All Zuka all the time

Day 14: My favorite piece of merchandise is .... the Shibuki Jun “Francis” doll from “Seal of Roses”. (Photo not mine, my doll is in a storage box right now and I just don’t have the energy to go dig it out right now XD)

I bought it as a joke because ... come on, who doesn’t want a Francis doll?... but it’s actually very well made and I am quite glad I got it. It does have a slight issue with one of the shoulder ball joints being a bit too loose (meaning her arm can fall off if you aren’t careful poisitioning it) but it’s easily fixed.  It’s just a pity they didn’t make a matching Mikhail one though. 

Day 13: I ..... have no idea. Umm ... it’s honestly been awhile since I’ve watched a Takarazuka show due to real life stuff. Looking at the external hard drive near my computer I’d have to assume it was Yukigumi’s “Russian Blue / Rio de Bravo”. 

I really enjoy Russian Blue, even though it’s a very odd show. Basically Mizu plays this American politician wannabe who decides to go to Moscow during like the Cold War or whatever in the hopes that it’ll increase his political fortunes. To grease his way he uses a love potion on this woman who has been assigned to watch him and his troupe. Meanwhile she also has a love potion made to get him to tell her what he’s really there for (they think he’s spying) and it’s just super bizarre romantic comedy where wizards and witches were persecuted and supposedly killed off but really have just gone into hiding and of course the politician and the lady are a wizard and witch unbeknownst to the other. It’s a good time XD. The interactions between Yumiko as the suffering butler/right hand man and Mizu as the flighty politician is comedy gold.

Rio de Bravo is also a high energy revue that’s worth a watch as well! (though the national tour version is even more hilarious). 

Day 12: My golden combi is Mizu Natsuki and Shirahane Yuri.

I liked how they played off of each other in Zorro and Je’Taime and I really think Tonami’s maturity and experience helped Mizu out as she became a top and worked on finding her style. I also adored both of them in Elisabeth and how they portrayed those characters. I just think they both worked very well professionally and that did a lot to help build up the Yukigumi I enjoyed throughout the late 2000s and into the 2010s. I was also really happy I got to see them do Elisabeth together again in one of the more anniversary shows. It really gave me chills to see them together again!

Day 11:  Uhhhh I’m so behind on current Takarazuka I legit had to look up who was in senka now XD. After doing that I am going to go with ... Miho Keiko!

I love her. I love seeing her in things. I love hearing her sing. I just love everything about Miho Keiko and I hope she never retires and just keeps on being awesome for many years to come! I mean, Takarazuka wouldn’t feel like Takarazuka without Miho Keiko sashaying out and just killing us all with her awesome, you know?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmEChyRlRv4

Day 10: “People Who Have Wings”

It was a hard call because in addition to this show I LOVE the revue “Phoenix Takarazuka” but between Gustav and this show .... This show wins. So I’m going to officially pick “People who Have Wings” (but will also strongly suggest everyone go enjoy Phoenix Takarazuka as well XD)

But yeah, People who Have Wings really shocked me because I honestly didn’t expect much going into it. I figured it’d be alright but nothing really memorable. BOY was I wrong! It was touching and everyone acted their parts very well. I appreciate that it didn’t take the easy out of a truly happy ending (ie the Takarazuka romantic ending) and I really like how thoughtfully it was staged. It was beautifully done and I enjoyed it very much. I definitely suggest everyone take some time to hunt it down and give it a watch! It’s really easy to miss out on this show and that’s a real shame. 

Day 9: The Scarlet Pimpernel (2008)

This show has been done quite a bit lately but for me the 2008 Hoshigumi version is THE version. Everyone was cast perfectly, Asuka WAS Marguerite, Chie was an amazing Chauvelin, and Touko was just fantastic as Percy. That said I think Asuka was what truly made it for me. I just ... adore this version and I think everyone should see it at some point. It will blow you away!

Day 8: 

Ugh this is so hard. There are so many good Yukigumi shows, it’s hard to pick my favorite! But ... if I had to pick one I would have to pick “Lucifer’s Tears / Tarentella”. 

This role was so perfect to Komu and I loved everyone in it. Watching all the characters change throughout the show, including Lucifer, was really heart wrenching and I just loved every moment of this show. The final dance between Lucifer and Lillith was beautiful and sad and it was just ... so good. The shinko is also important to me because it introduced me to actresses I would enjoy watching grow and become top stars on their own. So ... yeah, I would have to say this show is my official favorite Yukigumi show. 

