I've had many dreams about us reuniting. But no moment was as real as this one. Everything has changed smelling this familiar scent. But it feels like nothing has changed too.
puppy!caleb x zayne // hybrid au // the title says it all (fluff) // 1k words
zayne might’ve spoiled his dog a bit too much.
(aka: serious surgeon adopts a clingy puppy hybrid who grows up into a 6'2 obsessed himbo that calls him “mate.”)
the day the hybrid rights act passed, the ministry wasted no time assembling specialized task forces to raid illegal facilities, tearing down the remnants of the organizations that had long exploited hybrids. dr. zayne li wasn’t a government agent, but his expertise as a cardiac surgeon made him invaluable in the rescue efforts. he wasn’t just patching up survivors—he was bearing witness to the horrors inflicted on them.
but none of it prepared him for the moment he found her.
a samoyed hybrid woman lay on the cold floor of a metal cage, her breath shallow, eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. beside her, a small white-furred pup whimpered, his tiny frame pressed against her side. she barely had the strength to lift a hand toward zayne as he crouched beside her, his gloved fingers checking her pulse. weak. too weak.
"please... my son..." she whispered.
zayne felt something tighten in his chest. "hold on. we can help you."
she exhaled, a shuddering breath that carried the weight of a mother’s final plea. her hand slipped from his grasp.
zayne stared, his jaw tightening. his colleagues moved around him, calling out medical statuses, securing hybrids, ensuring no one was left behind. but in that moment, all zayne could focus on was the tiny pup clinging to his coat, burying his face against the fabric, his small body trembling.
"you shouldn't," one of the officers warned, eyeing the pup warily. "procedure says—"
"i know," zayne cut in, his voice sharper than usual. he adjusted his grip, lifting the pup carefully. "but you tell me—what am i supposed to do? leave him?"
the officer hesitated, then sighed, looking away. "just be careful, doc."
zayne didn't hesitate. he tucked the pup inside his coat, feeling the small warmth press against him as he stood. "i always am."
bringing the pup home was the easy part. raising him? that was another matter entirely.
zayne lived a structured life—work, sleep (barely), and repeat. now, he had a tiny, energetic samoyed hybrid puppy wreaking havoc in his apartment.
the pup had an insatiable appetite for sweets, often sneaking bites of zayne’s desserts despite his grumbling protests. he also had a desperate need for affection, constantly clinging to zayne’s leg, or curling up beside him at night, soft whimpers escaping when zayne tried to put him in a separate bed.
zayne spoiled him rotten. he told himself it was just to help the pup adjust, but even he couldn’t deny that when those big, round eyes looked up at him, tail wagging, ears twitching—he gave in every single time.
one night, after a long shift, zayne came home to find the pup asleep on his pillow, his tiny body curled up with zayne’s long coat draped over him.
zayne sighed. “you’re supposed to sleep in your own bed.”
the pup yawned, blinking up at him, then promptly rolled onto his back, exposing his belly in surrender.
zayne pinched the bridge of his nose. “...fine. just this once.”
it was never just once.
⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°⋆°🐾˖°
the first time caleb transformed, it was a messy, clumsy thing. one second, zayne was making coffee. the next, he turned around to see a small boy with fluffy white ears and a wagging tail sitting on his kitchen floor, staring up at him with wide violet-indigo eyes.
zayne nearly dropped his mug. "what—?"
the boy's ears perked up. "zay!"
zayne blinked. "you—can talk?"
the boy nodded eagerly. "uh-huh! i learned! name’s caleb!"
zayne rubbed his temple. this was happening too fast. "you—okay, caleb. where are your clothes?"
caleb tilted his head, then looked down at himself. he was in nothing but fur and his own tail wrapped around him like a makeshift blanket.
"...oh."
zayne exhaled. "wait here."
he left the kitchen and returned with one of his old dress shirts. it was far too big, the sleeves covering caleb’s hands entirely, but the boy grinned, wagging his tail as he hugged the oversized fabric.
