| Yukigumi retirements for Solferino |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|08:39 am] |
It says something about me that the TakaWiki was the first page I checked this morning. I love many troupes, but I'm a Snow girl in my heart ♥
Yumiko, we knew about already. For the record, I think she's leaving on her terms, whether or not the initial impulse came from the company.
Hamako, on the other hand, hit me hard :( She's definitely put in more than her due, but Naga-san's health already took her out of one show this year, and if Hamako's not there to be kumichou when Naga-san decides that age 60+ is enough high kicks for now, after Mizu's retirement that'll leave... the 84ths Kimu and Yumemi as the eldest people in the troupe O.o Hankyu, you need to work on retaining your distinguished upperclassmen while there are any left!
Nacchan's a bad loss too, but I think we all know the impulse for it. She wanted Snow!Top, she didn't get it, and she probably wants to set up a long-term career while she's still young enough for Japan's extremely competitive scene when it comes to girls of the cute persuasion. Best of luck to her, even though it's another heavy, heavy loss for my troupe, and she's another who'll be getting a letter from me.
JinJin... see upperclassmen, retaining of. And see also, retaining of experienced musumeyaku. Yumemi better not be going anywhere now that she's probably getting the vice-kumichou mantle.
(I've also acquired a Dreamwidth account just for Takarazuka that I'll set up shortly. Then I will be able to babble more without annoying the non-Zuka crowd ;)) |
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| Good feline news |
[Nov. 22nd, 2009|10:18 pm] |
After five days of twice-daily IVs, my dearest Tonio's results are much improved. And so is he - annoyed about the cannula, surely, but shiny and happy and jumping and eating ♥ His vet says it's going very well, and while there will be twice daily IVs for another week, I'd do them for months if it meant I can keep his furry self this happy. I know it's a serious, lifetime condition, but one day, one week at a time - he's only six years old :)
(And I think I owe Tomomin a four-page letter full of "OMG your fanclub mail saved my sanity", only then she'll think I'm really insane...)
In other news, here's the Phantom and Rock Phantom on Youtube - sound only, but you can see why I was so happy with my Phantom, the first Phantom I ever saw live, mesmerising 1300 people with a single note :D |
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Takarazuka quiz from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) galynthia |
[Oct. 4th, 2009|09:23 am] |
Because I was shopping until 1AM yesterday and am currently falling over ~_~
( Takarazuka survey ) |
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| November craziness |
[Oct. 2nd, 2009|12:44 pm] |
I did Nanowrimo before - in 2003 and 2005, winning both times. Both contributed a lot to my momentum for writing for the years after that, and I think after the past two years (which were mostly due to work-stress), I'm due for another boost.
This time my project is science-fiction (trust me, I'm just as surprised). I won't bore people with the whole unedited lot, but I may end up posting some lj-cut excerpts if I'm proud of them.
And the characters may seem... familiar to some people.
(Musumeyaku. I need suggestions for musumeyaku with strong personalities, because my chosen brand of fighting style calls for equal numbers of otokoyaku and musumeyaku, and I suck at ogling recalling musumeyaku. It's been on my to-do list for ages, but now I need it for the plot.)
Working title: Starfall, Moonfall. |
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| Raindrops fall on Roses / Amour, it's something like... (Cosmos, July 2nd 2009, evening performance) |
[Jul. 22nd, 2009|10:10 am] |
We got toujitsuken (same-day tickets) to see this show, and I was surprised to find them still available when we arrived at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater at 10 AM, since it was only a few days before the end of the run and the joint graduation/retirement of both Top Stars and eight other performers. The same-day tickets are the very back row of the balcony, and I can confirm that even from there, the view is stellar - binoculars helped, of course.
( And here I thought it wasn't possible for me to be impressed by a Cosmos show )
Out of all we saw during our stay in Japan, this was the show for which I had the least expectations. I'm happy to report I was very pleasantly surprised. |
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| Legend of the Four Gods ver. 2 (Star Troupe, July 9 2009, Takarazuka Grand Theatre) |
[Jul. 21st, 2009|09:49 am] |
The review's a bit late (though not as late as the Elisabeth one!), so to make up for it, I added pictures :) Life's been crazy since I got back.
