some thoughts on the state of soragumi

[matataku_hoshi]

Disclaimer: Obviously there are those of you out there who have seen many more sora shows than I have and are more qualified to comment on this than me, but uh...I was sitting around at school with nothing to do and felt like writing something editorial-ish -_-;  This is also all obviously just my opinion.

Forgive me if this all has been said before, but after seeing Valencia/Sora Fantasista again the other day I felt the need to comment on recent soragumi.  To be blunt, ticket sales have not been very good for Valencia/Sora Fantasista.

I think it hasn't helped sora that out of the top three otokoyaku and the top musumeyaku, three are recent transfers from other troupes.  I count Ume-chan and Micchan among my favorite siennes, but having such a large turnover can't be easy.  And as much as I like Kashi, bringing her in as a top for one show probably confused things more than "clearing the air" like it was supposed to.

Moreover, I think sora is suffering from a crisis of knowing their own style.  Because sora is so relatively new and doesn't necessarily have a style to fall back upon, this makes it especially difficult.  In my opinion, both Wao and Zunko were very majestic and their shows reflected that.  Tani and Kashi have their strengths, but I they performed in a different style than this.  Of the post-Wao shows, I believe I Love Chopin, A/L, and Sora Fantasista have been the most successful (I haven't seen Never Sleep or Copacabana).  However, they're all rather crackish-and-silly-in-a-good-way shows, which once again is a contrast from the style of Zunko and Wao.

And let's not forget about the sheer length of Wao and Ohana's reign.  Obviously the reason why they were around for so long was because they were that good.  However, I think a definite argument against tops staying for more than three years is that if they're along too long, they begin to define the style of the troupe to the point that it's hard to recover from their reitrement.  I'm a little worried about this happening with hana, but at least they get to keep their top musumeyaku. They also have more of a troupe tradition to fall back upon.

Also, Tani doesn't necessarily deserve a lot of the criticism she's been getting lately IMO.  From the way people talk about her voice you would think it was me in my shower singing voice on stage.  But many people probably aren't going to argue that she has a better voice (or even an equal voice) to Zunko or Wao.  In short, she has an extremely difficult precedent to live up to.  I think there's also been speculation that her fan base wasn't as big as Hankyu predicted.

To add on top of all of this, Valencia did not have the best of source material.  Sora Fantasista is a wonderful revue that fits with the "crack-ish" style that sora may be starting to develop.  Valencia, on the other hand...it was a bit hard to sit through when I went the other night.  The music and dancing are good, but the characters are flat and the plot is rather "Hankyu Plot Generator."  Something about it just didn't seem to fit the chemistry of the troupe.  By the third viewing, having pretty costumes wasn't enough for me.

In part Hankyu may have shot themselves in the foot by having the exact same show go on tour immediately after the Tokyo run.  After all, why come in from out of town if the show is going to come to you?  Also, I would try to go out of my way to see a touring show with different material, but I don't feel the need to go through the trouble of getting tour tickets for the same show.

In any case, I hope I haven't sounded too negative or depressing, as I'm actually pretty fond of soragumi in its current state.  It would just be better if the rest of fandom was as well.  What I'm hoping will happen is that Ume-chan, Tomu, and Micchan will become more settled into the troupe within the next few years and soragumi will begin to find its identity again.  Moreover, hopefully some of those baby siennes that you all keep obsessing about will continue to develop into stars who can begin to take supporting roles.  At this point I think it would be a mistake to retire Tani early as it would only continue soragumi's identity crisis.

But hey, it's probably not good to worry too much.  After all, Tom is coming to the rescue next spring.  And if that's not an amusing image, I don't know what is :D

And some very quick soragumi thoughts from when I went on Tuesday:

-The center of the B section is much nicer than the back.  It was almost as cheap as a toujitsuken and I didn't even have to wake up early to get a ticket.
-Right now sora is in the middle of the role switch.  Micchan made a very, very hot Ramon.  She had a somewhat dorkier take on the character, as fits with her otokoyaku persona.  When I say "dorky", I mean this in a good way.
-"Sora Fantasista" is one of the very few shows where the video special effects were a plus.  It fits with the futuristic, crack-filled feel.

Comments

[kyanited.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's negative or depressing. You put it into an interesting perspective, one I also like because it doesn't [solely] blame Tani, resp. her voice.
And I really, really hope the TTTR works the magic everyone seems to be expecting... I'm most interested in and curious about the things I cannot imagine, and Tani and Tom together is something I really can't imagine. It sounds like a really serious plot, and I wonder what Tani will do with it, or what it will do with Tani...

