I'm new here. If it's okay, could you recommend some good Takarazuka productions? I've only seen Elizabeth and I liked it a lot, but I'm pretty much still a newcomer so I don't know where to go from here. Variety is welcome.
Of course I can!! It fully depends on what sorts of shows you like, but here are a couple recommendations in a few different genres, their takawiki pages are all linked and I've included trailers or clips where possible.
It is totally fair that you have no idea where to go, Takarazuka has a huge body of work, so there is a lot to choose from! Please keep in mind that I am very biased and that my reccomendations are not the only good shows out there, but I hope this might be helpful to you!
1. European Musicals & Broadway Musicals
Takarazuka has done a few other famous European musicals (like Elisabeth), and a number of Broadway shows. These tend to be fully sung through and are usually very highbudget productions with a LOT of very good costumes. If that kind of thing is your deal, then this is a list you might enjoy:
Romeo et Juliette (Various Troupes)
Performed by multiple troupes, much like Elisabeth was, this one is an originally french fully sung through version of the Shakespeare play which makes it easy to follow if your Japanese isn't that amazing. It's heartwrenching and the music is really beautiful. I personally love the 2010 and 2011 versions best, but there are a lot of options! Here's a short official digest from the 2021 version, and here is a clip from the 2011 version.
1789 (Tsukigumi)
Another banger, also a french musical, but this time about the French revolution. Also completely sung through (shortclip here), A very tragic story with beautiful costumes and in Marie Antoinette you'll find a character similar to Sisi.
Don Juan (Yukigumi)
This one is originally Canadian, and it was only performed in a small theatre setting, but it’s also fully sung through and slaps. It’s based on the opera Don Giovanni, very tragic, and very filled with ambiguous gay pining. My one warning for this one is that it falls victim to Takarazuka’s tendency to use tan makeup for the spanish characters, which is here unfortunately the case here. I have a clip of one of the songs up here.
Me and My Girl (Tsukigumi)
Based on a british musical that was partially re-written by Stephen Fry, this one is absolutely hilarious. It tells the story of a young poor man from the wrong side of london who suddenly becomes the heir to a huge fortune. Many shenanigans ensue. Takarazuka has performed this show many different times, so you have a whole bunch of versions to choose from. My personal favourites are the 2008 and 2013 ones. Here’s some scenes.
Ernest in Love (Tsukigumi, Hanagumi)
Based on Oscar Wilde’s novel “the Importance of being Earnest”, this is a comedy or errors. The musical is based on an off-broadway production. You will laugh until you cry, I promise. There is a song in this called “A Handbag is not a proper mother” and I think that should say enough.
Other REALLY GOOD ONES in this category that you could look up but that I don’t wanna summarise:
Napoleon (Hoshigumi), le Roi Soleil (Hoshigumi), Le Roi Arthur (Tsukigumi), Guys and Dolls (Tsuki, Hoshi), Phantom (not the ALW one, another version, Sora, Hana, Yuki), Anastasia (Soragumi), South Pacific (Hoshigumi), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Hoshigumi, Tsukigumi).
2. Zuka Original Musicals
The Brothers Karamazov (Yukigumi)
This one is one of my alltime favourite shows - a musical based on the book of the same name by Dostoyevski. It focusses on three brothers and how they deal with the murder of their father, which the oldest is accused of having committed. You’ll find of brotherhood, family, honour, and love, a killer score, and some of the best acting performances.
Oceans 11 (Hoshi, Hana, Sora)
This one is based on the movie of the same name, and is just a really fun heist show that really lets all its performers shine. In my opinion it’s one that might be more fun to wait a little while with, since I didn’t really start enjoying it until I loved the cast and could just enjoy the shenanigans, since the plot isn’t exactly rocket science.
