#Sagiri Seina

[wtheckzukasubs]

'Snowy Landscape - Ai Futatsu' (Yukigeshiki first story) subs

Download the subs from this url: wtheckzukasubs.tumblr.com/shows

This is a nihonmono based on Rakugo. If you're a fan of Another World or Kurawanka, shame on you if you still don't know this one. I wish we got more of these actually, they're just so precious!

Important information: the translation was done aurally (more details below), they're for the Sky Stage video, they just cover the first story of Snowy Landscape, but you can also find the third story subbed in our download page linked above. Lastly, I have done the subs for Saou Kurama's and for Sagiri Seina's version. Chigi's is the Senshuuraku, but in Koma's you'll also get a little improvisation here and there. Watching only one will suffice, but it's a short show, why not go for both? I am a fan of Koma's version, though, maybe because it was my first, but I feel the casting was simply perfect.

Fans of smol Sakina will be very glad.

And those who did watch the third story, this one is a very silly comedy show. The total opposite from Yume Nagori.

Now for more babbling.

I'm not sure why I took so long to upload these subs. Probably because I've been working on them for so many years? Or maybe there are still some ??? I failed to fill up.

Anyway, these subs are OLD! The first draft took me more than a year and I was about to give up subbing any more Takarazuka musicals because these were so, so, so hard. Experience and newer technology, and a lot of support came as time passed, but I still wasn't able to complete them. I never feel like I completed any of my subs, but this one was just......... to the point I did both versions and I still wasn't sure of anything.

I hope you enjoy all of the tears and sweat that went down for this project!

[kenkao-love]

Rurouni Kenshin Takarazuka Revue

Kaoru is, the one and only (薫一人だけ)

[berserkerbarbie]

Dancing for You [ ダンシング・フォー・ユー] by Cosmos Troupe 2008     第17場 - フィナーレ エイト・シャルマン Get Me to The Church on Time

♪  教会の鐘が鳴る 街に鳴り響く 出かけよう 教会へ So get me to the church on time 結婚の鍵が鳴る 朝の訪れに 急ごうよ 教会へ So get me to the church on time ♪  

[anime-world210]

Hola NEW POST espero les guste, aquí les dejo algunos de mis perfiles para vosotros el que guste es bienvenido

Twitter @/Edgar18022040 o (animeworld210💙🧣)

¿Qué debería hacer para poseer un corazón libre de duda y temor?🥷🏻🤍❤️

[wlwcatalogue]

A Gay Girl's Guide to Takarazuka

L to R: Sagiri Seina, Ouki Kaname, Amami Yuuki, Asumi Rio, Wao Youka, Asaji Saki, Shiraki Ayaka

If you’re queer and into theatre or Japanese media, chances are that you will have heard of all-female theatre company Takarazuka Revue… but it’s also equally likely that you won’t have checked out anything of theirs. For those who are curious but were intimidated by its over 100 years of history, or who just want a quick primer to ease in, click below!

1. Why get into Takarazuka?

L to R: Rei Makoto in Tiara Azul (2024), Yuzuka Rei

For those into androgynous women

As you probably already know, Takarazuka's big selling point is that it's an all-female theatre company where the male characters are played by women. The actresses are expected to continue presenting that way off-stage, which in practice means a lot of handsome women with short hair in binders and men's clothing... Why that might appeal to people who are into androgynous women (or GNC/enby folks) is pretty obvious.

Reality Check:

Sadly, after "graduation" (i.e. leaving Takarazuka), nearly all such actresses will transition into feminine presentation and take on female roles. It's similar to the "lesbian glasshouse" idea in Class S yuri, but for gender non-conformity. That said, there are some notable counter-examples: Shion Yuu and Nanami Hiroki have basically refused to change their presentation after graduating (the latter still frequently plays male characters in both anime and stage productions), and things are more relaxed lower down the rungs too.

L to R: Wao Youka & Hanafusa Mari, Sagiri Seina & Sakihi Miyu

For those into butch/femme pairs

Just as roughly half of Takarazuka's actresses specialise in male roles (otokoyaku/男役), there is another half specialising in female roles (musumeyaku/娘役). On top of that, Takarazuka is split into five different troupes, and for any given production, the male lead and female lead are automatically assigned to that troupe's "top star" (leading otokoyaku) and "top musumeyaku" (leading musumeyaku) - the "top combi".

