I didn’t think I could put together a solid write-up for this, but in true slow-starter Komu fashion, the Tokyo run has been a vast improvement over Osaka. And in true Carly fashion, I’ve gotten more and more sentimental as my departure date approaches. Even if it didn’t melt my face off, future Carly will undoubtedly want a record of every possible Komu thing...
This Roman Holiday is not a musical like the ChigiMiyu version, and thus it happens to be the first time I’ve seen Komu in a straight play (because normally if I’m going to shell out over $1000 in airfare just for the right to buy tickets to something, she better be either dancing or touching me). But since it worked out that I already happened to be here, it’s a different experience that I’m glad I could have. Not that her acting hasn’t been great in the musicals I’ve seen, but this is the first time I feel like I’m focusing on just that, and I really appreciate how polished she’s become.
The show is pretty much a straight adaptation of the film, and even goes as far as adopting a black and white movie aesthetic; the sets and costumes are all monochromatic, the Rome scenery is projected, and the lighting tricks are very cool. They enter and exit through the audience a lot more frequently than the stage wings; this was a more fun/intimate experience in the weird circular Setagaya Public Theater than in Drama City, which is small but not tiny.
Roman Holiday is a fluff piece so I don’t think it would blow me away no matter what, but the main reason I’m not thoroughly wowed is Komu’s costar, Yoshida Eisaku. He was super flat at first and has escalated to what I’d call fine, but he doesn’t annunciate, his voice is raspy and difficult to hear (even my Japanese friends said so), and he’s given off an air of boredom and self-entitlement during the curtain calls and after talks. The real kicker though is the lack of chemistry; what’s even the point of Roman Holiday if you’re not buying into the romance? I think to the average casual theatergoer they are probably quite an impressive pair: he’s a big shot TV drama star (with a ton of fans ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), and Komu probably looks more like Audrey Hepburn than Audrey Hepburn did at 45. But since I know her and care deeply about her and can tell when she’s not completely comfortable because things like the pitch of her voice and her smile and her mannerisms change, I’m just not immersed in the fantasy, and it would be a much better experience if I was. I’ve seen more convincing Takarazuka kisses than when he mashes his face into the reluctant side of her cheek every day. I understand that chemistry takes two, but if we’re kicking someone out of Roman Holiday, it’s not going to be the Audrey-looking goddess.
But speaking of the Audrey-looking goddess, in isolation she’s a dream. In this case I almost resent that she’s so stunningly gorgeous and a dead ringer for Princess Ann, because despite her beautiful nuanced acting, her looks are all anyone can talk about (specifically re: her age). NOT THAT I’M MAD ABOUT LOOKING AT HER, but I’m much more impressed by the little twinge I get in my chest every time this wide-eyed naive princess feels a strong emotion she can’t hide. The ONE DAY I had a good seat right in front of the little stage stairs, she even managed to cook up some real tears as she came down to pose dramatically in front of me before exiting; I wanted to applaud her all by myself.
One more tomorrow and then back home </3 Although West Side Story is already giving me bad ideas...
I paid a truly stupid amount of money for a live view ticket, because I couldn’t not see them off. I’m stunned by my own feelings; it’s not like I didn’t know I loved this troupe, but god, I’m a mess... truly an embarrassing level of mess for someone whose fave just became top star. I don’t know if I’m better or worse off with these memories swirling in my head... but I think I’d regret it if I didn’t have them.
This lasted minutes shy of FIVE HOURS, by the way.
Chigi came out for Bakumatsu with her eyes watering. She pulled it together quickly.
The duet in the middle was rough (for those who haven’t seen it, the entire cast gathers for a festival scene. Chigi and Miyu break off, Miyu starts talking about how she’s been in the same place her whole life and wants to see and try new things. They start singing about an imagined future). Miyu was a champ, but the way Chigi looked at her through the whole song was incredibly painful. She ultimately didn’t break, but it looked as if the planned coughing fit that comes at the end of it saved her.
Chigi broke Daimon with an ad lib. It’s killing me that I didn’t understand what she said in her silly Saheji voice, but grumpy samurai Daimon crumbled instantly into the biggest realest Daimon smile.
The tridente song at the end was also rough, all three burning and eyes watering, Daimon smiling so hard to keep from falling apart
Daimon blew Chigi a huge kiss on the ginkyou during the Dramatic S prologue
Everything went smoothly until Kizuna, in which everyone with a solo cried through the entire thing (except Daimon, who managed to sing her part and then cry). Saki’s solo was pretty damn long for that much crying. Hime (HIME!!) dances front and center at one point and ugly cried through that. Right when Chigi sang “grab my hand tight and don’t let go,” Daimon grabbed onto her with both hands, stared her down with the biggest saddest craziest smile, and wouldn’t let go—Chigi had to tear herself away to keep dancing. Chigi’s entire face was soaking wet.
