, the next top combi has not been announced yet, and despite the relatively clear lineage, I also think Tsuki is the strongest candidate for RECEIVING CHAOS, just by virtue of the fact that they’re the only troupe with a top spot coming open in the visible future. I still think Tsukishiro Kanato WILL be top of Tsuki (even if there is a chaotic interlude), and if it’s immediate, I don’t know if Houzuki An is planning to stick around and steal the nibante roles for a little while, or if she’s going to leave with the outgoing tops.

This is based on NOTHING but a hunch but.... there are also a couple of troupes that feel, uh, a little unstable. I personally think Kazama Yuno is a good transfer candidate, because she’s IMO one of the few youngsters with I-can-save-this-troupe vibes almost as strong as Towaki Sea’s.

❄️ For the purposes of this exercise, I’m commenting on Yukigumi’s already announced next generation led by Ayakaze Sakina. I suppose TECHNICALLY, the lineage is Asami Jun > Aya Ouka > Agata Sen... however, I think Agata Sen is the only one of those three who might actually become a top star.

I HOPE they let Asami Jun do it, I think she’s interesting. But tbh, I don’t think Yukigumi’s next top star is in the troupe right now. 

⭐ FuuuuUuuUuuUUuuuck if I know. Seo Yuria was the latest bloomer out of the 95ths who became anyone, and literally just as the company decided “hey maybe Seo is a thing!” they also boinked Aizuki Hikaru right in front of her. So now we have something that looks like Aizuki Hikaru > Seo Yuria > Ayaki??? Hikari????? > Amahana Ema > Kiwami Shin 

Except...

The last and only time a nibante who outranked the top star (in terms of graduating class) was actually present in the troupe with the younger top AND actually became top afterwards was Kuze Seika taking over from exception-to-every-rule Amami Yuuki in 1997, so I don’t know if that’s a great endorsement for Aizuki Hikaru’s prospects statistically.

Why move Aizuki Hikaru in front of Seo Yuria if they really wanted to keep Seo on the path to stardom?? That said, I still think that of all the CURRENT in-troupe possibilities, I feel like her taking over next is the least far fetched.

(I don’t actually think Ayaki Hikari is a contender here)

They just like, FEEL WISHY WASHY about Amahana Ema to me. I can’t explain it with concrete evidence, they just do.

I think Kiwami Shin will be a top star. I have no idea when or where.

My actual prediction is they plan to milk Rei Makoto for like six years, and by the time she’s ready to retire the troupe will look nothing like it does today. In the meantime, we should all start stocking up on smelling salts for Amato Kanon 2029.

🌌 Serika Toa > Sakuragi Minato... however, especially now with COVID, either Serika Toa’s clock is hella ticking, or giving her a proper top run would force Sakuragi Minato’s clock to start ticking. I personally hope they just chill out, practice patience, and let them succeed one another, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some chaos surrounding one of them. 

After them, I think Kazuki Sora will get the roles, but we’ll be talking Rukaze Hikaru/Takato Chiaki/some transfer when it comes to the actual future top. 

Maybe I’ll reblog this in 3 years and see how much I embarrassed myself :)

[hoshigomi]

TAKARAZUKA STREAM PARTY ~ SCARLET PIMPERNEL 2017 (shinko!)

Hi all! Tomorrow at 1pm PST I will be streaming the shinjinkouen performance of Hoshigumi’s Scarlet Pimpernel (2017!) This shinko features Amahana Ema and Arisa Hitomi as Percy and Marguerite, the (criminally underappreciated and MIND BLOWINGLY talented) Haruto Yuuho as  Chauvelin, and Aya Ouka as Robespierre. This is a lovely shinko that I personally can’t get enough of watching, so I hope you’ll join us tomorrow! As always, all are invited, hop in or out and come for some or all, hit me with any questions you might have, and just shoot me a message ahead of time if you’d like me to DM you the link. I’ll send it out about half an hour before the stream begins! See y’all there!

The stream has ended! Thanks to all who came, and see you next time!!

[heavenlyakin]

Introducing Ouka (left with Atsumu) and Aya (right with me)! I’ve wanted to get a comm with my little selfship family for so long and it’s finally here! What’s not pictured is them begging for a baby brother right before this was taken 😅

huge shoutout to @bloompompom for making my little family come to life!! I can’t get over how their hair ties match their little socks!

[flibbityflob]

When the Last Sword is Drawn/Music Revolution!! (Yukigumi, 2019)

After 6 viewings and the shinko, I'd say I've seen this show a lot. I had high hopes going in, and for the most part, this show met them. The movie is stunning, and the story at its core is heartbreaking. The revue didn’t immediately stun me, but after watching it as many times as I have, it’s really grown on me. Beware for Many Many spoilers within. Also this thing is LONG, it’s a fairly detailed summary and i have a LOT of opinions about this show, this troupe, and the revue.

In brief. Or as brief as I can be with this confusing show. In a framing device, we see a ball at the Rokuemeikan in 1885, attended by a group of high ranking people; Matsumoto Ryoujun (Nagina Ruumi), his wife Toki (Chikaze Karen), and Nabeshima Nagako (Himehana Yukino). It's interrupted by a group of thugs who are swiftly defeated by Police Inspector Saitou Hajime (Asami Jun) and his deputy, Ikenami Rokusaburou (Agata Sen). The doctor and nurse of the Rokuemeikan, Oono Chiaki (Aya Ouka) and his wife, Mitsu (Asazuki Kiwa), come by, and it turns out there is some kind of history between Saitou and Mitsu's long dead father.

(For eases sake, I'll skip commenting on the rest of the transitions, just know they're there at fairly regular intervals. I'll get to my opinions on those soon).

We flash back around 40 years. Yoshimura Kanichirou (Nozomi Fuuto) proposes marriage to Shizu (Maaya Kiho), who, after some teasing, accepts him. They're poor, but happy with each other. She meets Yoshimura's best friend, Oono Jiroemon (Ayakaze Sakina), the lord of their domain, who at one point also wished to marry her. After a short scene with Oono's mother, we skip forward 20 years or so. Yoshimura's mother has just passed, and his son, Kaichirou (Ayami Sera), comes to tell him the news that Shizu has attempted to drown herself. After rushing home, he finds Shizu safe and alive. It comes out she tried to kill herself because she's pregnant again, a third child that they won't be able to feed, they're struggling as it is with the harvests as poor as they are. He'll have to find another way to provide for them, and he resolves to abandon his position as a samurai and join the Shinsengumi in Kyoto.