This was another show with a plot famous for confusing people. I'm rather proud of myself - with rudimentary Japanese and no knowledge of the original Korean drama, the only part of the plot I wasn't able to follow was the actual Four Gods thing, and that was the one thing I'd read up on before. Overall, this was a gorgeous show - perfect cast, perfect energy, gorgeous visuals and engaging characters. I'll be buying this one on DVD!
( With pictures, courtesy of Asahi.com ) |
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| Home at last |
[Jul. 10th, 2009|09:20 pm] |
Arrived home without falling over, which I think counts as a win. Saying goodbye was hard (to Osaka, ladyoz, and finally to fyrie in Helsinki, wah!), but oh, it's been a good trip.
(Also, my purchases from just two shops - guess which ones - fill a whole box. Oops?) |
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| Last night in Osaka |
[Jul. 9th, 2009|11:00 pm] |
Just a note to announce that we've survived the last day and the last show, and Chie-Nene-Teru are my new Golden Trio. Also, Yuu was in the audience. Thankfully she was on the first floor and we were on the balcony, or I would be really tempted to glare at her for being so amazing yesterday ;) Instead of demachi we got a talkshow onstage. Teru, apparently, is not stellar at dancing at the best of times, at least according to underclassmen ;)
Flight home is tomorrow morning, getting in to Warsaw about fourteen hours later. I wonder how long I'll be bowing to everyone and trying to queue up for the subway.
This trip was the best idea I've had in a long time. |
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| Day three of All Shows, All the time |
[Jul. 8th, 2009|11:57 pm] |
Cirque for the second time was fantastic, even if the most intense of acrobats switched acts, leaving the Duelling Seesaws of Death a little less tense.
Also, I sincerely want to kick Yuu. I do not need another troupe to follow, nor another DVD to buy, but I think I may break for Me and My Girl. Mainly because I can't get the songs out of my head. Or her drunken squeals, for that matter. She spent half the show in soprano ~_~ |
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| So, Kabuki and Takarazuka have a lot in common |
[Jul. 6th, 2009|09:31 pm] |
I think I would have come away with a different impression of kabuki theatre if I hadn't seen a show with costumes designed by Yoshitaka Amano, starring Bando Tamasaburo and Ichikawa Ebizo (both of whom Google identifies as the definite dream cast). There were sparkles and capes and dragons and Shiny Things (TM). And heels.
So many little things made it from Kabuki into Takarazuka as well. The hand gestures, the steps, even the fawning manner of the female-players. Someone should write a thesis on this.
(For the record, the show was Kaijin Besso, The Sea God's Villa.)
And before, there was Taka-An, and a CD by my girl that was never officially released, recorded in 1991 during her nibante days. I now have a recording of Maki Ichiro singing Memory ♥ |
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| The whirlwind of shows |
[Jul. 2nd, 2009|11:50 pm] |
Cirque du Soleil Corteo = wonderful. And may have a follow-up.
We only showed up for toujitsuken at 10, but we got B seats at a steal of a price :) BaraAme - not as confusing as people make it out to be. Tani impressed me with her fire, and Micchan's hair was messily adorable, but Tomu stole the show for me. She needs to do more comedy ♥
And then there was the revue, in which Ume-chan rocked the house. You have to respect a musumeyaku who can dance with a stage-ful of otokoyaku and pwn every single one of them. (Also, was Tomu speaking in sign language while singing? It looked that way.)
Also, Takarazuka-An is very dangerous for fans of OGs. I am now the proud owner of an autographed photo of my girl ♥
Next is Tuesday. Tanz der Vampire. With a guy I've been starry-eyed about for over four years.
This is a good trip :D |
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| For once, the rainy season is living up to its name |
[Jun. 30th, 2009|05:40 pm] |
In Hiroshima right now, and after ten days of sun (and a major tan) in Kansai, we're finally getting to see the rainy season. Not that it's a bad thing: Miyajima in the rain, with mist covering the mountain tops, was very spectacular.