Miyu, bless her, has a light happy number right after that mess. She managed to smile through it, but her whole voice sure didn’t come out.
Chigi was choked up at the beginning of the kuroenbi, but got it together. GOD, it’s such a good kuroenbi.
The duet dance went smoothly. Daimon survived the kage solo (this was a concern). Chigi and Miyu looked at each other so hard, and hugged each other so genuinely.
The sayonara show went very smoothly. Every duet dance is beautiful; the scene where they make Daimon sing standing alone opposite every other taidansha is super unfair
Ryoko, Anri, Momo, Gaori, and Dai were glowing through their final speeches, overflowing with feeling but full and grateful and ready. It hurts so much on a personal level to see Gaori go, but her enormous radiant smile helped a little. Dai had a cheering section on the second floor that surprised her into the most adorable confused expression... and she admitted her time in this Yukigumi was her happiest.
Miyu, who’d remarkably held it together better than anyone, started her speech glowing, and finally broke when she had to say Chigi’s name out loud
Tomomin, in a gorgeous black dress and sparkling necklace, gave Chigi her flowers
Chigi refused to let her voice break or stop smiling, but a steady stream of tears flowed down her face the whole time. She switched into 1000% Chigi mode to protect herself through the curtain calls. She and Miyu were so ChigiMiyu. If there ever was a ship that sailed itself...
Even kumichou broke, I think when introducing Takarazuka Forever. Poor Hitoko was an utter bawling disaster.
Select quotes from Chigi’s press conference...
“In the time since I encountered it I’ve devoted myself completely to Takarazuka. It’s my everything.”
Her future plans are a “military secret.”
“There is nothing else I desire; the path I had the privilege of walking in my Takarazuka life brought me so much happiness, I think God would be angry if I asked for anything more.”
“I can’t imagine myself as anything but an otokoyaku, but from now on I think I’ll cheer on Takarazuka performances from the audience as hard as I can.”
[x]
Please, find happiness, hug your dog, and visit your sentimental marshmallow of a successor often <3
This was my first live Tsukigumi since Puck. And really, the only Tsukigumi I’d seen at all since then was Aasa’s A-EN and part of one Arthur stream... so yeah, long time no see, Tsukigumi. I’m not sure anything can beat HOT EYES!! in terms of how far past my expectations it flew... but this is a really close second.
All for One is an original Koike-sensei fantasy involving the Three Musketeers. It’s 2 acts, and I was concerned that it would be presented in a questionable state of doneness and not interesting enough to hold my inevitably sleep-deprived attention. I was very wrong!! The first thing I did after leaving the theater on Tuesday was hunt down a good seat for today, and now I’m kind of desperate for a third chance. This show presses buttons I didn’t know I had (but apparently denim capes and barrel throwing are real turn ons for me).
--BRIEF SUMMARY, WILL INCLUDE SPOILERS!--
The story is very silly even for a comedy, and nearly all the punchlines are pretty groan-worthy. Chapi is not actually Louis XIV but his twin sister; she was supposed to be tossed aside when they were born but they gave away the wrong baby, and raised her as a boy while frantically searching for the real Louis to no avail. So she’s assumed the role of king, and meets d’Artagnan (Tamakichi) when he’s brought in to give her fencing lessons. d’Artagnan gets overexcited and knocks her down, she gets upset (mostly from being compelled to fence in the first place) and orders him to leave the Musketeers. Later, sick and tired of pretending to be a man—especially now that her mother is trying to concoct a plot marry her off to the Queen of Spain (Umino Mitsuki) despite this lie—she puts on a dress and wig and goes out to mingle. She sees d’Artagnan in a bar drowning his sorrows with the other Musketeers, and starts engaging him in conversation in hopes of drawing his feelings toward “the king” out of him. They fall madly in love! Meanwhile, everyone else in the bar starts making fun of Cardinal Mazarin (Itsuki Chihiro), whose nephew Bernard (Tsukishiro Kanato) is the captain of the royal guard. Bernard and some guards walk in just in time to see this, and the Musketeers are ordered to disband as punishment. They find the real Louis while visiting Porthos who has taken another job as an actor, and the rest of the show is just kind of a general hullabaloo of Chapi trying to figure out how to avoid marriage and be with d’Artagnan, and the Musketeers trying to get the real Louis into the palace and their band back together, while Bernard continues trying to ruin everything. Act 1 felt more polished; it has some really big impressive musical numbers (and I’m always wowed by Tsukigumi’s overall vocal level when I see them live). Act 2 felt like Koike ran out of steam a little; it was more generic Takarazuka, and the final chaotic series of fights on the rotating stairs reminded me an awful lot of the end of Kenshin. He’s also clearly still really excited about sword noises (not complaining... so am I).