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

"I'm most interested in and curious about the things I cannot imagine, and Tani and Tom together is something I really can't imagine. It sounds like a really serious plot, and I wonder what Tani will do with it, or what it will do with Tani..."

I agree completely, especially since Tani and Tom come from such different generations. But I'm having this image in my head of Tani getting slashed with Tom, and it makes me very happy :D

[wao-wao.livejournal.com]

But I'm having this image in my head of Tani getting slashed with Tom, and it makes me very happy :D

Maybe not in the story half, but there MUST be Tom/Tani slash in the revue. It's not a Tom revue without SLASH. <333

totally random...

[kyanited.livejournal.com]

XD Tom's Mamis generation and Tani has already been Mami's slash!toy... :D

Re: totally random...

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

Do you have any recommendations of revues where Mami and Tani get slashed? Sounds intriguing :D

Re: totally random...

[kyanited.livejournal.com]

Million Dreams


But there's always this moment... XD

Re: totally random...

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

...that's hot.

[wao-wao.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I've never really paid attention to how many people are in the audience. Ticket sales have no value to me compared to the personal connection I have to Soragumi. Maybe I should worry about my troupe, but... I don't like to worry. :-(

And I don't know, but I think Valencia is a good show for helping Soragumi define itself. Uniting the main otokoyaku into a Three Musketeers-y group makes them seem like they all work well together as a team. And, well, even if the characters were flat, I could always watch the babies in the background to keep me entertained. <333

By the way, I agree with everything you said about Zunko and Wao & Hana leaving a strong impression on Soragumi, but I don't want to get too off track. ^^;;

Also, I would try to go out of my way to see a touring show with different material, but I don't feel the need to go through the trouble of getting tour tickets for the same show.

But it will have DIFFERENT CAST MEMBERS. And for a die-hard fan of any troupe, that holds even MORE potential squee. <3333

Moreover, hopefully some of those baby siennes that you all keep obsessing about will continue to develop into stars who can begin to take supporting roles.

Hehehe. ^____^ Well, so long as NOBODY RETIRES ANY TIME SOON, OR EVER. (Speaking of which...)

At this point I think it would be a mistake to retire Tani early as it would only continue soragumi's identity crisis.

I completely agree. I'm all in favor of Tomu being the next Sora top someday, but putting her (or god forbid, someone else) at the top any time soon would only hurt Soragumi more.

"Sora Fantasista" is one of the very few shows where the video special effects were a plus.

...Is... is it possible I could have missed noticing any video effects because I was too busy watching Alice-chan all the time?? XDD;;;

Anyway, Tom to the rescue!! I can't wait. :D :D :D

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

Maybe I should worry about my troupe, but... I don't like to worry. :-(>/i>

Eh, I wouldn't bother. Life in general has enough angst without worrying about how much money Hankyu is making.

And I don't know, but I think Valencia is a good show for helping Soragumi define itself. Uniting the main otokoyaku into a Three Musketeers-y group makes them seem like they all work well together as a team.

I also liked the Three Musketeers feel. I hope I didn't sound too negative about Valencia, because there were some shiny moments. Unfortunately I thought there were also some flat ones, and that started to get to me by the third viewing.

But it will have DIFFERENT CAST MEMBERS. And for a die-hard fan of any troupe, that holds even MORE potential squee. <3333

Oh, of course. If this were happening with tsuki I would go out of my way to see it. But as someone who is only a casual sora fan, I'm going to spend my money on something else. Unfortunately these things are expensive and I'm a bit tight for cash these days.

I completely agree. I'm all in favor of Tomu being the next Sora top someday, but putting her (or god forbid, someone else) at the top any time soon would only hurt Soragumi more.

Exactly. I think Tomu could be a good successor, but she needs a little more time to grow. So yeah, hopefully Tani will be around for a while longer.

...Is... is it possible I could have missed noticing any video effects because I was too busy watching Alice-chan all the time?? XDD;;;

You don't remember all of those Fantasista spirals being flashed around? Oh well, I guess you were distracted :D

[wao-wao.livejournal.com]

I hope I didn't sound too negative about Valencia, because there were some shiny moments.

The funny thing is, I said the most negative things about Valencia the first time I saw it. ^^;; The other times I was too busy loving on my troupe to care. XDD

You don't remember all of those Fantasista spirals being flashed around?

...I totally don't. Wow. Talk about a one-track mind... XDDD;;;

[arlecchinic.livejournal.com]

Yes, you do. The swirly lights at the beginning, before it started and you tried to take a photo of it, but it didn't come out.

