#sienne: ichijo azusa

[zukalations]

Sparkling TIME: Miya Rurika and Ichijou Azusa

Sparkling TIME was a long-running Kageki talk feature which includes a photoshoot (designed by the participants) and talk between classmates. Miya’s and Ichijou’s was published in the February 2017 issue.

@chemicalperfume kindly assisted me with this translation.

(As always, we encourage you to purchase the magazine to see all of the photos in their original quality)

Sparkling TIME - Miya Yurika (Moon Troupe) and Ichijou Azusa (Star Troupe)

Ichijou: When we were in Star Troupe together, we would have photoshoots together a lot, so they would call us ‘Azururi’, right.

Miya: I feel like we just spread that around so much that other people started doing it (laughs).

Ichijou: We forced it to happen (laughs). But after we ended up in different troupes, of course we had less chances to meet and that was really a shame, so when I was able to do another photoshoot with Miya-chan I was really happy. This is the first time since ‘RISING STAR GUIDE 2012’, isn’t it.

Miya: Right. At that time, we got really excited about the photoshoot, but today the feeling is a little different. It’s like a ‘morning sun’ feeling (laughs).

Ichijou: We’re in separate troupes, going down our own paths, and it would be nice if people see us now that we’ve grown up.

~~~~~~

Miya: Last year, I was able to be in Kurenai-san’s dinner show* in Tokyo only, and it was so much fun. Even though in Takarazuka I was just a cardboard stand-up figure (laughs).

Ichijou: (laughs) In rehearsals it was like we’d gone back in time, and it made me so happy.

Miya: Even though it was my first time in ages participating in a Star Troupe rehearsal, everything from back then came back to life in a flash and it felt like I’d been there the whole time. Especially with Shiiran (Ichijou), since we were together in the Music School, and were struggling through things together ever since we were ken-1.

Ichijou: We were always doing such dumb things, weren’t we (laughs).

Miya: The second we saw an opportunity we’d start goofing off (laughs).

Ichijou: Yeah. Star Troupe was strict, but times when we could hang out with a classmate like that helped us get through it, I think.

Miya: ‘Hang out’ you call it, but we’d just go off somewhere we thought the senior actresses wouldn’t turn up and play things like color tag or ‘otokoyaku red light green light’.

Ichijou: I’m sure it’d be just as fun if we did it again now (laughs).

Miya: I think we developed such a deep relationship because of things like that.

Ichijou: Right.

Miya: Currently we’ve both increased in seniority, so how is it? Shiiran is really enthusiastic and sports-minded, so you’re good at guiding the junior actresses, aren’t you.

Ichijou: I guess so…

Miya: Because they even call you ‘Guts’.

Ichijou: I do think that since I had all of those experiences that I treasure myself, if I see a girl with a lot of guts, or a girl with that kind of attitude, I want to teach them more and more.

Miya: When I was a junior actress, and a senior actress would say just a couple words to me without thinking anything of it, it would make me so happy, so I can still remember what they said to me even now, you know.

Ichijou: Right, I can too.

Miya: Therefore, if I see a girl who’s also pushing herself to do her best, or a girl who’s steadily putting in a lot of work, I feel like I ought to say something to her. When I went to Moon Troupe, I realized that Star Troupe’s ability to work as a whole was really strong. Everyone would share the same feelings and push forward together, that kind of thing.

Ichijou: Yeah, yeah. In Star Troupe, we’re stronger as a group than as individuals. But in Moon Troupe, each and every person does their homework and they're all incredibly good at making their individuality blossom.

Miya: Right, right. It was totally different, so I was really startled. I realized how much I had been helped by the strength of everyone else in the group up until then, so it was like coming to Moon Troupe really gave me a push, and I felt like I had to work harder in order to not cause trouble for everyone else around me. But on the other hand, since I had come from Star Troupe, there were also times when I wanted to convey to everyone how impressive it was when we all worked together as one. I think it’s great that I was able to experience both of those things. Has anything changed for you, Shiiran?

Ichijou: Let me see. I’ve sometimes thought ‘is it fine for Ichijou Azusa to just be ‘Guts’ and energy’, or as there have been more cool otokoyaku around lately I’ve wondered whether it’s a bit lame to just go on ‘Guts’...

Miya: When did you start to think that?

Ichijou: A few years after graduating from shinjin kouen performances. But then once when an OG came to see a show, she told me ‘Has something changed about your characterization? You don’t seem to have much energy.’ So then I realized ‘When I try to be cool it looks that way, maybe I shouldn’t be doing that’. Therefore, I’m not embarrassed about enthusiastically going for it, and I feel I should be ‘Guts’ since that’s the only way I can be. When I realized that, I was able to be a lot more relaxed about performing onstage, and right now I feel like I want to be the kind of performer where people say ‘When you look at Ichijou-san, you really feel like you’re watching Star Troupe’.