It’s not the story that I fell in love with as much as the incredible balance this troupe has APPARENTLY DEVELOPED WHILE I WASN’T LOOKING, and I think Koike’s biggest success here was putting every little piece in exactly the right place to maximize that balance. We all joke that Chapi is the real top star of Tsukigumi, but in All for One she essentially was. MiyaRuri and Toshi are so obviously more polished than Tamakichi, but they don’t hold back, and instead of showing her up it highlights her purity. Reiko definitely doesn’t mesh yet, but Bernard is a ridiculous character, so she’s free to be awkward for now and still totally succeed... plus she’s a type that I think really adds something to the troupe. Ari has the challenge of being overly masculine and funny, and she’s still finding her feet but it’s a great time to make her try this. The energy of the troupe overall has gotten so much less competitive and more FUN AND HAPPY since the last time I watched them. I did not think making Tamakichi a premature top star would accomplish that, but it seems it did, and I’m so glad I was wrong... this Tsukigumi is truly a delight, and I hate them a little for making me want to continue throwing them my money.
My highlights...
Manaki Reika as Louis XIV/Louise: Completely the star. Every time I see Chapi I think about that 2012 Christmas TV special where she barely knew how to talk, and every bit of growth makes it harder to believe she’s the same person. It’s so fun to see her dance, order people around, do a boy and a girl and both voices (and SING in both voices) all in the same show. I also love that they don’t make her do the standard musumeyaku only-think-of-your-partner thing, and lower herself to raise Tamakichi up; it was so much fun with them both at the center.
Tamaki Ryou as d’Artagnan: I found Tamakichi SO COMPLETELY CHARMING in this, she has the overgrown puppy appeal dialed up to 1000. I just LOVE that they’re aware of her youth and USING IT instead of trying to hide it, and lord I hope that’s not a one-off thing. Having her play the wide-eyed hopeful pure hero/young man IN LOVE (circumstances be damned) worked so well, especially coupled with her very imposing stature—it was adorable. It’s kind of a weird feeling, because she’s definitely not my type, but I still loved watching her so much, just with like... a completely energizing and not life-ruining happiness. IMAGINE THAT.
Miya Rurika as Aramis:
You know that feeling, when you see that one role, played by someone who you *like* but who isn’t *yours* or anything, and you can’t even say “this was a brilliant portrayal because of xyz,” but you’re like, ok, this is just the trash can where I live now, please forward my mail...
That’s all I’m going to say, lest I risk descending into impurity.
(RIP the lady she targeted during her solo today, with a last second lunge, several rows back from her usual spot)
((Also, she just seems so much more comfortable with both Kacha and top stardom (?) out of the picture. I guess I don’t know if it’s just 3 years’ growth or if a weight really has left her shoulders, but either way it’s made her lethal x1000))
(((Also, her lips are like a Rococo painting. Who looks like that??)))
Uzuki Hayate as Athos: Not generally being a watcher of Tsukigumi, this is probably the first major thing I’ve ever seen Toshi do (although one time I took an internet quiz and it said she’d be my boyfriend). I do know this was kind of a big deal role for her to land, and I loved her in it very much. Her LOOK is ON POINT, and she really completed the chemistry of the main-4 group as the serious one. I particularly liked the dynamic between her and Ari, when they paired them—”SIGH, don’t drink that,” etc.
Akatsuki Chisei as Porthos: Ari still has a lot of growing to do, but her youthful exuberance and the fact that she’s a giant person worked really well for big, strong, (perpetually drunk?) Porthos. She also had some of my favorite individual scenes, featuring the hurling of shockingly large objects at her troupe mates. I’m glad she’s getting a role that’s forcing her to stretch herself, and I think more than anyone she’ll get better and better as the show progresses.
Tsukishiro Kanato as Bernard: Predictably, Reiko is completely Yukigumi... but in her favor, she BROUGHT THAT SHIT TO THE SWORD FIGHTS, dear lord girl. Bernard is a safe stretch for her, if that makes sense... it’s a comedic role, which is not her forte, but he’s ridiculous enough that she can go over the top with it, which I think is easier than finding subtlety. And she looks DAMN GOOD all in black, and consistently flanked by Kizuki Yuuma *swoon* and Chinami Karan, who also look damn good in their dark metallics and wildly colored hair (this show really is looks for days). Reiko has also adopted Chigi’s exact furrowed eyebrow smolder face for finale numbers, which is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and VERY WELL suited to her particular brand of otherworldly beauty.
Saou Kurama as the Dutchess of Montpensier: I’m here for Lady Koma. She’s in love with Louis and determined to teach him the joys of indulging in women until she figures out what’s really going on. It’s not a huge role and not strictly necessary, but it definitely adds another layer of charm and silliness to the story, and it is what it is specifically because it’s Koma.
I also particularly enjoyed Touka Yurino as Chapi’s mother.
I think I could watch this every day until I leave. I’m not even sure why I love it so much... it’s pretty dumb. But I love it. Tsukigumi, this was not our arrangement, you were supposed to leave me alone.