Unlike leading pairs in other theatrical traditions, the "top combi" concept extends to them being marketed as a pair in interviews, magazine features, TV programmes, etc. Just watch the mini TV special where Sagiri Seina and Sakihi Miyu visit Tokyo Skytree and Sumida Aquarium-- it's basically a date, and is described as such by the commentating TV announcer. Likewise, Wao Youka and Hanafusa Mari were interviewed about being a "golden combi" by women's magazine Fujin Kouron (though to be fair this was after they had, improbably, managed to win a Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award - an award for individuals - jointly, for their "splendid performance as a combi" in 2004's Boxman).

Taken to its extreme, there have been cases where the Japanese public have been convinced that a top combi was dating, as with the immensely popular 1980's pair Daichi Mao and Kuroki Hitomi... It's no wonder that the actresses themselves frequently describe it as being like an arranged marriage.

Separately, due to certain reasons, it's practically part of the job description for top musumeyaku to adore their top star partners. This, in theory, inadvertently creates a safe space for any top musumeyaku who could be gay for their stage partners... Just to illustrate, during her graduation speech, Hinami Fuu repeatedly referred to her feelings for her top star partner Hokushou Kairi as koi (恋), a word specifically denoting romantic love, and nobody blinked an eye.

Reality Check:

Due to conservative attitudes in both Japan and Takarazuka itself, most actresses go on to marry men, including many of those named above. Vanishingly few are publically out, though former otokoyaku Higashi Koyuki (stage name Aura Maki) is a queer activist and was one half of the first same-sex couple to be married in Japan, and another former otokoyaku, Misuzu Aki, has been living with her female partner in Europe for years. Just, well, don't forget that being married to a man isn't necessarily evidence of heterosexuality.

L to R: Asumi Rio in The Poe Clan (2018), Sagiri Seina in Rurouni Kenshin (2016)

For lovers of anime and manga

Takarazuka is probably best-known as the inspiration behind Revolutionary Girl Utena, Revue Starlight, Kageki Shoujo, and Sailor Moon’s Haruka and Michiru, but did you know that it also inspired seminal works featuring androgynous female leads such as Princess Knight? If you enjoy “prince-type” characters in yuri, you’ve got them to thank

Apart from inspiring anime and manga, Takarazuka also does quite a few animanga adaptations itself! Most famous are their Rose of Versailles musicals, but other popular adaptations include Ace Attorney, Rurouni Kenshin, Lupin III, Boys Over Flowers, and Hagio Moto’s bishounen vampire vehicle The Poe Clan. They’re also doing a Castlevania musical this year!

Wao Youka & Hanafusa Mari in Phantom (2004)

For the theatre nerds

Female Phantom of the Opera, duh

Jokes aside, Takarazuka’s unique position in the theatre world can't be overstated. As a rule, all-female productions are either smaller-scale, one-offs dependent on the work, or part of a theatrical tradition completely separate to Western-style plays or musicals (hello, Chinese Yue opera). Takarazuka is the exception: it offers productions comparable in size and scale (and budget) to the largest West End and Broadway musicals - it just so happens that it's all-female.

If the all-female aspect doesn’t excite you then why are you here, then let me emphasise again: Takarazuka is totally worth checking out as a production company in its own right. It is very much a part of the broader Japanese musical industry, and one of its powerhouses at that. Just take a look at some of these clips from past productions (all around 5 mins or less):

(a) Maeda Keiji - a musical loosely inspired by real-life samurai Maeda Keiji; features an uncannily convincing horse performed by two people in costume which needs to be seen to be believed (b) Ephemeral Love - a period piece about the doomed love between Prince Rudolph of the Hapsburgs and his lover Marie Vetsera (c) The Man Who Never Sleeps - a biographical musical about Napoleon Bonaparte (d) Casino Royale - an adaptation of the 2006 James Bond movie of the same name (e) BADDY - an off-the-wall sci-fi comedy featuring loads of velvet suits, silly shellfish outfits, and queerness.