In Kyoto, we meet the Shinsengumi. The introduce themselves with their theme song (something I have not been able to stop singing). The three most important members are Saitou Hajime, only now with long hair, Hijikata Toshizou (Ayanagi Shou), and Okita Souji (Towaki Sea). They lead the rest of the group in a number excelling how good they are. After some conversation, the group has a photo taken of themselves, one ruined by Tani Sanjuurou (Souno Haruto), a man trying to push his brother to succeed Kondou Isami. He is not popular.

Yoshimura leaves his home, gifted a travel pass to allow him safe passage through the country by Oono. Yoshimura and Shizu sing a duet as they part in the snow, Yoshimura leaving his children and wife behind to ensure they survive another year. Yoshimura swears to return home no matter what and after a really fun song sung by Ai Sumire, he's officially part of the Shinsengumi.

This is one of my favourite scenes in the whole show, it's this chaotic mess of a scene where everyone is doing something fun. Tani is entertaining the crowd, whilst his brother Shuuhei (Manomiya Rui) looks on ashamed. Agachin and Nagakura Shinpachi (Machi Yuuka) are bickering in the background. Yoshimura is running around keeping the sake flowing, and soon sits next to Saitou, who he enthuses about his homeland of Morioka to. Saitou fucking hates him almost instantly. The next scene, Saitou tries to kill him for being a sappy, uneducated, family man from the country, before Yoshimura handily bests him.

The Shinsengumi too, do not approve of Yoshimura. He constantly asks after money, not caring much for propriety, and he doesn’t care much for the senseless violence that most of the Shinsengumi are rather famous for. Back home, we see how Yoshimura’s family is. Shizu, Kaichirou, Mitsu, and the baby have been left in the care of Otora (Satsuki Aina) and Okane (Anno Konnomi), who steal the money Yoshimura sends back. In essence, they’re unhappy, still poor, and often ill. Shizu has to sell a hairpin Yoshimura gave to her in order to pay for the medicine her youngest child needs. All in all, nobody is particularly happy.

Back in Kyoto, Ogawa Shintarou (Kujou Asu), has been accused of theft. Hijikata tries to make Souji, Harada Sanousuke (Tachibana Kou), and Nagakura all take on the role of his second (the person in a seppuku who beheads the one killing himself), but all resist his commands. Saitou argues the one who should act as second should be his division comander, Tani, and Hijikata agrees, but Yoshimura will also aid, given Tani’s reputation. During the seppuku, Ogawa fails to properly cut his stomach open and Tani fails to behead him. After a small scuffle, Yoshimura beheads him (in a truly fantastic bit of design, wherein Asu and Daimon head behind a screen, and by using lighting design, sihlouettes, and sound effects, it genuinely does look like a beheading). Many of the Shinsengumi call for Tani’s death, but as personal disputes are banned in the Shinsengumi, Kondou puts a stop to this. Saitou is not happy. Yoshimura begs Hijikata for more money, and after he leaves, Saitou comes onstage to tell Okita, Harada, and Nagakura his plan to eliminate the man they all hate. Some members of the Shinsengumi have defected, and during a fight they know will be happening soon, they can take advantage of the confusion to execute him and pass his death off as casualty in battle.

After a brief interlude in Morioka, where we hear that Oono is moving to Osaka with his family, and that by and by, Yoshimura’s family are doing well, we come to the Aburakouji incident. Kondou and the Shinsengumi ambush Itou Kashitarou (Kiraha Reo) and Toudou Heisuke (Suwa Saki), who are attempting to asssasinate Kondou. After a scuffle, Yoshimura excecutes both Itou and Toudou, and soon after Saitou assasinates Tani. This leads to my favourite encounter in the whole play, wherin Nagakura and Harada “discover” Tani’s body. They comically overact the whole thing, and Okita and Saitou make some snide comments about how bad of a pair of actors they are.

Following this, we’re introduced to Miyo (also Maaya Kiho), the daughter of the family hosting the Shinsengumi in Kyoto, who’s been in love with Yoshimura for years and wishes to marry him. She wants to convince Kondou and Hijikata to let Yoshimura leave the Shinsengumi and lead a peaceful life.

Saitou comes across Yoshimura investigating the body of Tani, and Yoshimura quite deftly points out that there’s no way Tani could have died in the brawl, and that the only person who could have assasinated him was Saitou (Saitou wields a sword with his left hand, and the wound was inflicted by a left hander). Yoshimura blackmails Saitou into paying him off, and walks away twenty ryou richer. Shuuhei comes on, desperately screaming at the murder four (Saitou, Okita, Nagakura, and Harada) to bring his brother back. Hijikata pays Saitou back the twenty ryou he paid to Yoshimura.

After another of the framing device sections, we come to the marriage interview between Yoshimura and Miyo, Yoshimura clearly completley distressed by the whole affair but too terrified of losing his position to say anything. Hijikata and Kondou speak of their plans to let Yoshimura divorce Shizu, and to leave the Shinsengumi. Yoshimura cannot find the words to reject them, but Ikenami steps in and tells them all how they don’t understand the pains of the common people. Yoshimura slaps him, hugs him, and then leaves, followed by Miyo, who he waxes lyrical to about his wife. This leads into a beautiful tanbata scene, where Yoshimura allows himself for just a second to indulge in hugging Miyo, before the guilt gets the better of him and he runs off.

The people of Kyoto and Oono’s forces in Osaka sing of the troubling times as the Shinsengumi begin their march to Osaka, ending as the curtain rises on the thoroughly beaten and bruised Shinsengumi. After some time, Hijikata orders a retreat which Yoshimura rejects, leading a suicide attack on the government’s forces, during which he is shot and stabbed. He makes his way to his clan’s storehouse, to get permission to return to Morioka to be with his family, and meets Oono there. Oono, bound by his duty, orders him instead to commit seppuku, which he does, after a truly heartwrenching sequence in which Yoshimura counts the money he was going to spend on things for his family. His sword and hair are brought back to his family, and his son resolves to fight alongside Oono in the upcoming conflict. Both die in battle, with Oono dying heartbreakingly so onstage.

We return to the framing device, where the Meiji players contemplate what kind of man Yoshimura was. Ryoujun leads a reprise of Yoshimura and Shizu’s duet, which they take over, as the whole troupe joins in and cherry blossoms finally bloom.

I loved this show a whole lot. A whole whole WHOLE lot. My tastes lie deep in “tragic nihonmono that don’t involve a lot of politics,” “Nozomi Fuuto as a dad,” and “Agata Sen having just The Best Time.” I got all three in SPADES. This show is a character driven one, in my eyes, with the core conflict being internal. Yoshimura does arguably terrible things to keep himself afloat, and to keep providing for his family, and all the while daimon ACHES with this need to return home. Whenever given the chance, he waxes lyrical about how much he loves his homeland, his family, and especially his wife. When dying, the last words he speaks are his wife’s name. Yoshimura loves his family more than anything else in the world and it comes through with literally everything Daimon does. The tragedy is clear from the start, and once the last 15 minuites or so start you know there’s only one ending. But there’s even more beautiful tragedy that I can’t bring myself to spoil that just makes everything worse, more painful.