I always feel this weird sort of out-of-body sense of detachment in the Tokyo theater. It’s not home, I’m not grounded… you leave and it’s just Tokyo, no bowl of homemade oyakodon and sympathetic conversation waiting for you with open, friendly arms. I wound up watching Sou’s taidan here too, also in blistering heat. I so wish I’d seen this in Takarazuka, more times, and without such a vast sea of heads in front of me (although having the opportunity to read the July GRAPH talks first added some lovely nuanced depth to the pain).
I did not expect to be this invested in Chigi when my much-loved Sou left. The evolution of my interest in Chigi went from “I wish Kaname was still here” to “eh, I guess” to shattering my personal record for in-theater crying (and I’ve cried in *a lot* of theaters). She lasted longer than I expected, and no one leaving with her is a huge shock, but this taidan is gutting me. I love this Yukigumi so much. I’ve loved a lot of Yukigumis, but this one has its hooks in me real deep. And it feels like its soul is being torn out.
At my first viewing my friend flawlessly described Bakumatsu Taiyouden as “distilled essence of Chigi ft. Miyu’s beautiful voice.” It’s a perfect, lovingly crafted tribute to the Chigi-est parts of Chigi, which also means it’s an amazing troupe show.
::insert 7 minute crying break::
Koyanagi-sensei transformed what I thought was a really mediocre movie (that had me particularly worried Miyu would get shafted) into such a playful, fun, well-orchestrated musical. There are so many opportunities for ad-libs I think I could have gone every day of the run and not gotten tired of it. Even though I’d seen the movie, it was a bit difficult to follow at first; Chigi uses a silly voice and a lot of slang, and it’s kind of a slice of life story with a lot of random happenings going on as opposed to one continuous plot line… but it gets easier once you have a general picture of the character relationships. EVERY CHARACTER’s personality comes across so clearly even with no background (which was soooo refreshing after three viewings of Yamataikoku no Kaze), and I adore Koyanagi-sensei for how well she executed that.
Chigi’s character, Saheji, has contracted tuberculosis and has come to this inn/brothel by the sea to live out the rest of his life (I thought tuberculosis was highly contagious, but *SHRUG*). He winds up meddling, mostly hilariously, in all of the brothel’s drama. The best parts should be seen fresh so I won’t spoil them, but in general, this was so on-brand for Chigi’s comedic abilities, and it looked like she was having a TON of fun. Saheji and Osome (Miyu’s character) aren’t romantically involved, but they play off each other so well and there are so many opportunities for primarily MIYU TO TEASE CHIGI that it’s just beautiful.
Miyu is so heartbreakingly good in this show. Her growth over her tenure with Chigi has been incredible, and her Osome is overflowing with sass and confidence. She’s also dancing the best I’ve seen her dance and singing like an absolute angel; the last time I saw her live was in Kenshin when her voice was broken, so I was beyond happy to hear this. I’m so glad she’s going out on such an amazing performance, but also IT HURTS SO BAD. Lord I hope she continues a career on stage, because she is really blossoming right now… and depriving the world of the full bloom would be such a travesty.
The other taidansha: Anri landed the role of a lifetime with Koharu, Osome’s rival (and almost equal in terms of importance), and she slayed. Dai and Gaori don’t have a ton of stage time, but they each have their own very funny and memorable scenes, so charming that they don’t feel slighted. MomoHina and Miki are primarily dancers, but they get their time up front.
Daimon is the calm and collected leader of a team of hot-headed isolationist samurai comprised of Kiraha Reo, Tachibana Kou, Kanou Yuuri, Hinata Haruki, Suwa Saki, and Manomiya Rui (interestingly, Kari may have had more stage time than anyone other than Chigi and Miyu). And Shou I guess?? She seems to be part of their team but not 100% on board with their plans, which are to blow up the foreign traders’ living quarters. It’s definitely an amusing group; Daimon’s character is all SERIOUS BUSINESS, but between the ridiculousness of their plot and the buffoonery of her comrades it’s just as silly as everything else going on.
I was fawning over Saki after my jet lagged, unfed live viewing of Takarazuka senshuuraku. Unless she was particularly on fire that day, I’m not sure exactly what hit me quite so hard then… BUT, I DO really like this character for her. She’s the spoiled, kinda flamboyant, completely useless son of the two kumichou innkeepers, and she wore that really well. Since Kenshin was the first place I saw her start to level up, it was nice to see her do such a good job with something that could not be more different.
HIME was used properly, which is REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
My heart’s not really in summary and analysis… I just want to gush. Spoilers ahead.
Dramatic S is a roaring river of tears.
It doesn’t have a flashy theme; it reminds me of My Dream Takarazuka in that way, all soul-crushing lyrics and simple but sharp, passionate dance numbers. I find myself referencing most of the scenes by the color of the suit, versus “the pirate number” or “the gigolo number” or, you know, “the passion of the christ number,” etc. There isn’t a scene I don’t love, and all the music is beautiful; I’m excited to cry my eyes out at work while listening to the CD.