Rose of Versailles (Various)
As you can see from the castlists I linked, this show has been performed approximately a bajillion times. It is one of Takarazuka’s most famous pieces, and is based on a manga by the same name. It stars Oscar, a girl raised as a boy who is the commander of the guard for Marie Antoinette and ends up embroiled in the revolution. It is very Peak Takarazuka, including the fact that Oscar is played by an otokoyaku. I would personally reccomend not immediately starting on it unless you are already familliar with french history or the manga, as it is a lot of talking and can be confusing if your japanese is limited. Here is a scene.
3. Tragedies
These are a couple of my favourite tragedies that takarazuka ever put on. If you like crying, these are for you:
Romeo & Juliet 99 (Hanagumi)
While Romeo to Juliette is a french musical, this is a different adaption of Romeo and Juliet that Takarazuka did in 1999 for a special shakespeare bow series, and if you like having your heart shattered into 1000 tiny pieces and then have it be trampled, this is the version for you. It takes place in a sort of postapocalyptic modern universe, and it is probably the most heartwrenching RJ I have ever seen. This gives a pretty good vibe.
Hoshiai Hitoyo (Yukigumi)
“One Night Of Stars” (the english title) is about the tragic love triangle and relationship between a young japanese lord and two villagers that he grew up with. It was written by a rising star director in the company and won a prize for the writing. While this is a nihonmono, it’s easy to folllow and very accesible due to its themes. It both breaks and heals you and the love triangle here is nothing like what you might expect. The acting is incredible. It’s beautiful, tragic, and so deeply human, definitely one of takarazuka’s modern masterpieces. Please watch this show. Here is the official pressconference.
Silver Wolf (Tsukigumi, Yukigumi)
A play about an assassin with memory loss and a secret heart of gold, who has to try and find his past while dealing with a political plot in a fictional european country. Kind of noir/thriller-y, incredible score. I personally reccomend the Yuki version because it’s got better sets and more budget, but they’re both fantastic. Here is the 2005 opening song.
La Mariposa (Yukigumi)
This is also one of my absolute favourite plays takarazuka has ever done. It’s about a revolutionary ex-soldier who gets embroiled in a political plot on his little fictional island in the americas and is loosely based on the cuban revolution. The score is incredible, the acting is superb, and there is so so so much pining. You will probably cry, I certainly did.
People Who Have Wings (Soragumi)
This is a play by the same lady who wrote Hoshiai and it’s absolutely fantastic. It examines the life of composers Brahms and the Schumanns. Brahms lived with them for a while during his early career and the relationship that develops between the three of them is at the centre of the play. It mostly uses music from their original compositions as its score and has amazing dancing too.
4. Comedies
Takarazuka has a bunch of really amazing comedies. These are some of my favourites that I also think are good and fun for someone who is just getting into zuka. There’s some really meta comedies (like Season of Angels & God of Stars) that I would reccomend to long time fans, but they are funnier if you’re already familliar with takarazuka as a concept and the tropes that show up there.
The Counts Daughter (Yukigumi)
A comedy about mistaken identities, memory loss and a guy learning how to be a decent person. This is based on a manga by the same name. There is intrige, shenanigans, and a lot of heart.
Lupin III (Yukigumi)
A comedy about a heist artist accidentally travelling in time to the french revolution and becoming embroiled in the scandal of Marie Antoinette’s stolen diamond necklace. It’s deeply charming and extremely ridiculous, and has a really good ensemble cast that lets everyone shine. Based on the Lupin III anime series. Here’s one of the opening songs.
Puck (Tsukigumi)
A hilarious retelling of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream from Puck’s point of view that places it in a more modern context and has a really fun reimagining of all the characters and their respective relationships. An interesting aspect is that Puck (the lead) loses his voice for half of the show and therefore can only act with gestures and actions rather than lines which is uncommon. Also there’s rollar skates on stage. Here’s a scene from the oldest version of the play.
Meguriai 1, 2 + 3 (Hoshigumi)
A series of three different plays (the most recent of which is currently running) which start with a comedy of errors of a prince pretending to be his own servant who falls in love with a princess who is pretending to be her servant.