My biggest issue with the show is the framing device. Whilst I don’t mind it too much, I know others hate it a LOT more than I do, and I get why. Every so often, the Rokumeikan crew will walk along the ginkyo or across the stage and exposit about where certain people were at certain points, and it did have the effect of completely breaking the flow of action and tension. Hime and Agachin stand out as the MVPs of those scenes, but Agachin was only in a few of them and Hime can only do so much alone. I didn’t hate them, but I do get why one might.

Nozomi Fuuto as Yoshimura Kanichirou was fucking fantastic, genuinely one of the best performances i’ve ever seen her bring. She has the unenviable task of delivering a really nuanced, sad character whilst also speaking perfectly in a very strong accent, and does it without breaking a sweat. I don’t have enough good things to say about her accent, by the way. I feel like it could be a touch controversial, and it does make her impossible to understand (my Japanese friends agreed, it’s a HARD one), but it adds so much to her character. Daimon’s face was designed to look good when sad, and this show is no exception, she has a kind of mastery over these faces that just ache lonliness like nobody else in the world does. Her voice as she’s dying is so broken, these little gasps of pain are just sublime and her voice as she’s counting out the coins she’s earned over her six years is so beautifully sad. Her performance is exceptional in how subtle it is. She doesn’t bring anything big or ballistic to the table, she just tries to create a picture of this man desperate to do what’s right for his loved ones and to his own code of honour to the table. His last moments are so desperaetly sad because you know full well he regrets everything he’s done to get there, and in the same breath knows it’s his supposed duty as a samurai to have done what he did. Yoshimura is a hard role and Daimon made him look easy, and carried off the accent too. I can’t imagine anyone else in this role.

Maaya Kiho played two roles in this, and I fucking loved them both. I will say, I wish her role as Shizu had been given a little more weight, but I loved Miyo enough that I can’t stay too angry. She plays Shizu at two points in her life, first young and giddy in love, and then older, married, a mother, and far far more tired. As that younger Shizu she plays her with such life, her Shizu is teasingly affectionate to Yoshimura, but clearly in love with him. On my last performance I noticed that during her first scene, before Yoshimura proposes to her, she’s fixing up her hair and kimono, making herself look as pretty as she can. It’s adorable. As the older Shizu she carries this utter grace with her, world weary and hard done by. Her and Daimon have amazing chemistry together, they play this old married couple so well, both softly amused by their children even when it’s their last moments together. Her maturity is so quiet, so calm, and it’s another half of these two incredibly subtle performances the top combi give. As Miyo she’s a bratty selfish teenager, and it’s her earlier maturity as Shizu that makes Miyo even more entertaining. She’s selfish in that way only spoiled kids are, saying she’s completely in love with Yoshimura when she’s barely shared a conversation with him, and acting as if he’d be perfectly willing to abandon his whole family to marry her. It’s not the biggest role but she imbues it with such grace and charm I can’t help but adore it.

Ayakaze Sakina was unfortunately typecast again as the best friend, and it’s absolutely detremential to her. Oono, in my eyes, is just straight up not an interesting character. His major role is acting as the exposition dumper, and his few scenes of humanising moments don’t work for me like they should because I don’t buy him as a character properly. I want Saki to get a good, interesting role that forces her out of her shell as just the best friend and I’m annoyed she didn’t get it here.

Asami Jun was the nibante, to be frank. Her Saitou was gruff and angry and simmering with barely restrained loathing for Yoshimura, and I fucking loved it. It didn’t blow me away like I think that role could have but Aasa I think tried her damn hardest, biting onto what she got given and trying with all her might. The relationship between Yoshimura and Saitou didn’t land quite as it could have, and I can’t blame all of that on the writing (only a decent chunk of it). Aasa’s Saitou hated Yoshimura too much, which I think made her sudden face turn at the end of the play towards sympathy to Yoshimura feel a little flat, but I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really looking at her during that scene at all (and we’ll get to why soon).

Shou is still our sanbante but it’s entirely in name only at this point. Hijikata is a tiny role, she gets to sit and scowel, and grumble “Mendoksei, mendoksei” at the murder four, and it’s just. Not interesting. And I so wish it was, because I love Shou. She’s quietly endeared, to my eyes, by their nonsense, which I think was perhaps more of Shou than the role, but it was rather fun all the same.

Towaki Sea got a role on the smaller end too, but definitely one bigger than Shou. Okita Souji is a fun role, a violent shitty dude, but also a really fun genki one. Her and Aasa have a really fun dynamic together, really fed up with the bullshit of everyone around them, especially from Yoshimura and Tani, who they hate for very different reasons. Her adlibs with Aasa, Macchi, and Tachi were really fun, and she really played the heart of that group, if a very violent angry one. I don’t know what I CAN say about her Souji, though, because he wasn’t the biggest role in the world. What I can say is that Hitoko is putting her heart and soul into everything, even moreso than I think she was in mura, what with the looming transfer and all.

Aya Ouka was… I don’t think she’s tracked any more. On paper she has a role the same size as Agachin’s but whilst Agachin was taking what she was given and running with it, Ayana was projecting at a brick wall. Ayana played Chiaki, Oono’s son, who I think could have acted as another half of the emotional core of the story, but it would have required a damn sight more than what Ayana was giving. I don’t want to be too harsh on her, but she just wasn’t bringing anything at all to the show. The script wasn’t amazing towards her but I think she well could have made something of it. I know this, because…

Agata Sen fucking DID. I have fallen completely and utterly head over heels with Agata Sen and anyone who knows me knows that fact but I am writing this with as little bias as I can be (but I WAS watching her with opera glasses for literally every show so like. Only so much). Ikenami Rokusaburou also wasn’t a huge role on paper, and could well have been boring and forgettable but Agachin did SO MUCH for it. Ikenami is one of the only survivors of the Shinsengumi, and ends up a police inspector with Saitou. She’s present in the Shinsengumi scenes and ends up forming a very sweet bond with Yoshimura in the process, going from actively antagonising him (with the aim of sucking up to Kondou) to defending him in a really lovely scene, calling out the bullshit of Kondou and Hijikata, and how they just don’t get the struggles of common people. Her line delivery of her speech to Kondou and Hijikata told a story without saying any of it, and it’s absolutely fantastic. And she’s the fucking BEST in the background, I know full well the blu-ray won’t capture any of it but every single day she and Macchi were pulling out new types of bullshit and I think Macchi is going to kill her sometime soon. I love her so very much and she’s going to be Something very very soon. Just you wait.