The part choreographed by Bryant Baldwin, in particular, was a spectacle. It wasn’t a flashing lights and glitter spectacle, but the dance was cool, aggressive, and visibly challenging, and it was full of little Chigi things—a Lupin heel click, a kizuna fist pump…
My kangeki schedule last year included HOT EYES!! and The Entertainer, both of which featured breathtaking special top star numbers: Maakun’s barefoot dance to Chopin under blue starlight, and Micchan ascending from the floor singing while playing a glass piano. I’ve had my fingers crossed since leaving The Entertainer that Chigi would get hers. At first I thought she didn’t, but she completely did. You’ve probably at least seen the mint green outfits in pictures floating around if you haven’t seen the show; they’re from this cruel, devastating Kizuna number. Everyone is in it, everyone is gushing Yukigumi pride… everyone lines up and Chigi looks at them one by one. Chigi’s masterpiece is this close-knit family she built, and they showed it off absolutely spectacularly. I have no idea how they’re going to be able to do it the last time without breaking down.
The kuroenbi is also devastating. Every otokoyaku (except for the newly assigned 103rds) is in it, because that’s what Chigi wanted. I lost it every time they knelt down on the stairs in her direction.
It’s hard to decide whether the Kizuna number or the duet dance is the most awful part. The dance is so stupid and tender and terrible, I need them to stop touching foreheads and looking at each other like that on loop in my memory so I can stop crying and see my damn screen.
……….
But as if that’s not bad enough, the song is so incredibly beautiful… Chigi starts singing it up on the stairs, and when she meets Miyu to dance Daimon’s voice takes over from the kage box. I was hoping that would happen… in her personal book’s Special Talk, Tomu mentions how much she loved dancing to Daimon’s voice, because it created a whole world she could get lost in. It did, and it was a lot… arguably too much. Honey and silk and love and admiration and maddeningly soft at times…
On a personal note, whoever thought of giving first Miyu and then Daimon to Chigi is an absolute genius. Not only did they support her in the exact way she needed to be supported, but she took these two insanely talented but somewhat shy/awkward ladies and nurtured them until they bloomed into something so BEYOND… And I seriously can’t think of a top 3 whose collective chemistry I love more.
And on an even more personal note, as a Daimon fan, I watched Fancy Guy in my despair on Tuesday night and was struck anew by how awkward Daimon was when she came here, and how despite my JOY at my FAVORITE coming to MY TROUPE of all places I couldn’t help but think “Oh honey, I’m so sorry…” And now I get choked up looking at this bit of a photo…
…because look at how fully entrenched she is in our warm beautiful family, I’m so overflowing I genuinely can’t stand it.
I remember Lupin shonichi too clearly for it to have been 2.5 years ago, even though I wasn’t there. It was New Year’s Day and snowing. How fucking perfect is that?
Chigi, I really can’t thank you enough for this ride.
I FINALLY GOT MY BUTT INSIDE BOW HALL. It took me this long. This was a 2-act which I knew absolutely nothing about going in, meaning it’s the sort of thing I’d need to see more than once to overcome my garbage memory... but once is all I got, so here’s a brief summary and a bullet review!
The premise of this show is utterly stupid and full of holes, but it has a charming sense of humor that totally makes up for it; if Masatsuka-sensei had taken himself an ounce more seriously it wouldn’t have worked. Sakuragi Minato plays John, a guitarist/badass who rolls with a no-good crowd, and gets knocked out with his own guitar (which breaks) during a brawl one night. Hoshikaze Madoka/Tess, who calls herself his fan, takes him to her weird uncle’s antique shop to look at a replacement guitar. He can’t afford it, but he sees a roughly flashlight-sized metal thing and feels a strange urge to have it. It turns out to be a *gasp* time machine with a timer in it that ferries him between the present day and medieval Europe (where denim was apparently widely available) at random unexpected intervals. Everyone in his present day crowd has a medieval counterpart, antics and romance ensue. I can’t really describe the comedy without ruining it... it’s the kind of cute absurdist nonsense that works best if it catches you off guard. But will say I think it’s worth checking out.
Zun-chan is very polished and wore the HELL out of that Masatsuka uniform (werk those jeans girl). I don’t know what’s going to happen to her... she’s drowning in Soragumi—every other truly tracked 95th is either second or third in line and she’s fourth—but there’s really no place for her to go.
Madoka was poised and adorable but I think at a natural disadvantage because Haruha Rara’s character was kind of built to outshine hers. Madoka was the typical demure musumeyaku...
...Rara STOLE THE SHOW. Her medieval Charlotte and her brief appearance in present-day as a random shopper were both so ridiculous and she absolutely nailed them. She and Susshi (and Zun-chan’s butt) really made the show for me.
Susshi is the best, I will accept no counter arguments. Utterly hilarious throughout, WIPED THE FLOOR with the youngsters in the otokoyaku finale number and looked thrilled to be doing it.
