Rhythm: Minami Maito (GRAPH, November 2016)

- carlyas

-The moment when you felt the most nervous on stage?

When I played Lucheni in the Elisabeth shinjin kouen, during the prologue. The beginning of Elisabeth has such a feeling of tension by nature, and the audience was also tense to the point where you wouldn’t think it was a shinjin kouen. On top of that, I made my entrance from the opposite side as Nozomi-san in the real performance, so the audience’s gaze all shifted to me at once like “OH! She’s over there!” And in that moment… I lost it… Lucheni also has a bunch of ad-lib scenes, and I was nervous about those the entire time. But, it was still a lot of fun!

-Your favorite makeup technique?

Waah, here’s a picture…

For me, my eyes aren’t very far apart, and since everyone does this part where your nose stands up a little differently, I try to do it so that my eyes don’t look like they’re squishing together, but I also want to look chiseled, so I add the shading there with this delicate balance in mind. This person’s eye’s are pretty far apart though (haha).

-Are you a morning person or a night person?

A night person! Quick answer (haha). I guess I’m pretty bad with mornings… I hate them! The moment my alarm goes off, I really hate it! Like, WHY ARE YOU RINGING?! (haha).

-Your favorite seasoning?

Shichimi. I put it on Japanese-style pasta I make at home, on stir-fried vegetables, even in miso soup.

-What do you do when you get home?

I lie around. Even though I know it’s terrible, I have like a “magic carpet” in front of my TV. Once I sit down there, I don’t get up (haha). You can definitely find me on my magic carpet once a day (haha).

-Do you reply quickly on Line?

I don’t think I do. Well, maybe I do. Hmmm… ONLY IF IT’S JUST A STICKER!! But, if an urgent reply is needed, I’ll say yes or no… although I always think I should reply properly (haha). Everyone might say “No way!!” to that (haha).

-Actually, I…

I might have the image of someone who does things efficiently, but actually that’s not the case. I’ve said “I gotta get my act together!,” but in reality my personality is like someone younger, and I’m relatively carefree. I notice it especially when I meet up with classmates like Aasa (Asami Jun) or Kizuki Yuuma. Even when I go out to eat with underclassmen, they’re like “Well, it’s Minami-san…” and wind up deciding everything for me (haha). There are so many people around me who have it together (haha).

-Do you have a driver’s license?

I do. I drive quite a bit. More than taking leisurely drives, I wanna go fast on the highway (haha).

-Movies you like?

Disney movies of course are like watching a dream world, and they’re so cute, I love them! I also like stories that are so moving I can bawl. They make me think my heart hasn’t gone bad yet (haha).

-Please draw a self portrait!

Waaah, yay!
Mmmm, maybe I should draw my face a little longer…
♪Face~~ Longer~~♪

Hey that’s not bad.
Oh man. That’s pretty good!

-Tell us your go-to sideshow gag!*

Eeeeh? I don’t really have one… When I wear a leotard, since my back is really muscular it looks like I’m really crammed into it, so I just have this pose I do (haha). MUSCLE ART! (haha)

-At what times do you feel the difficulties of being an otokoyaku?

When I’m dancing in otokoyaku costumes. Rather than putting 100% of yourself into it and having fun, you have to prioritize dancing in a way that will allow the audience to enjoy themselves. Particularly when we do group numbers in kuroenbi**, unless we are aware of every detail from how much of our white shirts are showing in the front to how much black is showing in the back, we won’t match perfectly, and the rehearsals just pile up… And the presentation is different for each costume, so I really feel like I still need to work at it.

-Aside from kuroenbi, what’s your favorite costume?

KUROENBI! Oh, aside from that (haha). In that case, probably military uniforms. People in military uniforms look like they live a BATTLE READY lifestyle, don’t they? I think that’s super cool.

-Where do you want to be a year from now?

If I could do things with a fresh feeling I think that would be good. Thinking “I have to do it this way” wins out too much, and I want to enjoy being on stage without forgetting my original intentions and without losing my true self. Also, right now my top focus is my acting. If I could get the hang of using my otokoyaku voice more skillfully and be able to perform naturally… Getting there in one year may be tough, but that’s what I want to aim for!

—–

* 余興 is hard to translate into one English word. It’s these dumb skits they do privately to entertain each other/boost morale/”show off hidden talents”/generally be huge nerds/etc.

**Kuroenbi refers to the black tailcoats otokoyaku wear and also the group dances they do in them

Rhythm: Kazuki Sora (GRAPH, September 2016)

- carlyas

-Where do you see yourself a year from now?

I’ll have graduated from shinjin kouen performances, so it’s a time that marks a new start. My years of having the “privilege of being allowed to study” will be over, so I want to take in new things in a way that’s true to my own point of view, and if I could start building up genres I haven’t done before… Actually, I think I’d like to try doing acrobatics.

– At what times do you feel the difficulties of being an otokoyaku?

How I am when there’s no musumeyaku by my side. When there’s a musumeyaku with me, I find it much easier to act naturally masculine.

– The moment when you were the most nervous on stage?

It was in the scene in “Rose of Versailles: Oscar” when I played the young noble boy, and I caught sight of Yuuhi-san and Sumika-san (haha). I got so excited I accidentally squealed! Kita-san (Ozuki Tooma) said to me, “That was the most off-key note of the century” (haha).

– Your favorite stage makeup technique?

Hm, probably the inner eye corner! The angle and length can totally change your face. Also for me, the outer corners of my eyes go up when I laugh, so if I draw a line below there it makes my laughing eyes look nicer. Hasumi Yuuya-sama taught me that!

– Fashion you like?

Right now I obsessively check whatever is trending, and absorb whatever I can make work as an otokoyaku. Also, I pretty much never wear heels!