Tomorrow, we drive through Nagoya to catch Cirque du Soleil, then on to Tokyo. Thursday will be another Takarazuka first - standing in line at silly o' clock for same-day tickets ^^; Keeping my fingers crossed that we do get them.
It's halfway over already, eleven nights down and ten to go. I have a feeling I will be coming back, often. |
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| Elisabeth: Moon Troupe demachi report |
[Jun. 20th, 2009|11:14 pm] |
The actual show report will take a few days, or until I get back home (because it only gets better from here), but we did end up staying for our first demachi.
(For the non-Takarazuka: demachi is official stagedooring. When the stars come out, they take letters from their fanclub members, but they generally don't talk to other people, and you're not allowed to bother them. Not so much with the Kevin Tarte style of "who wants to glomp Krolock? :D)
( Demachi report )
( And this would be what never happens at demachi ) |
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| T minus 8 |
[Jun. 10th, 2009|02:10 pm] |
In 8 days, I'll be on a plane to Japan. It's only just starting to hit home.
The postcard offer is still open (though actual postcard sending may be from Poland, since the last few days of our trip will be particularly hectic). Thus far I know we're meeting mayoini in Osaka, a friend from secondary school in Nagoya, and utena1409 in Tokyo. Some other people may come out of the woodwork, and since ladyoz is taking her laptop, we should be mail- and LJ-capable for meeting arrangement purposes :)
Now, to sit on someone before we end up seeing not only her, her and him, but also her, her and her... ;) |
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| Update from the bunker, and Angel Voice |
[Jun. 2nd, 2009|10:52 pm] |
My exam is on Saturday. That would be the exam that tests, in six-hour, 240-question detail, the encyclopedic knowledge contained in 6 books that together run well over 3,000 pages. Thank gods for Schweser Study Notes is all I'm saying. And study leave.
Last-minute studying is made all the more fun by infection-related vertigo. For some reason it's worse when I'm in front of a computer, so that's added motivation to look at a page, not a screen ;)
And just in time, my study aid came in the mail. I had a *cough* copy of Maki Ichiro's graduation CD Angel Voice album before, but it was a much-copied cassette tape version with distortions. It's much better in original CD format. And it showcases Ichiro's voice in such good songs - everything from an otokoyaku-transposed Ich gehör nur mir to female-register Beauty and the Beast theme, with everything else - Luck be a lady, It's a wonderful world, Unchained melody and other standards - chosen to show off the warmth and quality of her voice. It stays up to repeated playing very well.
(Not to mention the Phantom of the Opera with Ichiro!Erik and Hanafusa!Christine. Why do I like Mari Hanafusa best in her first combo?)
Sunday is freedom, and possibly madness. |
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| FIC: Fairytale/Cinderella: "Complications in advice-giving" (PG) |
[May. 17th, 2009|07:44 pm] |
So, so much fyrie's fault. This has so much sugar, I am not responsible for the well-being of any diabetics.
Title: Complications in advice-giving
Author: Beth Winter, bwinter
Fandom: Cinderella
Pairing/characters: Fairy Godmother, Cinderella
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: This particular interpretation based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
Prompt: 128: Any science fiction or supernatural fandom, any characters, Humans' rigid ideas about gender and sexuality make falling in love with one difficult.
Summary: Before her wedding night, Cinderella asks her Fairy Godmother for advice. It turns out that fairies have different ideas about things.
Warnings: None.
Author's Notes: Entirely fyrie's fault as usual. Also dedicated to the kind soul who subtitled the Japanese version of the Cinderella musical, in which the Fairy Godmother and Stepmother are both played by actresses who some years earlier were very famous for playing male roles. The sheer sugar content of the Fairy's scenes with Cinderella, especially fulfilling the wish, put this story in my head.
