From Takarazuka GRAPH, April 2017
MISAKI: I’ve had the privilege of being with you ever since I was assigned to Flower Troupe, and we even transferred to Cosmos Troupe at the same time, it’s a miracle that we’ve been able to be together like this all the way up until we became partners… so I thought for this last time, I definitely wanted to talk with Maasama. Thank you so much for coming today at this busy—this REALLY busy—time!
ASAKA: Of course, it’s my pleasure. Since today is your last time, they even told you that you could do the photo shoot however you wanted, right?
MISAKI: Yes! So they let me recreate the first scene I ever had with Maasama, which was in EXCITER!! when I was in my first year. I’ve been pondering since yesterday what sort of things we should talk about today, but you’ve been right by my side for my entire Takarazuka career.
ASAKA: Eh, you’re imagining that.
MISAKI: Noooooo! (haha) We were grouped together on stage a lot when we were in Flower Troupe, and even in shows like Prelude of Love where we had no contact, I’d pass you a mic or something, like I had my heart set on connecting with you no matter what. I ran you down!
ASAKA: Isn’t that a bit stalker-ish? (haha) But really, you haven’t changed at all since then. You were never timid, you had no fear… even when your makeup was really awful (haha). Something I’ll never forget, right before your appearance in that scene in EXCITER!!, you said, “Ooh, I’m nervous~” in this suuuuper flippant way. I was shocked. How amazing for a first year, I thought (haha).
MISAKI: You’re always talking about that but I don’t remember it at all… I really was nervous, you know…
ASAKA: You also REALLY enjoyed yourself in CODE HERO, didn’t you.
MISAKI: It wasn’t like that! That show was the first time I thought, “I’m afraid of the curtain going up!”
ASAKA: Well you were a second year (haha)
MISAKI: Do you remember back then, in the Nippon Seinenkan dressing room, you and Nozomi-san said “bring over the script!” and you looked over all of my lines for me?
ASAKA: I don’t remember that.
MISAKI: WHAT? I was so bad at them, the two of you gave me constant attention and helped me rehearse. I must have been really terrible.
ASAKA: I totally don’t remember that, I want to say “are you sure that was me?” But Aya-chan (Nozomi) and I are good people aren’t we (haha).
MISAKI: You really are! Later during that run I lost my voice, and when I was frantically practicing my vocalization despite that, you got mad and said, “It’s not something you can force out if it won’t come!” But when the show ended that day, you said, “Your acting was really moving today. Do you understand the extent to which you were relying on your voice?” and you encouraged me really kindly.
ASAKA: ……………..
MISAKI: You don’t… remember? Well, is there anything you DO remember then?
ASAKA: Let’s see…
MISAKI: You’re thinking way too hard…
ASAKA: Ah! When you played young Erik in Phantom! I was playing young Carrière, and I remember thinking, “She’s got no hips, she looks like a real child.”
MISAKI: Ahaha
ASAKA: No but you were really good. Your shinjin kouen roles in Sabrina and Phantom were also really good. Back then, you were always getting the heroine roles, and gradually climbing the ladder. I was happy for you. Even though you’re my junior, because you were selected so early, in terms of experience it’s like we were the same, and I thought of you like a friend. Do you get that feeling?
MISAKI: I don’t know whether or not it’s all right for me to feel that way, but yes, I had pretty close to that same feeling. Then, it was announced that you’d be moving to Cosmos Troupe… and just as I was about to cry myself dry over it, I moved there too (haha).
ASAKA: I remember saying “oh so you’re coming too!” (haha) But on the other hand, it was so you could become the top musumeyaku.
MISAKI: I was so anxious about it… But, as always you were right there by my side and you gave me a loud pep talk, and to some extent I was able to relax…
ASAKA: O…oh. Well, it’s not like I brought you along with me, but as a fellow member of Flower Troupe, if people thought of you as “that girl,” that would be bad, wouldn’t it?!
MISAKI: You really looked after me.
???
ASAKA: Hey, what’s written on that memo you’ve got in your hand?
