Soragumi Phantom review
Sep. 6th, 2007 03:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matataku_hoshiSo, continuing down the stack of unwatched DVDs, I finally finished sora's Phantom last night. Like BeruBara 2001 I wasn't really getting into it when I started watching, but by the time I finished last night I decided it was a really well done show.
I think there has been speculation that if Phantom is done again, tsuki will get it. I'm not sure where this logic comes from, but I feel the need to comment anyway. I don't see Asako getting another western musical after "Me and My Girl" after she retires, but I may be wrong. Regardless, I think she'd be a great Phantom. I think you all know by now how I feel about Kiriyan being cast in just about any interesting lead role. Vocally, I'm not sure if Ai-chan or Nene (who seem to be the candidates for the next tsuki top musumeyaku) are quite strong enough. Personally I'm rooting for Mihoko to stay around after Asa leaves. I think she could definitely pull off Christine. If this show was done with Kiriyan in the lead, I could see Yuuhi as a really good Carierre. And of course, if tsuki did Phantom in the next few years Taki-san would play Carlotta yet again. Is there any kind of precedent for a sienne playing the same role three times?
I have a definite weakness for the Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantom of the Opera, but I still find it very pretentious and showy. There are, uh, shows in western musical theater with more substance IMO. Of the two, I think I prefer "Phantom" better. I know there's a lot of women who are fascinated by the title character in "Phantom of the Opera", but he's such a stalker and so pretentious that I have trouble cheering for the Phantom and Christine to be together for most of the show. In "Phantom", he maybe doesn't have quite as much mystery about him, but he's much more sympathetic and the extra layers of backstory he's given make him the more compelling of the two versions IMO.
Don't get me wrong, I love Taki-san. However, I'm a bit concerned about her getting typecast (yes, I know this is Zuka where typecasting is *very* prevalent, but still...). I would rather her get these fun, bitchy roles than bland "mother of the top star" roles, but even still, is there something in between? A complex role that's a little different? It looks like her "Magician no Yutsu" role isn't bitchy, but from what I've heard it isn't that complex either. If she does indeed get the role of Asako's mother in "Arex", it'll probably be interesting, but once again it'll probably fall into the same type. Oh well, I always enjoy her anyway. She has IMO one of the best voices in current Takarazuka.
I can definitely see why people love Wao. Her Phantom had the presence to make you realize she's scary during some scenes, and yet with her scenes with Christine she was heartbreakingly vulnerable. If I watch too many more Wao shows, I'm afraid I may start falling for her just like the rest of Japan.
With Hana, I think I feel the same was as I did with her Elisabeth: I recognize that she's very talented, but she just doesn't make me squee like some other musumeyaku do. Regardless, I think it's really cool that she gained such legendary status as a musumeyaku.
Along with Wao, the best performance IMO was Juri-pyon's heartbreaking Carierre. Honestly, I found the relationship between Carierre and the Phantom more interesting and more touching than the Phantom/Christine one. Touko was solid as usual, but compared to the Phantom and Carierre, Philippe isn't as interesting of a role IMO. It was fun seeing Mihoko in the background.
As for the Phantom's makeup...I know this is Takarazuka and the attractiveness of top stars is a big selling point, but for God's sake, those scars looked pretty. As a result, during the scene when Christine runs away when she sees his face, she seems incredibly heartless. I guess we're just supposed to imagine that his face was frighteningly deformed? -_-;
I started complaining aobut this in the comments section of another entry, but I didn't like the ending. I felt like the ghostly Phantom appearing to Christine and them happily going off on the boat negated the emotional power of the Phantom's death scene. Every other Wao/Hana show seems to be tragic, so why did this one have to be different? And honestly, even though the Phantom died, he died knowing he was loved by his father and the woman he loved. For someone as love-starved as him, that was a very big deal. So yes, it's tragic, but there are much more depressing tragedies out there. From what I've read of the description, I like what the hanagumi version did with the ending better, although I still need to see it for myself.
Speaking of the hana version, I now want to see the take Osa, Ayane, Yumiko, and Un-chan did on the roles. Of course, every time I think about buying just about anything lately, the thought ends in "And then I bought a raku ticket." Oh well, I still think that one was worth it ^_^
In any case, this makes two sora shows that I've watched on video recently that have been very strong.
Don't get me wrong, I love Taki-san. However, I'm a bit concerned about her getting typecast (yes, I know this is Zuka where typecasting is *very* prevalent, but still...). I would rather her get these fun, bitchy roles than bland "mother of the top star" roles, but even still, is there something in between? A complex role that's a little different? It looks like her "Magician no Yutsu" role isn't bitchy, but from what I've heard it isn't that complex either. If she does indeed get the role of Asako's mother in "Arex", it'll probably be interesting, but once again it'll probably fall into the same type. Oh well, I always enjoy her anyway. She has IMO one of the best voices in current Takarazuka.
I can definitely see why people love Wao. Her Phantom had the presence to make you realize she's scary during some scenes, and yet with her scenes with Christine she was heartbreakingly vulnerable. If I watch too many more Wao shows, I'm afraid I may start falling for her just like the rest of Japan.
With Hana, I think I feel the same was as I did with her Elisabeth: I recognize that she's very talented, but she just doesn't make me squee like some other musumeyaku do. Regardless, I think it's really cool that she gained such legendary status as a musumeyaku.
Along with Wao, the best performance IMO was Juri-pyon's heartbreaking Carierre. Honestly, I found the relationship between Carierre and the Phantom more interesting and more touching than the Phantom/Christine one. Touko was solid as usual, but compared to the Phantom and Carierre, Philippe isn't as interesting of a role IMO. It was fun seeing Mihoko in the background.
As for the Phantom's makeup...I know this is Takarazuka and the attractiveness of top stars is a big selling point, but for God's sake, those scars looked pretty. As a result, during the scene when Christine runs away when she sees his face, she seems incredibly heartless. I guess we're just supposed to imagine that his face was frighteningly deformed? -_-;
I started complaining aobut this in the comments section of another entry, but I didn't like the ending. I felt like the ghostly Phantom appearing to Christine and them happily going off on the boat negated the emotional power of the Phantom's death scene. Every other Wao/Hana show seems to be tragic, so why did this one have to be different? And honestly, even though the Phantom died, he died knowing he was loved by his father and the woman he loved. For someone as love-starved as him, that was a very big deal. So yes, it's tragic, but there are much more depressing tragedies out there. From what I've read of the description, I like what the hanagumi version did with the ending better, although I still need to see it for myself.
Speaking of the hana version, I now want to see the take Osa, Ayane, Yumiko, and Un-chan did on the roles. Of course, every time I think about buying just about anything lately, the thought ends in "And then I bought a raku ticket." Oh well, I still think that one was worth it ^_^
In any case, this makes two sora shows that I've watched on video recently that have been very strong.
I think there has been speculation that if Phantom is done again, tsuki will get it. I'm not sure where this logic comes from, but I feel the need to comment anyway. I don't see Asako getting another western musical after "Me and My Girl" after she retires, but I may be wrong. Regardless, I think she'd be a great Phantom. I think you all know by now how I feel about Kiriyan being cast in just about any interesting lead role. Vocally, I'm not sure if Ai-chan or Nene (who seem to be the candidates for the next tsuki top musumeyaku) are quite strong enough. Personally I'm rooting for Mihoko to stay around after Asa leaves. I think she could definitely pull off Christine. If this show was done with Kiriyan in the lead, I could see Yuuhi as a really good Carierre. And of course, if tsuki did Phantom in the next few years Taki-san would play Carlotta yet again. Is there any kind of precedent for a sienne playing the same role three times?