Miya: I see. In my case, although they say ‘10 years to otokoyaku’, when it came to that time for me, I felt like I couldn’t really do anything, and I didn’t know what to do with my characterization, so I really had a negative image of myself. In my first couple years [after the 10-year point], no matter how much I rehearsed it didn’t feel like there was any growth to show for it, and as my seniority increased I started to get really scared. But after having a wide variety of experiences, I realized that what I had been doing up until now to make myself look larger, since I’m on the smaller side, had actually been working in the reverse to make me appear smaller. I’m not like Shiiran, but it’s true that being how I am naturally will let my personality come through more. Like at this point, wouldn’t it just be pointless if I decided to change into a super zealous type (laughs).

Ichijou: That’s right (laughs).

Miya: Before, even when an audience member would tell me ‘I like this about Miya-san’, I would think ‘but why, though’ and I couldn’t understand it. But now I’ve started to think that if these things are my good points to an objective viewer, then I should recognize that about myself when I’m performing. And so I’ve started to relax and think ‘it’s fine to be like this’.

Ichijou: And when you can think like that you aren’t scared any more.

Miya: Yeah. And then, Shiiran did this too, but recently I played a female role**, well, a witch, but that’s still a woman (laughs). At that time, I realized that men and women both have the same kind of heart, and while their manner of expressing things may be different, they are moved by their heart.

Ichijou: I thought that too, when I played Mme. Montespan in Le Roi Soleil.

Miya: When I returned to male roles I realized that I had become way more relaxed about performing, so I felt like playing a female role had really helped me grow. I don’t know what kind of roles I’m going to encounter from now on, but right now I think that I’d like to keep a flexible heart and enjoy letting myself be changed, and that it’s good if things change as I perform each role.

Ichijou: In Om Shanti Om it was my first time playing an old person, so I was happy to be able to challenge myself that way. It’s really true that no matter what the character is, they all have the same heart.

Miya: Yeah.

Ichijou: Also, what I’ve been thinking currently is that there are still so many people who don’t know about Takarazuka, so it’s my dream to have even one more person come to see a show while I am still here. Maybe that’s too much.

Miya: No, not at all.

Ichijou: Therefore, I’ve been trying to tell all sorts of people ‘Please come and see a show’.

Miya: That’s wonderful.

* Stella Rossa

** Morgaine in Le Roi Arthur

[zukalations]

Star Troupe Troupe Report - December 2017

Troupe Report is a Kageki feature where an appointed reporter will write about current events in the troupe or ask troupe members for questions to answers sent in by readers. Reporters are generally only replaced on retirement, unlike other backstage features that rotate monthly or quarterly.

Star Troupe’s Troupe Report has been written by Kisaragi Ren since 2015. The December 2017 edition focuses on Ichijo Azusa, who retired from Star Troupe with the show closing that month.

Troupe Report: Star Troupe

This month, it’s a special feature about the most passionate otokoyaku of all of us, ‘Guts’ - Ichijo Azusa!

Q: What is Ichijo-san like in the Leadership Room*?

“Although she is so sharp onstage, she’s actually really cute 💖” - Miki Chigusa “Usually she’s so cool, but every once in a while she’ll be like ‘Kai-chan, Kai-cha~n’ and try to get me to spoil her; it’s so adorable!” - Nanami Hiroki So as you can see, she has some unexpected aspects 💖

“When Sayumi-san (Kurenai) is changing her makeup she’ll make sure it gets done perfectly. Shiiran (Ichijo) knows where everything is so if Sayumi-san says ‘I don’t have OOO!’ she’ll tell her where to find it. It’s really amazing!!” - Mari Yuzumi Sayumi-san also says “I’ll die without he~r 😭 Ichijo-chan is irreplaceable~! She understands everything about me. Please keep acting as my little brother~!!” Sayumi-san and Ichijo-san’s bond is really special ✨

Ichijo-san said “I’ll have to make a Sayumi-chan User’s Manual!”: her smile as she laughed was really dazzling.

Q: Do you have any funny stories about her time as a yokasei?

“Shiiran loved Coca-Cola, but all of us would end up stealing drinks of it, so it would always go flat. Her response to that was… ‘it’s fine if you drink my cola but AT LEAST CLOSE THE LID!!’” - Nagina Ruumi The 89th class members get along so well 💖

Q: What is something Ichijo-san said that has stuck with you?

“No matter what kind of role you get, make sure you do it beautifully. There’s sure to be someone who will look at you. Don’t be withdrawn, put yourself out there!” - Amaki Homare “You’ll end up tired no matter what you do so go into it as if you’ll die!” - Haruto Yuuho “I wonder if I can make my eyes even sparklier…?” - Rei Makoto “Otokoyaku are only able to look their best because the musumeyaku is beautiful. I want you to be that kind of musumeyaku.” - Kozakura Honoka “Star Troupe is its own spirit! I want you to carry on my determination!” - Amaji Sora “I’ll protect you!!” - Shirotae Natsu “How big the role is doesn’t matter. It’s how much you put into that role that’s the important thing!!” - Hiroka Yuu (Yumeki) “You look cool today, too!” (Ichijo) “I know that myself!! Of course I do!!” - Yumeki Anru

As for Kisaragi...when I’m stressed or nervous, I hear Ichijo-san saying ‘There’s nothing left but to just do it!’. I think Ichijo-san’s spirited words, feelings, and determination will keep shoving us forward long into the future.

Also, Airi (Aimizu Serena) and Chii-chan (Natsuki Rei) are such precious friends to all of us. Thank you so much for everything!!!

🌟 Aa-chan’s birthday! 💖

Sayumi-san gave Aa-chan a present of a wall clock inspired by her ✨

* the Leadership Room is the separate dressing room shared by the most senior members of the troupe, regardless of other standing such as Top Star, etc. It seems to be the 4 most senior members but that doesn’t really fit with the content of this feature, so I’m not certain there.