"warm!" caleb declared.
zayne sighed. "...we'll get you actual clothes tomorrow."
caleb only beamed, tail thumping against the floor. "love zay!"
zayne froze. "...what?"
caleb blinked up at him, as if the answer was obvious. "love zay. zay is home."
zayne wasn’t a sentimental person. he was pragmatic, logical, reserved. but something about the unwavering trust in caleb’s voice made his throat tighten.
he knelt down, resting a hand on the boy’s head, fingers threading through soft brown hair and scratching gently behind one furry ear.
"...yeah," he said quietly. "i’m home."
and caleb just smiled, tail wagging happily.
but overtime, the pup grew... clingy.
at first, zayne chalked it up to fear. caleb followed him everywhere—the kitchen, the study, even the bathroom door if zayne wasn’t fast enough to close it. a small boy, no older than five in appearance, with fluffy white ears and a bushy tail, latched onto his leg and refused to let go.
“caleb,” zayne sighed, reaching down to pry him off. “i need to go to work.”
“no,” caleb said, muffled against zayne’s pant leg.
“you can’t just say ‘no’—”
“i can!” his tail wagged as he clung tighter. “you’re my mate, so you should stay with me!”
zayne pinched the bridge of his nose. “you don’t even know what that means.”
“yes, i do!” caleb insisted, ears perked in determination. “mates stay together forever. and when i grow up, i’ll marry you!”
zayne assumed it was just a phase. caleb would grow out of it. surely.
(he didn't.)
hybrids grew up quickly, their aging slowing only once they reached adulthood.
and caleb grew up becoming a strong, capable young man. he excelled at physical training, eventually joining the air force as a pilot, his hybrid instincts making him exceptionally skilled in the air.
zayne, ever the workaholic, continued his life as a cardiac surgeon (now chief), watching as caleb carved his own path.
but some things never changed.
even as an adult, caleb still sought out zayne’s warmth, draping himself over the surgeon’s shoulders after a long day, ears twitching as he listened to zayne mutter about work. and zayne, despite all his protests, never pushed him away.
instead, he reached up, fingers gently brushing through caleb’s hair, scratching just behind his fluffy ears in the way he liked.
caleb’s tail flicked in satisfaction.
zayne shook his head. "you’re too spoiled..."
and caleb just laughed, snuggled even closer.
what also hadn’t changed was his possessiveness.
zayne learned this the hard way when a deliveryman came by with a package.
“please sign here, sir,” the courier said, barely hiding the nervous tremble in his voice.
that was because caleb, standing behind zayne, had an arm looped around his waist, pressing against his back like a shield. his violet-indigo eyes locked onto the poor deliveryman like he was an intruder in his territory.
zayne sighed. “caleb.”
caleb’s grip tightened.
zayne elbowed him in the stomach—lightly, since he knew it wouldn’t do much—but it was enough for caleb to reluctantly let go. “i don’t like him,” caleb muttered under his breath, ears twitching in irritation.
the courier forced out a nervous laugh. “i, uh, i’m just here for the package, sir—”
caleb growled.
the mailman audibly gulped.
zayne signed the form, shoving it back into the poor man’s hands before caleb could do something stupid. as soon as the door shut, he turned to caleb with his arms crossed.
“you need to stop that.”
caleb huffed, crossing his own arms in defiance. “you don’t need other people when you have me.”
“that’s not how this works.”
“that’s how mates work,” caleb shot back.
zayne exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. “you’re not a kid anymore, caleb. you know i don’t see you like that.”
caleb’s ears flicked down, then back up, his expression unreadable. “...i know,” he murmured. then, more firmly, with a slow smile creeping onto his face, “but that’ll change soon.”
zayne had a feeling he wouldn’t like what caleb meant by that.
If I had a nickel for every time a boy who’s middle and last name was “Everett Hollow” fell in love with the human form of a sentient Key I’d have two nickels
Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it happened twice, right?
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!
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