(That said there is ANOTHER Yukigumi show that really gives this one a run for my money but fortunately there is another day that I can sneak it in to instead XD. But y’all will have to wait to see which one that one is!). 

Day 7: Prince of the Land of Roses / One

Now, this is most likely not the best Tsukugumi show ever made but I’ve always been a sucker for Beauty and the Beast and I love Kiriyan and Marimo so putting the two together made my personal favorite Tsukigumi show. I really appreciate how much effort it must have taken to perform in that beast suit every day while still making it look effortless and putting on such a touching performance. I had been nervous about it going into it but came out of seeing it really happy! It made me laugh, it ... didn’t make me cry but I could feel sad for the Beast ... and it made me smile at the end. 

One was also a fun revue. There are better ones out there, not going to lie, but I enjoyed it and I can still remember the theme song 9 years later, so that’s saying something! All in all, a good pair of shows ^-^ b

Day 6: I have no idea which I like more. Oceans 11 or Aibou. 

Oceans 11 had this big box office spectacular appeal that I found really enjoyable. I also really thought the role of Danny suited Tomu well. The songs were catchy, the story easy to follow, and the special effects were done really well! It’s definitely worth the cost if you can find it!

But Aibou was so incredibly weird I had to watch it multiple times ... and it got FUNNIER with each additional viewing. Plus, what can beat the Sou/Matobun pairing? I mean ... honestly. Why haven’t you all watched this show yet?

Day 5: Ozuki Toma (Former Yukigumi/Soragumi) Kitarou is terrifying the first time you meet her but then you realize she’s actually just a huge nerd and it’s fantastic. I honestly can’t recall what show really sold me on her any more but I really admired how she could be hilarious in “Daytime Hustler” and “Zorro” but also looming and menacing in shows like “Romeo and Juliet” and “Nijinsky”. It was very rare for me to see a show I didn’t particularly care for her in.

But what really made me enjoy seeing her was knowing that Takarazuka was something she really enjoyed being a part of and that she was always looking forward to the next show. I’m glad she’s been able to keep working on the stage since her retirement and I’m happy that she seems to have fallen in with a new group of theater folk who enjoy working together. If you’re in Japan and get a chance to see her in one of her OG shows, definitely go for it! A lot of them are small theater shows (kind of like Bow Hall) so they can be a bit harder to find but if you check out her company website you should be able to find something! Also her instagram is delightful. Definitely check it out!

Day 4: Shiramine Yuri (Yukigumi)

Another actress who is criminally underused but she also really throws herself into any role she gets, even if it’s not a big one. She’s one of the most cheerful people I’ve ever met and it’s absolutely contagious. Every time I would see her on stage it would make me smile and I miss seeing now that I’m back home. 

So if you see her on stage, be sure to enjoy her performance and write her a letter letting her know! I’m sure it’ll make her day!

Day 1: I think the first show I watched was Soragumi's Phantom. I got three DVDs at one time in early 2007 after getting into the Sailor Moon musicals. The DVDs were Phantom, Hoshigumi's Singing in the Rain, and Tsukigumi's Seal of Roses so I can't fully recall which one I watched first but I would assume Phantom would have been first since I already knew the story. The first show I saw live was ... Yukigumi's Solferino/Carnevale. I went because I had to see the last Mizu/Yumiko combi show. Also Hamako. Because damn Hamako's voice was amazing.

WAIT ... Is that a lie? Now that I think back on it we may have seen Tsukigumi's Scarlet Pimpernel before we went up to Tokyo. Maybe. I dunno it was like 10 years ago now. 😂. ScaPim or Solferino. One of the two.

Day 2: Yukigumi is my favorite. I enjoy the other troupes as well and each have had their moments but Yukigumi has always been my go to troupe (though to be fair I havent seen much of them lately since Daimon just doesn't do it for me... sorry Daimon fans! Please love her while I cannot XD)

My recent lot of Yukigumi scripts finally arrived after being stuck in shipping limbo forever. Just did a quick flip through "The Man in the Iron Mask" and happened to stop on the page where Porthos was stung by a jellyfish after the musketeers' boat capsized and they had this crazy under sea song adventure. And I was just like "... ah yes. Good times." 😂

Sakuramachi Kimiko

From: 1937 Otome

Ashihara Kuniko

Ashihara Kuniko

Ashihara Kuniko

Ashihara Kuniko