Kacha was. There. Completely irrelevant and doing nothing for the plot, just awkwardly hanging around during the Rokumeikan scenes. I don’t think anyone enjoyed this role, she didn’t actually DO anything, and I took particular insult to her starting off the finale because there was no emotional reason for her to do so! I didn’t like this role and I can’t imagine her die hard fans did either.

Other people of note

Mana Harutou was a really fun Kondou, playing him as a rather useless leader, stuck in indecision and almost inept at points. It was a nice role, and I hope she keeps getting roles like this, not enormous, but still big. She’s one of my favourites.

Kiraha Reo is still playing two roles in a show (though only one of them matters) and I can’t help but laugh. Itou isn’t the biggest role either, but she gives him a decent amount of depth, clearly holding some resentment towards the Shinsengumi from the start, and dripping with loathing as they take him and his rebellion out.

Kujou Asu gets the worst role of the lot, a nothing samurai who has to commit seppuku and fails terribly at it, but she has a lot of fun running around with her hair loose, covered in blood.

Souno Haruto, our new Kumichou, also having the time of her life as the comedic side relief Tani Sanjuurou. Every day during one scene she’d force Manaharu into a love suicide and every day it had me quietly losing my SHIT. She’s the best.

I’ve wanted better things for Ai Sumire for the longest time and so hearing her get a solo in this? Thank the LORD. she’s a great singer and it’s great we’re using her more.

I just really like Manomiya Rui, y’all? She has the friendliest otome picture and her energy is so nice. She was fun as Shuuhei.

Tachibana Kou and Macchi Yuuka were my absolute favourite part of this show by a country MILE. Comedic side relief and vicious killers all at once. I can’t wait to see how absolutely awful their fake acting gets by raku.

Music Revolution grew on me. It’s a Nakamura revue and it is, to its core, a Nakamura revue, but in my eyes it’s one of his best. Not just because of copious amounts of Agachin but good GRIEF she is a spectacular dancer and this revue shows that off.

The theme song is a complete banger, black and dark grey outfits and some really genuinely tight choreography from Yukigumi. Daimon’s voice could fill the whole theatre without a microphone and so could Kiichan’s and they absolutely owned the show. Daimon seems absurdly full of energy, and it’s REALLY nice to see her leading the troupe having so much fun at the same time. Everyone on the track gets a little moment, even down to Agachin and Ayana, and I can’t help but feel an enormous amount of pride for the whole troupe. I love them, they feel like home so very much.

The revolution scene fucking OWNS. Daimon leads a group of argentinian revolutionaries against the forces of the British army and comes out on top. Everyone’s singing at 200%, especially Maaya motherfucking Kiho, and dancing in really tight formation. They look and sound amazing. Aasa and Hitoko lead the British forces and they also look DAMN good in those red uniforms, and dance REAL good too. I would say it’s my favourite number of the revue but practically every number is, so.

Then comes your standard Nakamura B jazz number, led by Saki with Agachin and Ayana behind her. It’s a really fun couple minutes, just the whole troupe leaping around and dancing, culminating in a fake music duel between Agachin on the trumpet and Ayana on the saxaphone, and it’s super fun! Agachin does this flying leap every day and it’s fucking fantastic, I love watching her dance. Aki and Hime get a duet (a reoccuring feature, and not one I’m mad about, they’re really fun together), and it’s just a really good time.

The chuuzume I couldnt love more. It goes on forever and yet every single kangeki I was sitting in my seat BEAMING when Aasa starts singing and neon lights blast, it was so fun. It goes from one extreme to another with lightining speed, and yukigumi moves in absolute harmony, and it’s just. Great. Every day Daimon, Kiichan, Kacha, Saki, Aasa, and Hitoko find new nonsense to do on the ginkyou as the rest of the troupe goes into the aisles and it’s just such a warm feelgood time I can’t help but be happy watching it.

Hitoko gets a really fun little number, to fucking Pachabel’s Canon, which I went in expecting to hate (as a musician i’ve heard that damn song too many times) but ended up loving (I’m a sucker for electric guitars). Following the transfer announcement the amount of applause Hitoko got for this scene skyrocketed and that’s something I can’t help but love. She’s an excellent dancer (not that i’d know it. Agachin was in that scene. I was looking at her literally every single time).

Inexplicably Nakamura decided to add in a taidan number for Daimon and Kiichan, though I suppose the real taidan is for Hitoko’s heart (poor dear is already starting to crack and will absolutely be a wreck by raku). It’s fun and catchy and it’s nice to see the remaining 89ths have fun together, and for Daimon and Kiichan to just be completely nerdy.

We finally, after two years, have a Daimongumi kuroenbi and it’s absolutely fantastic. Everyone looks stellar in tailcoats, we dance with precicion and order and Daimon sings like nobody’s business. They look good, they sound good, and it’s just. The best.

I adore the duet dance. Daimon and Kiichan gently dance whilst Ai Sumire sings and it’s just overall really really nice. It’s almost ethereal, purple outfits and a shit ton of smoke and Daimon and Kiichan clearly just. Adore each other. Their freindship is clearly so strong and sweet and they really suit each other.

I loved this whole show. Whilst I think I prefer Hikarifuru as a show, this takes the cake for my favourite pairing of shows. They’re both super strong and I can’t help but love the shit out of them. Daimon and Kiichan’s chemistry feels so easy and comfortable, two people who just Get Each Other, and it’s so nice to see them play off each other. I wish Kiichan had more to do, but like. She deserves everything. Fingers crossed our next revue does right by her (please give us an Uekumi revue i’m BEGGING you).

[nalanzu]

Weiss Kreuz Episode 12: Abschied

We ended the last episode on Omi finding and assassinating his biological brother, after said brother unrepentantly insisted that hunting humans for sport was justified if it achieved a desirable end, namely the election of their father to public office. There's been a lot of heavy drama in the last several episodes, and we're about due for a breather. We're not going to get it.

We open on Weiss in the flowershop, as Ouka is beginning to worry about Omi and all the weird shit that happens around him. Given that they were just kidnapped and shot at before the shenanigans at the party happened, one cannot blame her. The peanut gallery, AKA Yohji and Ken, think this is a security breach and also not fun to watch. Aya is uncharacteristically lenient and tells his teammates to leave them alone.

Not only is Ouka hanging around the flowershop, she's also joining Omi on deliveries. They're very cute, talking about Takatori as if he's a decent human being. Ouka invites Omi to dinner, and tells him that her father is very excited to meet him. She keeps squeezing Omi's broken ribs, which I should not be amused by, but here we are. She has a date at the movies planned. She is once again not taking a no for an answer.