Rukaze Hikaru had essentially the nibante role and the challenge of playing two wildly different characters. She’s still finding her legs acting-wise but I think this was a good experience. She led the aforementioned finale number like she knew what she was doing, damn.
A+ finale all around, really.
The biggest disappointment was that for a show comprised of less than half the troupe, the ensemble still really felt like the ensemble. I think there was a missed opportunity to give some under-featured people a little more to do.
Overall I give it a “fun and cute.” If you need more Zun-chan, Madoka, Rara, or Moeko in your life you’ll probably enjoy it. I will be dreaming in denim for the next week at least.
Asami Hikaru 10th Anniversary Dance Live Tour 「will」~ 2017
A full write-up for posterity, since I'm never sure I’ll see these things again. It’s gonna be a lot...
10 years out of Takarazuka. Visually I think she’s aged backwards since then, and the girl can still turn out a dance medley without sweating more than a sheer glistening veil of fairy dew that might in fact just be her aura. I’ve watched her Takarazuka career many times over, I’ve seen her in celebratory OG productions, I’ve heard her talk and reminisce with her fellow graduates... but I’ve missed the vast majority of this past 10 years, most of which has been lost to the videoless void. Seeing an homage to that, and participating in the celebration of the career that she’s built as she’s become her fully realized self, was distinctly different and so lovely.
It was also the most intimate performance I’ve seen her in, both in the production of it and the atmosphere around it. At first it felt a bit too short and simple, but the more time I spent bathing in her glow the more deeply I fell in love with it. She had four shows in Tokyo, two in Osaka, and one in Sendai. The fan club organized everything, which, having seen the production quality, is kind of a marvel... and as a result we got the best seats every time, in already small theaters. From more than one of my seven different vantage points I could hear her breathe, see wisps of feather drift off one of her costumes, appreciate the scene-by-scene variations in her flawless lip color. Our staff made custom tickets adorned with gorgeous freshly-shot photos. Flowers were allowed and encouraged (!!) and we teamed up to get big ones with our names on plaques (cursing myself for not thinking to take up a collection from her overseas base). She sang the songs that meant the most to her and danced the scenes she knew meant the most to us. The rotating guests all adored her and expressed as much, each in their own way. I felt like I could see every minute element, every second of work that went into tenderly crafting this show, and every tiny detail was filled with love. The only time I ever felt a more direct exchange of love was when she physically held my hands and looked me in the eyes.
Act 1
Every number in the show is drawn from her OG career. There were four dancers to Asami Live’s two, which is interesting considering Umegei backed the latter and this was self-produced. One was from Asami Live and the other three—two women and a man—were great. Beautiful dynamic dancers that complemented her perfectly when she was onstage glued everything together when she wasn’t. They set the mood and she walks out from the left, wearing a feminine take on a tailcoat: black tuxedo pants, a sleeveless white shirt and bowtie, and a glitter-trimmed sleeveless little vest with a swath of flowing white chiffon in place of the tails (here, she actually graced twitter with her presence while wearing it). She dances a career medley that’s listed in the program as “medley,” so, from memory:
My favorite song from DNA Sharaku (which had beautiful music if nothing else), with Komu, to my delight, singing Naoto Inti Raymi’s part in her range instead of her part which is not in her range
Something I didn’t recognize... but it was whimsical. She takes out a giant rubber ear and pretends to listen very closely to all of us while the dancers smell her and blow her kisses (I don’t know...)
Shakalaka Baby from Bombay Dreams, which I cried over missing even though she had barely any scenes because she bedazzled her very visible belly button. No belly button this time, but definitely some moves I’d longed to see come out of Komu’s body
Me and my Baby blending into Hot Honey Rag. On the last night she got overexcited and mouthed AND MEEEEEEE very dramatically at us before sort of catching herself, as there was not supposed to be any singing at that moment
One Night Only from Dreamgirls (I think this showed up in her first and only OG dinner show). The sharp finale, when the glisten kicks in.
She saunters toward the right wing and trades her fake girly tailcoat for a real one (although still tailored close to her tiny body). How creepy is it that I love moments like this? She’s on stage... it’s not like this process is meant to be completely hidden... but on the days when I could clearly see her change her jacket and sip water from my seat, I got little shivers of anticipation (the smoky red lighting and dark little teasers of a tango beginning to trickle out of the band area probably had something to do with it too). The announcement of four male and zero OG guests made me resign myself to a show firmly rooted outside her Takarazuka life, so I expected no references to it... but here she is doing Jealousy of all things in full kuroenbi with one of the male dancers, wholly and flawlessly in otokoyaku mode. Thinking about it now, it seems natural that in a show so full of love she’d include a nod to her idol Ooura Mizuki, and Dancin’ Crazy was post-taidan... one of my favorite bits of Komu interview, a rare moment in which she actually lets us glimpse her feelings, is on the bonus track of the Dancin’ Crazy DVD. Komu, who did not want to retire despite the frightening degree to which she’d wasted away, says having the opportunity to dance in a show with Natsume, and particularly watching her during the kuroenbi, made her feel for the first time that she was blessed to leave exactly when she did. So here we have Jealousy, and as I never tire of the sight of Komu in a tailcoat, I’ll take it more than gladly.
