Takarazuka Newbie

よろしくお願いいたします！ <3 Todoroki Yuu is my current obsession <3 Also: Ranju Tomu / Haruno Sumire / Asumi Rio / Ryuu Masaki / Amami Yuuki / Yamato Yuuga / Takashiro Kei / Ouki Kaname / Asami Hikaru / Sagiri Seina

[homojabi]

When I was questioning whether or not I was a lesbian, I would’ve loved someone telling me that it was okay if I still liked men but had no intention of dating them, or that it was okay if I wasn’t sure if my attraction to them was genuine or forced. We need to support questioning girls and girls who feel drawn to the lesbian label who haven’t figured it all out yet or who don’t know what compulsory heterosexuality is or who have only dated and crushed on men but don’t want to anymore. Not everyone knows everything 100% at first, or ever, and they’re still allowed to be a lesbian. Just because they don’t know our buzzwords or haven’t figured everything out doesn’t mean that we should act like they’re ruining the lesbian label. If they feel like “lesbian” is right, that’s because it probably is.

[eljc00]

Tani’s og life too good.

[eljc00]

In which Tom experiments with bizarre shoulder-flapping blazers and should never ever repeat ever again.

Ever again.

<3

[eljc00]

TCA 2004 MC Sketch~  xD

[eljc00]

Flower Troupe’s 2014 Elisabeth has so many capturable moments and this is one of my favorites. I have watched and rewatched this scene so many times, specifically for the marvel that is Mirio’s pose. I imagine audience members in the front row, directly behind her, breathless and overcome with feels. 

I can imagine her finding a pose that looks cold and effortless, practicing different angles hundreds of times. And there are so many of these perfect moments. One of my other favorites is when, as the "doctor" wearing a cape, she turns her body slowly with her back to us, takes off her gloves, and drops them on the bag almost with disdain. Mesmerizing. 

Mirio's Elisabeth is the first Takarazuka show I saw on tape so it has a special place in my heart. (Thanks @kamirazuka ^___^) How could I not by hypnotized by her whole being? Mirio IS Death and it's her own Death--a new Death. I think Mirio set an entirely new standard for what Siennes are capable of. 

[eljc00]

Uh huh, looking him up and down. 

I mourn Mirio’s retirement already :/

[eljc00]

Hooray for TIP~

Review of TIP’s Sampler Disk. 

This sampler disk is amazing! I love how numbers from the 1980s up to the 2000s are included so I basically get a mini history of Takarazuka!! All the different troupes are represented as well as so many siennes (with a good amount of Makoto Tsubasa <3). And each number is prefaced by a brief introduction that is very very helpful.

I'm super impressed with the variety of genres included: plays, revue, shinko, TCA, game show, traditional Japanese dance, hatsubutai. Waaaat!!

Some of the shows are ones that I would never have seen otherwise. For example, I'd never heard of Blue Moon Blue before but I am definitely going to watch it now! Thank you ^_^

(PS: I really think Hankyu should hire you guys to write official subs for them. No joke.)

(PPS: I tried to comment on the new TIP site but I wasn’t able to log in with OpenID... :/)

[eljc00]

BUT MIRIO’S HANDS. 

That is all.

Elisabeth (2014)

[eljc00]

Oh yeah, I woke up with a killer headache in some piano land, didn’t know where I was, who I was; this evil villain with crazy eighties hair grabbed me all over and I got all hot and bothered. 

Neo Voyage. Where my love of Tani and fascination with Hatsukaze started~

[eljc00]

Notes on my sexuality since being introduced to Takarazuka last year.

- I am attracted to women who play men on stage and sort of play men off stage - Also attracted to “older” women of above variety - Attracted to a concept performed in front of cameras - Attracted not to a person, necessarily, but to beautiful images on a screen - Aware that this attraction possibly fuels otokoyaku to behave a certain way to please fans, thereby continuing the cycle - Attraction depends on a capitalist institution that relies on facade - Attraction can be read both as queer and very heteronormative, rather ironically - Attraction has turned into “fanship”; is fanship “real”?  - Attraction to constructs may not necessarily be less valuable than attraction to “real” human beings

[eljc00]

Love and roses to Makoto Tsubasa, Moon Troupe top star from 1997 to 2001. A list of random things I love:

1. Stunning in Luna as an egoistic rock star turned ethereal moon prince, hah <3 She also sings one of my favorite Zuka songs, “Another Life.”

2. Most active OG on variety shows? Not that I've quantified this, but I've seen her so many times representing Zuka and otokoyaku.

3. HILARIOUS MC in 2000 TCA. Witty and quick with ad-libs. *scrambles to watch more old TCAs*

[eljc00]

Lost in the vortex of Tom’s eyes and smile as a gyara schoolgirl... 

2000 TCA

[eljc00]

Masao--so cool and hot at the same time.

...2013 photoshoot.

[amarurose]

I saw someone describe Tom as 「いつの時代にも美しさ」 and I couldn’t agree more.

[eljc00]

“Beautiful in every era~”

[eljc00]

A prince from a dream?

[eljc00]

But obviously way more attractive.

[eljc00]

When all the top stars Mirio, Maa-kun, Masao, Chigi, Micchan, and Tom wrote their aspirations for the latter half of 2015...everyone's phrases were pretty typical... And then Tom came along and blew me away with her brilliant visual poem embedding a kanji character from every top star's name. Impossible to translate... But I tried anyway.

Gazing at the morrow (Mirio) Not unlike a dragon (Masao) Clearing the fog (Chigi) Continuing to soar (Micchan) Greeting the morning (Maa-kun)   Takarazuka, serene. (Tom)

- Todoroki Yuu, 2015