Omi mutters to himself out loud that she's very pushy, as he walks back to the bike, and Schuldig gives him some shit for it. Schuldig also ostentatiously reads Omi's mind, and tells him he's a hypocrite because he's killed his brothers. Schuldig really gets under Omi's skin, by calling him a bloodthirsty murderer who isn't fit to touch Ouka and then laughing at him. Omi reacts like an adolescent, namely by threatening Schuldig with a dart. Schuldig finds this hilarious.

The rest of Weiss finds it a bit weird that Omi came home and locked himself in his room. There are comments about Young Men In Love and the conversation does not go to the dirty place it should when they're making those comments. Omi, however, is having nightmares about killing his biological relatives. Not sure why this is worse than killing anyone else, as he didn't grow up with them, but it's bothering Omi a lot.

Oh my god Ouka has an adorable poodle. She gets accosted by Schuldig while walking said dog, and recognizes him as the one who kidnapped Omi. Schuldig introduces himself as a bodyguard, and Ouka calls bullshit. Schuldig tells her Omi's original name and that Omi is actually her brother. Ouka reasonably tells him he's a liar, but Schuldig demonstrates his telepathy and tells her to ask her parents for the truth. He just likes throwing wrenches in things, doesn't he.

Ouka asks her mother about her father's hypothetical third son, and her mother responds just as Schuldig said she would by denying all knowledge of such a person. Ouka says she'll ask Takatori, and her mother caves. She pulls out an undamaged version of the picture Omi found in the burning house, in which she's holding a baby Omi, and confirms that Omi is Mamoru is Ouka's brother, and then says she was so surprised when Ouka showed up with him. Was she not going to tell her daughter that she was related to her new boyfriend? What the actual fuck.

Ouka runs off to talk to Omi, who isn't in the front of the shop, and then tells Yohji that she doesn't want to talk to him after all. Yohji decides he needs to meddle, and sends Omi chasing after Ouka. They're trying very hard to set up a tragic love affair, what with Omi falling hard for Ouka and his guilt about the fact that he has signed up to be a murderer, but the fact that they're using the secret siblings trope to do it means it isn't landing for me.

I'm also not convinced I should find it funny that Omi's worst fear is that Ouka finds out he's a member of Weiss, a group of prettyboy assassins who have been killing people for years, but that the actual truth of the matter is that they are allegedly half-siblings. There are a lot of things I keep finding funny that I think are supposed to be poignant or dramatic or tragic, though it's not limited to this show. I'm fairly sure the writers are aiming for a sense of noble tragedy here. I'm also fairly sure they've missed.

In any case, Omi has gone to talk to Persia about his love life. He wants to know why Persia hid his past and why he was sent to kill his brothers. Persia tells him that Takatori has been using the position he already has to enact control over Japan with the help of a secret organization, Estset. There are apparently MANY secret organizations in his version of Japan. (Were the 90s the decade of conspiracy theories? Or was it just Weiss Kreuz and X-Files?) Persia opines that Takatori forced his sons to help him, and tells Omi that even though it's difficult, sometimes you just have to kill people you're related to for the greater good.

Omi pulls the absolute most teenage line anyone has ever pulled and shouts that Persia doesn't understand how he feels. This is also a glorious set-up for the next dramatic reveal, in which Persia's identity is finally shared with Omi and the audience. "I do understand how you feel, because I'm Takatori Reiji's younger brother."

I mean, that is definitely a great Gotcha line.

Omi rallies pretty quickly and demands to know why Persia isn't out there doing the murdering himself, then. Oh, Omi. This is how the world works. Powerful and rich men get other people to do their shit for them. Omi isn't having it, either, as Persia explains that he doesn't have the strength to to what Omi does, and Omi spits back that Persia just doesn't want the blood on his hands. He also wants to know why Takatori didn't pay the ransom for him when he was kidnapped, which, hey, that's a reasonable question that's been bothering him for several episodes now. Persia is a lying liar and says he doesn't know.

Back to Takatori's assassins, Nagi is psychically typing and researching on the internet. Schuldig, oddly, is apparently able to share his gift. He also says minds taste like honey, which is weird AF. We're not sure what they're up to at this point, but it's probably not great.

Back to Omi and the date, into the theater he goes looking for Ouka. She stares at him from behind, as Schuldig pops up behind her. Back at the flowershop, someone has sent the rest of Weiss a message that Omi is a spy and to meet them at a specific place to learn more. They wonder who could have hacked their systems, demonstrating that they have no fucking clue how email works. To be fair, they're all GenX, so it does track. (Omi, the baby Millennial, is the one who knows tech. Which also tracks.) Ken, just stop talking.

Aya decides they don't have enough time to clear the meeting with Manx. Yohji jokes that if Omi was a spy, he's doing a great job, but they're trying to reach Omi to tell him about the shenanigans before said meeting. Back at the theater, Schuldig tells Ouka about Omi's murdery other job. He exaggerates just slightly, telling her that Omi was there to kill her father. She is skeptical, as she should be. Schuldig says he'll prove it.

Because they play right into his hands, the rest of Weiss is on their way. Schuldig says Weiss is trying to assassinate Ouka. She is, of course, tied up in his back seat. He sends Omi to the meeting place that was given to Weiss.

It's foggy and dark when they all arrive. Ouka, tied to a tree, screams for help. Weiss goes to help her. Omi immediately assumes they're there to kill her. I really feel this speaks as to a fundamental lack of trust between these people; Omi was ready at the drop of a hat to threaten his teammates when he found out his biological brother was their target, and he is absolutely willing to believe right now that his teammates and friends are going to murder his girlfriend because she found out their secret. Schuldig is fanning these flames, to be fair, and there's always the possibility that he's affecting Omi's judgment.

Aya hears Schuldig, though, and goes after him. Farfarello launches himself at Ken, and Yohji drags Omi into the dubious shelter of a tinfoil umbrella when Schuldig starts shooting at him. How the gun does not end the fight immediately I have no idea, but Weiss distracts Farfarello and Schuldig while Omi goes for Ouka and gets her away from the tree. She's upset, and tells him that they're siblings. Poor Omi. Her father is Takatori Reiji, he realizes.

While Omi and Ouka fall apart, Schuldig and Farfarello keep fighting Weiss. Omi decides that he and Ouka can still love each other and ease each other's loneliness, just as siblings. And not lovers. I don't think that's how feelings work, generally, but hey. It's pretty cute. He then says they'll be together forever, sealing her death warrant as Schuldig shoots her in the back literally the second he finishes speaking. She dies dramatically in his arms after he desperately kisses her. What was that about siblings, Omi? What was it?