The remaining 3 dancers collect her and entertain us with the silliest song from Omohide Poro Poro while she changes into a voluminous feathered coat for Kiss of the Spider Woman, which she sang in HER VOICE, bless. UGH, her sustained low notes still shake me through and through, they’re so rich and full and powerful and her. I wish she’d do that show again, I’d love to see her in it. When the song ends she loses the feathers and reveals a red lace and ruffle dress cinched with a black leather corset before jumping into Gimme Love, also from Kiss of the Spider Woman. This was definitely one of my favorite numbers, for the choreography, the continued use of Komu voice, and the diva faces she made while belting “Let’s make looooooove” in said voice. The final number of this costume change is a leggy dance to Habanera with fans and chairs and fishnets. Komu twitter has been grumbling this week that the upcoming Carmen production went to Ohana, and while Carmen is not my favorite story I have to agree I would not be opposed to seeing Komu do more of that.
After an impressive interlude the four dancers become black angels and draw Komu magnetically out to an instrumental Yami ga Hirogaru. The lighting was so cool here... she’s glowing in a white dressing gown and everything else is dark blue and misty. The Elisabeth bit was a little disappointing at first; my heart leapt at the first few notes, but before I could even finish thinking “is she gonna sing it??” the song evolved into something else. She ended up doing a very low-key interpretive dance to an instrumental Watashi Dake ni. It seemed like nothing to me at first; I wanted her to sing it or actually dance, but the more times I saw it the more I realized she was just emoting, and that was the point, and she was killing it. The only ACTUAL disappointment of the show was the Roman Holiday bit that followed; it was nearly identical to the one in Asami Live, AND she’s doing actual Roman Holiday again in a month. As beautiful and packed as this show is, it’s also short... and I selfishly wanted every moment to be precious and new to me.
To close Act 1, she sings the theme song from her post-taidan recital Primary Colors, which is perfect in this spot; it’s nostalgic but its message is future-facing, and it’s uplifting but in a way that kind of makes your heart ache. She wore the white dress that was under her Elisabeth gown with a twirly watercolor skirt, and she radiated palpable happiness and gratitude. I tried to beam happiness and gratitude back at her. After intermission she let out another rare bit of her feelings, telling us that when she started rehearsing the song she cried so hard she couldn’t finish it, remembering how confusing and scary it was to be thrust from Takarazuka into the real world, and thinking about how grateful she is for the life she’s been able to lead since then. Guh </3
Act 2
She comes out in a stunning approximation of the dress she wore in the promo images (easier to move in but still glittering, beaded, and backless) and sings Kare Koso Kiseki from Cyrano before giving her little above-mentioned speech and introducing the guest of the moment. They were Spi, her 15 years younger boyfriend from DNA Sharaku; Irei Kanata, the first to play Rudolf to her Elisabeth; Ishii Kazutaka, with whom she starred in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Amakakeru Kaze Ni; and Ishikawa Zen, Franz to her Elisabeth. They each had a talk with Komu, a duet, and then a solo while she changed. I wasn’t stoked about this segment going in, but every guest was thoroughly enjoyable, and it was fascinating to see her change from guest to guest. Who talked about what is jumbled in my brain at this point, and my comprehension level plummets when I’m faced with high-speed man speech, but here are the highlights I remember from each:
Spi:
Guested twice. He was the only one I’d actually seen perform with her, and I was kind of taken aback by how good their chemistry was at the time. He’s younger than me, half American, and a bit of a weirdo... but endearing in a completely inexplicable way. He showed up to the first talk EXTREMELY RELAXED and Komu had to get into full mom mode.
Komu’s first impression was that she didn’t think they could get along; he was quiet, gruff, and terse and wouldn’t greet anyone properly. He was also the only one of the Edo-period characters who showed up to rehearsal without a kimono—because it “hadn’t arrived from Amazon yet” (Komu said that in a hilarious dudebro voice, drag him girl). But once they got to know each other it seems they got on extremely well.
After failing to drum up interesting conversation the first time around (intentionally... he was unintentionally hilarious), he pulled it together for his second appearance and asked her proper questions. Spi gets bonus points for making her talk about NY. She BEAMED when it came up and went off in giddy reminiscence. Hearing her talk about NY with the level of joy in her voice that I feel when I see her makes me SO GODDAMN HAPPY.
They sang their duet from DNA Sharaku... it was nice, but that song was not made with her in mind.
