Takarazuka Revue Art! Â
Hanagumi Top Hat, Horace during âWild About Youâ Scene. LMAO I canât get enough of Maiti being in that outfit and Maitiâs expressions are hilarious đđÂ
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will byers stan first human second
One Nice Bug Per Day
Misplaced Lens Cap

#extradirty

ellievsbear
Xuebing Du

Andulka
trying on a metaphor
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her

⣠Chile in a Photography âŁ
$LAYYYTER
Mike Driver
hello vonnie
Keni
Show & Tell
i don't do bad sauce passes
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
taylor price

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@lunarkyx
Takarazuka Revue Art! Â
Hanagumi Top Hat, Horace during âWild About Youâ Scene. LMAO I canât get enough of Maiti being in that outfit and Maitiâs expressions are hilarious đđÂ
â¤ď¸đ VSđđ
You can do it, Deep Cut.
Phantom Daimon
Rank and Hierarchy in Takarazuka Part 3: (Shinko) Leads, Dinnershows, and Retirement Red FlagsÂ
A major way of advancing on star track is getting lead roles. But if the Top Star gets all the leads, how does anyone else ever get a lead?
To be more precise, the Top Star gets the lead in every show that she is in. There are two types of performance: Grand Theatre performances and small theatre performances. Between Grand Theatre performances, the troupe gets split into two (and sometimes even three) for small theatre shows. These shows have shorter runs and, as the name suggests, happen in smaller theatres across Japan. Since the Top Star can only be in one show, the other show is free to be led by someone else. However, not all of these leads are equal; rather, their type and quantity function as stations on star track.Â
The schedule is organised in such a way that there are about 1.5-2 Grand Theatre shows (with runs that last around 2 months, half of which is in Takarazuka and half of which is in Tokyo) and 4 small theatre shows per troupe per year. This used to be different, because the runs were shorter and so there were more shows in a year, but this is the current schedule:
Image description: This image shows the Grand and Small Theatres in 2025. The two left columns are the Grand Theatre performances (Takarazuka and Tokyo), the three right columns are the small theatres. As you can see there is usually about a week-two week break between two halves of a grand theatre show.
Named Roles & Nibante Roles
Before a young sienne gets her first lead, she will start receiving named roles in shows. Most shows do not have more than 20 named roles; since thereâs 60 to 80 people on stage, a young sienne receiving a named role means she's getting attention. A named role is the first step towards a:Â
Shinjin Kouen Lead
The shinjinkouen ('rookie performance', often shortened to shinko) is a performance of a Grand Theatre show done entirely by the underclassmen, in order to give them the experience of performing more senior roles in the Grand Theatre. These happen twice during a Grand Theatre show's run; once in Takarazuka and once in Tokyo. These performances are meant to give underclassmen valuable stage experience and exposure. Accordingly, being cast as the lead or in the Nibante role is a huge vote of confidence. Generally speaking, a sienne needs at least one shinjinkouen lead to make it to Top Star (though there have been exceptions).Â
However, not all shinjinkouen leads are created equal. The earlier a sienne receives it, the better her chances on star track. This has resulted in the phenomenon of the 'last chance shinko lead'; when a sienne in her last year of eligibility receives the lead. While this does technically keep her on the board in terms of star track, it's usually a strong indicator that she's destined for support track instead and will not move onto the next step.
On top of this, non-lead roles in the Shinko can also be a strong indication of where someone is going. If a ken-1 or ken-2 sienne for example gets the san- or Nibante role in the shinko, this is a strong indication that sheâs on her way to a shinko lead and probably on the star track. However, similarly to getting a lead at all, the meaning of receiving one of these roles also changes with seniority. If a sienne hasnât gotten a shinko lead by ken-5 but sheâs getting a nibante role in the shinko, the chances that sheâs on the support track also increase.Â
Small Theatre Leads
The Bow Hall is a tiny theatre in the same complex as the Takarazuka Grand Theatre, just the right size for a sienne's first proper lead (with only 526 seats to fill versus the Grand Theatreâs 2550). After a sienne has a shinko lead under her belt, getting her own lead show in this theatre is the next stop. Before this can happen, however, she needs to have been given a Nibante role in a small theatre show, usually a bow lead of a slightly older junior sienne.Â
The real big leagues, however, are the two-city leads. As the name suggests, these are small theatre shows that run in two different theatres, allowing the company to gauge sales and popularity. In general, you need to have one of these under your belt to even become Nibante, though it may also happen early in oneâs Nibante career.Â
A Nibante, however, may also go on tour, touring their small theatre lead around venues in different prefectures of Japan (compared to performing exclusively in Tokyo and Osaka/Takarazuka City for the rest of the shows). Unlike the shinko, Bow Hall, and two-city leads, a tour lead is not considered necessary to become Top Star; they're too logistically complex to be guaranteed for every Nibante. However, they are such a huge vote of confidence in a Nibante that they end up becoming a bit of a victory lap. If a Nibante goes on tour, you should expect the Top Star to retire imminently.
