Cleverly Disguised as a Responsible Adult

It's been interesting reading the opinions on potential tsukigumi Elisabeth casting.  Some people are really excited about the idea of someone they like being cast as Franz, and some dread the idea.  The same goes for Lucheni.[Poll #1338015]

I've always had a thing for the official Takarazuka postcards.  They were one of the first items I started collecting <3

Last year they only were released one set I think?  I can't figure out if it's a yearly or twice a year thing.  This time around they're being called 「2009年冬・ポートレイトポストカード」, so does that imply there will be a second set?  I remember last year's was interesting since it added some new stars to the lineup.  With all of the shakeups anticipated, I'm wondering if a future set this year would add some other up and coming stars.

( Anyway, I can't help but comment on a few of my favorites XD )

Tonight I watched a DVD copy of the role switch for "Valencia no Atsui Hana."  The last time I saw the role switch (or the show at all) was fall of 2007, so it was interesting to go back and watch it again.

( Thoughts under the cut )

 

 

 

 

Coincidentally enough, the role switch was filmed right after Eriko got sick, but before Chigi had time to take over Eriko's role.  So in this performance, the role of Dan Juan Cardeo was played by...Kacha.  I think I'm a little freaked out by that omen.  (But maybe it means that if I work on Luna tonight, Kiriyan will be announced as the next hoshigumi top? XD)

Anyway, she did fine, but she looked a little young next to the honkouen cast...

Meep.  I feel bad saying this, but I liked the Daigekijou version better.

( review under the cut )

Can I spend just a minute gloating over the Yahoo auction I just won?  It was the picture on the top left and the bottom left that did me in.  (I don't care if it's ridiculous, Luna is one of my favorite shows).  The picture on the top and in the middle isn't bad either (Nova Bossa Nova <3), nor the one on the bottom right.

I, er, have to confess that I actually already own the pictures from Slapstick and Daikaizoku -_-;

There's another Yahoo! Auction that's really, really tempting, but I'm not sure if I'm going to go for it.

I can't figure out what tsuki is doing in 2009.  (Granted I think we're all in the dark given that we haven't gotten a new top musumeyaku announcement, nor has Asako announced her retirement). 

So there's a show that will be at Theater Drama City, and then Showa Women's University.  My guess would be that this is tsukigumi's Berubara, and that they're doing the there day run at Showa Women's University because they couldn't get a hold of the Nippon Seinenkan or any of the alternatives.

What I can't figure out then is the Bow Hall also running at the same time.  Kiriyan just had the Hakataza show in August 2008, and I doubt they would give her two leads within a year.  It would also be really strange if they gave her a 17-day Bow Hall show that didn't have a Tokyo counterpart.

Who else is there besides Kiriyan, though?  They're not really treating poor Ahi as a sanbante these days, but I'm not sure if Morie, Sonoka, etc. are being pushed so much that they would be given such a long-running Bow Hall.  Someone suggested the idea of it being a run split between two leads, although usually there is a break between runs when that happens.

Also, both tsuki and hoshi this year will have two Daigekijou shows in a row without any smaller shows in between.  I wonder if this is going to be the new pattern or if this is just a result of Hankyu switching over to the new schedule.  Regardless, I'm really glad that the smaller shows haven't disappeared altogether (although there is a sad lack of workshops this year).

Of course it's a bit hard to predict who will get which leads without knowing about transfers.  After all, a year ago would anyone have predicted that Yuuhi would be leading the 2008 hanagumi Theater Drama City show?  But I have to say, I kind of enjoy the speculation side of Takarazuka, even when it's driving me crazy ^^;;

Hankyu just made an announcement about the release of the 2009 calendars, which will be on October 10th.  Along with the usual suspects, Kimu will have her own personal calendar this year.  She also makes it onto the star calendar along with the top stars and nibante.  This fact, along with a lot of other little things, only confirms my hunch that Hankyu is treating Kimu like a second nibante in yukigumi.

Kimu is on the short list of my list of favorite otokoyaku, but at the same time I hate the idea of Yumiko being passed up.  I'd like to see Yumiko get at least one show as top post-Mizu.

700 yen per personal calendar isn't bad.  Obviously I need the Kiriyan calendar, but finances depending I may need the Kimu and Touko ones too... *plots in an evil manner*

P.S. Based on the timing of the 2008 schedule release this time last year, I'm expecting an announcement about the 2009 schedule any day now.  As I've whined about before, yours truly doesn't have internet at home, meaning I can't stalk the internet every second of the day.  (I can get to Gmail and even Live Journal on my cell phone, but my phone's inability to display Japanese makes looking at the official page useless).  In any case, I expect one of you lot to e-mail me if any announcements are made :P

Pick your five favorite Takarasiennes (past or present), and cast them in your dream roles.  It doesn’t matter how completely unfeasible these roles are, let your imagination run wild!  I’ve stuck to Takarazuka and musicals in my answers, but feel free to go outside of that.  (After all, Kiriyan once said that she’d love to play Jack Skellington ^^)

Okay, now that I have that particular bit of drama out of the way, I went to see MiiMai on Sunday! 

 

 

Before the show I was talking to a tsukigumi fan friend of mine.  She said that there are some shows that she dreads having to see multiple times, but this isn’t one of them and that she was smiling the entire way through.  I agree completely.  If you have the opportunity, I really recommend seeing this one, regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of tsukigumi or any of the Takarasiennes involved.

Pari no Sora Yori mo Takaku/Fancy Dance was the first time that I saw tsukigumi live.  Right now I'm watching it on TV.

It was my second live Takarazuka show.  My first was Ryoma-den.  However, in between the two I had bought copies of Tsuki's Elisabeth and Ernest in Love and was budding into a fan.  As my crummy luck would have it, I came down with a fever that week and was still sick that night.  Even still, I still went.  I had been excited about this all month, plus it was a 8000 yen ticket and I didn't want to waste that kind of money.

Watching this again, I am reminded that PariSora is a fairly crummy show with a few good bits.  But even still, when I watch it I can't help but smile because I remember falling in love with Takarazuka then, and particularly with a certain stuttering French inventor.  By sheer luck, I think I had either row six or eight tickets.  Way off to the left, but still pretty darn good.  When people ask me why I like Kiriyan, well, there are many reasons.  But I often tell them it's because of her smile.  Even though now I may look back at the opening of PariSora and think that first song is a little too pink for my taste, I won't forget the feeling of wonderful shock that the real life Kiriya Hiromu was in front of me.  (Not to mention the real life Sena Jun, Ayano Kanami, and Oozora Yuuhi, but that's a different story).  To be honest, I remember some of the Takarasiennes looked tired.  But I was amazed at how bright and genuine Kiriyan's smile was.

By the time Fancy Dance started I was really starting to not feel good.  Unfortunately even now I have trouble enjoying the Arabian number towards the end, not because there's anything wrong with it in the least, but because I somehow associate it with being sick.  Even with all of that, however, I convinced my friend to stay after with me for demachi.  I ended up chatting with a nice British lady who was a big Takarazuka fan as well.  I stood behind Kiriyan's club.  I'm strangely having trouble remembering the exact details of what she did as she collected letters, but I remember I took some pictures and I remember that she smiled and said "Bai bai!" as she finished.  Later on that week I remember I was teaching at one of my crappier schools and trying not to go crazy.  I looked at the pictures on my digital camera and cheered up.  (Looking back at them now they're not very good pictures, but they made me ecstatic at the time).

Okay, I'm going to attempt to be productive.  But I felt like waxing nostalgic <3