The requisite rain required to punctuate such a Tragic Moment begins to fall. Weiss looks hot and brooding in their assassin outfits. Omi screams, clutching the body of his sister/lover. End episode.

I know there are definitely worse things I've seen and enjoyed. This one really revels in its melodrama; there are highs and lows - mostly lows - as it tries to pulverize the hearts of its viewers into dust with how Painful And Tragic the events are for the four very pretty male protagonists. Sometimes this lands better than other times, but now that we've gotten halfway through the show, it's beginning to feel a touch repetitive.

One might make an argument for Ouka being an entry for the Women In Refrigerators column, and it's hard to dispute that she dies specifically and only to cause Omi grief and pain. With pitch-perfect comedic - I mean tragic - timing, even. The point at which she differs slightly is that we do see a little more of her as a character. She is, to be fair, entirely focused on Omi. We don't get a lot of her internal emotional journey or her motivations, although there's a glimpse of that when we hear about her growing up without a stable paternal presence in her life, but the emotional development we've seen for her is roughly on par with what we get from the show's protagonists. She does have a clearly defined personality. She's not quite a woman-shaped cutout who does nothing more than die for male angst.

On her own, Ouka is a perfectly reasonable entry in the Weiss canon of characters. Taken alongside Schreient, Asuka, Maki, and sister!Aya (Yuriko escaped to a presumably happy life in Australia, so she doesn't make this list), the women of Weiss paint a rather bleak picture of female representation. There are very few positive outcomes for women, in this show, though most of the early one-off characters involved in the case of the week ended up with dead boyfriends rather than stuffed into the fridge themselves.

As far as Omi goes, it's A Lot. The reveal that he's related to Persia who is related to Aya's nemesis is A Lot, and it's not necessarily handled badly (aside from the well-timed rain, and the well-timed gunshot, and the absolutely cringe-inducing foreshadowing) but it's not really handled well, either. All the subtlety of a ton of bricks, this show, as I am once again struck by how thoughtful many fanworks were in comparison. (I said many. Not all. Not even most. I know what this fandom was like.)

As far as vanity projects go, though, hey. I'm still having a lot of fun revisiting it.

[chevalierene]

The PRxPRince Experience

It’s been nearly five months so it’s high time I finally wrote up my review ^^; In April of this year I had the pleasure to see Machida Nanoka’s directorial debut show, PRxPRince. This show was also the first solo lead for Snow Troupe’s Towaki Sea (Hitoko). As this was the first bow hall show I have seen the theatre is much smaller than the Grand Theatres with no balcony and holds a little over 500 people. 

The intimacy of the show is doubled with the cast of 30 people who all get to shine during the show. There are enough additional scenes for everyone in the cast to play important roles and it also showcases a lot of the younger actresses as well. 

All bias aside, PRxPRince is a fantastic show and is possibly my favorite Takarazuka show that I have seen yet. With the combined powers of Machida sensei’s writing and Hitoko’s sensual charm onstage they somehow created a show that is both very fun and extremely lethal. Before the show premiered just from the interviews it was evident that Machida sensei knew exactly what she was doing. She had been a fan of Takarazuka for a number of years and it shows in the final result. 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

The show opens with the three ministers of Pecchieno, the Genovia-like country in which the story takes place, who are trying to figure out a way to get the country out of financial difficulties. Caspar (Kanou Yuuri) and Elias (Ichika Ao) have very different views on how to go about this dilemma with Caspar being very old-fashioned and Elias being a Millennial and very social media savvy. Damian (Yume Maoto) is kind of the moderator between them and the one who ends up suggesting the ultimate way to solve the country’s issues (which will be revealed later on). 

The next scene is a PR campaign video that introduces Victor (Hitoko), the oldest prince of Pecchieno as well as his two younger brothers, Valentin (Aya Ouka) and Valtteri (Ayami Sera). The opening song “Welcome to Pecchieno” is one of the catchiest songs in the show and gets reprised later on, inevitably becoming an earworm for anyone who hears it. What should be noted about the opening is that Victor’s glasses are removed before the start of the PR campaign video so Hitoko’s blue contact lenses and smooth blonde hair are on full display. And it is truly devastating! (Sidenote: I had no idea that the intro song actually introduces the rest of the cast who come onstage briefly until my last time seeing the show because I had my opera glasses focused on Hitoko for the other 6).

The next time we see Victor he is dressed in a parka, tennis shoes, a lab coat, and has large round glasses and messy hair. Victor is the leader of a group of scientists whose goal it is to find a solution to the polluting problems from the neighboring country (though this plotline might have changed since the director’s talk cause there was probably something I missed but I tried my best to follow along with the laboratory scenes). Elle (Jun Hana) is one of the scientists who really likes Victor and Victor really likes her. They are very adorable and awkward together. They are also both incredibly intelligent. Elle is seen as very smart but also fierce and is not one you want to mess with (she does Karate poses).

During another PR campaign tactic the princes are literally being mobbed by fangirls (listed as Fangirl 1-6 in the program) in order to promote tourism. At one point during a struggle Victor’s glasses fall off and he falls to the ground. He then emits a very unsumire moan. Suddenly, the lights change to a vivid bright green and music starts. Victor lifts up his head but his entire demeanor has changed. It is revealed during this song that this is in fact Christopher and he is searching for his goddess. The awkward prince Victor is replaced by Christopher, a very handsome, cocky, and aggressive version who makes every girl around him fall to the ground in delight. This reveal was so secret during the press for PRxPRince before I saw the show that I knew that Hitoko would be both extremely kawaii and extremely ikemen but I didn’t realize that Victor would change into a completely different person!

Through a flashback scene told by Alice (Sahana Mako), the family’s nurse, it is revealed that because Victor was just TOO BEAUTIFUL and maids had to flee the room because they just couldn’t handle it, a hypnotist is brought in to put a spell on Victor that allows his ikemen side to stay hidden when he has the glasses on. However, the side effect is that when the glasses get removed his ikemen side is so extra and over the top that he is literally a completely different person. In the show there are two songs that feature Victor and his Shadow which is the other side of him. The Shadow (Houka Haruna) is distant for the first song and represents Christopher behind him in the background. The second song is started by Christopher and the Shadow comes out wearing glasses. In the middle of the song the Shadow puts the glasses on Christopher. When he turns around he is once again Victor. The glasses are then removed completely and they have a duet dance together. The transitions from one to the other are incredible and it shows off Hitoko’s acting skills in the best possible way. It isn’t just the glasses that make the change. As Victor, Hitoko speaks and sings in a higher register that is closer to her natural speaking voice, she stutters more, her posture is often bent forward, has more outbursts and exclamations and is also portrayed as very sensitive. As Christopher, Hitoko is in full dangerous otokoyaku-killing mode; her speaking and singing voice is deeper, her posture is straight, she is more confident, aggressive, and controlling. Christopher also speaks in a very old-fashioned way and gives off an air as otherworldly in many ways. Another neat thing is that Victor addresses himself as “Boku” and addresses Elle as “Elle-san”. Christopher uses “Ore” when referring to himself and just says “Elle”. 