– Movies you like?

I like “RENT,” and “Billy Elliot”… Recently I saw “The Danish Girl” and it was really good. I love movies, and I go see one just about every time I have a break. I especially like Western movies.

– A celebrity you like?

The dancer Harada Kaoru. Ever since I first saw her when I was 10, I’ve always loved her. She’s so amazing that even now I can still watch this DVD I bought way back then without getting sick of it. Since there are also a lot of things you can glean from it for otokoyaku dances, I bought another copy of the same one (haha) and I’m watching and studying it with everyone. She’s like a god to me!

– A stage costume you like?

The open-necked satin blouses. I mean, they’re kinda sexy right? (haha)

– Favorite seasoning?

Mayonnaise! A little while ago, I even put it on pilaf and shocked everyone (haha).

– The timing of when your mindset toward performing changed?

When I performed in Yuumi Hiro’s dinner show “Héroe.” Up till then, I had this strong feeling of “I want to dance,” but seeing the culmination of her otokoyaku career from that close, my mindset about being an otokoyaku and a stage performer changed.

– Tell us about your favorite go-to sideshow* gag routine!

“Princess Jump” (haha). It’s hard to explain, but the way the heroine runs, I act it out by sort of kicking my legs up with all my strength and jumping (haha). Also an opera singer! If I let my voice out differently than normal, I can get it ridiculously low.

– “Actually, I…”

Hmmmm…. When I was an underclassman, I was so transparent people actually got annoyed with me (haha), I really had nothing to hide… hmm, I wonder. OH! I got it, actually I unexpectedly like cute things, I especially love Tinker Bell (haha). I also like Pen-chan, the character from the Line stickers.

– Please draw a self portrait!

A self portrait?! (haha)

IMG_6930

Ok, like that I guess.
Uh, yeah, that’s about all I can do! (Haha)

– Are you the type to reply immediately on Line?

I don’t reply… ?
I read it, absorb it, and that’s it. When I do reply I don’t use emojis and stuff, so my classmates always tell me “WE DON’T KNOW HOW YOU’RE FEELING” (haha). I barely ever even use the Pen-chan stickers (haha).

—–

* 余興 is hard to translate into one English word. It’s these dumb skits they do privately to entertain each other/boost morale/”show off hidden talents”/generally be huge nerds/etc.

Harada Kaoru has appeared in/choreographed several OG productions, including the Dance Legend series (Argentango in 2014, Cafe Flamenco del Gato in 2016)

Asami Hikaru’s NY Confidence! Eager for Takarazuka OG Chicago’s Triumphant Return Home

- carlyas

Translated from Sanspo.com article, August 9 2016

The Takarazuka OG version of the musical Chicago, after closing its curtain on a successful performance in New York last month, opens its returning performance at the Tokyo International Forum on August 10 (through the 21st, followed by performances at the Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka from August 25-31). It tells the tale of two women who, borrowing their lawyer’s power, attempt to flip their scandals into a rush for stardom. We talked to former Snow Troupe top star Asami Hikaru (44) who played one of those women, Roxie Hart, adorably.

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Hinami Fuu’s Retirement Press Conference: “Please let me go with you”

- carlyas

On April 28, 2016, Star Troupe top star Hinami Fuu, who has announced that she will retire on November 20, held a press conference in Takarazuka. She will be leaving at the same time as her partner Hokushou Kairi, who had already announced her retirement, explaining that now they will be able to remain “married for life.”

Hinami wore a gold necklace in a ribbon shape that sparkled on her chest. She’d received it as a present from Hokushou for her birthday in April. “Even though she’s so busy, she consulted me to choose a color that best suited my skin tone. So today I’m wearing it,” she said with a smile.

She had no doubts. This January, after the closing of the Umeda Arts Theater performance LOVE & DREAM, Hokushou shared her thoughts of retiring with Hinami. “Since I’d already been thinking I’d like to retire with her, right on the spot I said ‘Please let me go with you.'”

Immediately, a feeling she couldn’t explain welled up, and tears poured forth, she said. When she looked at Hokushou through her blurred eyes, “She looked at me with the warmest aura, and bowed her head in agreement,” Hinami said.

Hinami is from Suita city in Osaka. She debuted in 2009, and was assigned to Star Troupe. Last year, she took her place as Hokushou’s partner atop the troupe. While she’s 11 years Hokushou’s junior, Hinami has a sense of calm in her singing, and they’ve proven to be an outstanding combination.

As the performances have piled up, Hinami has gained the deepest respect for Hokushou. She’s someone who stays behind to practice even when rehearsal is over. Yet despite that she is keenly aware of her surroundings: “She is concerned for our health, and she’s even made onigiri for us. I’ve learned so much from her not about being a performer, but about being a good person.”

Meeting Hokushou changed Hinami. Although she’s prone to immersing herself in her own practice, she now actively invites her juniors out to eat, and makes sure she’s communicating with her surroundings. In order to be like Hokushou, she is always sure to meet the eyes of the person she’s talking to.

Hinami has made “full-set bento” for her partner, whose cooking skill she admires greatly. Perhaps her own skill has evolved from the “messy onigiri” she made at first? “I put in nikumaki salad and heart-shaped onigiri. She was probably happy about that…I think,” Hinami laughed.

Hinami’s charm is her wholehearted goodness and natural brightness. When asked about her post-retirement marriage plans, she said, “If I come across a prince like Hokushou-san, I’ll marry immediately.” As for her career plans, she said “I can’t think about that right now,” but, “Like I’ve experienced during my time in Takarazuka, if something flips the ‘switch’ that makes my heart flutter, I change. It would be great if I could find something else that flips that switch,” she said, smiling.

Original Source