Wao Youka and Hanafusa Mari in Dracula (2011)

2. Random Queer-ish Trivia

It's pretty common for former otokoyaku to be cast in WLW roles: Sena Jun headlined the 2018 Japanese production of Fun Home, Otozuki Kei cameoed as a lesbian escort in 2022 LGBTQ-themed J-drama Kojinsa Arimasu, and Seto Kazuya played the owner of a lesbian bar in 2024 yuri J-drama Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko. (Incidentally, Sal Jiang, the original creator of Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko, has mentioned being a fan of Sena Jun when she was younger)

Otokoyaku are sometimes mistaken for men, with amusing results: Yuzuka Rei was thought to be a “host” by a passer-by while talking to her fans, and Houshou Dai has mentioned being hit on by a woman before. But the prize goes to Todoroki Yuu, who like many women once had to rebuff unwanted advances from a man—except in her case, he thought that she was a guy

Before entering Takarazuka, Sou Kazuho – eventual Snow Troupe top star – went to a co-ed school and had long hair. To her confusion, this didn’t stop her classmates from asking her to play a male character (possibly the male lead, IIRC) in the school play. They saw her as an otokoyaku even before she did!

Continuing with the high school theme, former Cosmos Troupe top star Wao Youka has boasted about how in her high school days, she received more Valentine’s chocolates than her brother, and in fact second-most out of her year. Important note: she went to a girls’ school

Speaking of Wao Youka, her 2011 Dracula (see photo above) - from @cryoverkiltmilk's “Cunt Dykecula” post - wasn't actually a Takarazuka production! Since Wao was acquainted with and later married its composer Frank Wildhorn, some assume he was the one to cast her, and that Hanafusa Mari was brought in due to being her old stage partner. But Wildhorn had wanted Wao to play the female lead. It was she who insisted on Dracula. And Hanafusa wasn't just a third party... she had been Wao's manager since 2007, having retired from the stage after graduating and only just returned with 2010's Dietrich. (She played Edith Piaf, legendary chanson singer and “very good friend” of bisexual icon Marlene Dietrich, played by Wao.) Dracula was the swan song for their partnership, with Hanafusa going on to conquer the Japanese musical industry as she had Takarazuka-- but it marked the first, and so far only, time a top combi performed as romantic partners after graduating.

On a separate note, renowned queer photographer Leslie Kee has been responsible for taking the cover portraits for Takarazuka's offical monthly publication Kageki (歌劇) since 2010. You should definitely check out his ongoing "Out in Asia" project – he's taken literally thousands of photos of out queer people in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan in a bid to raise visibility

Lastly, in November 2015, Takarazuka City became the first Japanese city outside of Tokyo to announce its support for same-sex partnerships… though this may of course be a total coincidence.

Flower Troupe in Takarazuka Fantasia (2015 Taiwan tour)

3. Where to Start?

Nearly all Takarazuka shows since the 1990's are available on DVD (earlier ones are on VHS), and these recordings are very well done - they have great video and audio quality, are well-edited, and use a large number of camera angles

They do livestreams and live broadcasts of performances as well! You can watch a livestream from your mobile or PC by spoofing your location. For a more communal experience, if you're in Japan, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, you can catch live broadcasts of Grand Theatre performances at a local cinema

VODs of selected productions are available on various platforms, including Amazon Japan, though this still requires location spoofing. If you're actually living in Japan, you can also consider subscribing to Takarazuka's official TV channel (yes, that's a thing) Sky Stage - they do a lot of reruns of past performances

With that done, here are several recommendations if none of the productions mentioned throughout the post caught your eye!

(a) Elisabeth - Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay's musical about Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi") of Austria and the fall of the Hapsburg Empire, featuring an (inevitably very sexy) personification of Death and fantastic music. Takarazuka has done many, many productions of this, so just search them and pick whichever looks most appealing - but you won't go wrong with the 2014 Flower Troupe production, which has a very strong cast and a more refined version of the staging

(b) Phantom - Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston's adaptation of Phantom of the Opera. Though obviously not the ALW version, the music is actually pretty great and Takarazuka goes all-out on the costumes and stage magic. All the productions are wonderful, but my favourite is the original 2004 version (which is also the one which went viral on Tumblr before - thanks, @wheel-of-fish!)