MISAKI: Ah, well on to the next thing then…
ASAKA: We’re starting the “take turns talking about our memories” corner! Yay!
MISAKI: (haha) Speaking of Cosmos Troupe memories, in The Count of Monte Cristo, you played my violent husband didn’t you (haha)
ASAKA: I did! Since it was you playing opposite me, I was able to do whatever I wanted without holding back (haha)
MISAKI: And then, in Amour de 99, we got to dance Ooura Mizuki’s famous “Chateau de Passy*” scene together, I was so happy.
ASAKA: I was really frantic about that. I rehearsed with you so much and asked so many things of you. I was also so abstract in how I expressed my warnings to you, it must have been difficult to follow me.
MISAKI: Not at all, because you were the most aware of all the places where I was lacking, your words really stuck in my heart. It was thanks to you that I was able to have a goal for how I wanted to become and was able to continue working toward it… Talking about Passy has made me want to cry.
ASAKA: I don’t get where your switch is (haha). But I think it was because we put so much work into that scene that we were able to do TOP HAT afterwards, and I think it’s also linked to how particular we are about our duet dances.
MISAKI: I agree… You didn’t only let me know when I was doing poorly, you’d also tell me things things like “you did really well today,” and I was really able to feel like “so this is it!” and take that to heart. Then, we got to be Scarlett and Melanie together!
ASAKA: We did! I reeeeally hated Melanie (haha)
MISAKI: That’s because she was Scarlett’s rival in love (haha). But during that performance, you had so much fun playing a female role and didn’t resist it at all, and I thought that was really amazing.
ASAKA: It was a lot of fun!
MISAKI: I got to observe the process of grappling with a role regardless of whether it was male or female, and it was a tremendous learning experience. Although every time I uttered a word, Tani-sensei would get mad and say, “Well first of all let’s change that personality!”
ASAKA: He’d tell me “You’re pretty much just like Scarlett in reality aren’t you” (haha). It really was so much fun to play a role where I felt completely uninhibited.
MISAKI: Next was the “Rose of Versailles” national tour, where you played Fersen.
ASAKA: Somehow, that was the first role where I had to be properly in love with you, and at first I was a bit lost. Like I thought, “Can I really love her…” (haha)
MISAKI: Your Fersen was completely charming, you were definitely able to show me proper love!
ASAKA: Ah, well thanks (haha). But in that show we were paired together for the first time in a while, and I could really feel the culmination of your experience as a top star. You’d gotten to the point where you were able to play such a majestic Marie Antoinette, yet you also evoked sweetness and modesty, I was so impressed.
MISAKI: Ah, not at all…
???
ASAKA: TOP HAT was a great time, wasn’t it. We even got to take a field trip to England. 3 days, one night (haha)
MISAKI: It was over in the blink of an eye (haha).
ASAKA: Even so, meeting the original performers in the overseas theater where the show was running was not something I’d gotten the opportunity to do before, so it was an invaluable experience. Starting with that show I had the privilege of becoming top star, but as you’d expect our stance toward each other kind of changed a bit. I think I was extremely strict with you. The position comes with responsibility, because how we’re judged is tied to how the troupe as a whole is judged. During the times when I you weren’t doing what we’d discussed and we weren’t on the same page, I got mad.
MISAKI: Yeah…
ASAKA: Like when you asked me, “During the TOP HAT finale, I don’t know whether to put my hair in a bun or use a wig, what do you think?” and I yelled “Obviously the wig!!” (haha)
MISAKI: Right (haha). After that when you made your Grand Theater debut in “A Song for Kingdoms,” you REALLY powered up! It was just like when Mario grabs a star.
ASAKA: What are you talking about (haha). But, it was the kind of show where if I didn’t power up I couldn’t have done it. I loved the scene in the underground prison. We don’t really discuss much how we were going to put together a scene.
MISAKI: That’s right. But when I went the wrong way, you’d always call me back.
ASAKA: While we were each trying to get a feel for how we’d capture our roles, if we didn’t nail the subtlety in our acting, we couldn’t get the depth and intensity we wanted. So I’m glad you were eventually able to catch that and throw it back to me… but at first you couldn’t really catch it (haha).
