Review: Lure of the Icon - Hoshigumi 1998
Oct. 19th, 2009 06:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
masahiSummary: Mikhail and Tatiana have a Past. When they were younger, the two ballet stars tried to break through the Iron Curtain. Tatiana succeeded. Mikhail failed. 10 years later, she returns to Moscow with her husband, who is seeking religious icons. However, it transpires the reason for this modest collecting is far more sinister, and Tatiana and Mikhail soon find themselves up to their necks in trouble from ex-ballet-teachers (yes, really) and a cult known as Lucifer.
So I got two more Mariko videos the other week. One of them was Lure of the Icon. This was the show which Mariko was performing in between the runs of Emperor/Hemingway Revue. Overall, I wish this had been her Sayonara show. I am so smitten on it, it's not even funny.
It had the lovely mix of crack and serious and fun, which is what I always love in a Zuka show. Strangely, it makes me think of some odd bastard love-child show of Who is Bad? and Winds of Buenos Aires, with the mix of dance-history and crime and mafia mixed in for good measure.
While some of the music is the fun old-school electric rock stuff, it also managed to surprise me quite a bit by having Natsumi You, Ema Naoki (as a woman) and Nishiki Ai (Or possibly Kujo Akira. I could be mistaken. I missed her name) singing 'Meek Will Inherit' from Little Shop of Horrors. Only to be followed 15 minutes later by Mariko and Yuri-chan duetting on 'When I Look at You' from The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Noru angsting to 'Where's the Girl'.
Given that Pimpernel only opened the year before, I suspect they have a spy somewhere in Western theatre going "YOINK!" as soon as they hear a tune they like. It's like Elisabeth melodies showing up in 1993 in a Tsukigumi show - totally unexpected. I'm sure other songs have been used before, but I couldn't place them. Plus, nothing says love like rapping Siennes. It kills me every time :D
But, to the show. This was a show that let everyone see just how much Saki was adored by her troupe, and in turn, how much she adored them.
The plot is... actually more plausible than most, though the idea of hiding the passwords to Sekrit and Naughty Bank Accounts in a series of religious icons seems a rather long way to go for security. It did, however, lead to lots of Siennes with guns being dramatic and dangerous, and in certain cases, extraordinarily clumsy.
We have two factions, and from the outset, it's clear who should win: Mariko and her merry nightclub of crazily enthusiatic young people (with occasional intervention from the Mob) versus the unpleasant people working on behalf of Lucifer. Mind you, when you meet the leader of the Lucifer cult, it's easy to change one's allegiance. Saeko knows how to work sensual androgyny far too well.
And, since Mariko was moving on and leaving Yuri-chan to partner Prince Noru, this was also a show set up to show how they worked as a couple as well, even if they did have relatively little stagetime together. It seems useful to set up a relationship triangle in the Sayonara show of an Otokoyaku, so people won't have too much of a shock when the Musumeyaku moves onto the next hot boy ;)
There was plenty of twisting the tale: husband seeks icons, wife is abducted as blackmail material for husband to hand over icons, ex-boyfriend goes to the rescue and finds out icons are naughty-inducing and is shot in the hand, wife finds out ex-boyfriend is a big baby about having a sore hand, boyfriend decides to get investigatey, husband turns out to be a great big schemer who risked wife's life to get money, Lucifer's leader turns out to be a great big mama's boy called Nikita.
In the end, however, the good guys find the real icon, the husband is locked up and tells wife to go and be happy with club-owning ex-boyfriend. Like a good and obediant wife, she does so, and really, who can blame her? :)
Cast-wise:
Asaji Saki as Mikhail: Continuing her run as the blokeiest bloke that ever bloked on the Takarazuka stage, she a surprisingly butch ex-ballet dancer ;) A club owner with a reckless side when it comes to heroic acts, Mikhail is a stubborn, frequently broody and altogether too interesting individual.
However, her comic timing is impeccable as well, especially in the scene where Yuri-chan treats her wounded hand. Flailing like a sissy girl pretty much summarises her response, which turns into "umwhatareyouomgguh" when Yuri's version of soothing the wound involves gently blowing on it. You can see Mikhail's brain melting ;)
However, I loved this character for the fact that he will give up the woman he loves, even though it hurts, because he thinks it'll be the best thing for her and make her happy. Wrong, of course, but he gets his happy ending and last dance in the end :)
Hoshina Yuri as Tatiana: Alas that she wasn't given more feisty stuff to do. She does that so well. And I do adore Yuri-chan and Mariko as Top Combi. They have such a lovely spark even when nothing is being said or done.