(c) Rose of Versailles - no list would be complete without Takarazuka's representative work, buuut I wouldn't necessarily recommend starting here if you're looking for a typical musical experience. There are loads of productions to choose from - note that these are split between a version focused on protagonist Oscar, and another focused on Marie Antoinette and her lover Fersen - but the 1991 Moon Troupe production is my personal pick

(d) Casanova - a light-hearted romp in which Casanova is reimagined as a charming playboy who falls for the feminist-minded daughter of Venice's mayor... only, she doesn't know his real identity. The very catchy music was commissioned from Dove Attia, the producer behind French musicals Mozart, l'opera Rock and 1789: Les Amants de la Bastille. Check out the performance digest here!

(e) Shinjuu: Koi no Yamatoji - Takarazuka puts Chikamatsu Monzaemon's tale of the doomed love between a commoner and a courtesan to a classic rock score (see this clip!). An Edo-era work that doesn't just focus on samurai and nobility, this romantic tragedy offers a grounded look at the social pressures of the time. (Though if you do want to watch something focusing on Japanese nobility, I highly recommend Takarazuka original and guaranteed tearjerker Hoshiai Hitoyo.) There are quite a few productions of this, but I've only watched the 2014 Snow Troupe one, which was very good.

Thanks so much for reading! Please feel free to DM me or send an ask if you have any questions~ I definitely want to do a follow-up post on musumeyaku, and maybe delve into Wao and Hanafusa's history (it's messy, but fascinating)... but we'll see!

[zukadiary]

Hi! I hope you're well! I wanted to ask something I was curious about. I recently saw a DVD of Me and My Girl with Yuzuka Rei as Jacqueline. I’m impressed by her versatility, I usually know her for otokoyaku roles. Could you explain how casting decisions are made when otokoyaku are given female roles or vice versa? Are there specific criteria for this? Also, any other notable performances of this kind you'd recommend? Thank you so much for making this blog btw! I've learned so much from it. ^_^

Hi! I don't think there are any hard and fast rules about this, but there are definitely patterns.

First off, there are certain female roles in big-name, frequently restaged shows that are either always or usually played by otokoyaku. Off the top of my head, some include:

Jacqueline in MeMy, as you mentioned

Scarlett in Gone with the Wind

Anita in West Side Story

Rafaela in Grand Hotel

Then sometimes they are just one-off casting decisions (Towaki Sea in Liszt, Ayanagi Shou in Hikarifuru Michi, etc). Regardless of the situation, it's usually for one or a combination of these reasons:

It's a "spunky," or more mature, or canonically cross-dressing role, that would break the mold of the musumeyaku-otokoyaku relationship

It's an incredibly high profile role, but the troupe has no top musumeyaku—e.g. Sena Jun as Elisabeth in '05, Nagina Ruumi in '09—and a secondary musumeyaku would not be nearly as much of a draw to the audience as a higher ranked otokoyaku

Or it's a really high profile role, and otokoyaku just bring in more money than musumeyaku, so a heavy supporting female role goes to an otokoyaku rather than a secondary musumeyaku

Fan service!

Here are some of my recommendations:

Grand Hotel - lots good about it, but cw for egregious racial makeup in supporting characters

Soragumi's Anastasia, for both Kazuki Sora and Kotobuki Tsukasa in female roles

All for One, which is quite fun, and features Saou Kurama as the Duchess of Montpensier

Ok this is pretty Tamaki Ryou heavy for some reason, but Legend of King Arthur for Miya Rurika's Morgane

Shall we Dance, one of my all time favorite shows, featuring Sagiri Seina as the female lead

A Song for Kingdoms, the 2003 Hoshigumi version, featuring Aran Kei as Aida (also cw for some racial makeup)

There's a lot of other great stuff too!

EDIT: HOW COULD I FORGET ADELAIDE??? Highly recommend thanks for the comment!