And then the round pulsating 'Fantasista's during the Venus number, which it took me a few goes to see, so if those are what we're talking about, no one can possibly be blamed for not noticing when there are COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MASAKO LEG on stage.

I'm in bed, I really am. I'm sleepcommenting.

*has nothing very intelligent to say about the present or future state of Soragumi XD*

[wao-wao.livejournal.com]

Yes, you do. The swirly lights at the beginning, before it started and you tried to take a photo of it, but it didn't come out.

Well of course I remember that, but that wasn't an effect like on the LED screen. That was on the ceiling, and only before the show.

And then the round pulsating 'Fantasista's during the Venus number...

...I think I've seen photographic evidence of those, at least... But I could never have focused on them during the number itself, because as you said, Masako leg and Tomochin leg and Eriko leg and musumeyaku in suits and all.

I'm in bed, I really am. I'm sleepcommenting.

Yeeessss, I believe you. ;-P Or maybe I just like the idea of sleep-commenting. XDD

[utena1409.livejournal.com]

I don't know much to say about the "new" soragumi yet, but I think the main problem really is that for everyone, including me, soragumi always was "Wao+Ohana". THEY were soragumi, at least for me. And now it's like "...who are all these people there?" XD
And Tani's voice has really gotten soooo much better since last year. Of course she still is not a good singer, but not as bad anymore as she used to be before. ^^;

Also I think it's always the same for national tours, they never have something entire new for them, they always reuse one of the last performed plays and do that one again with a slightly different cast. But yes, why should someone travel to Tokyo or Takarazuka if the show is coming near them anyway?

In my opinion, Micchan is a looot better as Ramon than Tomu. (The only problem is, Micchan is also better than Tomu as Rodrigo XD ) I had to laugh so hard at the sofa scene and nearly coulnd't stop even as Micchan was already gone offstage. ^^;;

And yes, Valencia is a boring play with flat characters and a typical zuka stroyline.... after 3 times I really just want to play to be over as fast as possible because I absolutely love the revue half! ^^ (So many wonderful scenes that make me cry everytime ;_; Yes, I cry very easily just because I am so happy to see "MY" Tani-chan being the topstar and so on XD )

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

I think the main problem really is that for everyone, including me, soragumi always was "Wao+Ohana". THEY were soragumi, at least for me. And now it's like "...who are all these people there?" XD

I'm really weird that my first sora show (and first Zuka show ever) was Ryoma-den with Kashi. My second sora show was A/L. But yeah, definitely agree that Wao and Ohana were soragumi during their reign.

And Tani's voice has really gotten soooo much better since last year. Of course she still is not a good singer, but not as bad anymore as she used to be before. ^^;"

Agreed. She's not the best voice in Zuka, but I actually kind of enjoy listening to her.

Yes, I cry very easily just because I am so happy to see "MY" Tani-chan being the topstar and so on XD )

I didn't get moved the point of tears, but I was happy to see Tani all grown up and top star.

[ladybretagne.livejournal.com]

I think the big issue right now is, like you said, there's been a lot of transition in the troupe and it can't be expected to just instantaneously fall back into place. From what I've heard, Hankyu really actually shot themselves in the foot a bit by promoting Kashi, because some of the die-hard Wao and Hana fans lost interest because suddenly the top was someone they had no attachment to. If they had promoted Tani then, they may have kept the momentum more than they have because at least it would have been a pretty straight forward nibante to top promotion. I think as some of the younger ones move up in the ranks (like Tomochin and Eriko who have been in Sora for ages) it will help stabilise what the troupe feel is really going to be, but the bottom line unfortunately is that even though I don't think Tani and Wao's actual personalities are all that different, they have very different on stage personas and that's going to make for a very different kind of show.

I think the people who are calling for Tani's head on a platter need to just take a pill and relax, because this is a huge transition with losing Wao and Hana and it's going to take time no matter who the tops are.

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

"From what I've heard, Hankyu really actually shot themselves in the foot a bit by promoting Kashi, because some of the die-hard Wao and Hana fans lost interest because suddenly the top was someone they had no attachment to."

I'm a Kashi fan, but I'm afraid I have to agree. I think her promotion to sora didn't do her or sora any good.

"I think the people who are calling for Tani's head on a platter need to just take a pill and relax, because this is a huge transition with losing Wao and Hana and it's going to take time no matter who the tops are."

Well said. Poor Tani has kind of become a scapegoat these days :/

[ladybretagne.livejournal.com]

It's easy to blame whoever is top for the difficulties of transitions like this, but it's really just kind of the reality of the situation regardless.