Dinner Shows
Dinnershows are small-scale concert like performances that include a dining experience. The only people that generally get these are sanbantes, Nibantes or Topstars (and occasionally Senka performers). If a Nibante gets one, it usually means she's about to become Top Star. If a sanbante gets one, she's probably about to retire, but there could be other reasons. This used to not really be a very strong indicator, it used to just be something that happened more commonly and more people got to do dinnershows, but this has been very streamlined over the last few years.
Retirement Red Flags
Yes, I said 'retire'. Most siennes eventually leave the company to pursue other professional and personal goals. This is called taidan (or graduation). Top Stars always leave after their tenure ends, with the exception of a few who have instead gone to senka (this is very uncommon).Â
A âregularâ Top Star run lasts between 5-7 Grand Theatre shows, which amounts to around 3-4 years. There are outliers, some people only stay for a year, and occasionally someone stays much longer, but in general if you're trying to predict what's going to happen, that is a good average to bet on.
Just like any other happenings on the star track, there are signs that someone is about to retire that you can see in a variety of ways. The 'red flags' you can see for this on stage include (but are not limited to):
Extremely On the Nose show titles referencing: The Top Star's name or Troupe (ex: Dramatic S, as in Top Star Sagiri Seina)Â or the concept of rebirth or change (ex: Phoenix Takarazuka)
a Nibante or sanbante that hasnât had a lead in years suddenly restaging very prestigious show
The show summary referring to something being written very specifically for a sienne
A Top Star gets a specific show they have wanted to do for FOREVER.Â
The Top Star gets a dinner show.
The Top Musumeyaku gets a dinner show (usually a sign the Top Musumeyaku is leaving).
The Top Musumeyaku getting a two-city lead with the Nibante is usually a sign the Top Star is about to retire but the Musumeyaku is staying.
The Top Star getting a concert in a special venue (like a big concert hall). This is a special occasion that often happens in their last year with the company.
Summary/TL;DR
The way Takarazuka leads are distributed and what they are can tell you a lot about someone's career trajectory and can therefore be interesting to track.
PS: I'm sure I've forgotten plenty of Taidan Flags, add them in your comments/reblogs!!
Rank and Hierarchy in Takarazuka Part 5: Offstage Track Shenanigans
In addition to what's happening on stage, there are signals you can track offstage as well. The company tightly controls what the audience sees offstage, including on social media, which means that a lot of things are done with clear intention. Two key places to look are on television and in merchandise.
Sky Stage & TV Programming
Takarazuka has a subscription based television channel called Sky Stage, which airs performances, news, and original programming. Naturally, this offers even more avenues for siennes on the star track. For instance, the news programming on Sky Stage, which reports on what's happening on stage, is usually presented by one or more siennes. Being a news presenter is a way to gain visibility with the company and has definite track implications.
There is also TV programming for Takarazuka on other channels. One such program is Cafe Break, an interview program in which siennes talk about the current show in which they are performing. If a sienne receives the shinko lead for a particular show, sheâs probably also going to appear on Cafe Break.Â
Merchandise
As I mentioned, Takarazuka sells a lot of merchandise. Here, too, you can divine a lot of information. For instance, Top Stars have their own personal merch lines, and how long each merch line lasts can tell you whether or not she is retiring soon. Merch lines run for about 6 Grand Theatre performances (but may be stretched to 7). If a new merch line isn't announced for a Top Star between her 5th and 6th Grand Theatre performances, that is mostly like because she is retiring on that 6th performance. No point in releasing a whole new merch line if your Top Star is retiring, after all!Â
Program Books, Posters, and Stage Photos
Like most theatre companies, Takarazuka produces programs for each performance and, of course, those programs reflect track. Each program contains headshots (called stills) of the entire cast, and the size and type of those stills can be very informative.Â
Naturally, the more important you are, the bigger your still in the program is. The Top Star and Top Musumeyaku will have a full page spread each. The Nibante will have half a page, and the sanbante will have a quarter page. If there is no Nibante or the Nibante is in another show, the sienne playing the second lead will have a smaller still, probably the same size as the sanbante.Â
There are two types of stills: costume and simple. Costume stills are, obviously, in costume, while simple stills are basic headshots in a black tailcoat (otokoyaku) or dress (musumeyaku) that are used for multiple shows. Generally, the upperclassmen will be in costume and the underclassmen will be in the simple outfits. The exception to this would be whether or not someone has had a shinko lead or a significantly large role in a show; a sienne will usually receive a costume still at that point. As stated earlier, there are no takebacks on track, so once you start getting costume stills, you will not go back to the simple stills.Â
[Image description: Three pages from a performance program showing the lead's still, costume stills, and simple stills.]