[kira-akira]

Top 5 Songs

thank you for the tag jack my boy. this is gonna be a weird top 5 because i'm big into a couple musical hyperfixations rn and most of these are just audio clipped from videos

hi bully - 터치드 TOUCHED

kidd - 새소년 SE SO NEON

the current king of masked singer covering the death note ost in episode 439 who is definitely not jo yunmin from TOUCHED

el amor from specifically takarazuka's 2015 sorrowful cordoba, sung by sagiri seina, sakihi miyu, hoshino anri, and nozomi fuuto

this one goes out to you @psychic-waffles, i also have die schatten werden langer on here but i clipped mine from a video of the 2014 elisabeth performance so it's sung by asumi rio and serika toa

i don't know who of my friends has already been tagged in this so if you haven't this one goes out to you

[saigonobara]

Nijinsky was so good🥹

Ya… that

[szabokazuka]

Dai-undoukai time - Kageki Shoujo style

＼(⁀▽⁀ )／

[dossei-dossei]

nijinsky sketches

[arrakun]

[kenkao-love]

Rurouni Kenshin Takarazuka Revue - Sensyuuraku ver.

[wtheckzukasubs]

‘Yume no Nagori (3rd Story from Snowy Landscape (Yukigeshiki))’ subs

Download here: wtheckzukasubs.tumblr.com/shows

This show is divided in three stories, this one happens to be the last one. It is timed for Sagiri Seina’s version aired on Sky Stage. There has been a DVD release and with some retiming it should work on it as well.

I do plan to revise my subs for the first story, but that one was done for Saou Kurama’s version.

For this one, it is a little bit like a revue with a story, there are a lot of dances and songs. It tells the story of some remaining Heike warriors waiting for a sign of the war against Genji. The ending is very dark, and from the beginning they talk a lot about suicide, so trigger warning for death and romantization of suicide. It’s not a story that goes deep in it, in case you’re in doubt.

Now the cast here is A+! We have Sagiri Seina and Saou Kurama playing the two brothers, Maihane Mimi is the lead musumeyaku, but we also have Otsuki Sayu, (a veeeery small) Ayakaze Sakina, Natori Rei, Asuka Yuu, Rinjou Kira... Don’t miss it! (Unless of course it may trigger you, then it’s not worth it).

[igura]

assorted lupins from twitter 💎💎💎

[hibiscusbabyboy]

I don't know what I just found but I LOVE IT

[senajun4ever]

Siennes Dating Profs

Name: Sena Jun

What they want their lover to call them: JuneBug

Hobbies: Acting, playing with cute children

One word they’d describe themselves: selfless

What they look for in a partner: a kind man who shares the same interests as her

Love language: cuddles

First date idea: going out for dinner

Name: Asumi Rio

What they want their lover to call them: Baby Rio

Hobbies: Scrapbooking, drawing

One word they’d describe themselves: hungry

What they look for in a partner: All the traits Mizu has

Love language: kisses

First date idea: Movie date

Name: Mizu Natsuki

What they want their lover to call them: mommy

Hobbies: Hot women, the gym

One word they’d describe themselves: fruity

What they look for in a partner: smol and cute so she can dominate

Love language: physical affection

First date idea: “Chillin in bed”

Name: Sagiri Seina

What they want their lover to call them: *****

Hobbies: Pissing you off

One word they’d describe themselves: Stoned

What they look for in a partner: Tattoos and piercings

Love language: Insulting you

First date idea: A skatepark

Name: Shizuki Asato

What they want their lover to call them: bae

Hobbies: Walking, socializing

One word they’d describe themselves: hardworking

What they look for in a partner: A graceful man

Love language: words of affirmation

First date idea: Concert

Name: Kiriya Hiromu

What they want their lover to call them: King

Hobbies: Anything is enjoyable when it’s with Sena

One word they’d describe themselves: godly

What they look for in a partner: A tall person who will do anything with her

Love language: physical touch

First date idea: Cafe date

Name: Ryouga Haruhi

What they want their lover to call them: Her real name

Hobbies: anything music related

One word they’d describe themselves: underrated

What they look for in a partner: Someone who is understanding

Love language: giving gifts

First date idea: Shopping

Name: Asami Hikaru

What they want their lover to call them: Hottie

Hobbies: driving, socializing, arson

One word they’d describe themselves: sexy

What they look for in a partner: if their not hot their not worth it

Love language: physical touch

First date idea: Going to a party

Thanks @mizusjawline for the idea