( Even in fairytales, not everything's simple ) |
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| Adventures in wiki editing |
[Apr. 27th, 2009|10:20 pm] |
*falls over* I have a newfound respect for anyone who edits wikis. Still, after over a year from my first attempt at it, and with only a little hack, the Seal of the Bourbons page at the TakaWiki is all mine :D
(I'll add the play summaries later. Falling over now.) |
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| Takarazuka: El Halcon (Star, 2007-2008) |
[Mar. 22nd, 2009|09:46 pm] |
Takarazuka is my mainstay for when I'm feeling down, but not every show is a gem. Since I've just giggled myself silly through El Halcon, I think it is one.
Fans of From Eroica with Love will recognise Tyrian Persimmon, Klaus's ancestor, and let's just say the show starts with the baby Tyrian stabbing the man who raised him as a son to facilitate the escape of the pirate he suspects is his real father. It gets downhill from there, because there's seemingly no depth Tyrian won't stoop to (though I admit Aran Kei looks very at home when throwing women on a bed and pinning them there). The revue has lovingly adapted Yasuko Aoike's penchant for creating memorable backup teams for her heroes, and therefore Tyrian gets not one but two male sailors who keep being posed in typical musumeyaku worship poses, and Asuka's Gilda has her posse of girl pirates.
But I have to admit I'm on the side of Luminous "Red" Benedict. Let's see - he's noble, rash and needs a knock on the head. He has a crazy pirate mentor, and he manages to "kidnap" Tyrian's ward only to get tackled by her as she giggles about (I think) how cool he is. (I believe this would be where Eroica gets his enthusiasm from.) And oh, Hoshigumi have so many lovely actresses there - Yuzuki Reon and Kazu Ryouka work beautifully together, it's such a pity that Kazu's retiring just before Chie becomes top. Other people I'll definitely keep an eye on are Suzumi Shio (she does anger very well) and Tenju Mitsuki - just a baby, but she's got the otokoyaku fire in spades.
The show is... more on crack than From Eroica with Love, which is an achievement. It chiefly earns this distinction via the appearance of the disco-dancing Queen Bess.
( Clip from the prologue, which does a good job of introducing all characters ) |
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| FIC: Entracte (Seal of Roses, R/NC-17) |
[Mar. 3rd, 2009|07:01 pm] |
*sighs* My devil twin♥ wanted. She got. 1500 words of vampire smut.
What you need to know: Francis is a Knight Templar. After the order's dissolution, he fled to a valley run by a family of good vampires. The goodness was guarded by a monastery with a magic cross. The monk Mikhail, driven mad by the fact the family's daughter preferred Francis, broke the seal and became an evil vampire. Through the River of Time (cue song), Francis searches for the jewel-roses that formed the seal. And in the palace of Louis XIV, he stumbles on a vampire plot.
TITLE: Entracte
RATING: R/NC-17
FANDOM: Seal of Roses: Vampire Requiem (Takarazuka)
PAIRINGS: Francis/Mikhail
WORDS: circa 1500
SUMMARY: In the night of Paris, Mikhail catches Francis unawares. He is made to regret it, if only for the sake of his dress.
Entirely fyrie's fault. Hankyu owns everything, Takarazuka Revue are goddesses, and needless to say, this is not quite pure and proper. (Beauty can be argued.)
( Between the acts ) |
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| I have not fallen off the face of the planet |
[Jan. 24th, 2009|08:13 pm] |
I've just noticed I haven't posted in two weeks. As usual, this means work's eating me alive. And amusingly enough, of my New Year's Resolutions I'm doing the best with exercise, which means less weight already, but also 45 to 60 minutes less in the day. Studying isn't going badly, but writing, thus far, is mostly of the Morning Pages kind, letting out steam and stress.
And I'm watching the news about the newest Elisabeth production with... bemusement. Not only will Sisi be taller than Death (which has happened before), but it looks like it'll be equivalent of Sandor Nagy playing Sisi to Szilveszter Szabo's Death. It'll be - interesting.
But hey, she's cute. And I need to look for this concert while I'm over there: 【ニコニコ動画】I have a dreamコンサート「オスカーワイルド」０１ |
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