Every show also gets a promotional poster (called a chirashi in Japanese) to advertise the show. At times, who is on these posters and in what way can also give us clues about what is happening on the track. The Top Star and Top Musumeyaku obviously always feature, except if the Top Musumeyaku spot is vacant. The Nibante is also always there, but the way in which they feature depends on their seniority. If theyâre just starting, theyâre usually shown as a tiny still in the corner of the poster. However, if they have been Nibante for a while, they will actually be part of the main image on the poster. Some posters will have five or more people. This generally happens if the hierarchy is not very clearly defined or if the star track is full of people to promote. You can tell someoneâs rank on the poster by how big they are depicted on it. If the sanbante and Nibante are taking up the same amount of space, something is probably afoot.
[Image description: Three posters. From left to right, we see a new Nibante featured with a small still, a Nibante on the poster proper, and an ensemble poster.]
Once a sienne hits a certain rank (usually gobante), she might also start being featured in the stage photos (bromides) that are sold for every show and the glamour shot postcards that Takarazuka sells. You can tell a lot about someoneâs rank based on the amount of stage photos they get: the more they get, the more important they are A Top Star might get any from 14 to 16, a Nibante might get 6 to 8, a sanbante might get 4 to 6, and so on, based on seniority and rank.Â
[Image description: A screenshot of a small selection of stage photos that Takarazuka sells for a performance.]
Photobooks
Takarazuka produces a number of photobooks and, naturally, these photobooks have track implications. Two particular photobook series are the Rising Star Guide and the (creatively named) 1st photobook series. The intermittently produced Rising Star Guide features the current prominent junior siennes (yonbante or lower) on both star and support track. The 1st photobook series occurs every few years and is, as the name suggests, the first photobook for a star tracked sienne, usually by the time she is yonbante or sanbante. Getting this photobook is a big deal and likely means they're going places.
A Nibante on the verge of becoming Top Star will sometimes get a photobook at that time, and every Top Star gets a photobook before they retire.Â
Magazine Covers and Features
Takarazuka publishes two magazines, Graph and Kageki. Prominent coverage, including the cover and interview features, are also big signs for track. Generally speaking, only Top Stars get a Graph cover to themselves. However, if the Nibante gets a cover, that could be a sign she's about to become Top Star... or it might be a parting gift for her impending retirement. The sanbante only makes the cover in a group of three people. Should that sanbante suddenly be on the cover with the Top Musumeyaku, however, that usually means she's about to be promoted.Â
Calendars
Takarazuka produces a lot of different calendars that feature different configurations of siennes. Basic ones include:
The Top Star Calendar (wall and desk) - Every Top Star gets these
The Nibante Calendar (wall only) - Every official Nibante gets these. If someone is performing Nibante-level roles but does not have this calendar, she is not officially Nibante.