Plus, the dances they do together are always lovely and she has such a sweet, clear voice :) I really wish she'd been Mariko's Musumeyaku for longer. I definitely to get more Yuri-chan stuff.
Chiaki Shin as Boris: Killed. Me. She never had any really big big roles, but Boris was a big role. It looked like she had eaten several underclassman. Yes, she was a bit of a cliche character with the furry hat and Mafia stylings, but she was clearly having a great time playing something that wasn't a fawning underling or minor speaking role.
Natsumi You & Ema Naoki as Georgi and Olga: Of all the people to be one of the major villains of the piece, I did not see the ballet-sponsor-figure being that, especially when played by You-san. Still, combined with the wickedly sinister force of Ema Naoki's ballet mistress, Olga, they are a fantastically evil pair. Olga especially is fantastic.
For the record, Ema Naoki owns. She just does. Everything she's done, she's been fantastic in, and I love that she clearly loves her job and doesn't intend to go any time soon. EMA NAOKI FTW :)
Minoru Kou as Leonard: While Noru will never be my favourite, she does bring a noble charm to the characters she plays. Leonard's uncertain ambivalence about his morals, especially in the scene when he is semi-seduced by Lucifer's head, Nikita, is great. I love that he gets to show that even if he's doing criminal stuff, out of greed, there is still a good person beneath it, which he reveals when he tells Tatiana to be happy. With Mikhail.
Plus, seeing Noru singing something that wasn't quite 'Where's the Girl?' was lovely.
Ayaki Nao as Nikita: When they killed her minor character less than 10 minutes in, I was miffed. However, she was reincarnated as the sinister, seductive Nikita who - when faced with danger and guns - wails and runs to his mummy ;)
I don't say it enough but I adore Saeko. I never thought I would. The first time I saw her was as Death and she did little for me, but I have learned to watch with Zukafied eyes, and she's such a great actress. Her timing and her body control is incredible, and I really, really wish I'd tried to see her in Chanel when I was in Tokyo. Plus, Nikita? HOT. HELLO SIN.
Others worthy of passing notice are Mariko's club workers, especially Takao Rio and Otowa Ryou. They were just having too much fun with their characters :) And Tomo Maika blowing the roof off the theatre with her big showgirl number, as Boris's girlfriend.
And special mention to Matobu Sei, who was lighting up the background with beaming big smiles all the time :)
So, yes. I have a new show to add to my top five. Will have to shuffle them around, but I will fit it, somehow.
So I got two more Mariko videos the other week. One of them was Lure of the Icon. This was the show which Mariko was performing in between the runs of Emperor/Hemingway Revue. Overall, I wish this had been her Sayonara show. I am so smitten on it, it's not even funny.
It had the lovely mix of crack and serious and fun, which is what I always love in a Zuka show. Strangely, it makes me think of some odd bastard love-child show of Who is Bad? and Winds of Buenos Aires, with the mix of dance-history and crime and mafia mixed in for good measure.
While some of the music is the fun old-school electric rock stuff, it also managed to surprise me quite a bit by having Natsumi You, Ema Naoki (as a woman) and Nishiki Ai (Or possibly Kujo Akira. I could be mistaken. I missed her name) singing 'Meek Will Inherit' from Little Shop of Horrors. Only to be followed 15 minutes later by Mariko and Yuri-chan duetting on 'When I Look at You' from The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Noru angsting to 'Where's the Girl'.
Given that Pimpernel only opened the year before, I suspect they have a spy somewhere in Western theatre going "YOINK!" as soon as they hear a tune they like. It's like Elisabeth melodies showing up in 1993 in a Tsukigumi show - totally unexpected. I'm sure other songs have been used before, but I couldn't place them. Plus, nothing says love like rapping Siennes. It kills me every time :D
But, to the show. This was a show that let everyone see just how much Saki was adored by her troupe, and in turn, how much she adored them.
The plot is... actually more plausible than most, though the idea of hiding the passwords to Sekrit and Naughty Bank Accounts in a series of religious icons seems a rather long way to go for security. It did, however, lead to lots of Siennes with guns being dramatic and dangerous, and in certain cases, extraordinarily clumsy.
We have two factions, and from the outset, it's clear who should win: Mariko and her merry nightclub of crazily enthusiatic young people (with occasional intervention from the Mob) versus the unpleasant people working on behalf of Lucifer. Mind you, when you meet the leader of the Lucifer cult, it's easy to change one's allegiance. Saeko knows how to work sensual androgyny far too well.