City Hunter (Yukigumi)
One of Yukigumi’s recent shows based on the City Hunter manga/anime, sometimes a little outdated in the humor, but really fun and fast paced. Here’s the official digest.
5. Nihonmono
This is a category of shows that might be slightly more complicated to follow, since they tend to use more difficult and archaic language. Nihonmono are Japanese-style plays, usually taking place in the past (although that qualifier is often debated in the fandom). They are generally a yukigumi specialty, but other troupes also perform them. Although there are beginner-friendly ones, as a rule I would get into them a little later. I’ll give a couple short summaries:
Bakumatsu Taiyouden (Yukigumi) - a comedy taking place in the Bakumatsu era of a dying man who interjects himself into other peoples problems.
Yumesuke (Yukigumi) - a comedy about a very kind and very rich young man who travels to edo and solves everyone’s problems.
Maeda Keiji (Yukigumi) - I’m not sure how to describe this one. There is a horse-suit with two people in it. It’s very funny.
Castle of the White Heron (Soragumi) - a nihonmono revue based on Japanese mythology.
Mugen Musou (Tsukigumi) - the story of Miyamoto Musashi.
Yoake no Jokyoku (Hanagumi) - the story of a Meiji Japanese acting troupe that tries to make it in America.
6. Lost's Special Interest Shows
These are shows I just personally really really love that might be fun, but I won’t make you read whole paragraphs about them:
Je T’Aime (Yukigumi) - a young man has to get married in order to inherit his fathers fortune, but falls in love with the lead performer in a local circus (comedy).
Lancelot (Hoshigumi) - a retelling of the legend of king arthur from lancelots pov.
Nijinsky (Yukigumi) - the life of Vaslav Nijinsky, Sagiri Seina really kills it with the emotions and the dancing. Also features one of the few otokoyaku-on-otokoyaku kisses in a play context.
The Dawn at Solferino (Yukigumi) - the heartwrenching tale of two groups of soldiers stuck in a church together during the battle of Solferino, and the birth of the red cross.
Legend of the Phoenix (Sora, Tsuki) - a retelling of the opera Turandot, featuring some truly stunning music.
Rome at Dawn (Tsukigumi) - a rock musical about the death of Ceasar from Brutus pov.
Canaria (Hanagumi) - a play about a demon in training who has to get a human to sell their soul to him to graduate, and falls in love with the girl in question.
Lucifers Tears (Yukigumi) - It’s christmas and the devil is on earth to wreak some havoc, while posing as a ballet dancer.
Dark Brown Eyes (Various) - a young soldier gets lost in a storm and becomes friends with the leader of his enemies on accident.
7. Revues
Part of the fun with Takarazuka is their revues, which are themed musical/dance/song performances without specific plot (usually) that are often paired with a 1-act play. I have a number of plays in the list above that come with revues attached. Here’s a few fun reccomendations for every troupe:
Takarazuka’s Dancing Dreams (Hanagumi)- revue themed around greek mythology with the topstar as zeus, really fun, clever, and exceptionally campy.
Baddy (Tsukigumi) - plotted revue, earth is a utopia until Bad PeopleTM arrive from their colony on the moon and make trouble. Funny, touching, good music.
Crystal Takarazuka (Tsukigumi)- this one just really slaps ok, and it has a cinderella scene.
Miroirs (Yukigumi) - a revue themed on mirrors and illusions. There’s a scene where the topstar is medusa in this.
Greatest Hits (Yukigumi)- jukebox revue with western music, full of bangers, and the ghost busters theme.
Etoile (Hoshigumi) - a revue based around the zodiac with really fun scenes for every different sign.
Hot Eyes (Soragumi) - revue that makes extensive use of the takarazuka grand staircase, a lot of dancing ON the stairs, and very rude otokoyaku.
Citrus Breeze (Soragumi)- soragumi’s first revue ever, kind of iconic because of its history, often been repeated.
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