MISAKI: I definitely… couldn’t.
ASAKA: You’re the textbook type after all. You’re a musumeyaku, so you’d be unconsciously drawn to me, and of course that’s important too, but even though you’re a musumeyaku I wanted you to be independent enough that you could fill the stage by yourself, so I told you that.
MISAKI: I couldn’t really… get better.
ASAKA: No no no, little by little you definitely changed. Elisabeth was something I think I was only able to do because you were my partner so I’m really grateful to you, and in the play you just did with Todoroki-san, The Eagle with Two Heads, your acting was superb. In the show we’re doing now you have a seen with Yurika (Makaze), and you’ve uncovered a whole new level of charm that I can see clearly when you’re paired with someone other than me. Until your last moment as a Takarazuka musumeyaku, I want you to show us the culmination of your best self.
MISAKI: I think there are still a lot of ways I can improve, so I will do my absolute best to continue growing, even if only a little, until the very end!
???
MISAKI: I said this at the beginning too, but ever since I entered Takarazuka, you… you’ve always been by my side… (she bursts into tears)
ASAKA: Wha— why are you crying?!
MISAKI: (Sobbing and yelling) Why?! Because, the time we’ve spent together has been so precious to me, and pretty soon I won’t be able to go back to it, right?!
ASAKA: Aaaahahahaha!! You’re so funny! I haven’t seen you like this in a while (she’s laugh-crying)
MISAKI: Since you’ve always spoken to me with total blunt honesty, I’ve always trusted you and I’ve been able to follow you all the way to this point!! (sobs)
ASAKA: I can’t, watching you yell your feelings at me through your sobs is so funny I’m gonna cry, sorry.
MISAKI: Even though I’m crying this much, you’re laughing… (sobs)
ASAKA: It’s ok! You’ve gotten your feelings across!
MISAKI: Even when I was on the verge of giving up, weren’t you always right by my side? And aren’t you the one I’ve loved and chased after ever since I was a first year?! The one with whom I’ve spent way more time than even my classmates, and with whom in the end I have the privilege of standing in this incredible position! Isn’t being separated from someone like that sad?! (sobs)
ASAKA: There there, it’s not like our relationship is over, right?
MISAKI: No, it’s not, but the world of Takarazuka is something we only have right now, and that time is about to end (sobs)
ASAKA: Oh boy, this is just the best (haha). Are you sure it’s ok to end on such a funny note? (haha)
MISAKI: I’ve always caused trouble for you, and on top of that, even in this last interview, even though I want to express my gratitude so much more, I can’t put my feelings into words (sobs)
ASAKA: Not at all, you’ve expressed them loud and clear! Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you like this. Are you feeling refreshed?
MISAKI: (crying a bit, her nose is bright red) Hehehe. Have I really conveyed how much I love you?
ASAKA: Really, you’ve more than conveyed it. I’m such a difficult person to love, it must have been hard on you.
MISAKI: Maasama, your heart is THIS BIG (she spreads her arms all the way out)
ASAKA: Somehow, more than a top combi, until the end I’ve felt like we’re friends. I think we’ll be inseparable** until we die.
MISAKI: Really??
ASAKA: I may not like it but I don’t think I can run from it…
MISAKI: I’ll follow you until we die!
ASAKA: You’re scaring me!
MISAKI: (haha) Since our fated meeting is for life, from here on out… but first, until my last moment in Takarazuka… even though I’m like this, please look after me!
ASAKA: Keep growing all the way to your last day, ok?
MISAKI: I will. I’ll continue blooming as a musumeyaku and leave with no regrets!
ASAKA: That’s the spirit!
Translator’s Notes:
* This was the best romanization I could come up with for パッシィの館, if anyone knows about something real they are referencing please let me know!
** The word Maakun uses for “inseparable” here is packed with too much meaning to fit into a reasonable English sentence. The connotation is sort of “reluctantly/undesirably inseparable but hopelessly bound by fate”