Elle faces a crisis at one point when Christopher tries to make a move and she slaps him. She immediately panics when she thinks that she has hurt Victor though and tries to figure out what happened to her sweet awkward boyfriend. Her and Victor sing a duet towards the audience in separate rooms. The song is later reprised after Victor admits that he likes Elle and they sing it to each other in a very tender moment. Jun Hana has a very Disney princess vibe to her which is exemplified whenever she’s around Hitoko who has an equally Disney prince vibe. They are characters who could literally be in a shoujo manga. While Jun Hana does not have the strongest singing voice per se, she makes it work here. 

Victor’s brothers, Valentin and Valterri are also rather amusing to watch. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed watching Aya’s performance as Valentin. She was VERY extra. Valentin is a true narcissist and has long flowing locks. He also tends to play with the ends of his hair and is the MOST dramatic person I have ever seen. He pines after a girl he once knew called Diana and throughout the show tries to pursue a girl of the same name played by Seina Nozomi who he’s convinced is the same one he once loved. Valterri is the youngest brother and is obsessed with working out. He’s very impulsive and doesn’t really think things through which gets him in trouble later on (Victor and Valentin silently scold him at one point which is funny since both of them are using big gestures on the side of the stage while other characters are talking). He is also head over heels in love with Marie (Irodori Michiru), the sister of the rival country’s ruler, Queen Lily (Ai Sumire). Ayami Sera did a really good job at playing the bratty younger brother who just wants to have fun. This was probably her biggest role to date so far too so she got to show off her singing as well. 

Speaking of Ai Sumire I need to talk about her because she was one of the most phenomenal parts of this show! She is portrayed as a campy villain with a very extra evil laugh. But DANG the girl has the most powerful voice and even gets the only vocal song in the finale! Catch me singing “IKEMEN! I-KE-MEN!” constantly. Lily is almost always surrounded by her posse made up of Rose (Shouno Chio) who is more or less her secretary who always carries an iPad with her to let Queen Lily know about the latest thing that their neighboring country is up to and Garrett (Kiraha Reo) who is Lily’s erm...really hot boytoy/bodyguard? What was quite surprising for me the first time I saw it was that Garrett does not speak AT ALL in the show. He whispers behind his hands to Lily but other than that he is completely silent and yet, the way that Kiraha (Kari) presents herself onstage even without saying a word is mesmerizing to watch. She just emits the most brooding otokoyaku energy that is mostly reserved for kuroenbis in revues. Garrett smokes, casually checks his watch, and performs a tango with Lily and I cannot stop LOOKING AT HIM ONSTAGE! Even when other characters are talking onstage if Garrett is there (save for when Victor is present) my eyes would float over to him just to watch him stare into the ether and make the slowest and most deliberate of gestures. 

Of course, no true royal comedy would happen without the king and queen themselves. King Anselm (Souno Haruto) and Queen Beatrice (Maisaki Rin) are the parents of the V3 (the campaign name for the three hot princes). King Anselm is very attached to everything he owns especially his expensive collection of various artifacts. Queen Beatrice is just trying to have a nice time and wants everyone to be happy again. They are also IMMENSELY in love and get very lovey-dovey in front of their boys who are all grossed out by their displays of affection. Given that the two actresses are also classmates they play off of each other really well and have a very nice relationship that is enhanced through that. They play an important role to the story and Maisaki Rin (Hime) even gets a moment of adlibbing. 

One of the great things about PRxPRince was actually the amount of adlibs that were included with each performance. There are several moments in the script where adlibs occur for each performance, similar in the way of the adlibs in shows like Lupin III and Bakumatsu Taiyouden occur. Even though you can tell these adlibs are planned out somewhat in advance it’s nice to see the actresses work with things that are also on the spot sometimes since not everything is completely planned out. Some were funnier than others but that’s all part of the fun of the show and just finding a good balance with the audience. Personally I loved the adlibs even though I couldn’t understand some of them sometimes. Other things that were adlibbed were little gestures here and there that the characters would do that were different with each performance. One of my favorites was watching Kari scold Michiru at one point and one performance Kari leaned over Michiru so much that Michiru’s tiara had bounced back onto her head as she came up. The adlibs definitely made each performance I saw unique and lots of fun especially when the show was in the middle of Japan’s naming for the new era and suddenly 平成 (Heisei) and 令和 (Reiwa) adlibs were added to the mix. 

As the ministers figure out the next part in the V3 PR campaign Damian suggests that they host a ball in order to find eligible matches for the princes. A lot of stuff goes down in Act 2 during the ball including Marie showing off her pet bug to literally everyone within range, Elle finding said bug and actually communicating with it, Garrett and Rose playing musical instruments, Valentin doing a slow baywatch walk, and Victor expressing his true feelings towards Elle. At the very end of the show Victor and Elle actually go into the audience to do high-touches with those lucky to be on the aisle seats (alas, I was not one of them). One of the best moments was from the final performance when Top Stars Nozomi Fuuto and Maya Kiho were in the audience and I was able to see Hitoko shake both of their hands in a very sincere gesture since she was so happy both of them could make it to the show. 

I talked a bit about the music before but OH MY GOD this show’s music is incredible! It’s very catchy and pleasing to the ear. A lot of the songs are slightly reminiscent of older Takarazuka shows but are also not too old-fashioned sounding. A lot of brass and strings are used in the songs which is very enjoyable. The finale takes it one step further though and incorporates electric guitar. 