Spi gets a second round of bonus points for swallowing his bro schtick for a second and saying something so heartfelt and beautiful about Komu I cried: when he was trying to decide what to choose for his solo, he wanted to make sure he went with something that really expressed love—to honor Komu properly—because how could a person be so utterly beautiful unless it comes from a place of deep deep love? ;A;
Spi gets a third round of bonus points for choosing to sing Seasons of Love in English, leaving me wibbling at him with big wet eyes and feeling like I was in on a secret.
Irei Kanata:
Guested twice. He’s also quite a bit younger than her (but not younger than me), and QUITE taken with himself. He was confident and cocky, which was annoying on a primal level but kind of fun in practice because he wasn’t afraid to say anything to her. He also hugged her a lot...
His Tokyo appearance featured Let’s Drag Koike-sensei Part 1. One time he lectured Kanata for 40 minutes and at the end of it he had no idea what his feedback even was.
In Sendai they talked a lot... and weirdly a lot about Urai Kenji who was the double-cast Rudolf at the time. Komu, as a self-described “person who constantly wants to consume delicious things,” often insisted on taking the two of them out to eat.
Komu said that Elisabeth was about the time she started to feel like she might actually be a lady after all. Kanata said she came across as thoroughly ladylike when they met, except for when she’d boss the younger boys around.
They sang Boku wa Mama no Kagami Dakara with impressive emotion considering the silliness of their chatter. When they finished the first time, Kanata whined “Mamaaaa” to lighten the mood and Komu doubled over laughing on stage with a full on raspberry spit.
Probably my favorite exchange was Kanata exclaiming (in slight frustration) something like “why is everyone here so damn classy, it’s throwing me off!” and Komu replying something along the lines of “these are MY flawless ladyfans you’re dealing with!”
Ishii Kazutaka:
Guested once. This was a complete 180 from mama Komu trying to keep her boys in check... Ishii Kazutaka is a very charming grown-ass man and they loooooove each other. This dude wishes her happy birthday on twitter even though she doesn’t have a twitter and won’t see it. Komu was kind of in awe of him, but also a bit flirtatious, definitely making a visible effort to put forth her best self... and he was so adoring and deeply respectful of her. I barely remember what they talked about, other than reminiscing about the roles they had together and how much they’d like to do them again.
They sang a duet from Amakakeru Kaze Ni which I didn’t get to see, but all my fan acquaintances kind of lost it... apparently it was a good one. Komu forgot the lyrics partway through... but even the way she apologized to him and the way he responded was absurdly sweet and adoring.
Speaking of sweet tweets, after his appearance he wrote, “Komu-chan is an expert dancer and constantly seeking out greater depth in her acting. She’s also a pure, unadorned natural airhead (haha). She’s a lady I just can’t help but love.”
Seriously, their energy is something. If they got married tomorrow I’d be like “yeah ok.”
Ishikawa Zen:
Guested twice in the same day in Osaka. WHAT A SWEET KIND LOVELY MAN! I could listen to him talk all day, he’s one of those people who walks around in a contagious cloud of gentle positivity.
They’ve only performed together once, but apparently he and Komu’s older sister (who has worked in some capacity related to the theater business since before Komu entered music school, I had no idea!) were classmates, so they’ve spent a lot of time together at group gatherings unrelated to work.
Lots of reminiscing about Elisabeth, featuring Let’s Drag Koike-sensei Part 2: one time he had Zen practice minute variations in his standing posture for two hours while Komu waited on them (she did an adorable impatient bounce in illustration). This particular drag sesh went on for a good 10 minutes.
Komu described herself as hideous during rehearsal. I don’t believe you, Komu.
Zen had watched the previous Takarazuka versions of Elisabeth to soak in as many viewpoints as possible in preparation for his role. So when he met Komu his first thought was “Oh, Rudolf is here!”
NY came up again. Zen said he saw and loved her Roxie. Me too, man.
Favorite story: one day while Komu was waiting in the wings concentrating heavily and gearing herself up to go out for an intense scene, Zen walked by and yelled a line from Susano-o at her.
They sang Yoru no Boat, and gaaawwwwddd. They got so deep into it they both cried. Zen just has incredible emotive power in his face. His eyes were visibly watering when the song finished, and Komu took one look at him and went WEEEEEEEEEH. The second time she didn’t quite burst into tears, but she said that every time they sang that song during Elisabeth she wanted so badly to apologize to him.
After each guest’s solo, the dance team does a scene from La La Land before Komu comes out for her final number, which is a gorgeous flowing barefoot dance to an original song that the music arranger Mori Toshio composed for her. Her dress is mint and white chiffon with crystals and no sleeves or back... so you can see her amazing boneless arms and beautiful back muscles, and the rest is like water flowing around her. I know I’m beyond hopeless off the deep end fan trash, but I swear I saw her whole career in it and felt all her thanks in it. I LOVE THIS WOMAN SO MUCH IT HURTS.
If anyone made it this far I’m... slightly concerned, but have some pictures from the show’s twitter