The sanbante Calendar (wall, single page) - A new type of calendar for sanbante and sometimes brobante.Â
The more complicated ones that give interesting signals are:Â
The Junior Calendar (desk)- A calendar featuring a collection of rising star track and support track otokoyaku up to yonbante level. If a junior sienne appears in this calendar, that is generally a sign they are on star track to some degree. If they have a page to themselves after they become an upperclassman, they are star tracked. If they share their page with junior siennes after they become an upperclassman, they are support tracked. Â
The Star Calendar (wall) - A calendar with offstage glamour shots, featuring the Top Star, Top Musumeyaku, Nibante, and sometimes sanbante. If someone in this calendar is sharing a page with someone else, that means theyâre lower in the rankings.Â
The Stage Calendar (wall) - A calendar with on-stage glamour shots, featuring people from the Top Star down to the sanbante, and occasionally the yonbante. Making it to this calendar is a big sign a yonbante is going PlacesTM. A brobante can sometimes also make this calendar if theyâre prominent enough.Â
The Stage and Star calendars can also tell you if someone is going to retire soon. As a general rule, a sienne in will not appear on these calendars after her retirement. So if, say, your Top Star is retiring in June, she might be on the calendar pages for February and May, but nothing past the month of June. This generally means that anyone featured in the last few months of the year will probably not be retiring that year. The exception to this 'rule' is that whoever appears in January doesn't seem to retire that year either.Â
Summary & Conclusion
Taken separately, you might think these things are all very small details, but they are all consistent aspects of life on the Takarazuka stage. At the end of the day, the basic thing it all boils down to is visibility, the more options a Takarasienne has to be visible to the audience, the better her chances on the track, but as you can also see from all the above described aspects of that, this can be constrained or increased by her seniority, and the way certain things signal changes or promotions are quite clear when you have the full picture.Â
Rank and Hierarchy in Takarazuka Part 1: The Anatomy of a Takarazuka Troupe
As I mentioned in my intro explainer for âso youâre new to takarazukaâ, Takarazuka works with what we in the fandom tend to call the Top Star system. I explained very briefly what the Top Star and Top Musumeyaku are, but I didnât really go into a lot of detail because it can be overwhelming.
I thought, however, that it might be fun to have a deep dive into the different ranks and roles (both official and unofficial) that are part of a Takarazuka troupe and how siennes move up through the ranks, so that when youâre watching shows and getting to know people, you kind of have some idea of what might be going on âpoliticallyâ within the troupe hierarchy. This will be a six part series doing mini deep dives into all the different aspects of the takarazuka hierarchy and Top Star system. All of these deep dives are put together with the help of eralk, chem, rin, and panda! Thanks guys!
My left hand picks you up
My right hand lets go of you
When I clasp my palms together,
you are completely drawn back into my heart
BADDYÂ
tsukishiro kanato first photobookÂ
So You're New To Takarazuka (2025 Edition)
This is a slightly revised and updated version of my 2022 post, because with Castlevania it seems we might be seeing a lot of new takarazuka fans, which I remember as being kind of overwhelming.
This post will share a lot with my previous one, except that it is up to date ^_^ So first of all: Hi! Welcome! Hope you enjoy the musicals and like the glitter!
Second of all, I know this fandom can be very different, a little bit (sometimes a lot) confusing, and definitely overwhelming, so I thought it might be helpful to make a bit of an introduction post, for if youâve mostly seen memes or clips. So with that, here we are!
So Youâre New to Takarazuka, what do you need to know?
(images: posters for Castlevania and Rose of Versailles)
Rei Makoto as Luce d'Orgon and Maisora Hitomi as Angelique for A Second Fortuitous Meeting Next Generation ~Midnight Girlfriend~ (2022) đ
Scanned from my personal collection.
#takarazuka revue #takarazuka #hoshigumi #reimakoto #maisorahitomi #forever love this show bruh
Yuzuka Ray, Today: 6 months after graduating from Takarazuka, has her eyes set on sharing the stage with âthe ballet princeâ â Part 1
(interview conducted by Iizuka Tomoko)
everyone read !!! gorgeous beautiful show star dance star headlining the mathieu ganio special gala new concert coming this january!!!!
(i miss translating, i really do.... but i always love to read others translate rei things too, that makes me learn more about translation, so thank you lena! i will return with more after my exams tho :)
Especial Time: Minami Maito Ă Maisora Hitomi (from GRAPH 2020 May) đЎ
Scanned from my personal collection.
Translated interview by @yuzukahibiscus under the cut!
Maisora Hitomi Ă Minami Maito Special Talk for Maisora's photobook Sincerely ~my twinkling dreams~
Scanned from my personal collection.
Translated interview by @yuzukahibiscus under the cut!
please be aware that the Takarazuka Fanclub Amino account is completely fraudulent and basically fanfiction. It is full of translation errors, unsourced information, and Stuff That Is Just Made Up (often aimed at bashing specific performers)
It also claims to be moderated by an OG but these claims are as far as I can tell ridiculously unfounded because like, lol, no
this is not to discount that there are issues within Takarazuka/the Hankyu company, but spreading absurd gossip helps none of that
minami maito in fashionable empire (2022)
SEWATCH (95th Class) â 2016 Archives
From 2010, Takarazuka GRAPH has a corner for introducing classmates (douki) in our colour pages. 95th class is the 6th edition and we now disclose excerpts of writer Seo Yuria (Seocchi) and her classmates.
~ Taken from August 2021 GRAPH.