Yes, I am going to spend an entire paragraph just on the finale because it deserves to be talked about. After the happy ending of the show intense rock music is played as the curtain rises to three figures: Ai Sumire, Kari, and Shouno Chio. A rock version of “Lily’s Song” is played and it is THE BEST THING EVER! After my first viewing I always looked forward to the finale because it starts off super strong and doesn’t disappoint. Ai Sumire is the only one who gets to sing in the finale which is appropriate considering her voice is amazing and is one of the best singers in Yukigumi imo (Daikiho aside, of course). After the villainous trio have their number Hitoko sneakily walks onstage to stand on a platform. She is dressed in a dark blue coat with gold trim and a silk wine red shirt on beneath it. Her blonde wig stays on for the entire time. An instrumental rendition of “Two souls” is played as she descends the stairs, dancing fluidly and gracefully like a swan and takes front and center. The “fuu!” that emits from her lips is enough to make the audience shatter into 1000 pieces. They have fallen under their prince’s spell with the lure of Hitoko’s sanpakugan (this was so effective I was unable to watch this part of the finale with the opera glasses because it was THAT powerful). The rest of the otokoyaku join her shortly afterwards in a dance which evolves into an instrumental “Diana” as Hitoko takes off to change into her next costume while Ayana leads. After the otokoyaku dance they scatter and the musumeyaku all appear in lovely pink dresses. Hitoko has changed into a Prince Charming white military uniform and dances in the center, surrounded by beautiful women, which honestly, the dream. A shift in the music starts and one by one the ladies leave the stage until there is one remaining. But even SHE isn’t the goddess that our prince seeks. Jun Hana makes her way onto a small platform in a gold ball gown similar in style to Belle’s from Beauty and the Beast. When Hitoko turns around and sees her it’s like a wave of happiness rolls through them both and they have a classic waltz set to an instrumental version of “Someday My Prince Will Come” from Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is canonically one of the purest moments in the entire show even though the entire time I watched it I prayed that Hitoko would not trip over Jun Hana’s massive ballgown. The only mishap I saw was on the first day when while twirling Jun Hana to the side she slipped ever so slightly but managed to catch herself gracefully. After their intimate dance they exit together and the curtain call rolls. 

This show brought together so many hearts and it was so refreshing to see Yukigumi do a comedy bow hall since it has not been done since the early 2000s. I love this show more than I have loved any Takarazuka show and I feel blessed that I was able to see it live as many times as I did and to be able to share this wonderful experience with others. 

[tsukiprotranslations]

[Translation] VAZZRaji Tweets Part 2

Here’s part 2~! This is where the actual questions begin XD Oh gosh, please do bear if there are typos or some things might have mistakes ^^ 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

[I love Takaaki-san’s face a lot. Do you have any methods of relieving stress? Please tell me.] (from Poyoyo-san)

＝＝

RUKA: “The first line soothes the soul! The second line is the actual problem, huh~?”

MAMIYA: “Thank you for complimenting my face (laughs). Stress relieving... Hm~? There’s none at the moment that I’m aware of but, recently...”  →

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

More under the cut, enjoy~!

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

MAMIYA: “I’d say it’s playing with a cat or something? Like, playing with Vazz and Rock... Oh! And then, with Ouka, Naosuke, Issa, Futaba, and then Yuma, too.”**

ISSA: “Who are you calling a cat? (mad)”

OUKA: “Really. (mad)”

MAMIYA: “I guess you could say I’m more into things that are sensitive (laughs). Honest children are very healing, too, you know?”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

**Yuma’s name in the original tweet had the wrong kanji characters so I thought it was someone else at first ww

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

【 For Ouka 】 [From the time when you were a child up until now, what job has left the most impression on you?] (from Yuu-chan-san)

＝＝

OUKA: “I’d say the VAZZROCK Project... It’s always overflowing with new things so it’s left the most impression on me. I guess you could say it even surpasses my old work...”

FUTABA: “Eh? Really? That makes me happy as part of the same unit~”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

[Issa-san seems like he can do almost anything and is so cool but, is there an incident when you had failures when you were younger? Please do tell us if there is one.] (from Aya-san)

＝＝

ISSA: “Teaching my younger brother.”

FUTABA: “I think it turned out well though.”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

【 For Futaba 】 [Futaba-san’s birthday is on November 22 but, have you ever experienced a birthday that left a huge impression on you?] 

＝＝

FUTABA: “When I was young, I always got so so so so so happy when they bought me a huge cake that I ended up getting too excited and dived face first and started crying.”

GAKU: “That’s cute. (laughs)’

YUMA: “(Kinda like Nao...)”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

【 For Naosuke 】 [Please tell us the other members’ reactions when they first met Vazz and Rock!] (from Sasaki-san)

＝＝

NAO: “Now then, let’s have a recreation (of their reactions)~!”

ISSA: “... Heh.”

OUKA: “Th-this is...!”

FUTABA: “Wah~!! Wah~!! So smal!!!”

YUMA: “Uwah, they’re so cute! Male cats? How old are they, do you think? With these bodies, they might be--”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

→

SHO: “Oh my, good afternoon. New friends? It’s nice to meet you.”

HARUTO: “There they are.”

REIJI: “Uwah, so small. For real...? We’ll keep them? Eh~? I might accidentally step on you...”

GAKU: “Oh~ Oh~ What a beauty you are. Ah, you’re a boy (laughs).”

RUKA: “Nya~n ♪  (ฅ^･ω･^ ฅ)”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

【 For Yuma】[I have a question for Yuma-kun! What do you usually do when you have a day-off from work, Yuma-kun?] (from Kaho-chan-san)

＝＝

YUMA: “Sometimes, I clean things up that have accumulated over the week (laughs). I do laundry and study from time to time, too...”

NAO: “And then, it’s my role to invite Yuma to play!”

MAMIYA: “You study too, got it?”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

【 For Sho】 [Your Play of Color song during the VAZZROCK Live was super sexy! To you who can also sing and make music in such a sexy way, who among the members do you think is the sexiest?] (from Sakura-san)

＝＝

SHO: “This might be a little arbitrary and biased but, I’d say among VAZZY, it’s definitely Takaaki.”

MAMIYA: “Oh!”

SHO: “He has a calm elegance that can be considered sexy.”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

SHO: “In ROCK DOWN, I’d say... Reiji... is what you thought I’d say but it’s actually Gaku.”

GAKU: “Oh! My name was called in an unexpected place.  I’m so honored ♪”

SHO: “My preference is... wait, that sounds a little different (laughs). I can feel sexiness from a person who’s very open-minded and gentle.”

HARUTO: “Is what he said. Don’t mind, Reiji-san.”

REIJI: “Why???”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

[Haruto-kun, good afternoon! During the last VAZZROCK Live, you did “VAZZ! ROCK! VAZZ! ROCK! VAZZ! ROCK! YAAAAYYY!!” for the call-and-response. I felt a lot of energy from that call-and-response but if there’s a secret story behind it, please tell us.] (from Taaaaaamu-san)

＝＝

HARUTO: “I’m going to be honest.”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

HARUTO: “It was written on the script!!!”

RUKA: “But, the fact that you could perform it like that was good~ You’re Sunshine Kujikawa that surpassed ☆my ☆expectations ☆  And then afterwards, to think that you’re the same person who did recording with such a straight face gave us and the staff in the recording booth quite a stir! That’s how it is!”

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

☆ VAZZRAJI [Twitter Special Edition] ☆

RUKA: “Ah, this radio will sometimes go over space and time☆ “

#VAZZRaji

Source: @vazzrock_info

To be continued~!