And, since Mariko was moving on and leaving Yuri-chan to partner Prince Noru, this was also a show set up to show how they worked as a couple as well, even if they did have relatively little stagetime together. It seems useful to set up a relationship triangle in the Sayonara show of an Otokoyaku, so people won't have too much of a shock when the Musumeyaku moves onto the next hot boy ;)
There was plenty of twisting the tale: husband seeks icons, wife is abducted as blackmail material for husband to hand over icons, ex-boyfriend goes to the rescue and finds out icons are naughty-inducing and is shot in the hand, wife finds out ex-boyfriend is a big baby about having a sore hand, boyfriend decides to get investigatey, husband turns out to be a great big schemer who risked wife's life to get money, Lucifer's leader turns out to be a great big mama's boy called Nikita.
In the end, however, the good guys find the real icon, the husband is locked up and tells wife to go and be happy with club-owning ex-boyfriend. Like a good and obediant wife, she does so, and really, who can blame her? :)
Cast-wise:
Asaji Saki as Mikhail: Continuing her run as the blokeiest bloke that ever bloked on the Takarazuka stage, she a surprisingly butch ex-ballet dancer ;) A club owner with a reckless side when it comes to heroic acts, Mikhail is a stubborn, frequently broody and altogether too interesting individual.
However, her comic timing is impeccable as well, especially in the scene where Yuri-chan treats her wounded hand. Flailing like a sissy girl pretty much summarises her response, which turns into "umwhatareyouomgguh" when Yuri's version of soothing the wound involves gently blowing on it. You can see Mikhail's brain melting ;)
However, I loved this character for the fact that he will give up the woman he loves, even though it hurts, because he thinks it'll be the best thing for her and make her happy. Wrong, of course, but he gets his happy ending and last dance in the end :)
Hoshina Yuri as Tatiana: Alas that she wasn't given more feisty stuff to do. She does that so well. And I do adore Yuri-chan and Mariko as Top Combi. They have such a lovely spark even when nothing is being said or done.
Plus, the dances they do together are always lovely and she has such a sweet, clear voice :) I really wish she'd been Mariko's Musumeyaku for longer. I definitely to get more Yuri-chan stuff.
Chiaki Shin as Boris: Killed. Me. She never had any really big big roles, but Boris was a big role. It looked like she had eaten several underclassman. Yes, she was a bit of a cliche character with the furry hat and Mafia stylings, but she was clearly having a great time playing something that wasn't a fawning underling or minor speaking role.
Natsumi You & Ema Naoki as Georgi and Olga: Of all the people to be one of the major villains of the piece, I did not see the ballet-sponsor-figure being that, especially when played by You-san. Still, combined with the wickedly sinister force of Ema Naoki's ballet mistress, Olga, they are a fantastically evil pair. Olga especially is fantastic.
For the record, Ema Naoki owns. She just does. Everything she's done, she's been fantastic in, and I love that she clearly loves her job and doesn't intend to go any time soon. EMA NAOKI FTW :)
Minoru Kou as Leonard: While Noru will never be my favourite, she does bring a noble charm to the characters she plays. Leonard's uncertain ambivalence about his morals, especially in the scene when he is semi-seduced by Lucifer's head, Nikita, is great. I love that he gets to show that even if he's doing criminal stuff, out of greed, there is still a good person beneath it, which he reveals when he tells Tatiana to be happy. With Mikhail.
Plus, seeing Noru singing something that wasn't quite 'Where's the Girl?' was lovely.
Ayaki Nao as Nikita: When they killed her minor character less than 10 minutes in, I was miffed. However, she was reincarnated as the sinister, seductive Nikita who - when faced with danger and guns - wails and runs to his mummy ;)
I don't say it enough but I adore Saeko. I never thought I would. The first time I saw her was as Death and she did little for me, but I have learned to watch with Zukafied eyes, and she's such a great actress. Her timing and her body control is incredible, and I really, really wish I'd tried to see her in Chanel when I was in Tokyo. Plus, Nikita? HOT. HELLO SIN.
Others worthy of passing notice are Mariko's club workers, especially Takao Rio and Otowa Ryou. They were just having too much fun with their characters :) And Tomo Maika blowing the roof off the theatre with her big showgirl number, as Boris's girlfriend.
And special mention to Matobu Sei, who was lighting up the background with beaming big smiles all the time :)
So, yes. I have a new show to add to my top five. Will have to shuffle them around, but I will fit it, somehow.
